Having said all that, record sales does not = record profits.I've been following this.
So there's several dynamics involved, taking the Reddit post at face value is one-sided.
Aero moved their entire facility earlier this year and that was a huge expense, most likely in the several tens of millions of dollars. They most likely had teething issues as well, trying to bring all their equipment back online. Not sure how far the move was, but it's possible not all the employees/skilled labor was retained.
They had a Christmas party as stated and those who attended received the ornament and gift card. They also gave out prizes, I know one guy won a really nice cooler although I don't know the brand.
They apparently spent a lot of money fighting the Anti-Gun lobby this year, I heard about it but haven't researched to know anything about it.
They spent a lot of money on R&D I would assume on their M5 rifle that failed miserably by some famous dude who's name escapes me at the moment, so their reputation has taken a hit, not sure if it's affected sales/profits.
They had a pretty massive layoff back in October as I understand it, so if I worked there I would be thankful I still had a job instead of bitching about a Christmas ornament and a gift card.
Aero doesn't have any Aerospace/Defense contracts so their profit margin isn't as built-in or guaranteed as it is with other manufacturers who have secured contracts with .gov/.mil, I would imagine that their raw materials expenses have gone through the roof, all while trying to keep their receivers/rails (among other products) reasonably priced.
So can we confirm record profits or no? I would assume no since they had layoffs in October.