Could the timing of yesterday's post been more spot on? So less then 12 hours after I wrote that prediction piece I came home from work to the news that Shawn Combs, one of the fly fishing industry's best fly rod and reel engineers, was leaving Orvis and taking the position of Vice President of Scott Rods. For those that follow industry news...this is more than huge. This would be like Derek Jeter leaving the Yankees for the Red Sox or Michael Jordan heading from the Chicago Bulls to the New York Knicks.
Combs came on board with Orvis and basically developed the entire line of Mirage reels and Helios rods, up to the current Helios line which is touted as "the most accurate fly rod in the world".
When the current Helios rod came out it was compared to other top of the line fly rods, like those cresting $1,000, like Scott's own Sector and GT Series. Don't be fooled into thinking that all these top of the fly line rod manufacturers play nice in the sandbox. It's big business, and having Combs at the helm and directing fly rod and reel design, well Scott only makes rods at the moment, is a game changer.
So Combs will be picking up his family in Vermont and heading out to Colorado. It's a life changer for him and his crew. I can tell by the industry buzz that's been created by this move that Scott is looking to not only continue it's 50 year run as a leader in fly rod manufacturing, but to other products as well. My bet is Scott will soon be offering high end fly reels to match their top of the line rods as well.
And then there's Orvis. While this is a big move for Scott moving forward, at the same time it's a step backwards for Orvis. No it's not a move sideways or in another direction, it's another nail in the coffin that sits in Manchester Vermont, waiting to be buried. What this move does is really damper any consumer confidence in Orvis that may remain. Once this gets down to the consumer level the folks with money in their hands will second guess if the Helios or Mirage is for them. Uncertainty in a company leads to wary consumer spending.
And how does that wariness get around? Well one way is through social media. Each and every post I saw regarding Scotts news was followed by speculation of what is and will happen to Orvis.
My prediction yesterday was that Orvis would be bought out by Fulling Mill, or maybe some kind of collaborative agreement between the two becoming one. I admitted yesterday I wasn't up on both companies financials, not even sure if Fulling Mill had the scratch in the bank to pull it off. But the above post presents a bigger and maybe a more financially accurate possibility of a takeover, Bass Pro Shops.
Well Bass Pro Shops isn't just Bass Pro Shops. In 2017 they joined forces with Cabela's under the parent company named The Great American Outdoors Group. In addition to BPS and Cabela's, TGAOG also owns the White River Marine Group which produces the Bass Tracker line of boats. You can see those at every BPS store, like the one below in Atlantic City.
BPS and Cabela's generated 8 billion dollars in sales in 2023 and have a net worth of $2.95 billion, surely enough to send a little up to the Perkin's family in Vermont. But why would TGAOG want to own Orvis? Their catalogues offer products from every fly rod and reel and gear manufacturer out there. They probably just drop ship orders without having to stock pile everything in strategically located warehouses. And what would the advantage be? Would the name on the rods go from Orvis to Bass Pro Shops?
But why this makes sense is because, as we've seen, smaller, let's just call Orvis small, companies being absorbed into larger conglomerates like the formed TGAOG. We've seen what the mess Simm's has become as they have changed owners like three times in the last five years, now part of the privately owned (Ha!) company called Strategic Value Partners. Yeah, put that name on the side of your waders. And with each of these acquisitions comes a knock on brand loyalty and confidence, no matter what the old but now new company tells you.
So in New Jersey we have the one BPS down in Atlantic City. There's going to be a second location which is nearing completion up in Sayreville. It's part of a 2.5 billion dollar project called Riverton, which is a new city comprised of residential and commercial buildings.
If you've traveled over the Driscoll Bridge on the Garden State Parkway it's over to the right if you're traveling south. While it's cool and all, it will put a big damper on the local fly, well there's none around, and tackle shops. Remember, we're not loyal anymore, and anglers could easily be drawn in by the Disneyland atmosphere a big BPS offers. But you know who's going to hate this the most.....the early spring run striped bass. Once considered a secret spot, the Raritan River will be piled up with boats sitting over piled up pre-spawn bass each spring. It will be a shit-show, but that's how we roll in New Jersey.
BPS has over 200 retail stores that carries everything from fishing and hunting gear to boats. It is a one-stop shopping location for everything outdoors. While the fly fishing offerings are small compared to other types of angling, I could see an Orvis section that could be appealing to the fly fishing community. But, BPS makes its money offering everything, from their own line (White River) to just about everything else. Becoming brand specific and loyal, especially if consumer confidence is poor, could mean a risk at the register. If you don't know what I mean just look at their catalogs and on-line stores.
BPS currently offers Orvis products, as well as Sage and Simms, but not Scott, so it's not a stretch since that relationship with Orvis is already established. If BPS were to buy Orvis we could see a few things. Orvis would be "allowed" to continue with their brand but scaled down. It could return them to their fly fishing and wing shooting roots without all the extra "stuff" we have have seen them branch out into. Gone will be the dog beds, and clothes, and, sadly, the keeping up with the Joneses product development like we saw with Combs at the helm. They'll let the big guys, and the small guys, compete for the new rod and reel market share. But circling back, how many fly rods and reels does a fly angler need? And in these times there's no money left in the coffee jar for purchases like this.
Orvis could return to the Mother Ship in Manchester, well they already did that. The building could house a bare-bones staff of family and friends continuing what Charles Orvis started 150 years ago. The roots of the company were planted in catalogue sales offering great customer service. They could continue to do good things for the environment and people alike. Maybe focusing on the sport and community rather than product development and sales, that could be left to the others. But then what would really be left as far as the money making side of Orvis? Money making comes from customer confidence and satisfaction and sales at the register. Will the Orvis "experience" with schools, the affiliations with guides and outfitters, and the higher end destination trips be enough to carry Orvis through?
And then what about the whole Fulling Mill thing I predicted? Well, that could still be on the table. It could be a joint venture moving toward more of the entire fly fishing experience, scaled back from higher end products and more to the experience, which would include more in the DIY categories of fly tying and fishing. Do we, at least the larger percentage of anglers, need "the most accurate fly rod in the world", probably not. It could be a risky move for Fulling Mill, or the perfect marriage.
What would I like to see? Orvis stick around but dumb it down and keep it simple stupid. Offer regular guy and girl, like The Average Anglers, good products with good customer service, that doesn't include 100% satisfaction and return everything you've worn out or broke. Keep the teaching and learning and community going. That helps the industry keep people, especially the young and the new, connected which in turn builds product loyalty and sales. They should get away from trying to keep up and stay loyal to who they may have become, just a smaller
company up in Vermont made of people who love the outdoors and fly fishing and hunting looking to continue what they started many years ago. It might even be time to let the other companies, like Frontiers or other travel companies, handle the bougie destination trips to far away lands. Hell, these days every Dick and Harry are doing hosted trips. And they should keep the idea of community going, or try and reestablish it. Get the blog going again, but not what it was, which was just borrowed content from other sites and creators. Tom Rosenbauer and Tim Flagler, or people like that, could be the face of the new Orvis. It would cater to just regular people who have some fly fishing money to spend from time to time. And remember if sold, for like like $500 million, the family wouldn't have to worry about making the monthly nut, while still staying in the game.
We've seen the drastic changes being made at Orvis which started a few years back. Now, with stores closing, layoffs and personnel changes continuing, and product lines being discontinued, it's either time to change altogether, or just go away. Some may say how do you make money without new products offered every year and solely on the experience or community? Well, it can be easy, well doable. Go back in time, stop worrying about the other guys (companies), and give the people what they want, which is not always the latest and greatest and the cheapest prices.