From modest beginnings to one of the country’s largest long-gun manufacturers, Henry Repeating Arms is officially celebrating its landmark 25th year in business this year. It was 1993 when company founder and CEO Anthony Imperato took out a home-equity loan to establish the Colt Blackpowder Arms Company. The firm made historic Colt revolvers and muskets under license from Colt’s Manufacturing. Along with his father, Louis Imperato, the father-son duo leveraged decades of the family’s experience in the business and in 1996 began developing a rimfire lever-action rifle.
In March 1997, the first Henry Repeating Arms Model H001 Classic Lever Action .22 rifles shipped from a small factory in Brooklyn, N.Y. The company is now headquartered in Rice Lake, Wis., employs more than 550 people and operates three manufacturing facilities in Wisconsin and New Jersey.
Today Henry manufactures over 200 different rifles and shotguns in a wide variety of calibers and finishes for hunting, home protection, collectors and more. Notable standouts include the company’s flagship rifle, the Henry Golden Boy .22, its centerfire counterpart, the Henry Big Boy, a complete line of youth-sized rifles and shotguns, a sprawling collection of engraved Tribute Edition firearms, and a popular modern approach to the lever gun with the X Model series. Henry’s motto is also a promise to its customers to be “Made in America, Or Not Made At All.”
“Without a doubt, we would not be here celebrating 25 years of success without the hard work and dedication of every Henry Repeating Arms employee, several of whom have been with me since day one. They are the heart and soul of the company,” said CEO and Founder Anthony Imperato. “And to all of Henry owners around the world that chose to make us a part of their lives, thank you, we are eternally grateful.”
All Henry rifles and shotguns are supported by a lifetime warranty, a personal guarantee from Anthony Imperato, and an award-winning customer service department that is empowered to make any decision necessary to ensure that every interaction results in complete satisfaction. In 2016, Henry Repeating Arms was named the winner of a Stevie Award in the Customer Service Department of the Year category at the American Business Awards.
“I am incredibly proud to have been involved with Henry for 24 of the 25 years that the company has been making and shipping guns, but I feel an even greater sense of pride when I look to the future,” said Henry President Andy Wickstrom. “This company was built on a solid foundation of talent and sheer determination, and while we have come a long way, it still feels like we are just getting started. Henry fans and customers have a lot to look forward to this year and beyond.”
Through a charitable branch of the company called Guns For Great Causes, Henry Repeating Arms has made significant financial contributions to children’s hospitals and families of critically ill children. The effort also helps support active-duty and military veterans organizations, law enforcement and first responder organizations, pro-Second Amendment organizations, shooting sports education groups, and wildlife and habitat conservation entities. As part of Henry’s 25th-anniversary celebrations, the company is donating 1,000 Golden Boy “Silver Anniversary” Limited Edition rifles to raise a total of $1,000,000 for distribution among all these deserving constituencies.
Throughout the year, Henry Repeating Arms will be celebrating 25 years with the release of several limited-edition models, including the Golden Boy “Silver Anniversary” Edition, a special edition of the New Original Henry, a 25th-anniversary edition of the H001 Classic Lever Action .22, and more. For more information about these releases as details become available and to stay up to date with Henry’s 25th-anniversary news, visit henryusa.com/25-year-anniversary.
