Simms Fishing Products completed its move into its new corporate headquarters at 177 Garden Drive, Bozeman, MT 59718 on-budget and with zero down-time.
Simms, a leading manufacturer of guide-quality fishing waders, outerwear, footwear and apparel, has moved from a multi-building campus on the northeast edge of Bozeman to a 65,000-square-foot building on the west side of town, at the crossroads of the Gallatin and Madison Rivers.
Key to their new location is a streamlined, modern manufacturing floor where Simms will continue to produce its award-winning Gore-Tex breathable waders. Simms was the first company to introduce breathable waders in the early 90s, and is still the only company making fishing waders in the United States.
“We implemented lean manufacturing concepts in our factory over a decade ago, but our new plant has been organized to optimize our wader production steps,” said Robert Gibson, director of operations at Simms.
“Simms has experienced 20 years of continued growth, and we needed more and better organized space,” said K.C. Walsh, president of Simms. “Manufacturing waders here in Montana is important to our customers, and our new headquarters provides us needed room for continued expansion and a place to showcase our manufacturing facility.”
Simms’ new headquarters was purchased in 2011, and Simms partnered with Bozeman’s internationally renowned architectural firm JLF & Associates to remodel the site. The company’s goals were to get all of its employees under one roof, improve collaboration between its employees and increase exposure to the angling public. According to Walsh, “JLF’s team did an outstanding job in helping us achieve all of our goals in this new facility, and their president, Paul Bertelli, is a serious fly angler who really understands our brand.”
This building is the largest solar photovoltaic project in the Gallatin Valley and estimated to be in the top five in Montana. The system supplies electricity and hot water. In addition, Simms’ new facility utilizes motion sensor and energy efficient lighting.
