Winchester to tranfers jobs out of Illinois

OXFORD, Miss. — Winchester Ammunition has plenty of applicants for the 200-250 jobs it hopes to fill by the end of the year for its Oxford operation.

The company is transferring its Centerfire operations from East Alton, Ill., over the next five years and will employ some 800 workers.

Valerie Peters, Winchester's director of operations, says hundreds of people showed up for the job fair this week.

Winchester is building a 500,000-square-foot plant for its Centerfire operations, which makes rifle and pistol ammunition for commercial, military and law enforcement use.

The company is no stranger to Oxford. Its parent company, Olin Corp., moved its Winchester Rimfire operations here in 2003 and its military packaging operations shortly afterward.

Combined, the two operations employ about 350 workers.