Remington gun-maker will close historic N.Y. plant, a year after Sandy Hook settlement

RemArms, formerly Remington Arms Company, informed union officials Thursday that it plans to close the gun manufacturing facility in Ilion, N.Y., this coming March, the Observer-Dispatch reported.

“I am writing to inform you that RemArms, LLC (“the Company”) has decided to close its entire operations at 14 Hoefler Avenue, Ilion, NY 13357 (the “Ilion Facility”),” the letter read, according to the local paper. “The Company expects that operations at the Ilion Facility will conclude on or about March 4, 2024. The Company did not arrive at this decision lightly.” 

Remington, the nation’s oldest gun manufacturer, was founded in Ilion, N.Y., in 1816. In recent years, however, the company has been burdened with financial difficulties. RemArms twice filed for bankruptcy and, in 2022, reached an historic settlement with families of Sandy Hook for a total of $73 million.

The lawsuit was the first time a gun manufacturer was held responsible for a mass shooting. Remington had manufactured the rifle that shooter Adam Lanza used when he killed 20 children and six teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut.

In an auto-reply email from the company’s press team, the company confirmed that “RemArms is excited to expand our facilities in Georgia, a state that not only welcomes business but enthusiastically supports and welcomes companies in the firearms industry.”

The local news outlet, citing the letter, reported that layoffs at the company are expected to happen between March 4 and March 18.

The United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) International President Cecil Roberts issued a statement responding to news of the closure, urging the company to “reconsider and explore alternative solutions” to keep the plant operational.

Roberts called the decision “extremely disappointing” and a “slap in the face to all of” the workers, especially noting the proximity to the holidays.

“The timing adds insult to injury for those affected. Merry Christmas from RemArms,” Roberts wrote in the statement. “The simple fact is that RemArms will never be able to match the experience and dedication of the workers in Central New York, who for generations worked in this plant and kept this company alive.”

“The workers in Ilion enabled RemArms to rise from the ashes of the Remington Arms bankruptcy in 2020-21. Without these workers and their dedication to producing the best firearms in the world, this company simply would not exist,” Roberts wrote. “Our members, the community, local political leaders, and the UMWA worked tirelessly to keep this facility open and to return the workers to the jobs they have had for over 100 years.”

Roberts pledged to keep fighting and “exploring all legal avenues” to keep the jobs in Ilion.

“As the affected workers and their families face an uncertain future, the UMWA rallies behind them, offering support and solidarity. The UMWA is committed to exploring all legal avenues to keep these union jobs where they belong, in Ilion, New York. Together, we will continue to fight for justice and the preservation of their jobs,” Roberts wrote.