Other names Dick Cabela Children 9 Siblings James Cabela Spouse(s) Mary Ann Kerns | Role Entrepreneur Occupation Entrepreneur Name Richard Cabela | |
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Full Name Richard Neil Cabela People also search for James Cabela, Thomas Millner, Mary A Cabela | ||
Richard Neil "Dick" Cabela (October 8, 1936 – February 17, 2014) was an American entrepreneur, best known as a co-founder of Cabela's, a leading outfitter of outdoor sporting and recreational goods. He stated that his business was inspired by his bout with polio and a deep love of hunting and fishing. He was also described as an "ardent supporter of the National Rifle Association, a vocal supporter of the Second Amendment, a hunter, and a staunch proponent of wildlife conservation."
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Biography
Born in Chappell, Nebraska, Cabela and his father went to Chicago to purchase items for the family furniture store back home. Initially he placed ads in a local newspaper for "12 hand tied flies for $1". When the items did not sell locally, he advertised them in national newspapers and magazines such as Sports Afield. He and wife, Mary, built a customer base and created a small mimeographed catalog to offer more fishing gear.
From 1961, the Cabelas, Dick, his wife Mary, and his brother James, created a catalog business with annual revenues of over US$3 billion, featuring stores in Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, and shipping goods and 120 million catalogs each year to all 50 states and many foreign nations. Additionally, the business inspired the creation of a financial institution and credit card issuer called the Worlds Foremost Bank.
He died on February 17, 2014 at his home in Sidney, Nebraska at age 77.
Honors
Cabela was the recipient of several awards over the course of his career. Among the awards Cabela received were the C.J. McElroy award in 2001 from the Safari Club International and the Golden Bullseye Pioneer award from NRA Publications in 2008.