ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
In addition to the information discussed elsewhere in this Form 10-K, you should carefully consider the following risk factors, as well as additional factors not presently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial, which could materially affect our business, liquidity, financial condition, and/or results of operations in future periods.
Risks Relating to Our Operations
Our dependence upon outside suppliers for component parts, chassis and raw materials, including aluminum, steel, and petroleum-related products, leaves us subject to changes in price and availability (including as a result of tariffs), the cadence and quantity of deliveries from our suppliers, and delays in receiving supplies of such materials, component parts or chassis.
We are dependent upon outside suppliers for our raw material needs, other purchased component parts, and chassis. Prices, availability and the timing of delivery of these raw materials, purchased component parts, and chassis are subject to substantial fluctuations that are beyond our control due to factors such as changing economic conditions, the level of tariffs that the U.S. imposes on imported steel, aluminum, and other commodities or component parts, any retaliatory actions taken by foreign governments and any resulting trade wars, inflation, governmental regulations (including CARB’s Advanced Clean Trucks regulation), currency and commodity price fluctuations, resource availability, transportation costs, weather conditions or events and natural disasters, civil and political unrest and instability, acts of terrorism, war (such as the ongoing military conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine) and other factors impacting supply and demand pressures. Sporadic deliveries, significantly elevated delivery quantities, and delays in shipments of our raw materials, purchased component parts, including chassis, and government actions related to tariffs on imports and trade policies have previously adversely impacted, and have the potential to further impact our revenues, results of operations and financial condition.
As a result of our supply chain challenges in recent years, it has become more difficult to accurately forecast, purchase, warehouse, and transport - to our manufacturing facilities and to our distribution partners - purchased materials, component parts, and chassis at optimal volumes. If we are unable to accurately match the timing and quantities of component purchases, including chassis, to our actual needs or successfully manage our inventory or our workforce to adapt to the increased complexity in our supply chain, we may incur unexpected inventory buildup in our distribution channel. A mismatch in the timing and quantities of component purchases, including with respect to chassis, that results in a significant inventory buildup in our distribution channel has resulted, and could continue to result, in reduced sales, as our distribution partners work through any such inventory buildup in the field. In addition, if we experience shortages or delays in receiving raw materials, component parts, and chassis, we may also incur unexpected production disruption, as well as storage, transportation, and labor costs, which could have a material effect on our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, we may not be to meet our customers’ delivery schedules and could face the of orders or customers as a result of any resulting production .
Our third-party suppliers’ ability to supply us with component parts and chassis is limited by their available capacity to manufacture the component parts and chassis we require, and to secure adequate freight capacity to deliver them to our facilities. Various supply chain disruptions in 2024 continued to impact our ability to obtain certain raw materials, purchased component parts and chassis from third party suppliers, resulting in substantial price increases through the third quarter of 2025. Additionally, in the fourth quarter of 2023 and during 2024, we and, in turn, our distribution partners, also experienced significantly elevated levels of chassis shipments earlier than expected that resulted in a buildup of inventory in our distribution channel during the first half of 2024. While we slowed chassis deliveries in the second half of 2024 and throughout 2025 to allow our distributor network to work through the inventory already in the distribution channel, we could continue to experience such difficulties in 2026. These supply chain difficulties have had, and are anticipated to continue to have, a material adverse impact on our profitability and results of operations.
Delays in deliveries of our finished products due to delays of purchased component parts and chassis used in our products could also adversely affect future demand for our products if our customers reduce their purchase levels with us and/or seek alternative solutions to meet their demand. If these delays, limitations on availability and price increases for raw materials, purchased component parts, and chassis continue, recur or worsen, they will continue to have a material adverse effect on production at our facilities.
In fiscal 2025, the U.S. government imposed additional tariffs on a significant number of countries and threatened to further increase the scope and amount of tariffs in the event of retaliatory countermeasures. These new tariffs have had, and may continue to have, an impact on our supply chain, customer demand, and our financial condition and results of operations. In February 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that certain tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act were invalid, but the decision did not affect existing Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum. As a result, there may be increased reliance on, expansion of, or changes to Section 232 tariffs or other trade measures, which could increase our tariff exposure and adversely affect our supply chain, profitability, and results of operations. Accordingly, the future of existing tariffs, and the possibility of new tariffs, remains uncertain. Additionally, further changes in U.S. and foreign government trade policies, future modifications to existing trade agreements, and further restrictions on free trade, could introduce additional uncertainty. Any continued escalation of trade tensions, additional tariffs, retaliatory measures by foreign governments, or shifts in U.S. or international trade policies could again impact our supply chain and increase costs of component parts, chassis and raw
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materials, such as steel, aluminum, and petroleum-related products. A trade war or other further significant changes in trade regulations could have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations. We also continue to monitor the impact of the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine on our fuel costs and supply chain for materials and component parts, particularly with respect to steel and items with substantial steel content.
