Kimber Manufacturing

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Kimber Manufacturing, Inc.
Type Private
Founded 1997
Headquarters Yonkers, NY
Key people Leslie Edelman, President and owner
Industry Defense
Products Firearms, weapon
Revenue unknown
Employees 100+ (2007)[1]
Website www.kimberamerica.com


Kimber is the world's largest manufacturer of M1911 pistols. The USA Shooting Team, Marines assigned to Special Operations Command and the LAPD SWAT team use Kimber pistols.


Contents

[edit] History

Kimber was founded as "Kimber of Oregon" in 1979 by Greg and Jack Warner in the small town of Colton, Oregon. The company quickly built a reputation for accurate .22 caliber rifles, began to expand its product line and eventually build a manufacturing plant in the nearby city of Clackamas. In the early 1990s, the company fell on hard times. Over the course of several years, Leslie Edelman acquired a majority interest in the company. Kimber of Oregon's financial situation did not improve significantly, ultimately leading to the closure of its facilities in Oregon in 1997.

At the same time, Yonkers-based Jerico Precision Manufacturing, a manufacturer of hand tools and mechanical components for the defense industry, was having a hard time adjusting to cuts in defense spending. Edelman decided to connect Jerico Precision's existing infrastructure and manufacturing capabilities and Kimber's reputation and extensive network of dealers to build a line of 1911-style handguns. He eventually purchased Jerico Precision and renamed the business "Kimber of America".

A federal grand jury indicted former CFO Denis Shusterman for embezzling a total of $10 million from Kimber Manufacturing on December 9, 2004.[2] He was later convicted after pleading guilty, ordered to pay damages and back taxes and sentenced to 14 years in federal prison.

Kimber is currently planning to expand its manufacturing capacity. Presently, it owns a 31,500 ft² manufacturing facility in Ridgefield, NJ. A proposal to add more space to its Yonkers site had been approved as a "regionally significant project"[3] but Kimber appears to have withdrawn its application following concerns raised by worried neighbors.

[edit] Products

These days, Kimber is mostly known for its highly accurate 1911-style pistols, as well as for offering a wide variety of customization options. Early on, the company introduced the use of Metal Injection Molding for some parts, such as the thumb safety, which makes them particularly durable and cost-effective to produce. The adoption of CAD and CAM technology were a priority due to the tight dimensions and low tolerances involved in producing firearms that are designed to be both accurate and reliable[4]. In 2005, Kimber manufactured a total of 47,820 production handguns. It also makes several long gun models, including shotguns, hunting and tactical rifles. In 2006, Kimber added the KPD self-defense firearm to its offerings. Non-lethal self-defense tools are also being sold under Kimber's "LifeAct" trademark.

A modified version of the "Team Match II" .45 ACP caliber pistol is used by the US Shooting Rapid Fire Pistol Team. In 2003, the LAPD chose a slightly modified and specially marked version of the "Custom II" as the standard handgun for its SWAT unit. Several other law enforcement agencies have approved Kimber firearms for on-duty carry by their patrol and SWAT officers [5].

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.nyjournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070219/UPDATE/702190368
  2. ^ http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2004/12/06/daily24.html
  3. ^ http://yonkersinsider.files.wordpress.com/2007/02/kimber_manufacturing_regionally_significant1.pdf
  4. ^ http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3197/is_12_46/ai_81305630
  5. ^ http://www.kimberamerica.com/law.php


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