Kirk Englebright

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Kirk Englebright
Kirk Englebright.jpg
Born (1978-11-24) November 24, 1978 (age 46)
Oxford, North Carolina
NationalityAmerican
EducationBusiness
Alma materVance Granville College
OccupationEntrepreneur
Known forMattress Capital and A Goodnight Sleepstore, CEO of Dark Horse Studios
Spouse(s)Macey Arden Long
Children1
RelativesChrystal Englebright (sister)
Awards
  • CEA Winner for Film
  • Top 100 Innovators Award
Websitedarkhorsestudios.com

Kirk Englebright (Born November 24, 1978, Oxford), is an American serial entrepreneur and Studio Executive for Dark Horse Stages.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]

Early life and education

Englebright was born on November 24, 1978, in Oxford, North Carolina to Wade Englebright and Lisa Englebright.[1]

He graduated from South Granville High in 1997 and enrolled in ACTT for Programming. He then went on to attend Vance Granville College to pursue business.[1][12]

Career

At the age of 26 years old, Englebright started investing in furniture/bedding companies. It proved successful, and by 35, he had opened 35 retail stores in North Carolina and South Carolina.[13][14]

He founded Englebright Communications in 2005.

In the same year, he opened Mattress Capital Inc. and established Mattress Center in 2012.[1][15][16][17][18]

In 2017, he acquired A Goodnight Sleepstore. Quickly realizing he had a niche for business, he began to explore other endeavors including Finance.[1][19]

In 2019, he founded Englebright & Long Holdings and then purchased a 100,000 sq./ft. campus in Wilmington, North Carolina.[1][20]

He built his first film studio, Dark Horse Studios in 2020, which helped the state of North Carolina hit a state record number in film revenue, $416 million.[1][21][22][23][24][25][26][27]

In 2024, Englebright announced the company’s rebranding and new identity as Dark Horse Stages.[1][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38]

Englebright is also one of the board members of the Wilmington Regional Film Commission, Inc. Board and Barrowhouse.[1][39][40][12][41]

Awards and recognition

Englebright is the recipient of the Top 100 Innovators Award in Wilmington, North Carolina.[1][42] In 2022, 2023 and 2024, Englebright received The Innovator of the Year Award in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Personal life

