LiTEBOX, Inc., a designer and manufacturer of mobile event centers, will establish its headquarters in Indiana and create up to 1,100 new jobs by 2014.
The company will invest $21 million to move its content production functions from Los Angeles to a 12,000-square-foot space at 146 Washington Street in downtown Indianapolis. LiTEBOX also will build a manufacturing plant on the City’s north side. The content production studio is expected to open its doors in December, and the manufacturing facility will be operational in the spring.
Founded in 2010, LiTEBOX provides affordable, entertaining mobile media. A LiTEBOX is a 20′ x 33′ Panasonic LED screen that is mounted on the back of a big rig truck for outdoor concerts, sports and movies. The truck can show up at any site on short notice and each screen can play a single image or up to nine smaller screens in one. Bose provides sound technology for the systems.
“We’re bringing back the drive-in movie theatre, but it’s going to be a digital version, and on wheels,” said Bob Yanagihara, founder and CEO of LiTEBOX Inc.
The company will hire for all facets of the business including media, marketing, engineering, support and manufacturing. Many will help produce mobile video screen systems while others will work at headquarters to manage operations, sell advertising and schedule shows.
“The decision of LiTEBOX to locate up to 1,100 manufacturing and headquarters jobs in our city reinforces the benefits of a stable, low-cost business climate and great workforce,” said Mayor Greg Ballard.
“LiTEBOX chose to headquarter its operation in Indiana because we felt its recent economic growth has tremendous promise and benefit for our vision,” said Yanagihara. “Investing in Indianapolis and providing new job opportunities is also in alignment with the LiTEBOX mission, which is to develop mutually beneficial partnerships wherever we go.”
The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered LiTEBOX, Inc. up to $9.8 million in performance-based tax credits and up to $200,000 in training grants. The City of Indianapolis will consider property tax abatement at the request of Develop Indy based on the company’s job creation plans.
