SIG SAUER Takes Another Big Step in Support of the Infantry

SIG SAUER took another step forward in support of the foot soldier this week. Formal dedication of their 210,000 square foot Jacksonville Arkansas Ammunition Center (JAAC) was more irrefutable proof that the company has become a major player in the military contracting world and an economic driver in a state that eagerly supports SIG’s expansion efforts.

But the expansion was also part of a longer vision, a vision formed more than a decade ago by a former Israeli Defense Forces foot soldier named Ron Cohen. Nearly a decade ago, Cohen told me an ambitious goal he had in mind for SIG SAUER. At that time,  it was far closer to its former near-bankrupt status than the ten-digit-plus juggernaut it has become under his leadership.

His goal?  To change the world of the foot soldier. In his vision, that would be achieved by SIG developing weapons that would make them better warfighters. I was intrigued because I knew Cohen was speaking from experience. As an IDF soldier, Cohen had humped the weapons he knew in his heart SIG SAUER was capable of improving.

The dignitaries speaking at the groundbreaking Wednesday validated Cohen’s faith in the engineers and abilities at SIG.

Arkansas Senator John Boozman recounted the state’s support of the military and said he was impressed with the new facility, but he mostly “looked forward to touring the plant when it’s bustling..and maybe shooting some of your stuff.”

That played well, as did Governor Sara Sanders making it plain that Arkansas is pro-military, pro-defense, and very pro-gun. She also told the crowd how the development of a working relationship with SIG and CEO Cohen helped her see the dual benefits for the defense of the United States and the economic prosperity of Arkansas.

It was Cohen, however, who brought home the single-minded goal he’s had throughout SIG’s move into the military arena. “I’m proud to be a soldier,” Cohen told the crowd, “and this is a revolution for the soldier.”

The soldier who Cohen identifies with most isn’t like the many generals in the crowd. The soldier Cohen identifies most with is “the soldier who walks on the ground…the one who will have to shoot someone.” His goal — and SIG’s — has been simple: to support the foot solder.  To make their loadout lighter, their weapons more lethal and to improve their ability to do their job.

“For the people of SIG,” an occasionally emotional Cohen explained, “this is not a job, it is a calling. We chose to do something that matters. We understand the mission. And we believe we are on a mission to change the world.”

“If I were an enemy of the U.S.,” he said, “I would not want to start a war with us.”

To prove his point, attendees were invited to tour the displays that will soon be replaced by manufacturing machines. The displays demonstrated how the JAAC facility would make the half-billion rounds they estimate producing annually, along with the rifles, pistols, optics, and suppressors being supplied to the military by SIG.

At the end of his remarks, Cohen made it clear that Wednesday’s event was only a lull in the action for the 3500 people of SIG, especially the hundreds who work in Jacksonville, many of whom will soon be moving into the new building. “Christmas isn’t far away,” he told everyone, “this building will look very different by then. And in a year, you probably won’t be able to find a place to park.”

He’s probably not exaggerating.

We’ll keep you posted.