CORPORATE PROFILE
Moss: The Legacy Of A Brand Story By Pat Friedlander When the artistic legacy of a company’s founder lives on and expands to enhance a contemporary brand, it’s not out of line to say that’s unusual. But in the case of Moss and its founder, Bill Moss, this is exactly the basis for the company’s brand story, a company that has evolved to be one of the leading global specialist production partners for the event and exhibit industry. 80 Oct/Nov/Dec 2023 Exhibit City News
Moss today embodies Bill Moss’s environmental awareness, innovative thinking, and passion for excellence in fabric architecture. From 1955, Moss, an artist, brought his design sensitivity to the world of pop-up tents, considering tents, in his own words, “functional sculptures.” But it wasn’t until 20 years later, in 1975, that Moss Tent Works opened in Camden,
Maine, with Marilyn Moss at the helm. Thanks to Marilyn’s business savvy, the tent business trajectory changed dramatically when the company introduced the Stargazer Tent, which was innovative, lightweight, and easy to put up and take down. In 1983 – 40 years ago this year - Moss Tents made its first trade show appearance at the Outdoor Retailer Show. As a cost-saving move, the company
made its own trade show exhibit to display its tents. Like all of Moss’s products, the exhibit was eye-catching, designed to reduce freight, and make installing and dismantling easy. Those of us in the trade show business know that once something on the exhibition floor triggers your interest, you need to know more about that product. Other exhibitors asked how to get an exhibit like the one Moss had, and at that point, the trade show industry experienced a major revolution. Since then, lightweight tensioned fabric displays have become a standard design and construction technique and can be seen on show floors from Boston to Berlin to Bangkok. Fast forward to Moss today, which still embodies the passions and architectural excellence of those early structures. As a company, it embraces innovative thinking, engineering excellence, sustainability, and respect for the environment that characterized its founders. Social responsibility is woven into the fabric of the company, literally and figuratively. Walk into the Moss global headquarters just minutes from O’Hare Airport outside Chicago, and you’re greeted by a mural that details the company’s rich history. Around the corner is a wall labeled “Our people are our brand,” with photos of all company team members: The Placemakers™. Like the team that originally signed on at Moss Tents, today’s Moss Placemakers blend high-quality materials, cutting-edge production automation, sustainable practices, and world-class craftsmanship to create unique installations