Remington Arms has announced the relocation of its remaining Ilion, New York, operations to Georgia. The move is costing the town over 300 jobs. The company’s history is deeply rooted in the village of Ilion, marked by the prominence of its factory and the commitment of generations of residents employed in handcrafting firearms.
The move was announced amid speculations linking the decision to New York state’s efforts to increase gun control. Remington’s departure marks an end to a 208-year-long era in Ilion. “Ilion is Remington. Remington is Ilion,” said village mayor John P. Stephens, expressing the intertwined identity of the company and the locality.
But New York is New York. The state has introduced numerous gun control laws and business regulations that are being blamed for the decision to relocate.
“It is because of New York Democrats’ unconstitutional gun grab policies that the oldest gun manufacturer in the country has been run out of the state,” Rep. Elise Stefanik (NY-21) said in a statement. “I have spoken with local officials and Remington Arms union members in United Mine Workers of America, Local 717, about how we must stand up to New York’s failed unconstitutional gun bans. Hochul must stop her unconstitutional assault on the Second Amendment now,”
Eliphalet Remington founded Remington in his father’s forge in 1816. The company shifted its location to Ilion a decade later, solidifying its regional presence. Throughout generations, Remington Arms produced firearms for a range of users, from law enforcement and military personnel to private gun owners.