Lipsey’s says political rhetoric on gun control has fueled firearms sales

Just six years ago, Lipsey’s Inc. built an addition to its 48,000-square-foot warehouse on Exchequer Boulevard. Two years later, President Barack Obama was elected and a whirlwind of political rhetoric spun up, rendering the extra space obsolete as gun sales went through the roof. “The political environment has highly contributed to firearms sales these last four years,” says Lipsey’s President Laurie Aronson. This morning, Aronson and her father, Richard Lipsey, were joined by a group of employees, contractors, architects and investment bankers as they broke ground with golden shovels on Lipsey’s future headquarters and distribution center near Reiger Road and Interstate 10, where construction will begin next week for a new 80,000-square-foot warehouse. Contractor David Cangelosi says the warehouse should be built before the end of next year. Cangelosi and others estimate it will be the first major warehouse built in south Baton Rouge’s Industriplex since the Mockler Beverage Co. distribution warehouse was built on Reiger Road. Aronson says Lipsey’s employs 65 workers but could increase employment to about 80 or 90 workers as soon as the firearms distributor moves into its new location. —Adam Pearson