Gun maker moving to Redmond, partly due to its gun attitude

A Salem-based gun manufacturer called Radian Weapons is relocating to Redmond. It makes rifle accessories and AR-15s that are sold all over the world.

The company is moving its entire production facility and headquarters to Redmond.

For the past six months, Radian Weapons has been working with Redmond city officials to find a building.

They settled on the High Desert Industrial Park, a lease-to-own building at 875 NE Kingwood Avenue.

Redmond Economic Development Senior Director Jon Stark said Central Oregon was attractive to the company, because it is largely accepting of the gun industry.

“Redmond’s pretty conservative, and if you go out to the local gun ranges, just outside of Redmond, you’ll see a lot of people out there that you wouldn’t expect, that are out there enjoying the outdoors,” Stark said Thursday.

“Redmond as a community has really been supportive of this industry, and it’s been a target for us to grow companies in this space,” Stark said.

The addition of Radian Weapons will bring Redmond’s total number of firearm-related companies to seven.

The business expects to hire 24 people locally and an additional 12 over the next year.

Hiring will start next week and the business will start construction on Dec. 1.

Radian Weapons’ director of operations, Joshua Underwood, said the company is looking forward to its move.

“So Central Oregon is just a really good fit for us, and the kind of individuals that are typically passionate about firearms and shooting and hunting, competitive shooting sports — that environment in Central Oregon is just a much better fit for us than the Valley is turning out to be,” Underwood said.

Radian Weapons has a window in which it can apply for certain tax breaks offered by the county and the city, but they have yet to do so.

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Here’s EDCO’s news release Thursday announcing the move:

Salem-based Radian Weapons recently announced plans to move their production facility and headquarters to Redmond. They are currently in the process of hiring multiple positions to round out their new facility, with start dates as early as December.

After searching for years for a new, expanded facility, Radian Weapons chose to relocate to Redmond based on the breadth of workforce, available manufacturing space and the quality of life the region has to offer – many of the same reasons three-million people vacation in Central Oregon annually, according to a news release Thursday from Economic Development for Central Oregon.

“Ultimately, Redmond came out as the best place to relocate our operations to,” said Joshua Underwood, CEO of Radian Weapons. “Growing up visiting Central Oregon as a kid, it was always a goal to one day live here. After seeing the manufacturing and arms ecosystem that is emerging, we knew we wanted to be a part of it. And being able to hire passionate residents that live our company’s lifestyle was a must.”

Founded in 2009 as AXTS Weapons Systems, Radian Weapons manufactures innovative rifle accessories, including the Raptor charging handle and Talon safety, and now complete high-end AR15s. Radian prides itself on delivering innovative products that are made to the highest possible manufacturing standards.

The quality of their manufacturing has attracted buyers from across the globe. This new facility will allow Radian Weapons to expand their production to better meet the demand they’ve had over the last few years, officials said. In addition to the jobs that are currently posted on their website, Radian Weapons plan to hire up to 12 new positions over the next year. Their new facility is at 875 Northeast Kingwood Avenue in Redmond.

“We’re truly excited to have Radian Weapons join our existing mix of companies in this sector,” said Jon Stark, senior director of Redmond Economic Development Inc. (REDI). “The high-quality products they manufacture are well-renowned in their industry, and we’re proud to be able to say they’re ‘Made in Redmond.'”

About Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO)
EDCO is a non-profit corporation supported by private and public members and stakeholders, whose mission is to create middle-class jobs in Central Oregon by: recruiting new employers to move to the region; helping entrepreneurs start new, scalable businesses; and working with businesses that are already here to grow their operations. For more information, visit www.edcoinfo.com .