Most recently, the price of fuel surged in March 2026, after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, and retaliatory strikes by Iran on, among others, Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and international shipping vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately 20% of the world’s oil and gas is transported. A prolonged conflict with Iran could drive fuel prices even higher.
Shortages and price increases and/or delays or unexpected cadence or quantities in the deliveries of, our raw materials and purchased component parts, including chassis, have had, and could continue to have, a material adverse effect on our profitability, financial performance, competitive position and reputation.
Demand from our customers and towing operators is affected by the availability of capital and access to credit, as well as rising costs of equipment ownership (including as a result of rising insurance costs).
The ability of our customers and towing operators to purchase our products is affected by the availability of capital and credit to them. Our independent distributor customers rely on floor plan financing in connection with the purchase of our products, and the availability of that financing on acceptable terms has a direct effect on the volume of their purchases. More restrictive lending practices in conjunction with continuing increases in the cost of such financing can prevent distributors from carrying adequate levels of inventory, which limits product offerings available to the end-customer and could lead to reduced sales of our products. Additionally, in many cases, a towing operator’s decision to purchase our products from one of our distributors is dependent upon their ability to obtain financing on acceptable terms. Volatility in the capital markets and changing interest rates have increased the cost of borrowing for our customers and towing operators. In the past, such volatility and disruptions to the capital and credit markets, principally in the U.S. and Europe, have decreased the availability of capital to, and credit capacity of, our customers and towing operators. In addition, in the past, certain providers of floor plan financing have exited the market, which made floor plan financing increasingly difficult for our independent distributor customers to secure at those times. This reduced availability of capital and credit has affected the ability and capacity of our customers and towing operators to purchase towing and related equipment. This, in turn, has impacted sales of our products. If interest rates rise and our customers are to access capital or credit, it could materially and affect our ability to sell our products, and as a result, could affect our business and operating results.
In addition, the rising costs of equipment ownership have been, and could continue to be, a significant challenge for end-market users that could in the future impact customer demand for our products. For example, insurance premiums on our end-users’ trucks have increased, interest rates on new equipment have risen, and the value of used trucks has fluctuated, affecting trade-in values and new equipment purchases. These rising costs of equipment ownership continue to pressure our customers. Any continuation or worsening of the costs of equipment ownership could negatively impact customer demand for our products and have a material adverse impact on our profitability and results of operations.
Macroeconomic trends, availability of financing, and changing interest rates, have and could continue to, adversely affect our business, results of operations or financial condition, as well as our customers’ ability to fund purchases of our products.
Worldwide economic and political conditions and other factors, such as changes in trade policies and tariffs, restrictive monetary and fiscal policy, political instability, military hostilities (such as the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East), domestic and global inflationary trends, global supply shortages, interest rate volatility, government shutdowns, and potential instability in the global banking system have, from time to time, contributed to significant domestic and global inflation. For example, from 2021 to 2023, there was a significant rise in inflation, and the Federal Reserve Board, along with other central banks, raised certain benchmark interest rates in an effort to combat it. Although the U.S. Federal Reserve and the Bank of England have reduced benchmark interest rates between September 2024 and December 2025, such benchmark rates remain elevated relative to recent historical standards. The impact of the lowering of interest rates on the levels of inflation in the U.S., U.K. and Europe is uncertain. In Europe, rising energy costs as a result of supply disruptions and increased winter demand for heating could place strain on our operations and our suppliers’ ability to maintain current production levels. Across the U.K. and Europe, rising energy costs as a result of supply could result in nations or regions enacting emergency energy related policies, limiting energy availability for our manufacturing facilities in the United Kingdom, Italy and France. The impact of these macroeconomic developments on our operations cannot be predicted with certainty. While we have attempted to pass increased costs on to our customers in the past, there can be no assurances that we will be to continue doing so in the future. Sustained price increases, surcharges or price inflation (or inflation pressure generally), in turn, may lead to in volume, and while we seek to project tradeoffs between price increases, surcharges and inflation, on the one hand, and volume, on the other, there can be no assurance that our projections will prove to be accurate.
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Furthermore, a decline of the United States’ credit rating or a recession in global or regional economy could negatively impact our business, financial condition, and liquidity. Any potential inflation or further pressure on credit markets could also adversely affect our and our customers’ ability to continue to access preferred sources of liquidity resulting in increased borrowing costs.
Our business operations are subject to various international political, economic and other uncertainties, including any new or increased tariffs, any trade restrictions, or new or ongoing military conflicts, that could materially adversely affect our business results.
