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Shotgun shell maker to unveil WV expansion

KEARNEYSVILLE, W.Va. — Kent Cartridge, a local facility that manufactures shotgun shells, has acquired two new high-speed machines and an additional 20,000 square-foot warehouse, and will be unveiling the expansion during a ribbon cutting this morning.

Linda Barnhart, vice president of Kent Cartridge, said the expansion is illustrative of the success the facility has experienced since its 1983 inception.

“We have been a viable employer in this community for almost 33 years. In 2017, this company that currently owns the facility will be celebrating its 20th year. With business the way it has been for us, we’re blessed,” Barnhart said. “We’re proud of the fact that we could have a business that has grown and we need to expand, and we felt that our ribbon cutting was in order simply because we’ve accomplished so much in 20 years.”

The facility now owned by Kent Cartridge, a Canadian-based company, was previously a factory owned by a separate entity.

The expansion project cost approximately $1.6 million, which was solely funded by the owner of the company.

The entire old building and the new facility were sprinkled for fire resistance, and Barnhart said a 250,000-gallon water tank sits on the 200-acre premises in order to maintain enough water in case of emergency.

John Reisenweber, executive director of the Jefferson County Development Authority, said the facility and its expansion are representative of important news for the area.

“I think it’s important for a lot of reasons. Any time businesses are doing well enough to expand, that’s reflective of the economy. It’s a good sign the economy is going in the right direction,” Reisenweber said. “There are good things happening in the Eastern Panhandle. This is just another good indicator that small businesses are doing well and able to thrive in Jefferson County. One of the things we’ve tried to do is make the county more conducive to doing business, and when you see expansions, that illustrates to me that this is a good place to do business.”

In the future, Barnhart said she hopes to continue expanding.

“We sell to quite a few customers and in order to do an additional expanding, we have to look at where our demands are. We compete against major shotgun shell companies, and our business has been good,” Barnhart said. “Of course, we are hoping to continue to grow the business as we have been, but we can’t tell that today. It’s just a hope we have.”

Reisenweber said the discussion for an expansion began about 2 years ago based off a business retention visit.

“We talk to employers in Jefferson County and talk about issues they may be facing and any needs they have. I kind of liken it to an annual checkup,” Reisenweber said. “We began talking about it, and they discussed needing to expand their facility.”

Construction on the expansion began less than a year ago, according to Reisenweber.

The additional warehouse constructed on the property will be used to house finished goods, since shotgun sells are usually bought seasonally rather than year-round. Kent Cartridge currently employs about 24 people from Jefferson and Berkeley counties.

The shotgun shells produced by the facility are mainly used for water fowl hunting, but the facility also manufactures target shells and small game shells.

The ribbon cutting will be held at the Hite Road site at 10 a.m.

Staff writer Emily Daniels can be reached at 304-263-8931 ext. 132 or www.twitter.com/emilykdaniels.

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