Frederick “Fred” Barrera graduated from Roosevelt in 1968 where he was a member of the Track team, the Projection and Public Address Clubs, Modern Dance, “Harvey” musical and Talent Show.

The early 1970’s was just the beginning for Fred and his wife Chris Barrera as they began their event industry debut. Fred was the first or one of the first mobile DJ services in St. Louis. They quickly had several DJ’s working for them, expanding and creating Aries Audio Enterprise. The first period of growth was designing and installing lights and sound for nightclubs. Locations included St. Louis, Texas, Colorado. S. Carolina, and Haiti.  They grew one client and one service at a time. As Fred studied the entertainment industry, he decided to add concert sound and lighting to the business. They managed events at the Kiel Opera House ,The Arena, Six Flags, and many regional venues. Next on the list was adding TV Lighting and Audio Systems for regional broadcasts. Some events included the Miss Tennessee, Miss Pennsylvania, and Miss Missouri pageants, as well as MDA Telethons. Now having one of St. Louis’s largest event rental inventories. Fred saw his clients’ individual needs grow and with his entrepreneurial spirit he saw that as the right moment to grow his business.  He added everything from tables, chairs, and specialty china patterns, table linens and decor to lighting, sound, and staging. Fred also purchased a few smaller rental companies’ inventories and immediately grew his business to support the up-and-coming event scene of St. Louis.

By the mid 80”s, Fred’s teams were working at St. Louis’s most prestigious venues, for Fashion Events, Product Premiers, and the starting day for the Missouri Lottery with a Laser Show at Kiener Plaza. He changed the name of his company to The Aries Company in 1993. The inventory consists of everything you could ever need for an event and is constantly being updated. They have been a leader in the St. Louis party and technical services scene ever since.

Fred wasn’t done yet! Fred’s next two companies were started in the 2000s. Fred is passionate about cigars! He co-founded Gran Cru Cigars, located in Soulard. Grand Cru is not your average cigar shop. Fred’s vision was to build a place where people to gather. Gran Cru offers a one-of-a-kind event space, featuring a party spot to watch sporting events on big screens with seating for one hundred. For a more intimate setting he built a lounge area with comfortable seating and offers the perfect atmosphere for a smaller gathering. Grand Cru has a walk-in humidor with over three hundred varieties of cigars, to find a cigar that satisfies your palate.

That’s not all! Fred loves his spirits! Fred’s next project was rum. He started in his basement with a micro distillery, experimenting with his own recipes for rum. He then studied under a master distiller and is now the proud owner of Soulard Island Spirits. You can find his Soulard Island products in local liquor stores and being poured at event venues all over town.

In addition to Fred being an outstanding entrepreneur, he and Chris are also very generous, making charitable contributions to St. Louis landmarks, such as the St. Louis Art Museum and 100’s of non-profit organizations throughout the decades. You can find The Aries Company at Friends of Kids with Cancer Fashion Show to The Film Series on Art Hill.

With Fred’s outstanding success in business, along with his significant charitable contributions, he certainly embodies the Rough Rider spirit, drive, and accomplishments.