by The Portland Press-Herald is reporting that a new company will take over the old Bushmaster plant in Windham, Maine. The new company, Windham Weaponry, plans to hire up to half of the 73 works laid off when the Freedom Group moved production to the Remington plan in Ilion, NY.
“A group of investors felt there was a great opportunity for a new company when Bushmaster Firearms International LLC decided to relocate the company to another state and lay off all its employes. These employees in many cases have 25 years of experience in making one of the finest rifles in the world,” said the release.
Windham Weaponry will be located in the Windham business park and will begin production in July, with initial shipments scheduled for September.
The group of investors is led by Richard Dyke who sold Bushmaster to Cerebrus in April 2006. Dyke noted in an interview with the Kennebec Journal that his non-compete agreement expired in April of this year.
According to a Form D filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Windham Weaponry issued and sold $1.5 million in a private stock sale as of June 8th and were incorporated this year in the State of Maine. The executives and directors of Windham Weaponry include:
Richard E. Dyke
Executive, Director, PromoterJeffrey E. Dyke
Executive, DirectorMark Eliason
ExecutiveAllen W. Faraday
Executive, DirectorThomas F. Kent
DirectorGalen P. Mc Kenney
DirectorRichard Pratt
Director
None of the news stories indicate just what type of rifles will be made at the plant but I think it is safe to assume it will be AR-15’s.