White River Marine Group, the parent company of Flippin’s Ranger Boats, announced Thursday that it was moving the boat manufacturer’s saltwater boat production out of its Flippin plant.
No job losses are anticipated from the move, White River Marine Group said in a news release on the decision.
Thursday’s announcement regarding Ranger came as part of a larger announcement that White River Marine Group was acquiring Hatteras Yachts of New Bern, N.C. and would invest $35 million to modernize that Hatteras production facility. The company will continue to produce a limited number of Hatteras yachts in New Bern, and will also relocate its MAKO and Ranger saltwater production to the North Carolina plant.
Ranger Boats was founded in 1968 by Forrest and Nina Wood in Flippin. The Ranger brand proved popular and the fledgling business grew rapidly, soon becoming a household name among sportsmen across the country.
The Woods sold Ranger Boats in 1987, and the company today is owned by BPS Direct, LLC, which operates the outdoor supply chain Bass Pro Shops and owns White River Marine Group.
Production of Ranger’s aluminum boats were relocated from the original Flippin plant last year. Those boats are now manufactured in Lebanon, Mo.
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