Bill Dance, Brent Chapman go Garmin

OLATHE, Kan. /Business Wire – Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), the global leader in satellite navigation, today announced that fishing legend Bill Dance will use and recommend Garmin marine electronics. Garmin also announced that professional bass tournament angler Brent Chapman will also represent Garmin and its entirely new line of sonar and GPS devices designed specifically for freshwater anglers.

A professional angler for nearly 50 years, Bill Dance has introduced thousands to the sport of fishing through his television show “Bill Dance Outdoors,” which has aired since 1968 – more than two thousand episodes. He’s a serious fisherman by any measure, but one who never takes himself too seriously.

“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to fish with Garmin’s completely redesigned fishfinder and GPS units. Not only do they have the clearest sonar and the most detailed lake maps on the market today, but Garmin units are designed to be easy to use,” said Dance.

Brent Chapman is a current BASS Elite Series Angler and 2012 Bassmaster Elite Series Angler of the Year. He’s appeared in 12 Bassmaster Classics, including two top five finishes. A native of Lake Quivira, Kansas, Chapman lives just a few miles from the Garmin headquarters.

“It’s obvious that Garmin is ‘in it to win it’ in the marine electronics business, just like I am on the tournament trail. Without a doubt, their new lineup of sonar and GPS is going to help make me a more competitive and successful angler,” said Chapman. “And because they’re so simple to use, I can spend more time fishing and less time figuring out my electronics.”

Garmin’s new 2014 marine lineup features its brand-new DownVü™ and SideVü™ scanning sonar, which provide a near picture quality representation of objects, structure and fish that are found both underneath the boat and also to the sides. These true-to-life images give an angler a better idea of the most ideal spots and underwater structure for fishing, and provide the clearest sonar picture of fish returns available on the market today.

Also new for 2014 is an expanded database of LakeVü™ HD maps now available on Garmin marine GPS units. A total of 17,000 inland lakes are represented, including over 5,700 lakes with 1-foot contour lines shore-to-shore. In addition, Garmin is also offering LakeVü HD Ultra with MaxDef, which features Garmin-surveyed lake maps of more than 40 of the top fishing lakes in the U.S. These MaxDef maps are the highest detailed maps available of any inland cartography Garmin has ever produced. 

“These new partnerships, combined with our new lineup of marine electronics, clearly demonstrate that Garmin is committed to being a top player in the freshwater fishing industry,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin’s vice president of worldwide sales. “We’re very excited to have Bill and Brent on the Garmin team and we’re thrilled that they will have the full suite of sonar and electronic mapping to help them in their pursuits.”

Dance and Chapman will use Garmin electronics on their boats and during tournaments, television shows, and in public appearances. They will also be utilized in marketing and promotional materials as well as public relations and social media campaigns.

Garmin’s marine business segment is a leading provider of navigation and communication equipment to retail and OEM customers. Garmin’s portfolio includes the industry’s most sophisticated array of chartplotters and touchscreen multifunction displays, sonar, high-definition radar, autopilot, high-resolution mapping, sailing instrumentation and other products and services that are known for innovation, reliability, and ease-of-use.

About Garmin International Inc.
Garmin International Inc. is a subsidiary of Garmin Ltd. (Nasdaq: GRMN), the global leader in satellite navigation. Since 1989, this group of companies has designed, manufactured, marketed and sold navigation, communication and information devices and applications – most of which are enabled by GPS technology. Garmin’s products serve automotive, mobile, wireless, outdoor recreation, marine, aviation, and OEM applications. Garmin Ltd. is incorporated in Switzerland, and its principal subsidiaries are located in the United States, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit Garmin’s virtual pressroom at www.garmin.com/pressroom or contact the Media Relations department at 913-397-8200. Garmin is a registered trademark and DownVü, SideVü, and LakeVü are trademarks of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries. 

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