In conjunction with the acquisition of the business by Sycamore Partners, Pure Fishing is pleased to announce the appointment of Harlan M. Kent as Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Mr. Kent succeeds Neil Eibeler, who has stepped down from the business.
Mr. Kent comes to Pure Fishing with over 30 years of experience working with and leading some very recognizable brands including Performance Sports Group, Totes Isotoner, and Yankee Candle Company. He is particularly passionate about established, branded companies with great teams, and throughout his career, has a built a proven track record of driving profitable growth across multiple channels of distribution.
“We remain incredibly excited about Pure fishing and the team. And having Harlan join Pure Fishing further affirms our collective belief in the long-term potential of the company and its brands,” said Peter Morrow, Managing Director of Sycamore Partners.
“I have been an avid consumer of this industry for most of my life and am thrilled to be joining the Pure Fishing team,” said Mr. Kent. “It’s not very often that a person can marry their professional career with a personal hobby, so I am grateful for this opportunity. I’m excited to be part of establishing Pure Fishing as a standalone business and to continue building and investing in its growth agenda with the team and our portfolio of industry leading brands.”
“The market has already seen investment activity from Pure Fishing with the recent launches of the Berkley ® and Abu Garcia ® Student Angler Program and the Berkley Cast for Cash bait contingency program, and will continue to see more roll out over the coming months,” said Jon Schlosser, VP of Marketing for Pure Fishing. “As an avid angler, Harlan sees the value Pure Fishing brings to the industry and we are thrilled to have him on board as we continue to invest in the business and its brands.”
