Item 1A. Risk Factors.
Investing in our Class A common stock involves risks. Before making any investment decision, you should carefully consider the information in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including the risks described below, the matters addressed under “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements,” our consolidated financial statements and the related notes, and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” Some of these risks include:
• General economic conditions and consumer spending patterns can have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
• Severe weather events, including hurricanes, floods, and other natural disasters, can disrupt our operations, damage inventory or facilities, impact customer demand, and materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
• Changes in geopolitical conditions—including fluctuations in tax laws, the imposition or increase of tariffs, trade restrictions, international supply chain disruptions, and other governmental policies—can increase our costs, limit product availability, and adversely affect consumer demand and our overall operating performance.
• The availability and costs of borrowed funds can adversely affect our ability to obtain adequate boat inventory, the ability and willingness of our customers to finance boat purchases and our ability to fund future acquisitions.
• Failure to implement strategies to enhance our performance could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition.
• Our success depends, in part, on our ability to continue to make successful acquisitions at attractive or fair prices and to integrate the operations of acquired marine retailers and each marine retailer we acquire in the future.
• We are required to obtain the consent of our manufacturers prior to the acquisition of other dealers.
• Our failure to successfully order and manage our inventory to reflect consumer demand and to anticipate changing consumer preferences and buying trends, or the lack or excess of inventory in the industry, generally, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
• OneWater Inc. is a holding company. OneWater Inc.’s only material asset is its direct and indirect equity interest in OneWater LLC, and OneWater Inc. is accordingly dependent upon distributions from OneWater LLC to pay taxes, make payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement and cover OneWater Inc.’s corporate and other overhead expenses.
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• If we experience any material weaknesses in the future or otherwise fail to develop or maintain an effective system of internal controls in the future, we may not be able to accurately report our financial condition or results of operations, which may adversely affect investor confidence in us and, as a result, the value of our Class A common stock.
• Our Legacy Owners own a significant amount of our voting stock, and their interests may conflict with those of our other stockholders.
• In certain cases, payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement may be accelerated and/or significantly exceed the actual benefits, if any, OneWater Inc. realizes in respect of the tax attributes subject to the Tax Receivable Agreement.
• We may be unable to adequately maintain, enforce, and protect our intellectual property rights and we may be accused of infringing the intellectual property rights of third parties, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and operations.
• Climatic events may adversely impact our operations, disrupt the business of our third party vendors on whom we rely upon for products and services, and may not be adequately covered by our insurance.
Our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected by any of these risks or uncertainties discussed herein. The trading price of our Class A common stock could decline due to any of these risks discussed herein, and you may lose all or part of your investment. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial also may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, or future results. Certain statements made herein are forward-looking statements.
Risks Related to General Economic Conditions
General economic conditions and consumer spending patterns can have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
General economic conditions, including changes in employment levels, consumer demand, preferences and confidence levels, the availability and cost of credit, fuel prices, levels of discretionary personal income, interest rates, periods of economic or political instability, public health crises, inflation, international trade policies, and consumer spending patterns can negatively impact our operating results. Unfavorable local, regional, national or global economic developments or uncertainties regarding future economic prospects could reduce or defer consumer spending in the markets we serve and adversely affect our business. Consumer spending, including that of high net worth individuals, on discretionary goods may also decline as a result of political uncertainty and instability, even if prevailing economic conditions are generally favorable. Economic conditions in areas in which we operate dealerships, particularly the Southeast and Gulf Coast regions in which we generated approximately 80%, 79% and 81% of our revenue during fiscal years 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively, could have a major impact on our operations. Local influences, such as corporate , inclement weather such as hurricanes, wintry conditions or other storms, environmental conditions and specific events, also could affect, and in certain instances have affected, our operations in certain markets.
In an economic downturn, consumer discretionary spending levels generally decline, at times resulting in disproportionately large reductions in the sale of discretionary goods. Consumer spending on discretionary goods also may decline as a result of lower consumer confidence levels, even if prevailing economic conditions are favorable. Our business was significantly impacted during the recessionary period that began in 2007, and this period of weakness in consumer spending and depressed economic conditions had a substantial negative effect on our operating results. In response to these conditions we reduced our inventory purchases, closed certain dealerships and reduced headcount. Although we have expanded our operations and increased our focus on pre-owned sales, parts and repair services and finance & insurance products, during periods of stagnant or modestly declining industry trends, the cyclical nature of the retail marine industry or the of industry growth could lead to and demand, which could materially affect our business, financial condition or results of operations in the future. Any period of economic conditions or low consumer confidence could have a effect on our business.
Inflation could adversely affect our financial results.
The market prices of certain materials and components used by us and/or our suppliers in manufacturing the products we sell can be volatile. Significant increases in inflation, particularly those related to wages and increases in the cost of raw materials, and the expenses associated with the distribution and transportation of these materials and products we sell, can have an adverse impact on the business, financial condition, and results of operations of us or our suppliers. The inflationary pressure on labor costs could lead to a reduction in profitability, as we may face challenges in maintaining our margins on boats and other distributed products. Additionally, the increased costs in raw materials and transportation could further strain our supply chain, leading to higher operational expenses. Our suppliers may in turn pass such increases along to us by raising the cost of our inventories and/or we may not be able to fully pass along these increased costs onto our customers. These market dynamics may adversely impact our profitability.
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In addition, new boat buyers often finance their purchases. Inflation, along with rising interest rates, translates into an increased cost of boat ownership, which can negatively impact our customers' ability or desire to purchase our products. Should inflation and increased rates continue to occur, prospective consumers may choose to forego or delay their purchases or buy a less expensive boat in the event credit is not available to finance their boat purchases affecting our profitability and margins.
Our sales may be adversely affected by a material increase in interest rates and adverse changes in fiscal policy or credit market conditions.
Since 2008, the U.S. Federal Reserve System has generally maintained policies producing a historically low-interest-rate environment. Interest rates rose throughout 2022 and 2023 and may rise in the future, and there can be no assurance as to what actions the Federal Reserve System will take in the future. Any change in interest rates or the market expectation of such change may result in significantly higher long-term interest rates.
Given that we sell products that are often financed, material increases in interest rates and adverse changes in fiscal policy or credit market conditions have, from time to time, negatively impacted our customers’ ability or desire to purchase our products and may continue to do so in the future. In addition, such an increase or adverse change could reduce the availability or increase the costs of obtaining new debt and refinancing existing indebtedness or negatively impact the market price of our Class A common stock.
We are subject to risks associated with international trade policies, including tariffs and other restrictions, which could increase our costs, disrupt our supply chain, or otherwise adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We source certain boats, components, and parts used in both the sale and service of boats from foreign manufacturers and suppliers, either directly or through our manufacturer partners. This includes fully assembled boats manufactured outside of the United States, component parts integrated into boats manufactured domestically, and parts used in post-sale servicing, warranty work, and aftermarket sales. Our Distribution segment, which includes the sale of marine parts and accessories through our network of retail and wholesale channels, also sources a portion of its inventory from international suppliers or contains components manufactured abroad. As a result, our business and operations are subject to risks associated with international trade, including changes in U.S. or foreign government policies, tariffs, duties, import restrictions, export restrictions, sanctions, or other trade barriers.