Historically, a portion of our net sales occur outside the United States, primarily in Europe. We also have manufacturing operations in Norfolk, England, Cuneo, Italy, and in the Lorraine region of France. As such, our operations are subject to various international political, economic and other uncertainties, including risks of restrictive taxation policies, changing political conditions and governmental regulations and trade policies, including tariffs and or trade restrictions. For example, in fiscal 2025, the U.S. government imposed additional tariffs on a significant number of countries, including with respect to tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, and threatened to further increase the scope and amount of tariffs in the event of retaliatory countermeasures. These additional tariffs have introduced, and a government’s future adoption of “buy national” policies or retaliation by another government against such tariffs or policies may continue to introduce, significant uncertainty into the market and may affect the prices and supply of component parts, chassis and raw materials, including aluminum, steel, and petroleum-related products.
There remains uncertainty with regard to the ongoing military conflicts in Ukraine, in the Middle East, and their impact on European and worldwide economic and supply chain conditions. These continued conflicts have created and may continue to create legal, political and economic uncertainties and impacts, including disruptions to trade and free movement of goods, services and people to and from Europe, disruptions to our workforce or the workforce of our suppliers or business partners. All of the foregoing risks could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In addition, a portion of our net sales derived outside the United States, as well as salaries of employees located outside the United States and certain other expenses, are denominated in foreign currencies, including the British pound sterling and the euro. We are, therefore, subject to risk of financial loss resulting from fluctuations in exchange rates of these currencies against the U.S. dollar. For example, the United Kingdom’s “Brexit” from the European Union has caused, and may continue to result in, significant volatility in global stock markets and currency exchange rate fluctuations of the U.S. dollar relative to other foreign currencies in which we conduct business, including both the British pound sterling and the euro.
In addition, political and civil unrest, terrorist acts, military conflicts, including the ongoing military conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, and public health crises and disease outbreaks, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, have increased the risks of doing business abroad in general.
Increases in the cost of skilled labor could adversely impact our business and profitability.
The timely manufacture and delivery of our products requires an adequate supply of skilled labor, and the operating costs of our manufacturing facilities can be adversely affected by increasing labor costs in skilled positions. Accordingly, our ability to increase or maintain our current levels of sales, productivity and net earnings will be limited to a degree by our ability to control the costs of skilled laborers necessary to meet our requirements. We must attract, train and retain skilled employees while controlling related labor costs and maintaining our core values, including safety standards. Our ability to control labor costs is subject to numerous external factors, including the limited supply of available skilled labor for hire, prevailing wage rates, increases in healthcare and other enhanced employee benefits, in addition to cost increases associated with employee recruitment.
The market for qualified talent continues to be competitive and we must ensure that we continue to offer competitive wages, benefits and workplace conditions to retain qualified employees. In recent years we have experienced substantial increases in employee wages in order to retain and recruit a talented workforce. This trend may continue over the near term, and possibly longer. We continue to monitor our labor costs and attempt to mitigate the risk associated with employee turnover through increased recruiting, training, and retention efforts. The impact of these disruptions remains largely out of our control, and these factors may continue to have a material adverse impact on our profitability and results of operations.
We invest significant time and expense in training our employees, which increases their value to competitors who may seek to recruit them. If we fail to retain our employees, we could incur significant expenses in hiring and training their replacements. There can be no assurance that we will be able to maintain an adequate skilled labor force necessary to efficiently operate our facilities. In addition, while our employees are not currently members of a union, there can be no assurance that the employees at any of our facilities will not choose to become unionized in the future.
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Our business is subject to the cyclical nature of our industry and changes in consumer confidence and in economic conditions in general. Adverse changes or continued uncertainty with respect to these factors may lead to a downturn in our business.
The towing and recovery industry is cyclical in nature. Historically, the overall demand for our products and our resulting revenues have at times been negatively affected by wavering levels of consumer confidence, volatility and disruption in domestic and international capital and credit markets, the resulting decrease in the availability of financing for our customers and towing operators, and the overall effects of global economic conditions. We remain concerned about the potential effects of these factors on the towing and recovery industry, and we continue to monitor our overall cost structure to see that it remains in line with business conditions. A prolonged economic downturn, including as a result of civil or political unrest, terrorist acts, military conflicts, weather events, natural disasters, outbreaks of disease, or other public health crises, and slow or negative growth in the domestic and global economy, could have a material effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations for the foreseeable future.
Our sales to U.S. and other governmental entities through prime contractors are subject to special risks.
We act as a subcontractor for certain U.S. and other government programs. As a result, we are subject to extensive regulations and requirements of the U.S. and other government agencies and entities that govern these programs, including with respect to the award, administration, and performance of contracts under such programs. Our U.S. and other government business is subject to the following risks, among others: (i) this business is susceptible to decreases in government spending, which may reduce future revenues; (ii) most of our contracts with governmental entities through prime contractors are fixed-price contracts, and our actual costs on any of these contracts could exceed our projected costs; (iii) competition for the award of these contracts is intense, and we may not be successful in bidding on future contracts; and (iv) the products we sell to governmental entities are subject to highly technical requirements, and any failure to comply with these requirements could result in unanticipated retrofit costs, delayed acceptance of products, late or reduced payment, or cancellation of the contract. Our inability to address any of the foregoing could our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Overall demand from our customers may be affected by increases in their fuel costs and changes in weather conditions.
