Artisians who create 'Bass Pro look' work from Nixa

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Situated in a homely industrial complex in northwest Nixa, the BPS Fabrication Shops doesn't give the impression as a place where people create and produce the attractive and elegant fixtures that define Bass Pro Shops retail stores. |ret||ret||tab|

Sprawling, aging, utilitarian metal buildings house this operation, which is crucial to the "Bass Pro look." That look is a blend of superior craft and artistry, appealing in its own right and also worth untold millions of dollars in terms of retail customer draw. |ret||ret||tab|

Inside the three BPS buildings, the current work force of 35 employees turn out the finely crafted cabinetry, chandeliers, ornamental ironwork and other unique display fixtures and interior accents that grace the dozen Bass Pro stores now in operation. The work also will be part of three new stores now in development. |ret||ret||tab|

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The beginning|ret||ret||tab|

The fabrication business started in 1986, according to Larry Owen, the fabrication shops manager for the past three years. It grew out of the Bass Pro interior design that began with the Springfield store, expanded to the Big Cedar resort south of Branson and has now been integrated into the many stores developed elsewhere in the country. |ret||ret||tab|

"No two stores are the same," Owen said. "The properties are designed and themed for the area." |ret||ret||tab|

If the store is in Florida, where sea and swamps are big influences, it is tailored for tarpon, alligators and the like. In the Chicago area, Great Lakes fishing and woodland bowhunting are popular, so deer and indigenous fish figure prominently into the store fixtures and accents that complement the retail specialties. |ret||ret||tab|

The company's first experimentation with the Bass Pro custom look outside Missouri was at a store called World Wide Sportsman in Islamorado, Fla., Owen said. "It was specifically designed to emulate the Springfield store on a small scale." He added that deepsea fishing was the look of the Florida store to go with the retail emphasis. |ret||ret||tab|

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Gathering steam|ret||ret||tab|

Company officials were pleased with the results, and the fabrication business took on more steam as new stores were developed. Now, the creations add flourish to 10 Bass Pro stores in or near the cities of Dallas; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Detroit; Charlotte, N.C.; Houston; Nashville, Tenn.; Orlando, Fla.; Chicago; Cincinnati and Atlanta. The first of the three new stores now in progress is a Sportsman's Warehouse in St. Charles, Mo., on the banks of the Missouri River. In keeping with a river theme, some cabinetry is being faced with weathered wood from old farm buildings, sort of a driftwood look.|ret||ret||tab|

An Outdoor World store is being developed for Atlanta, the current home of a Sportsman's Warehouse, along with an Outdoor World store in the Baltimore area.|ret||ret||tab|

The Outdoor World stores are about 130,000 square feet, and Sportsmen's Warehouses are about half that size or more, Owen said. Many stores serve as featured anchors in shopping centers.|ret||ret||tab|

In terms of size, the Springfield store is still tops at 300,000 square feet, and the Dallas store, actually in the suburb of Grapevine, is 200,000 square feet.|ret||ret||tab|

"You have to be bigger in Texas," Owen said with a smile.|ret||ret||tab|

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A landmark challenge|ret||ret||tab|

The development of the three new stores is concurrent, and this is the first time BPS has faced such a production challenge. "It's the first time we've done three stores in such close proximity," Owen said. "It gives us compressed deadlines. We've got about 300 work orders going right now for the three stores."|ret||ret||tab|

The St. Charles store is scheduled to open July 7, the Baltimore opening is Oct. 1 and the Atlanta store will open Nov. 1.|ret||ret||tab|

In addition, orders are being produced for the new Wonders of Wildlife Museum, now under construction in Springfield. Occasionally, the fabrication shops will also do some work for Disney properties, Owen said, but now 99 percent of the work is for Bass Pro Shops stores.|ret||ret||tab|

Generally, the shops manager said, about 100 to 200 items are produced for each store, depending on size and theme. They comprise about 30 percent to 40 percent of the total fixture package.|ret||ret||tab|

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Divisions of labor|ret||ret||tab|

The various fabrication shops were scattered in different locales in Springfield and the surrounding area for several years. Then, three years ago, the company consolidated operations in the three buildings on the former Tracker Marine boat and trailer manufacturing complex in Nixa. It has four divisions of product design and construction:|ret||ret||tab|

The log and timber shop, which makes clothing-section features, mall entry structures, and interior log cabin-type shells that house specialty sections.|ret||ret||tab|

The metal shop, which creates artistic copper lanterns, railings, sconces, chandeliers and related items.|ret||ret||tab|

The cabinet shop, which builds display cases, wooden railings and fly-tying tables.|ret||ret||tab|

The finish shop, which paints and stains the items requiring that touch.|ret||ret||tab|

On a recent day, work was in progress on a 10-foot-diameter, 1,200-pound chandelier that will go to the Baltimore store. The major sculpting and assembly was going on in the metal shop, while fiberglass facing with fish designs plus a fiberglass dome attachment were being readied in the finish shop.|ret||ret||tab|

Over in the timber and log shop, constructions including a log house-type shell were being built for the Atlanta store. And cabinets for the St. Charles store were being built in another area of the 60,000-square-foot complex.|ret||ret||tab|

Intricate railing|ret||ret||tab|

The metal shop, where pieces are hand-forged and fabricated, was also filling an order for 100 feet of intricate railing for the wildlife museum. The railing involved horizontal top and bottom pieces attached by vertical strips of steel designed to resemble prairieland grasses, spaced vertically at close intervals.|ret||ret||tab|

Using the grassland schematic created by the architect/design team, the metal craftsmen first built a prototype section, Owen said. When they got the approval of the team, production began on the actual pieces.|ret||ret||tab|

The skillful employees at the fabrication shops take a lot of pride in their work, and they don't mind basking in it for the benefit of themselves and friends or relatives when they visit the stores.|ret||ret||tab|

Keven Statwick, who does metal forging and sculpting, said it makes him feel good that what he does adds value to a store in terms of interior artistry that is attractive and pleasing for shoppers.|ret||ret||tab|

"It's satisfying to go to a store and see people enjoying things I made, and it gives me satisfaction knowing that thousands of people are going to see it," he said. "I can say, See that moose head chandelier? I made that.' If people knew what we did, they'd be thoroughly impressed."|ret||ret||tab|

"It adds to their shopping experience, and adds to the value of the store," Statwick said. People will say, Wow. This is cool. I want to be a part of this.'"[[In-content Ad]]