Tariffs or other governmental actions that limit trade with certain foreign countries, particularly those that supply boats, components, or aftermarket parts, could increase our procurement and manufacturing costs, delay delivery timelines, and limit the availability of critical inventory. For example, tariffs imposed on boats manufactured in Europe or parts sourced from Asia could materially increase the cost of certain units or product categories or render specific product lines less competitive in the U.S. market. Even where boats are manufactured in the U.S., many rely on imported components, and tariffs on those inputs could increase costs for our manufacturing partners, which may in turn be passed on to us through price increases. Likewise, our Distribution segment could experience similar margin compression or inventory shortfalls if costs increase or global supply chain availability declines.
Additionally, uncertainty surrounding U.S. trade policy, including the potential for retaliatory tariffs or escalating trade disputes, may create volatility in pricing or lead to disruptions in the flow of goods. If our suppliers are unable to absorb increased costs or if we are unable to pass those costs on to customers without negatively impacting demand, our gross margins and overall profitability could be adversely affected. Any material disruption to our ability to source boats, components, or parts in a timely or cost-effective manner—whether for new sales, warranty obligations, or aftermarket and distribution operations—could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Risks Related to Our Industry and Competition
Our success depends to a significant extent on our manufacturers, and the loss of certain manufacturers could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
We depend on our manufacturers for the sale of new boats. Sales of new boats from our top ten brands represents approximately 40.8%, 41.7% and 39.4% of total revenues for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively, making them major suppliers of our company. Of this amount, Malibu Boats, Inc., including its brands Malibu, Axis, Cobalt, Pursuit, Maverick, Hewes, Cobia and Pathfinder accounted for 12.2%, 13.1% and 13.9% of our total revenues for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Any adverse change in the reputation, product development efforts, technological advancement, manufacturing capabilities, supply chain and third-party suppliers and financial condition of our manufacturers and their respective brands, would have a substantial adverse impact on our business. Any difficulties encountered by our manufacturers resulting from economic, financial, or other factors could also adversely affect the quality and amount of new boats and products that they are able to supply to us and the services and support they provide to us.
Additionally, any interruption or discontinuance of the operations of our manufacturers, including due to, supply chain disruptions or shortages or bankruptcy or insolvency, could also cause us to experience shortfalls, disruptions, or delays with respect to new boats and inventory. During the course of the pandemic, a number of our manufacturers faced inventory shortages due to a combination of these facts as well as high demand. We also enter into renewable annual dealer agreements with manufacturers, and there is no guarantee that we will be able to renew such dealer agreements in the future. We may not be able to easily replace the loss of certain manufacturers or brands,
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including at the necessary quantity, quality or price, and the loss of certain manufacturers or brands may therefore have an adverse material effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Boat manufacturers exercise control over our business.
We depend on our dealer agreements, which generally provide for renewable, one-year terms. Through dealer agreements, boat manufacturers exercise control over their dealers, restrict them to specified locations and retain approval rights over changes in management and ownership, among other things. The continuation of our dealer agreements with most manufacturers depends upon, among other things, our achieving stated performance goals for customer satisfaction ratings and market share penetration in the market served by the applicable marine retailer. Failure to meet performance goals and other conditions set forth in any existing or new dealer agreement could have various consequences, including the following:
• the termination or nonrenewal of the dealer agreement;
• the imposition of additional conditions in subsequent dealer agreements;
• limitations on boat inventory allocations;
• reductions in reimbursement rates for warranty work performed by the dealer;
• loss of certain manufacturer-to-dealer incentives;
• denial of approval of future acquisitions; or
• the loss of exclusive rights to sell in the geographic territory.
These events could have a material adverse effect on our product availability, competitive position and financial performance.
Manufacturer recall campaigns could adversely affect our business.
Manufacturer recall campaigns could adversely affect our new and pre-owned boat sales or customer residual trade-in valuations, could cause us to temporarily remove boats from our inventory, could force us to incur increased costs and could expose us to litigation and adverse publicity related to the sale of recalled boats, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
Our business, as well as the entire retail marine industry, is highly seasonal, with seasonality varying in different geographic markets.
Over the three-year period ended September 30, 2025, the average revenue for the quarterly periods ended December 31, March 31, June 30 and September 30 represented approximately 20%, 27%, 30% and 23%, respectively, of our average annual revenue. With the exception of Florida, we generally realize lower sales and higher levels of inventories, and related floor plan borrowings, in the quarterly periods ending December 31 and March 31. Revenue generated from our dealerships in Florida serves to offset generally lower winter revenue in our other states and enables us to maintain a more consistent revenue stream. The onset of the public boat and recreation shows in January stimulates boat sales and allows us to reduce our inventory levels and related floor plan borrowings throughout the remainder of the fiscal year. We also have various dealerships in the Northeast and Midwest region of the United States, which typically experience colder temperatures in the winter months. The impact of seasonality on our results of operations could be materially impacted based on the location of our acquisitions. For example, the impact of seasonality could change if we acquire additional marine retailers that operate in colder regions of the United States, or if we acquire additional distribution businesses. Additionally, due to a global health crisis or other external factors, our seasonal trends may also change as a result of, among other things, dealership closures, disruptions to the supply chain and inventory availability, manufacturer , or of boat shows.
The failure to receive rebates and other manufacturer incentives on inventory purchases or retail sales could substantially reduce our margins.
We rely on manufacturers’ programs that provide incentives for dealers to purchase and sell particular boat makes and models or for consumers to buy particular boat makes or models. Any eliminations, reductions, limitations or other changes relating to rebate or incentive programs that have the effect of reducing the benefits we receive, whether relating to the ability of manufacturers to pay or our ability to qualify for such incentive programs, could increase the effective cost of our boat purchases, reduce our margins and competitive position and have a material adverse effect on our financial performance.
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Other recreational activities, poor industry perception, real or perceived human health or safety risks, changing consumer attitudes and environmental conditions can adversely affect the levels of boat purchases.
Demand for our products can be adversely affected by competition from other activities that occupy consumers’ time, including other forms of recreation as well as religious, cultural and community activities. In addition, real or perceived human health or safety risks from engaging in outdoor activities generally or boating activities specifically could deter consumers from purchasing our products. Local environmental conditions in the areas in which we operate dealerships could also adversely affect the levels of boat purchases, including adverse weather conditions or natural disasters. Changing trends and attitudes toward large discretionary purchases on the part of younger consumers in particular, who may prefer to share or borrow a boat rather than incur the expense of ownership, may impact our future sales. Further, as a seller of high-end consumer products, we must compete for discretionary spending with a wide variety of other recreational activities and consumer purchases. In addition, perceived hassles of boat ownership and customer service and customer education throughout the retail boat industry, which has traditionally been perceived to be relatively poor, represent impediments to boat purchases. We may attempt to shift the focus or product mix in response to changing consumer sentiments, but there is no guarantee that we will be .
