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On June 21, Kimber Manufacturing held its long awaited ribbon cutting for its manufacturing facility and corporate headquarters in Troy.

Back in 2016, Kimber Manufacturing announced that it was moving its manufacturing plant out of the State of New York and looking for a new home. In 2018, the City of Troy and State of Alabama managed to convince Kimber Manufacturing to move the facility to Troy, but ultimately the firearms manufacturer decided to also move its corporate headquarters, as well.

“We would not be here without (Gov. Kay Ivey’s) help,” Troy Mayor Jason Reeves said. “She, the Department of Commerce, our legislative delegation at the time, Alan Booth and Jimmy Holley, and so, so many more that worked so hard from the state level and the Troy City Council and Pike County Commission to make this happen.

“This was truly a work of collaboration amongst our state government. It wouldn’t have mattered what we did if (Kimber owner) Mr. Leslie Edelman had not been able to see what we were doing. We are grateful for everyone that has a good job here. That’s what it’s all about. For people to move forward they have to have economic stability and that is what we worked hard to do and that’s what’s happened.”

Edelman pointed to the leadership of Reeves and Ivey as key reasons for Kimber relocating to Troy.

“A few years ago our team went on an exhaustive search to find the new home for Kimber Manufacturing and like our firearms, the search was designed to find the best possible solution for the team at Kimber and our valued customers,” Edelman said. “Ultimately, the magnificent State of Alabama, Gov. Ivey and Mayor Reeves brought us to the City of Troy.

“Over time we have added more and more machines and have worked with local companies to become an integral part of the community.”

Kimber Manufacturing pledged an investment of $38 million when moving to Troy, and the City of Troy and Alabama also

offered $24 million in incentives to bring Kimber here. The bulk of that incentive, $16.325 million, came in the form of a bond issued by the city for the construction of Kimber’s facilities. The amount of the bond that would be paid back is contingent on the level of job growth in Troy brought on by Kimber.

According to Edelman, Kimber has surpassed job expectations with now more than 400 jobs brought to Pike County from the gun manufacturer.

“Since coming to Troy, we have met many goals far sooner than expected,” Edelman said. “One such example is our employee headcount, which has exceeded (the expectations) by 29 percent.

“Kimber now has 475 people here in this building. This is just one example of Kimber surpassing expectations and a testament to our commitment to bolster not only Kimber as a company but strengthen the positive economic influence Kimber has on Troy.”

Ivey also spoke at the ribbon cutting to discuss Kimber’s move to Troy and raved about the company’s product.

“Folks, it is a pleasure to be here in Troy this morning to extend an ‘Alabama Welcome’ to Kimber and Mr. Edelman,” Ivey said. “If you know anything about firearms you know that the good folks at Kimber make a fine handgun.

“There is a reason the U.S. Olympic Shooting Team, the Marines assigned to special operations command and law enforcement across the country choose Kimber.

“The quality of these firearms is unmatched and I can’t say I was surprised to hear that Kimber has become the world’s largest producer of the 1911 pistol. What I love most about this company is there commitment to the American worker. Every single component of every firearm that they offer is manufactured inside a Kimber facility, by skilled American workers. Kimber is exactly the kind of company we try to attract here in Alabama. They offer a world-class product, they take care of their employees and they are here to do business, not politics.”

Ivey joked that it was only fitting that a firearms manufacturer be located in Alabama rather than its previous home.

“I’m so thrilled this great American company is now an Alabama company, too,” Ivey said. “Let’s be honest, a renowned firearms manufacturer does not belong in New York, it belongs here in Alabama.

“Today is just another example of how we have leveraged our state, local and private partnerships to create a nation leading business environment where companies like Kimber Manufacturing know they can succeed.”