In the past, our customers have experienced substantial increases in fuel and other transportation costs. For example, geopolitical developments, such as the military conflicts in the Middle East and in Ukraine, supply and demand for oil and gas, actions by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC, and other oil and gas producers, war and unrest in oil producing countries, regional production patterns, limits on refining capacities, natural disasters, environmental concerns, including the impact of legislative and regulatory efforts to limit greenhouse gas emissions, and public health emergencies, have from time to time disrupted global supply chains and caused increased fuel prices. Most recently, the price of fuel surged in March 2026, after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, and retaliatory strikes by Iran on, among others, Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates. and international shipping vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately 20% of the world’s oil and gas is transported. A prolonged conflict with Iran could push fuel prices even higher. Our customers also have, from time to time, been subject to and varying weather conditions and weather events, such as hurricanes, which could, among other things, impact the cost and availability of fuel and other materials. Any of these factors could affect our customers’ capacity for purchasing towing and related equipment, and, consequently, have a material effect upon our business and operating results.
Our competitors could impede our ability to attract or retain customers.
The towing and recovery equipment manufacturing industry is highly competitive. Capital requirements for entry into the towing and recovery manufacturing industry have been relatively low, which could result in an increase in the number of competitors entering the industry. Competition for sales exists domestically and internationally at the manufacturer, distributor, and towing-operator levels and is based primarily on product quality and innovation, reputation, technology, customer service, product availability and price. Competition for sales also comes from the market for used towing and recovery equipment. Some of our competitors may have substantially greater financial and other resources and may provide more attractive dealer and retail customer financing alternatives than us. If these competitors are able to make it more difficult for us to attract or retain customers, it could have a negative impact on our sales, revenue and financial performance.
Our brands and reputation are dependent on the continued participation and level of service of our numerous independent distributors.
We sell our products to a diverse network of independent distributors, consisting of approximately 76 distributor locations in North America, that serve all 50 states, Canada and Mexico, and over 30 distributors that serve other foreign markets. These distributors then sell our products to end-users. Because we depend on the pull-through demand generated by end-users for our products, any actions by the independent distributors, which are not in our control, may harm our reputation and damage the brand loyalty among our customer base. In the event that we are not able to maintain our brand reputation because of the actions of our independent distributors, we may face difficulty in maintaining our pricing positions with respect to some of our products or have reduced demand for our products, which could negatively impact our
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business, results of operations and financial condition. In addition, if a significant number of independent dealers were to terminate their contracts, it could adversely impact our business, results of operations and financial condition.
The catastrophic loss of one of our manufacturing facilities could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
While we manufacture our products in manufacturing facilities located in the United States, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom and we maintain insurance covering our manufacturing facilities, including business interruption insurance to mitigate losses resulting from any production interruption or shutdown caused by an insured loss, a catastrophic loss of the use of all or a portion of any one of our manufacturing facilities due to accident, labor issues, weather conditions or events, natural disaster, fire, civil or political unrest, terrorist acts, military conflict, disease outbreaks or other public health crises, or otherwise, whether short- or long-term, could materially harm our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Any recovery under our insurance policies may not offset the sales or increased costs that may be experienced during the of operations.
We have made acquisitions in the past, and we remain open to opportunities to make acquisitions in the future, which could involve certain risks and uncertainties .
We expect to continue to pursue additional acquisitions in the future. Acquisitions involve numerous inherent challenges, such as properly evaluating acquisition opportunities, properly evaluating risks and other due diligence matters, ensuring adequate capital availability and balancing other resource constraints. There are risks and uncertainties related to acquisitions, including: our ability to identify suitable acquisition or partnership candidates, prevail against competing potential acquirers or partners, and negotiate and consummate acquisitions or partnerships on terms attractive to us; difficulties integrating acquired operations, personnel, technology and financial and other systems; unrealized sales expectations from the acquired business; unrealized synergies and cost savings; unknown or underestimated liabilities, including inaccurate assessment of undisclosed, contingent or other liabilities; problems and unanticipated costs associated with the acquisition; diversion of management attention from running our existing businesses; estimates made in accounting for acquisitions, incurrence of non-recurring charges and write-off of significant amounts of goodwill that could affect our financial results; the potential incurrence of indebtedness to fund the acquisition; excess capacity; risks of entering new geographic or product markets; and potential of key management, employees or customers of the acquired business. In addition, internal controls over financial reporting of acquired companies may not be up to required U.S. public company standards. Our integration activities may place substantial demands on our management, operational resources, and financial and internal control systems. Customer or performance with an acquired business, technology, service or product could also have a material effect on our reputation and business.