We face intense competition.
We operate in a highly competitive and fragmented environment. In addition to facing competition generally from recreation businesses seeking to attract consumers’ leisure time and discretionary spending dollars, the recreational boat industry itself is highly fragmented, resulting in intense competition for customers, quality products, boat show space and suitable dealership locations. We rely to a certain extent on boat shows to generate sales. Our inability to participate in boat shows in our existing or targeted markets, including due to cancellations of boat shows, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We compete primarily with local marine retailers who own three or fewer stores, as well as with a limited number of larger operators. Additionally, with respect to sales of marine parts, accessories, and equipment, we also compete with national specialty marine parts and accessory stores, online catalog retailers, sporting goods stores, and mass merchants. Competition within the retail marine industry is generally based on the quality and variety of available products, the price and value of the products, and attention to customer service. There is significant competition both within markets we currently serve and in new markets that we may enter. We compete in each of our markets with retailers of brands of boats and engines we do not sell in that market. In addition, several of our competitors, especially those selling marine equipment and accessories, are large national or regional chains that have substantial financial, marketing, and other resources. Private sales of pre-owned boats represent an additional source of competition.
Additional competitors, including boat clubs, may enter the businesses in which we currently operate or intend to expand. In particular, an increase in the number of aggregator and price comparison sites for our products may negatively impact our sales of these products. If any of our competitors successfully provides a broader, more efficient or attractive combination of services, protection plans, products and resources to our target customers, our business results could be materially adversely affected. Our inability to compete effectively with existing or potential competitors could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Due to various matters, including environmental concerns, permitting and zoning requirements, and competition for waterfront real estate, some markets in the United States have experienced an increased waiting list for marina and storage availability. In general, the markets in which we currently operate are not experiencing any unusual difficulties. However, marine retail activity could be adversely affected in markets that do not have sufficient marina and storage availability to satisfy demand.
Risks Related to Our Acquisition and Growth Strategies
Failure to implement strategies to enhance our performance could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition.
We are increasing our efforts to grow our distribution, repair and maintenance services, parts and accessories, and financing and insurance businesses to better serve our customers and thereby increase revenue and improve profitability as a result of these comparatively higher margin businesses. These efforts are designed to increase our revenue and reduce our dependence on the sale of new and pre-owned boats. In addition, we are pursuing strategic acquisitions to capitalize upon the consolidation opportunities in the highly fragmented recreational boat dealer industry by acquiring additional marine retailers and related operations and improving their performance and profitability through the implementation of our operating strategies. These business initiatives have required, and will continue to require, us to add personnel, invest capital, enter businesses or geographic regions in which we do not have extensive experience and encounter substantial competition. As a result, our strategies to enhance our performance may not be successful and we may increase our expenses or write off or impair such investments if not .
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Our success depends, in part, on our ability to continue to make successful acquisitions at attractive or fair prices and to integrate the operations of acquired marine retailers and each marine retailer we acquire in the future.
Since the combination of Singleton Marine and Legendary Marine in 2014, we have acquired 83 additional dealerships and 12 warehouses/distribution centers through 35 acquisitions. Additionally, we actively evaluate and pursue acquisitions on an ongoing basis. We continue to strategically evaluate and monitor our pipeline for potential acquisitions. Each acquired marine retailer operated independently prior to our acquisition. Our success depends, in part, on our ability to continue to make successful acquisitions at attractive or fair prices that align with our culture and focus on customer service and to integrate the operations of acquired marine retailers, including centralizing certain functions to achieve cost savings and pursuing programs and processes that promote cooperation and the sharing of opportunities and resources among our companies. We may not be able to oversee the combined entity efficiently, realize anticipated synergies or effectively implement our growth and operating strategies. To the extent that we successfully pursue our acquisition strategy, our resulting growth will place significant additional demands on our management and infrastructure. Our to pursue our acquisition strategies or effectively operate the combined entity could have a material effect on our rate of growth and operating performance. Further, if we acquire businesses or products that depend on a small number of customers and we are to retain key customers following the acquisition, our revenues may be affected.
Unforeseen expenses, difficulties and delays frequently encountered in connection with expansion through acquisitions could inhibit our growth and negatively impact our profitability.
Our growth strategy of acquiring additional marine businesses involves significant risks. This strategy entails reviewing and potentially reorganizing acquired business operations, corporate infrastructure and systems, and financial controls. We continue to integrate acquired marine businesses and these activities may require management to devote significant attention and resources to integrating acquired businesses with our business. Unforeseen expenses (including potential environmental legacy liabilities due to spills or other releases of regulated substances on or under real properties or resulting from a failure to comply with laws and regulations), difficulties and delays frequently encountered in connection with rapid expansion through acquisitions could inhibit our growth and negatively impact our profitability. We may be unable to identify suitable acquisition candidates or to complete the acquisitions of candidates that we identify. Even if we are able to integrate acquired business operations successfully, there can be no assurance that the integration will result in the realization of the full of synergies, cost savings, margin growth, insulation from cyclicality or operation effectiveness that we may expect or that any such benefits may be within an anticipated time frame. Increased competition for acquisition candidates or increased asking prices by acquisition candidates may increase purchase prices for acquisitions to levels beyond our financial capability or to levels that would not result in expected returns required by our acquisition criteria to be in the interest of stockholders. Acquisitions also may become more or less in the future as we acquire more of the most marine businesses that align with our culture and focus on customer service. In addition, we may encounter in integrating the operations of acquired marine businesses with our own operations, in retaining employees, in retaining and maintaining relationships with customers, suppliers or other business contacts, and in managing acquired marine businesses without substantial costs, or other operational or financial . As part of our growth strategy, we generally retain existing key staff, including senior management, when we complete an acquisition. There can be no assurance that we will be to retain marine businesses’ key staff, including senior management, when we complete an acquisition in the future and to do so could affect our businesses.
The size, timing, and integration of any future acquisitions may cause substantial fluctuations in operating results from quarter to quarter. Consequently, operating results for any quarter may not be indicative of the results that may be achieved for any subsequent quarter or for a full fiscal year. These fluctuations could adversely affect the market price of our Class A common stock.
Our ability to continue to grow through the acquisition of additional marine businesses will depend upon various factors, including the following:
• the availability of suitable acquisition candidates at attractive purchase prices;
• the ability to compete effectively for available acquisition opportunities;
• the availability of cash on hand, borrowed funds, common stock with a sufficient market price or other sources of financing to complete the acquisitions;
• the ability to obtain any requisite manufacturer, governmental or other required approvals;
• the ability to obtain approval of our lenders under our current credit agreements; and
• the absence of one or more manufacturers attempting to impose unsatisfactory restrictions on us in connection with their approval of acquisitions.
