Wait, you mean firearm manufacturing and related firms are actually good for a state’s economy? They provide real jobs and tax revenues? Shazam! Coming a little late to the party is the state of New York. Brian Kolb, the Assembly minority leader and Tom King, head of the NY State Rifle and Pistol Association are leading a push to try to counter efforts by other states to entice some or all of New York’s firearms industry to move to friendlier climes. Firms like Remington, Kimber, Kahr, Turnbull and Dan Wesson along with ancillary companies mean 10,000 jobs for the Empire State which needs every private sector job and samolian it can scrounge. To wit…
Kolb and King say they want the governor’s regional economic development councils to make the gun industry a top economic development priority for the Empire State. Whatever that means. Sounds suspiciously like bleeding taxpayers to pay companies to stay.
Gun manufacturers have been treated like red-headed stepchildren in New York despite the thousands of jobs and millions in revenue they contribute to the deficit-ridden state. Other more competitive states have noticed, are raising their skirts and sticking their legs out.
Doug Turnbull, the owner of Turnbull Manufacturing Company in Bloomfield, said this is key, especially since other states are trying to acquire this type of business.
“South Dakota is a big one that’s been pushing to get smaller companies to go there,” he said. He added that he’s heard of offers from a South Dakota economic development group that was offering $15,000 per person to move to Sturgis, S.D. Turnbull currently has 16 employees; the owner said he wouldn’t take a similar deal.
“I’ve got family here; I grew up here,” Turnbull said. However, he did admit that a move may make things easier.
“If I was anywhere west of New York, it’s be easier (to get employees),” Turnbull said. “New York has a bad reputation in the firearms business.
Probably more important to the companies, though, is relief on the regulatory side.
Kolb also urged the rejection of government mandates like microstamping — technology that imprints specific markings on the cartridges, which can then be recovered by police and examined by forensic ballistics experts. Kolb said these mandates aren’t helping New York’s gun industry. (Doug) Turnbull agreed.
It’s good that at least someone in New York is acknowledging the problem. Whether they have the foresight and ability to do something about it is another matter. While the gun lobby is no ninety-eight pound weakling, it’s an open question as to whether they can kill efforts such as mico-stamping in such a firearm-averse state. In the mean time, those other states are sure to continue their flirting.
I’m surprised there are *any* gun-related jobs left in the Empire State. While Kimber (in)famously moved to Yonkers some time ago, most other gunmakers are packing their bags. Remington is shifting a lot of production to new factories in the South, and Henry Repeating Arms Co. moved from Brooklyn just across the river to Bayonne, New Jersey.
New Jersey? Isn’t that out of the frying pan and into the fire? Maybe, but boss Anthony Imperato understands the importance of keeping your skilled workforce happy (and on the payroll) when you need to move your production facilities. His gunsmiths made the move with him, and Henry quality didn’t suffer at all.
All the same, it’s good to see our side on the offensive after so many years fighting rearguard actions against universal registration, microstamping, and outright bans. We can’t win back states like NY, NJ and CA if every shooter and gun dealer moves away from them.
I hope the companies do move to more gun-friendly states. Let NY learn the hard way.
What makes you think New York will learn? More likely departing New Yorkers will move to *your* state in a fit of rage about the dead economy in New York, then try to impose their economy-killing political preferences on you. This should be called California Neighbor Syndrome…
The technical term is ‘Californication’.
Let the gunmakers move out of New York, Massachusetts, California, Illinois, Maryland and New Jersey. There are few things that make politicians come to their sense faster than a punch to the bank account.
+ 1,000
You’re assuming that the politicians in those states actually give a damn. I don’t share that assumption. The only thing they care about is maintaining their power and ruling us.
Sadly there’s no shortage of empirical evidence to support that idea.
I say we make NY, NJ, and CA start their own lil COMMIE country and then we won’t have to deal with those fools. I guess we should throw in HI, MD and IL. I would have thrown in Wash. DC, but they already have their DISTRICT OF COMMIES. I’m still on the border with MA because they might give me a carry permit, so they can stay for now.