Risks Related to Legal, Regulatory, and Compliance Matters
Environmental and health and safety liabilities and requirements could require us to incur material costs.
We are subject to various U.S. and foreign laws and regulations relating to environmental protection and worker health and safety, including those governing discharges of pollutants into the ground, air and water; the generation, handling, use, storage, transportation, treatment and disposal of hazardous substances and waste materials; and the investigation and cleanup of contaminated properties. In certain cases, these regulatory requirements may limit the productive capacity of our operations.
In addition, laws and regulations intended to achieve the goal of reducing engine emissions associated with the operation of commercial vehicles were being phased in prior to June 2025. For example, the California Air Resources Board’s (“CARB”) Advanced Clean Trucks regulation, which was also adopted by several other states, requires manufacturers, including truck body chassis manufacturers that supply to us, to sell an increasing percentage of zero-emission or near zero-emission medium and heavy-duty trucks into the California market starting in the 2024-2026 model years, ending with a 100% sales requirement in the 2036 model year.
Relatedly, CARB’s Advanced Clean Fleets regulation sets requirements for organizations to reduce the overall emissions of the vehicle fleets they operate, which affects our customers who own and operate fleets in California. These regulations are intended to drive larger market penetration of zero-emission commercial trucks.
There are currently multiple efforts underway which seek to prevent or delay some or all of CARB’s regulations from taking effect or otherwise seek relief from such regulations. Most notably, the Advanced Clean Trucks regulation requires a preemption waiver from the Environmental Protection Agency (the “EPA”). In April of 2023, the EPA granted this waiver for the Advanced Clean Trucks regulation. However, in May 2024, the EPA announced that it was repealing its prior findings that greenhouse gas emissions endanger public human health and that vehicle emissions contribute to that endangerment (the “Endangerment Finding”). In addition, Congress passed several Congressional Review Act resolutions revoking EPA preemption waivers, including for the Advanced Clean Trucks regulation, which were signed into law on June 12, 2025. These waivers were the basis of CARB’s ability to enact its own engine emissions regulations. The EPA’s repeal of the Endangerment Finding and Congress’ rescission of CARB’s federal preemption waivers are subject to multiple legal challenges, and it is unclear when such challenges will be resolved. Additionally, the Advanced Clean Fleets regulation also requires an EPA waiver. In January 2025, CARB withdrew its request for a waiver with respect to the Advanced Clean Fleets regulation.
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Compliance with these regulations negatively impacted customer demand during 2024 and through the third quarter of 2025 and were expected to continue to negatively impact customer demand, which has had a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition, and cash flows. However, with the EPA and Congress either revoking, or being unwilling to grant, necessary federal preemption waivers under these and other CARB regulations and states pushing to limit their impact, we believe the effects of these regulations could lessen in 2026. If CARB were to ultimately prevail in its legal challenges against Congress’ recission of the EPA’s federal preemption waivers, it would likely require the adoption of new laws and regulations by CARB and the other participating states, and we cannot predict at this time whether any such new laws and regulations would have an adverse impact on our business.
Environmental and health-related requirements are complex, subject to change, and have tended to become more stringent at the state level in recent years. Future developments could cause us to incur various expenditures and could also subject us to fines or sanctions, obligations to investigate or remediate contamination or restore natural resources, liability for third-party property damage or personal injury claims, and the imposition of new permitting requirements and/or the modification or revocation of our existing operating permits, among other effects. These and other developments could materially harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our facilities and operations could, in the future, be subject to regulations related to climate change, and climate change (or events caused by climate change) may also have some impact on the Company’s operations. Any impacts from new laws and regulations that may be adopted in the future are currently uncertain, and the Company cannot presently predict the nature and scope of those impacts.
Failure to comply with domestic and foreign anti-corruption laws could have an adverse effect on our business.
Our domestic and international operations require us to comply with a number of U.S. and international laws and regulations, including those involving anti-bribery and anti-corruption. Failure to comply with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the U.K. Bribery Act, and other foreign anti-bribery laws could have an adverse effect on our business. Violations of these laws, or allegations of such violations, could result in our incurring significant fees and having fines and criminal sanctions imposed on us or our employees, and could adversely impact our business with government entities.
Our future success depends upon our ability to develop or acquire proprietary products and technology and assertions against us relating to intellectual property rights could harm our business.
Historically, we have been able to develop or acquire patented and other proprietary product innovations which have allowed us to produce what management believes to be technologically advanced products relative to most of our competition. While we are continuing to develop new technology and apply for patents, if we are unable to develop or acquire new products and technology in the future, our ability to maintain market share, and, consequently, our revenues and operating results, may be negatively affected.
Our industry is marked by rapid technological developments and innovations (such as the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning) and evolving industry standards. If we are unable to provide enhancements and new features and integrations for our existing platform, develop new products that achieve market acceptance, or innovate quickly enough to keep pace with these rapid technological developments, our business could be harmed.