As a part of our acquisition strategy, we frequently engage in discussions with various marine businesses regarding their potential acquisition by us. In connection with these discussions, we and each potential acquisition candidate exchange confidential operational and financial information, conduct due diligence inquiries and consider the structure, terms, and conditions of the potential acquisition. In
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certain cases, the prospective acquisition candidate agrees not to discuss a potential acquisition with any other party for a specific period of time, grants us an option to purchase the prospective marine businesses for a designated price during a specific time period, and agrees to take other actions designed to enhance the possibility of the acquisition, such as preparing audited financial information and converting its accounting system to the system specified by us. Potential acquisition discussions frequently take place over a long period of time and involve difficult business integration and other issues, including in some cases management succession and related matters. As a result of these and other factors, a number of potential acquisitions that from time to time appear likely to occur do not result in binding legal agreements and are not consummated.
We are required to obtain the consent of our manufacturers prior to the acquisition of other dealers.
In determining whether to approve acquisitions, manufacturers may consider many factors, including our financial condition and ownership structure. Manufacturers may also impose conditions on granting their approvals for acquisitions, including a limitation on the number of their dealers that we may acquire. Our ability to meet manufacturers’ requirements for approving future acquisitions will have a direct bearing on our ability to complete acquisitions and effect our growth strategy. There can be no assurance that a manufacturer will not terminate its dealer agreement, refuse to renew its dealer agreement, refuse to approve future acquisitions or take other action that could have a material adverse effect on our acquisition program.
Our growth strategy also entails expanding our product lines and geographic scope by obtaining additional distribution rights from our existing and new manufacturers. We may not be able to secure additional distribution rights or obtain suitable alternative sources of supply if we are unable to obtain such distribution rights. The inability to expand our product lines and geographic scope by obtaining additional distribution rights could have a material adverse effect on the growth and profitability of our business.
Our internal growth and operating strategies of opening new dealerships and offering new products involve risk.
In addition to pursuing growth by acquiring marine retailers, we intend to continue to pursue a strategy of growth through opening new dealerships and offering new products in our existing and new territories. Accomplishing these goals for expansion will depend upon a number of factors, including the following:
• our ability to identify new markets in which we can obtain distribution rights to sell our existing or additional product lines;
• our ability to lease or construct suitable facilities at a reasonable cost in existing or new markets;
• our ability to hire, train and retain qualified personnel;
• the timely and effective integration of new dealerships into existing operations;
• our ability to achieve adequate market penetration at favorable operating margins without the acquisition of existing marine retailers; and
• our financi al re sources.
Our dealer agreements require manufacturer consent to open or change dealership locations that sell certain products. We may not be able to open and operate new dealership locations or introduce new product lines on a timely or profitable basis. Moreover, the costs associated with opening new dealership locations or introducing new product lines may adversely affect our profitability.
As a result of these growth strategies, we expect to continue to expend significant time and effort in opening and acquiring new dealership locations, improving existing dealership locations in our current markets, and introducing new products. Our systems, procedures, controls, and financial resources may not be adequate to support expanding operations. The inability to manage our growth effectively could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our planned growth also will impose significant added responsibilities on members of senior management and require us to identify, recruit, and integrate additional senior level managers. We may not be able to identify, hire or train suitable additions to management.
Our growth strategy may require us to secure significant additional capital, the amount of which will depend upon the size, timing and structure of future acquisitions and our working capital and general corporate needs.
If we finance future acquisitions in whole or in part through the issuance of common stock or securities convertible into or exercisable for common stock, existing stockholders will experience dilution in the voting power of their common stock and earnings per share could be negatively impacted. The extent to which we will be able and willing to use our Class A common stock for acquisitions will depend on the market value of our Class A common stock and the willingness of potential sellers to accept our Class A common stock as full or partial consideration. Our inability to use our Class A common stock as consideration, to generate cash from operations or to obtain additional funding through debt or equity financings in order to pursue our acquisition program could materially limit our growth.
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Any borrowings made to finance future acquisitions or for operations could make us more vulnerable to a downturn in our operating results, a downturn in economic conditions, or increases in interest rates on borrowings that are subject to interest rate fluctuations. If our cash flow from operations is insufficient to meet our debt service requirements, we could be required to sell additional equity securities, refinance our obligations or dispose of assets in order to meet our debt service requirements. In addition, our credit arrangements contain financial covenants and other restrictions with which we must comply, including limitations on the incurrence of additional indebtedness and cash liquidity requirements. Adequate financing may not be available if and when we need it or may not be available on terms acceptable to us. The failure to obtain sufficient financing on favorable terms and conditions could have a material adverse effect on our growth prospects and our business, financial condition and results of operations. For additional information relating to our credit arrangements, see “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Debt Agreements” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Risks Related to Our Operations
The availability and costs of borrowed funds can adversely affect our ability to obtain adequate boat inventory, the ability and willingness of our customers to finance boat purchases and our ability to fund future acquisitions.
OneWater LLC and certain of its subsidiaries are parties to the Inventory Financing Facility, which consists of uncommitted inventory floorplan financing of up to $497.1 million in addition to overtrade capacity availability of up to $38.7 million as of November 17, 2025. Failure to extend or source alternative financing arrangements could adversely impact our business. As of September 30, 2025 and 2024, we had an aggregate of $419.7 million and $443.4 million, respectively, outstanding under the Inventory Financing Facility. We rely on the Inventory Financing Facility to purchase and maintain our inventory of boats. For additional information relating to the terms of our Inventory Financing Facility, please see “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Debt Agreements—Inventory Financing Facility.”
Effective August 9, 2022, we entered into the A&R Credit Facility (together with the Inventory Financing Facility, the “Credit Facilities”), which provides for, among other things, (i) a single tranche of Revolving Commitments in an amount equal to $65.0 million (the “Revolving Facility”) and (ii) a single tranche of Initial Term Loans in an aggregate principal amount equal to $445.0 million (the “Term Facility”). As of September 30, 2025, we had $367.1 million outstanding under the Term Facility and $47.2 million outstanding under the Revolving Facility. For additional information, please see "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Liquidity and Capital Resources."
Our ability to borrow under the Credit Facilities depends on our ability to continue to satisfy our covenants and other obligations under the Credit Facilities. In particular, our ability to borrow under our Inventory Financing Facility depends on the ability of our manufacturers to be approved vendors under our Inventory Financing Facility. The aging of our inventory limits our borrowing capacity as defined curtailments under the Inventory Financing Facility reduce the allowable advance rate as our inventory ages. Depressed economic conditions, weak consumer spending, turmoil in the credit markets and lender difficulties, among other potential reasons, could interfere with our ability to maintain compliance with our debt covenants and to utilize the Credit Facilities to fund our operations. Accordingly, under such circumstances, it may be necessary for us to close dealerships, further reduce our expense structure, liquidate inventory below cost to free up capital, or seek to modify the covenants with our lenders. Any inability to utilize the Credit Facilities or the acceleration of amounts owed, resulting from a covenant , collateral or lender , could require us to seek other sources of funding to repay amounts outstanding under the Credit Facilities or replace or supplement the Credit Facilities, which may not be possible at all or under commercially reasonable terms. As of September 30, 2025, we were in compliance with all of the covenants under our Credit Facilities.
