Fishing Holdings, LLC, a premier manufacturer and marketer of fiberglass fishing boats owned by an affiliate of Platinum Equity,  announces its acquisition of  Triton Boats from Brunswick Corporation. Terms of the transaction are not disclosed.  

Triton founder Earl Bentz will join Fishing Holdings and resume his role at the helm of Triton Boats. Additionally, several key members of Triton’s executive management and sales representative group will remain on board the Triton team and will continue to lead the brand from their Tennessee office. 

“This move creates an exciting opportunity to reenergize the Triton brand. As we move ahead we will look to our roots and to our dedication to the fishing community on which the Triton brand was founded,” said Bentz. “I have been working closely with many Triton dealers since I started the company. I look forward to continuing that collaboration with our dealer base and to serving our loyal customers into the future.” 

Echoing Bentz’s comments, Randy Hopper, President of Fishing Holdings said, “We are extremely pleased to have Earl and his senior management team join our organization. The acquisition will allow us to leverage our world-class manufacturing operations and further strengthen our unwavering commitment to fishing, boating families and competitive tournament angling.” 

Triton fiberglass boats will be built in Flippin, Ark. where production will begin in Fall of 2010. Brunswick will continue to manufacture Triton aluminum boats under a license agreement.  

“We are excited to welcome Earl Bentz and the Triton family of dealers and customers to our team,” said Louis Samson of Platinum Equity. “Investing in a high-quality brand like Triton is another opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to succeed in the industry and our focus on supporting our portfolio companies in their growth and strategic plans.”