America’s oldest gun maker has reportedly furloughed More than 600 employees at their Ilion, New York plant. The move comes in anticipation of next week’s bankruptcy hearing and a lot of uncertainly about the companies future.
According to WKTV, on Thursday employees received an email from Remington Outdoor Company CEO, Ken D’Arcy, telling them to not come back to work until further notice. The reasons given in the email were that the company had to curtail operations due to liquidity issues, resulting in material shortages.
“Hard to believe. Hard to believe,” said 21-year employee, Randy Williams, sitting on a stone wall outside the plant, Thursday afternoon. Williams is well acquainted with the rollercoaster of furloughs, shutdowns, and uncertainty that has become Remington over the past several years. But he says this time, it feels different, “It’s never been like this. Never.”
Remington is currently going through bankruptcy and is currently receiving bids from other companies looking to acquire them. The president of UMWA Local 717 union is optimistic the process will end with the purchase of the entire company, and the Ilion plant will emerge, still making guns.
Right now the top bidders include “U.S.-based Sturm Ruger and Thailand-based Royal Defence, which makes armaments for the Thai and other governments.”
Hopefully, things will work out in court and a sale can be finalized so these people can get back to work.
