Gabb Announces Grand Opening of its New Headquarters in Lehi
June 13, 2024, Lehi, UT
Today Gabb hosted a festive ribbon-cutting celebration for the grand opening of its new headquarters in Lehi, Utah.
The grand opening included prominent guests from government, business, and the community including Gabb customers, influencers and change makers in Utah, to commemorate Gabb’s ongoing mission of empowering parents and kids to connect safely in a digital world.
The program included remarks by Brandon Fugal, Chairman at Colliers International-Utah; Abby Cox, Utah’s First Lady; Gracee Hannig, a teenage Gabb customer; and Nate Randle, CEO of Gabb.
"Today is the culmination of a year and a half of hard work, diligence, and focus on creating the right space for Gabb to have an impact for the future and to create a place for their employees to feel welcome to feel inspired and to inspire the community," said Fugal.
He continued, "This is truly one of the most impressive spaces in Silicon Slopes. With a priority on family and societal impact, Gabb is truly special. It transcends technology. It is moving the needle relative to improving our quality of life and improving families. It has been a privilege to represent this company and go through this exciting process."
Utah's First Lady, Abby Cox, remarked on the need to replace technology in the lives of children with community connections and activities that build individuals into better people.
"In Utah, we serve. We connect. That's how we build community. What I see with kids and smartphones is that technology is leaving them empty. We have to fill it with service in the community. We have to fill it with connection, and building each other up, and seeing each other as humans, and looking at the collective instead of at the individual," said the First Lady.
Kids are seeing disgraceful behavior by both adults and children on phones that parents would never allow in their homes, said Cox.
She shared an anecdote that took place at a recent dinner in New York. She and her husband noticed that a billionaire sitting next to them was using an old-fashioned flip phone instead of a smartphone. She suggested the billionaire knew something about smartphones and their disadvantages, such as their tendency to distract and become all-consuming, that the rest of us may not know. Cox challenged the audience to put away screens and get back to connecting with people in real situations, "What are we doing to make sure our kids have a place of love and connection, a community that lifts them up and watches out for them so that they are getting outside of their own selfishness, and not just looking at themselves, but are looking out for others?
Bringing it back to Gabb, she said, "We are partnering with Gabb because we want to eliminate these horrible distractions and let our communities flourish again. Let's see each other as humans again!"
The grand opening of Gabb's new HQ builds on the company's August 2023 announcement, echoed by the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity, about its plans for continued growth commitment in Utah.
The 30,344 square foot office space, easily viewed nearby from I-15, is the new home for the 700 employees Gabb has stated it will bring to Lehi over the next ten years. It will be the site from which Gabb will further its mission of providing kid-safe technology solutions, such as the Gabb Watch 3 and Gabb Phone 3 Pro. These devices offer entertainment and communication apps such as Gabb Music and Gabb Messenger but without internet browser and social media apps that are increasingly shown to harm the mental health of children.
Nate Randle, Gabb CEO, expressed his enthusiasm for the event, stating, “Our new headquarters shows our commitment to our mission of giving kids a safe way to connect and to navigate the digital world. This expansion here in Utah not only demonstrates our growth but also our dedication to creating a safe future for kids.”
Randle shared his thoughts on Gabb's mission of protecting kids from the harms of social media and pointed out the rationale and methods used by Big Tech to ensnare young people.
"These big social media companies are doing everything they can to addict our kids. It's very simple. It's a money game. They have not made trillions of dollars for any other reason than addicting us and our kids to screens. They want more data used. Because to them that's more ad space they can sell. More ads equals more ad money. They want more screen time because that means more app downloads. They want more, and more, and more, because more means more for them," said Randle.
He continued, calling out the stark contrast of Gabb's mission, "Our mission is about less. We want kids on screens less. We don't want to make another dime or another dollar because a kid is on a screen for more time. We want people to use our technology as a safe way to connect with kids and families. Then want them to put it down and build their very best selves. Our mission matters. We know it. We believe in it. As hard as it may be at times we're going to keep pressing forward. Your support in the community is what keeps us going."
Diane Acevedo, Gabb SVP of Operations and CX, added, “We are thrilled to share this exciting moment with our partners, supporters, and the community. Our new space enables us to innovate further and expand our reach, helping more families across the country.”
Today's ribbon-cutting celebration marks the official opening of Gabb's new headquarters, celebrating Gabb’s continued growth and its positive impact on this community, and communities across the country.
For more information about Gabb, visit Gabb.com.