HOULTON, Maine — One of the town’s largest employers, Smith & Wesson, has reportedly told many of its employees that layoffs are loaming.
According to published reports, the Massachusetts-based gun manufacturer told workers last week that 37 employees would be laid off between now and next August as the company plans to shift several manufacturing processes from the Houlton facility to the company’s parent location in Springfield, Mass.
Plant manager Scott Allen, who took over for long-time manager Terry Wade on May 5, 2011 following Wade’s retirement, could not be reached by presstime.
“I can confirm that I had a meeting with several officials from Smith & Wesson on Nov. 12,” Houlton Town Manager Eugene Conlogue said. “I am not at liberty to discuss the content of those discussions as any official statements should come from the company.”
Liz Sharp, spokesperson for Smith & Wesson confirmed the layoffs Tuesday.
“We are adding capacity in Houlton, specifically we are investing to increase our precision machining capacity, making Houlton an important part of our strategic growth plan in polymer frame pistols,” said Sharp. “Between now and August of next year, we plan to shift several manufacturing processes from Houlton to our Springfield, Mass. location and replace those processes with increased CNC machining capability in Houlton.
“Unfortunately this will also, over time, result in a slight reduction of our Houlton employee base by about 37 jobs, approximately 20 of which are currently held by temporary employees,” Sharp continued. “We will be offering training opportunities and other assistance as we transition, and we have worked hard to impact the least number of people as we invest in the long-term stability of our Houlton plant.”
The announcement is likely to have come as a surprise to many in the area as the gun manufacturer was thought to have been interested in expanding the Houlton operation. In a December, 2011 interview with the Houlton Pioneer Times announcing Allen’s new role with the company, Allen said he was hopeful that expansion to the company’s 36,000-square-foot building would occur in the future to accommodate a growing need.
Smith & Wesson opened a manufacturing facility on the Bangor Road in 1966 and moved to the Houlton Industrial Park in 1979. In 1980, handcuff production began and the Houlton facility shipped its first finished products. The Model 422 .22-caliber pistol launched production in 1986 and in 1992, the premiere target pistol — Model 41 — came to Houlton.
The facility has traditionally run three shifts, five days a week, 24-hours a day. Some shifts operate on a seven-day a week schedule.
With the increased production came the need for greater space and in 1994, the plant was doubled in size to 36,000 square feet. The Walther PPK handgun began being produced in Houlton in 2001 and in 2008, production began on the “Metal Pistol” line that includes 1911 45 ACP pistols, as well as the 9mm pistols 40 Smith & Wesson and 45 ACP that are used by many law enforcement agencies around the country and Canada.
When the airport plant opened in 1979, there were 29 employees. There were an estimated 160 prior to the recent layoff announcement.
The production of Smith & Wesson products has evolved considerably, based on the technological advances in computers. As the plant manager, Allen’s biggest responsibility is meeting production goals on a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly basis.
The flagship pistol at Houlton’s facility is the 1911 E-series, which was the featured on the cover of Guns and Ammo Magazine in March 2011.
