Vern Evans
Governor Greg Gianforte proudly cut the ribbon last week welcoming weapons safety manufacturer Ultimate Defense Technologies at the company’s new headquarters and production facility in Billings, Montana. The partnership is a big win for everyone involved as Montana continues to support the Second Amendment while showing the state cares about its communities through business growth and creating job opportunities for Montanans.
“Thanks to our pro-business, pro-jobs policies and proud Second Amendment heritage, businesses like Ultimate Defense Technologies are choosing to relocate to Montana… We’ll continue to recruit firearms and ammunition businesses to the Treasure State to create more good-paying jobs,” says Governor Gianforte.
Governors take note because this is how it’s done! It is worth pointing out that Montana is currently home to over 150 firearms and ammunition companies, the highest per capita in the country.
Governor Gianforte and the Montana Department of Commerce Business Attraction Team initially approached Ultimate Defense Technologies co-founder, Neil Oakshott, during the company’s debut of the Spartan Guardian Portable Gun Safety System at SHOT Show 2023 in Las Vegas. The encounter with Montana’s top official eventually led to the company’s relocation from Arizona.
Oakshott had been inspired to create the Spartan Guardian after a neighbor accidentally discharged her handgun at home while removing it from the holster.
“I started thinking about how we could make guns safer but instantly available in a time of need. And the number of injuries from misuse of firearms and instances of theft was concerning to us,” says Oakshott.
The Spartan Guardian offers portable secure storage and fast access to your handgun using RFID cards, tags, rings or wristbands. It can also be accessed manually via a heavy-duty drill-proof backup lock. It features a hidden compartment accommodating devices like an Apple AirTag, keys, money or any small but valuable items. Think of it as a portable single handgun safe that can be mounted anywhere in your home, office or vehicle. It is constructed to fit most of the popular handguns available today.
Ultimate Defense Technologies plans to expand further into the safe storage and quick access market with future solutions for gun owners, commercial businesses, and law enforcement agencies, creating growth that will undoubtedly benefit the local Billings community.
“Montana has invested in us, so we want to invest in Montana. We want to give people careers, and we want to work with people that are often overlooked in society like veterans and people with special needs,” added Oakshott, demonstrating the company’s commitment to creating local jobs including investing in an apprenticeship program. From the onset, Ultimate Defense Technologies plans to employ nearly 90 Montanans.
In his first year in office, Governor Gianforte made Montana a constitutional carry state. He also prohibited state agencies from enforcing any federal law, executive order, rule, or regulation that infringes upon ownership, possession, transfer, or use of any firearm, magazine, or firearm accessory in the state.
While Governor Gianforte’s actions may sound extreme or radical to some in the current political climate, this stance couldn’t be further from the truth. Officials often treat election victories as a signal that constituents put them in charge out of a need to be told how to live, and what is right vs wrong. In reality, they are voted into office to represent the citizens who put them there, to represent their needs and the desire to live their lives and prosper how they choose. We once had a word for this. Freedom.
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