The interest rates on the Credit Facilities are calculated using SOFR and Term SOFR (as further described in the Credit Facilities). SOFR and Term SOFR will fluctuate with changing market conditions and, as SOFR and Term SOFR increase, our interest expense will mechanically increase. Although we have entered into floating to fixed interest rate swap agreements with respect to the Credit Facilities, there can be no assurance that such agreements will be effective at reducing our exposure to risks caused by fluctuations in interest rates, and such agreements subject us to the risk that the counterparty to one or more of these arrangements may default on its performance under the terms of the agreement.
Similarly, decreases in the availability of credit and increases in the cost of credit could adversely affect the ability of our customers to purchase boats from us and thereby adversely affect our ability to sell our products and impact the profitability of our finance & insurance activities.
Increases in fuel prices may adversely affect our business.
All of the recreational boats we sell are powered by gasoline or diesel engines. Consequently, a significant increase in the price or tax on the sale of fuel on a regional or national basis could have a material adverse effect on our sales and operating results. Increases in fuel prices may negatively impact boat sales. The price of or tax on fuels may significantly increase in the future, adversely affecting our business.
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The availability of boat insurance is critical to our success.
The ability of our customers to secure reasonably affordable boat insurance that is satisfactory to lenders that finance our customers’ purchases is critical to our success. Historically, affordable boat insurance has been available. However, as a severe storm approaches land, insurance providers cease underwriting until the storm passes. This loss of insurance prevents or delays lenders from lending. As a result, sales of boats can be temporarily halted making our revenue difficult to predict and causing sales to be delayed or potentially cancelled. Any difficulty of customers to obtain affordable boat insurance could impede boat sales and adversely affect our business.
Our failure to successfully order and manage our inventory to reflect consumer demand and to anticipate changing consumer preferences and buying trends, or the lack or excess of inventory in the industry, generally, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our success depends upon our ability to procure sufficient inventory for our needs and to successfully manage our inventory and to anticipate and respond to product trends and consumer demands in a timely manner. Our products appeal to consumers across a number of states who are, or could become, boat owners. The preferences of these consumers cannot be predicted with certainty and are subject to change. Further, the retail consumer industry, by its nature, is volatile and sensitive to numerous economic factors, including consumer preferences, competition, market conditions, general economic conditions and other factors outside of our control. We experienced inventory shortages in marine retail products in fiscal year 2021 during a period of high demand, and it is possible that shortages could occur again in the future. We cannot predict consumer preferences with certainty, and consumer preferences often change over time. We typically order product several months in advance, although such orders are not binding until the merchandise is delivered to our locations. The extended lead times for many of our purchases may make it difficult for us to respond rapidly to new or changing product trends, increases or decreases in consumer demand or changes in prices. If we either the market for our products or our consumers’ purchasing habits in the future, our revenues may significantly and we may not have sufficient quantities of product to consumer demand or sales orders or we may be required to discount excess inventory, either of which could have a material effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We depend on our ability to attract and retain customers.
Our future success depends in large part upon our ability to attract and retain customers for our boat sales, repair and maintenance services, parts and accessories and finance & insurance products. The extent to which we achieve growth in our customer base and retain existing customers materially influences our profitability. Any number of factors could affect our ability to grow and maintain our customer base. These factors include consumer preferences, the frequency with which customers utilize our products, repair and maintenance services and finance & insurance products, general economic conditions, our ability to maintain our dealership locations, weather conditions, the availability of alternative services, protection plans, products and resources, significant increases in gasoline prices, the disposable income of consumers available for discretionary expenditures and the external perception of our brands. Any significant decline in our customer base, or the usage of our services, protection plans or products by our customers could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We depend on income from financing, insurance and extended service contracts.
A portion of our income results from referral fees derived from the placement or marketing of various finance & insurance products, consisting of customer financing, insurance products and extended service contracts, the most significant component of which is the participation and other fees resulting from our sale of customer financing contracts.
The availability of financing for our boat purchasers and the level of participation and other fees we receive in connection with such financing depend on the particular agreement between us and the lender and the current interest rate environment. Lenders may impose terms in their boat financing arrangements with us that may be unfavorable to us or our customers, resulting in reduced demand for our customer financing programs and lower participation and other fees. Laws or regulations may be enacted nationally or locally which could result in fees from lenders being eliminated or reduced, materially impacting our operating results. If customer financing becomes more difficult to secure, it may adversely impact our business.
Changes, including the lengthening of manufacturer warranties, may reduce our ability to offer and sell extended service contracts which may have a material adverse impact on our ability to sell finance and insurance products. Moreover, these products are subject to complex federal and state laws and regulations. There can be no assurance that regulatory authorities in the jurisdictions in which these products are offered will not seek to regulate or restrict these products. Failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations could result in fines or other penalties including orders by state regulators to discontinue sales of the warranty products in one or more jurisdictions. Such a result could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Although boat dealers are generally excluded from regulatory oversight under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, future changes in law could lead to additional, indirect regulation of boat dealers through its regulation of other financial institutions which provide such financing to our customers.
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If interest rates rise, the fees we receive in connection with the financing may be limited or reduced as customers become more interest rate sensitive and the spreads that we are able to charge are compressed. The reduction of profit margins on sales of finance & insurance products or the lack of demand for or the unavailability of these products could have a material adverse effect on our operating margins.
Our operations are dependent upon key personnel and team members.
Our success depends, in large part, upon our ability to attract, train, and retain qualified team members and executive officers, as well as the continuing efforts and abilities of team members and executive officers. Although we have employment agreements with certain of our executive officers and management succession plans, we cannot ensure that these or other executive personnel and team members will remain with us, or that our succession planning will adequately mitigate the risk associated with key personnel transitions. Expanding our operations may require us to add additional executive personnel and team members in the future. As a result of our decentralized operating strategy, we also rely on the management teams of our marine retailers. In addition, we likely will depend on the senior management of any significant businesses we acquire in the future. The loss of the services of one or more key employees before we are able to attract and retain qualified replacement personnel could adversely affect our business. Additionally, our ability to manage our personnel costs and operating expenses is subject to external factors such as unemployment levels, prevailing wage rates, healthcare and other benefit costs, changing demographics and our reputation and relevance within the labor markets where we are located. Increases in the prevailing wage rates due to competitive market pressures or other factors could increase our personnel costs and operating expenses and have a material effect on our business.
The products we sell or service may expose us to potential liability for personal injury, product liability or property damage claims relating to the use of those products.
Manufacturers of the products we sell generally maintain product liability insurance. We maintain third-party liability insurance with respect to the sale and servicing of boats and other watercrafts along with limited product liability insurance. We may therefore experience claims that are not covered by our insurance coverage. While we have not experienced material losses related to product liability, personal injury or property damage claims in the past, we could be exposed to such claims or losses in the future. The institution of any significant claims against us could subject us to damages, result in higher insurance costs and harm our business reputation with potential customers.
