Meet Kathy Carlson & Tera Stamm of Windy City Linen
Windy City Linen opened its doors in 2008 with just 2,500 square feet and three owners at the helm. They had no sales reps but themselves, and fulfilled deliveries in their cars until they hired their first full-time rep. Not long after their humble start, they moved to a new location in 2009 to meet client demands, but quickly outgrew that space and within two years had to obtain a new section bringing their total square footage to 15,000. And in 2016 they bought their first building, a much larger warehouse in Wheeling. Their larger space includes a beautiful showroom, as well as a sewing room so they can fabricate their own linens. And, they are still growing, especially in the Wisconsin market!
Windy City recently added a new sales rep, Tera Stamm. Tera spent eight years in the industry as a hotel banquet manager, restaurant manager and special events coordinator at Miller Park. She also has four years in the linen rental field under her belt prior to joining Windy City Rentals. “I needed to
be hands on, creative and in an environment of change and excitement,” Tera says of her decision to go into the industry.
“I truly believe in personal relationships. It is my first goal of any relationship to understand the client and get to know them in order to then move onto their event needs. I enjoy listening to client’s ideas, their dreams and overall look for their event. It is important for me that they feel heard with my response in linen suggestions and service. These are my events as well and I take pride in each and every order,” Tera says.
Tera joins sales rep Kathy Carlson, who worked in the hospitality industry prior to joining the team. She formed relationships and transitioned through several roles over the course of her career before coming full circle to where she is today. “Wisconsin is a large territory to cover and Tera’s non-stop smiling approach to everything is so contagious she inspires me to work harder,” Kathy says of her new co-worker. Windy City Linen has been trusted with a variety of well-known clients: Make-A-Wish foundation, Lollapalooza and Cars.com, to name a few. Their team has experience to handle any event, wedding or corporate, big or small. And although they are based in the Chicago area, Windy City Linen has moves business into Wisconsin to reach a unique market with a beautiful product at a very competitive price.
Despite not being based in Wisconsin, they are no more expensive for a couple as a result. In fact, they have local production crews that can set up and strike events, and delivery trucks are in the area twice each week. The addition of a new sales rep in Wisconsin is another boost in terms of client service.
To assist out-of-town clients, they’ve set up a helpful, convenient swatch request tool on their website for brides interested in the fabulous Windy City Linen selection of colors and textures.
Windy City Linen offers many beautiful and seasonal colors in their Classic, Lamour, Bengaline and Shantung Lines. They are constantly adding new items to their already sensational inventory. Their products aren’t the only boast-worthy part of what they do. Windy City Linen has been told time and again by clients that their customer service is the best amongst their competitors. Their knowledgeable staff and friendly nature lend to that stellar reputation.
“A couple can expect to be assisted by a knowledgeable representative that can give them ideas on how linen will accent their event,” Kathy explains. “Sometimes the smallest things can be forgotten with so much planning to do, and we want to make that planning easier by being the expert on options, sizing, layouts, color combinations and any other assistance we can provide.”
“I believe that a table cloth, napkin, runner or chair piece can become the canvas on which to build your perfect event look,” Tera says, offering advice to clients. “When choosing linens you can be creative. Find that one element of the event that you want to highlight and use table linens to enhance that look. Napkins can give a pop of color, a table runner can add texture or color that provides a unique added element. Table linens allow the focus of the room to be on the tables and not on the room carpet or wall color. Chair covers and chair enhancements bring in that final piece that ties the complete look together. Have fun with linens, play with different color schemes, different textures or introduce 2 or 3 different looks depending on the size of the event.”
As far as day-of service, you will be taken care of by their fabulous on-site staff that will assist with the setting up of the linen and chair covers for the event. They also add that when ordering chair cover, they include the chair tie at no additional cost. From start to finish, they have you covered!
“We enjoy what we do and we value each of our clients,” Kathy emphasizes. “We want to provide you with options, pricing, and service that will exceed your expectations for your perfect day!”
