City of Amarillo issued the following announcement on June 25
Approval ushers in 40 new jobs to the area economy
Tuesday, the Amarillo City Council approved a Location Incentive Agreement presented by the Amarillo Economic Development Corporation (Amarillo EDC) to support the attraction of Sharpened Iron Studios to Amarillo. This ratification comes after approval by the Amarillo EDC Board of Directors on June 22, 2020. This final step in the approval process allows the Amarillo EDC to provide an incentive agreement which will allow Sharpened Iron Studios to initially hire 40 full time employees.
In addition to their move to Amarillo, Sharpened Iron Studios is developing a film and production curriculum that will operate in conjunction with Amarillo College.
“We’re excited to welcome Sharpened Iron Studios to Amarillo,” said Kevin Carter, President & CEO of the Amarillo EDC. “This addition paired with the creation of a film and production curriculum at Amarillo College has paved the way for Amarillo to enter a new industry sector,” Carter stated.
“We at Sharpened Iron Studios are thrilled to partner with the AEDC and the City of Amarillo by being the lead provider of film and television production in the panhandle,” said Devenie Graham, spokesperson and Artistic Director for Sharpened Iron Studios. “Amarillo is the crown jewel of our community and surrounding areas, but has been hidden from the entertainment industry until recently. Once Sharpened Iron Studios is fully operational, we will scout between 200-300 employees throughout the Amarillo Metropolitan area, and usher in a new renaissance of film making in our great city,” Graham stated.
“This entrance into a new industry sector will set Amarillo up for success for years to come,” said Ginger Nelson, Mayor of the City of Amarillo, Texas. “This addition, along with the creation of a film and production curriculum at Amarillo College, will play a key role in our ability to retain and attract a different faction of the workforce to our community. It also allows us to continue building this sector by attracting similar, ancillary businesses to our area,” Nelson stated.
The Amarillo EDC will provide Sharpened Iron Studios with $500,000 in incentive funds for the creation of 40 full time jobs with an average salary of $55,000. Additionally, the Amarillo EDC will provide $100,000 for up to five years, in return for Sharpened Iron Studios documenting a minimum of $2.5M in local spend per year. The total incentive will be $1M.
Sharpened Iron Studios, LLC is a production studio located in downtown Amarillo, Texas. The studio creates Hollywood-level TV series, feature-length films, and documentaries from beginning to end including the development, pre-production, production, and post-production. In conjunction Sharpened Iron Studios is developing a film and production conservatory program for Amarillo College. Sharpened Iron Studios is the vision of and lead by Amarillo resident, CEO Sean Doherty Sr. Visit www.sharpenedironstudios.com for more information, and follow https://www.facebook.com/SharpenedIronStudios to stay in the know about our ongoing projects.
Original source can be found here.
Source: City of Amarillo
Alerts Sign-up