[Peter Pancho]

Can someone accurately confirm the rumor of Simms being in a financial down fall? I was told of this today and if it is true, I'm sure its not because of its 800.00 G4 waders!? :beathead:

Love the G3s though, hope they are around in a few months..

 

[jpooh]

I haven't heard anything but i wonder if that's why I've been seeing a lot of their stuff at super clearance prices over the past 8 months or so.

 

[seanengman]

They make a great product. It would be a shame if they dumped. Although, they do price themselves out of the market, and the idea to only manufacture boots with Vibrams was not that great. Not bashing, just my $0.02.

 

[Michael Nelson]

I have done everything in my power to contribute to their financial well-being (to the detriment of mine, btw). If they have squandered it away, it's not because I didn't try.

 

[FlyFshn'Fool]

I have spent way too much on their stuff, as has the fiancee! It would be a shame if they were in trouble, or worse. I love everything they make; waders, t-shirts, jackets, etc. and it would be ashame if I had to get another manufacturers waders and wading apparel. I am sticking to my guns with Simms despite this news, but should I have to change...................I guess Cloudveil would be the next step (not a fan of Patagonia).

Stick with us Simms!

All of that being said, I think they will be just fine. They have been around for a long time and they have a huge following. If they folded, I would wonder how Cloudveil would stay around. Patagonia at least has followers in camping, hiking and casual wear.

 

[Flyphishguy]

Simms is in fine shape. 2009 proved to be tough for everyone on the financial side. I wouldn't worry about them, though. they have a great reputation as ambassadors of the sport and have some really cool stuff slated for a 2010 release. I think what we are seeing is a number of retailers making room in the shop for new products. this is common in the retail industry following the christmas run. Check out the new G3 guide pant. I can't wait to get my hands on one.

 

[Bug Out]

Flyphishguy is from Bozeman, so wouldn't be surprised if he has good intel on Simms.....

 

[Kent Lufkin]

Flyphishguy is from Bozeman, so wouldn't be surprised if he has good intel on Simms.....

True enough. In fact for all we know know, Flyphishguy may well work for Simms.

However (big pause), if Simms or any company is in financial difficulty, the last thing they want is for that news to get out. If they either deliberately or accidentally end up confirming rumors about trouble with sales or their ability to pay their bills (including payroll), the resulting ripple effect could create uncertainty in the marketplace that makes matters even worse.

At my last salaried job, I ended up finding out that the company that had just hired me was seriously behind in paying its vendors. Within several months, we'd been cut off by the folks who supplied the goods we desperately needed to sell to claw our way out of the financial hole the owners had dug. Nine months later, my employer declared bankruptcy, I wrote and posted the news release on Business Wire and was laid off. The news came as a huge surprise to the marketplace as everybody assumed things were just fine. Only the creditors knew the true story. In bankruptcy, the company's debt ended up being restructured and they emerged to be bought by a white knight with deep pockets.

Without intending any disrespect to Flyphishguy, his assertions that Simms is a going concern don't really answer the original question. His response is either:

a) absolutely correct;
b) uninformed speculation; or
c) what the company wants its flyfishing customers to think​

One way or another, only time will tell which one is really the case.

K

 

[Flyphishguy]

kent, you may be on to something here. I think we chalk this up to uninformed speculation. without hanging it out too far, lets say that Simms is on good financial footing.

 

[Kent Lufkin]

I'm not sure where unsubstantiated rumors like the original post come from, but they don't do respected members of our community any favors. As someone with a 'vested' interest in Simms' continued success, I'll pick a) as the best answer.

K

 

[IveofIone]

I bought Simms waders over 4 years ago and they have never leaked. All of the other waders I have ever owned never went 4 years combined without leaking. I would hope they they can continue to sell a quality product and not go tits up. But like many other industries they need to get their costs, salaries and retail prices in line with the current reality. Just as the auto industry couldn't continue to exist selling 3 ton gas guzzlers in the face of $3-4 a gallon fuel, fly fishing suppliers can't continue to escalate their prices in the face of diminishing recreational dollars. Perhaps they will start building and pricing to the market that exist now rather than trying to create a market that is decidedly upscale.

Even some folks with previously deep pockets are suffering now. I read an article last week about how laid off executives are coping. It might have brought a tear to my eye if it wasn't for the fact that these guys were living so high on the hog that they forgot to save anything for the future. Quite the contrary, some were far more in debt than many of us can imagine. One guy making $1mil a year at a NY brokerage house had a $20mil mortgage! Another guy making $400k was down to collecting $568 a week unemployment but had an $8K per month mortgage to pay.

Somewhere between the elite overpaid and those in abject poverty are the rest of us that just need a quality product at a fair price. I can justify buying Simms waders in the same way I justify putting expensive tires on a 17 year old truck. Both last a long time and when you amortize the expense over their life span they are actually a bargain. What isn't a bargain is to buy everything in their product line and just go logo happy. Other products often work as well at 1/3 the price but I guess they need the sales of the overpriced stuff to subsidize the manufacture of their core product.

Capitalism-what a twisted web you weave!

