Death of the New England Firearms Manufacturing Tradition

[Squire]

Gunmakers aim for greener pastures as states pass new firearms laws | Fox News

Sad to see the rich tradition of Firearms manufacturing in NY and CT deteriorating, given the Revolutionary history. Of course, MA has a lot to loose if it gets any stricter.

Love the quote from Rick Perry though (not ambiguous at all):

"There is still a place for freedom that is very much alive and well," Perry said. "That place is called Texas."

 

[BigMike]

I wish there was a way for them to all move to NH and somehow make NH a bastion of freedom in the NE.....

 

[Ipe]

I wish there was a way for them to all move to NH and somehow make NH a bastion of freedom in the NE.....

They see the writing on the wall. NH is being infected with the Mass Liberal Virus. Its only a matter of time before MLV kills its host and then tries to infect other states like ME and VT. Its an ugly' insidious thing, MLV. Hopefully NH will resist and remain healthy, but it doesn't look good.

 

[Rotaryrocket]

They see the writing on the wall. NH is being infected with the Mass Liberal Virus. Its only a matter of time before MLV kills its host and then tries to infect other states like ME and VT. Its an ugly' insidious thing, MLV. Hopefully NH will resist and remain healthy, but it doesn't look good.

MLV

 

[snd1t]

All funny if you ignore the reality of whats gone on in NH and Maine in the last couple years with Ruger, Windham, Sig and a bunch of other manufacturers

We could really use a major ammo manufacturer here in NH though.......

 

[shapiroeric]

This has been an ongoing story for months....and it's always the same....they say their going to move but don't say where and don't say when....I wanna see someone actually pack up and move before starting to reap praise...

 

[snd1t]

This has been an ongoing story for months....and it's always the same....they say their going to move but don't say where and don't say when....I wanna see someone actually pack up and move before starting to reap praise...

Its very expensive to move brick and mortar manufacturing facilities.

You dont do it over night and probably don't do it even in a year.

Think about all the issues that have to be considered?

Do you move your employees?

What state is going to be friendly to us long term so we don't have to do it again?

What about incentives? Who's going to give us the best deal to move to their town/city?

Having been through moving a company as an employee I can tell you that its a nightmare and Ct et al are all hoping that the juice won't be worth the squeeze

 

[Lcstyle]

All funny if you ignore the reality of whats gone on in NH and Maine in the last couple years with Ruger, Windham, Sig and a bunch of other manufacturers

We could really use a major ammo manufacturer here in NH though.......

This is a perfect time to strike. State Politicians should be cooking up and pushing through financial incentive packages that give tax breaks and other benefits to manufacturers to lure them to come to NH over other states.
Why isn't this happening? More jobs, everyone wants that!

 

[Spanz]

I wish there was a way for them to all move to NH and somehow make NH a bastion of freedom in the NE.....

NH seems like it is going down the same path as MA. Lots of questionable laws being passed. Not sure why a company would pull up roots and move to a new state unless that state unequivocally supported gun rights!

 

[Spanz]

Its very expensive to move brick and mortar manufacturing facilities.

You dont do it over night and probably don't do it even in a year.

Think about all the issues that have to be considered?

Do you move your employees?

What state is going to be friendly to us long term so we don't have to do it again?

What about incentives? Who's going to give us the best deal to move to their town/city?

Having been through moving a company as an employee I can tell you that its a nightmare and Ct et al are all hoping that the juice won't be worth the squeeze

It is not all that hard. At the same time of moving, a factory will often upgrade its equipment and manufacturing systems too, so that new equipment can be installed while you run a skeleton crew at the old facility. If there is an advantage to moving, like a friendlier labor force, lower taxes, lower cost of living, etc, it is often a wash.

 

[n1bsbri]

This has been an ongoing story for months....and it's always the same....they say their going to move but don't say where and don't say when....I wanna see someone actually pack up and move before starting to reap praise...

Out in Colorado, Magpul really is moving:
Magpul says move out of Colorado "underway," and others will follow - The Denver Post

 

[dcmdon]

They see the writing on the wall. NH is being infected with the Mass Liberal Virus. Its only a matter of time before MLV kills its host and then tries to infect other states like ME and VT. Its an ugly' insidious thing, MLV. Hopefully NH will resist and remain healthy, but it doesn't look good.

The funny thing is that VT is already liberal. Its a strange kind of libertarian liberalism, but its liberalism. Thankfully all the NY folks who own property up there don't get to vote in elections.

Re the MLV and NH - something similar is occurring in TX. The Hispanic population is exploding in TX and the Dems will try to capitalize on that. Stupid Republicans may shoot themselves in the foot over this, since they do have a very good hook. Many Hispanics are deeply catholic and are very conservative on many social issues. Its a difficult balancing act for the Rs. One I think they will lose.

