ILION, N.Y. — A central New York firearms company is expanding manufacturing operations and adding 40-to 50 jobs.

Remington Arms will be folding the operations of Bushmaster Firearms International into its manufacturing plant in Ilion, 55 miles east of Syracuse.

Bushmaster was acquired in April 2006 by the New York City-based private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management, which also acquired Remington, DPMS and Marlin from 2006 to 2008.

All were placed under the ownership of Freedom Group, a company owned by Cerberus.

Freedom is closing Bushmaster’s plant in Windham, Maine, on March 31.

The Windham manufacturer, which was founded in 1973, has employed 73 workers in Maine.

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Bushmaster is the top supplier of AR-15 semi-automatic rifles in the country. The line is used by law enforcement agencies, military and for recreational purposes.

Sen. Charles Schumer said Tuesday that the move strengthens Remington’s ability to compete for Department of Defense small arms M-4 and M-16 style firearms.

In mid-February, Remington announced it would hire nearly 100 new workers to accommodate operations previously performed at a Marlin Firearms plant in Connecticut.

Referring to the decision to close the Windham plant, Freedom Group Board Chair John B. Blystone in December said: ”We are continuing to adjust our operations in order to remain competitive and to continue to grow. Given increasing costs and pricing pressures affecting the entire firearms industry, this action is clearly necessary and responsible.”

 

 


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