Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles New primer company starting operations

It will be more than primers, ammo as well. I don't know if the primers will support their own operations of if many will be sold to the public. Time will tell.

Ammunition plant to open near Texarkana
More than $100 million spent so far; owner says facility will employ more than 400 by 2023 by Junius Stone | January 19, 2022 at 9:38 p.m. | Updated January 25, 2022 at 9:05 a.m.

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HOOKS, Texas -- Expansion Industries, an ammunition manufacturing company whose corporate offices are based out of Carrollton, Texas, is preparing to open a manufacturing facility here.

They have begun preparation work on the East Campus of TexAmericas Center, purchasing the main G Line of the former Lone Star Army Ammunition plant, and have begun preparing the site for operations.

Recently, they also have begun a recruiting drive, advertising an on-site job fair they have coming up Jan. 29. They plan on employing more than 400 by 2023 and have plans beyond that.

The facility will specialize in the production of primers, a key component in ammunition manufacturing, for the small arms industry.

"We have invested $100 million into the site so far," said Richard A. Smissen, owner, Expansion Industries. "This is all about supply and demand. There is serious demand in the industry for this product and right now, for various reasons, the supply chain is falling woefully short. So we are getting ready to do our part to help out with that issue."

Smissen describes the new facility as state-of-the-art, featuring a high level of automation. He said the site at the former Lone Star Army Ammunition plant is uniquely situated for what they will be doing.

"The manufacturing facilities at Lone Star were set up for ammunition manufacturing," said Smissen. "Not only the way the facilities are laid out on the former base, but the facilities themselves are hardened to protect against possible accidents working with this material. What is here was ready for someone like us to come and set up shop. So we've had our people in there getting it ready for a modern manufacturing facility. We aim to be up and running in the first few months of this year."

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For the Texarkana Gazette podcast "On the Line," host Karl Richter spoke with TexAmericas Center CEO Scott Norton about the center's mission, the Expansion Industries plant and much more:


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Besides getting the facility ready to go, Expansion Industries has already begun recruiting efforts for talent. Though touting modern automated manufacturing facilities, they still will have a sizable labor force, ranging from custodial to skilled labor and technicians, to their own force of truck drivers. They are looking at a wide range of talent.

"We will also need various engineers and skilled professionals," he said. "Those guys will be at a premium and we want to see those resumes."

Smissen says Expansion Industries picked the Hooks area for several specific reasons.

"This is a big asset that will do Hooks and the surrounding asset a lot of good," he said. "Also, this is a key transport area, with easy access to highway and rail freight transport, right there on TexAmericas Center. When it comes time to start shipping, there is not a place better, both in set up and location. And we will be shipping everywhere, both in this country and many places globally."

Smissen sees Expansion Industries as more than a manufacturing company, however. They have a core set of values that they emphasize with their products.

"Every box of our ammunition, we make it clear it is about freedom," he said. "The first 10 Amendments of our Constitution lay it all out, our liberties. And the 2nd Amendment is about the freedom of an American to be armed, to defend against any who would seek to take away that freedom. And should our 2nd Amendment fall, there is nothing to prevent the rest of it from being taken. We are a faith-based company and we make that clear. We are doing what we can to take a stand for American freedoms, support shooting sports and with this facility, we will be taking it all to the next level."

Smissen made it clear it was quite a maze of bureaucracy he had to navigate to get this facility up and running.

"Miles of red tape and mountains of paperwork, that I can tell you," he said. "And we would not have gotten this done without the team supporting us at TexAmericas Center. Scott Norton, Eric Voyles, Jeff Whitten, Teresa Kemp, Devon McClosky, thank you all."

(The Expansion Industries job fair takes is scheduled for Jan. 29 at 523 Titus Road, Hooks, Texas. Prospective employees are invited to email resumes to exp-ind.com online. TexAmericas Center is sprawling business complex located about 20 miles west of Texarkana near New Boston and Hooks, Texas.)
Print Headline: Ammunition plant to open near Texarkana

So you don't know if they will be selling their primers to the public. Ok... Carry on I guess..

Seeing is believing. When, and/or, If, the first trays of primers roll out to the public, we might be able to give a sigh of relief.

Call me pessimistic.

Fingers crossed it helps the public market. We l know about the current shortage.....

At the least I would think this free up some somewhere. If the new company sells only to commercial outfits it still would open the pipeline.

GreggH

I heard this morning that Remington owner had approached to buy.

any increase in supply will relieve demand problems.

I hope they get it built and start rolling product off ASAP.

I know I am new here, but wanted to shed some light about this company. They are very close to production, primers will be available for the general public through retailers. In terms of quality, we have received a small batch and they seem to be top notch. A company I am associated with has an order of 30 million primers from these guys and will be doing a mix of retail and wholesale. In accordance with the rules, I will not disclose what company this is. Expansion is limiting how much retailers can sell them for, top price point will be cheaper than current market prices for primers.

It’s better than what we have now, so I’m looking forward to more primers being available

Is that MSRP or the current secondary market?

Prices like fire, run uphill and walk downhill.
Selfishly, I would love to buy 10,000 primers for $20 per thousand again. However if that were done tomorrow, the capacity of this new plant would be in mine and your storage areas by April and the cycle repeats. We need the production capacity to start the market towards balance but we should hope it walks towards the center of that beam.

Will said company also be whoring themselves out to the various government entities? If in fact they, the general public will be [bleep] - again.

Call me pessimistic.

If I understand what I read, correctly the company has already spent $100 million on the project. Have anyone thought how many primers will have to be produced to make a slight dent in that debt. The company is already producing ammo using components they have produced so this is not a fly by night company. True the Goverment will purchase a lot of the completed product ( shells or ammo) which ever you want to call the completed round, Remember the US Government DOES NOT MAKE ANYTHING. They have private companies make a product and purchase it from that company , all under contract. LSAAP used to do the same thing at that same location only on a much larger scale. LSAAP produced everything from 22 rimfire to 155mm howitzers rounds plus grenades and a world of other explosive devices that VERY few people knew about. Just takes time for a LARGE TRAIN TO STOP AND START GOING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION . Lehigh Bullets has started working on a new plant not over 40 miles from this new company project, what is next maybe a brass manufacturing plant? Might hope for a powder plant but I would not hold my breath for that to happen.

good supply at the sport show $50.00 a thousand

That’s not a bad price. I haven’t been looking to hard for any around here. Last I saw were at a gun show for $120.00 a thousand.

picked up $300.00 worth

They are occupying 16 bldgs at the old LSAAP. It is 4 mi from my home and I know two different contractors working on the facilities. It is a colossal investment and legit. Production will begin very soon.

MSRP, expect to pay no more than 80 a brick at retail. Probably less than that over time

some gov contracts, but retailers have already secured a large amount for the first allotment. Additionally they are filling orders smallest to largest

You will never see these prices again. Per my contacts, the cost to produce primers now days is north of that 0.02 CPR, this goes for not just expansion, but federal, CCI, Winchester etc.