Mountain Home native Les Crawford has been named president of White River Marine Group, the marine manufacturing division of Bass Pro.
Bass Pro officials say Crawford was born and raised just 15 minutes from the Ranger Boats headquarters in Flippin. He has a long-held appreciation for the Ozarks and its array of quality fishing amenities, including the White River for which White River Marine Group is named.
In addition, Bass Pro officials say Crawford brings a deep knowledge of the marine industry and White River Marine Group including 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.
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.
Crawford has had a distinguished career within the marine industry. In addition to his time at Bass Pro and Tracker Marine, he served as division vice president at Genmar Industries, leading the companys freshwater boat brands before later becoming president of its Wellcraft Marine Group. Most recently, Crawford served as president of Lowe Boats in Lebanon, Missouri, overseeing all aspects of the operation comprising manufacturing, marketing and dealer relations including Cabelas.
The White River Marine Group is the largest manufacturer of boats in the world by volume.
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