Smith & Wesson Plans to Sells Thompson/Center Arms
May 10, 2021
Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. today announced that it plans to divest its Thompson/Center Arms brand. This decision is part of the Company’s broader strategic plan that will focus on its core Smith & Wesson brands.
For those not familiar with Thompson/Center firearms they started in 1967 with the Contender pistol designed to use interchangeable barrels. Since then the company has branched into producing bolt guns, semi-automatics, and muzzleloaders.
Mark P. Smith, President and CEO of Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc., said, “Thompson/Center is a beloved hunting brand with a longstanding heritage, and we are committed to ensuring a smooth transition. Thompson/Center Arms’ loyal consumers should rest assured that they will continue to receive the world-class firearms, accessories, and customer service support that the brand has been known for since its founding in 1965. We remain fully committed to the hunting and long-range shooting market, and with this divestiture we will be able to now focus on these categories under our iconic Smith & Wesson brand. Additionally, this will allow us to immediately redirect manufacturing capacity to increase overall production volumes, allowing us to gain additional market share while simultaneously increasing profitability.”
At this time, a buyer for the Thompson/Center Arms brand has not been identified; however, the divestiture is not expected to have a material financial impact on the Company’s first-quarter fiscal year 2022 results and the Company expects the divestiture to be accretive to the Company’s full-year fiscal 2022 through higher overall production levels, increased margins, and lower marketing costs. The Company states that this decision will not result in workforce reduction as its flexible manufacturing model allows it to repurpose capacity immediately to other areas without a headcount reduction.
Jeremy Mallette is co-founder of International Sportsman. An avid hunter and outdoorsman, he has spent more than a decade in the outdoor industry, from hiking and camping to silencers and hunting. His father taught him to shoot at age six, and he received his first firearm at age eight — a 1942 Colt Commando .38 special revolver. He enjoys yearly trips to Kansas for pheasant hunting, spending time with his children at the deer lease, and collecting unique firearms.