Koppers signs Elite anglers Browning and Velvick
Grand Island, N.Y. – On the Eve of the Bassmaster Classic, Koppers Fishing, makers of the ultra-realistic LIVETARGET crank baits, inked deals with Bassmaster Elite pros Stephen Browning and Byron Velvick.
The sponsorship arrangement, spearheaded by Koppers’ Pro Staff Manager Victor Cook, will be under the spotlight at the 2010 Bassmaster Classic in Birmingham, AL. There, Browning and Velvick will duke it out with 49 of the industry’s best for the prestigious top honor and Championship title. “We’re very excited about our new relationships with Byron and Stephen” says Cook; “both are solid anglers with great reputations in the B.A.S.S. arena.”
The LIVETARGET brand made its’ debut in 2008 in the Midwest and Great Lakes Regions, opening 100 dealers its’ first year. Two years later, the Company’s reach now exceeds more than 1,000 dealers in the U.S. and Canada, with distribution into Japan and nine European countries. Despite the accelerated international attention, Cook comments that B.A.S.S. is the ideal platform to launch the Team LIVETARGET pro staff campaign. “They’re at the top of the game” says Cook, “and we’re positioned to show the industry our intentions to participate. Stephen and Byron are truly excited about our line and we feel they will represent our brand with passion and dignity.”
Browning, who had 4 top 10 finishes in 2009, had success at all events with the LIVETARGET brand, including a 5th place in Iowa, where 15 of his 20 fish were caught using the 64 series Craw crank. His success at the event was pivotal in improving his rank to qualify for the Classic on Lay Lake, February 19-21. “I’m really excited about their product line and impressed with the Koppers’ organization,” says Browning, “They are on the cusp of something big and I look forward to growing with them”. Browning will unveil his new threads at the Classic later this week.
Well known Elite Series pro and television personality Byron Velvick will also sport the LIVETARGET colors in the 2010 Bassmaster Elite season. The former "Bachelor" contestant and Bass Center analyst, currently hosts a weekly inshore saltwater show “Going Coastal”, which is both entertaining and educational to ESPN2 viewers. “I became familiar with the LIVETARGET line during the back half of the ’09 Series,” says Velvick. “I immediately fell in love with them. Bottom line…they flat out catch fish.”
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