Remington Outdoor Company Announces Kentucky Plant Closure

Trip Ferguson, in charge of the new Huntsville manufacturing facility for Remington Outdoor Co., shows off a rack of semi-automatic sporting rifles. Photo By Dennis Keim
The Kentucky opperations will be consolidated into their Huntsville, Alabama operation. Actual plant closure and transition to Huntsville will take several months. Trip Ferguson, in charge of the new Huntsville manufacturing facility for Remington Outdoor Co., shows off a rack of semi-automatic sporting rifles. Photo By Dennis Keim businessalabama.com
Remington Outdoor Company
Remington Outdoor Company

Huntsville, AL – -(Ammoland.com)- Remington Outdoor Company announced its plan today to close its Mayfield, Kentucky firearms operations in an effort to become more organizationally focused and competitive.

Approximately 200 employees will be affected.

The operation will be consolidated into their Huntsville, Alabama operation. Actual plant closure and transition to Huntsville will take several months.

The two plants are roughly 250 miles apart.

The Mayfield facility has been in operation for nearly 20 years and although there is a great team at this location the strategic decision to consolidate centered on three competitively oriented areas:

  • Logistical proximity and freight synergies
  • Organizational synergy and focus with engineering, sales and marketing
  • Facility overhead leverage and streamlining
  • Employees will be offered severance pay and outplacement services

About Remington Outdoor Company ROC, headquartered in Madison, N.C., designs products for the hunting, shooting, self-defense, military, and law enforcement markets. Founded in 1816, ROC is the nation’s oldest gun maker and one of the largest domestic producers of firearms and ammunition. ROC employs over 3,500 people and distributes its products throughout the U.S. and over 55 countries. ROC includes globally recognized brands such as Remington, Remington 1816, Bushmaster, DPMS, Marlin, H&R, Advanced Armament Corp., Dakota, Nesika, Storm Lake and Barnes Bullets. More information about the Company can be found at www.remington.com

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Stormin Norman

I feel for the employees that will lose their jobs, but management is bringing this on themselves. I’ve bought and sold a few Remington rifles and pistols but have stopped completely. Not because of quality or service issues, but they have now cut their warranty to one (1) year. Apparently, they don’t trust their own quality enough to honor a legitimate warranty. Have I ever had to send one in for repair? The answer is “no”, but I like a warranty that I know the company will stand behind, and if I invest $1,000 in a rifle or pistol, then… Read more »

Paul Anderson Ed.D.

Morning Bill: Paul is fine. The Dr. Is Ed.D. or Doctorate in Education. If I remember correctly, the Swedes were the first to use 6.5. The 6.5 is a wonderful round and quite accurate. I am not familiar with the Grendel, but with the rest.The Creedmoor is another great round. I had a high wall falling block 6.5 Creedmore….Loved it!. Ruger has a series of High Walls in various calibers. Some complain about their accuracy, but they just aren’t familiar with the falling block rifle. Ones hand must be in the same location on the fore-end, when squeezing the trigger.… Read more »

Wild Bill

Paul do you prefer Dr. or just Paul? I never heard the song. I got that nick name growing up in the big green machine because as a young officer I was willing to take the worst knuckle heads into my platoon and company, and “work with them”. I grew up with a used Rem. model 341. I went home after 40 years and there it was, right where I left it! Shoots right where I remember it to shoot. Now, I have four of them. You wouldn’t happen to have an opinion about the 6.5 Creedmore vs the 6.5… Read more »

Paul Anderson Ed.D.

Evening Wild Bill: For me, an out of the box wood stocked Remington, Winchester, or Ruger: Brings back wonderful memories from the 60’s, when a teen could shoot paper targets in one’s backyard, or nearby woods. Many afternoons were spent with my dad on the range, shooting clay targets and 22cal rifles. Aside from the bench rest rifles, I have owned nearly all of the popular rifle brands. Each rifle had it’s own particular similarity and differences which added interest to each rifle individually.I can’t remember a particular rifle I didn’t enjoy shooting, with the exception of the magnum calibers… Read more »

Wild Bill

Well, Paul, since you seem to be writing to me, specifically, first, a rifle’s accuracy is as good as the quality of each of the rifle’s components and skillful assembly of the rifle. The one pulling the trigger has nothing to do with the rifle’s accuracy, although the one pulling the trigger has a lot to do with the down range results. It is true that a shooter with poor technique can attain poor results with the most accurate of rifles, but a well trained expert rifleman transcends the off the shelf factory rifle’s capabilities, which brings me to the… Read more »

Paul Anderson Ed.D.

