Remington Closes H&R Plant — 200 Jobs Lost.
The Harrington & Richardson plant in Gardner, MA is the latest victim in the series of consolidations in the firearms industry. Remington announced on April 7, 2008 that it would close the H&R 1871 facility in Gardner, and all plant operations would be shut down by the end of the year.
Remington Arms, part of the Cerberus family of companies, acquired Marlin Firearms earlier this year. The Marlin deal also included H&R 1871 Inc., which was purchased by Marlin in 2000. H&R operated as New England Firearms. With its line of Harrington & Richardson rifles, and L.C. Smith shotguns, H&R 1871 was the leading seller of single-shot rifles and shotguns in the world.
Remington’s official press release states: “Unfortunately, an estimated 200 Gardner employees will be impacted by the closure, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2008. A number of employees will transition from Gardner to other capacities within the Company. For those not transferred, the Company will be offering severance, outplacement, and referral services in order to assist in this difficult transition.”
Gardner, Massachusetts Mayor Mark Hawke criticized the plant closure, saying that local officials were blind-sided by the move. He stated that Remington never contacted state or local officials prior to announcing its decision to close the Gardner factory.
