Lowing Light & Grip

What Lowing Light & Grip does

Lowing Light & Grip is a privately held, founder-owned full-service equipment rental house and custom fabrication business serving film, video, and photo productions. Founded in 1985 by Dave Lowing in his garage, the company is headquartered at an 18,000 sq. ft. warehouse in Wyoming, Michigan (a Grand Rapids suburb) and operates a secondary 8,800 sq. ft. purpose-built two-soundstage facility in nearby Plainfield Township, acquired in 2017 from Deano's Studios. The business operates under three interconnected brands: the core rental house, Lowing Studios (soundstage and studio-room rentals), and Lowing Products (proprietary fabricated gear). Revenue is generated through day-rate equipment rentals (grip trucks in 1-, 3-, and 5-ton configurations, lighting packages spanning LED, Tungsten, HMI, KinoFlo, Ceramic, and Strobe, camera support, rigging and truss, overheads and frames, audio visual, effects/FX, expendables, tools, and production supply), studio facility rentals, crew-support and consulting services offered 24/7, and proprietary product sales through shop.lowinglight.com and a dedicated Shotbags.com microsite. Pricing is uniformly pay-as-you-go day-rate with net 10 payment terms, and the company maintains BBB accreditation plus affiliations with ESTA, IATSE Local 26, Michigan Production Alliance, and ProductionHUB.

The customer base is horizontally segmented across professional film and video productions, still photography, and corporate/commercial shoots throughout West Michigan (Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, Lansing, Holland, Muskegon, Benton Harbor, Traverse City), with expendables shipped beyond the region on request. A reciprocal coordination arrangement with Braincell Camera allows combined camera-plus-grip one-stop pickups, extending the effective solution without inventory expansion. Leadership consists of the Lowing family — Dave Lowing (President, Gaffer), Matt Lowing (Vice President, Gaffer), and Devra Lowing (Office Administrator) — supported by a studio manager, warehouse associates, and rental/product staff, for an apparent total of roughly seven to eight direct personnel. The company has not raised external institutional funding and does not disclose revenue.

Lowing Light & Grip's competitive positioning is built on three assets: (1) the Lowing Products proprietary fabrication line (notably nesting apple boxes, shot bags, French flags, custom equipment carts, rolling track racks, and the Production Guard virus safety shield), with shotbags now sold into aeronautics and automotive end-markets beyond the original film-industry base; (2) the region's largest purpose-built soundstage post-Deano's acquisition; and (3) a working-gaffer-led crew model that offers hands-on consulting and on-call 24/7 phone support. The company operates with no AI/ML technology layer evident in the disclosed data, no external investors, and no multi-market geographic footprint beyond regional West Michigan operations and select national product shipping.

Name

Lowing Light & Grip

Legal name

Lowing Light & Grip, Inc.

Website

https://lowinglight.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Lowing Light & Grip is a privately held, family-owned equipment rental house and custom fabricator serving film, video, and photo productions across West Michigan from an 18,000 sq. ft. warehouse and 8,800 sq. ft. studio facility since 1985.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film & Video Production Equipment Rental

NAICS

Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing (33431)

SIC

Photographic Equipment & Supplies (3861)

akta.pro primary industry

Camera, Grip & Lighting Equipment Rental (MPADAFAB)

Keywords

• Film equipment rental
• Production lighting rentals
• Grip truck rentals
• Camera support equipment
• Studio soundstage rental

Headquarters

HQ city

Wyoming

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Equipment Rentals: Day rate rentals for grip trucks, lighting packages, camera support, expendables, and production supplies. Rental catalog includes stages, vehicles, lighting, power, stands, grip hardware, rigging, flags, reflectors, overheads, carts, camera support, audio visual, effects, tools, and production supply items.
2. Product Sales: Sale of proprietary products including shot bags, apple boxes, French flags, custom carts, production guard, and other custom fabrication items through online store and direct orders.
3. Studio Facility Rental: Rental of studio space featuring two soundstages and client-ready amenities at the nearby Plainfield Township location.
4. Crew Support Services: Experienced crew support and consulting services for productions, available 24/7 for questions, emergencies, and last-minute changes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Lowing Light & Grip is a full-service rental house supplying grip trucks, lighting packages, camera support, grip hardware, rigging, overheads, audio visual equipment, effects/FX, production supply, expendables, and tools to film, video, and photo productions throughout West Michigan. The company also operates two purpose-built soundstages and fabricates proprietary Lowing Products (shot bags, apple boxes, French flags, custom carts, track racks, Production Guard) through its in-house fabrication facility with welding, milling, lathe, and machining capabilities.

Product overview

Lowing Light & Grip is a full-service rental house and equipment fabricator serving film, video, and photo productions throughout West Michigan since 1985. The company's portfolio consists of two main pillars: (1) Equipment Rental - offering grip trucks (5-Ton, 3-Ton, 1-Ton), lighting equipment (LED, Tungsten, HMI, KinoFlo), camera support (dollies, jibs, tripods), grip hardware, rigging & truss, overheads & frames, audio visual equipment, effects/FX, production supply, expendables, tools, stages & studio rooms, and studio packages; and (2) Lowing Products - an exclusive line of custom-fabricated products including shot bags, nesting apple boxes, French flags, custom equipment carts, track racks, and the Production Guard safety equipment. The company operates from an 18,000 sq. ft. warehouse in Wyoming, Michigan and an 8,800 sq. ft. studio facility with two soundstages in Plainfield Township.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Production Guard: Virus safety guard or sneeze guard designed for use as a grip tool in the production industry, built using clear polycarbonate plastic with black vinyl edging.
• Nesting Apple Boxes

