Al’s Sporting Goods announced the acquisition of Bob Ward & Sons and will take over operations of all five of its locations in Missoula, Bozeman, Butte, Helena, and Hamilton.
Al's Sporting Goods was founded by Alvin Moroni Larsen in 1921 in Logan, Utah. Al’s Sporting Goods currently operates in Utah and Idaho and will be opening more stores soon.
“We have approached this deal more like a merger than an acquisition,” said Jason Larsen, president of Al’s Sporting Goods. “We are thrilled to welcome the current staff to the Al’s family and will work to preserve the Bob Ward & Sons name, reputation, and legacy throughout the state of Montana.”
There are currently no plans to change the company name of Bob Ward & Sons, but they will integrate successful operations and processes used in Al's Sporting Goods stores in Utah and Idaho. It is likely the product lines offered at Bob Ward & Sons will be expanded upon utilizing brand partnerships of Al's Sporting Goods.
“Similar to Al’s Sporting Goods, Bob Ward & Sons has been a family-owned and operated business that began over 100 years ago. Bringing these two retailers together – we now have over 200 years of combined retailing experience,” said Larsen.
