What comes to mind when you think “South Dakota?” Mount Rushmore?
South Dakota officials want you to think “firearms industry.”
While the vast majority of exhibitors at the SHOT Show are here to sell products, South Dakota is here to convince manufacturers they should be making those products in its state.
Representatives from 13 South Dakota communities are manning a booth at the show this week. The South Dakota Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) has attended the SHOT Show for the past 11 years, and the state says it continues to see success as a result.
“Last year during the show, South Dakota connected with more than 50 companies. Within four months, two of those companies expanded their operations to South Dakota,” said GOED Commissioner J. Pat Costello. “That movement created jobs and brought new wealth to South Dakota. We’re hopeful our efforts at this year’s SHOT Show will continue to bring new opportunity to South Dakota communities.”
Bar-Sto, a Sturgis, S.D.-based auto pistol barrel manufacturer and recent South Dakota recruit, is joining the South Dakota delegation to encourage businesses to move to South Dakota.
“I moved my business from California to South Dakota two years ago. The difference is night and day. Here, government leaders work with your company to help it be successful. In California, it seemed government leaders did everything they could to hinder business,” said Irv Stone, Bar-Sto Owner.
The Governor’s Office of Economic Development has targeted the firearm industry for the last several years. In 1999, South Dakota was the first state to pass legislation to protect firearms companies from lawsuits. South Dakota’s pro-firearm regulations paired with the state’s business-friendly environment have helped the firearms and ammunition industry continue to blossom in South Dakota.
The state is currently home to more than 50 firearm and ammunition companies. Those companies employ more than 600 people in nearly 20 communities.