People often ask why we’re called Kansas City Tent & Awning when we rarely sell, rent or repair tents. And the answer is simple. We used to do all of those things all of the time!
Our company was founded in 1901. During that time, awnings and tents were people’s only source of shade. In fact, they were so important that there were more than 20 awning companies in our city. Tents were a large part of our business between 1920-30 as we supplied tents for our armed forces during both world wars. But after the wars, the need for tents diminished significantly. It became less and less a part of our everyday business.
In the 80’s we picked up tent manufacturing again and rented them out for parties and other special events. During this time we sponsored local events such as the Kansas City Blues & Jazz Festival.
In 1999, the tent division of our company was sold so that we could concentrate on our primary gig, awnings and canopies. But, having been known as Kansas City Tent & Awning for more than a century, we decided not to change our name. It’s a reminder of our company’s rich history and the contributions we’ve made to our community and country.
While I was thinking about our company’s name, it occurred to me that there are some other companies with names that notoriously no longer match their operations.
- The most famous is 3M. Best knows as the producer of PostIt Notes and Scotch Tape, 3M stands for Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company. They originally mined stone used to make sandpaper.
- Nokia, the phone manufacturer, started as a wood pulp mill and later produced rubber. The company was named after the Finnish city of Nokia where the rubber was manufactured.
- Virgin Records got their name from a sarcastic friend who made the observation that the founders were ‘virgins at business’. As tycoons in the recording industry, the name no longer applies.
Check out this article for more interesting stories about company names:
www.buzzfeed.com/awesomer/50-company-names-you-probably-didnt-know-the-orig#.vmgkbL4GEo
Know any other business names with interesting roots? Leave us a comment. And don’t forget to check out some Before & After photos.
