U.S. Rep. Mark Walker (R-NC) toured the Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. manufacturing facility in Mayodan, NC, and met with employees and company executives in a show of support for the firearms industry and Second Amendment rights. Ruger established the manufacturing facility in 2013 to accommodate its continued growth and has created approximately 200 jobs in the Mayodan area, with more expected in the future.

“As a testament to the power of domestic manufacturing and in the spirit of my commitment to the Second Amendment, I greatly enjoyed the tour of the Ruger factory,” commented Representative Walker. “This facility and its employees have a tremendous impact on Rockingham County and surrounding communities,” he concluded.

“We were delighted to have Representative Walker in for a visit,” said Mickey Wilson, director of operations for the Mayodan Facility. “Our employees are extremely proud of all we have accomplished in our short time here in Mayodan and it is always a pleasure to have an opportunity for them to show off a little. We thank Representative Walker for taking the time to meet with us and for his continued support of our critical Second Amendment rights,” he concluded.

According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the trade association for America’s firearms and ammunition industry, the total economic impact of the firearms and ammunition industry in the United States increased from $19.1 billion in 2008 to $42.9 billion in 2014, a 123 percent increase, while the total number of full-time equivalent jobs rose from approximately 166,000 to more than 263,000, a 58 percent increase in that period.