SMITH & WESSON READY TO GO OFF
Gun maker preps to move HQ from Springfield to Tennessee
Gun maker Smith & Wesson, which has been headquartered in Springfield since its founding in 1852, is pulling the trigger and moving to Tennessee.
The company is citing pending legislation that, if enacted in Massachusetts, would prohibit the company from manufacturing most assault weapons 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,” said President and Chief Executive Officer Mark Smith in a statement.
The assault weapons targeted by the legislation made up over 60% of Smith & Wesson’s revenue last year. Even if the proposed law is struck down, “the unfortunate likelihood that such restrictions would be raised again led to a review of the best path forward for Smith & Wesson,” Smith said.
In searching for a new home for the company and its 750 jobs currently in Springfield and other locations that will be consolidated, the company considered factors including 2nd Amendment support, cost of living, and a businessfriendly environment. It landed on Maryville, located just outside of Knoxville, Tenn., for these reasons, for the “outdoor lifestyle” in Knoxville, and the support of the state and county governments.
The move will not begin until 2023, and the company said that it will offer employees who don’t want to make the move “enhanced severance and job placement services.”
The Springfield facility will still play a role in manufacturing, including “all forging, machining, metal finishing, and assembly of revolvers,” and will still employ over 1,000 Bay Staters.
Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno said that his staff is going to assist these families with workforce placement or retraining, and added that Smith assured him that the remaining jobs were secure.
The legislators who introduced the bill aren’t buying the company’s explanation, though. State Rep. Marjorie Decker, D-Cambridge, called the announcement “disingenuous and politically convenient,” arguing that the company is also consolidating its Connecticut and Missouri facilities in favor of cheaper costs in Tennessee.
Jim Wallace of the Gun Owners’ Action League called the Bay State “anticivil rights,” and didn’t blame Smith & Wesson for the move. “It’s a crying shame that Massachusetts was the birthplace of freedom, and it’s becoming the cemetery of freedom,” he said.