South Dakota tries to attract firearms business at Vegas trade show

Rapid City Journal ^ | 14 jan 2014 | Scott Feldman

[rellimpank]

It doesn't take long to see that South Dakota is gun country. Rifles rest on racks in pick-ups; hunters fire at everything from ducks to deer to mountain lions; and state lawmakers last year allowed school districts to arm teachers. It's a state that understands firearms and their place in civilization.

The state is a natural leader when it comes to making guns and ammunition. Toss in a low tax rate and an overall favorable economy, and state development officials are eager to expand South Dakota's firearm employment base.

"The industry fits South Dakota, and South Dakota fits the industry," said Joe Fiala, a business development representative for the Governor’s Office of Economic Development.

So, Fiala and representatives from a dozen cities across South Dakota —including Rapid City, Sturgis and Chamberlain — will head to Las Vegas for the Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade show on Tuesday to sell gun-makers and other related industries on the benefits of setting up shop in South Dakota.

[Red in Blue PA]

Sounds like a place I would love to call home.

[Resolute Conservative]

Only thing between you and the north pole is Canada and North Dakota :)

[Balding_Eagle]

The area of SD that’s trying to attract new gun businesses is in the far western part of the state. There, chinook winds temper the cold weather by moving warm Gulf air up through the states and even into Canada during the winter.

[chaosagent]

My wife and I are full-time RV’ers, and like many RV’ers, we’re SD residents, even though we’re from Texas.

I really like the way SD handles CCW permits. I walked into the Sheriff’s office and he handed my wife and I a one page form. We filled it out and left.

Came back the next day, and since everything came back OK, I gave the Sheriff a $20 bill ($10 each) and he handed us our temporary permits. A week later our permanent ones showed up in the mail.

Easy Peezy!