Hitting the Bullseye
The Industry at a Glance
- Home to the Duck Hunting Capital of the World: Stuttgart, Arkansas
- 3rd in economic output per capita in the arms and ammunition industry (Source: National Shooting Sports Foundation)
- 3rd Most Gun-Friendly State (Source: Ammo.com)
- 3rd Largest Exporter of Firearms and Ammunitions in the U.S. (Source: Global Trade Atlas, 2023)
- 8 pro-gun bills passed into law during the 2023 legislative session
- $2.3B in economic output
INFRASTRUCTURE
- Three U.S. interstates connecting east and west coasts, and the Canada and Mexico borders
- 16,418 miles of state and U.S. Highways – 12th largest system in the U.S.
- Eight intermodal freight facilities with four riverports
- 2,542 miles of Class 1 rail systems
- #3 in the nation with 1,000 miles of inland, navigable waterways
- Approximately 100 public airports including Clinton National, Northwest Arkansas National, and close proximity to Memphis International and the Fed-Ex hub
Well-trained workforce
- 7th highest percentage of manufacturing employment (Source: Business Facilities)
- 1.36M skilled and trained workforce
- 12% of Arkansas’ workforce is employed in manufacturing
- 8,400+ people employed in the arms and ammunitions industry.
Business Climate in Arkansas
- #3 Least Expensive State for Starting a Small Business (Source: SimplifyLLC)
- #2 on the Cost of Living Index (Source: C2ER)
- 7th highest percentage of manufacturing employment (Source: Business Facilities)
EDUCATION
- 50 colleges, universities & 2-year colleges throughout Arkansas
- 2,100+ engineering degrees awarded each year
- 150k+ students enrolled at an Arkansas institution of higher learning
- Black River Technical College is 1 of only 11 accredited gunsmithing programs in the US – and the only institution connected to a law enforcement training academy.
- Ozarka College's Precision Machining program prepares students for a career in manufacturing, providing them with skills in manual machining and operation of CNC mills and lathes.
Firearms & Ammunition Industry
Executive Overview
Arkansas is Primed for Success
Home to the duck hunting capital of the world and the 3rd most gun-friendly state, Arkansas is the natural choice for firearms and ammunition companies to find success.
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Five Maps Illustrate Foreign Investment in Arkansas
December 20, 2018Nearly 300 foreign-owned companies have found a home in Arkansas, from a wide cross-section of industries. As of November this year, the total is 293 (see Figure 1). These companies are subsidiaries of foreign enterprises, also referred to as parent or primary companies. These foreign-owned companies range from retail, manufacturing, and technology, to service providing, just to name a few. Some of the largest companies include Dassault Falcon Jet Corporation and L’Oreal from France, ASEA Brown Boveri (or ABB) from Switzerland, O.K. Foods Inc. from Mexico, and Nucor-Yamato Steel Company from Japan. Please read the full list and map (Figure 2) for more details of the companies.
Figure 1: Counts of foreign-owned companies in Arkansas
Figure 2: Map of foreign investment in Arkansas (downloadable PDF version)
Overall, according to data released in fall 2017, approximately 48,100 workers are employed by foreign-owned firms, and more than 60 percent of the jobs are in manufacturing. Japanese-owned companies employ the most workers, followed by Swiss-owned companies (see Figure 3).
Figure 3: Top 10 foreign-owned company parent countries by employment in Arkansas
We also highlighted investments made by companies from four countries: Japan, Germany, United Kingdom and France, with individual maps (see Figure 4). The reasons for selecting these countries are: 1) These countries have made the most investments in Arkansas, with the highest amount of parent companies that are involved; 2) AEDC’s historical international marketing-focused area covers these countries; and 3) AEDC currently has foreign offices in Japan, Germany and China, and the highlighted countries are in proximity to these local offices.
Figure 4: Investment from Japan, Germany, France and United Kingdom
Between 2010 and 2015, Arkansas’ foreign direct investment (FDI) employment increased 34 percent, compared to the state’s overall private-sector employment increase rate of only 5.2 percent. As of January 2018, according to this report, FDI contributes to about 3.4 percent of the state’s total private industry employment.
“I am pleased that Arkansas is a national leader in FDI growth,” said Governor Asa Hutchinson. Arkansas continues to draw global attention as an attractive destination for business. Please get in touch with AEDC’s international business development team to learn more how about the pro-business climate in the Natural State can benefit your business.
At AEDC, we know economic advancement doesn’t happen by accident. We work strategically with businesses and communities to create strong economic opportunities, making Arkansas the natural choice for success. Here are some examples of businesses that are thriving!
Arkansas offers a range of competitive incentives for businesses looking to open, expand or relocate.