Here is a quote from this Gawker page: http://gawker.com/5979051/for-their-next-trick-democrats-will-turn-texas-into-a-blue-state

The Hispanic population in Texas is underrepresented politically. Spending money and time getting them more involved would have enormous consequences on the GOP's stranglehold. According to the 2010 Census, about 38 percent of Texans identify themselves as Hispanic or Latino, while only 45 percent of the state is white non-Hispanic. However, using exit polls from 2008, only 20 percent of voters are Latino. This unrepresented 18 percent of the population is about 4,526,200 people. Granted, many of those 4 millon are likely ineligible to vote, but even a third of those people are enough to overpower the 1,261,719 votes Mitt Romney won Texas by in 2012.

What's more, the Hispanic population in Texas (just like the rest of the country) is growing much faster than the white population—up nearly 42 percent from 2000 to 2010.


So folks, its just a matter of time. If you want lasting liberty, you have to go to Montana and the Dakotas.

Don

 

[DemonChronicles]

It is not all that hard. At the same time of moving, a factory will often upgrade its equipment and manufacturing systems too, so that new equipment can be installed while you run a skeleton crew at the old facility. If there is an advantage to moving, like a friendlier labor force, lower taxes, lower cost of living, etc, it is often a wash.

It is not all that hard.

You've actually never been involved with uprooting and moving a company to a different state, have you?

It IS difficult and it is time consuming.

 

[rep308]

It's more of an execution that a natural death

 

[Dangger]

Magpul's latest post on FB concerning move. The previous article was dated in March.

[h=5]Magpul Industries Corp.[/h]April 19

We had some communications regarding our pending move and the process of choosing our new locations to put out this week, but the events in Boston make this a poor time for that, and we will hold off those announcements until later. Our support is with the residents and first responders who are dealing with the tragedy of loss and the fractured lives created by the acts perpetrated by these evil individuals. Stay alert out there...there are many in this world who wish harm on our society. Meet them with strength so as to discourage their ilk from attempting to prey on others.

 

[Boris]

I see it somewhat differently. Living behind the iron curtain makes people angry and anger motivates action. Most native free-state born are too complacent and take their rights for granted. I think that it may be the downfall of CO and TX , VT, ME and in some parts NH are next. MLV sneaks in slowly. NH has been the safe heaven to run to for most of us and in this respect it may be harder for libtards to take it down.

 

[soloman02]

I see it somewhat differently. Living behind the iron curtain makes people angry and anger motivates action. Most native free-state born are too complacent and take their rights for granted. I think that it may be the downfall of CO and TX , VT, ME and in some parts NH are next. MLV sneaks in slowly. NH has been the safe heaven to run to for most of us and in this respect it may be harder for libtards to take it down.

I wouldn't call what NH has MLV. More like NHLV. The Ma**h***s moving here are actually the liberty minded types (AKA the ones we want and need to keep NH the way it is). NH's liberal virus is homegrown. As an NH native, I GREW UP AROUND THOSE WITH NHLV. A good chunk of my HS graduating class had NHLV.

 

[caboose84]

Biggest issue for manufacturing growth in the northeast is electricity costs- not just NH but the entire region. If you're gonna move, may as well go where the costs are much cheaper.

In a way it's an unintended consequence of all the rural electrification projects of the 30's to the 60's- ie TVA, Bonneville Power, Bureau of Reclamation... tax dollars from the rust belt used to build infrastructure in the South and West, which now makes them more attractive places to do business...

 

[soloman02]

Biggest issue for manufacturing growth in the northeast is electricity costs- not just NH but the entire region. If you're gonna move, may as well go where the costs are much cheaper.

In a way it's an unintended consequence of all the rural electrification projects of the 30's to the 60's- ie TVA, Bonneville Power, Bureau of Reclamation... tax dollars from the rust belt used to build infrastructure in the South and West, which now makes them more attractive places to do business...

Not to mention you gotta spend a crap ton heating that facility in the winter. Don't gotta do that down south...

 

[caboose84]

Not to mention you gotta spend a crap ton heating that facility in the winter. Don't gotta do that down south...

Cooling costs in the summer make up for that to some extent...

 

[JayMcB]

but you do have to cool it....

 

[soloman02]

Cooling costs in the summer make up for that to some extent...

Tell that to Hitachi Cable America here in Manchester. There is no AC on the manufacturing floor, only heat for the winter.

The only real cooling costs are fans and AC for offices.

 

[Gman021]

Looks like out of state magazine manufacturing has already started.

Magpul Industries, the Erie-based ammunition magazine maker that pledged to leave Colorado after gun control legislation was signed into law in March, is for the first time manufacturing its weapons accessories out of state.

The company revealed the news in a Facebook reply late Monday night to a customer who expressed frustration with the lack of information about where Magpul planned to move its operations.

“You have lots of people interested in this, might as well satisfy the masses and come out with it already,” Daniel Wooldridge wrote.

