On a Mission: SIG SAUER Grows in Arkansas
It all started with a phone call. Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson called SIG SAUER President and CEO Ron Cohen during his first week in office, inviting Cohen to come to Arkansas and consider doing business in the Natural State.
Cohen’s first response? “Is this real? Is he really the governor of Arkansas?” Cohen recalled during the opening of SIG SAUER’s latest expansion in Arkansas.
Despite his incredulity, Cohen decided to make the trip to Arkansas to see what was happening in the state. It was a trip that would set in motion a long-lasting and fruitful relationship between SIG SAUER and the State of Arkansas.
“I flew over and that started a romance with this state. And it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” said Cohen. “And it shows that you can build something together with the support of government. So thank you, Governor. And it’s not just the governor, it’s the state of Arkansas.”
Following his visit to Arkansas, Cohen and SIG SAUER announced plans to invest in the state, locating a new ammunition manufacturing facility in Jacksonville. The Elite Performance manufacturing facility initially was set to have 50 employees.
Even in the early days of SIG SAUER’s “romance” with Arkansas, Cohen indicated that the company would be a long-term partner with the Natural State. “SIG has invested $30 million in this facility in Jacksonville, Arkansas, and we are just starting,” he said during a 2018 event.
What started out as a modest investment began expanding quickly. Since its beginnings in 2016, SIG SAUER’s operations in Jacksonville have expanded to produce ammunition for every branch of the U.S. military, special forces and NATO allies. By 2023, SIG SAUER had more than 340 employees at its Jacksonville facility.
SIG SAUER announced its plans in October 2023 to expand its operations in Jacksonville, creating more than 600 new jobs. The company announced that it would be investing $150 million in component hybrid case manufacturing, primer manufacturing, and load/pack operations that would be supporting U.S. Department of Defense contracts. SIG SAUER began developing a 250,000-square-foot facility to house the manufacturing processes supporting its U.S. Army Next Generation Squad Weapons and 6.8 Hybrid Ammunition contracts.
One short year later, SIG SAUER opened its Jacksonville Arkansas Ammunition Center (JAAC). In total, the facility represented a $225 million investment that will create 675 new jobs in Arkansas. This facility is estimated to have a more than $300 million annual economic impact in Arkansas.
“We chose to do something that matters, matters to a lot of us that served and to everybody else at SIG. We understand the mission,” said Cohen. “We feel that we are on a mission to change the world.”
Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, along with U.S. Senator John Boozman and local officials, joined Cohen for the grand opening and ribbon cutting of the JAAC facility in October 2024.
“Arkansas is proud to be home to this facility. It isn’t just a quarter million square feet of manufacturing space and more than 600 jobs, it reinforces Arkansas’ place as the arsenal of America,” said Sanders. “To Ron and all the team at SIG SAUER: thank you for believing in Arkansas and investing in our state. And to everyone who played a role in bringing this facility here: thank you for your hard work.”
With the opening of the JAAC facility, SIG SAUER plans to scale up production rapidly. According to Cohen, SIG SAUER’s investment in Arkansas has been a mutually beneficial one – and the company is looking to continue this relationship in the years to come.
Cohen said, “I promise you that this is not the end. This is the beginning.”
Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders spoke on October 9, 2024 at the opening of SIG SAUER’s ammunition manufacturing expansion in Jacksonville.
Photos courtesy of SIG SAUER
