Alabama seems to be joining Texas and North Carolina as one of the "good guy" states if you're a gun company. Remington will be joining the Alabama industrial list soon, and it looks as if Steyr Mannlicher, the United States' subsidiary of the stalwart of European gun makers isn't looking to leave Alabama anytime soon.
On Friday, Steyr officials, local business and political leaders along with distributors and dealers who carry Steyr joined a dozen or so shooting media members to celebrate the official opening of the company's new expansion. The new facility has moved around Birmingham's I-459 to the western side of Birmingham to the city of Bessemer, bringing that city new jobs and a new resident that promises to continue to invest in its growth in the United States and the corresponding manufacturing capacity expansion essential to support that growth from the Bessemer headquarters.
Their new 33,000 square foot facility includes the corporate HQ and 25,000 square feet of warehouse and manufacturing space to more effectively support the Steyr, Merkel and Anschutz brands which it imports. But it also contains a 3,000 square foot showroom which was turned into a reception area from which the company gave a look back at its history and a slight glimpse into their future plans.
Steyr has been around for 150 years - "old" for an American company- but Steyr owner Dr. Ernst Reichmeyer reminded those in attendance that it's not really that old by European standards. "After all," Reichmeyer told the crowd, "the little town in which we have operated since our beginnings has a favorite restaurant of mine. It has been in operation more than 400 years- by the same family."
But officials reminded attendees the purpose of the evening was to remember the past- and look forward to the future.
"We have a lot of great products that we will introduce in 2014 to celebrate our 150th anniversary," said Steyr Arms CEO Scott O'Brien, "and those new products will take a lot of people by surprise. We've fast-tracked several lines and we plan to bring some amazingly useful products to America in 2014."
But Friday's event was also about looking back at the company's history. And as a birthday, it seemed only appropriate that there was something marking the occasion.
"This facility," said Steyr owner Dr. Ernst Reichmeyer, "is a one hundred fiftieth anniversary present to...ourselves."
The company also wanted to take some positive steps to make certain they were a good neighbor. To that end, the company announced they were increasing law enforcement discounts for sworn officers in Jefferson County, and then presenting a STEYR pistol to Police Chief Nathaniel Rutledge and the very- first Steyr AUG rifle stamped "Bessemer, AL" to city mayor Kenneth E. Gulley.
While Gulley appreciated the economic contributions, his discomfort with the AUG was obvious-to the amusement of many in the crowd. "As you can see," Gulley said after being encouraged to point the muzzle of the AUG at the ceiling and not the people in attendance, "I'm not really a gun enthusiast." To which a voice from the back of the room responded, "well, you WILL be."
With new facilities -including room for expansion to handle those "surprising new products" a range and new product apparently in the pipeline, it seems Steyr, Merkel and Anschutz will be showing "new" in 2014, possibly as soon as this month's NRA Show.
Should that happen, we'll keep you posted.
--Jim Shepherd
