Tue
Oct 20 2015
08:22 am

State of Tennessee Newsroom

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Economic and Community Development Commissioner Randy Boyd along with Advanced Munitions International (AMI) announced today the company will build a global headquarters and state-of-the-art munitions manufacturing facility in Alcoa’s Partnership Park.

AMI, a global leader in high-end ammunition manufacturing, will invest $553 million in a new campus for its manufacturing, distribution and R&D operations and create 605 new jobs.

Swell. Tennessee is becoming safe haven for the firearms industry.

Gun makers' exodus benefits Tennessee

"Labor is a lot cheaper in the South, the restrictions are less, and there is more openness. And why not go to the South where you can manufacture all the firearms you want? Right now, South Carolina and Tennessee seem to be the most attractive." (Brian Ruttenbur, an analyst with CRT Capital Group in Stamford, Conn., who closely follows the firearms industry)

R. Neal's picture

Can't wait to hear about the

Can't wait to hear about the "incentives."

Average Guy's picture

Whatever it is,

it ought to by tied to their promises.

We know touting jobs is the carrot a company dangles to the community.

A community should stipulate its own "performance bond".

If in an agreed upon time the employee count is 300 instead of the 605, then the company would owe the community half the incentives back.

R. Neal's picture

It appears they are currently

It appears they are currently based in Nevada?

R. Neal's picture

Looks like their primary

Looks like their primary operating company is in Arizona.

Web info is sketchy. They apparently announced a reorg yesterday.

jbr's picture

How does Knoxville benefit

How does Knoxville benefit from the Alcoa Partnership Park?

R. Neal's picture

Don't think it does?

Don't think it does? Except more jobs in the region.

bizgrrl's picture

Partnership Park North

Partnership Park North appears to be on Proffit Springs Road in Alcoa, which is off of Louisville Loop Road which is off of Louisville Road.

There does not appear to be any other businesses in Partnership Park North. It is surrounded by agriculture and residential land. It is less than a mile from the airport runways, but you would not know it by driving in the area.

The land is currently owned by the Industrial Development Board of Blount County. It looks like it was purchased for $2.3M in 1998. There either is or was a dairy farm on the property.

R. Neal's picture

According to news reports,

According to news reports, their HPR ammo operation (their only operation?) threatened to move if they did not get local incentives to expand in Arizona. This was after receiving a $300,000 economic development grant from the state.

The company has only been in operation for about five years and appears to have less than 100 employees.

(link...)

(link...)

(link...)

bizgrrl's picture

From one of your links to the

From one of your links to the Payson Roundup news source,

"We had a $200 million loan fund from the state of Texas at 3.5 percent interest, probably $4 million in just, here, please come. Tax abatements for 10 years and free land at some places," Antich [founder and managing partner of Advanced Munitions International (AMI) , previously Advanced Tactical Armament Concepts LLC (ATAC)] said.

What did the State of TN, Blount County, and Alcoa offer them?

R. Neal's picture

They were previously known as

They were previously known as Advanced Tactical Armament Concepts LLC, also registered in Nevada.

R. Neal's picture

This is pretty

This is pretty funny...

(link...)

Brian A.'s picture

An industry for the 21st

An industry for the 21st century!

R. Neal's picture

If this is the same company,

If this is the same company, the CEO at the time appeared before city council on a zoning issue for a proposed expansion in Aug. 2014:

Mr. Antich stated his company is currently doing very well and he definitely wants to do the expansion in the Payson area. Mr. Antich stated if any of the three top “giants” who control this industry find out about his plans for expansion they will not supply him for two years and his operation will fold. This would put their 45 employees out of work. This is the reason for the “secrecy” to date.

(link...)

Also in 2014 before another town council meeting on the same issue:

Council Member Blair asked what an ammunitions campus was. Mr. Antich replied it was small arms ammunitions and was 50 caliber and less. Right now HPR did not manufacture anything, it put together four components.

(link...)

Factchecker's picture

The Haslam record

This is a disgrace. And remind me again what Pilot Oil has contributed to the world. Free papers on Friday?

turd burglar's picture

Honestly

You idiots are comical.

Factchecker's picture

You are a very small and

You are a very small and pathetic creature.

bizgrrl's picture

TN approves $6 million grant for AMI

The Tennessee State Funding Board approved on Monday a $6.05 million FastTrack Economic Development grant for Advanced Munitions International’s new headquarters and manufacturing facility in Blount County.

Robert Wolfenbarger's picture

Power politics and public money

These things are common place as Industrial Development Boards and Chamber Partnerships/Commerce’s are the way the well-connected politically powerful business people have devised to take public money and give it to themselves and their chosen business associates as contracts for development, i.e. infrastructure (utilities), infrastructure contracts, free land, real estate commissions, engineering fees, construction services, architecture fees, attorney's fees, and the list goes on. It’s all about insider deals, business, and politics under the guise of job creation. Then, when the project starts, local or out of town, the IDB's select their preferred local contractors.
I find it interesting that there are currently 3 discussions going on at this site that are related: Midway, McIntyre, and AMI., all are about power, politics, and building something so the public revenue stream flows to private pockets.
In fact, Midway and McIntyre are very inner twined. McIntyre’s contract extension and payout provision is about 2 of the 3 new schools built or being budgeted, and Midway. The McIntyre commission vote, while symbolic, is retribution for his past behaviors regarding 2 of those new schools.

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