America’s oldest family owned and operated gun manufacturing company O.F. Mossberg & Sons, has its eye on Texas. The company was founded in Connecticut in 1919; however, after Gov. Dannel Malloy (D) passed one of the strictest gun-control legislations in the nation last April, Mossberg & Sons is looking to expand in a more gun-friendly state.
CEO Iver Mossberg told Forbes:
“Investing in Texas was an easy decision. It’s a state that is not only committed to economic growth but also honors and respects the Second Amendment and the firearm freedoms it guarantees for our customers.”
The gun company will still be headquartered in New Haven, however, all expansion will take place in Texas. Senior vice president of sales and marketing Tom Taylor explained:
“We’re moving all wood gun stock production to our Texas facility. More of our product lines—like our modern sporting rifles—might move to Texas in the future. Texas has been very good to us. Also, our gun sales have been so dynamic over the last number of years. We’ve outgrown our facilities. This major expansion will help us keep up with demand.”
Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) has encouraged and even recruited businesses to come to his state, where taxes are low and economic growth is rampant. Recently the car manufacturing company Toyota and the firearm accessories company Magpul Industries, decided to relocate to Texas from the states of California and Colorado. The Tax Foundation ranked Texas at eleven in the 2014 State Business Climate Index. Connecticut placed at almost the very bottom of the list at 42.