Smith & Wesson Relocates From Anti-Gun Massachusetts To Tennessee

While companies of all types have moved from heavily taxed and regulated blue states to Republican-led areas that are more business-friendly, one industry has a particularly acute incentive to exit Democratic bastions.

As certain states implement increasingly strict gun-control laws, they are becoming less and less hospitable to companies that manufacture firearms and accessories.

Until recently, Smith & Wesson was headquartered in one such state. This week, however, the gun manufacturer announced it has relocated from Springfield, Massachusetts to a new facility in Maryville, Tennessee. 

The company has been planning the move since 2021 and confirmed that its 650,000-square-foot facility was up and running as of Saturday. In total, the company’s relocation cost an estimated $125 million and represents a historic move from New England, where the company has been based since it was founded more than 170 years ago. 

Massachusetts lawmakers seem to have forced the company’s hand by implementing a host of firearms restrictions. One proposal currently making its way through the legislature would ban certain guns from being manufactured in the state. 

Tennessee, on the other hand, has become a Second Amendment refuge of sorts with Republican lawmakers advancing new laws designed to expand the rights of gun owners. 

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), who was present for the recent ribbon-cutting event in Maryville, touted her state’s commitment to gun rights. 

“In Tennessee, we know that the Second Amendment is non-negotiable and are pleased to officially welcome Smith & Wesson to Maryville,” she said. “Their significant investment in our state is a testament to our pro-business policies and we look forward to their continued partnership to bolster our economic development and exceptionally skilled workforce.”

For his part, Smith & Wesson President and CEO Mark Smith celebrated the move, expressing an optimistic outlook for the company’s future and declaring: “It is something special here in Tennessee.”

Tyler Schropp, an executive with the National Rifle Association, offered a congratulatory statement to the company, describing the move as “a testament to their enduring legacy, their commitment to firearm excellence and to the importance of preserving America’s gun industry and Second Amendment rights in a fair environment.”