To Stay in L.A.
These days, a company
looking to move to a bigger location has suitors. That was true for our
company, Equipois, a four-year old venture-funded company with an exoskeleton
technology that lets people maneuver objects as if weightless. The technology can greatly reduce workplace
injuries and increase productivity.
For several years, we had
been approached by cities (and even countries) that said they would be thrilled
to be our new home, with nice incentive packages to welcome us. As a management
team, especially one tasked with taking good care of outside investors’ money,
we had to take such offers seriously.
For us though, the
decision to stay in Los Angeles was compelling.
Our technology comes from an invention that originated on film sets –
the Steadicam, pioneered by inventor Garrett Brown. Yet we sell to major manufacturers and
utilize the supply chain that services the aerospace industry.
L.A. is the rare city
that sits at the convergence of both entertainment and manufacturing; in a few
minutes you can drive from movie studios to huge factories operated by Boeing
and Northrop Grumman, as well as scores of top quality machining operations.