Bushmaster is closing

[Jim]

Here's the story.

[WILCO]

Funny how nobody there hates the "rich" guy that's trying to create more jobs.
Also, it was typical how the "neighbors" signed a petition to address the noise from the testing that was done on site.

Thanks for the link Jim.

[fixit]

maybe this is a simplistic longshot, but has anyone thought of directing these folks to take the skills they already have and start an employee owned company, doing exactly what they are already doing? kind of give some competition to the corporate yahoos that left them out in the cold!?!

[.357]

maybe this is a simplistic longshot, but has anyone thought of directing these folks to take the skills they already have and start an employee owned company, doing exactly what they are already doing? kind of give some competition to the corporate yahoos that left them out in the cold!?!

that is what i would try to do!

[pressonregardless]

Yep, the Cerberus Capital Management group have Remington and Marlin. By the way they treated their employees at the old Marlin plant, I doubt they will loose much sleep worrying about the Bushmaster employees.

The part about Olympia Snowe helping anyone in the firearms community must be some kind of joke.

[Recluse]

I'm well familiar with the Bushmaster factory and operations--my wife's sister and brother-in-law live within walking distance of it.

The noise from their test firing was anything but regular. From our many visits to North Windham, we could go days and days without hearing a single shot. We heard more shotgun and large-bore shooting from the hunters who would hunt on the outlying areas than we did from the Bushmaster facility.

However, the state of Maine is getting EXACTLY what it deserves with Bushmaster shutting down. My wife is so disgusted with her home state that she often wonders if we'll ever go back even for a weekend visit.

The state has taxed and regulated itself literally out of existence.

Couple of years ago, my wife's father passed away. I had sent the wife up via a commercial flight several weeks earlier. I took our plane up to the Robert LeFleur Waterville airport (KWVL). Upon landing late in the evening, there was no one at the FBO to direct me to parking or for fuel. No big deal--I'm more than used to that at smaller airports.

We take care of family business and then pack up the plane five days later and head back to Texas.

Two weeks after we got home, I get a letter from Augusta (capital of Maine) stating that if our airplane had stayed two more days, it would've been considered "temporary residency" and we would've been sent a pro-rata sales tax charge of $1750.

We were looking at buying my mother-in-law's house in Winslow, but on top of all the taxes and fees, there is an out-of-state fee we'd have to pay for living TOO far away from Maine, and that tax/fee is friggin' ridiculously high.

My brother-in-law designs and builds log homes. He showed me the increased amount of paperwork, fees, licenses and taxes he has to deal with and how much they've increased in just the past twenty years. It's beyond unfathomable.

There is a bridge between New Hampshire and Maine that is in need of repair. New Hampshire is ready to go, but Maine doesn't have the money. The EDITOR of the Portland newspaper even wrote a scathing editorial bemoaning his own state for their zeal in over-taxing and over-regulating their state of of existence.

The governor of New Hampshire even stated (paraphrased) in regards to the difference between NH and Maine: "In New Hampshire, we hate government and love business. Next door in Maine, it's just the opposite--they love government and hate business. That's why we can afford to fix our side of the bridge and they can't."

There are a lot of good people in Maine--I know because I visit with them every time we go up. But Maine has turned solidly into the California of the northeast in both attitude and in the type of people it's attracting.

Portland even put an amendment on the ballot this past November trying to give NON-CITIZENS the right to vote on matters involving the city. They even had endorsements from Maine legislators who wanted to give NON-CITIZENS the right to vote in state affairs.

With mentalities like that in charge, you're going to see more and more companies like Bushmaster say to hell with it and give Maine the big middle finger and walk away.

And unfortunately, I can't blame them one bit.

[9.3X62AL]

If I were a wagering man, I'd risk some folding money that Recluse's comments cut right to the heart of the matter. I got the impression that the news story was leaving a lot unsaid and talking around the real rationale for shuttering the plant. I have a lot of empathy for the displaced workers in Maine, but I would also bet that the pols are shedding crocodile tears over Bushmaster's departure. The same idiot mindset that drives Progressive/Soviet Lite .gov business hostility is also quite hostile to gun ownership and use. Freedom isn't their thing--at all.

[Lee]

Suffering from CRS, I still seem to remember hearing some most disturbing things about the Cerebus group, their leaders, major share-holders, and philosophies.
And one of those foggy memories was a decidedly anti-2nd Amendment tilt.
Anyone here with a better memory than I who can prove/disprove this??
I just don't have a warm and fuzzy about this "group" at all.................

[c3d4b2]

Is DPMS / Panther arms next?

[azcruiser]

I think it's about the cost of doing business in Maine and cost overall .Plus why have the plant at all when Rem
can buy the guns cheaper from DPMS have them private labeled to say Remington and have a fixed cost of goods. Thats why Bushmaster is closing It's always about the MONEY when sometimes it should be about the quality .They made a very good product

[82nd airborne]

Bushmaster is coming out with a new product next month. A little confusing. I didnt read the story, but arnt they moving, not closing?

[45 2.1]

Mythical guardian of Hades In Greek myth Cerberus was a horrific dog who stood watch at the gates of Hades

Somehow seems appropriate................doesn't it.