Third parties may claim that our products infringe their patents or other intellectual property rights. If a competitor were to challenge our patents or assert that our products or processes infringe their patent or other intellectual property rights, we could incur substantial litigation costs, be forced to design around their patents, pay substantial damages or even be forced to cease our operations, any of which could be expensive and/or have an adverse effect on our operating results. Third-party infringement claims, regardless of their outcome, would not only consume our financial resources, but also would divert the time and effort of our management and could result in our customers or potential customers deferring or limiting their purchase or use of the affected products or services until resolution of the litigation.
Changes in the tax regimes and related government policies and regulations in the countries in which we operate, including the imposition of new or increased tariffs and any resulting trade wars, could adversely affect our results and our effective tax rate.
As a result of our international operations, we are subject to various taxes in both U.S. and non-U.S. jurisdictions. Due to economic and political conditions, tax laws, regulations and rates in these various jurisdictions may be subject to significant change. Our future effective income tax rate could be affected by changes in the mix of earnings in countries with differing statutory tax rates, the adoption of a global minimum tax rate for corporate entities, changes in the valuation of deferred tax assets or changes in tax laws or their interpretation. Changes to long-standing tax principles in the countries in which we operate could adversely affect our effective tax rate or result in higher cash tax liabilities. Increases in our effective tax rate or tax liabilities could have a material adverse effect on us.
The imposition of new tariffs, any increases in existing tariffs, changes in or the repeal of trade agreements or the imposition of any other trade restrictions may increase costs of component parts and raw materials, such as chassis, steel and aluminum, and cause disruptions in our supply chain. Any such developments may also weaken the economies of the countries in which we operate, resulting in lower economic growth rates and weakened demand for our products.
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In addition, the provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act (“IRA”), which was enacted in August 2022, include a minimum tax equal to 15% of the adjusted financial statement income of certain large corporations, as well as a 1% excise tax on certain share buybacks by public corporations that would be imposed on such corporations. It is possible that changes under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which was enacted in December 2017, the IRA or other tax legislation could increase our future tax liability, which could, in turn, adversely impact our business and future profitability.
A product warranty or product liability claim in excess of our insurance coverage, or an inability to acquire or maintain insurance at commercially reasonable rates, could have a material adverse effect upon our business.
We are subject to various claims, including product warranty and product liability claims arising in the ordinary course of business, and may, at times, be a party to various legal proceedings incidental to our business. We maintain reserves and liability insurance coverage at levels based upon commercial norms and our historical claims experience. If we manufacture poor quality products or receive defective materials, we may incur unforeseen costs in excess of what we have reserved in our financial statements. A successful product warranty, product liability or other claim brought against us in excess of our insurance coverage, or the inability of us to acquire or maintain insurance at commercially reasonable rates, could have a material adverse effect upon our business, operating results and financial condition. In addition, we are subject to potential recalls of components or parts manufactured by suppliers which we purchase and incorporate into our towing and recovery equipment products, as well as potential of our products from customers to cure manufacturing or in the event of a to comply with applicable regulatory standards or customers’ order specifications. Moreover, the publicity that may result from a product liability claim, perceived or actual with our products or a product could have a material effect on our ability to market our products .
The effects of regulations relating to conflict minerals may adversely affect our business.
In 2012, the SEC adopted rules under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act to improve transparency and accountability concerning the supply of certain minerals, known as “conflict minerals”, originating from the Democratic Republic of Congo and adjoining countries. These rules could adversely affect the sourcing, availability and pricing of such minerals if they are found to be used in the manufacture of our products, as the number of suppliers who provide conflict-free minerals may be limited. In addition, we have incurred and expect to incur additional costs to comply with the disclosure requirements, including costs related to determining the source of any of the relevant minerals and metals used in our products. In addition to the SEC regulation, the European Union adopted new requirements for European Union importers of conflict minerals, which went into effect on January 1, 2021, and that may impact and increase the cost of our conflict minerals compliance program. The Company’s supply chain is complex. As a result, we have encountered and continue to expect significant difficulty in determining the country of origin or the source and chain of custody for all “ minerals” used in our products and that our products are “ free” (meaning that they do not contain “ minerals” that directly or indirectly finance or armed groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or an adjoining country). We may face reputational from customers, investors or others if we are to verify the origins for all “ minerals” used in our products. In such event, we may also face in customers who may require that all of the components of our products be certified as mineral free.
RISKS RELATED TO OUR COMMON STOCK
Our stock price may fluctuate greatly as a result of the general volatility of the stock market, or from our involvement with activist shareholders.
From time to time, there may be significant volatility in the market price for our common stock. Our quarterly operating results, changes in earnings estimated by analysts, if any, changes in general conditions in our industry or the economy or the financial markets or other developments affecting us, including our ability to pay dividends, could cause the market price of our common stock to fluctuate substantially.
