Gov. Jindal And PreSonus CEO Jim Mack Announce Completion Of New Baton Rouge Headquarters

BATON ROUGE, La. — Today, Gov. Bobby Jindal and PreSonus CEO Jim Mack announced the completion of the new PreSonus Audio Electronics Inc. corporate headquarters, a 44,000-square-foot facility that included more than $8 million in development costs. The Highland Road headquarters, which replaces the company’s former location at the Bon Carré Business Center on Florida Boulevard, represents a project that will create 65 new direct jobs by 2016 with an average salary of $80,000 per year, plus benefits. In addition, LED estimates the project will result in 79 new indirect jobs, for a total of more than 140 new jobs in the Capital Region and surrounding areas.

PreSonus retained 80 existing jobs with the Baton Rouge expansion and relocation project. Gov. Jindal joined PreSonus in August 2012 to announce the beginning of construction on the project. Since then, all Baton Rouge employees have relocated to the Highland Road headquarters. PreSonus is a leading manufacturer of digital and analog hardware and integrated software systems for the professional audio market.

Gov. Jindal said, “PreSonus is a Louisiana-born-and-bred company that ranks among the leading innovators in the wave of technology companies that are now expanding in our state. Today’s announcement signals a powerful new growth cycle for PreSonus in the audio world. This milestone illustrates how our efforts to diversify and strengthen Louisiana’s economy are paying off. Best of all, we are retaining and recruiting the brightest talent in Louisiana by providing extraordinary career opportunities for our young people.”

Musician, producer and LSU electrical engineering graduate Jim Odom founded PreSonus in 1995 with a goal of building professional and affordable production tools for musicians and audio engineers. LSU graduates and Louisiana natives make up a majority of the company’s staff.

“This new facility enables us to continue to grow PreSonus and at the same time improve the lives of our staff,” Mack said. “Its architectural design enables us to work better as a team, be more productive – and better create, market and sell our products. Thanks to our phenomenal increases in revenue over the past few years and to the Louisiana Economic Development incentives championed by Governor Jindal, we have been able to expand and move to this beautiful new facility. As a developer of advanced technology for the music and professional audio industry, the cultural and economic environment and musical traditions of Louisiana make this state and Baton Rouge the perfect home for us.”

At the new PreSonus corporate headquarters, technology assets include custom-designed professional recording and live-sound facilities designed by the award-winning Walters-Storyk Design Group. Those facilities enable PreSonus to conduct more advanced research and development and better testing and quality control.

LED’s Business Expansion and Retention Group, or BERG, and the Baton Rouge Area Chamber began working with PreSonus to facilitate the company’s expansion in early 2011. The State of Louisiana provided PreSonus the comprehensive workforce solutions of LED FastStart® – ranked the No. 1 state workforce training program in the nation – and the company is expected to utilize Louisiana’s Quality Jobs, Industrial Tax Exemption and Digital Interactive Media and Software Development incentives.

“Baton Rouge is very proud to see PreSonus, an innovative company built by Baton Rouge natives, thriving and growing in our region,” Mayor-President Melvin “Kip” Holden said. “This is a testament to the strength of Baton Rouge and the growing technology sector. PreSonus sets a great example for entrepreneurs and business leaders alike by showing how a company can take advantage of the assets of our area to become an industry leader.”

“BRAC is deeply committed to enhancing the region’s software development and IT industries and this new facility is a sign of the growth occurring in this sector,” said President and CEO Adam Knapp of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber. “PreSonus was founded in Baton Rouge and has now become a world leader in digital audio electronics and soundboards. Their commitment to remain in Baton Rouge – and their continued advancement – is a win for the entire region.”

About PreSonus
Founded in 1995, PreSonus Audio Electronics Inc. is a leading designer and manufacturer of audio-recording software, hardware and related accessories. PreSonus software, microphone preamps, signal processors, digital audio interfaces, mixers, control surfaces and other products are used worldwide for recording, sound reinforcement, broadcast, sound design and Internet audio. For more information, visit PreSonus.com.

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