If we cannot dispose of pre-owned boats acquired through our trade-in or direct purchase processes at prices that allow us to recover its costs, our profitability will be adversely affected.
The resale values of any pre-owned boats that we acquire through trade-ins or direct purchase may be lower than our estimates, which are based on expected retail sales prices. If the resale value of the pre-owned boats we acquire is lower than our estimates and/or we are not able to resell them timely or at all, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Additionally, certain pre-owned boats or other vehicles that we acquire through trade-ins may fail to meet our retail quality standards. Instead, we sell these units through a wholesale process. If the prices that we receive for our pre-owned boats sold in this process are not sufficient to cover the prices paid or credit given at trade-in for such pre-owned boats, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Our sales of boats and other products produced by certain foreign manufacturers expose us to international political, economic, and other risks.
Our sales of products produced in Italy, France, Australia, China and the United Kingdom, as well as any other non-U.S. manufacturer whose products we may sell, expose us to international political, economic and other risks. We also import certain boat components from international suppliers which could further our exposure to such international risks. Protectionist trade legislation in the United States, the European Union, and other countries, such as changes in current tariff structures, export or import compliance laws, or other trade policies could adversely affect our ability to import boats or boat components from these foreign suppliers under economically favorable terms and conditions.
There have been recent changes, and future, additional changes may occur, to United States and foreign trade and tax policies, including heightened import restrictions, import and export licenses, new tariffs, trade embargoes, government sanctions or trade barriers. Any of these restrictions could prevent or make it difficult or more costly for us to import boats and boat components from foreign suppliers under economically favorable terms and conditions. Increased tariffs could require us to increase our prices which likely could decrease demand for our products. In addition, other countries may limit their trade with the United States or retaliate through their own restrictions and/or increased tariffs which would affect our ability to export products and therefore adversely affect our sales.
Our foreign purchase of boats and boat components creates a number of logistical and communications challenges. The economic, political and other risks we face resulting from these foreign purchases include the following:
• compliance with U.S. and local laws and regulatory requirements as well as changes in those laws and requirements;
• transportation delays or interruptions and other effects of less developed infrastructures;
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• limitations on imports and exports;
• foreign exchange rate fluctuations;
• imposition of restrictions on currency conversion or the transfer of funds;
• imposition of tariffs;
• maintenance of quality standards;
• unexpected changes in regulatory requirements;
• differing labor regulations;
• potentially adverse tax consequences;
• possible employee turnover or labor unrest;
• the burdens and costs of compliance with a variety of foreign laws; and
• political or economic conflicts, instability or civil unrest.
We have established online marketplaces and a failure in such online operations, security breaches and cybersecurity risks could disrupt our business and lead to reduced sales and growth prospects and reputational damage.
Consumers are increasingly embracing shopping online and through mobile commerce applications. However, consumer preferences and e-commerce buying trends could change, and we may be vulnerable to additional risks and uncertainties associated with online sales, including rapid changes in technology, website downtime and other technical failures, security breaches, cyber-attacks, consumer privacy concerns, changes in state tax regimes and government regulation of internet activities. Online marketplaces may also increase our access to sensitive, confidential or personal data or information that is subject to data privacy and information security laws and regulations. Our failure to successfully manage or respond to these risks and uncertainties could reduce our online sales, increase our costs, diminish our growth prospects, damage our brands, and subject us to regulatory fines or penalties, investigations or judgments, which could impact our operations and stock price. In addition, there is no guarantee that we will be to expand our online platforms. Our competitors may have e-commerce businesses that are substantially larger and more developed than ours, which could place us at a competitive . If we are to expand our online platforms, our growth plans could , and the price of our Class A common stock could .
We may be unable to adequately maintain, enforce, and protect our intellectual property rights and we may be accused of infringing the intellectual property rights of third parties, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and operations.
We continue to use a number of legacy trade names in connection with marine retailers that we have acquired, which we have not re-branded under our “OneWater” mark, including Star brite® and Star Tron®. In addition, we own patents that provide some competitive support for our Performacide® products. If any of our or the marine retailers’ trademarks become generic, or if third parties adopt marks similar to such marks, we may need to devote additional resources to advertising and marketing.
Despite our best efforts to protect our intellectual property, it is possible that competitors or other third parties may attempt to unlawfully copy, obtain or otherwise use our trade names, trademarks, patents, or other intellectual property or proprietary information without our consent. We take commercially reasonable measures designed to identify and protect our intellectual property. However, monitoring unauthorized use of our intellectual property is difficult and costly, and the steps we have taken may not be sufficient to effectively prevent third parties from infringing, misappropriating, diluting or otherwise violating our intellectual property rights. From time to time, we may be compelled to protect our intellectual property, which may involve litigation. Such litigation may be time-consuming and expensive and could result in the impairment or loss of the involved intellectual property. There is no guarantee that the steps we take to protect our intellectual property, including , when necessary, will be .
We cannot assure that our intellectual property rights will be effectively utilized, maintained, or, if necessary, successfully enforced against third parties. There is a risk that we will not be able to obtain and perfect our own intellectual property rights, or, where appropriate, license from others intellectual property rights. Our intellectual property rights, and any additional rights we may obtain in the future, may be invalidated, circumvented or challenged, and the legal costs necessary to protect our intellectual property rights could be significant. Our failure to obtain registered intellectual property rights, or maintain or successfully assert intellectual property rights could harm our competitive position and could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
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We may also be subject to infringement, misappropriation, dilution, or other violation complaints from others asserting our use of intellectual property rights owned or alleged to be owned by third parties. Litigation related to such claims, whether or not meritorious, may result in injunctions against us or the payment of damages. Even if intellectual property claims do not result in litigation or are resolved in our favor, these claims, and the time and resources necessary to resolve them, could divert our resources and require significant expenditures. Any of the foregoing could prevent us from competing effectively and could have a material effect on our business, operations, and financial condition.
Changes in the assumptions used to calculate our acquisition related contingent consideration liabilities could have a material adverse impact on our financial results.
Some of our acquisitions have included, and future acquisitions may include, contingent consideration liabilities relating to payments based on the future performance of the operations acquired. Under generally accepted accounting principles, we are required to estimate the fair value of any contingent consideration. Our estimates of fair value are based upon assumptions believed to be reasonable but which are uncertain and involve significant judgments. Changes in business conditions or other events could materially change the projection of future earnings used in the fair value calculations of contingent consideration liabilities. We reassess the fair value quarterly, and increases or decreases based on the actual or expected future performance of the acquired operations will be recorded in our results of operations. These quarterly adjustments could have a material effect on our results of operations.
An impairment in the carrying value of long-lived assets, goodwill and identifiable intangible assets or restructuring charges could negatively impact our financial results and net worth.
