Grew up in Mackay Idaho and from a very young age was immersed into the shooting world. My father and grandfathers were avid hunters and I looked forward to the fall every year to follow in their footsteps. I began reloading everything from small caliber pistol up to magnum rifle and shotgun during this time as well.

By the age of 12 I was tearing apart everything to discover how it worked and why. This lead to a love and passion for anything mechanical, forming/fabricating parts and building from raw materials. Throughout my teenage years, I was building everything from motorcycles to firearms. Upon graduating High School, I worked as an Auto mechanic until I felt the need to follow in my grandfathers and uncles footsteps. I enlisted into the Navy in 1989 and served as a Corpsman until 2001. I attended Idaho State University and graduated with a BS in Environmental Sciences.

Shortly after, I began working in the Aerospace industry repairing, fabricating and wiring aircraft from general aviation through commercial aircraft. In 2001, a great opportunity was presented and I began working in the Biotech sector and spent 11 years machining, fabricating and overseeing projects involving Homeland Security, NASA, DoD, DoE and was directly involved in obtaining 11 industrial patents.

During these years, I also acquired my FFL/SOT and began building firearms from mild to wild. I attended factory schools for Glock and S&W, as well as online courses for the 1911, accurizing, and blueprinting. I started my own company, Gem State Armory and patented my first tool in 2011. I have spent the last 6 years doing general repairs ranging from basic work to complete custom builds, as well as custom finishes utilizing Cerakote. With over 25 years experience in machining and fabrication I pride myself on my work and stand behind everything I work on.