ERIE, Colo. — Magpul Industries, a firearms-accessories maker, announced Thursday that it will relocate its extensive manufacturing facilities to Texas and Wyoming, in angry response to the Colorado legislature’s passage of sweeping gun-control legislation in 2013.
At the same time, the company plans to maintain a toehold in Colorado in order to continue to fight the gun bills passed by the Democratic-dominated state legislature and signed in March by Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper.
SPECIAL COVERAGE: Second Amendment and Gun Control
*Moving operations to states that support our culture of individual liberties and personal responsibility is important,* said Magpul CEO Richard Fitzpatrick, who started the privately-held company in 1999 from the basement of his home in Longmont, Colo. *This relocation will also improve business operations and logistics as we utilize the strengths of Texas and Wyoming in our expansion.*
Magpul officials plan to split up the company’s corporate and manufacturing arms, both of which are now located in Erie, Colo. The corporate headquarters will relocate to Texas, and a site-selection committee has narrowed the final destination to three locations in the state’s north-central region.
Meanwhile, Magpul’s manufacturing and distribution facility will move about 80 miles north to Cheyenne, Wyo. Company officials say they plan to lease a 58,000-square-foot building for two to three years while they construct a 100,000-square-foot custom facility in the Cheyenne Business Parkway.
Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead, a Republican, said in a statement that *Wyoming and Magpul are a great match.*
*Bringing an innovative and growing manufacturing operating to Wyoming is a significant step for the state,* Mr. Mead said. *We offer Magpul an attractive tax environment, stable and reasonable regulations, not to mention a firm commitment to uphold the Second Amendment.*
The move is a particular coup for Texas Republican Gov. Rick Perry, who openly wooed gun companies based in states considering restrictive gun laws to consider the Lone Star State as a new base.
*As you consider your options for responding to unwarranted government intrusion into your business, you may choose to consider relocating your manufacturing operations to a state that is more business-friendly,* Mr. Perry wrote in an open letter to more than two dozen gun companies in February. *There is no other state that fits the definition of business-friendly like Texas.*
Mr. Perry said Thursday that he was *proud that Magpul is the latest employer to join the ranks of companies that call Texas home.*
In addition, Magpul, which is a plaintiff in the lawsuit filed by 55 Colorado sheriffs against the new state law limiting ammunition magazines to 15 rounds, plans to retain *limited operations* in Colorado. About 92 percent of its workforce will relocate outside Colorado within 12 to 16 months, according to a company release.
*We made a commitment publicly that we would not abandon the law-abiding gun owners in our own state, and we want to honor that,* said Duane Liptak, Magpul director of product management and marketing.
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At the same time, the company plans to maintain a toehold in Colorado in order to continue to fight the gun bills passed by the Democratic-dominated state legislature and signed in March by Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper.
SPECIAL COVERAGE: Second Amendment and Gun Control
*Moving operations to states that support our culture of individual liberties and personal responsibility is important,* said Magpul CEO Richard Fitzpatrick, who started the privately-held company in 1999 from the basement of his home in Longmont, Colo. *This relocation will also improve business operations and logistics as we utilize the strengths of Texas and Wyoming in our expansion.*
Magpul officials plan to split up the company’s corporate and manufacturing arms, both of which are now located in Erie, Colo. The corporate headquarters will relocate to Texas, and a site-selection committee has narrowed the final destination to three locations in the state’s north-central region.
Meanwhile, Magpul’s manufacturing and distribution facility will move about 80 miles north to Cheyenne, Wyo. Company officials say they plan to lease a 58,000-square-foot building for two to three years while they construct a 100,000-square-foot custom facility in the Cheyenne Business Parkway.
Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead, a Republican, said in a statement that *Wyoming and Magpul are a great match.*
*Bringing an innovative and growing manufacturing operating to Wyoming is a significant step for the state,* Mr. Mead said. *We offer Magpul an attractive tax environment, stable and reasonable regulations, not to mention a firm commitment to uphold the Second Amendment.*
The move is a particular coup for Texas Republican Gov. Rick Perry, who openly wooed gun companies based in states considering restrictive gun laws to consider the Lone Star State as a new base.
*As you consider your options for responding to unwarranted government intrusion into your business, you may choose to consider relocating your manufacturing operations to a state that is more business-friendly,* Mr. Perry wrote in an open letter to more than two dozen gun companies in February. *There is no other state that fits the definition of business-friendly like Texas.*
Mr. Perry said Thursday that he was *proud that Magpul is the latest employer to join the ranks of companies that call Texas home.*
In addition, Magpul, which is a plaintiff in the lawsuit filed by 55 Colorado sheriffs against the new state law limiting ammunition magazines to 15 rounds, plans to retain *limited operations* in Colorado. About 92 percent of its workforce will relocate outside Colorado within 12 to 16 months, according to a company release.
*We made a commitment publicly that we would not abandon the law-abiding gun owners in our own state, and we want to honor that,* said Duane Liptak, Magpul director of product management and marketing.
Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news...-to-texas/#.UsWopHUssfE.twitter#ixzz2pI9RYgtj
Follow us: @washtimes on Twitter
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