Maryland Gets An Economics Lesson As Beretta Announces It Is Taking It’s Nearly 200 Jobs To Tennessee
July 23, 2014
Beretta USA Announces Decision To Move Its Entire Maryland Manufacturing Capabilities To Tennessee
” Beretta U.S.A. Corp., located in Accokeek, Maryland, announced today that it has decided to move its manufacturing capabilities from its existing location to a new production facility that it is building in Gallatin, Tennessee. The Gallatin facility is scheduled to be opened in mid-2015. Beretta U.S.A. had previously planned to use the new Gallatin, Tennessee facility for new machinery and production of new products only.
“ During the legislative session in Maryland that resulted in passage of the Firearm Safety Act of 2013, the version of the statute that passed the Maryland Senate would have prohibited Beretta U.S.A. from being able to manufacture, store or even import into the State products that we sell to customers throughout the United States and around the world. While we were able in the Maryland House of Delegates to reverse some of those obstructive provisions, the possibility that such restrictions might be reinstated in the future leaves us very worried about the wisdom of maintaining a firearm manufacturing factory in the State,” stated Jeff Cooper, General Manager for Beretta U.S.A. Corp.
“ While we had originally planned to use the Tennessee facility for new equipment and for production of new product lines only, we have decided that it is more prudent from the point of view of our future welfare to move the Maryland production lines in their entirety to the new Tennessee facility,” Cooper added. “
While the Washington Post had this to say …
” The Italian company had disclosed a $45 million plan this year to expand operations to a new factory near Nashville. But Beretta has decided to go beyond that plan because, a senior executive said, the company is “very worried about the wisdom of maintaining a firearm manufacturing factory” in Maryland.
Maryland’s new gun restrictions, pushed by Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Conn., bans 45 types of assault rifles and put in place tough fingerprint, photo identification and training requirements. Magazines are limited to 10 rounds.
A version of the legislation that passed the state Senate “would have prohibited Beretta USA from being able to manufacture, store or even import into the State products that we sell to customers throughout the United States and around the world,” the company said.
Jeff Reh, a spokesman for Beretta USA, said in an interview that executives had become increasingly worried that future legislative sessions could end more “disastrously” for the company. “We wanted to control our own destiny,” he said. “
It never ceases to amaze us that the politicians always seem to believe that they operate in a vacuum , that there is no alternative save to do as they command , even while the market continues to demonstrate endlessly that foolish , naive , “feel good” legislation comes with a price tag … that of lost jobs , lost revenue and lost taxes . Good for Tennessee , good for Beretta …
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