Firearms manufacturer Kimber Mfg Inc. announced they are moving their corporate headquarters to Troy, Ala., less than three years after choosing the Alabama city to host their firearms manufacturing plant.
Located off Industrial Boulevard in Troy on over 80 acres of land, the new facility is more than 225,000 square feet. The company’s headquarters boasts industry-leading design engineering, product management and manufacturing capabilities, according to a Kimber press release last week.
An extensive search led Kimber to Troy, chosen for a number of reasons including their proximity to engineering schools. The City of Troy and the State of Alabama are also both pro-gun and pro-business, two more factors that impacted Kimber’s decision.
Widely considered a leader in premium firearm manufacturing, Kimber was formerly based in Yonkers, New York. The U.S. Shooting Team, the Los Angeles Police Department’s SWAT and an elite U.S. Marines unit have all used Kimber’s 1911 handgun.
Kimber first announced the new manufacturing plant in January 2018. The facility will reportedly create 366 jobs and invest $38 million in the local economy over five years.
“The state can offer Kimber an ideal business environment and skilled workforce for its expansion project,” said Governor Kay Ivey, as Made In Alabama reported. “Kimber’s investment in Troy will create a significant number of high-paying design engineering and manufacturing jobs, and we are committed to helping the company find long-lasting success in Alabama.”
Kimber is looking for qualified applicants across a spectrum of positions, including CNC technicians, machinists, quality control specialists, lean technicians, design engineers, compliance analysts, customer service representatives, materials planners, maintenance technicians, finishing operators, and assembly technicians.
The expansion in Alabama is reportedly ahead of schedule. Hundreds of the company’s Troy-based positions have already been filled. While the new facility is being completed in Pike County, Kimber will continue hiring in all departments.
“Kimber is a great place to work, especially if you love firearms,” said Pedi Gega, Kimber’s director of assembly and product finishing. “We have two indoor gun ranges, one outdoor range, a state-of-the-art design and prototype fabrication center, and a dynamic team of professionals who pride themselves in producing firearms with unmatched attention to detail, design and performance. Every Kimber firearm is created with a unique blend of advance precision technology and authentic human craftsmanship.”
“Kimber is a first-class firearms manufacturer with a reputation for precision craftmanship, dependability and accuracy, which makes it just the kind of high-performance company we want operating in the state,” Secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce Greg Canfield said.
