Gun Market Enthusiastic About Remington Re-Opening

It was said four years ago that one of the worst things that could have happened to the gun industry was Donald Trump being elected President. Now, the market has its' wish as right-leaning media outlets warn that the Biden-Harris administration will not be good to gun owners. As a result, the demand for guns is high right now, at a time when the shelves are quite bare due to the pandemic. That's the perfect scenario for Remington Arms to restart the production lines at their historic facility in Ilion.

There's a lot of "unknown" right now as Roundhill, the new owners of Remington Arms is negotiating with the United Mine Workers of America to get at least 200 employees back in the building to begin making guns, including the Model 870 shotgun.

In the last month, the union has charged the new owners with going behind their back and giving jobs to former workers. In the meantime, Richmond Italia who's speaking on behalf of the new owners, told WUTR Eyewitness News that if the workers strike, it's all over and the Ilion plant will close. The United Mine Workers claims there has been no talk of a strike.

Currently, negotiations are continuing between the union and RemArm, the new name for the company. It was previously reported that production would be ramped up with workers returning beginning on March 1st.

In an email sent to WIBX, Italia said he doesn't want to speak publicly right now, but felt that he'll be in a much better place of understanding where we are with the company in 30-days.

The union told the Rome Sentinel that they're waiting on a list of employees who have signed on to return to work outside of union negotiations. The union says that would be an example of an unfair labor practice.

There are rumors that production of the Model 870 shotgun will be the first on the production line when employees hopefully return in March.

Meanwhile, in Huntsville Alabama a judge has cleared the way for that facility to be liquidated. Machinery, equipment and property there have already been cleared out as part of the bankruptcy agreement. Huntsville economic development officials are currently marketing the plant and will offer more tax incentives to to a new company willing to move in.

In 2014, Huntsville spent more than $10 million to lure Remington into the city promising to ramp up employment opportunities to more than 2,000 jobs. City officials say those jobs never materialized, and now with the bankruptcy and sale, they hope to get back their $10 million investment, paving the way for a new and hopeful economic development deal.