Products and services

• Grip Truck Rentals Full grip truck packages available in 5-Ton, 3-Ton, and 1-Ton configurations providing on-location grip and lighting support for film and video productions.
• Lighting Equipment Rentals Professional lighting equipment including LED, Tungsten, HMI, KinoFlo, Ceramic, Softboxes, Strobe, and Bulbs available for daily rental for film and photo productions.
• Lowing Studios Soundstage Facility Two soundstages totaling 8,800 sq. ft. at the Plainfield Township facility, plus studio rooms with client-ready amenities for commercial, corporate, and long-form productions.
• Crew Support Services Experienced crew support and consulting for productions, available 24/7 for questions, emergencies, and last-minute changes.
• Lowing Products Shotbags Exclusive world-famous shot bags and weight bags in all sizes and shapes for ballast, testing, and calibration purposes, originally developed for moviemaking and now used in aeronautics and automotive sectors.
• Lowing Products Apple Boxes Nesting apple box sets made from nine-ply birch plywood with stain and clear urethane finish, where half, quarter, and pancake boxes store within the full-sized box for compact storage.
• Lowing Products French Flag Lightweight and compact camera-mounted flag designed to eliminate unwanted lens flares and sun dogs.
• Lowing Products Custom Carts Custom-built equipment carts including taco carts, still photo carts, custom production carts, rolling flag boxes, C-stand carts, grip carts, and truck carts.
• Lowing Products Track Rack Rolling track storage rack that stores track, wedges, cribbing, and accessories in a compact 55" x 40" footprint that is 9' tall.
• Lowing Products Production Guard Clear polycarbonate virus safety guard or sneeze guard designed for use as a grip tool in the production industry, featuring 3/8" pin compatible with gobo heads.
• Lowing Products Custom Fabrication Services Full-service custom design and fabrication services including welding, cutting, milling, lathe, brake and shear equipment, sewing repairs, metal fabrication, machining, basic wood working, electronics repair, sheet metal layout, vehicle modification, and custom shot bags.
• Camera Support Equipment Rentals Dollies, sliders, jibs, tripods, camera heads, car mounts, and accessories for professional camera movement and mounting.
• Grip Hardware Rentals Extensive selection of clamps, pins, plates, flags, scrims, diffusion, reflectors, and rigging equipment for light control and mounting.
• Rigging & Truss Rentals Chain motors, beam clamps, shackles, slings, box truss, ModTruss, SpeedRail truss, and triangle truss for overhead rigging.
• Power & Electrics Rentals Generators, inverters, dimmers, distro boxes, and various connectors (CamLok, Bates, Edison, Stage Pin, Socapex, TwistLock) for production power needs.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Braincell CameracoreTechnology or IntegrationBraincell Camera is a camera equipment rental partner. Lowing Light & Grip coordinates with Braincell frequently and can arrange for one-stop pickups when customers need both grip/lighting and camera equipment.
• Lowing StudioscoreOthersSeparate but related company operating the purpose-built studio facility with two soundstages in Plainfield Township. Lowing Light & Grip acquired the studio space in 2017, originally built as Deano's Studios in 1998.
• Shotbags.comminorOthersDedicated website for Lowing Products shotbags, providing focused e-commerce presence for this proprietary product line.
• IATSE Local 26minorOthersProfessional union affiliation for technicians in the Grand Rapids and West Michigan area, indicating industry credibility and labor relations.
• Michigan Production AllianceminorOthersState-level production industry association membership supporting and promoting Michigan film and media productions.
• Entertainment Services and Technology Association (ESTA)minorOthersInternational trade association membership for entertainment equipment and services providers, indicating industry leadership and standards compliance.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Otto Nemenz International: Long-established camera and lighting rental house serving film and television productions. Comparable to Lowing Light & Grip's combined grip, lighting, and camera support rental business, but with broader national and international reach.
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment: One of the largest grip, lighting, and camera support rental houses in North America. Directly comparable to Lowing Light & Grip's core grip truck and lighting rental offering, but operating at national scale across multiple US production hubs.
• MBS Equipment Company: Lighting and grip equipment rental house serving film, television, and event productions. Comparable in core offering to Lowing Light & Grip, with overlap in lighting packages, grip hardware, and expendables.
• Hand Held Films: Camera and production equipment rental house serving independent filmmakers and commercial productions. Comparable business model to Lowing Light & Grip with overlapping grip, lighting, and camera support inventory.
• Cinequipt: Midwest-based camera, lighting, and grip rental house serving film and commercial productions. Directly comparable to Lowing Light & Grip in regional grip and lighting rental, though anchored in Minneapolis rather than Michigan.

Broad incumbents

• Panavision: Global provider of film and digital camera systems, lenses, and lighting. Has overlapping lighting and production support offerings with Lowing Light & Grip but is a broad incumbent serving major studio productions rather than regional rental specialists.
• Keslow Camera: National camera, lens, and lighting equipment rental company serving feature films, television, and commercials. Overlaps with Lowing Light & Grip's lighting and camera support categories but operates at significantly larger scale with a broader camera-centric portfolio.
• SIM International (SIM Digital): Production equipment rental company offering cameras, lighting, and audio visual technology across multiple geographies. Overlaps with Lowing Light & Grip's audio/visual and lighting rental categories as part of a wider production technology portfolio.

Others

• ProductionHUB: Online marketplace and directory connecting productions with crew and equipment vendors. Lowing Light & Grip is listed on ProductionHUB, making it an adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a competitor; it serves as a customer-acquisition channel for the company.

Regional players

• Michigan Grip & Lighting: Michigan-based grip and lighting rental house serving Detroit-area film and commercial productions. Closest direct regional competitor to Lowing Light & Grip, with overlapping equipment categories but a different geographic anchor in Southeast Michigan.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCN-0j6Gm8l8g_TWcVzJX52Q

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries3 records

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 Lowing Light & Grip