Bass Pro Shops, White River Marine Group, North America’s leading outdoor and conservation-focused company, acquires legendary water sports brand Hobie – will return Hobie production and jobs from Mexico back to America’s Heartland, Lebanon, Missouri, U.S.A.
Announced in September, the agreement will unite two of the most storied and well-respected watercraft manufacturers in the world.
In an official statement, it was announced that the return of Hobie production to the U.S.A., in its new home near Bass Pro Shops and White River Marine Group’s birthplace in the Missouri Ozarks, marks an exciting new chapter. “Rooted in a region celebrated for its rich outdoor heritage and skilled craftsmanship, this move ensures Hobie products will continue to embody quality, innovation and a true passion for life on the water,” the statement noted.
Johnny Morris started Bass Pro Shops from just an 8-square-foot space in the back of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, MO in 1972, and by 1978 he introduced the BASS TRACKER line, the first-ever nationally marketed pre-rigged boat, motor and trailer package.
Hobie Alter started shaping wooden surfboards in his father’s garage in Laguna Beach, CA in 1950. A few years later he was producing lighter, foam-core fiberglass boards that became the standard, opening his surf board shop in 1958. He would eventually establish Hobie as a brand that’s become a household name for surfers, sailors and kayakers alike.
White River Marine Group is now one of the world’s largest boat manufacturers with brands like ASCEND, MAKO, Ranger, Triton, Tahoe, and Nitro, as well as TRACKER and Hobie. Learn more at www.whiterivermg.com.
