Continuing 400 Years of Excellence
Craftsmen in a
City of Industry
Here Creative Fire Grows in an Industrial Forge
Ingalls & Co. is building Cleveland's filmmaking infrastructure through three divisions: Creative Spaces, Tape 30, and Simple Suite. Yet Creative Spaces is our crown jewel, the key to revitalizing an American Industry.
American productions are being priced out. Major hubs keep getting more expensive, and more pictures are being pushed overseas. Stage 01 gives productions the technical capacity they demand with Ohio's 30% Motion Picture Tax Credit and Cleveland's cost structure. Here is where disciplined craftsmanship meets financial advantage. Here is where creative fire grows in an industrial forge.
This carries forward the same principle that guided Edmund Ingalls nearly four centuries ago: lasting value comes from investing in the whole community, not extracting from it. Cleveland's students, independent filmmakers, skilled tradespeople, and local businesses share directly in the prosperity that comprehensive production infrastructure creates. That is what nearly four centuries of Ingalls history has always meant.
"Continuing 400 Years of Excellence" is not just a slogan; it is a standard. It reflects the proven expertise, strategic vision, and long-term commitment that have defined the Ingalls name for generations, and it is the measure by which we intend every Ingalls & Co. project to be judged.
The Divisions of Ingalls & Co.
Creative Spaces
Our campus in Euclid puts you at the edge of a major American city. Access to I-90, the Port of Cleveland, and Cleveland Hopkins International Airport is direct.
Creative Spaces carries the discipline and precision that have defined the Ingalls name for nearly four centuries. Stage 01 is purpose-built, built to last, and built to serve.
Simple Suite
Simple Suite is Ingalls & Co.'s production-software division, built around the principles of power, simplicity, and beauty. It includes SimpleStrips: a desktop stripboard, call-sheet, and breakdown app that runs offline on Windows, macOS, and Linux. A planned follow-up app, SimpleShots, will add shot lists, storyboards, and schedule integration.
SimpleStrips is designed to be easier to learn and faster to use than legacy schedulers: screenplay import, multi-unit support, smart sorting, and production-ready PDF exports — all without subscriptions or per-seat fees.
Tape 30
Tape 30 is Ingalls & Co.'s creative production division, delivering commercial, branded, and cinematic storytelling. From concept through completion, Tape 30's team brings Emmy-nominated experience and award-winning visual craft to every project.
When Stage 01 opens, Tape 30 will be on-site and ready to move ideas from script to screen.
Productions Need Greater Cleveland
The Brass Tacks Make it Clear
30% State Tax Credit
Ohio's Motion Picture Tax Credit returns up to 30% on qualified production expenditures. No overseas travel. No currency exchange. No foreign tax exposure.
37% Lower Avg. Base Costs
Even before incentives, $1M spent in Cleveland costs $1.21M in Atlanta, $1.49M in Chicago, $1.82M in Los Angeles, and $2.08M in New York City.2 Your dollar goes further, and so does your production.
60% of North America
Cleveland sits at America's great crossroads. Sixty percent of the North American population lives within a single day's drive. Talent, vendors, and logistics are closer than you might expect.
Economic Stewardship
Following the principle that industrial success creates obligations to the community that sustains it, we structure our business model to ensure that local businesses, educational institutions, and emerging talent share meaningfully in the prosperity that comprehensive production infrastructure generates.
400 Years of Excellence
Ingalls & Co. draws its strength from a legacy of infrastructure development and community investment spanning four centuries. It began in 1629 with Edmund Ingalls, co-founder of Lynn, Massachusetts, and continued through generations of Ingalls leaders who helped shape America's industrial backbone, scientific progress, and cultural heritage.
In the late 19th century, Melville Ezra Ingalls, the great-great-great-grandfather of our founder, rose to prominence as a railroad magnate, consolidating the great "Big Four" system and financing the Ingalls Building in Cincinnati — America's first reinforced concrete skyscraper. These projects were not simply feats of engineering; they were deliberate investments in the foundations of American progress, designed to endure for generations.
The contributions of the broader Ingalls family to Ohio and the nation continued well beyond Melville's era. The Louise H. and David S. Ingalls Foundation, established in Cleveland in 1953, has supported educational institutions, healthcare enterprises, and cultural programs throughout the region for over seventy years. The Ingalls Library & Museum Archives at the Cleveland Museum of Art also bears the name of longtime trustees from Melville's distinguished line.
The Ingalls family also produced Laura Ingalls Wilder, whose Little House books became foundational to how Americans understand their pioneer heritage, and Albert G. Ingalls, the Scientific American editor whose Amateur Telescope Making volumes democratized astronomy and sparked a nationwide movement of citizen scientists.
Today, that same spirit of disciplined excellence drives Creative Spaces. Stage 01 is now in development in Euclid, Ohio — purpose-built production infrastructure designed to serve Cleveland and the greater Midwest for decades to come.
Family Tree
James Ingalls
Founder & CEO
A Cleveland native who attended St. Ignatius High School, James graduated from DePaul University with a BFA in Film & TV Production. Before founding Ingalls & Co., he worked for multi-Emmy Award winning production companies Spirit Juice Studios and Behold, where his projects earned Emmy nominations in less than two years of his time there. He has served in key positions creating video content for international brands including Beam Suntory, Lennox International, the Emmy Awards, ISDA, and Knights of Columbus. James's extensive experience shooting in Cinespace Studios Chicago sound stages provides crucial insight into professional production facility operations.
