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April 12, 2017 | Tom Ballard

SCCY Industries bringing 350 jobs, corporate headquarters to Blount County

SCCY IndustriesBy Tom Ballard, Chief Alliance Officer, PYA

A company described by its President as “the fastest growing semi-automatic gun manufacturer in the country” is moving its corporate headquarters and most of its manufacturing to the Big Springs Industrial Park in Maryville.

SCCY Industries LLC, currently located in Daytona Beach, FL, was founded September 18, 2003 by Joe Roebuck who also serves as its Chief Executive Officer. For the company’s first two years, he told attendees at yesterday’s announcement that he was the only employee. Today, SCCY employees about 200 people and has “conservative plans” to create 350 jobs with its $22.5 million investment in Blount County.

“We have the highest quality to price point ratio in the entire industry,” Roebuck said in describing the middle market of the “conceal and carry” gun sector that SCCY serves.

Speaker after speaker emphasized the company’s commitment to exceptional performance that is an unwavering expectation of Roebuck.

“Our creed is talent and technology coupled with a lack of greed,” SCCY President Wayne Holt emphasized. He’s a veteran of the handgun business having worked at both Glock and SIG Sauer.

Yesterday’s announcement is another big win for Blount County, and one that occurred very quickly.

“SCCY Industries has been searching for a new home for many years due to our explosive growth,” Roebuck said in a news release. During yesterday’s event, he amplified on the search, saying he and his team made their first and only visit to Blount County on November 3. That trip convinced him that he had found the right location.

Holt recalled a conversation with Roebuck after the visit where the Founder said, “This (Blount County) just feels like home.”

As a result of that special Blount County welcoming that many companies have felt, the community is getting more than just a portion of the SCCY business.

“We initially planned to expand here from Florida,” Roebuck said, but that changed. “I’m going to do it all here,” adding that there will be a small footprint remaining in Florida.

Yesterday was also a celebration for Bob Rolfe, the new Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. It was day 30 of his new role.

“I’ve never seen a partnership work like this one,” he said in describing the way the cities, county, state and company came together.

The expansion will enable SCCY, which currently uses some outside suppliers, to become a fully vertically integrated operation.

Manufacturing is nothing new to Roebuck who has been an owner and operator of several manufacturing plants during his career. How he became a gun manufacturer is one of those interesting twists.

SCCY’s roots trace to 1997 when Roebuck took on a job for another gun manufacturer. It involved creating a tooling package, but that manufacturer went out of business. After mulling over what to do with the unpaid for technology, Roebuck saw an opportunity and Blount County will now benefit.

To read the full news release from yesterday’s event, click here.


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