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May 30, 2014

Ruger Goes Rural: A Visit to the Mayodan, NC Manufacturing Plant

A behind-the-scenes look at the new Ruger manufacturing facility located in the heart of North Carolina!

Michael Humphries

The new 220,000-square-foot Ruger facility in Mayodan, North Carolina, is home to production of the American Rimfire rifle as well as an unnamed secret project.

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The new 220,000-square-foot Ruger facility in Mayodan, North Carolina, is home to production of the American Rimfire rifle as well as an unnamed secret project.

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The low-key entrance to the plant belies the exciting products being produced behind those doors.

The plant employs a “super cell” approach to manufacturing in which employees and machines are organized and grouped together the maximize efficiency and minimize waste.

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The plant employs a “super cell” approach to manufacturing in which employees and machines are organized and grouped together the maximize efficiency and minimize waste.

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A group of American Rimfire barreled actions sit in a rack, waiting for the next stage of assembly.

An “in the white” American Rimfire receiver pulled from the production line for inspection by the visiting group.

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A rack of “in the white” bolt assemblies for the American Rimfire rifle.

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Hammer-forged barrels right off of the machine, ready for the next stage of production.

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Turned and crowned barrels on the receiver and “in the white.”

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Ruger’s impressive hammer forging machine for barrel production.

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Employees in the “super cells” work closely together to produce the rifles.

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Ruger American Rimfire

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Ruger American Rimfire

Check out the video of our visit to Ruger’s newest facility below!

PersonalDefenseWorld.com was recently given a chance to get a behind-the-scenes look at the new Ruger manufacturing plant located in Mayodan, North Carolina. A select group of writers was invited to tour the new plant where the company is producing the Ruger American Rimfire rifle, as well as a secret project that is still under wraps.

At the beginning of the tour, Ruger’s CEO, Mike Fifer, gave the assembled group some background on the new plant. He explained that Ruger’s unprecedented growth over the past few years had maxed out the production capacity of its New Hampshire and Arizona facilities. Production had increased fourfold, and the number of employees had gone from 1,300 to 2,400 to meet the demand. As a result, the company realized it needed to expand.

After an exhaustive search around the country, the area of Mayodan, North Carolina, was determined to be a finalist in the selection process. Ruger soon discovered that the area was filled with a highly capable and motivated work force that was very friendly to the firearms community. That, combined with an empty 220,000-square-foot plant that would fit the company’s needs quite well, ensured that an expansion to Mayodan was the right move for the company.

Mickey Wilson, director of operations at the Mayodan plant, then brought the group up to speed on the role that the plant is designed to play in the bigger picture. Currently, the plant produces the American Rimfire rifle line, including a state-of-the-art barrel hammer-forging machine. In addition, he dropped a hint that there is another secret project going on at the facility, but said we would have to wait to find out more on it.

Wilson went on to detail the process behind getting the plant up to speed, letting us know that they managed to get the first production rimfire rifle off the line an astounding 60 days after acquiring the building. This included cleaning and refurbishing the facility, setting up the equipment, etc. All in all, it’s an amazing accomplishment. Wilson went on to describe the manufacturing processes employed at the plant, stating that it follows a “lean production” philosophy that is designed to maximize efficiency and minimize waste.

Part of this process is what he described as a “super cell” system of production in which dedicated production lines group together processes and employees so that everyone needed is there to build a complete product. Each “cell” is a mini factory, or a “plant within a plant.” This process results in greater efficiency and accountability, which they claim makes for a better final product.

We would like to thank Ruger for giving us the opportunity to take a look behind the scenes at the new plant and key us in on what is happening there. Keep an eye out here for information on the “secret project” as we find out more!