(Spirit Lake)– A major announcement today (Wednesday) from one of the lakes area’s largest employers.
Jarden Coporation, parent company of Pure Fishing, announced Pure Fishing’s headquarters will be relocating to Columbia, South Carolina.
The release states the Columbia, South Carolina location will contain the Pure Fishing world headquarters staff, including senior leadership, sales management, sourcing and supply chain management and specific category marketing and product development teams.
Eric Naig, Senior Marketing Manager for Pure Fishing, tells KUOO news the move will affect about three percent of Pure Fishing’s 650 person workforce in Spirit Lake.
Naig says Jarden hasn’t given a timeframe yet for the move, saying they’re still looking at possible locations in the Columbia area.
Naig says the relocation boils down to logistics and transportation. Naig says manufacturing and marketing lines and baits will remain a key component for the Spirit Lake operations. He says most of Pure Fishing’s various lines of rods and reels are manufactured in other parts of the country and abroad. And he says it makes sense to locate in an area that’s more centrally located when it comes to that, and the fact that South Carolina is closer to the salt water fishing industry.
Naig adds even though Pure Fishing’s headquarters will no longer be here, that the company remains committed to the Spirit Lake community, saying the move will affect only a few jobs and that a lot of the manufacturing, marketing and research people will still be here “and will be for a long time”.
Naig says plans are in the works for some upgrades to the Spirit Lake plant, including some work on its exterior.
