Deal Details

Winston Is Acquired by An Entity Owned by Lance Robertson

Consumer

Winston acquisition by An Entity Owned by Lance Robertson

Summary

The R.L. Winston Rod Co., Inc. (“Winston” or the “Company”) has been acquired by An Entity Owned by Lance Robertson. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Baird served as the exclusive financial advisor to Winston on this transaction.

About

Winston is an iconic premium fly-fishing brand specializing in handcrafted fly rods, fly reels and polarized sunglasses. David Ondaatje purchased the Company from Tom Morgan and others in 1991 and has been the owner of Winston for 35 years. In that time, Winston grew its reputation as one of the leading manufacturers of fly rods. The Company took greater control over the quality and design of its operations when it built a fully integrated rod manufacturing facility in Twin Bridges in 1995. In 2016, Winston acquired Bauer Fly Reels from Jon Bauer and in 2024, launched its new line of Winston Polarized Sunglasses. Winston sells its award-winning deep green fly rods under the popular Winston AIR 2 and PURE 2 fly rod lines, Bauer SLT, RX and RVR fly reels, and now polarized sunglasses to the best fly shops across the USA, Canada, Europe, Japan, Scandinavia, South America and elsewhere. Winston rods have long been celebrated for their beauty and distinctive smooth casting action known as the ‘Winston Action.’ Winston also continues to make a limited number of bamboo rods each year in a dedicated bamboo building also in Twin Bridges, continuing a tradition since the Company was created by Lew Stoner and Robert Winther in San Francisco in 1929. Winston is headquartered in Twin Bridges, Montana.

Consumer

Winston acquisition by An Entity Owned by Lance Robertson