This morning, the company provided a little more detail about what it was doing in a second reply to Wooldridge's query. It specifically referenced the manufacture of its PMAG ammunition magazines, which, according to its website, can hold 10 to 30 rounds.

“We have started making PMAGs outside CO for the first time ever,” the posting reads. “The sights are made outside CO. We are actively moving forward with moving other items out.”

Erie-based Magpul begins making ammunition magazines outside Colorado - Boulder Daily Camera

 

[caboose84]

Tell that to Hitachi Cable America here in Manchester. There is no AC on the manufacturing floor, only heat for the winter.

The only real cooling costs are fans and AC for offices.

I meant cooling costs down South and in the desert

My BIL lives in Palm Springs- he loves to bust our chops in January- we get him back come August...

 

[injected454]

NH has a great asset at the Pease Trade Port for a new business. Location, Location, Location! Deep water port in Portsmouth, Interstate 95 at the back door, it's own airport and runway, plenty of land to build a new facility. In doing that they are able to build with new technologies to work towards energy savings. No income tax, No sales tax, the 4th gun friendliest state in the country after SD, ND also in the top four listed as having the most freedom to live in another national study I saw yesterday on the news. NH has several major firearms companies already and Magpul would be very welcom. We have Sig Sauer manufacturing in Exeter, Sig Sauer Academy in Epping, Ruger in Newport, Tompson Center in Rochester, Samson in Keene, Umlaut Industries in Concord, if I forgot someone I am sorry. Then Windham Weaponry in Windham ME and Smith & Wesson in Springfield MA. as well as more major gun manufacturing companies in NY it would seem Magpul would fit in just nicely here in New Hampshire at the Pease Trade Port!

I did write Magpul a few months ago pointing out these very same things. However I think I should have sent it to the President of Magpul instead of the office. I did not hear back from them at all, so I imagine an office person just filed it. Either way I am glad they are leaving CO. I think these state elected officials need to start realizing that they can not just do what ever they feel like and we just take it. Look at the wealthy people and Companies leaving CA. like rats leaving a sinking ship. They are sick of having there hard earned money taken from them and used as others see fit. NYC is starting to see the same thing. They are going to TX and other more free states.

 

[soloman02]

If a company, based in the New England or an area where they get snow, is forced to move due to these retard politicians, they are not gonna move to NH. Why? Because states like TX have a better business environment for the sole reason that operating costs are lower. The electric rates down south are super low compared to the northeast. So even though NH is gun friendly, we are not business friendly. And if you are forced to move anyway, why not move to a place with cheaper operating costs? Southern companies do not pay for heat (hardly) since it never gets cold enough to freeze the plumbing. While they may run AC in the summer, electric rates are significantly less. NH has the fifth highest electric rates (Link) in the country. Combine that with having to pay more for heat (NH is on average colder than CT), and NH doesn't look so good from a pure business standpoint.

Moving to NH, CT gunmakers will save about $0.02/Kwh. Moving to TX? They will save $0.07/Kwh.

No gun company is going to move to NH. None. I will gladly eat these words but I just do not see how it is financially viable for a company to move here when there are places with far cheaper operating costs.

 

[dcmdon]

Soloman,

What you say makes sense, except for the intangible of ease of relocation. If you want to bring your best employees with you, it may be easier to convince them to move 150 miles away from friends and family up to Nashua than to get them to move 1500 miles.

I don't know. But putting myself in a business owner's shoes, it would be a delicate balancing act between many factors.

Don

 

[soloman02]

Soloman,

What you say makes sense, except for the intangible of ease of relocation. If you want to bring your best employees with you, it may be easier to convince them to move 150 miles away from friends and family up to Nashua than to get them to move 1500 miles.

I don't know. But putting myself in a business owner's shoes, it would be a delicate balancing act between many factors.

Don

I forgot about that aspect and I totally agree.

That does change things. I could see Ruger moving their headquarters to NH since they already have manufacturing here and moving a bunch of offices is easy compared to a machine shop. And NH isn't that far from CT so they could probably get most of their current corporate employees to move.

As to Stag and the others, well they have to move manufacturing and I don't envy the CEOs having to choose a short relocation to NH but with similar operating costs (lets assume any move is "free" due to incentives), or a farther relocation with significantly reduced operating costs.

 

[soloman02]

I could see a rational of offering relocation packages to the best employees knowing that since your operating costs will be lower down south, you will still make the same margins as you would here in CT. Basically, the lower operating costs offset the relocation packages for the first year or two before your margins automatically increase due to that one time expense (employee relocation package) being amortized.

 

[injected454]

Soloman,
I agree with what you say but I was also talking about Ruger as well as other's but you and Don have already worked that out. I also do not envy the decision that some of these CEO's need to make. As you have reminded me we in NH are burdened with these ridiculous elec. rates! Good points made by all I feel. Also, I just noticed we are neighbors in a sense. I live in Strafford.