Six million handcuffs and counting produced at Smith & Wesson
HOULTON, Maine — Going through security at the Smith & Wesson plant in Houlton may seem like going through airport security. Plant Manager Terrence “Terry” Wade said: “I’ve had some people say it’s tougher. We make guns, a very controlled item.” The plant also turns out restraints like leg irons, belly chains and handcuffs. Law enforcement in the USA and abroad are major customers and records are kept for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
Last year the Houlton plant manufactured its 6 millionth pair of handcuffs. Katahdin Trust Company recognized the accomplishment in a typically friendly Houlton way with a personal visit to the facility by Annette Beaton, the bank’s branch vice president. She brought fresh coffee and donuts to honor each worker at Smith & Wesson for their dedication and talent which was considered critical in reaching the significant benchmark. The bank also presented a framed print to Smith & Wesson to commemorate the milestone in handcuff production.
“That’s a big milestone for us because we started making handcuffs here in Houlton in 1980. That was our first finished product. And, we started making guns here in Houlton in 1985. Each thing like that is a milestone for us,” said Wade.
When Smith & Wesson opened in Houlton, Wade said, there were about 29 employees. The operation moved out near the airport in 1979 to Aviation Drive and doubled in size by 1995. Then, the company added another 16,000 square feet. “And, right now, we’re using every square inch of it with 162 employees.”
Wade said he has no problem finding employees. “When I let the word out [for one opening] I’ll get 100 applications. There’s no problem getting good people. We have full paid medical and good benefits, vacation time and the whole deal with discounts they can buy.” And, he added, salaries are very competitive. The plant is running seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day.
In an area where plant closings and cutbacks have sidelined good people, Wade said many are happy to be working there. “A lot of employees have friends who work at LP or in the paper industry and they see [layoffs] all around them. They feel lucky that they have a job here.” Some people started getting tense because, Wade said, they didn’t know what was going to happen with talk of gun-control legislation. As it turned out, more people bought guns and sales increased.
The company appreciates the strong work ethic of the area. “We have housewives in here, truck drivers, whatever. We train them from the floor up. We train them our way to avoid bad habits. Smith &Wesson is very dedicated to their employees. These employees are to me, my family. I know all of them by name. I grew up with a lot of them. And, what’s really unique is that we are able to make one of the best quality products in the world. It has a well known brand name on it, and it gives everybody a sense of good feeling to know that. They’re making Smith & Wesson — the number-one gun in the world or handcuff. We’re number one in the world in handcuffs.”
Wade said the handcuffs are starting to come out in colors, too. The pink ones may be just right for the controversial Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio in Arizona who forces his inmates to wear pink prison garb, right down to their underwear.
Less controversial and with the splash of Hollywood glamour is the PPK gun manufactured in Houlton. “Ever watch James Bond movies? James Bond had a PPK. The PPK has six rounds in it; a PPKS has seven,” said Wade. Also made at the plant is the 1911. “It is a pistol that came out of Germany in 1911 and was a favored sidearm used in WW1 and WW11. People like that 1911.”
Some collectors buy the James Bond gun after a dealer has gold-plated, engraved and embellished it with a fancy grip, elsewhere. Even the internal parts are gold plated and, according to Wade, it can sell for up to $3,000.
A new project is coming on board at the plant that Wade declined to discuss due to security considerations. As the plant continues to grow, he attributed it to a good track record with the Springfield, Mass. plant they call “the vault” where everything is shipped. Wade said he sometimes recognizes Smith & Wesson restraints on the news. He’s been at it long enough to know his products even from afar. However, they are not for sale at the plant.
“We meet our scheduled deliveries and our quality is up there with everybody else. And, when they get new projects on, they look at us because we are a more competitive area as far as labor. So, they move the new project up here. He cited the strong work ethic of the area as key.
Not only has the plant grown, so has Wade’s role. He started there 38 years ago “de-burring small parts working on the floor and working up to quality control, supervisor and eventually plant manager.” Is it the American dream? “Absolutely.”
