Bass Pro conducts acquisition

Bass Pro Shops has acquired an Oceanside, California-based maker of sailboats and kayaks.

With the acquisition of Hobie, Springfield-based Bass Pro intends to incorporate the business into its White River Marine Group boat manufacturing division. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed in a news release issued yesterday.

Bass Pro and White River Marine Group intend to move production of Hobie products to Lebanon from Mexico through the deal. White River Marine Group will expand its existing manufacturing facility in Lebanon to accommodate the work, officials say.

"Uniting with Hobie is a very proud day in our company’s history," said Johnny Morris, Bass Pro founder, and Bryan Niketh, president of manufacturing at White River Marine Group, in a joint statement included in the release. "We are deeply committed to Hobie and supporting its dealer network as we embark on a very bright future together."

An announcement from the Missouri Department of Economic Development indicates White River Marine Group's Lebanon expansion would utilize the Missouri Works program, which awards withholdings or tax credits in exchange for job creation.

"White River Marine Group has continued to spur economic growth in our community for nearly five decades," Lebanon Mayor Jared Carr said in the release. "This additional expansion in Lebanon will create new opportunities for our amazing workforce for many more years to come."

The planned expansion in Lebanon comes after Bass Pro last year announced it would consolidate part of the White River operation in Bolivar into the Lebanon plant, according to past reporting.