Our long-lived assets, such as property and equipment, are required to be reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstance indicate that the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable. As of September 30, 2025, we had approximately $91.6 million of property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation, recorded on our consolidated balance sheet. Recoverability of an asset is measured by comparison of its carrying amount to undiscounted future net cash flows the asset is expected to generate. If such assets are considered to be impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured as the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset exceeds its fair market value. Estimates of expected future cash flows represent our best estimate based on currently available information and reasonable and supportable assumptions. Our impairment loss calculations contain uncertainties because they require us to make assumptions and to apply judgment in order to estimate expected future cash flows.
Additionally, our goodwill and identifiable intangible assets are recorded at fair value at the time of acquisition and are reviewed for impairment at least annually or more frequently if impairment indicators arise. In evaluating the potential for impairment of goodwill and identifiable intangible assets, we make assumptions regarding industry conditions, our future financial performance, and other factors. Uncertainties are inherent in evaluating and applying these factors to the assessment of goodwill. While we do not believe there is currently a reasonable likelihood that there will be a change in the judgments and assumptions used in our assessments of goodwill and long-lived assets which would result in a material effect on our operating results, we cannot predict whether events or circumstances will change in the future that could result in non-cash impairment charges that could adversely impact our financial results and net worth.
We have undertaken restructuring and cost-reduction initiatives in the past, and any such initiatives—whether previously implemented or undertaken in the future—may not achieve their intended results. From time to time, we evaluate our operations and implement restructuring plans, cost-cutting measures, or strategic realignments that may include reductions in workforce, consolidation or closure of retail locations, cancellation or modification of dealer relationships, and the discontinuation or reprioritization of information technology or other projects. These initiatives can result in material restructuring charges, including employee-related costs, facility exit costs, contract termination fees, and asset impairments, and may adversely affect our operating results and financial condition. Workforce reductions and organizational changes can also temporarily disrupt operations and reduce productivity. There is no assurance that any restructuring or cost-reduction efforts will or sustain the expected cost savings, operational , or other anticipated benefits, or that such benefits will be realized within the expected timeframes.
We primarily lease our locations. If we are unable to maintain those leases or locate alternative sites for our locations in our target markets and on terms that are acceptable to us, our revenues and profitability could be adversely affected.
We currently lease 100 of the real properties where we conduct operations. Most locations operate under long-term leases with an initial term of at least 10 years and one or more renewal options for an additional 5 to 10 years. Additionally, we have entered into location leases with certain related parties for which we incurred $3.6 million in lease expense in the fiscal year ended September 30, 2025. There can be no assurance that we will be able to maintain our existing locations as leases expire, extend the leases or be able to locate alternative sites in our target markets and on favorable terms. Any failure to maintain our existing locations, extend the leases or locate alternative sites on favorable or acceptable terms could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Because we use various materials and substances in manufacturing our chemical products, our production facilities are subject to operating hazards that could cause personal injury and loss of life, severe damage to, or destruction of, property and equipment.
We are dependent on the continued operation of our Kinpak facility to blend various chemicals. This facility is subject to hazards associated with the manufacture, handling, storage and transportation of chemical materials and products, including natural disasters,
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mechanical failure, unscheduled downtime, labor difficulties, transportation interruptions, and environmental hazards, such as spills, discharges or release of toxic or hazardous substances and remediation complications. These hazards can cause personal injury and loss of life, severe damage to, or destruction of, property and equipment and business interruption and could adversely affect our financial condition.
We import, assemble and/or manufacturer marine parts, products and accessories, which could expose us to potential increased costs and certain additional risks.
Our business includes the import, assembly, manufacture and sale of marine parts and accessories. We may invest considerable resources to develop, import, warehouse and distribute new and existing parts, products and accessories, and there is no assurance that they will be successful. Consequently, we might curtail or abandon them at any time, which could result in asset impairments and inventory write-downs.
Factors that could cause us to curtail or abandon one of such products include unexpected or increased costs or tariffs, delays in development or manufacturing, excessive demands on management resources, legal or regulatory constraints, changes in consumer demands, preferences and shopping patterns regarding boat parts and accessories, or a determination that consumer demand no longer supports the product. Additional risks relating to such product offerings include product liability and product recalls for which we do not have third-party indemnification and contractual rights or remedies; increasing costs for labor or raw materials used to manufacture products; our ability to successfully protect our proprietary rights (e.g., defending against counterfeit or otherwise unauthorized goods) and intellectual property rights; our ability to successfully navigate and avoid related to the proprietary rights of third parties; and our ability to administer and comply with obligations under license agreements that we have with third-party licensors of certain brands.
Risks Related to Environmental and Geographic Factors
Climatic events may adversely impact our operations, disrupt the business of our third party vendors on whom we rely upon for products and services, and may not be adequately covered by our insurance.
Climatic events in the areas where we operate have caused, and future climatic events may cause, disruptions and in some cases delays or suspensions in our operations that adversely impacted our business. For example, the physical effects of unseasonably wet weather, drought conditions, extended periods of below freezing weather, tropical storms, hurricanes, flooding, or other natural disasters have forced and may in the future force boating areas to close or render boating dangerous. This has resulted in and, in the future, could result in reduced customer demand for our products and services. One or more of these climatic events has in the past and may in the future result in physical damage to, or closure of, one or more of our facilities, and disruption or reduction in the availability of products. Concerns regarding global changes in climate could also affect the levels of boat purchases.
In addition, the physical effects of climatic events, including wintry conditions, increased frequency and severity of tropical storms or hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, floods and other natural disasters, as well as sea level rise, could result in the disruption of our operations and/or third party supply chain vendors on whom we rely upon for products and services, including boat deliveries from manufacturers, damage to or inadvertent releases from fueling stations, or damage to or the loss of our boat inventories and facilities as has been the case when the Southeast and Gulf Coast regions and other markets have been affected by hurricanes, such as Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton in 2024. Such disruptions in our supply chain could damage our on-site inventory at our locations, result in remedial liability or administrative penalties, or cause serious limitations or in the operations of our locations. We maintain hurricane and casualty insurance, subject to deductibles, but such coverage may become significantly more expensive or to procure in the future. Our planning for normal climatic variation, insurance programs and emergency recovery plans may mitigate the effects of such climatic conditions, and not all such effects can be predicted, eliminated, mitigated, or insured . Accordingly, while we traditionally maintain property and casualty insurance coverage for caused by climatic events, such as weather or other natural , there can be no assurance that such insurance coverage is adequate to cover that we may sustain as a result thereof or that we will be to procure coverage on commercially reasonable terms for such events in the future.
Environmental and other regulatory issues impact our operations from time to time.
