OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Bass Pro Shops' roughly $4 billion acquisition of rival outdoor retailer Cabela's is complete, but the small western Nebraska town that has been home to Cabela's is still wondering about its future.
Monday's closing announcement didn't address how many of the roughly 2,000 Cabela's jobs will remain in Sidney, Nebraska.
Bass Pro has said it expects to keep some operations in Sidney, but redundant headquarters jobs will likely be consolidated in Bass Pro's hometown of Springfield, Missouri.
The uncertainty about Cabela's future in Sidney has hurt business and slowed down the local real estate market in the town of fewer than 7,000. But many residents remain optimistic. The city endured the loss of roughly 2,000 jobs once before when the Sioux Army Depot closed in 1967.
"I believe that Bass Pro will find Sidney very attractive, and the city will be very willing to work with the company just as it did with Cabela's," said city council member Wendall Gaston.
