LAGRANGE, Ga. — After more than 200 years of calling a small New York town home, Remington Firearms is officially moving to Georgia.
While it means a loss of jobs from New York, the company is expected to bring $100 million to Georgia and create more than 850 jobs once they are in operation in Troup County.
The current owners of Remington Firearms, RemArms, blamed “production inefficiencies” for the plant closure in a Nov. 30 letter to union officials. They cited the high cost of maintaining and insuring about 1 million square feet of space in multiple buildings, many dating to World War I.
RemArms added that Georgia offered an environment that better “supports and welcomes the firearms industry.”
CEO Ken D’Arcy also said in a news release that the industry was concerned about the “legislative environment” in New York.
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Some believe Remington is primarily shifting to the South to reduce labor and operational costs.
Remington is not the first firearms maker to commit to a more gun-friendly state.
Smith & Wesson opened its new Tennessee headquarters in October after being based in Springfield, Massachusetts, since 1852. In announcing the move in 2021, company officials criticized proposed state legislation they said would prohibit them from manufacturing certain weapons.
The company said in its letter to the union it expected to end facility operations around March 4. The company previously announced in 2021 it was moving its headquarters to LaGrange, Georgia, and would open a factory and research operation there.
“I am a proud owner of some of Remington’s first-class products, and now, I am excited to welcome them to their new home in the Peach State. As yet another big manufacturing win for our state, I look forward to seeing the oldest firearms manufacturer in America thrive in Georgia’s pro-business environment,” Gov. Brian Kemp said when he announced the company was coming to Georgia.
Over the past years, Georgia has become one of the top states for gun manufacturing, attracting companies with its skilled workforce, robust infrastructure and a significant population of hunting enthusiasts, Yahoo! Finance reports.
Founded in 1816, Remington Firearms is one of the United States’ largest domestic producers of shotguns and rifles. Several of the company’s strategic products will be manufactured here in Georgia.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
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