In response to Remmington’s accuracy: A rifle’s accuracy, is as good as the one pulling the trigger.Most firearms are far more accurate, than their owners. The bullet placing on a paper target, say’s much about the shooter’s: Trigger squeze, sight alignment, and breath control. If one or more are incorrect, the round will miss the center of the bull. In the case of a scoped rifle: both mirage and wind direction, will effect the bullet placing. None of these factors have anything to do with the accuracy of the rifle. The price one pays for a factory manufactured firearm, doesn’t… Read more »

Paul Anderson Ed.D.

A suggestion for all to take a few moments, and read the History of Remington Arms, beginning in 1816 with it’s founder, the young Eliphalet Remington II.He like many others, believed he could produce a better gun product, than he could buy. After a 2nd place win in a competition match, with his newly produced firearm, orders began to come in and Remington Arms was born. Since 1816, Remington Arms had merged, relocated,and birthed many new product lines under other names , than one could imagine. This is true of many Capitalist founders of family run businesses , that later… Read more »

Paul Anderson Ed.D.

It is quite possible, there is more to this story, than we are aware of. As for the term “greed”, the Socialist element promotes discontent by promoting greed, in their effort to destroy Capitalism. See: ” Communist Manifesto “. Other factors in the relocation of industry: Taxes and the Enviromental Protection Agency. In the 70’s, I observed as United Aircraft Corporation ie ( United Technologies ) , downsized, relocated, and closed divisions in Conn. As a result of EPA lawsuits and massive fines. The East Hartford plant alone, had some 65,000 employees. There are less than 5,000 management currently employed… Read more »

kenneth j blischok

Remington, Remington, Remington;;;;;; big wheels in business and the a holes get more greedy every day; I just read everyone of the comments above. got a good education about moving and not getting a chance from the company to offer a good talented worker a shot at moving them to another location…. that sucks., I got the shaft, reduction in force; and the suckasses still got to stay on the job. a single man who saves his money can move to the location at hand. a married family is stuck without a job and Remington don’t g a f at… Read more »

Clark Kent

Cry me a river. Like YOU don’t try to make as much money as possible. Grow up.

John Bryant

Boycott? What a stupid idea if we were to boycott every product we felt did not meet our personal feelings see what that results in. Remington is a for profit business and as such must sometimes make difficult and or unpopular decisions. That is the requirement of operating and managing a business since success, making a profit, is what a business is designed to do. If poor choices, decisions or those that ignore the production of profit are the rule soon that company will not be able to pay for salaries,phone bills, electric bills,water bills or any of the other… Read more »

Wild Bill

I don’t boycott Remington. I just don’t buy their products because their products are not accurate. It seems like Remington is more interested in the manufacturing process than the manufactured product. I would rather buy a Cooper at three and a half times the cost of a Remington, and have an accurate rifle.
Ruger American and Winchester XPR are going to put hurt on Remington

Sedition

Hey…at least they’re keeping the jobs in the USA.
For that alone I give them props.

terdog

“When companies move to Mexico it is due to the outrageous demands by union thugs and the ridiculous taxes imposed by DemocRats.” While I will always support your right to voice your opinion, you friend are blinded by hate and can’t see the facts. The facts are that the company will do ANYTHING to make as much money as possible, anyone else be damned. The guys at the top are the greediest SOB’s there are. Does the phrase “Golden Parachute” ring a bell? You probably think that your a patriotic person. Isn’t it Patriotic to support the country where your… Read more »

Clark Kent

Repeat after me: DISAPPROVAL IS NOT HATE. And don’t tell me that YOU don’t try to make as much money as possible.

