WATCH: Cocoa’s KelTec Sends Rifles to Ukrainian Civilians to Resist Russian Onslaught

Adrian Kellgren of Cocoa-based KelTec interviewed on Fox News' 'Fox & Friends'

WATCH: Adrian Kellgren of Cocoa-based KelTec joined Fox News ‘Fox & Friends’ recently to discuss his company’s donation of more than $200,000 worth of rifles to help Ukrainian civilians resist the Russian onslaught. (Fox News video)

– Fox News contributed to this report

BREVARD COUNTY • COCOA, FORIDA – Adrian Kellgren of Cocoa-based KelTec joined Fox News ‘Fox & Friends’ recently to discuss his company’s donation of more than $200,000 worth of rifles to help Ukrainian civilians resist the Russian onslaught.

Kellgren’s family-owned gun company in Cocoa, located at 1505 Cox Road, was left holding a $200,000 shipment of semi-automatic rifles after a longtime customer in Ukraine suddenly went silent during Russia’s invasion of the country.

Fearing the worst, Kellgren, KelTec director of industrial production, decided to put those stranded 400 rifles to use, sending them to Ukraine’s nascent resistance movement to help civilians fight back against a Russian military that has been repeatedly shelling their apartment buildings, schools, hospitals and hiding places.

“The American people want to do something,” Kellgren, a former U.S. Navy pilot, said during a Fox News interview. “We enjoy our freedoms, we cherish those things. And when we see a group of people out there getting hammered like this, it’s heartbreaking.”

KelTec’s donation is a high-profile example of Americans collecting guns, ammunition, body armor, helmets and other tactical gear in response to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s promise to arm his citizens.

KelTec hopes to arrange more shipments in the future. Its license allows the export of up to 10,000 weapons and the company has offered the Ukrainians their own production line and weekly shipments.

Kellgren said he’s been inspired by the resourcefulness and tenacity of Ukrainian citizens and is confident the rifles he’s sending will make a difference.

“The people of Ukraine have had mostly just civilian firearms and they’re holding off a superpower,” he said. “So the X-factor here not isn’t necessarily what equipment you’re holding. … It comes down to the will to fight.”

WATCH: George Kellgren founded KelTec in 1991 and established the company in Cocoa, Florida. KelTec is now one of the top five handgun makers in America, and one of the largest in the world. They strongly support the individual right to keep and bear arms as defined in the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

KelTec Founded in 1991 in Cocoa By George Kellgren

George Kellgren founded KelTec in 1991 and established the company in Cocoa. Initially a CNC machine shop making firearms components for Grendel Inc., the company began manufacturing firearms under the KelTec name in 1995.

Every firearm produced since that day has been designed under the guiding principal that they should be innovative in their designed and exciting to use. George’s passion and dedication to hard work enabled him to achieve the American Dream.

George was born in Sweden to a military family. Enlisting in the Swedish Navy as a young man enabled George to discover his passion for firearm design, which lead to his study and mastery of engineering.

After working for legendary companies like Husqvarna and Intratec, his career lead him to Southern Florida in 1979. With Intratec, George created the KG-9, a blowback-operated, semiautomatic pistol.

Fueled by his desire to create the weapons of his dreams, George moved to Cocoa and founded Grendel Inc. where he was able to design and produce innovative firearms.

Grendel Inc. provided unique, high-quality firearms to the American people for 14 years until the passing of the Federal Assault Weapons Ban in 1994.

That year, Grendel was forced to shut their doors. However, the closing of Grendel and unique social landscape enabled the growth of a much more formidable beast, Kel-Tec CNC Industries.

The time was right for a small, concealable pistol to be produced, and when Grendel closed, it just so happened that they were working on exactly that.

Because KelTec had already been machining all the components, it picked up right where Grendel left off, and the P-11 was born.

Without doing any market research and working purely on the desire for something new, George Kellgren designed a pistol that would forever change the firearm industry.

This put his family-operated, American-owned business on the map.

Since the day KelTec started, they have been engineering exciting and high-quality rifles, reliable pistols, and high-quality shotguns for American citizens, law enforcement, and our country’s military.

Every firearm that leaves their Cocoa facility has been expertly and uniquely designed, flawlessly manufactured, and rigorously tested to provide a sense of security for every person who uses them.

Today, KelTec employs nearly 300 workers, many military veterans, who come to work every day to craft 14 unique firearms dreamed up by their team of talented in-house engineers including the American Dream himself, George Kellgren.

“The company’s success can be attributed to slow, steady, debt-free growth and creating original firearms that strike a nerve in the imaginations of the public,” said a KelTec spokesperson.

The resonance these machines cause has landed their wildly popular KSG in 12 major films and 16 popular video games including, Call of Duty: Black Ops II and Grand Theft Auto V.

“Innovation has always been the key factor for KelTec,” said a KelTec spokesperson.

“Since opening, we pioneered the concealed carry style of handguns and created cutting-edge bullpup rifles and shotguns. The reputation of KelTec’s weapons is seen as reliable, original, and exciting in the market.”

KelTec is now one of the top five handgun makers in America, and one of the largest in the world. They strongly support the individual right to keep and bear arms as defined in the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

In addition to the 60,000 sq. ft. manufacturing space, the 6,200 sq. ft. assembly area, and a 8,920 sq. ft. final assembly and repair center, the Kel-Tec facilities in Cocoa on Cox Road include both 50-yard and 25-yard indoor shooting ranges for production and warranty testfire respectively.

The company is ISO 9001:2015 certified, ensuring their products consistently meet customer and applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.

“The company takes great pride in the family-oriented culture and small-business mentality,” said a KelTec spokesperson.

Despite the large size of KelTec, they maintain a relaxed and secure workplace, where their employees genuinely enjoy their jobs. This is all attributed to George Kellgren, founder and CEO of KelTec, the driving force behind every innovative gun manufactured by the company.

CLICK HERE for more information about Kel-Tec CNC Industries or call 321-631-0068.

– Fox News contributed to this report

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