Englebright has a son who was born in February 2015. Two years later, he married Macey Arden Long. He resides in Wilmington, NC, with his family.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 Vlessing, Etan (2025-03-19). "Kirk Englebright and the Leap to Success". New York Weekly. Retrieved 2025-04-03.
  2. ↑ "DARK HORSE STUDIOS, INC". opencorporates.com. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  3. ↑ "NC production studio expanding, attracting filmmakers and boosting state economy". FOX8 WGHP. 4 August 2023. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
  4. ↑ "Who's who in Wilmington's film industry? A look at top players as production nears return". Yahoo Entertainment. 2024-01-15. Retrieved 2025-04-14.
  5. ↑ WRAL (2023-12-20). "Wilmington film studio announces expansion". WRAL.com. Retrieved 2025-04-14.
  6. ↑ Brendgord, Ava (2023-12-13). "Dark Horse Studios expands with two new sound stages". Retrieved 2025-04-14.
  7. ↑ "Dark Horse Stages adds 40,000 square feet with new stages". WilmingtonBiz. Retrieved 2025-04-14.
  8. ↑ Staff (2025-02-07). "MrBeast video filmed at Wilmington's Dark Horse Stages". Retrieved 2025-04-14.
  9. ↑ "Hollywood strike hasn't derailed new studio plans in Wilmington". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2025-04-14.
  10. ↑ "Congratulations to Our WilmingtonBiz 100 Power Players". www.seacoastrealty.com. Retrieved 2025-04-14.
  11. ↑ Stages, Dark Horse. "Dark Horse Stages Unveils New Stages to Boost North Carolina's Film Industry". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2025-04-14.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Kirk Englebright". linkedin.com. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
  13. ↑ Staff, C. L. C. (2024-11-14). "North Carolina's New Film Studio Looks to Attract Hollywood Stars". Carolina Leader. Retrieved 2025-04-14.
  14. ↑ "Hollywood of the East? Production studio opens two cutting-edge sound stages in North Carolina". NewsBreak. Retrieved 2025-04-14.
  15. ↑ "The Mattress Capital Helping customers sleep for less". Wilmington Star-News. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
  16. ↑ "The WilmingtonBiz 100: The Innovators". WilmingtonBiz. Retrieved 2025-04-14.
  17. ↑ "CEA Film Winner: Meeting demand for film space". WilmingtonBiz. Retrieved 2025-04-14.
  18. ↑ "The Dive: What's in the Stars?". The Assembly NC. 2023-10-19. Retrieved 2025-04-14.
  19. ↑ "After shoe store walks, it's bed time at S. College Road center". WilmingtonBiz. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
  20. ↑ "Could Wilmington benefit from another film studio? It already is". Port City Daily. 14 June 2022. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
  21. ↑ "2021 Sets Records for Film in North Carolina". www.filmnc.com. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
  22. ↑ "TOP STORIES: Biggest year ever for film industry". WilmingtonBiz. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
  23. ↑ "Local film studio nears completion on 2 stages, rebrands". Port City Daily. 2024-08-07. Retrieved 2025-04-14.
  24. ↑ "More space to film: Dark Horse Studios plans $20M expansion". WilmingtonBiz. Retrieved 2025-04-14.
  25. ↑ "Could Wilmington benefit from another film studio? It already is". Port City Daily. 2022-06-14. Retrieved 2025-04-14.
  26. ↑ Staton, John. "Major YouTube star shot his latest video at a Wilmington studio complex". Wilmington Star-News. Retrieved 2025-04-14.
  27. ↑ "Officials count film dollars, challenges". WilmingtonBiz. Retrieved 2025-04-14.
  28. ↑ Nkews, WWAY (8 August 2024). "Dark Horse Studios rebrands as Dark Horse Stages". WWAYTV3. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
  29. ↑ "Local film studio nears completion on 2 stages, rebrands". Port City Daily. 7 August 2024. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
  30. ↑ Dorn, Ava (14 August 2024). "Dark Horse Stages reveals upcoming soundstage upgrades". WWAYTV3. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
  31. ↑ "Local film studio nears completion on 2 stages, rebrands". Port City Daily. 7 August 2024. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
  32. ↑ "Dark Horse preps for strikes' end, invests at least $20M on 2 new state-of-the art film stages". Port City Daily. 2023-08-04. Retrieved 2025-04-14.
  33. ↑ published, Phil Kurz (2023-08-04). "Dark Horse Studios Breaks Ground On New Studios". TVTechnology. Retrieved 2025-04-14.
  34. ↑ "Board of Directors". Wilmington Regional Film Commission. Retrieved 2025-04-14.
  35. ↑ "'We're a force to be reckoned with': NC production studio expanding, attracting filmmakers and boosting state economy".
  36. ↑ "Biz Bites: Horsepower". WilmingtonBiz. Retrieved 2025-04-14.
  37. ↑ "MrBeast video becomes first to use Dark Horse's new stages". WilmingtonBiz. Retrieved 2025-04-14.
  38. ↑ "Dark Horse trots out its expansion project". WilmingtonBiz. Retrieved 2025-04-14.
  39. ↑ "Board of Directors". Wilmington Regional Film Commission. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
  40. ↑ "WILMINGTON REGIONAL FILM COMMISSION". nhcgov.com. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
  41. ↑ "Wilmington Regional Film Commission". www.wilmingtonnc.gov. Retrieved 2025-04-14.
  42. ↑ "The WilmingtonBiz 100: The Innovators". WilmingtonBiz. Retrieved 22 January 2025.

External links

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