Tonic

Yeah, I have been through it….After working for a company for 20 years and are finally able to make ends meet, they get rid of you and hire the 10 hr kid. Mine was called downsize. What company is going to hire a 50 yr old guy? Not many and so our greedy corporations can beat the bottom line. Be quite though and keep supporting em, it’s the new American way.

Clark Kent

So would you have had ANY job for 20 years without the company? Were your feet nailed to the floor preventing you from looking for another job? How many homeless people employ others? You do know those ‘greedy corporations’ provide the gasoline for your car, the clothes on your back and the football you watch on TV don’t you? Take an Economics 101 class before posting any further blather.

Pete

This is an example of why I hate the word “synergy.” It’s often used as an excuse to fire some hard-working people, like this.

james

Yes, Freedom Group is parent company for these brands

REMINGTON
BUSHMASTER
REMINGTON MILITARY
REMINGTON LE
MARLIN FIREARMS
H&R 1871
DAKOTA ARMS
TAPCO
DPMS / Panther Arms
PARKER GUNMAKERS
BARNES BULLETS
ADVANCED ARMAMENT
PARA USA
REMINGTON PMPD
MOUNTAIN KHAKIS
REMINGTON 1816

Disapointed

First and foremost, the employees in Kentucky should do their best to take ownership of the plant, and make their own rifles, parts, or accessories. Just like Windham weaponry did a few years ago after Bushmaster was bought out. If there is a will, their is a way. Think positive. When it comes to anti gun states like Conn or NY or Cali, just remember those are the States that will be invaded by China or Russia first because the Sheeple were disarmed. Remember the Bushes, Clintons, and OBuma are NAZI’s controlled by the UN and Roman empire (church). Do… Read more »

Clark Kent

Next time don’t forget to take your medicine before you post.

DaveC

Aren’t Remington, Bushmaster and DPMS also under the same parent company now? DPMS has recently stopped making several accessories for AR-15s – the stock extender & Levang linear compensator, to name two. Is this a sign of the times? Monopolies are not always a good thing….

Gary

Remington has been going down the tubes for a while now ( biggest recall in fire arms history). When the freedom arms took them over and unionized them is when I gave up on Remington. They are just not worth it. The ex-employees should get together and buy their plant back.

terdog

Look at the POS that the Marlin 336C has turned into because of Remington’s management. Mine wouldn’t load a single cartridge when brand new. After spending a few hrs breaking it down and filing the rough edges off, I got it to work. Shouldn’t have to pay $400 and cleanup their mess too.

Gene Ralno

Looks like even arch-conservative firearms owners have swallowed a bit of liberal propaganda. Businesses have only one objective — maximize shareholder return on investments. Many things enter into that equation and occasionally, keeping, relocating, training, educating, providing benefits, etc., are part of it. Sometimes those things don’t help the bottom line. It’s not up to the government, union or some creepy nonprofit to tell them how to run their businesses.

Wild Bill

If ROC wanted to maximize profit, they would make and sell the Para Ordinance designs rather than their own less capable designs. Love that 14/45!!

dtyler

Wow love how you showed why trickle down will never work you summed it up nicely BTW a Union is nothing more the employees joining together to form 1 voice so they can maxamize their profts why is it its just buissness when a Corp. Screws everyone over in the name of profit but employees make a stand to make more money (maximize profit) its evil socialism I’d love to know how many of the jobs being consolidated to “Alabama” are really going to Mexico

Clark Kent

So how many jobs do UNIONS create compared to corporations, dtyler?

Dtyler

Neither corporations or unions create jobs corporation create a product or service. supply and demand creates the jobs. Jobs that corporation cant wait to be Abe to fill with robots so they have no payroll at all. They have no loyalty and Dont want employees Unions are nothing more then employees standing together as 1 so corp. can’t push them around ie. if 1 person asks for a raise they have no leverage no way of making the corp take them serious if they have the whole plant demanding a raise and threatening not to do any more work till… Read more »

JR Bailey

Remington and it’s consolidation of other companies, is limiting our ability to have a wider choice in the Firearms available to us. I’m a former Para-Ordnance owner and when they bought para out in 2012, they said don’t worry folks we’re just going to consolidate this company streamline it and make it better. Remington said that Paris models would be continued to be offered but under the Remington name. News flash I just got an email back from Remington, concerning the double stack para 1445 design and Remington indicated that it would no longer be offered. Forget being able to… Read more »

Owen

Not freedom arms, which is a tiny boutique revolver manufacturer. Remington Outdoor Company used to be Freedom Group. Totally different organization from Freedom Arms.

