Bill Hooson – Victoia BC a PEETZ History

[PEETZcanada]

Recognizing an amazing person for all that he has accomplished and continues to help with, right here at PEETZ.
Bill Hooson – Victoia BC a PEETZ History

Listen in to this Deep Dive – The history of PEETZ in the era of Hooson.

The Legend of PEETZ Manufacturing(1977) LTD: A BC Fishing Icon’s Journey Through Time

For generations of anglers along BC’s rugged coast and tranquil lakes, PEETZ Canada, formerly Peetz Manufacturing, has been a name synonymous with craftsmanship, heritage, and legendary fishing reels. At the heart of this storied company was Bill Hooson, a pivotal figure whose dedication steered PEETZ through decades of change and challenge.

A Legacy Begins

Back in the 1950s, as a young teenager in Victoria, Bill Hooson got his start working for Ivan Peetz, son of the company’s founder, Boris Cecil Peetz. Little did he know that decades later, he would become a key custodian of the brand’s legacy.

Changing Hands and Building the Future

Read the rest here...also listen in to the extended DEEP DIVE audio.

https://peetzoutdoors.com/2025/12/bill-hooson-victoia-bc-a-peetz-history/

 

[PEETZcanada]

Bill truly is a Gem of a human being. He is my landlord for the PEETZ location down at 2740 Rock Bay Ave in Victoria, but he has actually become a major mentor to me.

Over these past few years while transitioning the business Bill has been there for me through and through. He doesn't need to do what he does to help me along, I didn't buy the business from him. He owned and operated PEETZ beginning in 1977 up to when he sold the business in 2014. Bill was the first owner outside of the family. He lucked out and heard through the grapevine that Ivan and Judy, a brother and sister team were ready to retire. A deal was made and a new era began.

I am so, so very grateful for all his tips, tricks and education and history regarding the business that he regularly shares with me.

From finding broken die stamping tools sitting on the shelf from a time well before my roll started in 2023 that are absolutely detrimental to the regular manufacturing operations of parts and extremely expensive to have fixed. Bill has been there to help me every step of the way to ensure that I can keep moving forward and battle each hurdle in the most informative way possible. He is just a wealth of high valued knowledge.

The man is amazing. I am so fortunate to have such an amazing opportunity to know him and learn from him directly as I have from three months in on this venture.

He has helped me set up tools, shared the processes, organize things in away to make each task faster and easier. I thought I knew a lot via my vast history, but man this guy is that one guy that just knows.

Thank you Bill.

 

[Fishalot]

What an adventure you have undertaken! Perseverance and passion are evident to all of us following your story.

 

[PEETZcanada]

What an adventure you have undertaken! Perseverance and passion are evident to all of us following your story.

It certainly has been a journey for sure. Quite a lot different than I envisioned in the beginning and a monster learning curb to work through & overcome. Little by little the positive lines are becoming more focused and prominent in the forefront as the negatives dissipate and disappear one by one. Little by little, inch by inch is leading towards full steps forward in progression. It has cost me nearly everything I owner and a mountain of debt to keep this dream alive. A dream to rescue a 100 year+ brand from the ashes of death.

As a note of interest for anyone who has not actually participated in any direct dialogue or personal interaction down at the PEETZ workshop, I am a one man show, wearing all the hats, doing absolutely every necessary action in order to eventually have a full working team of individuals in the shop building everything that there is to share and help the angling public with in their outdoor experiences and fishing excursions.

If it was easy, absolutely everyone would do it...but it calls for mass sacrifice and mid to short term pain in order to ensure long term success and growth. I was build for this and I am where I am supposed to be at this moment in time.

RVP