Remington Announces Manufacturing Consolidation Plan

MADISON, N.C., April 7, 2008 – Remington Arms Company, Inc. ("Remington"), the United States’ largest firearms manufacturer, today announced a strategic manufacturing consolidation move that will result in the closure of its Gardner, Massachusetts plant (“Gardnerâ€). This integration will be seamless and will not affect our customers or our product offerings.

“While it was a difficult decision to close Gardner, we believe that this consolidation will enhance our ability to more efficiently provide quality products at competitive prices in an increasingly demanding global marketplace.†said Tommy Millner, Remington’s Chief Executive Officer. “We are always looking for ways to strengthen and optimize our business in order to stay competitive, while also creating additional opportunities for our employees and better products for customers. Our number one goal is to provide our customers and end-users with the best, most innovative products at a competitive price. Consolidation of manufacturing capabilities and migration to common operating systems are expected to create efficiencies that will achieve this goal.â€

Throughout the remainder of 2008, the integration of Gardner’s operations is expected to result in centralized sales and marketing, streamlined operations, standardized information technology infrastructure, and common financial functionality while vigorously maintaining and promoting individual brand identity and products.

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.



I still can't believe it. Unfortunately I called it correctly.

I better get my H&R trigger done (and the extra barrel fitted) before Remington, AKA Cerberus Capital, decides to "improve" the guns beyond interchangeability or stop making them for good.

Only Remington would close a plant that makes them money.

Link to another story on this:

Remington to close H&R plant

Their current plan is for layoffs to start in June and shut down target is September. Currently, they are still producing firearms and barrel fitting as usual, in fact, now thru August is their slow period, they just got a new run of 44mag barrels in which they have been out of, they're out of 30-30 barrels until June or July. Barrel fitting is moving to the Remington Ilion plant.

You can also look on the bright side Flippy...Maybe Remington will improve the NEF/H&R product to the point where you don't have to send your rifle back to the factory to have a new barrel fitted...
Maybe Remington will improve the quality control on these rifles to the point that forums such as "NEF/H&R Talk" on GrayBeard.com won't have to have a bunch of sticky's on home fix jobs on these rifles....
My hope is that Remington will improve the Handi rifle and at this time I think they will...

Yes I own two of them...one is a great shooter and the other one a 38-55 with its .381+ groove dia. and small chamber that takes .379 bullets (with neck turned 30-30 & Win.38-55 brass) is a loser.. I have some Starline long 38-55 brass on order in hopes that I can chamber at least a .382 bullet with their brass..
Another cute little feature of this rifle is that the action sometime breaks open upon firing...another home fix job....
If I lived in the states I would have sent this rifle back to NEF told them to replace the barrel with one of proper dia. and fix the open on firing feature...No Flippy I don't see how Remington is going to be a "bad thing" for NEF/H&R...glass is half full from here

While you are here take a look at the Savage 219 Trigger thread...which receiver looks better to you?...the Handi or the Savage 219?

quote:

Originally posted by Low Wall:
You can also look on the bright side Flippy...Maybe Remington will improve the NEF/H&R product to the point where you don't have to send your rifle back to the factory to have a new barrel fitted...

That would be FANTASTIC!!!
However, I believe Remington will more than likely change them so none of the originals will interchange with the "Remington" H&R's.

quote:

Originally posted by Low Wall:
While you are here take a look at the Savage 219 Trigger thread...which receiver looks better to you?...the Handi or the Savage 219?

Well the Savage of course.
What was the vintage of the Savage, again?

I belong to a collectors group and I have seen some REALLY fine OLD Savages, believe it or not.
I even own a nice old model 99.

I hate to say it, but if that model 219 Savage was made today, there is no way it would look anything like the one in the thread, sorry.

Ever seen a SPS Remington? They look about the same as a Stevens, which costs LESS then the Remington, but shoots as good or better.

I am NOT holding my breath...

I will leave that to you.

quote:

...No Flippy I don't see how Remington is going to be a "bad thing" for NEF/H&R...glass is half full from here

There has been a trend in the business world that involves the idea of beating the competition by buying them and closing them down. This does not look promising from here.

the phrase is "labor costs"

quote:

Originally posted by wymple:

quote:

...No Flippy I don't see how Remington is going to be a "bad thing" for NEF/H&R...glass is half full from here

There has been a trend in the business world that involves the idea of beating the competition by buying them and closing them down. This does not look promising from here.

The problem is lately, it seems Remington's glass is ALWAYS only half full...

quote:

Originally posted by Flippy:
Only Remington would close a plant that makes them money.

Cerberus, McKinsey, Roland Berger and so on very easily close plants which do not make ENOUGH money.

Greed rules this world and produced the subprime crisis. Have you noticed how they ask the taxpayer to jump in when their ambitious business plans fall apart?

From where I sit, I see the Remington manufacturing plant consolidations as a signal that the number of reloaders and the number of shooters in general is on the move downward. With all the automation that drives the processes in manufacturing today, it is hard for me to believe that labor costs could be an issue......