Remington Arms in Ilion will be receiving 100 new manufacturing jobs at its facility in conjunction with a $1.5 million senate capital grant that was unveiled by Sen. James Seward at Remington Arms on Monday.
The $1.5 million senate grant is part of the new state budget’s capital investment program and will be matched by funding from New York’s Empire State Development Corp., totaling $3 million provided to assist the plant in funding for new equipment and plant upgrades. The jobs are being brought in from the H&R Firearms Company in Gardner, Mass., which was acquired in January by Remington along with Marlin Firearms.
The $1.5 million JOBS Now capital grant will assist in the relocation of Harrington & Richardson Firearms’ manufacturing facility, which will consolidate with Remington Arms in Ilion.
“These jobs will cement Remington’s presence in Ilion for a long time to come,” Seward said. “Remington has a great history. Now it will have an even brighter future.”
“Businesses across the country realize that Upstate New York provides a hard-working, well-educated workforce and an excellence quality of life,” said Gov. David Paterson in a statement. “For almost 200 years, people in the Mohawk Valley have proudly worked for Remington Arms. The revitalization of Upstate New York is only made stronger when companies that have come to symbolize a region reinforce that time-honored commitment.”
The jobs were announced during a press conference Monday with Seward, Assemblyman Marc Butler, Vice-president of Firearms Manufacturing at Remington Joe Gross, and county and local officials.
“The is great news for Remington Arms, Herkimer County and the Mohawk Valley,” Butler said. “I congratulate Sen. Seward, Remington Arms, local officials and ESDC for assembling a plan that will keep and grow jobs here in Herkimer County — good jobs at a good company — so that young people will have more opportunities and choose to stay right here in the Mohawk Valley.”
The renovation and upgrade of Remington Arms will cost $14.3 million.
“Remington makes a commitment to the valley and state and we need to make a commitment to Remington,” Butler said.
“The addition of these 100 jobs and the economic boost this provides to Ilion has been greatly needed,” Chairman of the Herkimer County Legislature Raymond Smith said.
Gross says that the future of Remington looks very bright in upstate New York.
“Many companies choose to leave upstate New York, we choose to become competitive in Ilion,” Gross said.
“I believe in partnerships,” Seward added. “Cooperative, bipartisan efforts to grow jobs and keep current jobs from leaving by providing businesses with incentives to stay right here in New York. We will continue as a team to fight and work for new jobs and to get results for the hardworking taxpayers of New York.”
“With the terrific workforce at Remington, this company has proved, and will prove again, that it can compete with any gunmaker, anywhere, at any time, in producing quality, affordable firearms for responsible gun owners, the military, and law enforcement,” Seward concluded.