Wilson Combat Expands Manufacturing, Adds Jobs

Wilson Combat is expanding its Berryville, Ark., facilities with an additional 16,000-square-foot building for machining and warehousing. Work is scheduled for completion sometime next month, and the company anticipates expanding its workforce by roughly 20 percent afterward to help meet demand for its firearms and equally highly regarded aftermarket parts.

The record-setting pace of firearm sales was cited as the primary reason for the expansion in an Arkansas Democrat Gazette article, although the story understates how the company has steadily increased sales and market share—even during industry downturns—since its modest founding. Competitive shooter Bill Wilson set up shop in the back of his family’s jewelry business in 1977 and brought the same attention to detail, fine looks and craftsmanship he learned up front to his gunsmithing.

Most of his early business was customizing or installing aftermarket components to handguns, but it didn’t take long for his reputation and business to grow to include manufacturing complete pistols. In 2000, the company purchased Scattergun Technologies, renamed it Wilson Combat Scattergun Technologies, and it now offers shotguns. Today, it makes rifles as well, and American Rifleman covered the Wilson Combat story in 2010.

The growth hasn’t slowed. In 2018, Chip McCormick Custom/Shooting Star Industries became part of Wilson. Today, the company not only makes and sells rifles, shotguns and handguns, it has expanded its tradition of custom creations and by working with some of the industry’s foremost builders of polymer-frame pistols. Here’s a look at what it can do to Glock Gen 3s and Gen 4s. Earlier this year, it also introduced the SIG Sauer WCP320 Carry line.

Upon completion of the latest building, the eighth in the Wilson Combat complex, the company’s total square footage available for production, administration and warehousing will increase to 93,200. The company currently employs 200 people.