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What we plan for ourselves isn’t always what life has planned for us. Just ask Zachary Wilson, who had no idea that a simple choice he made as an 18-year-old would change his life.
“I was just looking for a summer job, not a career in the tenting industry,” says Wilson, 34, president of The Greenwich Tent Co. in Bridgeport, Conn.
Today, Wilson leads a growing company that caters to ultra-high-net-worth customers across the Northeast. It’s a far cry from the music career that Wilson (a classically trained trumpet player) envisioned when he was growing up in Troy, N.Y. While he dreamed of landing a full-time job with a top-tier orchestra after college, he needed a summer job first.
He joined the tenting industry in 2009, shortly after his parents moved to New Hampshire. Their neighbor was an event planner who worked with Sperry Tents Seacoast, a tent and party rental company. “When I applied for a job, they asked, ‘Do you like to work outdoors? Are you willing to work hard?’” Wilson says. “I said ‘yes’ to both.”
Wilson worked out of Portsmouth, N.H., on tent installation crews each summer during his college years. After earning his bachelor’s degree in music in 2012, Wilson kept working for the tent company while waiting for a music job to materialize.
Then his boss named him general manager of the tent company. It wasn’t long before the owner encouraged the 23-year-old Wilson to purchase the business. “It felt like a big risk, but I was willing to take it,” says Wilson, who purchased the company’s assets and founded Greenwich Tent in 2015.
With more than a decade of experience as a business owner, Wilson shares his Top 10 tips for success.
Seize opportunities
Wilson spent nine months preparing to buy the tent company. He reached out to family members willing to invest, plus he secured a bank loan for more than $1 million. “It was exhilarating, but it [the day signing the paperwork] was also a typical workday,” says Wilson, who delivered a generator to upstate New York that afternoon.
Leverage your strengths
He credits his favorite college music professor for teaching him how to learn and live a life of achievement. “He had exceptionally high standards and taught us to be prepared, show up on time, use proper manners—he was British—and be accountable. I try to take those principles and apply them to my business.”
Cater to your niche
Greenwich Tent specializes in the luxury wedding market but also works with corporate, nonprofit and higher-education clients. Many of these clients want high-end options like Sperry Tents. “These handcrafted sailcloth tents are made by actual sailmakers in Massachusetts,” Wilson says. “Unlike most tents, which are vinyl panels welded together, Sperry Tents are a woven, sealed fabric.”
These details matter to Wilson’s clients, who often spend half a million to multiple millions of dollars on the events they host. They are willing to pay for high-quality materials, from elegant fabric tent panels to real wood tent poles instead of standard aluminum poles.
Deliver on your promises
This focus has generated tremendous word-of-mouth marketing for Greenwich Tent. Word of mouth also helps Wilson recruit talent for his team, which grows to nearly 80 employees during peak season, including a mix of seasonal help
and full-time employees.
Slow down to speed up
April through November/December is peak season. During the slower first quarter of the year, Wilson schedules an off-site, two-day strategic planning meeting. “This removes everyday distractions … as we plan for the coming year,” he says.
Live your values
A few years ago, leaders at Greenwich Tent invested time to categorize what sets them apart. “We didn’t use consultants, and we didn’t want it to be corporate-speak,” Wilson says. “We defined four core values that make this business tick.”
- Intense customer focus: “Our customers want to be taken care of from start to finish and expect unique options,” Wilson says. “When a client wanted the look of a stained-glass ceiling in a tent, we made it happen.”
- Dissatisfaction with mediocrity: “Even when the net is positive, we dig in to do better,” he says.
- Respect for others: “We consistently demonstrate honesty, fairness and mutual respect when dealing with customers, vendors and each other,” he says.
- Remarkable flexibility: Staying nimble is nonnegotiable, Wilson says. “We’re grateful for feedback that we’re easy to work with.” It’s also important to make feedback visible, adds Wilson, whose team shares customer feedback across all levels.
Give back
Wilson, who serves on the Tent Rental Division Steering and Code Committees for Advanced Textiles Association, joined the organization shortly after his company incorporated.
“We immediately saw the benefit of an organization serving the tent rental industry specifically with a library of resources and a mission for advancing the industry as a whole,” he says. “When a board seat became available in 2019, I applied, knowing that plugging into a distinguished group would allow me to provide a young owner’s perspective on an industry that was due to undergo rapid change as many companies were set to be handed over from one generation to the next. The Next-Gen Initiative was born from that impending change and I think a signature achievement from the board during my tenure.”
Invite collaboration
Wilson appreciates Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, amodern classic about Lincoln’s unlikely presidency and his cabinet of former political foes. “It’s important to bring diverse minds together,” Wilson says. “Bounce ideas off each other. Push back. Tell me where I’m off base. Make sure the best idea wins.”
Manage growth
At one point, Greenwich Tent grew too fast. While there were multimillion-dollar income months, the profit vanished as the team filled all the orders. “I went back to the advice someone told me early on: ‘You’ve got to love cash flow more than your own mother,’” Wilson says. “Cash flow keeps the lights on.”
Celebrate success
During the company’s annual Christmas party, crew leaders receive photos showcasing their top projects of the year. “Our team members take a lot of pride in their work, and we honor that,” says Wilson, noting that many have been with the company from the start. It’s fun to celebrate how the company has expanded six times in 10 years, Wilson adds. “It’s great seeing people grow their careers here. At my core, I enjoy building things and like to get out of the office and work with my crews when I can. It has been a great ride so far.”
Darcy Maulsby is a freelance writer based in Lake City, Iowa.
Photography by Jane Shauck Photography
SIDEBAR: Greenwich Tent Co. Project Snapshot
Lakeside wedding showcases spectacular tent
The greatest marriages are built on teamwork. So are successful weddings.
A couple who celebrated their nuptials near a lake in New Jersey relied on exceptional teamwork from The Greenwich Tent Co. “We installed a 7,000-square-foot structure and back-of-house support structures at a site that was incredibly challenging,” says Zachary Wilson, president of the company.
The October 2025 wedding required the installation of a new gravel driveway to the lake from the road. The angle of the driveway was quite steep. Machinery had to remain under a certain weight limit, and equipment had to be unloaded on the road above the wedding site. “There was only one way in and one way out,” Wilson notes.
Due to persistent rain, multiple repairs had to be made on the new driveway, increasing the difficulty of bringing equipment to the site. The tent installation took more than 10 days. “We had to build the floor and the tent in sections,” says Wilson, whose team also handled a number of changes and additions in the final three weeks before the wedding.
The results were worth it. The spacious tent created an exquisite venue for the bride and groom and their 250 guests, Wilson says. “It was a fantastic party, and our client was thrilled.”
Images: The Greenwich Tent Co./Sophie Kaye
SIDEBAR: Q & A
How do you prioritize your time in your demanding career?
When I was starting out in my 20s, working 90- or 100-hour weeks wasn’t uncommon. As a business owner, you’ve got to be prepared to work harder than anyone else. After I got married and had two kids, I’m grateful that a couple experienced vendors in the tenting industry urged me to keep the right perspective about business and family. Don’t treat everything at work like a fire alarm, because not everything is that urgent. It’s not worth sacrificing your family for the business.