On Friday, March 20th, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo issued another executive order in his campaign against the Corona Virus. This order requires workers in all “non-essential” businesses in the state to stay at home.
The order takes effect tonight at the close of business day today, and will dramatically effect the lives of nearly every citizen in the state. Cuomo said of the closures, “This will cause disruption. They will cause businesses to close. They’ll cause employees to stay at home. I understand that. They will cause much unhappiness. I understand that also.”
And Cuomo isn’t playing around. He said, “These provisions will be enforced,” he said. “These are not helpful hints. This is not if you really want to be a great citizen. These are legal provisions. They will be enforced. There will be a civil fine and mandatory closure for any business that is not in compliance. Again, your actions can affect my health. That’s where we are.”
Remington Factory Is Caught In The Cross Hairs
This has an effect on the men and women working in Remington’s factory in Ilion, New York. The factory is being forced to close along with all the other ‘non-essential businesses.”
So right when the demand for guns is higher than its’ ever been, they’re going to have to close the doors. And while Remington has other factories in Huntsville, AL, Lonoke, AR, Mona, UT and Sturgis, SD. Still, those various plants handle different parts for Remington, and they’re not interchangeable. They can’t just kick up production in those other places to compensate for the Ilion factory.
What’s worse, the folks at Remington have confirmed that the factory will be closed until the end of April. This will be a major hit to the town of Ilion, as those jobs represent hundreds of households.
A local Herikmer County Legislature chairman, Vince Bono, said that the effect will not be a small thing for the county. Bono said, “We are certainly concerned on how this will greatly effect the economic impact of Herkimer County while cognizant of the health concerns to workers. We know that Remington Arms is about 1/7th of the total economy of Herkimer County. This will be devastating to those workers and their families.”\
The Fallout Is Still Coming
That’s what remains to be seen: how far-reaching and how long-lasting the economic fallout is going to be after this is over. For Remington and this county, they’re looking at a severe blow.
And that’s to say nothing of the American citizens who are being denied their right to purchase a gun when they need them the most.