The SHOT Show season isn’t just about new guns and grand new designs, it’s also about company plans and their futures. This 2018 at SHOT Weatherby, Inc. announced that their time in California has come to an end. Weatherby is moving to Wyoming.
Weatherby is bringing 70 to 90 jobs with them. That may not seem like a lot to California but it should add over $5 million in payrolls to the Cowboy State in the next five years alone.
“We wanted a place where we could retain a great workforce, and where our employees could live an outdoor lifestyle,” said Adam Weatherby, chief executive officer. “We wanted to move to a state where we can grow into our brand. Wyoming means new opportunities. We are not interested in maintaining; we are growing.”
“So, to bring those two things together–an internationally-known manufacturer of outdoor equipment headquartered in Wyoming–it will pay dividends, not only to Sheridan and northeast Wyoming, but this is a project of which the entire state should be proud,” Reese said.
Wyoming’s governor Matt Mead personally helped convince Weatherby to relocate. Wyoming has a much stronger gun culture, friendlier tax structure, and technically skilled workforce.
“From the get go, when we met the governor, he said, ‘Here’s my number, shoot me a text any time,’” Weatherby said. “He responds to our needs quickly, and it shows a business like ours is important to Wyoming and that it’s a big deal here.”
“Wyoming is a great place to do business and is excited to welcome Weatherby to Sheridan,” Mead said. “For over 70 years, Weatherby has been an innovator in firearms design and manufacturing. I thank the Wyoming Business Council, the Sheridan Economic and Education Development Authority and all who helped bring Weatherby, Inc. to Wyoming.”
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Weatherby expects to invest about $2 million in infrastructure in the northern city of Sheridan. Sheridan is just south of the Montana border and home to Sheridan College. The college is expanding their machine and tool programs which will provide help Weatherby with a steady workforce.
Hunting for game and for sport is popular in the Rocky Mountain region. Gun ownership for its own sake even more so.
Weatherby isn’t the only company to relocate manufacturing to Wyoming in recent years. Hi-Vis and notably Magpul both moved to the state after Colorado recently enacted unpopular new gun control laws.
Similarly, some of the reason Weatherby decided to leave California is to give the company a different future.
“Our product is the main tool hunters use out in field. They may spend a lifetime trying to draw a tag or save for the hunt of their dreams, and we keep that foremost in our minds when we are building our guns,” Weatherby said. “This is an aspiration product; these are guns that are passed down from generation to generation.”