The Alnwick, England-based fishing tackle maker Hardy & Greys is looking for a buyer. For the last 45 years, it has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of Harris & Sheldon Group Ltd., a private investment group.
The company has been at the forefront of the fishing tackle market since being awarded its first patent in 1880. It developed the first carbon fiber fishing rods and, thanks in partnership with researchers at 3M, recently created rods made from the new SINTRIX carbon fiber material.
Completely entrenched in the United Kingdom and Ireland, the tackle maker has held 10 Royal Warrants over the last century and includes the Prince of Wales among its customers. Still, there’s a strong following in the U.S., including 5-time gold cup tarpon tournament winner Andy Mill.
Andy Mill and Howard Croston catch spinner sharks off West Palm Beach:
About the Company: Hardy began in 1872, when gunsmith William Hardy joined with his brother, John James, in Alnwick, Northumberland. The company was the first manufacturer to invent a system for building rods in hexagonal form from bamboo. Hardy became Hardy & Greys in 2004, the change of name reflecting its acquisition of fellow fishing tackle brand Greys.
