[Bubbles]

As someone who was just laid off (fortunately I found another job quickly), I feel bad for the 73 workers affected.

http://www.wgme.com/newsroom/top_stories/videos/wgme_vid_6097.shtml
Freedom Group, Inc. which owns the Bushmaster brand, says it's closing the facility on Roosevelt Trail, effective March 31, 2011.

[glock36]

Most sad indeed for the employees, thoughts and prayers go out to each

[wojownik]

They closed the Arizona facility in April, now the Maine plant. Anything left of Bushmaster? I suppose Freedom Group will consolidate everything with one of their other operations (Remington or DPMS?). Dissappointing.

[Oldfalguy]

Shame for the employees. They had a great run at the top for a good while.
Reckon there isn't enough demand anymore with the AR pie being so chopped up between the retailers Ruger, S&W, DPMS, Remington....etc....ad naseum

[Larry Ashcraft]

Somebody mentioned a while back that there are about fifty "manufacturers" of ARs right now.

You can only spread things so thin...

[Al LaVodka]

And the local press their ends the article with this unrelated icing-on-the-cake of the evil gun company that is abandoning the poor workers:
"Bushmaster has donated thousands of dollars in total in recent years to local and national republican political campaigns, including..."

Know what I say? If I were the President of the group, the Arizona plant would have been the LAST to close and to hell with Maine -- it woulda been the first. Couldn't happen to a nicer, delusional, state. I would have fired them TWICE. I hope that required layoffs are ALWAYS in such states and Districts first ongoing. Unfortunately the Summer of Recovery is over, darnit. Maybe these 73 new unemployed will vote-out their political hacks that continue to foist a Depression upon all of us but, then again, with 99 weeks of vacation coming, maybe not.

Al

[CapnMac]

with 99 weeks of vacation coming

It's no "vacation"--machinists will be going from $700-900 a week to $300. And, it's "99 weeks" only if you get union unemployment, and take that at the State rate, first (so, still only about $300-333/wk). If you double-up, to try and keep a standard-of-living near the one your debts (like mortgages and the like) are structured to, you run out just like the rest of us plebes do, around week 30 to 40, depending on how broke your state is.

[Tim the student]

Wow, not good. Hope the employees can get good work soon.

[krazykeny]

Another case of a Union priceing it's employees out of a job...

[Flyboy73]

I was searching through Google to see where they were moving to production to. And came across this from bloomberg.com.

"The Maine gun plant that produced the semiautomatic rifle used by the Beltway snipers will close, putting about 70 people out of work."

Basically the article is making a big point about the beltway sniper using a sniper. Article seems to be implying this had something to do with the closing. Should be more concerned with the people losing there jobs.

What a bunch of crap.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-10/gun-maker-s-plant-in-maine-to-close-70-lose-jobs.html

Brion

[nwilliams]

I'm not much of a Shrubmaster fan and now I like them even less:mad:

Merry Christmas here's your pink slip.

Now 73 people are going to be job hunting instead of hunting for presents for their loved ones this Christmas.

[Al LaVodka]

Ooo!
That could be strike FOUR for the media to harp on:

Bushmaster makes evil guns,
they donated to some Republicans,
they were the supplier of the DC Sniper, AND
the Grinches didn't wait till 2011 to fire their UNION employees...


Oh, the children! Wah. The working poor!! Wahh. The elderly!!! Wahhh. The minorities!!!! Wahhhh. The Gays and Lesbians!!!!! Wahhhhh. The women!!!!!! Wahhhhhh. The undocumented workers!!!!!!! Wahhhhhhh.

Al

[feedthehogs]

No need to drag politics, unions or grinch business owners into this.
It's a clear cut sign of the economic times.
Everybody ramped up for the Obama scare festival and are now reaping the economic woes of those expansions no longer able to be supported.
The future is very dim and Bushmaster won't be the last gun company to cut back.

[mljdeckard]

Has there been any announcement that Bushmaster products are going away? Will the model lines continue?

