One of America’s oldest gun manufacturers is packing up its New England operation and heading south.
Last Thursday, Smith & Wesson CEO Mark Smith announced that the company would leave Springfield, Massachusetts, where the company was founded in 1852, and relocate its headquarters and “significant elements” of its operation to Maryville, Tennessee, in 2023.
The reason: the anti-Second Amendment attitude so prevalent in Massachusetts.
Smith said the move also meant shuttering plants in Connecticut and Missouri. Overall, Maryville will get 750 new jobs and a $120 million economic development project.
“This has been an extremely difficult and emotional decision for us, but after an exhaustive and thorough analysis, for the continued health and strength of our iconic company, we feel that we have been left with no other alternative,” Smith said in a statement.
Smith specifically mentioned bills recently proposed in Massachusetts that, if enacted, would prohibit the company from manufacturing certain firearms in the state.
“These bills would prevent Smith & Wesson from manufacturing firearms that are legal in almost every state in America and that are safely used by tens of millions of law-abiding citizens every day exercising their Constitutional 2nd Amendment rights, protecting themselves and their families, and enjoying the shooting sports,” he said.
“While we are hopeful that this arbitrary and damaging legislation will be defeated in this session, these products made up over 60% of our revenue last year, and the unfortunate likelihood that such restrictions would be raised again led to a review of the best path forward for Smith & Wesson.”
Smith added, “We are deeply saddened by the impact that this difficult decision will have on so many of our dedicated employees, but in order to preserve future jobs and for the viability of our business in the long term, we are left with no choice but to relocate these functions to a state that does not propose burdensome restrictions on our company,” he said.
He said the company would work to relocate any employees who wanted to come to Maryville, and offer “enhanced severance” and job-placement services to those who don’t.
Smith cited several factors that influenced the decision to select Maryville. They included:
Its support for the Second Amendment, business-friendly environment, and the quality of life for employees.
Smith also noted Maryville’s relatively low cost of living and affordability, its access to higher education institutions, the availability of qualified labor, and its favorable location for efficiency of distributing its products.
“The strong support we have received from the state of Tennessee and the entire leadership of Blount County throughout this process, combined with the quality of life, outdoor lifestyle, and low cost of living in the Greater Knoxville area has left no doubt that Tennessee is the ideal location for Smith & Wesson’s new headquarters,” Smith said.
“We would like to specifically thank Governor [Bill] Lee for his decisive contributions and the entire state legislature for their unwavering support of the 2nd Amendment and for creating a welcoming, business-friendly environment.”
Smith & Wesson will retain about 1,000 employees in Massachusetts for manufacturing revolvers and other processes.
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