A University of Wyoming graduate, Ben Bryan, grew up in Alaska. He moved to Laramie, Wyoming to go to college then, after thirteen years, got a job in Denver. He actually designed and built spacecraft like deep-space vehicles and the Mars 2020 rover for Lockheed Martin.
Wanting to change his direction in life, Ben moved back to Laramie after ten years. He landed the director of engineering job at a company called Weatherby who is a manufacturer of firearms. Weatherby was originally in California, however, due to the climate in California wanted to re-locate their plant to a friendlier state.
He loved working at Lockheed Martin as he was leading and building spacecraft teams, but he was putting in over eighty hours a week at work. When they were going to do launches, he would have to travel to Florida for five months. He would miss his wife and three beautiful kids so much that he decided to move them to Sheridan, Wyoming where it was a better quality of life and there were mountains.
He was thrilled to get the job at Weatherby because he was hired to be an innovator. For the most part, since World War II, the firearms industry has not changed a lot. So, Ben gets to construct new products with different features.
For example, with his experience in designing energy-dissipating devices, he had installed on rifles that are large-caliber a device that makes if feel like one is shooting a .22. He is incorporating new materials with 3D printing using titanium and carbon-fiber.
Ben is working to expand industry in Wyoming by working with a consortium of people who have their eye on the aerospace business. He is sharing the contacts he had in the aerospace industry with this consortium and with the encouragement from the state of Wyoming, they are making some interesting deals to move companies to Wyoming.
This works hand in hand with the University of Wyoming’s engineering program which is touted as top-notch. Having hardware that goes into space being built in Wyoming would give them a huge boon to their economy.
Ben is still active in the aerospace industry by participating in launches. He loves they lifestyle that Wyoming offers and would never move back to Denver.
There are several advantages for companies to incorporate in Wyoming:
- Corporations in Wyoming may purchase, hold, sell or transfer shares of its own stock.
- Corporate Shares are not taxed
- There is no franchise tax, personal income tax gift or inheritance tax, estate tax or unitary tax
- Wyoming has no state business license
- The annual fees are nominal
- Competitive property and sales tax rates
- Minimal employer payroll tax – 0,7% of gross wages with deductions for employer paid health insurance.
Even if a company is in another state, incorporating in Wyoming is advantageous because the business is protected under the laws of Wyoming.
