COLUMBIA, S.C. (August 9, 2012) - Pure Fishing and the Association of Collegiate Anglers (ACA) have entered into a strategic partnership to identify college anglers looking to enter the fishing industry. This partnership is designed to support their passion and knowledge for the sport as well as recognizing and developing the next wave of industry leaders.
Pure Fishing is a division of the Jarden Corporation, the world’s largest tackle manufacturer of industry leading brands; Abu Garcia, All Star, Berkley, Fenwick, Hodgman, Johnson, JRC, Mitchell, PENN, Pflueger, Sebile, Shakespeare, Spiderwire and Stren. Pure Fishing has a comprehensive summer intern program and is continuously searching for industry talent. Pure Fishing and ACA will be pro-actively sending out communication to college anglers regarding open positions, summer interns and other potential work related opportunities along with posting them on their website. As a division of Jarden, the portfolio of companies and career opportunities the graduates have access to is extremely broad. Sporting and outdoor enthusiast companies such as Rawlings, K2, Marmot, Coleman along with many other companies will be part of the program.
“This is an exciting opportunity for graduates that have shown a passion for the industry as well as excelling in their studies”, stated Andrew Marks, Marketing Director for Pure Fishing. “Stephen Britt from the University of South Carolina was one of our first recruits, has been with us one year and is already Brand Manager for Berkley rods and terminal tackle”. “The knowledge and passion he has brought to our company helped win one of our Best in Show awards at ICAST this year”.
Wade Middleton, one of the founders of the ACA, said "I'm excited about reaching this major milestone in college fishing with our partners at Pure Fishing. Since starting the ACA, I've always envisioned it as more than just collegiate bass fishing tournaments. Our programs and participation have grown, it is very satisfying to see people within the industry come to us to help fill key roles within the business side of our sport. Companies will find very talented young men and women who are passionate about the outdoors, and now students have a direct link to employment opportunities within the business as well. The ACA is proud to help make those connections for everyone involved and I really look for this program to grow in the coming years."
The Association of Collegiate Anglers, a division of Careco TV and The Bass Federation, is a sanctioning body developed to facilitate growth, development, and structure within competitive collegiate bass fishing. The ACA provides support to dozens of regional events nationwide and owns the BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship Series, the largest collegiate tournament circuit in the country. With dedicated programming on NBC Sports Outdoors, three nationally televised collegiate bass fishing events, and thousands of members, the ACA is a leader in competitive collegiate bass fishing.