Based in Alabama, Premier Entertainment Group is a full-service concert production company that has been in business for 17 years. With a team of eight full-time employees, the company works on over 400 events annually, offering various services, such as audio, video, lighting, and more. Their clientele includes prestigious organizations like NASA, Alabama Stage Games, Southeast Health Foundation, and Lockheed Martin.
Stephen Krietemeyer, Vice President and CFO of Premier Entertainment Group, plays a key role in managing the company’s finances, logistics, and technical lighting and design aspects. As the company expanded, managing equipment inventory and logistics during busy seasons became challenging, and Stephen knew they needed a more efficient way of working.
Equipment challenges before Rentman
Premier Entertainment Group has faced a series of operational hurdles, particularly around equipment management during peak seasons. Making sure inventory was available was a major challenge for them. They relied on manual spreadsheets, which were time-consuming and hard to keep up-to-date. Stephen explained how their team often had to “physically check inventory” across different spreadsheets to respond to last-minute requests, which slowed down operations.
“Keeping track of available inventory and what shows items were going to was a major pain point for us.”
Packing mistakes were another frequent issue, impacting their ability to deliver smooth productions. “All the time, items would be missed on the spreadsheets or by staff prepping gear off of them,” Stephen said. The consequences were costly, leading to delays and additional expenses as crew members had to fix these mistakes. On top of that, keeping track of equipment after it left the warehouse was difficult.
“Small pieces of equipment would be left at venues, and we wouldn’t notice it missing for weeks sometimes.”
The busy event season also meant Premier Entertainment Group had to hire temporary crew members, but lacked a streamlined (or any) process to manage their schedules. These challenges convinced Stephen to look for a solution: “We were trying to find a platform that could manage inventory tracking, as well as crew planning.”
Searching for the right solution
Before discovering Rentman, Premier Entertainment Group explored other options, including two of our competitors. However, Rentman’s unique features and intuitive interface stood out. The Rentman app was another advantage, as it allowed their staff to access the platform from their phones so they’d always know what was going on.
Another major factor that convinced Stephen and his team was Rentman’s capability to handle not just equipment tracking, but also crew and transport planning. Plus, the built-in financial insights gave them better insights into and understanding of their profit margins during the quoting process.
Premier Entertainment Group’s experience with Rentman today
Today, Rentman has become an integral part of Premier Entertainment Group’s operations. “We use Rentman for all of our crew and transport planning, rental and production quotes, and, of course, equipment planning,” Stephen shares. The platform improved their ability to forecast potential equipment shortages and plan for upcoming events more effectively.
“I love being able to anticipate shortages weeks ahead and make better forecasts on purchase planning.”
One of the most notable improvements has been in their warehouse operations. “Our on-site teams are now more confident about what’s in the trucks when they leave the warehouse,” Stephen says. The real-time updates help ensure accuracy throughout the entire process, from packing to transportation and delivery. This visibility has brought more clarity and confidence to their staff — and a smoother experience for their clients.
Key takeaways
Since adopting Rentman, Premier Entertainment Group has not only streamlined its workflow but has also seen tangible business growth. Stephen estimates that the company has experienced a 25-35% increase in business with the help of Rentman.
The platform has empowered them to optimize their workflows, eliminate packing mistakes, and enhance overall productivity. These gains have translated directly into more projects and smoother operations. It’s been a game changer.
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