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Remington Arms Co. is reportedly laying off 122 workers at its factory in Ilion, Herkimer County's largest employer.

(Gary Walts | gwalts@syracuse.com)

Ilion, N.Y. -- Remington Arms Co. reportedly is laying off about 120 workers at its gun manufacturing plant in Herkimer County.

WIXB950 said Wednesday that employees at the Ilion factory, Herkimer County's largest employer, reported that approximately 120 workers "are being shown the door."

The radio station said a company letter addressed to employees stated that 122 union positions were being cut from Ilion and 16 workers were being laid off from the Remington's plant in Lexington, KY. CEO James Marcotuli blamed slowing orders and increased inventory for the cuts, the station said.

The Washington Post reported earlier this week that gun sales nationwide have slowed dramatically since Donald Trump's election as president. Trump has pledged to protect gun rights.

Remington employs a little less than 1,000 people in Ilion. The company employed 1,300 people in Ilion in 2014, but has reduced its workforce since then.

Remington announced in February 2014 that it would open a factory in Huntsville, Ala., that would employ 2,000 people. It hinted that its anger over New York's Safe Act -- which bars the sale, but not the manufacture, of guns with high-capacity magazines -- was a factor in its decision not to build the plant in New York. Another reason likely was the fact that the company received $66 million in incentives from state and local governments in Alabama.

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