Posted on 01/29/2022 10:42:07 AM PST by Texas Fossil
While lots of calibers of ammunition are slowly returning to many store shelves, primers haven’t really reappeared in any meaningful numbers since The Time Before. The two major players in the market, Olin (Winchester) and Vista Outdoor (Remington, CCI and Federal) have maxxed out their production with most of the output going to loaded ammunition.
This seems like a very good time to add a third producer and more capacity. Good news: investors are doing just that, starting up a new company in the great state of Texas dedicated to making primers by the truckload.
This new company doesn’t appear to be vaporware. It’s very real and they have money behind them. Expansion Industries, with a hundred million in capital, has secured a location and is advertising for staff to run the production lines it has planned to open later this year. In fact, they’re holding a job fair to staff the facility at the end of this month.
Expansion purchased the old Lone Star Army Ammunition Plant located 12 miles west of Texarkana, Texas that made all sorts of things that go boom for the military from World War II through the Vietnam War.
snip
The Texarkana Gazette wrote about the new employer . . .
Expansion Industries, an ammunition manufacturing company whose corporate offices are based out of Carrollton, Texas, is preparing to open a manufacturing facility here.
They have begun preparation work on the East Campus of TexAmericas Center, purchasing the main G Line of the former Lone Star Army Ammunition plant, and have begun preparing the site for operations.
Recently, they also have begun a recruiting drive, advertising an on-site job fair they have coming up Jan. 29. They plan on employing more than 400 by 2023 and have plans beyond that.
The facility will specialize in the production of primers, a key component in ammunition manufacturing, for the small arms industry.
“We have invested $100 million into the site so far,” said Richard A. Smissen, owner, Expansion Industries. “This is all about supply and demand. There is serious demand in the industry for this product and right now, for various reasons, the supply chain is falling woefully short. So we are getting ready to do our part to help out with that issue.”
Smissen describes the new facility as state-of-the-art, featuring a high level of automation. He said the site at the former Lone Star Army Ammunition plant is uniquely situated for what they will be doing.
There you have it. Four hundred jobs expected by next year when they ramp up to full-scale production. Can we get a hallelujah?
Bingo. I actually bought some small primer .45 ACP brass, simply because I've got more small primers left than large...
A stockpile of 15k primers?
I shoot that amount annually between LR,SR and SP. I try to keep 3yrs worth on hand. then there’s the “ rainy day” emergency supply.
No hoarding, just turning inventory regularly.
“business would really start booming”
Literally. smile.
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