BOLIVAR, MO—The first Bass Buggy 16 Pontoon Boat recently rolled off the line at Bass Pro's new assembly plant here. The facility is actually a warehouse that's been converted into a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant. Other boats made here include the Sun Tracker Pontoon Boats, the Bass Buggy 18 and Party Barge 18. The expansion comes in the wake of unprecedented popularity and strong demand for the Bass Buggy line.

“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,” says 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,” says 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 facility will double Tracker’s production output and manufacturing footprint in Bolivar. Located four 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.

“This expansion speaks to the ongoing pursuit of excellence from our entire team,” says Craig Bach, Tracker’s vice president of plant operations in Bolivar. “There is certainly a spirit of pride that runs throughout our facilities and within the incredibly talented men and women that produce these boats.”