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The Remington gun factory located in\u00a0New York\u2019s Mohawk Valley\u00a0is closing its doors and moving to Georgia after more than 200 years in the blue state.<\/p>\n
\u201cTwo hundred and eight years of history. Gone, gone,\u201d Ilion, New York, Mayor John P. Stephens told the New York Times. \u201cIlion is Remington. Remington is Ilion.\u201d<\/p>\n
Remington is the nation\u2019s oldest gun manufacturer and late last year the company made the decision to end its New York manufacturing come March. <\/p>\n
The remaining operations will move to Georgia, where company leaders say the firearms industry is supported and welcomed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen Remington leaves, it\u2019s not going to be like a facility leaving, it\u2019s going to be like part of your family has moved off,\u201d Jim Conover, a retired Remington employee who began his career there in 1964, told The Associated Press.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMy mom worked there. My dad worked there. My wife works there with me now. My daughter works there with me now. My second daughter works there with me now. And my son-in-law works there,\u201d Brown said. \u201cSo it\u2019s a double-hit for me and my wife: two of us out of a job.\u201d<\/p>\n
The closure of the New York location will result in nearly 300 people losing their jobs in a town of roughly 7,600, among other local businesses taking a financial hit.<\/p>\n
\u201dIt\u2019s like the town is losing its soul. It\u2019s almost like losing a family member. That\u2019s the thing that people are struggling with, the nostalgia, the history. It feels like we are losing the identity of the town,\u201d Stephens continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve spoken to a few businesses, that\u2019s the part financially that\u2019s going to hurt. Even if it\u2019s only 300 people, they still buy gas, they still buy shoes. That\u2019s going to be a hit to the local businesses,\u201d he added.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n