Magpul Industries said Wednesday that it will complete its exit from Colorado by the first quarter of 2015.
The ammunition-magazine maker, which was based in Erie, talked about leaving the state after Colorado strengthened its gun-control laws in 2013. About 100 employees were notified in October that they would lose their jobs because of the Erie closure.
Magpul is nearly doubling its square footage in the move. This month, it opened its Austin, Texas, headquarters in a 15,990-square-foot building. Manufacturing and distribution moves to Cheyenne, where a 185,000-square-foot facility opens Jan. 12.
The company will vacate its 100,000-square-foot Erie facility but plans to keep a Colorado office for regional support. The location has not been determined.
“The company right now is moving ahead and looking forward to growing and expanding their business in Texas and Wyoming,” said Jon Anderson, a partner at Holland & Hart who serves as Magpul’s outside counsel.
Magpul, which was founded in 1999, threatened to leave Colorado
last year after Gov. John Hickenlooper signed a gun-control bill prohibiting the sale of gun magazines that hold more than 15 rounds.
At the time, it employed 200 workers and was Erie’s third-largest employer.
About a dozen Magpul executives already have relocated to Texas, including the CEO and the financial team, Anderson said. The majority of its employees will be in Wyoming.
In September, the Wyoming State Loan and Investment Board approved an $8.3 million grant to help Magpul to move its manufacturing to Cheyenne.
In October, Magpul revised its WARN notice that it would lay off 100 employees, instead of the 110 it posted in August. Such notice is required if a business plans to shut down a plant or lay off employees. It must give employees a 60-day notice.
Anderson said that job relocations among existing employees are being considered.
Tamara Chuang: 303-954-1209, tchuang@denverpost.com or twitter.com/Gadgetress