Dude, what the hell? I’m stuck here. I don’t want 9/10ths of the bullshit here and vote against it and am vocally opposed to ALL of the nanny-state crap. I can’t even GET a pistol license the cost is so high in my county.
I’d join you in one of those less regulation happy heavens in a moment if I could afford it and I would NEVER say “You know, we don’t do it like that in NY.”
Screw NY, but not all of us are tools.
A pistol license ? I can’t even get a rifle in NJ. Or anything for that matter, I’m getting pretty well screwed by this state. The police are dragging my permit process out as long as possible and may deny, just cause they can.
move
That is the beauty of our Federal system and the 10th amendment. Where one (or several) states decide to turn on the “progressive juice”, other states can pick up the mess and provide a business-friendly environment for them conduct their business. It is called competition.
Now if we can just repeal the 17th Amendment and allow the State houses to elect Senators that will fight FOR the state and against the Federal government overstepping, we can head in the right direction. Our Founding Fathers pretty much got it right the first time… Now, Senators owe their allegiance to the Party without regard to how their laws affect their State.
I can’t imagine what it must be like to run a business in NY. It’s hard enough to just be a worker there.
Depends on the business. I couldn’t run mine anywhere but NY or LA given the industries and customer base I serve. Given the choice, I’ll take NY a dozen times over and twice on Sunday.
The majority of the lunacy is centered around NYFC, as you’d expect. The rest of the state is actually quite nice and hospitable in most respects. The taxes and regulation suck, yes, but I’d rather stick around and fight it out than cave in to the idiocy that swallowed California.
iTs funny because all the local firearms dealers around here told me that they’re doing better lately, and one let me on that he sells, more “evil black” rifles then anything else and his store is more set up for hunting types
Don’t bother coming to Illinois (Repulik Of Cheecago).
Sincerely, If nyc would just disappear we’d be much better off
Very interesting topic. As virulently negative as the East Coast states view firearms having so many evil firearms manufacturers in their states is akin to condoning facilities manufacturing illicit drugs within their borders. Guns and drugs hold equal evilness to Eastern politicians yet interestingly the jobs and revenue of the firearms industry seems to trump rhetoric. If they had a spine and actually stuck to what they say they purport to believe there’s no way they’d allow “evil” guns to be manufactured in their state. They’re even holding toy gun buybacks so 6 year olds can shitcan their evil toy guns for something nowhere near as fun yet concurrently they allow the real thing to be manufactured in their state. Politicians will hold an ideal to the grave unless it is interrupted by monetary gain.
I’m a born and raised Arizonan and was so happy to see Ruger build here. The icing on the cake would be for them to give Connecticut its due by moving the rest of its operation to Arizona. If ever a state has proved its dedication to the 2nd Amendment its Arizona. I’d LOVE to see every anti gun state lose the business of the firearms industry to a state that would not only welcome their business but their products as well. Its interesting the amount of folks that still hate Ruger for Bill’s long gone policies but seem fine supporting companies whose paid taxes fund the likes of Michael Bloomberg.
I personally think its time for gun and ammo manufacturers in America to suspend all sales and service to government agencies in states like New York. New Jersey and Massachusetts. No ammo, high cap mags, repairs, upgrades or warranty service. Such a stop of sales would not hurt the bottom line of gun companies, but it would back anti gun politicians against the wall given enough time. If the gun industry really wants to truly support and preserve Second Amendment rights, they need to cut off these anti gun state governments.
Though unlikely, I’d love to see that happen. Give the government only the same rights it allows for its citizens.
Before I purchase any firearms or related products, I look to see which state they are made in. I do not purchase anything from the above mentioned states. If you all would start doing it this way, they would move and the voters would start learning.
How could you possibly locate a business in a state that sternly would forbid your employees from buying and possessing the very product they make, when they can do so in quite a few other states?
New York is not called the Empire State for nothing. And that empire is the State itself.
In NY gun stores, you need a permit to even touch a pistol. Do all Kimber employees have pistol permits?
I also don’t understand why any gunmaker in their right mind would stay in a state like NY.
I think Henry’s are made in NY.
Henry Repeating Arms is in Bayonne, NJ.
New York, I won’t buy anything that says it comes from the state of new york! No loss!