Gunmaker Remington offers NY plant to make medical supplies
The Remington Arms Company in Ilion, N.Y. (AP File)
ILION, N.Y. - Remington Arms has offered to donate manufacturing space for hospital supplies in New York.
CEO of the gun manufacturer, Ken D'Arcy, wrote a letter Monday, March 23, to Gov. Andrew Cuomo and President Donald Trump offering "approximately one million square feet of unused and available manufacturing space" at the Ilion plant, the Ithaca Journal reported.
Cuomo issued an executive order for all nonessential workers to remain home, and the company announced Friday it would shut down in compliance until April 30.
D'Arcy said the company would be honored to help produce ventilators, surgical masks, hospital beds or any other products to aid the efforts to combat the coronavirus.
Cuomo said Tuesday that the state has 7,000 ventilators and needs 30,000 for an anticipated surge of patients.
Remington Arms has joined several other companies to offer to help fight back against the coronavirus pandemic. Several distilleries have started producing hand sanitizer to help fill the shortage.
New York has more than 30,000 confirmed cases and 285 deaths. The nation-high figures are driven mostly by New York City.
Herkimer County Administrator James Wallace said Remington also requested permission to continue producing firearms for military and police use.
A Remington Arms official could not be reached Tuesday to elaborate on the logistics of this opportunity.