The ceremony marking the beginning of construction of the Barrett Manufacturing & Technology Campus (BMTC) and NIOA North American Headquarters, was attended by a host of dignitaries including Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, Senator for Tennessee, the Honorable Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee Economic and Community Development (TNECD) Commissioner Stuart McWhorter, Rutherford County Mayor Joe Carr and Murfreesboro Mayor Shane McFarland, industry leaders, company executives and staff.

The BMTC will be the NIOA Group’s global center of excellence for firearms and advanced military weapons manufacturing and research capabilities. The ceremony was held today in conjunction with TNECD.

The $76.4 million project creates a 170-acre campus at 8808 Manchester Pike, not far from the company’s original headquarters where it has proudly operated for more than four decades. It marks the most significant investment in Barrett’s history and reflects the NIOA Group’s long-term commitment to advanced manufacturing and local jobs in Rutherford County.

Barrett has built a legendary reputation for its craftmanship and innovation in large caliber long-range superiority over 40 years and is a trusted supplier to US and allied militaries worldwide. This new facility described as “the factory of the future” will continue that story of innovation, research and development and precision military manufacturing to produce the next generation of advanced soldier fired weapon systems.

Stage 1 of the BMTC includes corporate headquarters, R&D capabilities, large scale state-of-the-art manufacturing and first floor office area spread over more than 250,000 square feet. The expansion will double the Barrett workforce over the next five years and enable the company to meet growing worldwide demand for its commercial and defense products.

Barrett CEO Bryan James said the new facility represented a bold step forward and a long-term commitment to the company’s heritage in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

“As a locally founded business, we’re proud to invest once again in the place that has shaped our success as a global leader serving both the commercial and military markets,” Mr. James said.

“This project not only underscores our commitment to the region, supporting hundreds of local jobs, but it’s a significant investment in our people, our customers and our capabilities.”

Mr. James thanked TNECD and the wider community for their strong support of the project, recognizing its potential to create skilled jobs for the region.

NIOA Group executive chairman and chairman of the Barrett board, Rob Nioa, said the new facility would serve as the NIOA Group’s global firearms and advanced military weapons manufacturing center of excellence.

“Tennessee is a firearms and ammunition industry powerhouse. As we look ahead to global growth, we are excited to be building the factory of the future right here,” Mr. Nioa said.

“This is a strategic investment that will give us the scale, technology and capacity to meet the evolving demands of our customers and defense partners worldwide.”

Construction of the BMTC is expected to be completed by February 2027 with operations to begin soon after.

Government officials, NIOA ownership, Barrett Executives and project developers at the BMTC Groundbreaking Ceremony. (Photo by TNECD)

About Barrett Firearms Manufacturing, Inc.

Barrett is the world leader in long-range, large-caliber, precision rifle design and manufacturing. Barrett products are used by civilians, sport shooters, law enforcement agencies, the United States military and more than 80 US Department of State approved countries around the world. The Barrett Quality Management System (QMS) has received the prestigious ISO 9001:2015 certification for the design and manufacture of firearms, ammunition, and accessories, and to provide training for those systems. For more information, please visit www.barrett.net. Barrett is part of the NIOA Group.

About NIOA Group

• The NIOA Group includes NIOA Australia, NIOA New Zealand, the Australian Missile Corporation, NIOA Inc [USA], Barrett Firearms [USA], NIOA UK and joint venture company Rheinmetall NIOA Munitions.
• Established in 1973, NIOA Group is a global firearms, weapons and munitions company with operations in Australia, New Zealand, the USA and United Kingdom with a distribution network covering 80 US State Department approved countries.
• NIOA is a major tenant at the Australian government owned, contractor operated (GOCO) munitions facility at Benalla in Victoria where it operates 30mm Boxer Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle, 35mm cannon and 120mm Abrams tank ammunition manufacturing capabilities.
• The company is a joint venture partner with Rheinmetall of Germany in the Rheinmetall NIOA Munitions 155mm artillery forging facility in Maryborough, Queensland, delivering key munitions for allied nations.

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In announcing the deal, NIOA Group CEO Robert Nioa said the two family-owned companies came together out of a shared commitment to quality, innovation, loyalty, and mission.

“NIOA’s association with Barrett dates back to 2008. We have been inspired by the story of Barrett and admire what Ronnie, Chris and the family have built over more than four decades,” Mr. Nioa said.

“It’s been a story of hard work, perseverance, and purpose culminating in the delivery of critical capability for the men and women of the US military and its allies around the world as well as exceptional products to law enforcement agencies and civilian markets.

“Together we share the same mission – combining our expertise and family business values will ensure Barrett carries on building the finest products in the world.’’

Mr. Nioa confirmed the company would continue to operate under the Barrett brand as a separate division within the NIOA Group alongside NIOA Australia, NIOA New Zealand, the Australian Missile Corporation and the group’s investment in joint venture company Rheinmetall NIOA Munitions.

All management and staff at the Murfreesboro manufacturing facility in Tennessee have been retained and production will continue as normal. Over time it is expected that manufacturing activities in Murfreesboro will be further expanded.

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Mr. Nioa also announced two key leadership appointments – current Barrett President Sam Shallenberger has been promoted to the role of Chief Executive Officer while long-serving Barrett Chief Operating Officer Bryan James becomes President.

Ronnie Barrett and Chris Barrett will provide ongoing support as executive advisers to Barrett and the NIOA Group.

Barrett founder Ronnie Barrett said “Today marks the beginning of a new chapter in the Barrett story. Rob and the NIOA team have great respect for the legacy Barrett has created as the leader in long range precision rifles. It’s reassuring to know Barrett will be in good hands with a family-owned company that is focused on manufacturing and delivering world-class firearms and munitions to a global network.”

