Bob Ward's Sports & Outdoors

On his way to make a fortune in gold in the Klondike, Bob Ward, at the age of 15, ran out of money in Missoula, Montana. Still in Missoula seventeen years later, a now-married Bob opened a watch repair shop in 1917. Over the next decade, he and his wife became the parents of eight children, six of whom were boys, and those six boys followed in Bob's footsteps, creating a Montana business tradition known today as Bob Ward & Sons. Bob Ward's love of the outdoors eventually led Bob Ward & Sons business to grow to include custom gun-making and fishing-tackle manufacturing. After returning from World War II, Bob's oldest son, Irvine, expanded the business into retail sporting goods, which is its primary business today. The company became the largest sporting goods company in Montana. Under the guidance of Irvine's son, Keith Ward, the company has further expanded its reach to include stores in four other markets in Montana: Bozeman, Helena, Butte, and Hamilton. Shortly after joining the company full time, Chad Ward, Keith?s son, quickly moved Bob Ward?s online with the development of Bobwards.com. ?Dot Com? as it?s colloquially known around the company has grown into a major online E-retailer for sporting goods across the nation. In 2014, after 97 years, Bob Ward?s sons and grandsons had mostly past and it was time to rebrand the company. ?Bob Ward?s Sports & Outdoors? was chosen to pay homage to the founder and patriarch of the Montana Wards, and to more accurately represent the company?s current focus. Keith Ward (grandson) and Chad Ward (great-grandson) remain at the helm of the almost century old company. Now with a fresh image but always with the heritage that makes Bob Ward?s one of Montana?s great companies.