SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — The firearms manufacturer Smith & Wesson plans to move its headquarters from Massachusetts to Tennessee, citing the “changing business climate for firearms manufacturing in Massachusetts.”
The company has called Springfield, Massachusetts home since 1852, but politics have forced their hand. They will relocate their headquarters and “significant elements of its operations” to Maryville, Tennessee, in 2023, Daily Wire reported.
“After an exhaustive and thorough analysis, for the continued health and strength of our iconic company, we feel that we have been left with no other alternative,” explained Smith & Wesson CEO Mark Smith in a press release.
Among other reasons for moving to Tennessee, Smith & Wesson cited:
- Support for the Second Amendment
- Business friendly environment
- Quality of life for employees
- Cost of living and affordability
- Access to higher education institutions
- Availability of qualified labor for its operations and headquarter functions
- Favorable location for efficiency of distribution
Smith & Wesson will invest $120 million into the new Maryville facility in Tennessee, as they embark on relocating jobs from Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Missouri by the time their new location is expected to be finished in the summer of 2023.
According to Daily Wire, roughly 3.2 million Americans purchased their first firearm during the first half of 2021. Furthermore, nearly half of the new firearm owners are under the age of forty.
In 2020 alone, Americans purchased 39.7 million firearms — a 40% rise from the previous year.
Rising homicide rates and ongoing violent crime appear to be influencing factors in addition to the “police defunding” movement, which has left citizens feeling insecure.
