Inventor Biography: Jerry L. Barber

An alumnus of Ohio State University, Mr. Barber began his professional career in Ohio teaching Physics, Chemistry, and Biology at the high school level. He later became a high school principal.

Mr. Barber left the academic world to start, own, and operate the second largest amusement ride manufacturing company in the United States for eighteen years. During this time Mr. Barber also invented over thirty-eight U.S. patents, twenty-two of which have been produced commercially. His patents cover a variety of fields from military to child safety.

His most widely known patent the “Free Fall” amusement ride can be found in almost every amusement park and large carnival worldwide. Each park names their ride. Disney named their ride “The Tower of Terror,” in Cedar Point Ohio it’s “The Demon Drop,” etc.

Mr. Barber also co-invented, with his son Todd Barber, the “Reefball”, by far the most popular designed artificial reef in the world. His son, Todd founded the Reefball Foundation and was selected as a laureate for The Tech Awards. San Jose’s Tech Museum Tech Awards are received annually by twenty-five companies globally awarded to the very best of the best who have created “technology benefiting humanity.” (See Tech Awards at www.techawards.org). Todd’s companies have deployed over five hundred thousand “Reefballs” worldwide in over fifty countries.

Additionally, Mr. Barber started, owns, and operated a company, Sunbelt Capital, specializing in financing equipment for amusement parks and carnivals that has been operational for twenty-two years. For the last ten years, the amusement equipment finance company has been the largest finance company of its kind in the United States.

Mr. Barber also ran the International School of Amusement Ride Safety for ten years and then founded the Amusement Ride Inspector School, which runs concurrently with the Safety School; both of which continue to be the number one amusement ride safety programs in the world.

Mr. Barber is also very active in the community, being directly involved with various associations. Along with his wife Tammy and friend Heidi Aiken he co-founded The Beach Ball Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to changing the lives of children through education and the arts. The Beach Ball Foundation raises thousands of dollars each year to support children’s educational and artistic programs.

In addition, Mr. Barber has been a member of the Society of International Business Fellows (SIBF) since 1991 and currently serves as the state chairman of the organization for South Carolina.

He was also a past president of the Amusement Industry Manufacturers and Suppliers International Association.

Mr. Barber currently serves in an advisory role for the Roper Mountain Science Center in Greenville, South Carolina.

For the past thirty-five years Mr. Barber has lived in Greenville, South Carolina. He and his wife Tammy are the proud parents of six children. He enjoys hobbies such as: scuba diving, sailing, hiking, hunting, fishing, photography, water skiing education and the arts.