Smith & Wesson Moving Headquarters to Tennessee

On September 30, one of the country’s oldest gun manufacturers, Smith & Wesson, announced that it would be moving its headquarters and some of its primary operations from Springfield , MA to Maryville, TN in 2023.

Mark Smith, President & CEO, cited proposed legislation in Massachusetts that would prohibit the company from manufacturing certain firearms in the state. He stated, "These bills would prevent Smith & Wesson from manufacturing firearms that are legal in almost every state in America and that are safely used by tens of millions of law-abiding citizens every day exercising their Constitutional 2nd Amendment rights, protecting themselves and their families, and enjoying the shooting sports. While we are hopeful that this arbitrary and damaging legislation will be defeated in this session, these products made up over 60% of our revenue last year, and the unfortunate likelihood that such restrictions would be raised again led to a review of the best path forward for Smith & Wesson."

The key factors in the decision included the following:

• Support for the 2nd Amendment

• Business friendly environment

• Quality of life for employees

• Cost of living and affordability

• Access to higher education institutions

• Availability of qualified labor for its operations and headquarter functions

• Favorable location for efficiency of distribution

You can read more on Smith and Wesson’s move here at the official press release.