In addition, we seek to actively engage with shareholders and consider their views on business and strategy. However, we could be subject to actions or proposals from shareholders or others that do not align with our business strategies or the interests of our other shareholders. Publicly traded companies have increasingly become subject to campaigns by activist investors advocating corporate actions such as governance changes, financial restructurings, increased borrowings, special dividends, stock repurchases or even sales of assets or entire companies to third parties or to the activists themselves. Responding to activist investors could be costly and time-consuming, disrupt our business and operations, adversely affect our relationships with our employees, customers, or service providers, and divert the attention of our Board of Directors and senior management. Further, we may be required to incur significant fees and other expenses related to such matters, including fees and expenses for third-party advisors. Perceived uncertainties associated with such activities could interfere with our ability to effectively execute our strategic plan, impact long-term growth, and limit our ability to hire and retain qualified personnel, business partners, customers, and others important to our . In addition, actions of these shareholders may cause periods of fluctuation in our
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stock price based on temporary or speculative market perceptions or other factors that do not necessarily reflect the underlying fundamentals and prospects of our business.
Our charter and bylaws contain anti-takeover provisions that may make it more difficult or expensive to acquire us in the future or may negatively affect our stock price.
Our charter and bylaws contain restrictions that may discourage other persons from attempting to acquire control of us, including, without limitation, prohibitions on shareholder action by written consent and advance notice requirements regarding amendments to certain provisions of our charter and bylaws. In addition, our charter authorizes the issuance of up to 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock. The rights and preferences for any series of preferred stock may be set by the Board of Directors, in its sole discretion and without shareholder approval, and the rights and preferences of any such preferred stock may be superior to those of common stock and thus may adversely affect the rights of holders of common stock.
RISKS RELATED TO INDEBTEDNESS AND LIQUIDITY
Our credit facility could restrict our ability to operate our business and failure to comply with its terms could adversely affect our business; our obligations to repurchase products from third-party lenders could adversely impact our future revenues and financial condition.
As of December 31, 2025, we had $30.0 million in outstanding borrowings under our credit facility. Since December 2025, we made additional payments of $10.0 million on our credit facility for a balance of $20.0 million as of February 27, 2026. Our credit facility contains customary representations and warranties, events of default, and financial, affirmative and negative covenants for loan agreements of this kind. In addition, covenants under our current credit facility restrict our ability to pay cash dividends if the Company would be in violation of the minimum tangible net worth test or the leverage ratio test in the current loan agreement as a result of the dividend, among various restrictions. We have been in compliance with these covenants throughout 2025 and anticipate that we will continue to be in compliance during 2026. If we fail to comply with the requirements of our current credit facility, such non-compliance would result in an event of default. If not waived by the bank, such event of default would result in the acceleration of any amounts due under the current credit facility.
We also have certain obligations to repurchase our products repossessed by third-party lenders if our distributors should default in their obligations to those lenders. Such repurchases could result in reduced net revenue in future periods as we resell such products and, if we are unable to sell the products, could adversely impact our financial condition.
We cannot assure you that we will continue to declare dividends on our common stock.
Our Board of Directors approved a dividend policy in 2011 to consider and pay quarterly dividends on our common stock subject to our ability to satisfy all applicable statutory requirements and our continued financial strength. While we currently intend to pay a quarterly dividend on shares of our common stock, to the extent that we have sufficient funds available for such purpose, the declaration, amount and payment of any future dividends on shares of common stock will be at the sole discretion of our Board of Directors and we may reduce or discontinue entirely the payment of such dividends at any time. Our Board of Directors may take into account general and economic conditions, our financial condition and operating results, capital requirements, restrictions in financing agreements and such other factors as they may deem relevant from time to time.
GENERAL RISK FACTORS
A disruption in, or breach in security of, information technology (“IT”) systems that we use, or any violation of data protection laws, could adversely impact our business and operations.
We rely on the accuracy, capacity, and security of IT systems, some of which are owned and managed by us and some of which are owned and managed by third parties, to process, summarize, transmit, and store electronic information that is critical to operating our business efficiently and effectively. In the ordinary course of business, we directly or indirectly maintain confidential, proprietary and personal information about, or on behalf of, our business and our potential, current and former customers, suppliers and employees. We rely on these IT systems to protect this information and to keep financial records, process orders, manage inventory, coordinate shipments to customers, and operate other critical functions. These IT systems may be disrupted or fail for a number of reasons, including natural disasters, such as fires; power loss; software “bugs”, hardware defects, or employee error and/or malfeasance; compromised or irretrievable backups; wire fraud; or security caused by, among other things, individual and group hacking, computer viruses or codes, malware, ransomware, access attempts, of service attacks, social engineering schemes, credential theft, phishing scams, of in third-party software and systems, or other . IT systems that we use, including those owned and managed by us and those owned and managed by third parties, have experienced cybersecurity , attacks and, from time to time, in the past, and we expect that we will continue to be subject to cybersecurity risks in the future. However, to date, based on the information available to us, we believe that these have not had a material impact on our business, operations, or reputation.
