American Outdoor Brands acquires Fish Tales, Bubba Blade

American Outdoor Brands Corporation, Smith & Wesson’s parent company, announced Thursday acquisition of Fish Tales, an Arizona-based company manufacturing “premium sportsman knives,” including the Bubba Blade.

CEO James Debney said the purchase establishes the ABOC’s entry into the fishing accessory market, calling the Bubba Blade product line “a natural fit” with other recently acquired brands, including Schrade, Uncle Henry, Old Timer, and Imperial.

“The Bubba Blade brand is widely recognized among outdoor enthusiasts for some of the finest knives and tools for fishing, hunting, and kitchen use,” he said. “The company’s proprietary design has gained popularity due to an enhanced handle grip, which is highly effective in adverse environments.”

“We look forward to further innovating and expanding this popular product line into adjacent markets that we believe will benefit from the Bubba Blade design,” he added.

The Fish Tales acquisition stands as just the latest in a string of buyouts from AOBC as it expands its product lines to serve a “rugged outdoors” market.

Debney announced July 5 suppressor manufacturer Gemini Technologies would join AOBC’s growing portfolio of brands.

“Gemtech is widely recognized for producing some of the finest rifle and pistol suppressors in the market,” Debney said, adding Gemtech’s specialty will help AOBC’s other brands “efficiently develop both firearms and suppressors, minimizing our time to market for both product categories.”

AOBC earned a “record-breaking” $903.2 million through the end of its fourth quarter, a 25 percent increase overall. Debney offered investors a conservative projection for AOBC’s 2018 earnings, forecasting as much as a 17 percent dip due to a promotion-heavy sales environment still ongoing.

Read More On:

Latest Reviews

revolver barrel loading graphic

Loading