Gun Buds
  • Home
  • Gun News
  • SURVIVAL GEAR
  • Gun Rights
  • survival BASICS
  • Firearms
  • survival SKILLS
  • survival TIPS
    • FOREST
    • WILD
    • PRIMITIVE SURVIVAL
  • CONTACT
    • ABOUT US
    • DMCA / COPYRIGHTS DISCLAIMER
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Skip to content
Gun Buds
  • Gun News
  • SURVIVAL GEAR
  • Gun Rights
  • survival BASICS
  • Firearms
  • survival SKILLS
  • survival TIPS
    • FOREST
    • WILD
    • PRIMITIVE SURVIVAL
  • CONTACT
    • ABOUT US
    • DMCA / COPYRIGHTS DISCLAIMER
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Smith & Wesson announces it will move its headquarters out of Massachusetts, citing proposed ban on making assault weapons

September 30, 2021 by admin 0 Comments

Gun Rights
Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Share on Pinterest
Share on LinkedIn
Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Share on Pinterest
Share on LinkedIn




Smith & Wesson will move headquarters out of Massachusetts





























Business

The gunmaker is still keeping “over 1,000” jobs in Massachusetts.

Attendees look over hand guns in the Smith & Wesson booth at a National Rifle Association event in Nashville. Bloomberg photo by Daniel Acker

After nearly 170 years based in Massachusetts, the gun-making giant Smith & Wesson is moving its Springfield headquarters — and hundreds of jobs — to Tennessee, citing a bill on Beacon Hill to ban the manufacturing of assault rifles in the Bay State, among other reasons.

“This has been an extremely difficult and emotional decision for us, but after an exhaustive and thorough analysis, for the continued health and strength of our iconic company, we feel that we have been left with no other alternative,” Mark Smith, the president and CEO of Smith & Wesson, said in a statement Thursday.

Smith & Wesson is not closing its facility in Springfield, where the company has been based since 1852. The gunmaker said it will keep some manufacturing operations in Springfield — including revolver assembly, metalworking, and design engineering — and keep “over 1,000” employees in Massachusetts.

Advertisement:

However, the company will move its headquarters and 750 national jobs to Maryville, Tennessee, a city about 15 miles south of Knoxville. The move will not begin until 2023 and will not have an impact on employees’ jobs until then.

The move also includes closing facilities in Connecticut and Missouri to “significantly streamline manufacturing and distribution operations.” So it’s unclear how many of those 750 jobs are currently in Massachusetts; Smith & Wesson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

During a conference call Tuesday morning, Smith said the company will offer “enhanced severance and job placement services” to affected employees who are unable to make the move to Tennessee.

Advertisement:

During the call, Smith listed a number of financial reasons for the move.

However, he said the “primary catalyst” for the decision was a recent bill proposed by Democratic state lawmakers that would ban the manufacturing of “any assault weapon or large capacity feeding device” in Massachusetts, unless it’s for the purpose of selling to law enforcement or military agencies.


  • Massachusetts has a ban on assault weapons. Some lawmakers don’t want them made here, either.

Massachusetts is one of seven states that already bans the sale or possession of assault weapons, but gun safety advocates and families of mass shooting victims have accused the state, which led the nation in producing firearms in 2019, of “exporting bloodshed to the rest of the country.”

Advertisement:

The legislation, which has two dozen co-sponsors in the 200-member Legislature, has not come up for a vote since it was introduced this past spring, and House Speaker Ron Marinao suggested at the time that federal action would be a more effective way of dealing with the issue of assault weapons.

Still, Smith & Wesson says it’s a threat to their business.

“While we are hopeful that this arbitrary and damaging legislation will be defeated in this session, these products made up over 60% of our revenue last year, and the unfortunate likelihood that such restrictions would be raised again led to a review of the best path forward for Smith & Wesson,” Smith said.

Advertisement:

The company cited several other reasons for the move to Tennessee, including the Republican governor and GOP-controlled legislature’s “unwavering support of the 2nd Amendment,” a business-friendly environment, a lower cost of living, and a “favorable location for efficiency of distribution.”

“The strong support we have received from the State of Tennessee and the entire leadership of Blount County throughout this process, combined with the quality of life, outdoor lifestyle, and low cost of living in the Greater Knoxville area has left no doubt that Tennessee is the ideal location for Smith & Wesson’s new headquarters,” Smith said.

Advertisement:

Construction on the Tennessee facility — which will comprise the company’s headquarters, plastic injection molding, pistol and long gun assembly, and distribution — will begin later this year.

Newsletter Signup

Stay up to date on all the latest news from Boston.com



Boston.com Newsletter Signup

Boston.com Logo

Stay up to date with everything Boston. Receive the latest news and breaking updates, straight from our newsroom to your inbox.

Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Share on Pinterest
Share on LinkedIn

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You Might Like
Learn more about RevenueStripe...

Join Our Newsletter
[wpforms id="35666"]

Categories

  • Gun Gear
  • Gun News
  • Gun Rights
  • Primitive Survival
  • Survival Basics
  • Survival Gear
  • Survival In The Forest
  • Survival In The Wild
  • Survival Skills
  • Survival Tips

Archives

  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • August 2023
  • July 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020

Categories

  • Gun Gear
  • Gun News
  • Gun Rights
  • Primitive Survival
  • Survival Basics
  • Survival Gear
  • Survival In The Forest
  • Survival In The Wild
  • Survival Skills
  • Survival Tips

Usefll Links

  • Contact us
  • About us
  • DMCA / Copyrights Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions

Recent Videos

  • Nebraska: Kearney City Council Establishes Gun-Free Zones on City-Run Properties
  • Virginia voters gave Democrats control of the legislature. What will it mean for policy?
  • Columnist John Sheirer: Dousing the NRA dumpster fire
  • Learn this One Trick and You will Never Have Tangled Rope AGAIN!!!
  • Sheltering in Place against Violence : Things to Consider

Copyright © 2025 by Gun Buds. All rights reserved. All articles, images, product names, logos, and brands are property of their respective owners. All company, product and service names used in this website are for identification purposes only. Use of these names, logos, and brands does not imply endorsement unless specified. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Powered by WordPress using DisruptPress Theme.