He further stated the union and Remington have been working on a new contract through collective bargaining, which Smith said is currently ongoing. Smith said it would be in the company's best interest to keep the 216 skilled workers in Ilion on the payroll. "They're telling us this is not going to impact employment in Ilion," said Phil Smith, a spokesperson for the United Mine Workers of America, adding that the union will see what happens and is currently taking the company at its word. "We're very hopeful that they'll stay and continue to grow here," said Wallace. "They're up to 350 workers now and they're looking to add more employees," said Herkimer County Administrator James Wallace, adding that it appears that the Huntsville operation, research and development and corporate headquarters will be consolidated at the new Georgia facility. Herkimer County Administrator James Wallace said his understanding is that the announcement will not impact the RemArms Ilion plant. He added: "The decision to locate in Georgia is very simple, the state of Georgia is not only a business friendly state, it’s a firearms friendly state." Remington Arms: Timeline of recent events at nation's oldest gun-maker Remington Arms: Gunmaker moving headquarters to Georgia: What we know now "The entire executive staff, have spent a lot of time in Ilion, we are very pleased with the work being done and are confident we will be able to increase production in Ilion as needed." "In Ilion, we are increasing production and attempting to hire more employees," said Ken D'Arcy, CEO of Roundhill Group, owner of RemArms. That will not impact the operation in Ilion, however.
The company and Georgia officials announced Monday that the nation's oldest gun manufacturer that started in Herkimer County in 1816 would invest $100 million in the operation in LaGrange, Georgia, southwest of Atlanta, hiring 856 people over five years. Gun-maker Remington Firearms will move its headquarters to Georgia, with plans to open a factory and research operation there. Watch Video: Remington Arms plant in Ilion, NY affected by national debate over gun control