A New Era in Party Tents: Tony Ehrbar’s Journey in Innovative Tent Solutions

By ICIC | February 25, 2025

After more than a decade as a strategy consultant, CEO Tony Ehrbar took a bold leap into entrepreneurship by purchasing Elite Tent Rentals from a Craigslist ad in 2013. His true passion surfaced a year later when he transitioned to the tent manufacturing industry by acquiring American Tent, a commercial party tent manufacturer located in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Under Tony’s leadership, American Tent grew from three employees in a 5,000-square-foot space to 40 employees in a 110,000-square-foot renovated mall. The company credits this remarkable growth to its commitment to quality and innovation with American-made products.

From Concept to Profit

For Ehrbar, innovation is more than just a buzzword; it represents a philosophy that drives the company’s operations and growth. He defines innovation as “leaving things better than you found them or refusing to accept the answer, ‘we’ve always done things this way.’” His approach has enabled American Tent to grow more than 30 times since its inception, allowing the company to provide quality jobs and create an environment where employees thrive.

One of the most illustrative examples of American Tent’s unconventional spirit comes from its approach to tent anchoring solutions. Traditionally, the industry relied on stakes, cement blocks, or unstable plastic barrels. However, Ehrbar discovered a small rotomolder with a revolutionary stackable plastic water ballast and he recognized the potential in the product, despite its lack of market focus. He reflects, “We knew there was unlimited potential for the product, so in 2018 we contacted the inventor of the rotomolder and asked if we could buy the patent from him.” This foresight led to an exceptional return of more than 200 times the initial investment, enhancing their product line and competitive edge in the market.

Creating a Framework for Growth

Despite the achievements made with American Tent, Ehrbar recognizes the challenges of implementing cutting-edge ideas. He remembers a time when he tried to implement every new idea that came to him, frequently leading to wasted time and money. However, after reading “The Six Types of Working Genius,” he developed a structured three-step process: innovation, activation, and implementation. The activation step was a crucial addition to the team’s previous process, which only included innovation and implementation. Now, he is able to critically evaluate an idea for its feasibility and market demand before moving on to implementation. Ehrbar states, “The activation step helped filter out about 80% of ideas and allowed us to concentrate on implementing solutions that made a significant impact.” This strategic approach conserves resources and ensures that the innovations introduced are practical and aligned with the company’s growth objectives.

Community-Centered Success

The results of Ehrbar’s nontraditional thinking were recently recognized by ICIC’s Inner City 100 (IC100) award. In 2024, the company earned the accolade for the third time, claiming the 38th slot on the list that annually ranks the 100 fastest-growing businesses in under-resourced communities. The achievement marks a significant milestone, symbolizing recognition and an opportunity to celebrate their team and the community. Ehrbar shares, “An award like IC100 lends credibility to us as a small business that our customers are proud to support. We appreciate any chance to showcase our team, American-made products, and our pride in the local community here in Green Bay.” This award is evidence of the hard work and commitment that have established American Tent as an industry leader.

Leading the Way: Strategies for a Sustainable and Profitable Future

For fellow entrepreneurs eager to harness ingenuity, Ehrbar offers four empowering strategies. First, streamline the idea generation process by establishing a system to filter ideas, thereby saving resources and reducing frustration. Second, encourage team members to share solutions without hesitation. He uses the acronym NITS (No Idea Too Stupid) to foster a collaborative environment. He also emphasizes the importance of allowing time for creative thinking, as great ideas often emerge when the mind is relaxed. Finally, he suggests using podcasts and books to spark inspiration from diverse industries.

As Ehrbar looks to the future, he is determined to continue breaking away from the status quo and embracing innovation as the path toward more sustainable and profitable practices. This drive led him to search for a new solution for the materials used to produce tents. In Korea, he found a novel, higher-performing fabric that is better for people and the planet: polypropylene. With this cutting-edge alternative to PVC in mind, he established Renegade Plastics to introduce this groundbreaking product to the Americas.

Renegade aims to position itself at the forefront of the multi-billion dollar coated textiles industry, which has seen limited options for more sustainable materials for the last few decades. The company’s products are one of the few coated fabric that can be recycled, and they have a significantly lower carbon footprint than PVC-coated and laminated fabrics. The fabrics are also free of lead and harmful toxins. Recently, the company raised a Series A funding round and secured a grant from the State of Colorado. The funding will help create an Innovation Lab and eventually bring polypropylene fabric manufacturing to the U.S.

Through bold initiatives that defy conventions, Ehrbar is not only transforming American Tent but also reshaping the coated textiles industry. His visionary approach has given rise to two companies that shine as symbols of progress, growth, and a hopeful, eco-friendly future.

About the IC100 Awards

Since 1999, ICIC has identified and honored the 100 fastest-growing businesses located in under-resourced communities through the prestigious Inner City 100 (IC100) awards. Throughout this period, ICIC has had the privilege of learning about and highlighting more than 1,000 remarkable business leaders and companies from across the United States. These firms have proven to be catalysts for job growth and promoters of a thriving, inclusive economy, even amidst challenging circumstances. Furthermore, they have actively contributed to the enhancement of their communities by generously donating their time and resources to local organizations and charitable causes.

Learn more about the IC100 Awards and eligibility criteria for this year’s list at icic.org/ic100.