Gun-Maker Remington Relocates Global Headquarters From New York to Georgia in $100 Million, 856-Job Deal

Attendees examine a Remington shotgun at the National Rifle Association's annual meeting, in Indianapolis, Indiana, on April 28, 2019. (Bryan Woolston/Reuters)

Gun-maker Remington is to relocate its global headquarters from New York to LaGrange, Georgia, where it plans to open a “new advanced manufacturing operation” and “world-class research and development center,” the company announced on Monday.

In a statement, the company, which is the United States’ oldest firearms manufacturer, said it plans to invest $100 million in the operation and hire 856 people over a five-year period in Troup County.

Remington said that several of its strategic products will be manufactured in Georgia, although it is not immediately clear which weapons will be manufactured in the state.

“Georgia’s firearms industry is responsible for thousands of jobs and millions of dollars of investment in our communities,” said Gov. Brian Kemp. “I am a proud owner of some of Remington’s first-class product, 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.”

Founded in 1816, Remington Arms is one of the largest domestic producers of shotguns and rifles in the world. The company said it will be hiring for multiple positions across production, operations, engineering, and management in the future.

The company did not provide details as to how or if the transfer would impact its operations in New York and Tennessee, where it also has production facilities.

The company owns parts of the former Remington Outdoor Co., which declared bankruptcy for the second time last year, after initially seeking bankruptcy protection in 2018 after reporting nearly $1 billion in debt.

Roundhill Group, LLC, an investment company with headquarters in Pennsylvania and Florida, announced it was purchasing the Remington-branded gun-making business for $13 million in October 2020.

In July, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared “a disaster emergency on gun violence“ amid a spate of homicides and shootings in New York City and other metropolitan areas in the state. In that same month, Cuomo signed legislation holding gun manufacturers liable for harm caused by people using their products, and closing a loophole that allowed people with outstanding warrants for their arrest to purchase guns.

The legislation also makes it easier to bring civil lawsuits against gun manufacturers where “reasonable controls and procedures are not in place.”

Remington’s decision to relocate its headquarters does not appear to be related to the recently-enacted legislation.

Remington is the latest firearms manufacturer to relocate after Smith & Wesson broke ground on its new home in East Tennessee last week alongside several state and local leaders, just weeks after announcing the decision to move.

The American manufacturer of firearms, ammunition, and restraints, founded in 1852, currently has corporate headquarters in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Smith & Wesson is investing more than $125 million to relocate its headquarters and some operations from Springfield to Blount County in Tennessee, a move that will create 750 jobs in the area, it said.

The move was prompted after recently-proposed legislation in Massachusetts would have left the company unable to manufacture certain firearms that are illegal to use in the state, the company said.

Sponsored by state Reps. Marjorie Decker and Frank Moran and state Sen. Cynthia Creem, the legislation (pdf) was filed in April and would put a ban on the manufacturing of “any assault weapon or large capacity feeding device” in the state unless it’s for the sole purpose of selling to law enforcement or military agencies.

Smith & Wesson said that the legislation, if approved, would affect up to 60 percent of its revenue compared to 2020.