Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeremy LaBahn.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Jeremy. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Since I (Jeremy) was in Jr. High, I have always wanted to own and run a business. I was often told by my parents and their friends that I had a “business mind” and that one day, I would have my own company. Up until recent years, I had no idea what this really meant and how it was going to play out, but I was eager to find out.
I grew up working for the family landscaping business and envisioned myself one day taking the reigns. This meant that I spent my summers working on the routes learning the ropes of the business and when I graduated high school, I immediately began working full time. I spent five and a half more years working and climbing my way up the chain hoping that things would work out, but as time went on, that desire in me to have my own company kept itching. I finally decided that I was going to branch out into something new, but I wasn’t sure what that was going to be.
In early January of 2018, my girlfriend at the time (now wife) Connie was with a group of friends for a girl’s weekend away and she was catching up with our friend, Jenny Stecklair. Jenny shared that she was considering selling her business and of course my girlfriend jumped on the opportunity. Within a few months, we were able to agree on the terms, signed a contract, and take over the business. Suddenly, I had the thing that I always wanted!
We officially took over the business in August of 2018 and shortly after we got married in January of 2019. In just over a year of business we have:
1. Seen significant growth.
2. Implemented a lot of new practices that improved the health of our company.
3. We purchased another company, CC Vintage Rentals, and merged it with our existing company.
4. During this time, we rebranded and changed our name to Wonder Event Rentals.
Today, we proudly own and operate a business providing a wide inventory of specialty event rentals through all of San Diego and Los Angeles County.
Has it been a smooth road?
There were a lot of times in my life before owning this company that I was not content and simply unhappy with my job. You know, I didn’t realize it at the time, but I learned so many important life skills that really prepared me for this current season of life. Looking back at it, I see that time at the family business as a training ground. Since operating this company, we have experienced a lot of rapid growth which brings many challenges, but for the most part, things have gone really smoothly. We are so grateful for the opportunity in front of us and we have decided that we are going to give it all we have.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Wonder Event Rentals story. Tell us more about the business.
We are an event rental company specializing in weddings and high-end events. We carry a large inventory of lounge furniture, handcrafted Farm Tables, Modern Tables, Chairs, Benches, Market Lighting, dance floors, and many other decor items.
We are most proud to carry a wide selection of lounge furniture AND several specialty table/seating options for large quantities. If there is something that one of our clients is interested in, but we don’t carry it, then we will do everything in our power to source those items for our client. Part of our mission is to be a resource for our clients by going above and beyond in helping them plan their event. We are more than just a rental company.
As a part of our team and services for our clients, we have multiple in house designers and event coordinators.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I’ve read and studied a lot of research that the wedding industry goes through 10-year cycles of new trends. I think this new trend of specialty and handcrafted rentals is here to stay for a while.
Contact Info:
- Address: 198 W. Main St. El Cajon, CA 92020
- Website: https://www.wondereventrentals.com/
- Phone: 6197924498
- Email: hello@wondereventrentals.com
- Instagram: https://www.wondereventrentals.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wonder.eventrentals
Image Credit:
Paige Nelson Photo, Shelly Anderson Photography, Kamio Laverria Photography
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