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Party central
All Occasions Party Rental back in Washington County with new tri-state headquarters
mbradwell@observer-reporter.com
EIGHTY FOUR - Art Brown and his son, Jason, will tell you that no two parties are alike, but all require the same attention to detail.
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So when the Browns purchased the former International Paper plant on Wilson Road in Eighty Four earlier this year, they were ensuring that their company could handle the demand for every party, large or small. The Browns are using about 70,000 square feet of the 4.5-acre site, which includes a 2,200-square-foot showroom, offices and a 60,000-square-foot warehouse that boasts nine truck bays, two commercial dishwashers, a commercial linen laundry and an inventory of nearly $3 million in tables, chairs, linens, china and glassware.
Today, the Eighty Four site employs between 45 and 60 people depending upon seasonal demand, and serves as the tri-state headquarters for All Occasions, which covers events in all of Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia and travels as far west as Columbus, Ohio. The company also has another 2,200-square-foot showroom in Pittsburgh's Strip District.
Along the way have been thousands of parties and events.
"We just finished the Pittsburgh 250 Anniversary celebrations and the Madcap at Schenley Plaza," Art said, adding that the company also does a large number of events at West Virginia University, as well as events for West Virginia Sens. Robert Byrd and Jay Rockefeller, and at UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh. In addition to working directly with corporations and nonprofits, the company's planners also work closely with caterers and the hosts of each event.
Until this year, when All Occasions purchased and refurbished the International Paper plant, it had worked out of a 30,000-square-foot building on Montour West Industrial Boulevard in Coraopolis since 2001.
The company simply outgrew the site as its business increased, Art said, adding that the new Eighty Four headquarters site also represents a return of his business to Washington County.
In 2001, Art, a resident of Peters Township, sold two Taylor Rental franchises in Washington and McMurray after starting All Occasions a couple of years earlier. The Taylor operations rented both tools and party supplies. At the time, he said he wanted to focus all of his resources on the party segment of the business because of the extra attention to detail required to accommodate events and celebrations.
It's a focus he and his son maintain today.
Art said the biggest necessity is having ample supplies as well as the facilities to clean and maintain items. During the peak party season, which runs from May through October, items fly in and out of the Eighty Four warehouse.
"A lot of times, one truck is being staged while another is being downloaded," he said.
"It's a big circle," said Jason, showing a commercial dishwasher used to clean incoming plates and flatware and another to wash glassware. In another area of the warehouse, two employees use commercial washing machines and a press to launder and fold linens before repackaging them for the next use. The area can process up to 1,800 pounds of napkins and linens a day. The company offers 14 colors of chairs, several types of tables and four types of flooring to build dance floors. It also offers the full gamut of glassware, from crystal-maker Reidel to basic barware.
Jason said he and his father attend rental industry events to keep up on changing tastes and styles. They also follow the output of major designers for clues about new colors, which will dictate future purchases of everything from linens to china and chairs.
"Color, design and trends are all part of our business," Jason said. "These things change every month."
The massive inventory is essential to guaranteeing that all customers receive the items they specify.
"It's important that as the supplier, we have everything here," Art said. "When you're depending on a second or third supplier, you don't really know what that quality is. It could be a surprise at 4 p.m. on Friday."
As for the huge tents that are rented to cover many of the event sites, Brown said experienced crews that set up and dismantle them are part and parcel of the order. In some cases, All Occasions crews have built entire tent complexes, connecting them with fabric tunnels, enabling food service and preparation areas to be concealed from the main event areas.
Regardless of the size of the event, Art said attention to detail is a constant.
"Whether it's 20,000 people at a corporate event or a very intimate presidential dinner, that same commitment goes into a backyard dinner," he said.
All Occasions Party Rental's tri-state headquarters and showroom is located at 72 Wilson Road, Eighty Four. For more information, call 724-695-4200.
