Company Profile
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projects. A major breakthrough was the contract to create all of the animatronics in the largest attraction at the former MGM Grand Adventures Park in Las Vegas, which included several dozen animated characters, plus special effects, moving props, and more. GHP finished on time, under budget, and won the praise of MGM chairman Fred Benninger, who steered Garner and his young company toward more work in Las Vegas and State Line. “That was a kind of trial by fire project for us,” Holt said.
“I knew I needed something big to move my company forward. But when we got the Vegas work, I was the only full time employee! We did really good work and it launched us ahead.” After Las Vegas, GHP created almost 500 animatronic
shows for Chuck E. Cheese restaurants throughout the United States and abroad. Today, GHP has worked in 34 countries around the world. In 2001, GHP created an animatronic Jack Skellington and a large collection of other animated figures and props for Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion holiday seasonal overlay attraction. It was the first time in history that an outside vendor had created animatronics for a classic Disney attraction. “Building Jack for the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland
was unbelievable for me,” said Holt. “This ride was so inspiring to me as a kid, I jumped at the chance to be able to contribute something to it. I was a Disney fan a long time before I was a Disney vendor, and those parks still mean a lot to me. My business is built on wanting to do things because I love the work and want to make magic for others. Disneyland is a big part of that for me.” GHP is now the largest animatronic designer and builder
in the world (from single figures to entire attractions)— coupled with the company’s creative design capability for attractions, exhibits, and more, plus fabrication of show action systems, special effects, sets and scenery. GHP is today the most complete design and production organisation in themed entertainment. Along the way, GHP created hundreds of animatronics for Disney and Universal
Studios, not to mention its dozens of other clients from McDonald’s to Nike, NASA and Lockheed-Martin to Mattel and Hershey. In all, GHP has now created more animatronic figures than any other company, close to 5,000 in 34 countries, the company’s name is synonymous with animatronic excellence. GHP is also the only company to create animatronics for
the US government for use in military training exercises. Since 2010, GHP has created dozens of animated figures for the Infantry Immersion Trainer (IIT) at Camp Pendleton. “I love theme parks and working to make people smile,” said Holt. “But making things that can help save lives through training before young Marines and soldiers go into combat zones is very rewarding for me. I love that our creations can have a significance more than just fun.” Garner has been honored many times for his
entrepreneurship and creative prowess with awards and recognition from diverse organisations throughout Southern California and the United States—including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Themed Entertainment Association, the Disney Legend Award from the Disneyana Fan Club, and, most recently, a key to the City of San Bernardino. He has also taken the time to be a good citizen of the community by sponsoring California State University San Bernardino’s “fast pitch” competition for entrepreneurship students, as well as sitting on directorial boards for organisations like Ryman Arts, among many others. As part of the fortieth anniversary of his company, Garner is launching the Garner Holt Foundation to assist young people seeking careers in the creative industries. “This business has never been about the almighty dollar
for me”, said Holt. “Having fun, creating things I like, dealing with people I enjoy, all of that is so much more important for me. My company and I have grown up together, and we’re now the largest and best-equipped shop of our kind in the world, with the biggest portfolio. It hardly seems like forty years. We have so much more magic to make. We’re only getting started.”
ABOVE: Hershey figure created by GHP.
LEFT: The Day Out with Thomas figure created by GHP.
Jack Skellington at the Haunted Mansion holiday attraction, created by GHP.
JULY 2017
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