I read on another site that Marlin is going to close? What the Hell?

Got a link? I didn't see it on their website.

Here is the paper from around that part of the country.


http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2010/03/26/news/metro/a1_--_marlin_0326.txt

NORTH HAVEN — The Marlin Firearms Co., one of the town’s top taxpayers, will start to lay off employees in May and will close by June 2011.

The gun manufacturer’s employees were told Thursday that the jobs of 265 salaried and hourly workers would be eliminated over 18 months. Marlin traces its history back to 1870.

Marlin officials could not be reached for comment, but First Selectman Michael J. Freda heard the news from a company official Thursday evening.



Freda said several factors appear to be driving the closure, from the cost of doing business in Connecticut to wage differentials.

“The situation appears to be compounded by the fact that Connecticut is a difficult state for any manufacturer to sustain its business model,” Freda said after meeting with the company official.

Freda said he asked whether the services Marlin was providing would be moved, but was told that was undetermined.

State and federal officials also were contacted Thursday, according to Freda.

The Remington Arms Co. bought Marlin in late 2007. Marlin is on Kenna Drive, off Bailey Road. Remington is a North Carolina affiliate that falls under the umbrella of the Freedom Group, one of the largest manufacturers of firearms and ammunition in the world, according to its Web site.

No layoffs or closures were anticipated at the time of the $41.7 million sale.

The firearms manufacturer should not be confused with The Marlin Co., a business-to-business Internet and print publication service that operated at the plant until late 2007. Now in Wallingford because it needed more space, that company employs 120 people.

The chairman and president of The Marlin Co. is Frank Kenna III, whose grandfather, the late Frank Kenna Sr., bought Marlin Firearms at auction in 1924 when it was bankrupt. Marlin Firearms was started by John Marlin.

“I’m sure for the employees, it’s devastating,” Kenna said of the closure. “I still know a lot of them, and all I can say is I’m very sympathetic to them. It’s a tough blow.”

But, Kenna said the rifle and shotgun industry has changed over the years. “What’s happening in the industry is it’s consolidating and there are fewer and fewer individual firearms companies. The culture has changed.

“When we sold we were producing half of the number of rifles that we were in the early 1970s,” he said.

The news that Marlin will be closing comes at a bad time for North Haven, which has a $6.6 million revenue gap going into the next fiscal year.

“The timing of this news is very unfortunate as we are preparing for our upcoming budget,” Freda said.

As a result, his efforts to generate economic development in town, possibly with incremental tax financing to attract new businesses, “will be kicking into higher gear.”

Freda said he will be doing his best to urge local Marlin officials to arrange a meeting for him with the parent company.

“I would like to meet with the parent company in an effort to see if there’s any way to keep them here,” said Freda. “I can’t accept it without making an attempt,” he added.

How much tax revenue the town receives from the company annually was not immediately available. On the 2009 grand list, Marlin was ranked No. 14.

Freda said he would like to team up with U.S. Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro, D-3, to see what resources are available.

Contact Ann DeMatteo at 203-789-5716 or adematteo@newhavenregister.com.

Marlin as a "company" is not closing... just closing that location! Avoiding Union pay and power struggles at that plant vs their other non union lower pay plants.

http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2010/03/marlin-to-shut-down-new-haven-plant-and-lay-off-265-workers/

good for them. while i hate to see folks loose their jobs, it makes me happy to see a union loose jobs

Fuck Connecticut.

There are few places in the country I hate more than that godforsaken shithole.

Hopefully Marlin will open up a new manufacturing line down here in the South.:evil:

I usually pass the plant all the time, It's going to suck to see them go. I took a little bit of pride knowing that my Marlins were made right here in this state, but in the end, this state fucking sucks and I want to to burn at the bottom of a well in the hottest fire allowed by physics.

good for them. while i hate to see folks loose their jobs, it makes me happy to see a union loose jobs

X2

Hopefully they will set up shop in one of the states that have been passing laws to (attempt) to give the finger to the feds. If I was a politician from one of those states, I would be in talks with Marlin ASAP.

Freda said he would like to team up with U.S. Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro, D-3

Interesting dilemma for a democrat.

"Evil gun company is leaving"

vs

"A whole grunch of your revenue is leaving."

I'm amazed that there are any companies at all still here in The People's Republik.:confused:

Man, if I were a gun manufacturer, I'd consider gun supporting states like Wyoming....telling the feds to take a hike.

Ct sucks for small buisness owners, as well as large companys.
I feel bad for the employees.

Keep your panties on, guys. If they were to move to one ot the "Fawk the feds" states, they would still have to comply with all FFL rules and regs if they want to sell firearms outside of that state.

True, but at least it would give financial gains (jobs) to one of those states as a reward (for lack of a better word) for standing up to the feds.

Keep your panties on, guys. If they were to move to one ot the "Fawk the feds" states, they would still have to comply with all FFL rules and regs if they want to sell firearms outside of that state.

Everybody everywhere has to deal with fed regs on their business.

Only those who choose to do business in unfriendly-to-business states or localities have to deal with those particular local issues. There are localities out there so hungry for business that they're willing to deed land (for free!) to qualified businesses who move to their town and set up shop there.

Good on Marlin (well, Remington, really, since they own Marlin, or perhaps more accurately, good on whoever owns Remington) for seeing the reality of doing business in a state unfriendly to their business, and getting out.

If more businesses were willing to do that, the ongoing problems of predatory legislation would resolve themselves.

On a larger scale, this is why we're bleeding jobs to the rest of the world, and why we'll continue to do so until we figure out that we have to ease some of the burden here. Every company that can figure out how, is shipping jobs to places more friendly to business.

VA would like to have their business.