Cabela's history

By 1962, the growth of their inventory required the establishment of a warehouse.

Classified ads in newspapers and national outdoor magazines led to a thriving direct-mail catalog business, then Dick convinced his younger brother Jim to join the new company, which he did in 1963.

In 1964, after three years of using a kitchen table as their primary office space, the Cabela brothers moved the company's operations into the basement of their father's furniture store in Chappell.

Because of the hospital's predicament, the Cabelas were able to acquire the building at a sharply reduced price, purchasing it in September 1968.

The business was moved to the old John Deere building in 1969, and for the first time in its history, the Cabela enterprise occupied a facility that was larger than the company's needs.

Inspired by a core value of helping connect more people to nature, Bass Pro Shops was founded in 1972 by avid young angler Johnny Morris, who began selling fishing tackle from eight square feet of shelf space in his father's liquor store in Springfield, Missouri.

In 1986, the Cabela brothers fulfilled their need by acquiring a former Rockwell International plant in Kearney, Nebraska.

1987: Cabela's opens its first retail outlet.

In 1992, another five buildings situated at the same location were acquired, making Cabela's warehouse space in Sidney equal to more than ten football fields.

The 600,000-square-foot distribution center in Prairie du Chien was completed in 1996, positioning the company to better serve its upper Midwestern customers.

In October 1998, Cabela's opened its fourth retail store next to its distribution center in Prairie du Chien.

Expansions continued into the next millennium when in 2001 Cabela's announced plans to open a new store in Kansas city, part of a new, $500 million dollar mall.

In late 2002 Cabela's partnered with Maiden Mills to launch a new clothing line, Polartec, based on fabric used by the United States Special Operations Forces groups for cold weather operations.

Cabela's decided to go public in March 2004, hoping to make at least $230 million on the stock offering.

In 2007, Cabelas brought suit against them to prevent their re-entry into the mail-order business.

Additionally, in 2012 30% of revenue came from direct sales (through catalog and online orders), and 59% from physical retail stores.

In February 2013, Cabela's sued Gander Mountain for patent infringement over a fold-up cot that Gander was selling.

On February 17, 2014, founder Dick Cabela died at his home in Sidney, Nebraska, at the age of 77.

In December 2015, Cabela's sold their Outdoor Adventures & T.A.G.S. divisions to Worldwide Trophy Adventures.

On October 3, 2016, Bass Pro Shops announced an agreement to acquire Cabela's for $5.5 billion.

In 2017, Cabela's joined forces with Bass Pro Shops to become North America's premier outdoor and conservation company and leverage our combined purchasing power to deliver better value to customers.