Two major firearms company's have recently announced they will close facilities, displacing hundreds of employees from their jobs.
Effective March 31, 2011, Bushmaster Firearms International's manufacturing facilities in Windham, ME will be closed and manufacturing of all Bushmaster products moved to other Freedom Group facilities.
The company stated in a press release that the Windham plant's staff will be given “comprehensive severance packages” along with aid in finding new jobs.
Freedom Group, which acquired Bushmaster from a private equity firm in April of 2006, will reallocate manufacturing of Bushmaster products to existing facilities and will retain the brand.
Meanwhile, Smith & Wesson confirmed the company will consolidate its Rochester, NH-based Thompson/Center Arms operations into its Springfield, MA headquarters in order to “streamline firearms manufacturing processes and improve margins.”
The move, which was announced last week, is expected to put more than 200 employees from the Rochester facility out of work. S&W will reportedly start to cut jobs in January and eventually close the plant permanently late next year.
The company will hold job fairs and offer severance packages for displaced employees, adding that some employees may be offered the opportunity to transfer to Springfield.
