Gov. Hutchinson, Sec. Preston Tour Remington Facility in Lonoke
October 22, 2021LONOKE, Ark. (October 22, 2021) – Gov. Asa Hutchinson and Arkansas Secretary of Commerce Mike Preston joined Chris Metz, Chief Executive Officer, and Sudhanshu Priyadarshi, Chief Financial Officer, of Vista Outdoor for a tour of the company’s facility in Lonoke today.
Vista Outdoor is a leading global designer, manufacturer, and marketer of products in the outdoor sports and recreation markets. The company acquired the iconic Remington Ammunition facility in Lonoke, which includes close to a million square feet of manufacturing space on 1,200 acres, in October 2020. Since the acquisition, Vista Outdoor has added hundreds of jobs at the facility with plans to employ hundreds more.
“The revival of the Remington facility has been a total team effort, with our employees, local suppliers and state officials doing their part to support the return of ‘Big Green.’ We have added hundreds of jobs and utilized local contractors and businesses as we scale up production at the plant.” said Chris Metz, CEO of Vista Outdoor. “This positive experience has spurred further investment in the Natural State. We recently opened a distribution center in Bryant that will support our Camp Chef and QuietKat brands. Camp Chef is the leader in backcountry and backyard cooking, while QuietKat leads the rugged, overlanding e-Bike category. This new facility will help us reach more consumers across the country as demand for Camp Chef and QuietKat continues to grow.
“Governor Hutchinson and Secretary Preston have created a business environment that supports domestic manufacturing, local economic development and outdoor recreation. Each of these pillars are critical to the long-term success of Vista Outdoor and our local brands, so we are fortunate and proud to call Arkansas home,” concluded Metz.
Directly after the tour, Gov. Hutchinson, Preston, Metz and Priyadarshi participated in a product demonstration at the Remington Gun Club, an on-site trap, skeet and sporting clays shooting range.
“With one of the highest rates of hunters and recreational shooters in the country, Arkansas recognizes the role that the ammunition industry serves in growing our economy,” Gov. Hutchinson said. “Our workforce has the specific skills needed to manufacture these products, and I am pleased that Vista Outdoor has partnered with us to continue ammunition production here in our state.”
Headquartered in Minnesota, Vista Outdoor has 37 outdoor brands spread across 16 states and international locations. The company has experienced record growth across its brands and sectors within the past year, including ammunition sales. The Lonoke operation produces millions of rounds of ammunition each day under the Remington brand.
“The Arkansas workforce is both hardworking and passionate about hunting and conservation, so it makes perfect sense that an ammunition company like Vista Outdoor would look to Arkansas as an ideal location for its manufacturing operations,” Secretary of Commerce Mike Preston said. “I want to thank the Vista Outdoor leadership for giving us a tour of their operations, and I am looking forward to continuing our relationship as they move forward in this next phase of development.”
Vista Outdoor was named as one of America’s Best Midsize Employers by Forbes in 2021. For more information about employment opportunities at Vista Outdoor, visit https://vistaoutdoor.com/careers/.
About Vista Outdoor Inc.
Vista Outdoor is a leading global designer, manufacturer, and marketer of outdoor recreation and shooting sports products. We operate through two reportable segments: Shooting Sports and Outdoor Products. Together, our segments serve the outdoor sports and recreation markets through a diverse portfolio of well-recognized brands that provide consumers with a wide range of performance-driven, high-quality, and innovative products. Brands include Remington Ammunition, Bushnell, CamelBak, Bushnell Golf, Bell Helmets, Camp Chef, Foresight Sports, Giro, QuietKat, Federal and more. Vista Outdoor products are sold at leading retailers and distributors across North America and worldwide. For news and information, visit our website or investor relations page and follow us on Twitter.
