Outdoor Empire Builder

Spring 2024

By Ken Cook

I have always been enamored with entrepreneurs who became billionaires purely from hard work, vision and willingness to take risks. Such is the fascinating story of Johnny Morris, father of four children, who resides in Springfield, Missouri, oversees a retail business worth $8.3 billion, and enjoys regular shopping visits from 200 million potential customers.

Johnny Morris. Photo courtesy of Bass Pro Shops.

Johnny Morris convinced his father to let him sell fishing lures in his dad’s Brown Derby Liquor Store and it became Morris’ stepping stone to a retail empire selling hunting, fishing, camping, marine, and outdoor resorts, under the banner of Bass Pro Shops. His first direct mail catalog landed in mail boxes in 1974 and featured Tracker Boats, a well-appointed, soon-popular line of aluminum fishing boats that put Bass Pro Shops squarely in the fishing boat business. Not overlooked by anglers….”Buy a Tracker, and add on a name-brand outboard motor and trailer to pull the rig to their popular fishing holes. What also followed was collateral sales pitches over time for depth finders, fishing accessories, apparel and you name it…Bass Pro had it for sale at reasonable prices.

Several years passed and serious, competitive bass anglers looked on and quietly hoped that Bass Pro would purchase the assets of Ranger Boats, the “cadillac” brand of fiberglass bass boats, not long after the passing of its founder. And Bass Pro answered the call and purchased Ranger.

Let me emphasize that I do not mean to slight or lessen the role and popularity of smaller, independently owned retail outdoor sports stores and chains. Whether by selling online or walk-in over the counter, there is and will always be room and appeal for hometown, locally owned- and presented outdoor goods.

Recognizing that many anglers often need a place to rest, stay, eat and sleep during their long fishing excursions, Johnny bought a lot next to Table Rock Lake, a very popular fishing hole, and built Big Cedar Lodge; the move was providential. In 2019 Bass Pro Shops flexed its muscle and bought the Cabela’s retail outdoor chain based in Sydney, Nebraska. Though this buy was questioned by some potential investors, the Cabela’s acquisition brought in new retail stores and greatly lengthened Bass Pro’s geographic retail presence and muscle.

The biggest and most visible retail store move to date was Bass Pro’s purchase of the Pyramid in Memphis, Tennessee, a monarch building next to the Mississippi River that had never achieved its prominent and heralded stature during and after construction. The acquisition by Bass Pro raised the hackles of residents, city fathers and retail competitors, but Johnny Morris made the store his largest retail showcase, and talk of the outdoor community. Rumor has it that Bass Pro has already made the Pyramid store a retail gem.

By 2023, Johnny Morris was holding the keys to 177 Bass Pro Shops showcasing five different types of store interiors or outdoor themes, each reflecting a different look and feel and merchandise emphasis. With a mix of successfully designed and imaginative interiors, a shopping excursion to Bass Pro has delivered “shopping entertainment”. Over time, the Bass Pro name and logo magically found its way to NASCAR race car graphics, military and veteran fund raisers, conservation organizations and events as well as televised outdoor competitions. Johnny Morris knew who his customers were and how to reach them…without brag or bluster.  

Johnny Morris’ crowning jewel is Wonders of Wildlife, the largest immersible wildlife attraction in the world. I had the privilege of being a part of the publicity team that was invited to the pre-opening of this  showcase. Schedule a trip to Springfield, Missoui and see it. It is an astounding view of the outdoor world.

Ken Cook is a former editor of Fishing Tackle Retailer magazine, newspaper columnist and freelance writer, He also is a member of the Georgia Outdoor Writers Association. Ken makes his home in Athens and can be contacted at kenneth.cook1@gmail.com.