Smith & Wesson Hosts Grand Opening Of New Headquarters in Tennessee
Jose Nino
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On October 7, 2023, gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson celebrated the grand opening of its new headquarters in Tennessee. Before making the move to the Volunteer State, the renowned gun manufacturer was headquartered in Massachusetts.
The company now has a 650,000-square feet (60,387-square meters) headquarters in Maryville, Tennessee. The establishment of a new headquarters is a part of a $125 million relocation plan first announced in 2021.
Since the middle of the 19th century, the gun manufacturer has been headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts. However, a recent set of gun control proposals put forward by the state government compelled the company to move because said measures would ban the company from manufacturing certain types of weapons.
Massachusetts is one of the most anti-gun states in the nation. According to Guns & Ammo magazine’s best states for gun owners rankings, Massachusetts is ranked in 47th place.
Smith & Wesson President and CEO Mark Smith gave a speech at the event on October 7.
“From where I stand, the next 170 years of Smith & Wesson are looking pretty good,” Smith declared. “It is something special here in Tennessee.”
Smith pointed to a lax regulatory environment and a close partnership with the Tennessee state government as a major factor behind the company’s decision to relocate. The company announced that the new headquarters would generate hundreds of jobs.
Over the last decade, Tennessee has been moving in a pro-gun direction as evidenced by its passage of Constitutional Carry in 2021, which allows all lawful residents of the state to carry a firearm without having to possess a state-mandated permit.
In the aforementioned Guns & Ammo magazine rankings, Tennessee is ranked in 12th place as one of the most pro-gun states in the nation.
As blue states grow more anti-gun, not only will gun owners go to red states in search of more pro-gun pastures, gun manufacturers will also relocate to more pro-gun climes just so they can stay afloat.
That’s how things are breaking down in the hyper-polarized state of contemporary US politics.
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