Colt shrinking Custom Shop workforce...

[IdahoSharpshooter]

Colt has announced a reduction in staff at the Custom Shop, and the termination of the facility director.

It is very hard (and sad) to comprehend the last forty years of total ineptitude of Colt's management teams.

 

[snert]

They were at 700 ish employees a year ago, down in the 200's now. Laying off weekly.

Insiders say that ineffective management and workers who were unwilling to work "outside" union guidelines, coupled with archaic manufacturing, high labor costs, and in fighting have killed Colt. No question they put all eggs in a basket with govnt contracts, failed to keep up with consumer interests and failed to update, modernize.

The customer service people were taught to pass the buck, blame the customer, ignore the problems, and a vast majority of the folks were urbanites with no real understanding or interest in the product.

 

[JRS]

Right now, according to Brent Turchi, the former director of the Custom Shop, what is actually happening and to what extent is yet unknown. There is a great deal of speculation taking place, and no real facts.

It appears Colt has not announced anything. The rumors have started. "Rumors of massive layoffs have been going around since a post on Pistol-Forum read, sounds like a big mess down there a whole lot of pink slips". Thus far, Brent Turchi has no additional information.

 

[LHSmith]

Their first mistake was to stay in the liberal fantasyland of Connecticut allowing the state to help bleed their revenues dry.

 

[Hopkins]

Colt turned its back on the shooting consumer and relied on government contracts and law enforcement sales for years. Going back 30 years when I retailed their custom shop products that part of Colt was very difficult to deal with. Their participation in 2nd amendment protection efforts was notably luke warm and earned them few friends in that group. I'm not surprised that they are in financial trouble again. I will be surprised if they survive as anything more than a brand trademark this time.

 

[IPSCNUT]

The firearms companies, as well as the reloading components companies, rode the wave and did not manage the wave. The water has finally run out from under them. There will be more!!!!!!!

 

[LHSmith]

The firearms companies, as well as the reloading components companies, rode the wave and did not manage the wave. The water has finally run out from under them. There will be more!!!!!!!

You must have read that on CNN or NBC. Google the subject and you will find that is fake news. Fact is hordes of libs, including minorities, LGBT, and others fearful of the unrest the new administration is creating (actually media driven) are keeping gun and ammo sales high. Add that to the better job market, and stocks and they should do well for a long time.

 

[IdahoSharpshooter]

Colt's primary focus these days is filing Ch11 every three years to evade paying their creditors, imho. They should sell out to Cerberus, and be done with it.

 

[John Russell]

They were at 700 ish employees a year ago, down in the 200's now. Laying off weekly.

Insiders say that ineffective management and workers who were unwilling to work "outside" union guidelines, coupled with archaic manufacturing, high labor costs, and in fighting have killed Colt. No question they put all eggs in a basket with govnt contracts, failed to keep up with consumer interests and failed to update, modernize.

The customer service people were taught to pass the buck, blame the customer, ignore the problems, and a vast majority of the folks were urbanites with no real understanding or interest in the product.

A major part of the problem is the State of Connecticut - one of the most anti-gun states in the country.... and the anti-business attitudes and high taxes.

Remington had the largest ammunition manufacturing facility in the country - 1.5 million-square-foot structure of 13 interconnected buildings stretching over 76 acres. A solid, bomb proof building, with a 600 yard, underground shooting tunnel, large attached park with a lake, all paid for by the US Govt during WW2, and they abandoned it to get out of the state and start all over again in North Carolina.

Winchester went bankrupt and shut down, and promptly re-opened a few weeks latter down in the Carolinas. Same for all the rest of the gun related companies - Colt is the Last and I think they will eventually will follow the rest.

 

[JRS]

It's all about profit.