Wyoming opens up to Italian sporting guns
A delegation from the Wyoming Business Council (WBC) met with the members of ConArmI - Consorzio Armaioli Italiani of Gardone Val Trompia (BS), to evaluate mutual commercial and production opportunities
Wyoming opens up to Italian sporting guns
A delegation from the Wyoming Business Council (WBC), the official agency for economic development of Wyoming (USA), visited Gardone Val Trompia, a town in Brescia known for its excellent production of sporting weapons. The mission, with the theme “Wyoming: growing global opportunities”, had already seen a series of commercial and diplomatic meetings in London for the World Agri-Tech Innovation summit and in Milan.
The President of CONARMI, the Italian Gunmakers Consortium, Pierangelo Pedersoli (center), together with Chance Price and Brandon Marshall, delegates of the Wyoming Business Council
The delegation consisted of 11 people, led by Brandon Marshall, director of the WBC services division, Chance Price, WBC business recruitment manager, Rachelle Zimmerman, business recruitment manager of Cheyenne Leads.
Zimmerman and Price explained that Wyoming is one of the main firearms manufacturing states in the United States: among the 53 companies in the sector that are based there, Weatherby and Stag Arms, have moved there for about 5 years, and Magpul produces accessories and components there. The state is completely gun friendly, there are many hunters and the possession of weapons is not hindered, in full compliance with the Second Amendment.
The delegation went to Gardone Val Trompia from Milan precisely to get in touch with companies in the firearms sector for exchanges and commercial information.
The meeting was managed by ConArmI - Consorzio Armaioli italiani (the Italian Gunmakers Consortium), since 1975 the trade association that brings together 200 manufacturers of weapons and accessories for weapons, gun shops, service companies and related companies.
Its objective, in addition to the protection of the arms sector, is precisely the promotion of Italian excellence in the world and organizational support for international fairs. Both the vice president of ConArmI, Massimo Tanfoglio, and the president Pierangelo Pedersoli, have emphasized that Wyoming's request makes us aware once again of the importance of production located in Gardone Val Trompia.
Some of the companies that have joined ConArmI over the years have already set up production plants or representative offices in the United States, which is by far the first commercial partner of Italian gun manufacturing, a European leader in the sector, with over a million sporting weapons produced in 2023.
Stefano Pedersoli (right) during the delegation's visit to his company, Davide Pedersoli
Wyoming, known for its landscapes, wide open spaces and wealth of natural resources, is a unique engine of economic development and international trade. The state’s economy is strong, driven by key sectors such as energy, agriculture, agtech, manufacturing and tourism.
The University of Wyoming promotes innovation and provides a skilled workforce. Colleges provide support for industrial training, and the Wyoming Workforce Development Training Fund provides training grants of up to $3,000 per employee each year.
Wyoming’s approximately 600,000 residents are known throughout the United States for their entrepreneurial spirit and strong work ethic. The state, a little larger than Italy, is characterized by low taxes and high regulatory efficiency, attracting companies interested in exploiting its natural resources and its strategic location in the mid-western United States. More than 215 international employers have offices in Wyoming, and 3.9% of all jobs are attributable to foreign direct investment, of which 38% are in the manufacturing sector.
“We are very happy with this opportunity for our members: it was obviously a first, profitable meeting with some of our members,” explained ConArmI President Pedersoli. «Companies in the arms sector have always had excellent relations with the United States and in Wyoming they could find further nourishment for their products, considering the proposed facilitations, which we are certainly not used to in our latitudes, where our excellent productions are always looked upon with suspicion»
