We’ve all heard the phrase “Get woke, go broke!”
Well, it doesn’t apply just to businesses.
In fact, the more anti-gun a state is, the less likely they are to keep their gun manufacturing companies.
Get woke, lose manufacturing jobs, lose tax revenue, and watch factories close.
That’s the news coming from Stag Arms this week after they announced their move from New Britain, CT to the more gun-friendly state of Wyoming.
They plan to have moved their entire operation to Cheyenne, WY by the end of the year.
White Wolf Capital, which owns a controlling interest in Stag Arms had announced early this spring that they were looking for a new home.
This announcement will no doubt be well received in Wyoming.
You can read Stag Arm’s press release below:
November 18th, 2019
Stag Arms LLC (“Stag” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce the appointment of a new President as well as its new location.
Stag’s Board of Directors today announced that Chad Larsen has been appointed Stag’s President effective immediately. The Company also announced that it will be relocating to Cheyenne, WY, by the end of the year. In June, the Company disclosed its decision to move from Stag’s former headquarters in New Britain, CT, and accordingly initiated a national search for a new location.
In making today’s announcement, Elie Azar, Founder and CEO of White Wolf Capital, LLC, which owns a controlling interest in Stag Arms, said: “We decided it was time to do a complete refresh of the Company. We needed to solve for three things: visionary customer-centric leadership, a business-friendly, pro-growth economic environment, and a cultural climate that reflects Stag’s brand image of independence and free spiritedness. I am pleased to report that we have found a solution that hits all these points.”
To find a new location for the Company, Stag’s Board of Directors conducted a rigorous process comparing dozens of potential sites against a stringent set of criteria. “Cheyenne came out on top on most of the individual criteria,” said Azar, “and considering our requirements as a whole, it was by far the superior site. Not only is Wyoming an incredibly hospitable place to do business, it is also a top destination for outdoor recreation, including hunting and shooting sports, which reflects its citizens’ unwavering support for the Second Amendment.”
Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon, upon learning of Stag’s decision to relocate to his state, issued the following statement:
“I am pleased to welcome Stag Arms to Wyoming and to know that our state came out on top of a broad look at potential new homes for the sought-after company. We have a deep-seated commitment to the Second Amendment that I will continue to uphold. Ultimately, Stag Arms had to make a business decision and I believe this announcement is an affirmation that Wyoming is continuing to cultivate a culture that allows private enterprise to flourish. My administration will work collaboratively with the Wyoming Business Council and Cheyenne LEADS to ensure Stag’s move goes smoothly. I thank Stag’s Board of Directors and Chad Larsen for selecting Wyoming.”
Stag began working with Cheyenne LEADS, the economic development organization for Cheyenne and Laramie County, in June of this year after they reached out offering their assistance. LEADS assisted with site location, workforce evaluation and navigating the community.
Stag’s decision to relocate to Wyoming follows similar recent moves by other firearms companies, most notably Weatherby and Magpul. In addition to being firearm-friendly and outdoor-oriented, Wyoming has been very proactive in its efforts to attract high-skilled/high-paying manufacturing jobs to the state. Communities like Cheyenne have invested significantly in recent years in skilled-training capabilities.
Chad Larsen comes to Stag from Aero Precision, LLC, a leading manufacturer of AR-15 components located in Tacoma, WA, where he spent the last six years leading new product development. Azar noted, “Chad’s innovative genius with the Modern Sporting Rifle platform stems from his personal immersion in the shooting and hunting community. He knows what customers want—and what they don’t—because he is one of them.” Mr. Larsen is both an avid hunter and a registered 3-Gun, Multi-gun and USPSA competitor.
Mr. Larsen added, “I am both honored and humbled to have been selected to lead the charge to revitalize this iconic brand. The Stag team and I are totally committed to continuing Stag’s legacy of innovation—for example, we were the first AR platform to manufacture left-handed rifles—as well as continue our pledge of being 100% made in the United States.” Mr. Larsen succeeds Anthony Ash who was president of Stag since 2016.
Stag has begun the process of relocating all of its operations to Cheyenne and plans to be fully settled in its new accommodations in the upcoming months.
For questions or comments on this announcement, please email [email protected].”
Wyoming Gun Owners Fighting Effort Pays Off
Gun owners might remember that in 2010, the Firearms Freedom Act passed in Wyoming.
This law stated that no Wyoming employee could enforce a federal law related to the National Firearms Act if the firearm, ammunition, or accessory in question was manufactured in the state of Wyoming.
Basically, the feds were claiming jurisdiction because of the Inter-state Commerce Clause.
Wyoming cleverly circumvented that by pointing out that guns, ammo, and accessories made in Wyoming and used in Wyoming don’t involve inter-state commerce, and thus the federal government has no jurisdiction there.
The Firearms Freedom Act essentially made the entire state of Wyoming into a Second Amendment Sanctuary state. Wyoming also passed Constitutional Carry in 2011.