Jackofalltrades

Remington bought para because para was about to go bankrupt and was cheap to buy. They absorbed the brand and are building double stack 1911’s,10mm 1911’s the Remington branded versions haven’t been released to sell yet. I know because I work at the Huntsville plant. So you obviously don’t know what you are talking about.

Vanns40

Thanks for the info. Any other info you could share would be greatly appreciated. Rumors are flying rampant.

JR Bailey

Well Jack apparently you don’t know Jack. The email stipulating that there were no double Stacks that were going to be made by Remington, came directly from Remington in their email response to my inquiry: so you apparently know more when the customer service rep who emailed me! This is not a rumor, gossip, or the meanderings of some uninformed boob: Remington told me and I told the people in the thread who are taking part in this comment series. Lastly, since the official Remington website does not in fact note that double stack 1911’s are available, we don’t actually… Read more »

Wild Bill

Hey Jack, if you work in the Huntsville plant, maybe you could speak to the guys in the head shed, and tell them that the Paraordinance 14/45 is better than any Remmy pistol design. As Rem. already owns the patents, and equipment to produce Para, and Para already has a huge following (me anyway), why not keep making them?

Jim H

Maybe the employees at Remington should take a lesson from Harley Davidson. When they started to build crap , the employees just bought up the company. They have been doing quite well on their own, ever since. and building what the people wanted all along.
Quit whining if you don’t have a solution to the problem

Clark Kent

Actually, H-D makes 60% of their profits off of licensing agreements (allowing H-D t-shirts, caps, leather jackets, etc.) rather than selling motorcycles.

Mike

If they are closing a plant then sales are going down. Rather then boycott we should be buying to support Remington and the present employee’s and work to keep america made first.. Push for relocation and jobs for those being laid off. Oh, I was recently laid off from a major American aircraft manufacturer and still looking for work.

jerry

not a good strategic idea, multiple plants less chance of total shut down of manufacturing by weather, terrorist, etc.

Dave

Somehow Clinton will take credit for this.

175jfs

Crickets from New York politicians that FORCED the move to Alabama. Keep voting for these idiots boys they don’t want your guns. Just your votes, taxes, and absolute obedience. Its for the children, it make good for America. Like true socialists you blame the business instead of the bonehead politicians and the dope voters who keep them in. Look in the mirror if you want to know why everything is heading south.

ole Shoemaker

175jfs: Some how I missed that reasoning completely… Please explain to me how the politicians in NY or NYC [by the way, I do not believe either is the center of the Universe] has anything to do with ROC moving their plant from Kentucky to Alabama???? NY and NYC don’t make the rules for the rest of the world, even though some think they do… And I do look in the mirror and see everything going south, like the skin on my face, especially my fat gut, and even my crap goes south when I take a dump, but don’t… Read more »

Uncle Lar

20 years ago in the sort of political climate that enabled the 1994 Assault Weapon Ban Remington obviously felt the need to locate a portion of their operation away from New York State. But with respect for tradition their main operation remained in Illion, NY. Now with recent much greater restrictions imposed at the NY State level Remington finally realized it was time and past time to pull most of their operation out of a state where many of their products were now illegal to own. They chose Huntsville AL for its logistical support as a rail, interstate, and barge… Read more »

Employee

Well that isn’t the case Uncle Lar. They offered their employees a weeks pay per year of service as a severance pkg, and they’re health insurance stops when they stop working. There is NO option for the employees to go to the Huntsville facility.

Wild Bill

How is it that the NY politicians forced the ROC move to Alabama? One of the logistical reasons that the Confederacy lost the War Between the States (among the states?), was that most of the arms and munitions manufacturers were located in the North. So we welcome all the arms and ammunition makers, manufacturing industry, and technology producers that the Northern liberal, environmentalist, socialists are willing to divest themselves of. The implication being …

TEX

The CSA didn’t really lose the ‘war between the states’,Lee signed an armistice at Appomattox,not an unconditional surrender as Lincoln wanted but failed to get. Disease,not hostile action was killing troops on both sides at 8-1 ratio up to 9 April,’65 !

