New TRACKER Boats facility opens in Bolivar, adding jobs and increasing manufacturing footprint
Expansion creates 250 local jobs and supports strong demand for award-winning SUN TRACKER family of pontoon boats
BOLIVAR, Missouri – The first Bass Buggy 16 Pontoon Boat has rolled off the line at the newly expanded TRACKER Boats manufacturing facility in Bolivar, marking a new era in the production of America’s favorite boat brands.
The new complex, featuring a warehouse converted into a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant, is producing the award-winning SUN TRACKER Pontoon Boats – the Bass Buggy 16, Bass Buggy 18 and Party Barge 18. The expansion comes in the wake of unprecedented popularity and strong demand for the Bass Buggy line, which offers unmatched quality and affordability and allows thousands of families to make memories on the water for the first time.
“We are thrilled to be able to continue to showcase the skill and craftsmanship of our amazing team members right here in the Ozarks – America’s heartland,” said noted conservationist and Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris.
“It’s exciting to see these incredible boats and know they will bring families so many smiles and years of happy memories,” said Scott Ernest, President of White River Marine Group, the marine manufacturing division of Bass Pro Shops. “Our founder Johnny Morris revolutionized the boating industry in 1978 by introducing the world’s first professionally rigged and nationally marketed boat, motor and trailer packages. 43 years later, it’s exciting to see this proud legacy carry on with this amazing new plant.”
The new facility is part of a significant expansion plan that will double TRACKER’s production output and manufacturing footprint in Bolivar. Located 4 miles from an existing TRACKER plant and including a newly constructed adjacent building, the expanded operation will create 250 full-time jobs when it reaches full production this summer.
White River Marine Group is currently hiring for positions in Bolivar and at manufacturing facilities throughout North America. More information can be found at basspro.com/careers.
“This expansion speaks to the high quality of our boats and the ongoing pursuit of excellence from our entire team,” said Craig Bach, Tracker’s Vice President of Plant Operations in Bolivar. “TRACKER is an iconic brand and there is certainly a spirit of pride that runs throughout our facilities and within the incredibly talented men and women that produce these boats.”
First introduced in 1983, more families have owned a SUN TRACKER pontoon boat than any other brand, with the Bolivar plant opening in 1988. The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) has honored SUN TRACKER Boats with Excellence in Customer Satisfaction awards for the last eight years. The NMMA’s Marine Industry Customer Satisfaction Index Awards recognize top-rated marine industry brands that actively measure customer satisfaction and pursue continuous improvement to better serve their customers.
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About White River Marine Group
In 1978, Johnny Morris revolutionized the marine industry when he introduced the world’s first professionally rigged and nationally marketed boat, motor and trailer packages. TRACKER Boats quickly became and has remained the No. 1-selling fishing boat brand in America for the last 41 years. Today, White River Marine Group offers an unsurpassed collection of industry-leading brands including TRACKER Boats®, SUN TRACKER®, NITRO®, TAHOE®, REGENCY®, MAKO®, RANGER® and TRITON®.
