Management Team at Ranger Boats Resigns

Questions loom over the future of iconic bass boat brand Ranger Boats after the senior management team of the brand’s parent company quit right before the US Thanksgiving weekend.

As reported in the Springfield New Leader, Fishing Holdings president Randy Hopper, vice president of sales Keith Daffron and vice president of finance Mendel Hughes all resigned on November 23. Hopper began his career at Ranger in 1969, working part-time as a high school student.

Flippin, Arkansas-based Fishing Holdings, parent company to the Ranger, Triton and Stratos bass boat brands, was acquired by Springfield, Missouri-based retailer Bass Pro Shops in December 2014. Under the terms of the acquisition agreement, Fishing Holdings was to continue to operate independently with its existing management team.

With the departure of its three top executives, questions loom over the future for the company’s boat brands, particularly with respect to sponsorships and tournament support. Independent Ranger, Stratos and Triton dealers also question how they may be impacted moving forward, and whether they will be allowed to continue selling the boats or whether the brands will become absorbed into Bass Pro Shops’ own retail network. Bass Pro Shops also owns Tracker Marine Group, which sells Tracker aluminum boats and Nitro fiberglass bass boats at Bass Pro Shops retail locations and through its own Tracker Marine Group dealer base.