Clark Kent

Tex, Tex, Tex! The Confederacy GOT THEIR AZZES WHIPPED BY THE UNION! Grow up and learn some history! Union troops OCCUPIED THE SOUTH after the war. How old are you, twelve?

David

Remington, you should at least offer the employees a job and relocation assistance to Alabama. These people have the skills, and will not need to be retrained. Do the right thing and not just think about the bottom line,$. These are citizens of the U.S.A. Help make America great again!

Vanns40

The bottom line IS the right thing! If I were an employee I would have been beating down the door asking if I could move with the company. Where do you get off with the pompous “they should offer…”? They don’t have to offer anything. If they do it’s a gift. Why shouldn’t the employees be the ones to offer to move?

Rick

Im really getting tired of people yelling corporate greed when a manufacturing facility finds that they can increase efficiency by consolidating or relocating.

Gregory Romeu

That’s because these people never bother to understand the fundamentals of business and often lack common sense.

ole Shoemaker

Rick: Will you get tired of Corporate Greed when your job is shipped to Mexico??? Look at there reasons, Number one: FREIGHT ??? Kentucky is probably a better more central location. So that is crap !!!! Number two is ridiculous !!! Other companies and ROC can and do coordinate with suppliers and distribution all over the World !!! So that is crap, tooooo !!! Number three is cause they keep coming up with crap guns and tragedies to sell to the public… AND as always they blame it on the “site” as the problem, not upper management and there “engineers”….… Read more »

Mikial

I’m sorry, where in the article did it say anything about mexico? I must have missed that.

Fernando Urrutia

I guess they don’t know where is Alabama on a map… So they assume it’s on Mexico!

Wild Bill

Dear FU,
You guess poorly.

Fernando Urrutia

Well… I can’t find any part where it says that they are moving to Mexico, they are opening a new installation on Huntsville Alabama! Remington already have production on Mexico (search for Municiones Aguila) if they where to move jobs out of the US they will shut down the plant and be done! There is not logic on spending money on new installations.

Vanns40

Corporations are in business not to be nice people but to make money for stockholders, period. Don’t like it don’t work for them or buy their product. As for greed, yup, and there is not one damn thing wrong with wanting to be as profitable as possible. See how long you last once you quit looking at the bottom line.

Rick

When companies move to Mexico it is due to the outrageous demands by union thugs and the ridiculous taxes imposed by DemocRats.

Mitch

Hey Remington, when are you going to out-source your entire manufacturing to Mexico??

TEX

Mitch,you beat me to it on that Mexico comment !

Wake_Up_America

Great! I’m sure the hard working, dedicated employees in KY will have no problem at all finding a similar replacement job, at what Walmart or McFat’s Golden Arches. Boy oh boy, this country is just destined to fail, it just never stops. Corp America’s GREED will be the ruination of us all.

***I will NO longer purchase anymore Remington products***

Derek

Good idea. Let’s all boycott. Because nothing says we care about the Mayfield employees like getting all the Huntsville employees laid off, too.

Mikial

Excellent response. Agree 100%.

Corporations have to stay in business to provide jobs to anyone. If we get angry at them for trying to do just that, then we might as well be socialists.

Gregory Romeu

American companies that shuffle things around within our border it’s not set for destroying people but for strengthening the company. It’s not like they’re moving out of the country to avoid paying higher taxes and thereby eliminating all u.s. citizen jobs within the company.

Daved

They should offer them a job in Alabama and relocation help if employees would be willing to relocate! Only fair thing to do!

Skinner

“They should.” This is a common theme in the U.S. today. We are always looking to someone else to fix our problems. Here is a thought: Why don’t the employees of Mayfield offer to by the outdated tooling and facility? Let remember, management at Mayfield is getting cut loose as well. The team is in place, why not use it. Remington will welcome the competition and/or outsource supplier. It relieves Remington of the overwhelmingly expensive headache of plant closure. Demand for weapons is at an all time high The market can bear more producers. Americans are quick to play the… Read more »