Rapala VMC in brief
Rapala VMC group is the world’s leading fishing tackle company and the global market leader in fishing lures, treble hooks and fishing related knives and tools. The group also has a strong global position in other fishing categories and Rapala VMC’s distribution network is largest in the fishing industry. The main manufacturing facilities are in Finland, France, Estonia, and the UK. Rapala VMC group’s brand portfolio includes the leading brand in the industry, Rapala, and other global brands like VMC, Sufix, Storm, Blue Fox, Luhr Jensen, Williamson, Dynamite Baits, Mora Ice, StrikeMaster, Marttiini, Peltonen and 13 Fishing as well as Okuma in Europe. Rapala VMC Corporation’s share is listed and traded on the Nasdaq Helsinki stock exchange since 1998.
The most valuable lure brand in in the sector
We operate on the sport fishing market, which is worth about 7 BNEUR.
Our strong brand and trusted position as a partner to major retail chains, our own production, distribution and product development, and the Taiwanese sourcing unit form the cornerstones of our competitive advantage.
North America is our largest and most important market, representing 50% of sales in 2023. Our market position in North America is very strong, especially in the fishing lure segment, and we are the clear market leader in hard-bodied lures in the region. Moreover, revenue in North America is almost entirely derived from our own products.
Geographical distribution of net sales 2023
The Nordic countries accounted for 12% of our revenue in 2023. We have a very strong market position in the Nordic countries. We also sell third-party products in the Nordic countries through our strong distribution chain.
Our second-largest market area is Rest of Europe, which accounted for 26% of our revenue in 2023. This includes all European countries outside the Nordic region. The most significant countries are France and Spain.
Our product categories
Lures and baits
We are the world’s largest manufacturer of fishing lures, and lures are our biggest product group. Our most valuable brand by far is Rapala. Other company brands include, e.g., Luhr Jensen, Storm and Blue Fox.
The segment also includes baits, which we produce for carp fishing under the brands Dynamite Baits and Carp Spirit.
Hooks
We acquired the French fishing hook manufacturer VMC in 2000. VMC is the world’s leading treble hook manufacturer. The company also manufactures single- and double-hooks, where it has a smaller market share.
Our competitive advantage in the hook business is based on economies of scale and competence in the hook manufacturing process.
Fishing lines
We entered the fishing line business in 2008 with the acquisition of the line brand Sufix. Our strategic objective is to increase revenue in the fishing line business and to expand the Sufix product family.
Rods and reels
In 2019, we acquired a minority holding in the US company DQC International. DQC owns the 13 Fishing rod and reel brand. The company's products are strong in spinning reels, the jig category and in soft baits. In addition, we acquired the rights to the Okuma brand in Europe and Russia in 2021. Okuma is one of the largest rod and reel brands in the world.
Accessories
The fishing accessories business consists of smaller fishing-related product groups, such as knives, pliers, clothing, ice augers and storage systems.
Other products
The main products for other products are Marttiini knives and Peltonen skis.
