Smith & Wesson is moving its headquarters to Tennessee, citing a recent MA gun manufacturing bill (Boston: how much, unemployment)

[Mayei]

The statement: https://ir.smith-wesson.com/news-rel...ters-tennessee

What a loss for Springfield.

[msRB311]

ha this just popped on some news site as I'm sitting on a call. I didnt even know they were in Springfield.

[WestieWhitie]

That’s what happens when you blame the manufacturers for the actions of the criminals. Won’t be too long before we have our elected clowns going after Benchmade and Louisville Slugger as well.

[lrfox]

Bad news, that's a huge loss for Springfield.

I do question how much the not-yet-enacted legislation actually played a roll in this decision though. Judging by the fact that they're closing several facilities in several states to consolidate in Tennessee, it seems like blaming the legislation might be a convenient PR move to justify eliminated jobs and moving the HQ. It's generally a lot cheaper and easier to work with the local congressional delegation to to modify the proposed legislation than it is to uproot and move before the legislation has even passed. If they're breaking ground on the new facility in Q4 of this year and the legislation was announced in April, I have a hard time imagining that this wasn't in the works before the legislation was announced.

[massnative71]

"In a democracy, we get the government we deserve".

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by lrfox

Bad news, that's a huge loss for Springfield.

I do question how much the not-yet-enacted legislation actually played a roll in this decision though. Judging by the fact that they're closing several facilities in several states to consolidate in Tennessee, it seems like blaming the legislation might be a convenient PR move to justify eliminated jobs and moving the HQ. It's generally a lot cheaper and easier to work with the local congressional delegation to to modify the proposed legislation than it is to uproot and move before the legislation has even passed. If they're breaking ground on the new facility in Q4 of this year and the legislation was announced in April, I have a hard time imagining that this wasn't in the works before the legislation was announced.

Who knows, but my guess it it didn't help things. The main thing to ask around any new legislation ("Public Policy 101"), is what challenge have we identified and how likely is this to solve that problem? And do have a good sense that it will not create more problems than it will solve?

[Driver 47]

Next thing you know massatwosheets will be complaining about more unemployment.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by Driver 47

Next thing you know massatwosheets will be complaining about more unemployment.

It's so called "traditional manufacturing" and it's not in Greater Boston (western Mass.), so I'm afraid few will care.

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by massnative71

Who knows, but my guess it it didn't help things. The main thing to ask around any new legislation ("Public Policy 101"), is what challenge have we identified and how likely is this to solve that problem? And do have a good sense that it will not create more problems than it will solve?

I don't think the legislation provides any particular benefit to MA and I would view it more as a back-patting exercise among the majority of MA legislators who want to point to something and say "we did something about guns!"

But I think the impact of the legislation on the decision to move is likely negligible to non-existent. Especially since it hasn't even passed yet. Generally those types of moves (consolidation of facilities, relocation of headquarters) take years of planning/permitting. I'd be absolutely shocked if they begun the process of planning this consolidation and relocation in late April and in response to a piece of proposed legislation and are breaking ground in December. That's a crazy fast timeline. It's far more likely that this had been in the works long before this legislation was on the table. The bigger factors are likely cost (MA is expensive) and business friendliness (we're not known as being business friendly). The state's politics and attitude toward firearms don't help either. But this legislation is something specific they can point to in official statements, and it shifts the conversation from "MA company cutting 750 jobs in already down-on-its-luck city" to "Liberal MA politicians force out long-standing business, costing hundreds of jobs."

It's smart PR. And my hunch is that the direction of this thread will likely skew more towards a debate on the legislation rather than a conversation about the company cutting jobs in MA. If that's the case, then S&W's strategy will have been effective.

[redplum33]

Originally Posted by msRB311

I didnt even know they were in Springfield.

Me either.