[c3d4b2]

Rem
can buy the guns cheaper from DPMS have them private labeled to say Remington and have a fixed cost of goods.

The Freedom Group owns Remington, DPMS and Bushmaster.

http://freedom-group.com/

[Thecyberguy]

The Freedom Group owns Remington, DPMS and Bushmaster.

http://freedom-group.com/

And Marlin and H&R and others.


I know someone that works there and they said for sometime now they have had no orders to speak of for Bushmaster products....business went from can't keep up and adding people to no work in a matter of a few months. They said they were assembling Rem shotguns to keep the people busy.

I agree with recluse...the dems have been in charge here for 30 years....they have slowly driven most business out of the state. This year the state has been returned to the repubs......of course they can not undo 30 years of [edit] in a few years.

On another note TC is closing in NH.....guess Maine is so bad it crossed the stateline.... TCG

[runfiverun]

tc was bought out airc also.

[gravel]

it's a heck of a brand name in AR's to just throw away.

....business went from can't keep up and adding people to no work in a matter of a few months.

something happened to cause that. was bushmaster advertising cancelled?

[Lloyd Smale]

Just look at all the ar15 manufactures that sprung up during the shortage. It was enevitable that some of them would fail when this crunch ended. Its a dirty crime that a good brand like bushmaster is one of them but they are owned by big time bean counters and if the bottom line isnt profit they could care less about employees. Id bet the name continues and that dpms will be making them along with remingtons but that sure doesnt help all the employees that lost there job right at Christmas. There should be some law that wont allow a company to do this kind of thing in nov dec or jan. Seems like its the norm to do it this time of the year. It must be something to do with taxes

[P.K.]

I'm well familiar with the Bushmaster factory and operations--my wife's sister and brother-in-law live within walking distance of it.

The noise from their test firing was anything but regular. From our many visits to North Windham, we could go days and days without hearing a single shot. We heard more shotgun and large-bore shooting from the hunters who would hunt on the outlying areas than we did from the Bushmaster facility.

However, the state of Maine is getting EXACTLY what it deserves with Bushmaster shutting down. My wife is so disgusted with her home state that she often wonders if we'll ever go back even for a weekend visit.

The state has taxed and regulated itself literally out of existence.

Couple of years ago, my wife's father passed away. I had sent the wife up via a commercial flight several weeks earlier. I took our plane up to the Robert LeFleur Waterville airport (KWVL). Upon landing late in the evening, there was no one at the FBO to direct me to parking or for fuel. No big deal--I'm more than used to that at smaller airports.

We take care of family business and then pack up the plane five days later and head back to Texas.

Two weeks after we got home, I get a letter from Augusta (capital of Maine) stating that if our airplane had stayed two more days, it would've been considered "temporary residency" and we would've been sent a pro-rata sales tax charge of $1750.

We were looking at buying my mother-in-law's house in Winslow, but on top of all the taxes and fees, there is an out-of-state fee we'd have to pay for living TOO far away from Maine, and that tax/fee is friggin' ridiculously high.

My brother-in-law designs and builds log homes. He showed me the increased amount of paperwork, fees, licenses and taxes he has to deal with and how much they've increased in just the past twenty years. It's beyond unfathomable.

There is a bridge between New Hampshire and Maine that is in need of repair. New Hampshire is ready to go, but Maine doesn't have the money. The EDITOR of the Portland newspaper even wrote a scathing editorial bemoaning his own state for their zeal in over-taxing and over-regulating their state of of existence.

The governor of New Hampshire even stated (paraphrased) in regards to the difference between NH and Maine: "In New Hampshire, we hate government and love business. Next door in Maine, it's just the opposite--they love government and hate business. That's why we can afford to fix our side of the bridge and they can't."

There are a lot of good people in Maine--I know because I visit with them every time we go up. But Maine has turned solidly into the California of the northeast in both attitude and in the type of people it's attracting.

Portland even put an amendment on the ballot this past November trying to give NON-CITIZENS the right to vote on matters involving the city. They even had endorsements from Maine legislators who wanted to give NON-CITIZENS the right to vote in state affairs.

With mentalities like that in charge, you're going to see more and more companies like Bushmaster say to hell with it and give Maine the big middle finger and walk away.

And unfortunately, I can't blame them one bit.

I agree 100% with every last little bit. I saw what my beloved state was turning into years ago. I left in the summer of '91 and never looked back. My parents stuck it out untill '98 and moved to N.H. which I still laugh at. Not much of a move I told my Da, he simply said, "Far enough." Part of me hopes that Maine isn't too far gone the way of the PRK, because I'd love to take the kids there someday, but if it's(the state) decided to tax/charge to death the very people who keep it alive( tourism, in the above posters case visitor), I can go the rest of my life with out going back. As a kid I though the out of state fee's charged for hunting and fishing(non-res) were pretty steep, I can only imagine what it's like now as an adult with who knows what else.

[troy_mclure]

tc was bought out airc also.

t/c was bought by s&w a few years ago. they are closing the nh. plant and moving operations(mainly barrel making) to the s&w facilities.

[jr545]

There should be some law that wont allow a company to do this kind of thing in nov dec or jan.

I'm far from being a Cerebus/Freedom Group fan but thinking like this makes me...