With names like Daniel Defense, Glock, Heckler & Koch, Norma, Remington, and Taurus, the Peachtree State has become a home for gun and ammo makers.
The 24th largest state in terms of size but the eighth in terms of population, it is easy to see that Georgia is growing fast. Founded in 1732 and one of the original Thirteen Colonies, the state these days is one of the 25 states that recognize permitless concealed carry practices, with the Georgia Constitutional Carry Act recently signed by Gov. Brian Kemp.
We managed to catch up with Bert Brantley, the governor's deputy chief of staff, at SHOT Show.
"Georgia is a gun-friendly state, we're a manufacturing-friendly state. We've got people who love to hunt, love the outdoors," Brantley explained. "People who can make really great products."
It is something that the industry has long ago figured out, as staples such as Ameriglo sights in Roswell, Blue Force Gear in Pooler, Daniel Defense near Savannah, Masterpiece Arms in Comer, and Trulock Chokes in rural Whigham have always been located in the state.
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Besides these home-state favorites, Georgia has also been welcoming of industrial refugees, so to speak, in the form of businesses fleeing anti-gun states for the friendlier climes that produced the likes of James Brown, Hulk Hogan, and Burt Reynolds. In 2018, New York-based Check-Mate Industries shifted its magazine-making lines to an empty engine factory in the Thomasville area, creating 230 jobs. Similarly, RemArms announced a pivot last year from its historic plant in New York to Georgia, set to bring a planned 850 jobs.
And the state has repeatedly opened its doors to international companies expanding their footprint in the U.S. as well, hosting Glock in Smyrna since 1985 – the firm's first overseas facility. Famed precision-barrel maker Lothar-Walther set up its U.S. operations near Atlanta in 1995 and has been in the state ever since. Meanwhile, German firearms icon HK set up a plant in Columbus in 2017, and then Taurus moved its American operations from Florida to Bainbridge the following year.
Swedish ammo maker Norma Precision last November announced 600 new jobs were on the schedule for its expanding new plant in Garden City. Spanish-owned Bergara USA, a family that includes CVA, has had its headquarters in the state since 2016. South Korea's Dasan has been making 1911 and rifle parts in Duluth for almost a decade.
"Georgia has seen growth in the gun industry all across the state," said Brantley. "Whether it's in metro Atlanta with Glock, down on the coast with Daniel Defense, Taurus down in Bainbridge, this truly is a statewide industry."
It is no surprise that the National Shooting Sports Foundation has named Georgia one of the top 10 states in the nation for firearms manufacturing, and the state has more than 80 gun-related enterprises scattered throughout the state. The trade group estimated in 2020 that these companies and their suppliers generated a healthy $1.5 billion in economic impact and employed more than 7,000 people.
"We welcome anyone that is interested in this industry to come to look at Georgia, visit us, we've got a lot of places to visit, and you'll find a state that's gun-friendly and one that will continue to be going forward," said Brantley.
Banner image: A worker at Georgia-based Daniel Defense. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
