Fontana company nominated for Spirit of the Entrepreneur Award

For the first time in 11 years, A&R Tarpaulins has been nominated for a Spirit of the Entrepreneur Awards, the annual competition among businesses in Riverside and San Bernardino counties sponsored by the Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship at Cal State San Bernardino.

This year, the Fontana company that makes tarps for the aerospace industry is one of four Inland companies nominated in the General Entrepreneur category, which recognizes overall excellence in the development and management of a company.

Bud Weisbart, co-owner of A&R Tarpaulins, says he would be thrilled to win the award this year, but that he won’t be disappointed if his business comes up a bit short, as it did in 2010.

“It was an honor to be nominated then and it’s an honor to be nominated now, but we don’t look at it as competition,” Weisbart said. “We look at it as we’re part of the local business community, and we’re one reason the Inland Empire has a strong economy.”

Other nominees in this year’s General Entrepreneur category are:

• Continental East Development Inc., a real estate development company in Murrieta;
• Inland Building Construction Cos. Inc. in San Bernardino;
• StratosFuel Inc., a hyrdrogen fuel provider in San Bernardino.

“The general entrepreneur category is very broad,” said Mike Stull, director of the Center for Entrepreneurship. “It can include non-profits, and there’s an emphasis on giving something back to the community. We emphasize that in every category, but the general entrepreneur should have some social impact.”

The five other categories are Healthcare, Manufacturing, Service-Based, and Small-Emerging Enterprise. A Best-of-the-Best Award is also given out, and Cal State San Bernardino business students deliver 90-second pitches for new businesses that are judged by the audience.

All six categories, and Best-of-the-Best winners, are judged by former Spirit of the Entrepreneur winners.

This 2021 Spirit of the Entrepreneur Awards Gala, a black-tie event, will be held Nov. 10 at Fox Performing Arts Center, 3801 Mission Inn Ave., Riverside. For information or to get tickets to visit https://spiritawardsie.com/ or call Stacy Allis at (909) 329-4515.