CULLMAN, Ala. — The Bass Fishing Hall of Fame (BFHOF) board of directors has selected Acrylic Tank Manufacturing (ATM) of Las Vegas, Nev. as the official and exclusive aquarium manufacturer for the Hall's permanent site in Cullman, Ala. ATM is recognized as the worldwide leader in custom aquarium manufacturing and is known throughout the world as the subject of the hit Animal Planet television show "Tanked."
Under the partnership, ATM has agreed in principle to design and install a custom freshwater bass-themed aquarium of approximately 36,000 gallons inside the Hall of Fame’s Education Center, the construction and installation of which will be featured on a future episode of "Tanked." The massive captive-water attraction, complemented by the series of outdoor natural ponds and streams planned for the Hall of Fame, will create a one-of-a-kind fishing-education and entertainment experience that will draw avid anglers and those new to the sport from around the world.
To help move the partnership into the next phase, Hall of Fame board members recently traveled to ATM headquarters in Las Vegas to meet the ATM staff personally and fact-find about the aquarium design, construction and installation process.
The group met with ATM general manager Dennis Wightman for several hours, as well as "Tanked" personalities Irwin "The General" Raymer and Agnes Wilczynski.
BFHOF president Sammy Lee said: "Our Hall of Fame board is very honored to be working with the world's largest custom-aquarium manufacturer – Acrylic Tank Manufacturing of Las Vegas. Their years of experience in designing and manufacturing custom, wow-factor aquariums will lead to the Hall of Fame having a one-of-a-kind freshwater aquarium attraction. We were privileged to have Dennis Wightman give us a tour of the facility, educate our group and provide specifics on what it takes to build an enclosed aquatic environment the size of ours."
Zebco Brands president and Hall board member Jeff Pontius was also a part of the visiting group and noted how impressed he was with the ATM facility and the company's capabilities: “Along with learning more about their expertise, I'm glad the Hall board met with ATM early in the design process. It takes a lot of coordination with the architect and contractors to build a massive tank into a facility. With ATM’s help we’ll be sure to have a world-class trophy-bass tank that'll set a new worldwide standard,” said Pontius.