Gun-magazine supplier expands in college town

Associated Press

GRINNELL, IOWA

An Iowa college known for liberal activism is welcoming an unlikely neighbor: one of the nation’s largest suppliers of high-capacity ammunition magazines and accessories for assault rifles and other guns.

With demand for gun products booming, Brownells Inc. is building a large distribution and retail center along Interstate 80 in Grinnell. The central Iowa city of 9,100 is home to Grinnell College, a selective liberal arts institution proud of its commitment to social justice.

Critics have attacked the company for profiting from accessories for military-style weapons, but the city and college are rolling out the welcome mat. It’s an example of how left-leaning politics and gun rights can coexist cheerfully, particularly when economic benefit enters the equation.

“I think it is going to be fantastic for the community,” said Juli Sanford, owner of Juli’s Natural Foods, which sells organic food and supplements a block from the college. She said the project will bring jobs, income and visitors to Grinnell, about 55 miles east of Des Moines.

But the development is galling to gun-control advocates, who have watched cities and states continue to compete for firearms-related businesses despite mass shootings they hoped would bring more criticism for the industry.

“Grinnell has been synonymous with high-quality education, with creative and even brilliant contributions to education,” said Cheryl Thomas, a spokeswoman for Iowans for Gun Safety. “This is not a fit.”

Billed as the world’s-largest supplier of gun accessories, Brownells is a family-owned company that has long been based 20 miles south of Grinnell in Montezuma. The company’s third-generation chairman, Pete Brownell, is a top donor and board member of the National Rifle Association, making him a lightning rod in the debate over gun rights and regulations even as he is popular locally.

His business has boomed in recent years. The privately held company does not release sales figures, but it has told customers that demand for ammunition, high-capacity magazines and other accessories is so strong that some customers wait months for orders as manufacturers race to catch up.

The gun industry has grown by 8.4 percent annually over the last five years, fueled largely by fears of new regulations after mass shootings, said Maksim Soshkin, an industry research analyst with IBISWorld. High-capacity magazines have become particularly hot products amid fears they will be banned, he said.

The expansion will allow Brownells to carry more products, ship them faster and promote its brand with a highly visible location. The company is expected to open its first retail store at the site within the next year.

Residents and government officials in that area are backing the $16 million project, which will employ up to 200 workers.

The expansion has faced virtually no opposition, even at the 1,600-student college. Students have been more focused on issues such as fighting poverty and hunger than on debating gun control, said Rabbi Rob Cabelli, an associate chaplain who helps run the Center for Religion, Spirituality and Social Justice.