Jobs lost as Ranger reacts to tough market conditions

Ranger Boats has reduced its workforce by 176 across three of its plants. The company, owned by Bass Pro Shops, says the cuts have been made in response to soft demand and the poor economy.

Seventy jobs have gone at the Flippin plant in Arkansas, 85 at Lebanon, Missouri, and 21 at Bolivar, Missouri.

“Similar to others in the marine industry, we needed to make adjustments to our operations in response to the current soft demand for marine products and the overall economic climate,” said a spokesman for Bass Pro Shops.

A Bass Pro statement referring to the job losses in Flippin said: “We are grateful for the contributions of these team members and will be supporting them through this transition.

“We are proud to be a part of the Flippin community and have recently expanded our product line-up to include the manufacturing of custom trailers and aluminum boats.

“We have strived to deliver unmatched value and performance to our customers and believe that because of this, we have been less impacted than many others in our industry.”

Ranger, founded 55 years ago, will continue to employ more than 500 people in the Flippin community.