Marlin Firearms, North Haven closing, 265 laid off

[philw]

http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/news/business/north-haven-marlin-firearms-plant

video @ link
sad day   


is this The Remington 'kiss of death' at work

North Haven, Conn. (WTNH) - Employees at Marlin Firearms in North Haven just got word late Thursday afternoon that they will be losing their jobs in the next 18 months.

265 people will be losing their jobs. The layoff will begin in May and the plant will be closed by June of 2011. The company tells News Channel 8 that they are moving the work out of state.

Employees we spoke with say they feel blindsided.

"We had a meeting at 3:30pm. They gonna phase us out," said one employee who has worked at Marlin for 19 years.

Founded by John Marlin in New Haven in 1870, Marlin Firearms is now headquartered in Madison, North Carolina. In 2007, Marlin was sold to the Remington Arms Company.

The North Haven plant manufactures a variety of rifles.

[twyacht]

265 people will be losing their jobs. The layoff will begin in May and the plant will be closed by June of 2011. The company tells News Channel 8 that they are moving the work out of state.

The cost of doing business is too high, so they move to cheaper part of the country. Nothing but a business decision to keep Marlin around and not disappear.

Para-Ordinance is now located in Pineville, NC, they left S. Fl. cause the labor and property costs were too high, NC provided a tax incentive, they now have a larger facility, and they hired more employees...

The North-East, and other parts of the country just don't get it, as more and more leave NY, MD, CT, MASS, RI, etc,... they raise taxes expecting more revenue, and as more leave, revenue goes down, so they continue to raise taxes, revenue goes down....

Great system.....

I'll bet Marlin moves to a non union state, in the South?

[Rastus]

............
The North-East, and other parts of the country just don't get it, as more and more leave NY, MD, CT, MASS, RI, etc,... they raise taxes expecting more revenue, and as more leave, revenue goes down, so they continue to raise taxes, revenue goes down....
.................

Maybe all of the non-productive people will concentrate in one area and starve themselves out....

[Hazcat]

GREAT!  Florida is very gun and business friendly!

Seriously this is good news that they are only moving and not shutting down.  

MB or Marshall,

Can you or your sources get a confirmation that Marlin will continue?

[Pathfinder]

My guess is that Marlin will continue as a brand under Remington, rather than a distinct product line.

Whe I got the new, I immediately called to inquire about re-bluing my 336RC. I was told they are not doing that now, but may start up again in a month or so. Nothing about the plant closing or scaling back services.

Here's my post from MB's blog yesterday on Marlin:

"I had a Marlin 336RC, looked NIB when I bought it at a ranch auction in 2004. I looked up the s/n, discovered it was made more than 50 years earlier in 1952. I used it as my ranch gun, eschewing the Ruger Mini-14 I had bought to that purpose.

The only gun I ever sold over which I had serious seller's remorse was that Marlin. So last year, I went out and got another at a pawn shop. Checking the s/n, I discovered that I had an original model year model of the 336RC - 1948.

It will never leave me, it is that good of a rifle.

I need to get the barrel re-blued by Marlin before they close though."

[Sponsor]

[CJS3]

Whether they shut down or not, another 336 is going to find it's way into my safe. AND SOON! Just in case.

[fightingquaker13]

I really do hope this a nothing, because I do want a 45-70 lever action in my safe (don't ask me why, I just want one ). Sadly I can't afford it now, but soon.... Here's hoping that Marlin keeps going with guns made in the USA.
FQ13

[Jrlobo]

My first "real" rifle was a Marlin 336C 30/30, bought in the late 1950's. I put a Weaver scope and a hammer extension on it. The sweetest deer rifle I ever owned. I still have it and never intend to part with it. Let's pray the brand stays alive and, more importantly, that it stays "Marlin". I'd hate to think that Remington would put that name on one of their bland products.

[ccd]

Dave Petzal said on his blog that he talked to someone at Freedom Group and they are indeed just moving out of Conn. It is supposedly up to the workers whether they want to apply for the jobs at the new location, where ever that ends up being.

[Wolfgang1952]

   Never cared much for Remington.  I hope Marlin can stay it own brand.  Love my Marlin leaver guns, one model 336A 30/30, two model 444S’s 444 and one model 1895 45/70.