Larry Ott

ASSOCIATE MEMBER DIRECTOR

The designated voting representative of all ARA general members and associate members will vote for associate member director.

Larry Ott
Rainier Industries
Tukwila, Wash.

Larry Ott is the Northeast sales representative for the Commercial Tent Division, Rainier Industries, Tukwila, Wash. His responsibilities are to introduce the company’s product line to the event rental industry, maintain relationships with customers and assist them in succeeding with Rainier tenting and tent-related products and services. “Lately, we have been focusing on labor-reducing products as well as products that promote safety on the job site,” Ott says.

Rainier Industries was founded as Puget Sound Tent & Duck on the Seattle waterfront in 1896, established by Henry Carstens. The company initially sold tents and camping equipment to gold miners heading north to Alaska. In 1916, the company was sold to George Schaffer, who owned it until 1962. In 1963, Albert Cox and Bob Campbell purchased and renamed the company Puget Sound Tent & Awning. The pair then sold the business to Campbell’s son, Scott, who renamed the company Rainier Industries in 1984 and most recently retired as president and CEO. Currently, Rainier Industries has about 300 employees and operates within a 140,000-sq.-ft. facility in Tukwila and an 80,000-sq.-ft. manufacturing facility in Statesville, N.C. The company’s three main divisions — display, shade and shelter — make everything from wall tents, yurts and cottages to retractable power screens and awnings, branded environments and experiential marketing elements, commercial tents and marine and industrial products.

Background: “I have been working in the rental industry for almost 30 years. I started, after college, washing dishes after the Thanksgiving holiday. When I arrived for a second day, the owner said I would be in the industry for years if I came back after that. I have helped fledgling companies become multi-million-dollar operations. I helped start new product lines such as linens and formed new niche companies to help those rental companies grow. I moved from the rental company side of the industry to the manufacturing side in 2018 and use my experience to help my clients succeed with their own companies,” Ott says.

Activities and recognition:

• Philadelphia Chapter of International Live Events Association (ILEA): Served as president, president-elect, vice president of membership and vice president of communications.

• Brandywine Convention and Visitors Bureau.

• Jingle Jam multi-organization networking event.

• Bucks County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

• ILEA Member of the Year: 2008.

Why do you want to serve as an ARA Associate Member director?

“The best part of my job is to visit with rental companies and discuss their challenges and their companies. Being a part of a solution to a challenge is rewarding — being a member of the ARA board would take that experience and expand it to another level by helping the industry as a whole. I look forward to meeting some amazing people in the industry, consulting on how to help the membership thrive and expanding my own knowledge base,” Ott says.