FRED BEAR

Bear Archery was founded in 1933 by Fred Bear and Charles Piper in Detroit, Michigan, as the Bear Products Company. The initial focus was on screen printing and advertising support work for automobile companies. In 1938, Bear hired Nels Grumley, a woodworker and bowyer, and the company expanded to offer handcrafted bows.

Fred Bear sold the advertising side of the Bear Products Company in 1940 to focus on archery. The archery business was renamed Bear Archery. In 1947, the company moved to a new facility in Grayling, Michigan. The Grayling facility focused on the manufacture and marketing of recurve bows and longbows. After observing Ben Pearson's successful efforts in machine-made bows, Bear transitioned from handmade bows to mass-produced bows made of fiberglass and other modern materials.

Fred was an avid hunter and promoter. Through traveling the world and producing films about bowhunting, Bear's name and face became famous among archers and hunters. Bear was involved in the design, development, and manufacturing processes within his company. The archery equipment was carefully inspected and tested by men with bowmaking expertise and many years of experience in the industry. Bear received a patent for something called "Glass Power," which consisted of fiberglass strands bonded together and running the full length of each bow. Skilled craftsmanship, high-quality materials, and precision machinery led to high demand for these well-crafted bows. The various models of Bear's Kodiak bow became bestsellers and are still highly regarded today.
Fred Bear sold the company to Victor Comptometer in 1968, but remained president. From 1968 to the present, Bear has changed hands half a dozen times. It is currently owned by Escalade Sports.