Shot to the heart for Colorado jobs: Column

Jim Hoft | USATODAY

After weeks of bizarre testimony and protests, where lawmakers and college officials encouraged women to defend themselves with ballpoint pens and vomit, Colorado Democrats pushed through their new gun control laws last week Democratic Governor John Hickenlooper signed three new gun bills into law. But, before the gun control bills were ever passed the state was looking at its first casualty. Magpul Industries, a top of the line manufacturer of gun magazines and parts, notified the media that they would relocate if the new bills were ever passed into law. They weren't kidding.

Magpul Industries Corporation is a designer and manufacturer of firearms parts and accessories. The company is based in Erie, Colorado outside of Boulder. The Magpul polymer magazine line is extremely popular among sportsmen and all branches of our armed services, including some of the highest levels of our Special Operations community.

In February, Magpul announced the Democratic legislation that banned high capacity magazines would force them to leave the state taking along several hundred jobs with them. Magpul warned they would leave the state "almost immediately" if the legislation passed. Duane Liptak, Director of Product Management and Marketing, said the company has received official invitations from elected officials and/or the economic development departments in over two dozen states since they announced their plans to leave Colorado. Liptak says, "We've talked to some states, visited some, and we've got a lot more to get to. Some of the initial round of states that we're looking at are Wyoming, Nebraska, Texas, Utah, Montana, Idaho and Arizona but there are others in consideration." Several more conservative states are hoping to lure the manufacturer to more friendly pastures.

Moving physical equipment and setting up products to run in new locations is an expensive venture. Lost opportunities due to disruption of production for the move could also be significant. Liptak says the company was getting ready to sign a lease on a new 125,000 square foot building for the headquarters in Colorado before Democrats introduced their legislation. So, the company held off on those plans. Magpul will now move forward with a new facility, just not in Colorado.

The move is already underway. Magpul chief operating officer Doug Smith told The Denver Post last week that the company will manufacture their first magazine outside the state of Colorado within thirty days. The company is moving some physical assets this month, but there are arrangements that need to be nailed down before Magpul can start moving major pieces of the operation.

And, it's not just Magpul. Several parts dealers are also following Magpul's lead. The company has received commitments from some of their largest suppliers that they will be leaving Colorado, as well. And, Magpul's suppliers are even working with the company to help select new manufacturing locations.

Magpul has been swamped with orders since the reelection of Barack Obama and then the reaction to the Newtown massacre. The company has been producing at an extremely high volume every month and high production volumes are expected fairly far into the future. The company also says it is hard to measure how much all of the recent social media attention since they announced their move will translate into new customers. They are hoping for the best.

It's still not clear if the new gun control laws in Colorado will save any lives. That's still up for debate. What is clear is that the state will lose jobs because of their shotgun gun control legislation. Magpul Industries is taking hundreds of good paying jobs with them.

Jim Hoft blogs at Gateway Pundit where a longer version of this piece appeared.

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