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Any of these events which deny us use of vital IT systems on which we rely may seriously disrupt our normal business operations. These disruptions may lead to production or shipping stoppages, which may in turn lead to material revenue loss and reputational harm. These cyber threats are diverse and constantly evolving, especially given the advances in, and the rise in the use of, artificial intelligence, thereby increasing the difficulty of preventing, detecting, and successfully defending against them and may be more difficult to detect and mitigate, including as threat actors use artificial intelligence and other advanced tools to attacks and impersonation tactics. cybersecurity could, among other things, our operations or result in the disclosure, theft and of company, customer, employee and/or supplier sensitive and confidential information, all of which could affect our financial condition and results of operations.
Cybersecurity breaches of our IT systems, or of the IT systems of third parties on whom we rely, could require us to provide notice to third parties and could result in legal claims or proceedings, financial liability to other parties, governmental investigations, regulatory enforcement actions, fines and penalties, harm employee morale, and damage our brand and reputation. Although we maintain insurance coverage relating to cybersecurity incidents, we have incurred, and may again in the future, incur costs or financial losses that are either not insured against, or not fully covered through, our insurance. In addition, such insurance may be subject to exclusions, sub-limits and retentions and may become more expensive or less available on acceptable terms.
As technology continues to evolve, we anticipate that we will collect and store even more data in the future and that our systems will increasingly use remote communication features that are susceptible to both willful and unintentional security breaches. We have incurred costs and expect to incur significant additional costs in order to implement security measures that we feel are appropriate to protect our IT systems. However, there is no guarantee that these enhancements and steps will be adequate to mitigate future losses due to IT system disruptions or breaches, or that we will be able to prevent, detect or respond to future incidents in a timely and effective manner. Such a breach could result in theft of our intellectual property or trade secrets and/or unauthorized access to controlled data and personal information, including current and former employee personal information stored in connection with our human resources function. In addition, although we require third party providers to maintain certain levels of security, such providers remain to , security , system or other attacks that could compromise sensitive information.
Any disruption, outage or breach of IT systems that we use could result in interruption of our business operations, damage to our reputation and a loss of confidence in our security measures, all of which could adversely affect our business. In addition, if our systems are improperly implemented, breached, damaged or cease to function properly, we may have to make significant investments to fix or replace them. To the extent that any data is lost or destroyed or any confidential information is inappropriately disclosed or used, it could adversely affect our competitive position or customer relationships, our business and possibly lead to significant , liability, or based upon of contract or applicable laws, which liabilities may not be covered by insurance.
We are also required to comply with increasingly complex and changing laws and regulations enacted to protect business and personal data in the United States and other jurisdictions regarding privacy, data protection and data security, including those related to the collection, storage, use, transmission and protection of personal information and other customer, vendor, or employee data. Regulators globally are also imposing greater monetary fines for privacy violations including the GDPR that became effective in the European Union in 2018. The GDPR and other changes in laws or regulations associated with the enhanced protection of certain types of sensitive data, such as healthcare data or other personal information, could increase our cost of providing our products and services.
We leverage artificial intelligence in our business, which could result in reputational harm, competitive harm, and legal liability, and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition .
We leverage artificial intelligence, including generative artificial intelligence and machine learning, to support our business operations. We also use products and services from third parties that use integrated artificial intelligence technology. Our competitors or other third parties may incorporate artificial intelligence into their operational processes more quickly or more successfully than us, which could have a material adverse effect on our competitive position, reputation and operations. In addition, there are significant risks involved in developing and deploying artificial intelligence and there can be no assurance that the usage of artificial intelligence will be beneficial to our business, including our efficiency or profitability. The legal, regulatory and compliance environments surrounding the design and use of artificial intelligence technology - involving federal, state and foreign regulators - are evolving and complex. Our obligation to comply with the evolving regulatory landscape could entail significant costs and negatively affect our business. In addition, there has been a significant increase in artificial intelligence-related litigation and government regulatory actions targeting the design, deployment and other uses of artificial intelligence, and liability under numerous areas of the law, such as consumer protection, product liability, privacy, intellectual property, securities, and . Any of these risks could have an effect on our results of operations, financial condition, business and reputation.
22 | FY 2025 FORM 10-K
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Any loss of the services of our key executives could have a material adverse impact on our operations.
Our success is highly dependent on the continued services of our management team because of the management teams’ experience and skills gained from their long-term service to the Company. The loss of services of one or more key members of our senior management team could have a material adverse effect on us .
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OTHER KEY INFORMATION
