Locations Southwest

What Locations Southwest does

Locations Southwest, Inc. is a privately held, founder-led film production services firm headquartered in Flagstaff, Arizona, with operational offices in Page, AZ and Kanab, UT. The company specializes in Southwest US location scouting, location management, and production coordination for major feature films, television commercials, print advertising campaigns, television shows, IMAX documentaries, and special-format productions including 360-degree filming. Its service territory covers the Four Corners region — Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, and Nevada — with particular depth around the Grand Canyon, Lake Powell, Monument Valley, Sedona, and Southern Utah.

The core offering is built around three integrated capabilities: location scouting and image-library consulting, full-service location management (permit acquisition, crew coordination, lodging, meals, and logistics), and equipment rental (a 3-ton grip package plus production supplies such as tents, generators, radios, and coolers). Permitting is a central technical competency, spanning the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, state parks, U.S. Coast Guard, and tribal authorities including Navajo Nation, Hualapai Nation, and Havasupai Nation. Marine coordination on Lake Powell and the Colorado River, plus aerial helicopter filming with FAA waivers, extend the service surface into water- and air-based shoots. The firm owns what it describes as one of the largest Southwest location image libraries in the world, used to build custom preview websites for clients.

Locations Southwest operates on a sales-led, consultative go-to-market targeting location managers, producers, and directors, primarily through its website, an IMDB professional profile, and industry reputation. Pricing is quote-based, billed per project on unit or package rates for equipment rentals and professional-services fees for scouting and management. Its customer book spans Disney/Pixar, Marvel Studios, Warner Bros., Paramount, Twentieth Century Fox, DreamWorks, BBC, Discovery Channel, NBC, and brands including Louis Vuitton, Tommy Hilfiger, GMC, Fiat Chrysler/Jeep, and Bayer, indicating a primarily enterprise film-and-advertising clientele anchored in project-level repeat engagements.

Name

Locations Southwest

Legal name

Locations Southwest, Inc.

Website

https://locationssouthwest.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Locations Southwest is a founder-led, boutique film production services firm based in Flagstaff, Arizona that scouts, manages, and permits locations across the U.S. Southwest (Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada) for feature films, TV commercials, print advertising, IMAX, and special-format productions, with add-on grip and supplies rental.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film Location Services

NAICS

Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512), General Rental Centers (5323)

SIC

Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819), Services-Miscellaneous Equipment Rental & Leasing (7350)

akta.pro primary industry

Locations Services (Scouting, Permits, Management) (MPADAFAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Studios, Stages & Location Services (Facilities, Location Scouting/Permits) (MPAAAMAG)

Keywords

• Film location scouting
• Production management services
• Grip equipment rental
• Film permit acquisition
• Production coordination

Headquarters

HQ city

Flagstaff

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Location Scouting Services: Professional location scouting for feature films, TV commercials, print advertising, television shows, IMAX films, and documentaries throughout the Southwest US
2. Production Location Management: On-site location management during filming including permits, logistics, crew coordination, lodging, and meals
3. Grip Equipment Rental: Rental of grip equipment including frames, flags, stands, sandbags, and production supplies for film and photo productions
4. Production Supplies Rental: Rental of craft service equipment, shelters, generators, radios, coolers, and other production necessities

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Locations Southwest provides film location scouting, location management, multi-jurisdictional film permitting (federal, state, and tribal), production coordination, and grip and production supplies rental for feature films, TV commercials, television shows, print advertising, IMAX films, and documentaries throughout the Four Corners region (Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada). Services are sold on a per-project basis with custom quotes based on scope, location requirements, and equipment needs, delivered directly by founder P.J. Connolly and contracted local crew.

Product overview

Locations Southwest is a full-service film production company offering a unified portfolio of location-based services for the Southwest United States. The core offering combines location scouting, location management, and film permitting services for feature films, commercials, television, print media, and IMAX productions. Supporting services include grip equipment rental, production supplies rental, and marine coordination for water-based shoots. The company operates across multiple jurisdictions including Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada, and tribal lands (Navajo Nation, Hualapai Nation, Havasupai Nation). Founded in 1990, the company is led by P.J. Connolly and serves clients including Disney, Marvel Studios, Warner Brothers, and Paramount.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Location Scouting Services
• Location Management Services
• Film Permitting Services
• Production Coordination & Line Production
• Production Supplies Rental
• Grip Equipment Rental
• Marine Coordination Services
• Grand Canyon Location Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully negotiated 11-month permitting process with Navajo Nation for Nik Wallenda's Grand Canyon Skywire Walk
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Panavision: Panavision is the largest integrated camera, lens, and lighting rental provider to the global film industry. Comparable to Locations Southwest because both supply essential production equipment and infrastructure to feature film and commercial productions, though Panavision operates at global scale across a much broader equipment portfolio.
• Sim International: Sim International provides camera, lighting, and grip equipment rental to motion picture and television productions. Comparable to Locations Southwest in serving the same film production customer base with equipment rental services, though at significantly larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• MBS Equipment Company: MBS Equipment Company is one of the largest grip and lighting rental houses in the entertainment industry. Directly comparable to Locations Southwest's grip package rental service — both rent the same category of production equipment (C-stands, frames, flags, sandbags) to film and commercial productions, though MBS serves nationwide from larger facilities.
• Keslow Camera: Keslow Camera is a major US camera, grip, and lighting equipment rental house serving feature films, television, and commercials. Comparable to Locations Southwest's grip equipment rental line and its role as a critical production infrastructure provider for Hollywood studios, though operating at significantly larger scale and broader geographic reach.
• Entertainment Partners: Entertainment Partners is the largest provider of production payroll, incentive management, and production accounting services to the film industry. Comparable to Locations Southwest as a critical, broadly-used production infrastructure provider for the same enterprise studio customers (Disney, Warner, Universal), though offering financial rather than physical-location services.

Others

• ProductionHUB: ProductionHUB is a leading online marketplace connecting film and video producers with crew, equipment, and location services. Comparable to Locations Southwest as a discovery channel for film production services including location scouting, though ProductionHUB operates as an enabling marketplace rather than a direct service provider.
• Wrapbook: Wrapbook provides production finance, payroll, and production management software to film and television productions. Comparable to Locations Southwest in serving the same enterprise film production customer base with workflow infrastructure, though Wrapbook is a software/SaaS provider rather than a physical-location services company.
• Location Managers Guild International (LMGI): LMGI is the professional guild representing location managers and scouts in the motion picture industry. Comparable to Locations Southwest as it represents the professional community and standards governing the location scouting profession in which the company operates, and serves as a hub for industry relationships and recognition.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Locations Southwest