If you’re a firearms enthusiast, you’re almost certainly familiar with the venerable 1911. And if you’re a 1911 fan, you have no doubt at least heard of Kimber. Though they are certainly not the only 1911-centric shop in the game, they are easily one of the most well-known. And while 1911s tend to be their flagship, Kimber is actually involved in numerous other areas of the market with a plethora of other models and designs in their catalogue – including some striker-fired and revolver options. It may surprise some readers to learn that they were actually “founded with the sole purpose of building the finest classic sporting rifles ever offered in America,” as stated on their website, and only got into the 1911 game later.

Although Kimber is most famous for their 1911s, like those shown here, they also offer some other handguns and a family of bolt-action rifles.

They’ve grown significantly since their humble beginnings as a two-man father-and-son operation in Oregon more than forty years ago. The company’s post-founder leadership shifted operations out of Oregon and maintained facilities in New York and New Jersey until an expansion to Troy, Alabama, which TFB reported on nearly three years ago. This new facility served to double Kimber’s manufacturing capacity and has apparently proven to be successful as they are looking to double down on that move now. With the following press release, the company has announced that they are officially transitioning company headquarters to the Alabama location, as well as looking to expand their team in a number of areas. The press release reads:

One of Kimber’s other product lines includes this stainless K6S Target revolver.

TROY, AL, October 21, 2020

Kimber Mfg., is pleased to name Troy, Alabama, as its official corporate headquarters and to announce it is hiring aggressively in all departments. After a carefully planned shift of leadership, R&D and manufacturing resources, Kimber has made substantial progress in the transition to its new, state-of-the-art headquarters in Troy, Alabama. The final step in completing this new facility is adding staff across all departments. Kimber’s new headquarters is situated on 80+ acres with more than 225,000 square-feet of space and is now home to industry-leading design engineering, product management and manufacturing capabilities. After an exhaustive search, Troy was chosen for a multitude of reasons including its proximity to top-tier engineering schools as well as gun- and business-friendly support from the city of Troy and the great state of Alabama. Kimber’s Alabama expansion is well ahead of schedule, having filled hundreds of its planned Troy-based positions. Kimber is seeking qualified applicants across multiple positions and business areas including CNC technicians, machinists, quality control specialists, lean technicians, design engineers, compliance analysts, customer service representatives, materials planners, maintenance technicians, finishing operators, and assembly technicians. “Kimber is a great place to work, especially if you love firearms,” said Pedi Gega, director of assembly and product finishing. “We have two indoor gun ranges, one outdoor range, a state-of-the-art design and prototype fabrication center, and a dynamic team of professionals who pride themselves in producing firearms with unmatched attention to detail, design and performance. Every Kimber firearm is created with a unique blend of advanced precision technology and authentic human craftsmanship.” Interested applicants are encouraged to apply at https://www.kimberamerica.com/careers.

Photos courtesy of Kimber.