[Shear_stress]

Oh, the children! Wah. The working poor!! Wahh. The elderly!!! Wahhh. The minorities!!!! Wahhhh. The Gays and Lesbians!!!!! Wahhhhh. The women!!!!!! Wahhhhhh. The undocumented workers!!!!!!! Wahhhhhhh.

Viewing everything through such a narrow ideological gunslit must save a lot of mental effort. But I guess you need to conserve your energy so that you can launch into shameless gloating at the drop of a hat.

People in the gun industry are losing their jobs. For the love of god have a little decorum.

[22-rimfire]

The consolidation is typical after an acquisition. It is happening to Thompson Center too. Selling out may be good for the owners, but is seldom a good thing for the employees in the long run. I hope the employees find suitable employment after the shock wears off.

[MAKster]

Does DPMS which is owned by Bushmaster even exist as a separate operation anymore? Or is it just a product line now being built on the same Bushmaster/marlin/Remington/H&R assembly line?

[TexasRifleman]

Viewing everything through such a narrow ideological gunslit must save a lot of mental effort. But I guess you need to conserve your energy so that you can launch into shameless gloating at the drop of a hat.

People in the gun industry are losing their jobs. For the love of god have a little decorum.

I believe he was making fun of the media pundits, not expressing his own opinions. And if so he's sadly pretty close to right. This is exactly what the media lives for. The evil gun maker donates to one political party and now the jobs are gone. They will try to tie all that together.

[Shear_stress]

I believe he was making fun of the media pundits, not expressing his own opinions.
I don't know, he seems pretty darn happy that others are losing their jobs. That and a lot of other baseless insinuations:

Know what I say? If I were the President of the group, the Arizona plant would have been the LAST to close and to hell with Maine -- it woulda been the first. Couldn't happen to a nicer, delusional, state. I would have fired them TWICE. I hope that required layoffs are ALWAYS in such states and Districts first ongoing. Unfortunately the Summer of Recovery is over, darnit. Maybe these 73 new unemployed will vote-out their political hacks that continue to foist a Depression upon all of us but, then again, with 99 weeks of vacation coming, maybe not

[rscalzo]

TC was doing more work making S&W parts than muzzleloaders. As far a Bushmaster, they actually manfacture little.

Another case of a Union priceing it's employees out of a job...

Before you make an uninformed comment, what makes you think it was a union shop? You have actual documentation of that?

[Al LaVodka]

I believe he was making fun of the media pundits, not expressing his own opinions. And if so he's sadly pretty close to right. This is exactly what the media lives for. The evil gun maker donates to one political party and now the jobs are gone. They will try to tie all that together.

THANK YOU!


Is it because of THIS that "journalism" is influenced? Obviously. And so they go out to support class-warfare and to "punish [their] enemies" including gun ownership.


