Posted on 07/30/2009 7:28:00 PM PDT by greatdefender
A Northwest Miami-Dade firearms company is gunning for $369,000 in incentives to keep a planned expansion in the county, even as other locales take aim at the importer and manufacturer's promised 258 jobs.
A nearly three-decade veteran of the county, Taurus USA employs 135 workers and says it will add 123 jobs in an expansion that has drawn incentive offers from beyond Florida's borders, according to CEO and President Bob Morrison, who cited Georgia's courtship in particular.
``The [Georgia] governor sent his plane down for us and then took us on a helicopter tour for three days,'' Morrison said. ``From free land to new buildings to tax abatements for 25 years, there were lots of opportunities to do better in that state than we could here.''
But Morrison added that if he can win incentives to expand in Miami-Dade, he would prefer to remain, as he doubts his primarily Cuban workforce would leave the area. ``Virtually none of them would move with us. About 92 percent of our workforce is of Cuban heritage, and to leave Miami and their families would be very difficult,'' he said. ``It would be gut-wrenching for those folks.''
To try to keep Taurus USA local, the Beacon Council, Miami-Dade's economic development agency, shepherded a $369,000 incentives package through the Miami-Dade County Commission last week under a tax refund program geared toward higher-wage job creation. The state has the final say on whether to approve the package, a decision Council President Frank Nero said will likely come in about a month.
The Qualified Target Industry program being used generally requires a minimum average new job salary of $41,516 -- or 115 percent of the state's average wage -- but that requirement was waived because of the economic climate and the would-be expansion's location near a designated Enterprise Zone. New Taurus USA employees will be paid an average of $32,000 a year.
Morrison said the county's attitude toward the gun industry has also been a factor in his willingness to consider relocating, pointing to a 1999 lawsuit against gun companies brought by then-Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas.
``We had to defend ourselves against the county we live in,'' Morrison said. ``We've prevailed in that lawsuit. And there hasn't been open hostility since, but there have been no love affairs going on. I can tell you that.''
The expansion plans come amid a heyday for firearms manufacturers, who have seen background checks for new weapons -- an indicator of actual sales -- shoot up 24.5 percent in the first half of 2009, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Morrison declined to give figures but said his company's sales have risen rapidly over the past five years -- jumping as much as 25 to 35 percent annually.
Andy Molchan, director of the Fort Lauderdale-based Professional Gun Retailers Association, said the trend echoes a pattern of rising gun sales whenever anxiety increases, as it tends to during recessions. But he added that since Barack Obama's election, concerns about the potential for new gun control measures have also spurred sales.
Taurus USA imports 90 percent of its pistols, revolvers and rifles from its parent company in Brazil and manufactures the rest in Miami. Morrison said the expansion will bring the proportion of firearms manufactured in-house to about a quarter of the company's stock.
Taurus guns are generally regarded as mid-market and are not widely used by police or the military, according to Molchan. ``They're kind of a Chevy, not a Cadillac,'' he said. ``But that's where they always wanted to be.''
Morrison said some commissioners expressed reservations about giving incentives to a gun company, but nearly all supported the package. Only one of the 12 commissioners voting cast a no ballot -- an outcome that Nero of the Beacon Council said was reached with full awareness of the county's high unemployment rate.
``People understand that we're talking about over 300 jobs at risk here with 11.5 percent unemployment,'' he said. ``Quite frankly, I think everyone understood the importance of getting this passed.''
Bann coconuts!
Police: Florida Man Armed With Coconut Tried to Rob Roommate
Thursday , July 30, 2009
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. —
Authorities say a Florida man trying to get money from his roommate hit him with a coconut, a porcelain bowl and a wooden carving.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office reports that 44-year-old Joseph Lovett of West Palm Beach was charged with robbery with a weapon and false imprisonment after Saturday’s attack.
Your comparison to the Kimber really caught my attention since I’m usually having to deal with a friend’s smug attitude about his Kimber, but with good natured joking of course.
Many years ago, I had a little Star PD .45 auto, great little pistol, never failed, ever, but it only ate ball ammo so I was limited. Lots of friends used them in the “bowling ball” shoots, remember those? Wish I’d never sold it. Some made fun until they saw it peform without a flaw, fast, accurate and dependable.
I intend on looking at the Taurus line more closely now and thanks for that info.
if any on this board have a Star PD ... note they are “terible” so do yourself a favor and send them all to me. <grinning like cheshire cat) Seriously I hav 2 Stars’s ... I picked up both of them for 100 bucks and have no idea how many rounds have been through them. I have put about 500 rounds through one and now have fractures along the left slide. I disabled the firing pin and use it as a paperweight. I’ve put a bunch of rounds through the other and have not found any problems with it.
Are you talking about the “bowling pins” shoots? They used to be quite popular, but seems the supply of old pins dried up. Wish I had a buck for every pin I shot at and hit ... and 2 bucks for every pin I shot at and missed. I could go buy another Sig or two.
Don’t get me wrong, I love my Kimber, but I will be first to tell you, you can buy comparable for a lot less money. A Bersa 1911 configured can be had for right at 400 bucks. It is also nice shooting and accurate out of the box as well ... but I don’t have enough data concerning longevity.
And with that ... even though my Colts have been “smithed” and accurized, they will be slinging lead long after I am gone, and they are 40 years young. They are the closest things I have ever seen to being indestructible.
It was the Hogue Monogrip that was specifically listed for the Taurus Tracker model.
It fits the weapon handle perfectly.
I still have the packaging that it came in. On the back side it states:
this grip fits: Taurus Tracker
Model #’s:
415, 425, 450, 606, 445, 617, 627, 817, 970, 971, etc.
It doesn’t state anywhere that this particular grip is suitable for the M44 model.
If I recall correctly when I was ordering the grip, there were a number of different grips for particular types of pistols.
I love my Taurus PT1911. 3000+ rounds through, and its accuracy is far better than average. The gun comes with a great aluminum trigger, ambi safeties, and the recoil spring is not insanely tight as with some Kimbers and Colts. The only thing I ever did was swap out the grips.
My next should be an American made Smith small .357 revolver.
Yeah Hiram, I meant bowling PIN shoots, must’ve derailed somehow, maybe it’s age,NO WAIT, not age, then DeathCare will kick in...let’s see, where were we?
I’m with you on the pins missed under pressure, LOL! Then there were shoots with all sorts of cobbled together rules, lots of fun, the little PD hummed along.
Thanks! Maybe I just got a bum Houge grip.
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