Chapman's GE deal    BassFan.com: 4/7/2006

GE recently announced a sponsorship deal with Brent Chapman, who's competing on both the Bassmaster Elite Series and the FLW Tour in a GE Silicone II-wrapped Triton boat. It's the first foray into professional bass fishing for GE.

The company said in a press release that it was drawn to professional bass fishing because of the sport’s growing profile and demographics. Silicone is commonly used in the construction of boats, and professional bass fishing offers GE a new platform to reach out to consumers and builders with information about home sealing.

“We saw a lot of similarities and crossover in the demographics for NASCAR and bass fishing,” said Stephan Nelson, field marketing manager for GE Sealants & Adhesives. “The model for professional bass fishing sponsorships seems to be following the same path as NASCAR. We’re very excited to be a part of it.”

Nelson said Chapman's two-tour status was a big factor in the deal. “Being new to professional bass fishing, we were reluctant to choose one professional tour to sponsor," he said. "Both the FLW Tour and Bassmaster Elite Series are fantastic. We decided early on that we wanted to sponsor an angler who would fish both tours."

Said Chapman: "I'm very excited to be associated with GE, and they're excited to be involved with the sport of fishing. Hopefully I can bring some value to them, and hopefully they'll have a long association with the fishing industry. It makes great sense for them because their customers are the do-it-yourself types, and that's what most fishermen are."