Two powerhouses in the Quebec/Labrador caribou outfitting business, Safari Nordik and Mirage Outfitter, have merged under the umbrella of the World Outfitter Corporation, a public company trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol SAF. Together they have created the world’s largest hunt outfitting business. Although, under the James Bay Northern Agreement, several native organizations have the “first right of refusal” on the merger, the finalized deal is expected to be official shortly. Nicolas Laurin, President and CEO of World Outfitter Corporation, indicated that this merger represents only their first steps in becoming a full-service worldwide outfitter. Hunters can expect to see more acquisitions by World Outfitter Corporation across Canada, Africa and possibly elsewhere in the near future.
Regardless of future acquisitions, however, this merger is important for two reasons – it offers advantages to the hunter interested in a caribou hunt, and it may well have far-reaching implications for controlling the soaring prices faced by traveling hunters. Basically, World Outfitting Corporation contends that corporate-level outfitting will create economies of scale for volume purchasing and marketing. Imagine the potential of a company like World Outfitter Corporation offering “one-stop shopping” hunting travel while managing costs and holding down hunt prices. Instead of negotiating for the price of 200 gallons of aviation fuel, they could bargain for thousands of gallons, secure lower hotel rates based on high-quantity bookings, or even deal with airlines for “special” rates based on volume. They could even arrange for special taxidermy services and pricing based on hundreds of mounts. The relationship could also lead to reduced marketing costs and achieve cost savings on printing, office and other support staff. The list of possible savings goes on......
