Les Crawford named president of White River Marine Group
<p class="p1">Former Gainesville resident Les Crawford has been named president of the White River Marine Group, Bass Pro’s marine manufacturing division. Crawford, son of the late Thurlo and Valeta Crawford, graduated in 1966 from Gainesville High School.</p><p class="p3">He was born and spent his earliest years in Mountain Home, Arkansas, just 15 minutes from the White River Marine Group’s Ranger Boats headquarters in Flippin, Arkansas. He moved to Gainesville in 1963 with his parents and siblings Carolyn and Kenneth. Thurlo and Valeta Crawford operated the sale barn here until 1970 and “lived in the same house in Gainesville over 50 years,” Crawford told the <em>Times</em> Monday. </p><p class="p3">He married the former Judy Holmes, also of Gainesville, and graduated from the University of Missouri with a business degree. The Crawfords settled in Springfield, where they raised their two sons and now have two grandchildren. </p><p class="p3">A news release from White River Marine Group announcing Crawford’s new post said he “brings a deep knowledge of the marine industry and [has] extensive familiarity with its industry-leading boat brands, strong personal relationships with many long-term independent dealers and an appreciation for its state-of-the-art manufacturing processes.”</p><p class="p3">The new role brings Crawford back to the company where he previously served as both controller for Bass Pro Shops and executive vice president at Tracker Marine for a decade, beginning in 1984. Today the White River Marine Group brands include Tracker Boats, Sun Tracker, Nitro, Tahoe, Regency, Mako, Ranger, Triton Stratos and Ascend; the company is the largest manufacturer of boats in the world by volume.</p><p class="p3">“We are very excited and proud to welcome back Les to lead our thriving marine manufacturing division at an exciting time in our history,” said Bass Pro Shops founder and CEO Johnny Morris. “In addition to his familiarity with our brands and widespread respect within the industry, Les understands how vitally important the independent dealers are to the future of these brands and our company overall, making him uniquely qualified to lead White River Marine Group.”</p><p class="p3">Crawford has had a distinguished career within the marine industry, according to the company announcement. In addition to his time at Bass Pro and Tracker Marine, he served as division vice president at Genmar Industries, leading the company’s freshwater boat brands before later becoming president of its Wellcraft Marine Group. Most recently, Crawford served as president of Lowe Boats in Lebanon, overseeing all aspects of the operation comprising manufacturing, marketing and dealer relations including Cabela’s.</p><p class="p3">Crawford’s appointment offers Bass Pro Shops president and chief operating officer Jim Hagale the opportunity to focus primarily on the company’s retail division and integration with Cabela’s to unite the two outdoor retail operations. Bass Pro’s acquisition of Cabela’s received Federal Trade Commission approval last week. Internet reports said Cabela’s shareholders were scheduled to vote on the merger Tuesday. Both Crawford and Hagale will report to founder/CEO Johnny Morris.</p><p class="p3">“I’m thrilled to be rejoining the Bass Pro family to lead the world-class team at White River Marine Group, which in many ways feels like coming home,” said Crawford. </p>
Les Crawford
