Firearms manufacturer likes the Flathead

From high-end hunting rifles and shotguns to precision military sniper rifles, Flathead Valley is growing into a recognized hub in the international firearms industry.

Rep. Denny Rehberg joined three members of the Montana Firearms Institute for a visit to one of the valley’s new firearms manufacturing companies on April 13 — Republican state Sen. Ryan Zinke, institute founder Chris Hyatt and Kalispell attorney Duncan Scott. The institute helps the growing industry by fostering communication, finding government contracts and lobbying in Helena.

Defiance Machine, halfway between Columbia Falls and Whitefish on Highway 40, mostly makes rifle actions, but it recently got into shotguns for competitive trap shooters with a sister company called Butler Arms. High-end rifle actions can cost $1,000. One of the company’s customers is Proof Research, which is constructing a new building on U.S. 2 south of Highway 40.

Glen Harrison is the founder of Defiance Machine. He and his wife, Lisa Lund, were the sole employees at the company’s shop on Jellison Road. Harrison said he started working in firearms manufacturing 20 years ago with another company that made high-end rifle actions.

After that company merged with Dakota Arms, the couple returned to the Flathead and saw their new venture rapidly expand. Defiance Machine grew to four employees by 2010 and 35 by 2011. It now has 44 workers, including machine operators, office staff and engineers.

“We expect to have 75 to 80 employees by the end of this year,” said James Drager, vice president of operations

Drager moved to the Flathead last September from Pennsylvania, where he owned a consulting company for manufacturers. Like many of Defiance Machine’s employees, he was drawn to the Flathead by its natural beauty and outdoor recreational amenities.

Defiance Machine serves more than 300 unique customers in five countries, Drager said. The company has attracted skilled workers from six states, and the payroll is now “in the millions.”

Mike Bush, vice president of engineering, said he was a long-time customer of Harrison’s actions and moved to the Flathead from Arizona three years ago to work with him. Bush coined the phrase “disruptive technology” to describe the company’s deviation from conventional technology and conventional wisdom.

“The lifestyle is bringing these companies to the Flathead,” Zinke said. “Firearms is an industry we can compete in. We’re creating a kind of Silicon Valley here in the firearms industry, with lots of networking and cost-sharing.”

Harrison noted that he receives invitations from North Idaho and Sturgis, S.D., to move his business.

“I love the Black Hills, but you can’t beat living here,” he said. “We’ve also built a great team here.”

Drager cautioned about potential negatives from a specialized industry clustered in one valley, especially if companies rob workers from each other. He recalled a recent Chamber of Commerce talk where he was asked what government could do for the growing firearms industry here.

“We just said, stay out of our way,” he said.

In the clean and well-lit back room of the building, a dozen large machines were grinding away at blocks of aluminum, hardened steel and stainless steel, putting out 10-12 actions a day. Thousands of lines of computer code flashed past across a screen on a Japanese milling machine that carved a shotgun action from a solid block of aluminum in five hours.

“All the code is written in-house,” Harrison said. “We model a piece first on a computer using software we developed over the years.”

“That’s what makes us world-class — digital manufacturing,” Drager said.

Rehberg held up his left arm and asked if Defiance Machine made left-handed actions.

“My oldest daughter is left-handed,” Harrison assured the Congressman. “Everything we make is available in left and right configurations, including our shotguns — and soon our AR.”