Northland Fishing Tackle Leaving Bemidji After Purchase by Texas Company

After 50 years in the Bemidji community, Northland Fishing Tackle will be leaving the city.

John Peterson, the company’s founder, says GSM Outdoors has purchased Northland and plans to move the company’s headquarters to Irving, Texas. Peterson says GSM plans to retain a few key sales, marketing, and product managers in a satellite office in Bemidji, but the company will have to vacate their 20,000-square-foot facility in Bemidji’s industrial park by June 26th of next year.

Peterson adds that they worked hard to find a buyer who would keep the business in Bemidji and retain their current employees, but those plans did not materialize. He says he knows this acquisition will no doubt have an economic impact on the area, but that he’s immensely proud of the contributions Northland has made to the community over the past 50 years.

GSM Outdoors CEO Edward Castro said in a statement that Northland has built a stellar reputation in large part due to their commitment to producing quality lures designed by fishermen, for fishermen, and that GSM looks forward to carrying on the Northland brand with the same commitment to quality and innovation.