Today we’d like to introduce you to Tristan Harkleroad
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
In 2019, my dad, my brother, and I decided we wanted to start a business. We decided to go head first into the event rental business. It was my brother Shane’s idea to do so after we were bouncing ideas between each other. It made sense to us since we loved working outdoors and also working with other people. After a few months of getting everything in place- website, payment software, logos, equipment etc. we were good to go! It was February of 2020 when we were officially a business. With this new venture, we were excited to embrace our new path ahead. A couple weeks later, Covid turned our city and our lives upside down.
Luckily, parents after a while wanted to give their kids something to do instead of being stuck indoors all day! It took some time for people to reach out given the uncertainty of covid, but slowly parents started calling and we were able to operate. We tediously cleaned every inflatable that we had to ensure everyone was healthy and safe through that entire time. It was stressful not knowing what the future held for us, but we took the challenge head on.
Fast forward to the last few years, Savannah is thriving again. We were thriving! Each year, more and more people were hearing about us, and things started to all come together. All the churches, schools, businesses, and beyond have helped us grow each and every year. It is the most fulfilling business there is because you are the one that brings the party together! With everything in full swing, we look forward to contributing to our beautiful city! We love working with Savannah and the surrounding communities. The most satisfying part of our job is making everyone’s event as memorable and enjoyable as we can!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The main struggles that we had to face was first and foremost, covid. It really hindered our first year and we were concerned with being able to survive as a business in such a crazy time. We adapted and overcame that adversity thankfully! The other tough part about the nature of our business is being able to find reliable and available help. During the summer, we have all the help we can get from high school kids that come from Benedictine, but during the busier times of the year where the kids are still in school, we had to do some pretty large jobs with only three people sometimes! There have been jobs that we would work through the night just to make it happen. We always found a way to get the job done, no matter the situation.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We are a Harkleroad 2nd generation family owned business. The Harkleroads have been proudly serving the Savannah area for 34 years in the jewelry business. Just as Harkleroad Diamonds was built on impeccable service, a family environment and fair pricing, we have humbly followed the same business practices! Shane Bradshaw, Kenny Hill, and I have been here since the very first day. We specialize in the event industry business. This includes bounce houses, water slides, obstacle courses, wedding tents, tables, chairs, and more!
Given the nature of our industry, we make sure to set ourselves apart with being punctual and always putting the customer first. I treat everyone we work with as family, and that really makes the difference between us and everyone else. We take pride in having the best customer service and always taking the extra mile to make our events the best they can be. We offer a wide range of services, whether it is your child’s first birthday party, or even a large church gathering! We have a vast range of inflatables that are perfect for any event you may have. The cool thing is, most of our slides and bounce houses can be wet or dry!
If you have a big wedding planned outside, we can cover that too! We have a beautiful line of tents that are ready to go for any type of wedding outdoors. Or if you have a smaller wedding, we can take care of that too! With the tent, we also have a large number of elegant wedding chairs as well as tables. Wedding reception in the evening? No worries, we have amazing lights that we can hang inside the tents for you. Whatever the event, we can make it work!
Aside from the tents and inflatables, we also have mechanical rides as well. The most recent ride we have acquired would be our Buckin’ Mechanical Bull! It is as fun as you can imagine! The bull comes with two staff members to operate, leaving you to enjoy the challenge of riding the bull. We also have an awesome 4 station rock wall that is 28ft tall. It is the ideal ride for any big event, as friends and family can race each other to the top and hit the buzzer!
If you have an event in mind, we can make it happen. We love working with people and we guarantee to deliver as promised!
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
This business never would have been possible without the support of my dad. He has given us incredible insight and knowledge on how to run a business. He was our first believer and still is our number one believer. Our first mentor and now an incredible friend, Tony Atwell! We were given his information to reach out and ask a few questions about the industry, and it ended up being an amazing friendship. Tony has had his own business in our industry and he has helped us tremendously! My brother Caleb also has been an incredible help with getting our name out and taking me and Shane to networking events to get acquainted with other businesses in Savannah. My wife is my number one fan and I am so thankful she has been so supportive and has stuck by my side through all the peaks and valleys of running your own business. Shane my business partner, and Kenny have been there every day with me and they deserve as much credit as I do for where we are today. My whole family has always been so supportive and contribute any way they can with making our lives easier. Without the community we work with, it would not be possible to be where we are, and I am so grateful for how far we have come!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://hoppinginflatables.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harkleroadeventrentals/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/harkleroadeventrentals
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@harkleroadeventrentals?lang=en
