S&W President and Ceo spoke at the event

Maryville – Smith and Wesson Inc. (SW), one of the leading firearm producers in the world, officially opened shop in Maryville after a grand opening Friday.

The 650,000-square foot facility is part of a $125,000 relocation plan announced in 2021. Blount County Mayor Ed Mitchell, U.S. Representative Tim Burchett and “Duck Dynasty” star Si Robertson were on hand.

S&W President and Ceo spoke at the event, The Associated Press reported.

“From where I stand, the next 170 years of Smith and Wesson are looking pretty good,” Smith said at the event, according to reports. “It is something special here in Tennessee.”

The gunmaker has been in Springfield, Massachusetts since the mid-19th century, but recently announced legislative proposals in the state would prohibit them from manufacturing certain firearms. So, they pulled up stakes and headed south. The facility looks to bring 550 jobs to the area.

SW was created when Horace Smith and D.B. Wesson formed a partnership to manufacture a firearm that could fire a fully self-contained cartridge in 1852. By 1854 the company achieved that goal with .41 magazine pistol “the volcanic” which was the first repeating American firearm to successfully use a self-contained cartridge. SW has been a major player in the industry ever since.

For more information visit smith-wesson.com or hang out with them on Facebook HERE or X (formerly Twitter) HERE.

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