With a flip of some dirt, Beretta breaks ground in Gallatin, Tenessee.
Beretta has been making firearms since 1526. When the Berettas decide to build a new factory, they take it seriously. And the groundbreaking that took place in Gallatin, Tennessee on August two weeks ago was impressive. The celebration was attended by a host of local and national politicians, representatives of the Beretta family the administration of Beretta USA, and a whole host of ecstatic Volunteers–all celebrating the announcement that Beretta would move all US production to Gallatin.
The new factory will handle all production and research and development. Beretta is expecting that the expansion and move will create at least 300 jobs, though some of the work force is expected to relocate from Maryland. And Tennessee welcomes their new residents. They state sees Beretta’s relocation as a win for the state, and a boon for the local economy of Gallatin, which is a stone’s throw northeast of Nashville. While there may be only 300 jobs created by Beretta, there will be many jobs created to support the new factory. This is an area of the country that has a rich sporting history. Family values, always at the core of the Beretta brand, are equally important in rural Tennessee. It looks like a good match.
The 160,000 square foot factory should be open in 2015 and will represent a $45 million investment. As you can see from the photos below, there’s a lot of room for growth, too. What’s next for Beretta? They’ve recently launched the ARX-100. They should have the .380 Pico out soon. There’s more coming, too, so stay tuned.
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Beretta Vice G.M. Jeff Reh, Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, and U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander answer questions after the groundbreaking.
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The 160,00 $45 million facility should be open in 2015.
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The building will be much more aesthetically pleasing than their current digs in Maryland, which look a bit like a big warehouse on the side of a busy highway.
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Beretta will own enough acreage to continue to expand the facility, and the designs are drawn with growth in mind.
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The collection of national, state and local politicians was impressive. Even the democratic politicians present understand what Beretta’s move means for Tennessee.
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Every detail of the event was met with the attention I’ve come to expect from Beretta.
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Check out the porta-john. This thing has its own planter. Beretta still has a ways to go if they want to fit in in the south. We don’t air-condition portable toilets, not even for politicians.
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These are some fancy spades.
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We’ll hold onto this one for the before and after shot in 2015.
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