Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards announced that Base Craft, a motion picture equipment leasing company, will expand its operations in Harahan, La., under Louisiana’s Entertainment Job Creation Program. The company provides custom-built vehicles, talent and office trailers, generators and other on-site equipment for motion picture and television productions.
Base Craft will create five new permanent jobs with an average annual salary of $60,000, plus benefits. Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project also will result in seven new indirect jobs, for a total of 12 new jobs in the Southeast Region. The company also is retaining 11 existing jobs.
“In keeping with our objective to grow jobs and investment in our state, this program encourages studios and other entertainment-related companies to invest in permanent jobs in motion picture production and other activities in our entertainment industry,” Gov. Edwards said. “As film production grows, Base Craft and other Louisiana companies grow as well. We welcome this expansion by Base Craft and look forward to their addition of permanent entertainment jobs in Louisiana.”
Signed into law by Gov. John Bel Edwards in 2017, the Entertainment Job Creation Program is designed to create sustainable, good-paying jobs for the motion picture, digital, music and theatrical industries in Louisiana.
“Base Craft is committed to supporting not only the film industry but also the local workforce by partnering with Louisiana Economic Development to create these jobs,” company co-CEO Welch Lambeth said. “We know there are plenty of qualified Louisiana residents who are eager to pursue careers in their state’s growing film and entertainment industry.”
A leader in the film transportation equipment business, Base Craft was founded in Los Angeles in 2001 and established its New Orleans-area headquarters in 2006.
The Entertainment Job Creation Program, also known as the Qualified Entertainment Company incentive, was created by the Louisiana Legislature in 2017 to reward investment in permanent quality jobs for Louisiana residents engaged in entertainment content creation. For jobs paying $45,000 or more annually, the employer can claim a 15 percent payroll tax credit. That credit increases to 20 percent for new jobs paying more than $66,000 a year. A similar credit was established for music-related companies.
Louisiana created modern-era film production tax incentives in 2002 and remains one of the leading destinations for motion picture production in the world. The industry generates hundreds of millions of dollars every year in project-based spending across the state, from episodic TV productions to feature films.
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