Dyke, Richard E.
WINDHAM, ME
Bushmaster Firearms, Inc./Chairman $250 06/23/2008 P NATIONAL FEDERATION OF INDEPENDENT BUSINESS/ SAVE AMERICAS FREE ENTERPRISE TRUST
Dyke, Richard E.
WINDHAM, ME
04062 Dyke Associates/Entrepreneur $5,000 05/28/2008 P TRUST IN SMALL BUSINESS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (TISB PAC)
DYKE, RICHARD EARL MR.
HENDERSON, NV
89052 RETIRED $2,300 04/17/2008 P JOHN MCCAIN 2008 INC. - Republican
Dyke, Richard
HENDERSON, NV
89052 Retired/Retired $500 04/16/2008 P REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE - Republican
Dyke, Richard
HENDERSON, NV
89052 Retired/Retired $1,000 03/30/2008 P PORTER FOR CONGRESS - Republican
DYKE, RICHARD MR.
WINDHAM, ME
04062 NONE $2,300 01/31/2008 P JOHN MCCAIN 2008 INC. - Republican
Dyke, Richard E
WINDHAM, ME
04062 Dyke Associates/Owner $1,300 01/28/2008 P CHARLIE SUMMERS FOR CONGRESS COMMITTEE - Republican
Dyke, Richard
HENDERSON, NV
89052 Bushmaster Firearms, Inc./Chairman $2,300 12/19/2007 P SCONTRAS FOR CONGRESS - Republican
DYKE, RICHARD E
WINDHAM, ME
04062 BUSHMASTER FIREARMS/CHAIRMAN $2,300 11/02/2007 P COLLINS FOR SENATOR - Republican
DYKE, RICHARD E
WINDHAM, ME
04062 BUSHMASTER FIREARMS/CHAIRMAN $2,300 11/02/2007 G COLLINS FOR SENATOR - Republican
Dyke, Richard
WINDHAM, ME
Bushmaster Firearms Inc./Chairman $250 09/04/2007 P NATIONAL FEDERATION OF INDEPENDENT BUSINESS/ SAVE AMERICAS FREE ENTERPRISE TRUST
Dyke, Richard
WINDHAM, ME
04062 Dyke Associates/Owner $1,000 07/11/2007 P CHARLIE SUMMERS FOR CONGRESS COMMITTEE - Republican
DYKE, RICHARD
WINDHAM, ME
04062 DYKE ASSOCIATES/ACCOUNTANT $1,000 06/22/2007 P BOB SCHAFFER FOR US SENATE - Republican
Dyke, Richard E.
WINDHAM, ME
04062 Dyke Associates/Entrepreneur $5,000 03/22/2007 P TRUST IN SMALL BUSINESS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (TISB PAC)
Dyke, Richard
WINDHAM, ME
04062 Bushmaster Firearms Inc./Chairman $250 03/01/2007 P NATIONAL FEDERATION OF INDEPENDENT BUSINESS/ SAVE AMERICAS FREE ENTERPRISE TRUST


Al

[SSN Vet]

Well I don't suppose that Maine moving down from #49 to #50 (dead last) on the list of states most friendly to business had anything to do with it.

TC just shuttered their Rochester plant as well.

I interviewed a guy laid off from TC who had been on unemployment for 9 months last fall. He was my first pick and we offered him the job starting at $13.50/hr. He literally laughed at me and said he was making that much on unemployment.

So I had to go with our #2 pick, who had been out of work for a year and was about to lose his benefits.

[rscalzo]

TC did much more machining and manufacturing. Bushmaster did little to none.

Quite frankly it seems that any manufacturer geared primarily towards the AR platform is going to have to consolidate. Sales are in the dumps. Let's face it, firearms don't wear out and the used market cuts into new sales and the market has reached the saturation point.

[Patriotme]

I wonder if they lost a fortune on the ACR. I have yet to see one at the range and I don't know anyone with one. I don't even think I've seen one in a local gun store.

[rogertc1]

Freedom Group closed the Marlin Plant too and moved it. They are aprt of http://www.cerberuscapital.com/

cerberus the hell dog

[jbart85]

Windham plant was not a Union facility. Sorry to dampen your self-righteous rhetoric. Please continue.

[Shear_stress]

Well I don't suppose that Maine moving down from #49 to #50 (dead last) on the list of states most friendly to business had anything to do with it.

Not sure where your'e getting those numbers, but in terms of places to do business, CNBC ranks Maine at 31 (not great, but not last), ahead of Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada and Alaska.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/37516043/

As for the media salivating at the prospect of a Republican-donating company making especially dangerous guns that is now laying people off--the Bloomberg "belt way sniper" article is the one I can find that even approaches that level of idiocy. On the other hand, the lion's share of baseless discourse and conspiracy theories can be found right here, with some folks practically falling all over themselves to celebrate the firing of what they thought were union employees--oh wait, they weren't.

The Bushmaster plant closing is simple economics: large private equity firm owns more than one maker of similar products, demand for such products falls, large private equity firm consolidates operations to save costs.

[SSN Vet]

Not sure where your'e getting those numbers, but in terms of places to do business, CNBC ranks Maine at 31

I'm refering to Forbes magazines annual survey....

Here's the summary, as it concerns Maine from the Bangor daily.

http://www.bangordailynews.com/story/Business/Maine-ranks-last-on-Forbes-list-of-Best-States-for-Business,156267

Here's the complete survey results from Forbes

http://www.bangordailynews.com/external/out/?url=http://www.forbes.com/2010/10/13/best-states-for-business-business-beltway-best-states.html

[Shear_stress]

I'm refering to Forbes magazines annual survey....

