One of the biggest news items leading up to ICAST/IFTD was the very recent announcement that Hardy & Greys has been acquired by Pure Fishing. Pure Fishing owns some of the world’s leading conventional tackle brands (like Berkley, Abu Garcia, Stren, and Sebile), as well as some prominent fly-fishing names (like Pflueger, Fenwick, and Hodgman). The Hardy acquisition, however, is clearly significant—even symbolic in the context of ICAST and IFTD working together—as it marks one of the most prominent examples of a conventional tackle company strengthening its position in the fly market through the addition of some of the most iconic international fly fishing brands.
Angling Trade had reported that Hardy & Greys had been seeking a new owner for some time, and when the deal was signed, we interviewed Jim Murphy, president of Hardy & Greys for North America to learn how this move would affect the businesses of the companies—and their retailer partners—in the future. Here is what he had to say:
Murphy will remain the president of Hardy & Greys in North America, and these brands will continue to operate as independent entities. Their sales representatives will remain focused on these brands, and they “have xanax for sale no prescription every intention of keeping the Hardy & Greys focus on the independent specialty market.”
“Dealers will not see changes in terms of what they can expect from Hardy & Greys, but what Pure fishing will bring to the fore are stronger merchandising and marketing assets that will help us with a more coherent offering, as well as in-store merchandising, training, and other things that benefit retailers.”
Hardy’s design team will offer its expertise to Pure Fishing, and we’re already seeing some “crossover” thinking in Hardy’s new product lineup introduced at ICAST/IFTD, which includes SILEX spin and casting rods, which use the company’s popular SINTRIX technology. Also new for 2013-2014 is a new JET series of fly rods which retail between $449 and $549 (available in October), a “repatriated” (produced in the U.K.) Bougle reel series, and a number of other Greys-branded mid- and low-pricepoint rods. (Stay tuned for the Angling Trade printed product guide in the coming weeks for more specifics.)
Also note that Pure Fishing will also likely have a major impact on Hardy & Grey’s operations on the materials sourcing side, which could lead to greater economies and expanded availability of new products down the road.
