Acme Tackle Acquires Historic Crankbait Brand
Acme Tackle Company, made by Hard and Soft Fishing and the makers of Acme, Kalin’s, Beaver Dam, Uncle Josh, Atom and Bead, announced that it has acquired Reef Runner Tackle Company based in Marblehead, OH. Reef Runner is a historic brand that has been designing and marketing lures since 1988 which started with the original banana style crankbait and now includes Cicadas, Ripshads, Mini-Rips, Wiglstiks and more.
Matt Bichanich, Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Acme Tackle Company, said “I am very excited to add Reef Runner to our portfolio of brands. Reef Runner is an iconic brand and crankbaits is a product category we weren’t in. Now we can provide our customers with one of the best fish catching crankbaits available. I have been using their lures for a long time and I am looking forward to introducing Reef Runner to more anglers.”
“We have been talking to Reef Runner for a long time and this couldn’t be a better opportunity for both of our companies and our customers”, said Robin Hancock, President of Acme Tackle Company. “Acme has built a reputation on quality, innovation and producing lures that actually work. We are eager to bring our capabilities to Reef Runner and our team is already hard at work designing new products for the brand.”
Scott Stecher, founder and owner of Reef Runner commented, “Betsy and I are looking forward to working with the entire Hard & Soft fishing team family. I’m particularly excited about the introduction of new colors and designs, as well as being part of Acme research and development. We are so blessed to be part of this new adventure!”
Hard & Soft Fishing has roots dating back to 1922, when their first brand, Uncle Josh, began manufacturing in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin. They have grown to represent nearly every tackle category on the market for both ice and open-water fishing across their family of brands which include Acme Tackle Company, Kalin’s, Beaver Dam, Uncle Josh, Atom and Bead. From the Pacific to the Atlantic and all the lakes and rivers in-between, they produce bait and tackle that has been helping anglers catch more fish for decades. Their employees don’t simply produce tackle, they use it on the weekends.
