Remington Firearms Will Open New Plant and Headquarters in Georgia

America's oldest gunmaker located in Ilion, NY has opted to locate its global headquarters in LaGrange, Georgia, according to an announcement from Georgia Governor Brian Kemp on Monday. The news comes at a time when the once primary facility in the village of Ilion is slowly ramping up production with a few hundred experienced former Remington workers, many of whom have been hired by a temp agency.

The Georgia location comes with a "new advanced manufacturing operation as well as a world-class research and development center in LaGrange," that will include a $100 million investment from RemArms and some 856 jobs over a 5-year period, according to the Governor's release.

“We are very excited to come to Georgia, a state that not only welcomes business but enthusiastically supports and welcomes companies in the firearms industry,” said Ken D’Arcy, RemArms CEO. “Between the support we’ve received from the state and from Scott Malone and Kelley Bush of the City of LaGrange Economic Development Authority, we cannot wait to expand our company in Georgia. Everyone involved in this process has shown how important business is to the state and how welcoming they are to all business, including the firearms industry.”

Previously, Ken D'Arcy was the CEO of The Freedom Group, owners of the Remington Arms Outdoor Company which filed for bankruptcy twice between 2018 and 2020, and ultimately shut its doors last year. When a buyer couldn't be obtained in 2020, the Remington properties were liquidated and auctioned off to a handful of companies, including the Roundhill Group, which purchased parts of the Remington firearms business, including the historic plant in Ilion for $13 million. D'Arcy would later surface as the CEO of the new RemArms company. The new name "RemArms" was chosen after Roundhill was not able to purchase the Remington Arms name or logos.

According to the release from the Governor's office in Georgia, "the company will be hiring for positions in production, operations, engineering, and management, as well as careers in HR, finance, and administration in Remington’s onsite executive offices."

“I am thrilled to welcome Remington Firearms to the growing list of manufacturers who call LaGrange home,” said Mayor of LaGrange Jim Thornton. “The Remington name has long been associated with great products, and I know they will continue that tradition and be very successful here. I applaud the partnership with Governor Kemp and the economic development teams at the state and at the city that help attract great companies to our community.”

The release referenced the fact that Remington was founded in 1816, and is one of America's oldest gun makers. However, nowhere in the news release was the village of Ilion mentioned as the birthplace of the gun maker, and nor was there any mention of the Ilion plant, its long history, or its current employees, who are attempting to restart the plant after being shuttered for nearly a year.

It's not known how the new plant will affect the enormous Ilion facility and its employees. We have reached out to RemArm, the employee union, and Herkimer County officials, and are awaiting comment.