Gun manufacturer moves headquarters to Tennessee, leaving home of Massachusetts

Gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson relocated its headquarters to Tennessee, leaving the state of Massachusetts for new pastures.

The move by Smith & Wesson, which was founded in Connecticut in 1852 and later moved to Massachusetts, became official over the weekend when it opened its new 650,000-square-foot headquarters in Maryville, Tennessee.

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In relocating to the Volunteer State, CEO Mark Smith stated that working with local leaders helped make the move “seamless” while also touting Tennessee’s gun laws in the relocation.

“From where I stand, the next 170 years of Smith & Wesson are looking pretty good,” CEO Mark Smith said on Saturday. “It is something special here in Tennessee.”

Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) attended the relocation ceremony and said the people of Tennessee “are pleased to officially welcome Smith & Wesson to Maryville.” She added that the manufacturer’s relocation to Tennessee is “a testament to our pro-business policies,” adding that the new location will “bolster our economic development and exceptionally skilled workforce.”

Smith & Wesson’s relocation also earned praise from the National Rifle Association, with Tyler Schropp, the group’s executive director of advancement, describing the move as “a testament to their enduring legacy, their commitment to firearm excellence.”

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Smith & Wesson’s move south was first announced in 2021, when Smith alluded to Massachusetts’s “arbitrary and damaging” legislation, claiming that certain gun policies under consideration in the state “would prevent Smith & Wesson from manufacturing firearms that are legal in almost every state in America.”

Last year, Smith expressed criticism of politicians of cities with high crime rates and claimed their anti-gun policies were to blame for upticks in violent crime. Smith also said his company “will engage those who genuinely seek productive discussions” and “will never back down in our defense of the 2nd Amendment.”