Fair enough. Still, the Bushmaster closing had more to do with the needs of the umbrella company to reduce redundancy in its product lines than anything. Bushmaster was in Maine since 1973 and I doubt many of those intervening years saw radical changes in the state's "business friendliness".

[merlinfire]

I say this had very little to do with the political things other are pontificating about, and more to do with the acquisition. Almost always, when a company is bought out, there are layoffs. Economy of scale, reduce redundancy, helps the bottom line. As usual, its all about the money. Not every person who loses their job is politically responsible for their loss. Get real.

[kd7nqb]

My father was recently laid off after 27yrs at the same company, so I really feel bad for these guys and gals that lost their jobs. My only hope is that since I assume most of them are machinists and shop types they will be able to find a job quickly even if its outside of the gun industry.

[KBintheSLC]

With every boom, there comes a vacuum in the aftermath. I recon this will not be the last story of its kind as gun owners realize that there is no rationale to the hoarding of 2008-09. I am betting that 2011 will bring some great deals on guns and ammo as inventories run stagnant. It is unfortunate for the workers and the community to lose a plant. I'm sure they are skilled and will find there way in due time.

[rscalzo]

I take those "Best of" or "Wose of" rankings with a grain of salt. Forbes can have those survays and in the course of a year the same city comes out on top or on the bottom. statisitcs can say whatever they want based on many varibles.

Last year my former town came in the "11th. Best in NJ". When I saw the data used, I had to laugh. Totally useless data sets based on god knows what. Does the fact that a number of movie theaters are in the town really matter? Most of the data was included because the town in within a few miles of New York City and even then it was based on only four variables . But it has nothing to do with the town itself. Nothing but a PR stunt.

CNBC just did the same survey with totally different results.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/37516043

[Al LaVodka]

With every boom, there comes a vacuum in the aftermath. I recon this will not be the last story of its kind as gun owners realize that there is no rationale to the hoarding of 2008-09. I am betting that 2011 will bring some great deals on guns and ammo as inventories run stagnant. It is unfortunate for the workers and the community to lose a plant. I'm sure they are skilled and will find there way in due time.
There absolutely was a rationale for purchases and hording since November 2007. The only thing that has softened the universally perceived threat to the 2nd Amendment is the silent majority waking up, seeing what this Administration was capable of (and planning) doing, and being silent no more.

The fact that everyone and their brother is "making" an AR now has surprised me too. However, jobs will not just leave the state, if volume demands come back before we win the 2012 elections and resurrect the nation, the jobs will leave the country and NEVER come back. We have an Administration that has imposed the highest taxes in the world, more government bureaucracy, has dried up credit, is intentionally causing inflation, and has done away with the rule of law. Why would ANYONE employ skilled labor here anymore given the choice?

$13.50/hr.? He'll be begging for that when it is worth half what it is today if we don't put the country back on course.

Al

[NCsmitty]

I certainly feel bad for the workers who were tossed out of work.

It's been evident to me for the past few months that there seems to be a glut of AR parts and accessories. I've seen uppers and lowers being offered with huge discounts lately.
At one time, a couple years ago, AR's were bringing overinflated prices and no one could keep them in stock. Often there was a waiting list of months for some models.

That seems to have come to a screeching halt. I expect the industry will downsize to match the reduction in sales. And that's what we're seeing now.
Our economy is suffering under the current political climate of incompetency.



NCsmitty

[Tim the student]

Our economy is suffering under the current political climate of incompetency.

It has been suffering for a number of years - it isn't new.

[nwilliams]

I wonder if they lost a fortune on the ACR. I have yet to see one at the range and I don't know anyone with one.
In the back of my mind I was thinking the same thing but I doubt the ACR had much to do with it, I think the blame can be placed on the bad economy and the fact that people aren't spending as much as they once did. Although I suspect that the lack of interest in the ACR due to it's hefty price tag isn't helping Bushmaster.

