Remington, America's oldest firearms manufacturer, will leave New York for Georgia in March after more than 200 years of operations in the Mohawk Valley.
The gun manufacturer told union leaders in late 2023 that it plans to relocate from Ilion to Georgia. new york times (NYT) reported. Rem Arms, the current owner of Remington Firearms, cited “production inefficiencies” as the reason for the factory closure in a Nov. 30 letter to union leaders, the Associated Press reported.
Republican New York State Representative Elise Stefanik blamed Movement regarding the New York Democratic Party's unconstitutional gun grab policy.
🚨 America's oldest gun manufacturer flees Blue State to Georgia, leaving New York village 'lost its soul'
208 years of history has disappeared.
Remington is the nation's oldest firearm manufacturer, and company leaders behind the current version of Rem Arms told union officials late last year. pic.twitter.com/RwCJuNP85x
— LD Bassler (@ArmaLite15OU812) February 20, 2024
Some New York village residents fear Remington's departure, recognizing it as part of the town's identity and history, the NYT reported.
“Two hundred and eight years of history. It's gone, gone,” Ilion Mayor John P. Stevens said, according to the NYT. “Ilion is Remington. Remington is Ilion.”
Generations of families in the area had careers at Remington, and some looked back on their involvement with the manufacturer. Associated Press (Associated Press) reported. Jim Conover, who started packing guns at Remington in 1964 and retired 40 years later as production manager, likened the gun factory move to the idea of ​​losing a part of his family. (Related: Another fast food chain closes Blue City restaurant, citing increased crime)
“When Mr. Remington leaves, it won't be like a facility leaving, it'll be like a part of a family moving out,” Conover said, according to the Associated Press.
Ilion residents also expressed concerns about loss of income as the plant nears closure.
“My mother worked there. My father worked there. My wife now works there with me. My daughter now works there with me. My second daughter now also works there. We work together there. And my son-in-law works there,” said Frank 'Rusty' Brown, president of the United Mine Workers of America Local 717, the Associated Press reported. “So it's a double whammy for me and my wife, and we're both going to lose our jobs.”
