ZEV Leaves Washington for Utah — Another Company Votes With Its Feet

Utah based SilencerCo recently aquired ZEV Technology and is helping them with the relocation to Utah.

We are seeing firearm companies voting with their feet. They are not waiting around anymore hoping things will change or get better inside gun control heavy states. They are just up and leaving. Taking with them jobs, tax dollars, and local tradition sometimes built over decades.

ZEV Technologies is just the latest firearms company to pack up and move. They are moving to a state that actually respects the Second Amendment. Currently based out of the state of Washington, ZEV has moved once before to freer states when it comes to firearms.

What’s Happening

ZEV Technologies has announced it is relocating its headquarters and manufacturing operations from Washington State to Riverton, Utah. The move will shift operations into a new 40,000-square-foot facility, with the transition expected to be completed by the end of May.

The reasons that participated this move are obvious and not subtle.  Washington State’s ever increasing anti-gun political climate and burdensome regulations.

According to ZEV leadership, the company could no longer justify operating in a state where the very products they manufacture are increasingly restricted. Washington State has, on an almost annual basis, increased their restrictions, taxation, and bans on it’s law-abiding citizens.

ZEV President Taylor Goode

ZEV President Taylor Goode put it plainly, the company could not, “in good conscience,” continue operating in their current jurisdiction. It is hypocritical, and damaging to their customer base to continue operating in a location that restricts the rights of lawful gun owners.

This is not a corporate spin on something, it is a statement of fact. This is a direct response to policy that is aimed at harming firearm manufactures and dealers. This highlights a growing divide across the country. We are increasingly see the country divide into two categories, states that support the Second Amendment and states that actively work against it.

The Bigger Picture

This move didn’t happen in a vacuum. ZEV was acquired by SilencerCo in 2024, a Utah-based company operating in a far more gun-friendly environment. Operationally, this relocation makes sense. But operations do not fully explain this move, politics do. ZEV is not the first, and they will not be the last, firearm company leaving a hostile state behind.

Why This Matters

This matters a bunch as we see a great shifting happen across the country. People, and companies, are self sorting into silos. The danger here is that rights are increasingly being denied on those left behind in the gun control states. Here at 2 If By Sea Tactical, we are here in Minnesota continuing to fight the good fight.

What we are seeing here with ZEV, isn’t about one company relocating. We are seeing the economic consequences of anti-gun policy. When companies leave jobs, livelihoods, and charitable work often disappear with them. In states that are already struggling to balance a budget, every move hurts.

For us gun owners, when those who are fighting on our behalf move we are left behind to pick up the pieces. While pro-gun states are increasingly expanding rights for their citizens, often the ones those companies left are increasing their curtailing of them.

What we are seeing is not failing companies desperate for tax relief or a second chance leaving. We are seeing larger corporations that are thriving choosing a better path. While in this article we are talking about gun control policy, we see other companies relocate to red states for a variety of reasons.

Real-World Impact

For gun owners, this trend has real consequences. It reduces our access to certain firearms and components and increases cost due to limited supply chains. What hurts the most is it limits the employment opportunities in an industry we love in our states.

What is missed among most is the influence these companies sometimes have on local politics as well. When it comes to shaping the laws of a state many of these companies have some influence to help fight back against gun control. Once they leave, that help often ends.

What Comes Next

ZEV will now operate out of Utah, a state that has made it clear it supports the firearms industry. They are expanding their production capabilities and continuing on developing cool new technology for us gun owners.

In Utah, they will find a state that will be  partner for their business and not a hindrance. We are most likely going to continue to see other companies follow a similar path as the years go on.  What makes this move so impactful is that ZEV didn’t just relocate.

They moved and made a statement at the same time. When a company says it can’t operate “in good conscience” under certain laws, that tells you everything you need to know. States that attack the Second Amendment don’t just lose rights. They lose businesses, jobs, and tax income. What we see in Washington State today is a warning sign for everywhere else especially here in Minnesota.

Here at 2 If By Sea Tactical we strive to bring you the best experience in the firearms world.  As we continue to grow the media arm of 2 If By Sea, make sure you keep tuning in to our Youtube and Rumble channels and right here at “The Patriot’s Almanac” to stay informed on the latest happenings in the firearm world! But we are not lawyers, so this isn't legal guidance. We are proud to be Southern Minnesota source for all things 2A.

Stay sharp, stay informed, and stay ready.