Ive

 

[Simms Fishing Products]

Facts from the President of Simms:

Simms just completed the most successful year in our company's 30-year history. Unfortunately for our competitors, we're in this for the long haul, and intend to keep doing what we do best, which is to keep serious anglers out on the water earlier, later and longer than anyone else.

For the record, we offer the most diverse range of waders, boots, rain jackets and apparel on the market today. In addition to the offering largest range of GORE-TEX® fishing waders, our affordable Blackfoot Wader is the most competitive product in its price range at $139. Our Blackfoot Boot is the most competitive wading boot priced at under $100, and our Freestone Jacket, with Toray Entrant barrier film, will keep you dry in the Northwest Pacific rains for $199. Have you seen our top-selling Tournament Angling Shirt at $39.95?

We heard a similar rumor about a year ago, which emanated from the Seattle area. We'd sincerely appreciate it if someone on this blog would please refer us to the source of this rumor. We would very much like to meet them.

Thank you for supporting Simms. Thanks to you, our 100 Bozeman employees make the finest waders in the world, in the only wader factory remaining in the USA. And, remember, there's no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing.

Stay dry & keep 'em up,

K.C. Walsh, President
www.simmsfishing.com
Bozeman, Montana

 

[Jergens]

I guess that clears things up. Thanks K.C.

 

[Bob Triggs]

So much for gossip. I just wish you guys would make the old Guide Waders again, same cut and Gore Tex and fabric etc as back when. I still feel they are the best wader you ever made. I have been using Simms Fishing Products waders, raingear, packs and clothing since they began- still the best and toughest stuff you can get anywhere. I have worn my Simms waders and guide Jackets guiding most days of the year and they are performing better than anything else I ever used. Im sold on Simms.

 

[13223]

That's awesome.

 

[JesseC]

our affordable Blackfoot Wader is the most competitive product in its price range at $139. Our Blackfoot Boot is the most competitive wading boot priced at under $100, and our Freestone Jacket, with Toray Entrant barrier film, will keep you dry in the Northwest Pacific rains for $199. Have you seen our top-selling Tournament Angling Shirt at $39.95?

If the president of the company responds by catalog listing all of their value products, you can bet they've felt some recent pressure on the high side exorbitant items like the aforementioned $800 waders. That's not out of the ordinary though. A lot of people are scaling back on purchases that aren't necessary. The guy who makes 50k a year, but bought 10k of fly fishing gear on a home equity mortgage isn't around anymore. Time are changing. It's good to see a good company like Simms responding with wisdom. It looks like the company is on the right track to offer quality products at a price normal people can afford. With their respected name, they should come out of this slump just fine. Hell, they might even continue picking up market share.

 

[Guest]

Facts from the President of Simms:

Simms just completed the most successful year in our company's 30-year history. Unfortunately for our competitors, we're in this for the long haul, and intend to keep doing what we do best, which is to keep serious anglers out on the water earlier, later and longer than anyone else.

For the record, we offer the most diverse range of waders, boots, rain jackets and apparel on the market today. In addition to the offering largest range of GORE-TEX® fishing waders, our affordable Blackfoot Wader is the most competitive product in its price range at $139. Our Blackfoot Boot is the most competitive wading boot priced at under $100, and our Freestone Jacket, with Toray Entrant barrier film, will keep you dry in the Northwest Pacific rains for $199. Have you seen our top-selling Tournament Angling Shirt at $39.95?

We heard a similar rumor about a year ago, which emanated from the Seattle area. We'd sincerely appreciate it if someone on this blog would please refer us to the source of this rumor. We would very much like to meet them.

Thank you for supporting Simms. Thanks to you, our 100 Bozeman employees make the finest waders in the world, in the only wader factory remaining in the USA. And, remember, there's no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing.

Stay dry & keep 'em up,

K.C. Walsh, President
www.simmsfishing.com
Bozeman, Montana

Amen.....Better not be hurtin...lord knows I'm an unpaid poster boy for your stuff.....Always treated above and beyond on my gear, which I'm hard as hell on...

Great to hear..

Simms man...lol

 

[Mumbles]

This Myth apparently Busted. Long live Simms, I do like their stuff.

 

[nomlasder]

This is not in direct response to Simms, but more about the sport fishing industry and the general economy. I asked a local fly shop how things were going for them last fall and they were only off 2% from the previous year. The comment was something like their main customers were insulated from any economic down turn. That could be true of Simms clientel also. The real point I want to make is one of optimizim. There is a 10% unemplyment rate, or in some regions more. It is a sad thing for some and I am not trying to make light of the hard times for them. It must be terribly difficult and I empathise. But rememeber that means 90 percent of those that want to work are employed and I think that is a pretty remarkable thing. Glass half full kind of thing.

 

[Bill Dodd]

So much for gossip. I just wish you guys would make the old Guide Waders again, same cut and Gore Tex and fabric etc as back when. I still feel they are the best wader you ever made. I have been using Simms Fishing Products waders, raingear, packs and clothing since they began- still the best and toughest stuff you can get anywhere. I have worn my Simms waders and guide Jackets guiding most days of the year and they are performing better than anything else I ever used. Im sold on Simms.

iagree iagree iagree iagree

Bill Dodd.