The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Fund (Teachers’) must have been paying attention when recent survey numbers indicated a spike in fishing and hunting activity over the past year. Canada’s largest single-occupation pension fund has just acquired Plano Molding Company, Inc. – the guys who likely built your first tackle box and many others you’ve owned over the years.

Terms of the transaction are not being disclosed.

“Plano has exceptionally strong brands and product categories supported by attractive market characteristics. It also benefits from its long-standing relationships with top North American retailers,” said Jane Rowe, Senior Vice-President of TPC.  “Plano’s proven management team has a record of solid organic growth and has strongly positioned the company to benefit from acquisition opportunities. We look forward to supporting their success.”

“The Plano management team and I are extremely excited to be partnering with Teachers’,” stated Tom Hurt, the Company’s President and CEO. “Together we look forward to growing Plano’s heritage brands to their full potential and continuing our dedication to exceeding our customer expectations in product innovation, market leadership and world-class customer service.  An exciting new journey has just begun for Plano, our valued associates and the many market leading brands under our umbrella.  The Teachers’ partnership in Plano promises to yield more exciting opportunities than ever before.”

An independent organization with $117.1 billion in assets as of December 31, 2011, the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan invests the pension fund’s assets and administers the pensions of 300,000 active and retired teachers in Ontario.