The nation’s oldest gun manufacturer, Remington Firearms, announced Nov. 8 that it will move its global headquarters to LaGrange, Georgia and also build a high-tech manufacturing plant and a research-and-development center there, according to a press release.
Remington Firearms (now RemArms due to a 2020 acquisition) will leave Ilion, New York—the company’s home for 205 years since Eliphalet Remington established the business in 1816—because of the state’s unfriendly firearm laws and poor business climate, Legal Insurrection reported.
“We are very excited to come to Georgia, a state that not only welcomes business but enthusiastically supports and welcomes companies in the firearms industry,” said Ken D’Arcy, RemArms CEO.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, said that RemArms will contribute to the state’s economic success.
“The state’s firearms industry is responsible for thousands of Georgia jobs and millions of dollars of investment in our communities,” Kemp said.
“It’s a pleasure to welcome Remington Firearms, with its rich American history, to their new home and global headquarters in the Peach State,” he added. “I look forward to seeing the opportunities RemArms creates across west Georgia.”
D’Arcy said that tax breaks and subsidies led RemArms to choose LaGrange.
“Between the support we’ve received from the state and from Scott Malone and Kelley Bush of the City of LaGrange Economic Development Authority, we cannot wait to expand our company in Georgia,” he said. “Everyone involved in this process has shown how important business is to the state and how welcoming they are to all business, including the firearms industry.”
In return for government support, RemArms has pledged to invest $100 million in operations at LaGrange and hire in “production, operations, engineering, and management … in HR, finance, and administration.”
“The Remington name has long been associated with great products, and I know they will continue that tradition and be very successful here,” LaGrange Mayor Jim Thornton said. “I applaud the partnership with Governor Kemp and the economic development teams at the state and at the city that help attract great companies to our community.”
Remington’s move comes less than two months after Smith & Wesson announced its plan to relocate from Springfield, Massachusetts to Maryville, Tennessee.
