ALBANY -- With more than 1,000 people working there and a slew of small suppliers in the surrounding region, the Remington Arms gun factory in Ilion, Herkimer County, is one of that region's major employers.
Yet the company doesn't have a representative on Gov. Andrew Cuomo's Mohawk Valley Regional Council, one of 10 such organizations statewide which will compete for economic development grants.
Lawmakers weren't specifically asking for Remington executives to serve alongside local business leaders such as Nicholas Matt of Matt Brewing, Juanita Bass of Juanita's Soul Classics or Randall VanWagoner, president of Mohawk Community College.
But they want the rest of the state to know that Remington and other gun-makers -- including Kimber Manufacturing in Yonkers; Dan Wesson Firearms in Chenango County; and Kahr Arms in Rockland County -- are part of the state's industrial landscape.
"It's jobs-related," said Assembly Republican Minority Leader Brian Kolb, of Canandaigua.
Kolb noted that one gun-maker, Just Right Carbine, is in his hometown and another, the Turnbull vintage gun restoration firm, is nearby.
Along with Tom King, president of the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association, Kolb on Monday put out a call for the regional councils to recognize the New York gun industry as a player.
"It's one of the things that's not mentioned," King said.
Assemblyman Marc Butler, the Newport Republican whose district includes the Remington plant, stressed that state economic experts are aware of the company's importance.
"I'm confident if there was any need that they have, (Remington) would have communicated that to us instantly," Butler said.
He recently finished working with Remington to switch its electrical power source from National Grid to a municipal provider, which, along with a deal reached with the New York Power Authority, has led to lower costs.
Kolb and King's statement noted that the ongoing debate over the technology known as microstamping could deter other gun-makers from coming to New York.
Microstamping is a process in which a tiny engraving is embedded in a weapon's firing pin. That mark is then imprinted on each cartridge fired. Because the marking includes a serial number, supporters say the process, if mandated, would help police track down firearms used in crimes.
Opponents say the technology is unproven and unreliable. Gun-makers say it would require costly retooling.
Kolb and King noted that a recent New York Times story quoted an executive of the Colt gun company who said it could leave its historic home base in Connecticut if microstamping became law there.
In New York, a microstamping bill has passed in the Democratic-led Assembly, but hasn't gotten through the Senate, where Republicans hold a narrow majority.
"There are other states that are trying to entice gun manufacturers to come to their states," Kolb said. "You don't want to wait until they left the barn to close the door."
Reach Karlin at 454-5758 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
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