Mahaffey Blog

Do you strive to only deliver the bare minimum to your customers? Neither do we. In fact, we frequently see our clients and our own crew go above and beyond in their on-site safety standards—even exceeding OSHA requirements.

The following article was originally published in the May 2018 edition of BIC Magazine.

When people ask about factors affecting oil prices, industry vets often point to three things: taxes, politics, and weather. As the U.S. Energy Information Administration puts it: Worldwide supply and demand determines the prices for crude oil; demand varies depending on factors like the economy and the weather, and weather events in the United States and political events in other countries affect supply.

Whether you are new to clearspan fabric structures or are a seasoned pro, selecting a company to install one is a big decision. Pick the wrong vendor, and you’re at risk for unnecessary and expensive delays in your project.

When it comes to flooring for your temporary fabric structure, you have a lot of options to consider. The first is whether your project requires flooring at all.

When planning for an event, an organizer can typically control and account for just about anything and everything – the number of attendees, where guests will sit, how they will sit, what will they eat, where will guests enter and exit. Everything is expertly planned. Everything, that is, except for the weather.

Facilities managers are always looking for new strategies to save energy and cut costs. According to Energy Star, the average commercial building wastes 30 percent of its energy consumption due to inefficiencies. This hits operations where it hurts—the bottom line.

Turnkey fabric structures offer a wide variety of amenities, like climate control and lighting options, to keep your crews comfortable, your materials protected, and your overall energy expenses in check. Selecting the right amenities for your project and properly maintaining them is key to maximizing energy efficiency in your temporary structure. 

In 2007, Mahaffey installed the world’s tallest clearspan structure to cover a 777 jet.

Over the course of our 94-year history, Mahaffey has developed a legacy of innovation by tackling our customers’ problems with state-of-the art ideas and solutions. These innovations have also become meaningful industry contributions. In Part 1 of this series, we shared Mahaffey’s breakthrough solutions from our first five decades, like the development of the first mechanical post driver.

As a more recent example, in 1999 Mahaffey was the first to use insulated guardian steel sidewalls on temporary fabric structures. This design—first used on an on-location movie set—was a solution for our client’s unique security needs. Today, many of our competitors mimic this ingenious hard wall approach. 

In Part 2 of this series, learn about Mahaffey’s game-changing innovations over the past four decades, each custom-designed to address the unique needs and ever-arising challenges of our customers.

“There’s a way to do it better. Find it.” These words, attributed to Thomas Edison, are a solid reminder that if you’re doing things the way they’ve always been done, there’s almost certainly a better way.

Consider a time when massive, solid 40-foot posts used to support pole tents were put up completely manually by a large crew using little more than a lot of rope. Sure, it worked. But in 1939, Mahaffey found a way to improve the process. And this improvement resulted in a better end-product and reduced installation time as well as cost-savings for the customer.

One seemingly cardinal business truth that has stood the test of time is: Companies that stand still risk extinction. Customers rightfully expect more from their suppliers and service-providers. Innovative companies are successful because they deliver the superior products and services their customers are looking for.

In Part 1 of this two-part series, learn about Mahaffey’s first 50 years of innovative solutions. These solutions revolutionized what customers have come to expect from a temporary structure provider.