Company Announces Departure From Gun-Unfriendly Empire State

As further evidence of a continuing backlash in the aftermath of the New York State Legislature's passage and Gov. Andrew Cuomo's hasty signing of a law restricting gun ownership and sales in January, another firearms company has announced plans to move its operations out of the Empire State.

Firearms importer and manufacturer American Tactical Imports (ATI) announced Oct. 28 it would relocate to Summerville, SC, in a move expected to take 117 jobs away from the Rochester, NY, region. The move is expected to begin immediately, the company announced.

"As one of the gun industry's top importers and manufacturers of firearms and firearm related accessories, ATI's decision to relocate is two-fold," the company said Monday in a press release. "ATI believes it is imperative that a firearms importer and manufacturer do business within a state that is friendly to the Second Amendment rights of the people."

ATI President and President and Founder of Tony DiChario said the move also provides logistical benefits to his company, as the location outside Charleston is home to some of the largest and busiest shipping ports on the Atlantic seaboard. The company also received financial incentives to make the move to South Carolina, though the details were not made public this week.

"Why would you stay here? If you can get closer to the bulk of where your market is now going to be, why wouldn't you move?'' Tom King, president of the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association, the state affiliate of the National Rifle Association, told the Buffalo News this week. New York's SAFE Act bans the in-state sale of most of ATI's product line, King said.

In July, Kahr Arms, based in Rockland County, NY, announced plans to move its headquarters to Pennsylvania, also citing passage of the SAFE (Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement) Act as the primary reason.

Earlier this summer, there were reports that Remington Arms, located in New York's Herkimer County and one of the oldest and largest gun manufacturers in the state, was also interested in moving to another state and scouting locations in the Nashville, TN, area.