Courtesy of Jackson Hole Buckrail:
New West KnifeWorks expands into new space on Town Square
JACKSON, Wyo. — New West KnifeWorks opened the doors to its new flagship location, an expanded “knife art” gallery, on the Town Square just a few days ago. The local business has come a long way since its inception over 20 years ago.
Founder Corey Milligan puts it succinctly: “When I hitchhiked into Jackson in 1992, I never thought I’d have a business on the Town Square”, let alone four retail locations across the country and a bustling 10,000 square foot factory in Victor, ID.
For the past several years, company growth has been focused on opening shops in beautiful destinations that (almost) rival Jackson Hole, such as Napa Valley and Park City. However, the past 18 months have been all about local expansion.
The new factory in Victor was built out by the knifemakers themselves, led by production manager, Erin Hemmings – affectionately called “The Genius”. His ability to find or create a well-engineered solution for almost any creative idea Corey Milligan throws his way is a match made in heaven.
Up until a few days ago, Erin and a small team of knife makers, as well as Jackson store manager, Julie Jaeger, with a contingent of the JH Moose Rugby team, were hard at work completely refurbishing the corner building on Town Square at 98 Center Street.
The “new” flagship location is now open with carefully designed COVID-conscious protocols in place. Everything from store capacity to masks and sanitizing products – in an environment where getting knives in customers’ hands is key – has been thought through and addressed.
From river rat to proud proprietor, Corey Milligan has been a part of creating Jackson’s growing number of year-round career opportunities. He’s also been a beacon for the return to the pride and quality that “Made in USA” stands for.
This progression will continue as they convert the former Jackson retail space into a high-end art gallery featuring works by talented local up-and-comer, Connor Liljestrom.
As his longtime friend, and now New West COO, Anthony Campolattaro opines, “Where else on Town Square can you buy something – that you’ll use every day – actually made here in the Tetons?”. It’s a fair question, and New West has the answer.