The Barrett acquisition marks an exciting next chapter for NIOA as the company’s entry to the US market where it has long-standing trusted relationships with American companies such as Vista Outdoors, Leupold, General Dynamics, Northrup Grumman, and the Winchester-operated Lake City ammunition plant.

NIOA Group CEO Robert Nioa has announced the company’s acquisition of US rifle maker Barrett Firearms.

About NIOA…

• NIOA is the largest Australian-owned supplier of firearms, weapons and ammunition to the Australian and New Zealand defense forces, law enforcement agencies and commercial markets.
• NIOA is a major tenant at the Australian government owned, contractor operated (GOCO) munitions facility at Benalla in Victoria where it is currently manufacturing 120mm munitions for the Abrams tank along with 30mm and 35mm cannon ammunition.
• The company is contracted to deliver major weapons programs for the Australian and New Zealand militaries and has recently established an artillery shell forging factory in Maryborough, Queensland in a joint venture with Rheinmetall of Germany.

 About Barrett…

• Barrett is a family-owned and operated company and the world leader in long-range, large-caliber, precision rifle design and manufacturing.
• Barrett products are used by civilians, sport shooters, law enforcement agencies, the United States military and more than 75 US Department of State approved countries around the world.
• The Barrett Quality Management System (QMS) has received the prestigious ISO 9001:2015 certification for the design and manufacture of firearms, ammunition, and accessories, and to provide training for those systems.

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Established in 1982, Founder and CEO Ronnie Barrett set out to build something no one thought possible — a shoulder-fired 50 BMG rifle. From sketching his designs at the dining room table to working with a local tool and die maker to create parts that didn’t yet exist, every aspect was the direct result of his passion for the ultimate firearm.

“When I took those drawings to machine shops for help, instead of getting encouragement, they laughed at my ideas. Not to be discouraged, I just did it anyway. The original Barrett rifle concept has turned into a world-class manufacturing company doing business around the globe,” Ronnie shared.

The obsession with firearms excellence runs deep in the Barrett family. Ronnie’s son, Chris Barrett, also served as lead designer and company president.

From humble beginnings, to now having products used by more than 70 State Department approved countries, Barrett is also the first father/son team to have each designed a rifle that was adopted by the U.S. Military, the M107® and MK22 respectively. The legacy continues as it has for the last 40 years by meticulously designing, innovating, and manufacturing the most highly sought-after rifles in the world.

About Barrett Firearms Manufacturing, Inc.
Barrett is a family-owned and operated company and the world leader in long-range, large-caliber, precision rifle design and manufacturing. Barrett products are used by civilians, sport shooters, law enforcement agencies, the United States military and more than 70 State Department approved countries around the world. The Barrett Quality Management System (QMS) has received the prestigious ISO 9001:2015 certification for the design and manufacture of firearms, ammunition, and accessories, and to provide training for those systems.

The post Barrett® Celebrates Four Decades of Iconic Firearms appeared first on Barrett Firearms.

MRAD® (Multi-Role Adaptive Design) MK22 MOD 0

Designed with precision and modularity in mind, the MK22 provides even greater flexibility within the highly successful MRAD rifle platform. This multi-caliber bolt action sniper rifle is capable of converting between 7.62x51mm, .300 Norma Magnum (NM) and .338 Norma Magnum (NM) calibers, based on the mission.

The Army said in its budget request that the MRAD MK22 rifle platform “increases stand-off distances ensuring overmatch against enemy counter sniper engagements and increases sniper capability.”

“We are honored to have been awarded the Army’s Precision Sniper Rifle Program in addition to SOCOM’s Advanced Sniper Rifle contract. The MK22 is an extremely capable rifle system that meets the demanding requirements of our military branches.” said Joel Miller, Barrett’s Director of Global Military Sales.

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Bryan has a combined 30 years of experience in the Firearms Industry since graduating from college in 1991. During this time, he served as Director of Training for Glock (1991-2005) and Director of Law Enforcement for Smith & Wesson (2005-2011).

Since starting at Barrett, Bryan has been an integral part of the company’s growth, through the creation of a domestic regional sales team and increasing international recognition, resulting in the recent MK22 contract for USSOCOM. In this new role he will oversee the daily activities of the Engineering, Operations, Sales, Marketing, Training and Quality departments.

Barrett President, Sam Shallenberger said “This was a logical move for us as Barrett’s recent business successes can be directly attributed to Bryan’s leadership approach with his teams. I am certain he will continue to help lead the company to our next milestone.“

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Barrett board member Chris Barrett, President of the company since 2014, said “Sam has had a dramatically positive affect on Barrett’s business results as CFO. I am certain he can lead the business to the next level of success while my father and I focus in our most gifted area, weapon design.”

Chris Barrett designed the MRAD® rifle, selected as the Advanced Sniper Rifle in support of the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) during his five years as Barrett president.

“I’m very proud that Barrett can now attract and retain professionals like Sam. Our entire organization is now staffed with the best people at every level,” commented Barrett founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer Ronnie Barrett.

Ronnie Barrett designed the Barrett Model 82A1® rifle, adopted and fielded by the United States Military as the U.S. Rifle M107, and selected as the official rifle of the State of Tennessee.

Shallenberger said “These past five years at Barrett have been the most enjoyable of my career, and I look forward to putting more of Ronnie and Chris’s designs into the hands of the most demanding shooters in the world.”

Shallenberger is a 2002 MBA graduate of Vanderbilt Universities Owen School of Management, holds an MAcc, is a multi-discipline NRA Firearms Instructor and competitor, a licensed firearms collector, and serves as a multi-award-winning volunteer Reserve Police Sergeant for the Mount Juliet Police Department.

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