Bass Pro restructuring leads to layoffs

Bass Pro Shops conducted a recent restructuring effort that led to layoffs.

Jack Wlezien, director of communications for the outdoor products retailer, said “some roles” were eliminated yesterday. He declined to disclose the number of jobs impacted.

“We routinely evaluate our staffing needs to provide our customers with the best value and service. As part of this process, we recently restructured several teams to help support our plans for the future,” Wlezien said via email. “We take personnel decisions very seriously and are assisting all impacted associates with transition packages and continuation of benefits.”

Wlezien said more than 120 positions are open at the company’s 2500 E. Kearney St. headquarters, nicknamed internally as base camp. He said some of the open positions are the result of former Cabela’s workers who chose not to relocate in November 2019, when Bass Pro announced nearly 120 jobs were coming to Springfield from Sidney, Nebraska.

“The majority of them are new positions,” he said, noting the recent layoffs were not a result of the relocation of jobs from Cabela’s former headquarters.

Bass Pro purchased Cabela’s for $5 billion in 2017.

Bass Pro ranked No. 3 on Springfield Business Journal’s 2019 list of the area’s largest employers, with 6,000 local employees. The list was published in July 2019.