BPS Direct, L.L.C, doing business as Bass Pro Shops, is an American privately held retailer which specializes in hunting, fishing, camping, and other related outdoor recreation merchandise. With headquarters in Springfield, Missouri, Bass Pro Shops has a workforce of about 40,000. Bass Pro also owns Cabela's, another retailer that specializes in similar categories. History Bass Pro Shops started in 1972 when Johnny Morris started selling fishing tackle out of his dad's Brown Derby Liquor Store in Springfield, Missouri. His father, John A. Morris, was a World War II veteran and often took the family hunting and fishing. Johnny Morris has said his parents, Genny Morris and John A. Morris, taught him to love fishing, hunting, and the outdoors. The first Bass Pro Shops catalog was created in 1974. In 1978, Morris introduced Tracker Boats, the first boat, motor, and trailer package designed for anglers. In 1981, Morris opened the first Bass Pro Shops outdoor store in Springfield. 1987 is when Morris bought a large, empty plot of land, and 1 year later, he opened Big Cedar Lodge on Table Rock Lake in Missouri's Ozark Mountains. In 2017, Morris opened the Wonders of Wildlife Museum & Aquarium in Springfield's Bass Pro Shops, which is considered the largest wildlife attraction in the world. In the same year, Bass Pro Shops struck a deal to acquire Cabela's for about $4.5 billion. Discrimination lawsuit In 2011, Bass Pro Shops was sued by The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for failure to hire Hispanic and black applicants. In court filings, Bass Pro Shops denied all of the allegations and in 2014, Bass Pro Shops appealed the lower court's ruling, but was rejected by the court. In 2016 Bass Pro Shops tried again and The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission asked the 5th Circuit Court to reject Bass Pro Shops' appeal because Bass Pro Shops engaged in the practice of "reckless indifference" when it came to hiring minorities. In 2017, Bass Pro Shops settled its discrimination lawsuit with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for $10.5 million. The court noted that any payments Bass Pro Shops made as part of the settlement "should not be construed as an admission of liability." The case was settled by a consent decree, and the court issued no findings on the veracity of the claims of the EEOC. As part of the settlement, Bass Pro Shops agreed to strengthen its