Updated at 1 p.m. with comments from Gov. Nathan Deal.
A Brazilian-owned manufacturer of pistols and revolvers is setting up a $22.5 million factory in Bainbridge that will eventually employ 300 people. Taurus Holdings Inc. is based in Miami but owned by Forjas Taurus S.A., a company based in the southern city of Porto Alegre, Brazil, with a history spanning back to 1941.
The Taurus USA facility in Bainbridge, which sits in Decatur County at the southwest corner of Georgia, will encompass 200,000 square feet, 90 percent of which will be devoted to manufacturing. Jobs at the new plant range from administrative positions to skilled workers on the factory floor.
Gov. Nathan Deal, speaking Thursday at the Georgia Manufacturers of the Year Awards after flying in late from the announcement in Bainbridge, said the project was some 15 years in the works.
“We finally brought it to a conclusion today,” Mr. Deal said to an audience of about 1,000 supporters of the state’s manufacturing sector.
The move is part of a long-term U.S. growth strategy for the company, said David Blenker, president and CEO of Taurus USA, in a Georgia news release.
“The ability to expand operations is critical for our U.S. business. This new facility will meet our demanding needs to increase production with the skilled workforce Georgia has to offer. We look forward to breaking ground in September 2018 to start the project.”
Taurus’s line of weapons includes a “concealed carry series” of pistols with shorter barrels, including the 180 Curve model equipped with a light and laser built into the frame. The company also sells clips, grips and magazines.
Learn more at taurususa.com.
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