Kimber Shifts from New York to Pro-Gun Alabama

Posted by Vizardsgunsandammo.com on 27th Oct 2020


Kimber this week announced the company's official headquarters has shifted to Troy, Alabama, where the gunmaker has been expanding in recent years. 


Founded originally in Oregon, Kimber called Yonkers, New York home for more than 20 years while quietly expanding operations to Montana and Alabama. Earlier this year, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a notorious anti-gun Democrat, issued sweeping stay-at-home COVID-19 mandates that did not recognize the firearm industry as essential with the effect of closing down Kimber’s Yonkers facility for a time, along with Remington’s Ilion, New York location. 


That may have been the final straw for Kimber, as the company announced Monday they are "hiring aggressively in all departments" to fill Troy's 225,000 square feet of space, which is "now home to industry-leading design engineering, product management, and manufacturing capabilities." 


Kimber says they are well ahead of schedule on hiring and interested in qualified applicants "across multiple positions and business areas including CNC technicians, machinists, quality control specialists, lean technicians, design engineers, compliance analysts, customer service representatives, materials planners, maintenance technicians, finishing operators, and assembly technicians."


“Kimber is a great place to work, especially if you love firearms,” said Pedi Gega, director of assembly and product finishing in a statement. “We have two indoor gun ranges, one outdoor range, a state-of-the-art design and prototype fabrication center, and a dynamic team of professionals who pride themselves in producing firearms with unmatched attention to detail, design and performance. Every Kimber firearm is created with a unique blend of advanced precision technology and authentic human craftsmanship.” (Photo: Kimber)
Alabama, which has a much more relaxed view of the Second Amendment and the firearms industry, is home to the Civilian Marksmanship Program in Anniston, Steyr Arms USA in Bessemer, and pre-bankruptcy Remington's mega factory in Huntsville.
Other companies broke with NY

Kimber is not the first gun company to shift operations away from the Empire State.
Long based in Babylon, New York, Check-Mate Industries produces a wide range of products including both surgical tools and well-received firearms magazines. In 2019 they began moving a lot of production to a new location in Thomasville, Georgia, creating 230 jobs in the Peachtree State. 


“Georgia’s new Governor, Brian Kemp, may want to send New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo a thank you note and a bushel basket of peaches,” said Larry Keane, NSSF’s senior vice president, and general counsel. Keane pointed out that another New York-based company, Kahr Arms, made a similar move in 2014, shifting the bulk of its operations to Pennsylvania.

Reference:

Guns.com