Remington’s new Alabama plant
There are stories flying around the internet that the gun manufacturer, Remington is taking several hundred jobs from it’s plant in Ilion, NY to Alabama. I’d like it if that was true, but according to the Syracuse Post-Standard, it’s not. What is true is that Remington is opening a new smaller plant in Alabama, but none of it’s jobs in New York are leaving;
Remington and its workers have been key voices in protests against the NY Safe Act, a series of stricter gun laws signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo 13 months ago. Last May, the company wrote on its Facebook pay that the military contract was not a sign that Remington had been paid off to stay in New York.
Still, the company made no promise to stay in Ilion.
“Remington will not run or abandon its loyal and hard working 1,300 employees without considerable thought and deliberation,” the company wrote last May.
The new plant in Huntsville would be about half the size as the one in Ilion. Production would not begin before 2015.
I wish that Remington would punish the legacy governor’s behavior, it doesn’t appear that will happen anytime soon.
Category: Guns
Official announcement on Monday. According to local media, the Alabama operation is an “expansion” for production and research. News reports in Huntsville never claimed that the Ilion plant was closing, but that some jobs might transfer. Reports of the number of jobs being created in Huntsville have fluctuated widely, ranging from 300-2000.
I know you say you would like to see them punish the governors behavior, but they wouldn’t be punishing the governor because the governor really doesn’t care about the people who would lose their jobs. The only ones who would suffer would be their employees.
I’ll bet those employees at Remington would rather be in Alabama this winter.
Glad Remington isn’t leaving behind a lot of unemployed folks in NY. Says a lot about the quality of leadership they have.
@2 Last I heard, Magpul was helping every one of its employees relocate out of Colorado. Then again, Magpul is a smaller company with a higher profit margin, so that may not be an option for Remington.
One thing I do know is that my 1911 collection hasn’t grown in far too long. I think one of their R1s would be a nice addition, and tax returns are coming soon…
@5
I got the R1 stainless. Sexy pistol. Reasonable price. Great trigger feel. Manageable recoil, and on par accuracy. I recommend.
Adding 300 – 2000 jobs in Alabama instead of NY, is still responding to the stupid law. That’s jobs and revenue NY won’t see.
Again, Cuomo doesn’t care. And he thinks he’s going to draw businesses to NY by creation of “tax-free zones” in NY state? Uh, yeah, no. Eventually, all those companies will have to pay, and pay a LOT more than they would in virtually any state not named California, New York, etc.
Bottom line, Alabama’s gain is NY’s loss. And yeah, I’d much rather live in Huntsville than NY. Lot lower taxes, much better schools, real estate is MUCH cheaper, and the list goes on.
@7,
has it spot on, the new jobs are at least not in NY, I bet it would have been cheaper to add more shifts/floor space/machines in NY, where training would not be an issue. yet they went to a state that wants them there, i dont blame them at all.
When Freedom Group bought “Old” Bushmaster a few years ago, they closed Bushy’s Windham, Maine plant and moved the production to Ilion (from a relatively 2A-friendly state to NY – enough said). So, no disrespect considering this move, but they aren’t exactly saints.
(The happy ending for the Mainers is that the founder of “Old” Bushmaster waited until his noncompete agreement expired and promptly started a new company, Windham Weaponry, using his old plant and presumably many of his old workers. The WW ARs are supposed to be pretty good.)
My company has a terminal in Huntsville. I might up and leave NC for there and work while applying to Rem for a job.