Colt closes plant, takes workers to face Conn. lawmakers

Iconic gun manufacturer Colt says stringent gun laws may force them out of Connecticut after nearly two centuries — but it won’t go without a fight.

Company president Dennis Veilleux shut down the Hartford factory on Thursday and bussed 400 employees to the state Capitol so officials could see the real-world consequences of pending gun control legislation proposed in the aftermath of the Dec. 14 massacre in Newtown.

State officials have crafted multiple laws designed to limit gun and ammunition purchases. Fearful of the possible financial ramifications and tiring of “pacifying” talks with legislators, Mr. Veilleuxrented 10 buses, filled them with employees and headed to the Capitol.

“These are the faces of the jobs at Colt,” Mr. Veilleux told the Associated Press. “Each of these people represents other people in the state. They represent the community and, in a lot of cases, they’re the breadwinners of their families. And more and more, manufacturing jobs are hard to come by.”

Colt has operated in the state for the past 175 years.

“If we ban this product in the state where we make it, our customers will take their business to another brand,” Mr. Veilleux said. “When we start to get erosion of our customers, we lose our market share.”

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