Pirate OX Takes to the Water

Tent OX founder and CEO Scott Woodruff on the Water in the Chesapeake Bay

Scott Woodruff, Tent OX founder and CEO, fondly remembers an early introduction to sailing on Seneca Lake in New York State’s Fingerlakes region. Later he became an avid sailboarder. But most of his time – until about a year ago – was spent on dry land.

Sailing into Retirement

A couple of years ago Scott sought to transition from day-to-day involvement in the tent and event rental business after three decades of event rental ownership (Event Central, a large regional company near Harrisburg, sold in 2015) and several more years as the inventive mind behind Tent OX, the “Swiss army knife” of installation systems used throughout the tent and event sector. He and his wife Jill decided to relocate from their longtime home outside of Harrisburg while new leadership took the reins of driving Tent OX’s growth. (More info on what the company is doing now can be found at the bottom of this article!)

So, they looked for a new home that met three criteria: on the water, far enough south to have a few palm trees in the yard, but not so far from PA that they would miss the grandchildren. Were you to visit them today, you would find they are now, indeed, on the water, and many of their days are spent cruising Chesapeake Bay, off the beaches of Hampden, Virginia.

For several months now, Scott has been sailing whenever he likes, on a boat small enough to drive solo, but big enough to have family, friends, and tent industry friends over as crew members.

Appropriately, he chose the Flying Scot brand of boat, one of the most popular racing and day sailing boats in North America, nineteen feet in length and made in Maryland. But what to name it?

Transforming the Tent OX logo for sea duty. First, Scott needed a sea-oriented logo, but one that honors his long connection to the tent and event industry. As you know, an OX figures prominently in the company logo, penned back in 2014.

What if, just for fun, it could it be altered to take a more nautical point of view? Say even a bit piratical?
Here is how it was transformed:

Spot the differences and similarities!

Taking to the water with Scott, you can tell he has learned a lot about the boat and its capabilities in a short time. In the process. As he continues to build his sailing skills, he is also doing a little problem solving. Just as he approached the development of Tent OX attachments, which have transformed the way hundreds of companies put up all kinds of commercial tents.

Scott takes a methodical approach to sailing, using the experience he gains to tailor the boat to his needs. For instance, he had the jib (front sail) refabricated to a roller and installed mainsail reefing, allowing him to partially unfurl a sail when sailing solo in heavy Chesapeake winds.

Meanwhile, back in the offices…

Tent OX’s legacy as one of the tent rental industry’s greatest product innovations continues to sail along in good hands as Scott pulls back from his day-to-day role in the company.

Andy Mattrick joined Tent OX executive team in November of 2021 as General Manager. A veteran of the tent and event industry, you may recognize Andy’s name from his previous position as general manager at Event Central, Scott’s previous company. Andy brings deep management experience in the tent and event segment of the rental industry, making him a perfect fit as company growth accelerates and Tent OX evaluates an expansion into additional market areas.

Scott Pickel, Director of Sales, is the most seen face in the company. A former tent and event rental company owner in the Cleveland Ohio area, Scott has been driving the company’s substantial sales growth over the last three years, visiting prospective and existing customers north to south and east to west. Many know Scott as a long-time contributor to the growth of MATRA (Manufacturers and Tent Renters Association) as a board and committee member, and he won the 2019 MATRA Volunteer of the Year award.

Backed by a strong team. The executive team is backed by a strong in-house and virtual team that runs inside sales, marketing, social media, accounting and back-office functions. This frees Scott Woodruff to achieve a new work-life balance near– and most days on — the water, while still guiding the vision of Tent OX as he desires. What could be better? Well, maybe an awesome name for his Tent OX-inspired boat on the sea. So, what name did he come up with?

What else but Flying OX!