Gun maker Sig Sauer unveils $13.5M Experience Center in Epping: Here's a look inside.

Kathleen D. Bailey
·3 min read
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EPPING — For Ron Cohen, chief executive officer and president of Sig Sauer, the company's Sig Sauer Academy has always been a "window into Sig's DNA."

While casual visitors aren't allowed on the manufacturing floor for safety reasons, the academy provides a way for visitors to see what the company is all about. With its latest building, the 40,000-square-foot Experience Center, that window is opening.

Sig Sauer cut the ribbon on the Experience Center on Route 27 in Epping on Wednesday afternoon. More than 100 people crowded under a tent to celebrate the completion of the project, and to celebrate American firearms manufacturing.

Ron Cohen, president of Sig Sauer, Inc., cuts the official ribbon on the opening of the Experience Center in Epping July 13, 2022. At left is New Hampshire state Sen. Chuck Morse, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, and Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson.
Ron Cohen, president of Sig Sauer, Inc., cuts the official ribbon on the opening of the Experience Center in Epping July 13, 2022. At left is New Hampshire state Sen. Chuck Morse, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, and Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson.

The Experience Center cost $13.5 million to build. It encompasses a retail showroom, museum and firing range, along with a conference center, classrooms and a special VIP suite.

"Fifteen months ago, we broke ground on this facility,” said Bobby Cox, vice president of government affairs for the company. “We went from an empty field to what you see today."

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Instructor Jason St. John left, prepares a person at one of the firing ranges during the official opening of Sig Sauer's Experience Center in Epping July 13, 2022.
Instructor Jason St. John left, prepares a person at one of the firing ranges during the official opening of Sig Sauer's Experience Center in Epping July 13, 2022.

Attendees of the event included Gov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas, state Senate President Chuck Morse, and Executive Council members Janet Stevens, Ted Gatsas and David Wheeler.

Cox recognized the town of Epping for its "incredible teamwork" in making the Experience Center happen, and also recognized North Branch Construction for finishing the project on time, despite global supply chain issues.

"This project involved every function area of the company," Cox said.

Hutchinson noted that Sig Sauer makes all its ammunition from a plant just outside of Little Rock, Arkansas.

"We have an incredible manufacturing capacity in the United States, and no one does that better than Sig," he said.

Sig Sauer credits success to the 'tenacity of the American worker'

Cohen spoke about the company’s growth. Since joining the company in 2004, Sig Sauer has grown from 100 employees to 3,000 in three states.

"Almost 20 years ago, Sig Sauer was a little company in Exeter, primarily imports, that nobody paid attention to," he said.

Sig Sauer's success is due to "the tenacity of the American worker, and their desire to make something better," according to Cohen.

Ron Cohen, president of Sig Sauer, speaks about the employees of Sig and the dedication and passion they have during a speech at the opening of the Experience Center July 13, 2022.
Ron Cohen, president of Sig Sauer, speaks about the employees of Sig and the dedication and passion they have during a speech at the opening of the Experience Center July 13, 2022.

While the company has stayed on the cutting edge of technology, including artificial intelligence, Cohen insisted, "It's not about the robots. It's about the people."

Dignitaries including Hutchinson and Morse cut the ribbon to officially open the center.

A look inside the new Experience Center

The center includes a large showroom, where customers can browse and learn about everything from firearms to sweatshirts to eye protection. The museum includes a timeline of the company's growth, trophies, and a diorama of soldiers in the desert using Sig Sauer products. The complex includes a firing range, classrooms, and a coffee bar.

Many of the museum exhibits are interactive, with Cohen quipping, "At the Grand Canyon you can pet a snake. You can do it here, too!"

Sig Sauer Experience Center on the grounds of the Sig Sauer Academy in Epping opened officially July 13, 2022, and has a flagship retail showroom which greets visitors as they walk in.
Sig Sauer Experience Center on the grounds of the Sig Sauer Academy in Epping opened officially July 13, 2022, and has a flagship retail showroom which greets visitors as they walk in.

The general public is invited to a grand opening celebration Friday, July 15 and Saturday, July 16, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. both days. Festivities include presentations from Team SIG professional shooters; product demonstrations; appearances by local sports legends including Boston Bruins Brad Marchand and Kevan Miller, also of the hunting company March & Mill Co., and former New England Patriot Adam Vinatieri; a vendor village and raffles.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Sig Sauer unveils new $13.5M Experience Center in Epping