I don't even think I've seen one in a local gun store.
My local shop has one. It's the same one they've had for the past six or eight months and it will probably still be there six to eight months from now.:rolleyes:

[SSN Vet]

Well this story got a little more personal...

I just found out last night that my friend whose son works at Bushmaster, just closed on a new house in Windham (he had been commuting some ways and wanted to be closer to the plant).

And now, come March, he's out of a job.

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

Is SIG Sauer owned by anything or is it its own entity?

[Hani Pasha]

If Bushmaster got its "stuff" together and started bringing stuff for the ACR to market, I think there would be plenty of work to go around.

Then again, if the ACR was worth buying, a few other EBR makers would probably have to make cuts to stay competitive...

Many sympathies to the laid off workers.

[TexasBill]

I was searching through Google to see where they were moving to production to. And came across this from bloomberg.com.

"The Maine gun plant that produced the semiautomatic rifle used by the Beltway snipers will close, putting about 70 people out of work."

Basically the article is making a big point about the beltway sniper using a sniper. Article seems to be implying this had something to do with the closing. Should be more concerned with the people losing there jobs.

What a bunch of crap.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-10/gun-maker-s-plant-in-maine-to-close-70-lose-jobs.html

Brion

That's Bloomberg as in Michael Bloomberg, Mayor of New York City and rabid anti.

The rationale for closing the plant is pure Cerberus. They gutted Chrysler to the point the company couldn't even develop any new vehicles - no money, no manpower. I am just surprised they didn't move the production to Mexico.

[killchain]

I wonder if they lost a fortune on the ACR. I have yet to see one at the range and I don't know anyone with one. I don't even think I've seen one in a local gun store.
Pfft. Magpul sure didn't.

Hope those guys in Maine find gainful employment... especially in a better state, with better pay.

[killchain]

There absolutely was a rationale for purchases and hording since November 2007. The only thing that has softened the universally perceived threat to the 2nd Amendment is the silent majority waking up, seeing what this Administration was capable of (and planning) doing, and being silent no more.

The fact that everyone and their brother is "making" an AR now has surprised me too. However, jobs will not just leave the state, if volume demands come back before we win the 2012 elections and resurrect the nation, the jobs will leave the country and NEVER come back. We have an Administration that has imposed the highest taxes in the world, more government bureaucracy, has dried up credit, is intentionally causing inflation, and has done away with the rule of law. Why would ANYONE employ skilled labor here anymore given the choice?

$13.50/hr.? He'll be begging for that when it is worth half what it is today if we don't put the country back on course.

Al
Oh come on.

I'm in no way defending this administration, but everyone mobbed the gun stores on election day (ME INCLUDED!) and so far, the Obama Administration has done NOTHING AT ALL about gun issues.

The only thing the Feds have done for gun rights is strengthened them with DC v. Heller and McDonald v. Chicago.

[mdauben]

As someone who was just laid off (fortunately I found another job quickly), I feel bad for the 73 workers affected.
I've been in that situation, too. It stinks. :(

My good wishes go out to the folks who got laid off. I hope they all find new jobs soon.

[danprkr]

Feel bad for the laid off workers, but as has been pointed out here that's the way it goes in mergers etc. Now, I just wish I had a boat load of money to buy their inventory, and sit on it until the next political scare.

[SSN Vet]

in a better state

Don't confuse Maine with Mass.

Maine is a very good state for R2K&BA....

And the pendulum has picked up significant momentum away from the whacky weft.

I think Maine is a great state to live in.

[twaits]

I have high hopes for Gov. LePage. He's got his work cut out for him though with the hole the left has dug for us over the past 20 years or more.

[TrickyDick]

I live in maine, and I was reading a portland based paper and it mentioned that it was closing but it focused on the fact that it produced the rifle used it the beltway sniper slayings. It made me sick, then chellie pingree, a liberal rep here had the audacity to sympathize even though she's anti gun. This state makes me sick. Portland is a wannabe san fransisco, a liberal haven. God forbid if you enjoy the 2nd amendment.

[Jon Coppenbarger]

so since they are closing then why are they still listed for a big spot at the shot show next week. unless that has been cancelled but they still show on the list of vendors?