Bass Pro buys Ranger

[gramps73]

Yup, Ranger, Stratos and Triton are owned by Bass Pro. Thoughts?

[gramps73]

here's the news release from Platinum Equity

http://www.platinumequity.com/news/9...bass-pro-group

[huntsfurfish]

Wahoo!

[Walleyedude]

Interesting. Lots of questions.

I wonder how it will affect pricing? Quality?

I wonder how that will affect the existing dealer network? Will you be able to buy one at any BassPro?

What about the Nitro ZV21 and ZV18?

How will it affect their sponsorships on the NWT (Cabelas) and other walleye trails?

[LCCFisherman]

I don't think its a good thing nope.

[the local angler]

i agree BPS boats are kinda pricey already in my mind so i also think its a bad idea like burger king buying out tim hortons,( gov approved now)

[TROLLER]

I am glad to hear it.

They were going down and now have a new life. Cannot buy a better boat just hope the quality stays right up there where you expect from Ranger.

[EZM]

Bass Pro previously owned Tracker.

Hopefully Tracker, who will be absorbed into the new iconic boat group (the official name of the Ranger and Stratos company) group can learn something from high quality brands and maybe make a boat approaching mediocre in quality.

My fear is Ranger and Stratos may diminish (or already have diminished) in quality.

Iconic was owned by a private equity firm, so, as is traditional with private equities, the cut/slash/reduce costs in order to improve EBITDA in order to sell off the asset and turn a profit through the acquisition to divestiture cycle as quickly as possible. Likely some of these cost cuts came the expense of quality, materials and/or engineering, design and construction ..... but I have no specific knowledge to support this.

We will have to wait and see.

If I was a Ranger fan, I would have cried when it was sold to (or funded by) a private equity a few years ago ...... Now ...... who knows what will happen .....