Bass Pro CEO talks to Cabela's workers about future

Bass Pro Shops' CEO has told Cabela's employees that he won't plant false hopes about their jobs after his company completes its purchase of Cabela's but repeated earlier statements that some operations will stay in the Nebraska town where Cabela's was founded.

Last week's announcement of the $4.5 billion deal to buy Cabela's raised questions about the roughly 2,000 people the company employs at its Sidney, Nebraska headquarters. The combined headquarters will be in Springfield, Missouri.

Bass Pro CEO Johnny Morris told about 250 Cabela's employees at a Sidney meeting Tuesday that there will be some "slimming down" because of function duplication. Morris said without details that "important, significant jobs" will remain in Sidney. A Cabela's representative didn't immediately return a call from The Associated Press.

The company has committed to keeping open Cabela's call centers in Grand Island, Kearney and North Platte, but Bass Pro spokesman Jack Wlezien said Wednesday that he couldn't yet say whether there will be any employee cutbacks.

As for the Sidney staffing, Wlezien said, "We don't have an exact forecast yet."

Capital One will take over running Cabela's credit card unit as part of the deal, which is backed by $1.8 billion in financing from Goldman Sachs and another $600 million from private equity fund Pamplona Capital.