Remington Arms, Ilion
/ File photo
ILION, HERKIMER CO. (AP) -- A New York congressman says Remington Arms has been awarded a nearly $80 million contract from the Pentagon to produce sniper rifles at the company's Mohawk Valley plant.
Congressman Richard Hanna, whose upstate district includes the plant in Ilion in Herkimer County, says Friday that the contract calls for Remington to make more than 5,000 sniper rifles and millions of rounds over 10 years for the U.S. Special Operations Command.
The announcement comes two days after a group of state lawmakers met with Remington officials who said the company plans to spend $20 million upgrading its gun manufacturing plant in Ilion.
Concerns were raised about the company's future in Ilion and the 1,200 people employed there after the Legislature passed a law banning the sale of military-style rifles, including the Bushmaster product made at the plant.
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