Hummingbird depth finder
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Humminbird’s stable of pro anglers quickly expanded to include Bill Dance, Jimmy Houston, Hank Parker, Al Lindner, and numerous others. Sales numbers grew exponentially and an entire new market segment was born. Then, in 1975, Humminbird introduced the first-ever waterproof depth sounder, the Humminbird Super Sixty, which became one of the best-selling fishfinders ever produced, altered the trajectory of sport fishing forever. As volume increased, Dean began sourcing parts and set up a production line of six people. Yank left a post at Texas Instruments in Dallas and moved back to Eufaula to oversee engineering and assume the role of CEO.
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Soon the expanding group of angel investors recruited an electrical engineer and Eufaula, Alabama native named Yank Dean IV. Since, it’s become synonymous with fish-finders, like Kleenex is to tissue paper. Still others say the name refers to the “humming” sound the early Depth Sounders produced when in operation. My momma always called it ‘humminbird!’”Īs to why they chose to name the brand after a tiny bird, former Humminbird PR Manager, Larry Columbo, explains: “As I understand it, Tom Mann and the guys were sitting around a table throwing around brand names when somebody said, ‘What’s the fastest bird that flies? Tom Mann, also an Alabama game warden, jumped in, ‘That’d be the Humminbird!’ Tom had a real thick drawl and couldn’t pronounce the ‘g’ either!” I ain’t never heard of no humming-bird in my life.
#HUMMINGBIRD DEPTH FINDER REGISTRATION#
I already sent them my $300!’ About two weeks later Tom got the registration papers in the mail, and he walked into Jim Murphy’s office: ‘Looky here, I got it!’ Murphy inspected the papers and smiled, ‘Tom, that was absolutely brilliant, leaving the ‘g’ out of hummingbird.’ Tom laughed: ‘I didn’t know it had a ‘g’ in it. But what are your going to call it?’ Tom replied, ‘I’m gonna call it Humminbird, I’ve already filed for registration.’ And Jim said, ‘No Tom, you can’t get registration on a common name, that’s public domain.’ Tom shook his head, ‘They better register it. So Tom approached his investor buddy Jim Murphy of Eufaula’s American Builders: ‘You gotta see this thing! It’s going to revolutionize fishing!’ Tom took Jim out on the water and Jim was impressed. “As a great structure fisherman, Tom Mann had a real need for a good depth finder, so he was excited about what those first modified units could do compared to what was available. Longtime Humminbird pro Hank Parker knows the story well, having spent a great deal of time with the brand’s pioneers. One of the most entertaining stories of Humminbird’s early years involves how the company got its name. Longtime Humminbird pro Hank Parker loves to tell the story of how Humminbird got its name.
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Before they knew it, they were creating serious demand.” Tom Mann was impressed and they started placing foil over the Heath Kit logo and selling the modified units to a buddy here, a buddy there. Hatched in a modest Eufaula, Alabama, garage-like facility in 1971, Tom Mann and a handful of investors known as Allied Sports Company began modifying Heath Kits into the first Humminbird Depth Sounders.įormer Humminbird CEO Jim Balkcom recalls: “Around 1970 there was a Eufaula Hospital radiologist making changes to the electrical design of Heath Kit Depth Sounders to shield interference from the bigger outboards making their way onto bass boats. Like many iconic American companies, fishing electronics manufacturer Humminbird has humble beginnings. Now, the next time someone walks into your shop you can share not only the best of technology and performance but the story of how Humminbird earned its wings. 17ft boston whaler outrage.This is a story of American ingenuity, passion and perseverance as told through the recollections of the fishing industry pioneers who lived it.