His approach to business reflects the core values that have defined the Ingalls family for generations: pioneering enterprise, civic contribution, and lasting impact. Under his leadership, Ingalls & Co. is positioning Cleveland as a premier destination for film and media production while contributing to the region's economic development and cultural growth.
Allan Velez
Chief Business Development Officer
Allan Velez is a Cleveland native and St. Ignatius High School graduate who studied Business Administration in Marketing at John Carroll University. His production experience includes work with Angela Boehm Casting on the Russo Brothers' Cherry and in the locations department for Superman. That direct experience with major Hollywood productions gives him first-hand knowledge of what serious productions need.
As Chief Business Development Officer, Allan builds the relationships that bring productions to Cleveland. He cultivates ongoing partnerships with producers, directors, studios, and regional vendors — ensuring that every production arriving in Greater Cleveland finds the infrastructure already in place.
Isabel Rothberg
Director of Operations
Isabel Rothberg is a graduate of DePaul University with a BFA in Film & TV Production. Before joining Ingalls & Co., she served as Administrative Manager for Chicago companies where she managed complex scheduling systems for administrators, employees, and clients. Extensive work at Cinespace Studios Chicago gave her a direct understanding of what professional sound stage operations require.
As Director of Operations, Isabel oversees internal operations, client scheduling, and the organizational systems that keep the company running. Her role ensures that every production using Stage 01 receives smooth, professional service from first inquiry through final wrap.
Zeke Tucker
The Stage Manager
A graduate of DePaul University with a BA in Media & Cinema Studies and a minor in Screenwriting, Zeke combines facility operations expertise with hands-on production experience across feature films, music videos, commercials, and independent projects. Before joining Ingalls & Co., she worked in production assistant, assistant directing, camera, and production design roles, developing a practical understanding of the logistical and creative demands of professional productions. She continues to serve as a Script Reader for the Austin Film Festival and ranked ranked second among 150 candidates in the Cleveland Film Commission's Production Assistant Workshop. Her experience spans on-set coordination, equipment logistics, script coverage, and client-facing production support.
As The Stage Manager, Zeke is the primary point of contact for all client-facing operations. She oversees facility coordination, client relations, and the day-to-day experience that defines Stage 01 from first inquiry through wrap.
Advisors
Ingalls & Co. is guided by an advisory board of veterans with decades of experience in entertainment, finance, real estate, and business development. They provide strategic counsel and industry connections that ensure the company's facilities, strategy, and partnerships meet the standard that major productions and long-term investors require.
Ferenc Sanderson
Ferenc Sanderson is the founder of FS Consulting Inc., specializing in economics and alternative investment consulting. He advises Ingalls & Co. on capital allocation, investment strategy, and financial structuring.
Katerine Moner
Katerine Moner is a seasoned Hollywood talent manager with an extensive network of actors, directors, producers, and industry executives. Her connections help position Ingalls & Co. to attract high-profile productions and talent to Cleveland.
Barry Goldman
Barry Goldman draws on decades of entertainment industry leadership, including an executive career at Disney and independent production work. His knowledge of large-scale production operations and studio requirements directly informs Ingalls & Co.'s facility design and operational standards.
Mary Costanzo
Mary Costanzo is a strategic advisor and real estate partner for the Creative Spaces development. She is the current proprietor and CEO of Costanzo FLP, a real estate holding company, and former CEO of Revelations Salon & Spa — ranked among the top 10 nationally in sales.
James Ingalls, Esq.
James Ingalls, Esq. provides legal counsel and business guidance to Ingalls & Co., drawing on his expertise in business law, contract negotiation, and corporate governance. His knowledge of the entertainment industry's regulatory landscape helps the company navigate complex legal terrain.
Marc Loutzenhiser
Marc Loutzenhiser advises Ingalls & Co. on grand strategy and long-term vision. His experience in large-scale business development and project management helps the company set ambitious goals, evaluate opportunities, and build for the long term.
Key Partners
Ingalls & Co. is building Stage 01 alongside architectural and engineering partners with deep Cleveland roots and decades of proven practice. Their work ensures every technical and design requirement of a professional sound stage campus is met to the standard that serious productions demand.
Christopher Lobas
Christopher Lobas is the principal of Lobas Architects, leading the Creative Spaces architectural design. His firm delivers full architectural services across residential, institutional, and commercial scales. With nearly two decades of Cleveland-area practice, Christopher brings careful coordination and design discipline to every project phase.
John J. Rakauskas
John J. Rakauskas has practiced Cleveland architecture for over three decades, establishing Rakauskas Architecture in 1990. His practice philosophy emphasizes appropriateness and the buildable over the purely theoretical — finding beauty in what can actually be realized.
Neff & Associates
Neff & Associates has shaped Northeast Ohio's built environment for over 80 years. Founded in 1939 by Cyril Neff, the firm grew through three generations of the Neff family into a full-service practice covering civil engineering, landscape architecture, surveying, and planning. They serve as the engineering partner for the Creative Spaces development.