Our operations are subject to stringent federal, state and local laws and regulations governing such matters as finance, insurance, consumer protection, consumer privacy, escheatment, anti-money laundering, releases, discharges and emissions or other releases into the environment and environmental protection, human health and safety, and employment practices, including wage and hour and anti-discrimination legal requirements. These laws and regulations affect many aspects of our operations, such as requiring the acquisition and renewal of permits, licenses and other governmental approvals to conduct regulated activities, including the retail sale of recreational boats, restricting the manner in which we use, handle, store, recycle, transport and dispose of discarded substances and wastes, responding to and performing investigatory, remedial and corrective actions with respect to any discharges and emissions or other release of regulated substances, requiring capital and operating expenditures to construct, maintain and upgrade pollution control and containment equipment and facilities, imposing specific human health and safety criteria addressing worker protection, and imposing liabilities for failure to comply with applicable environmental or other legal requirements, pollution incidents or inappropriate payment or treatment of our workers with respect to our operations. The to those and other legal requirements could have a material effect on our
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business, financial condition, and results of operations. In addition, failure to comply with those and other legal requirements, or with U.S. trade sanctions, the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and other applicable laws or regulations could result in the assessment of damages, the imposition of sanctions including monetary penalties, changes to our processes, or a delay, suspension or cessation of our operations, as well as damage to our image and reputation, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Numerous governmental agencies, including OSHA, the EPA and similar federal agencies as well as analogous state and local agencies regulate and maintain enforcement authority over the operation of our locations, repair facilities, and other operations, with respect to matters such as consumer protection, human safety and environmental protection, including any contamination of or releases into ambient air, surficial and subsurface soils, surface water and groundwater. Marine engine manufacturers are subject to emissions standards imposed under the CAA, and the EPA has enacted a number of legal requirements imposing more stringent emissions standards for two-cycle, gasoline outboard marine engines. It is possible that regulatory bodies such as the EPA may impose more stringent emissions standards in the future for marine engines, including with respect to recreational use. Any increased costs of those manufacturers producing engines resulting from current or future EPA standards could be passed on to dealers in the retail recreational boat industry, such as ourselves, or could result in the inability of, or potential unforeseen delays by, these manufacturers to manufacture and make timely delivery of recreational boats to such dealers, which developments could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Moreover, we cannot guarantee that we would be to pass any such increased costs on to our customers, and such increased costs could customer interest and otherwise affect boating sales.
As with companies in the marine retail industry generally, and parts and service operations in particular, our business involves the use, handling, storage, transportation and contracting for recycling or disposal of waste materials, including hazardous or toxic substances and wastes as well as environmentally sensitive materials, such as motor oil, waste motor oil and filters, transmission fluid, antifreeze, freon, waste paint and lacquer thinner, batteries, solvents, lubricants, degreasing agents, gasoline, and diesel fuels. Laws and regulations regarding the prevention of pollution or remediation of environmental contamination generally apply regardless of whether we lease or purchase the land and facilities. Additionally, certain of our locations and/or repair facilities utilize USTs and ASTs, primarily for storing and dispensing petroleum-based products. Storage tanks in the United States are generally subject to financial responsibility requirements and testing, containment, upgrading and removal requirements under the RCRA, and its state law counterparts, as well as federal, state and local legal standards relating to investigation and remediation of contaminated soils, surface water and groundwater resulting from leaking tanks and associated inground lifts. We also may be subject to civil liability to third parties for remediation costs or other damages if our owned or operated tanks leak or leakage migrates onto the property of others.
We are subject to regulation by federal, state, and local authorities establishing investigatory, remedial, human health and environmental quality standards and imposing liability related thereto, which liabilities may include sanctions, including monetary penalties for violations of those standards. Certain of our locations and/or repair facility properties have been operated in the past by third parties whose use, handling and disposal of petroleum-based products or wastes were not under our control. Given the strict liability nature of certain environmental laws, we may be liable for the remediation of such past releases notwithstanding that our operations did not cause or contribute to the contamination.
We also are subject to laws, ordinances, and regulations governing investigation and remediation of contamination at facilities we operate or to which we send hazardous or toxic substances or wastes for treatment, recycling, or disposal. In particular, CERCLA, also known as the Superfund law, and analogous state laws, impose strict joint and several liability on generators, transporters, disposers and arrangers of hazardous substances at sites where hazardous substance releases have occurred or are threatening to occur.
A majority of states have adopted Superfund laws comparable to and, in some cases, more stringent than CERCLA. If we were to be found to be a responsible party under CERCLA or a similar state statute, we could be held liable for all investigative and remedial costs associated with addressing such contamination as well as for natural resource damages. In addition, claims alleging personal injury or property damage may be brought against us as a result of alleged exposure to hazardous substances resulting from our operations. Moreover, certain of our locations are located on waterways that are subject to federal laws, including the Clean Water Act and the OPA, as well as analogous state laws regulating navigable waters, oil pollution (including prevention and cleanup of the same), adverse impacts to fish and wildlife, and other matters. For example, under the OPA, owners and operators of vessels and onshore facilities may be subject to liability for removal costs and arising from an oil spill in waters of the United States.
We could be required to conduct remediation in the future in accordance with applicable state and federal standards in the cleanup of petroleum hydrocarbons or other substances or wastes released on, under or from properties owned or leased by us, including some of our properties that were previously used as gasoline service stations. For example, we are performing soil and groundwater monitoring activities as required by applicable state and federal standards. We may also be required in the future to remove USTs, ASTs and inground lifts containing petroleum-based products and hazardous or toxic substances or wastes should they represent a risk of release or threatened release into the environment. Historically, our costs of compliance with these investigatory, remedial and monitoring requirements have not had a material adverse effect on our results of operations; however, there can be no assurance that such costs will not be material in the future or that such future compliance will not have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operation and financial condition. We also may have additional storage tank liability insurance and other insurance coverage with respect to pollution-related liabilities where available, but such coverages may be insufficient to address such liabilities. Environmental laws and regulations are comprehensive and subject to frequent change. Compliance with amended, new, or more laws or regulations, more strict interpretations of existing
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laws, or the future discovery of environmental conditions may require additional expenditures by us, our suppliers, or our customers and such expenditures may be material.
Additionally, certain states have imposed legal requirements or are considering the imposition of such requirements that would obligate buyers and/or operators of recreational boats to obtain a license in order to operate such boats. These requirements could discourage potential buyers of recreational boats, thereby limiting future sales and adversely affecting our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Furthermore, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act increased our annual employee health care costs that we fund, and significantly increased our cost of compliance and compliance risk related to offering health care benefits.
Moreover, adverse changes in labor policy could lead to increased unionization efforts, which could lead to higher labor costs, disrupt our locations operations, and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Our operations are subject to risks arising out of the threat of climate change, which could result in increased operating costs and reduced demand for the products that we and the retail recreational boat industry provide.
The threat of climate change continues to attract considerable attention in the United States and foreign countries. As a result, numerous proposals have been made and are likely to continue to be made at the international, national, regional and state levels of government to monitor and limit existing emissions of GHGs and eliminate future GHG emissions. Governmental and public concern arising from GHG emissions has resulted in increasing regulatory, political, financial and litigation risks in the United States and globally that target predominantly fossil fuel-related energy entities or their operations, which may have indirect adverse effects on other companies or industries, such as the retail recreational boat industry whose services or products generate GHGs or rely upon motor fuels refined from fossil fuels, which effects could be material.
In the United States, no comprehensive federal climate change legislation has been implemented. Historically, the EPA has adopted rules that, among other things, establish permit reviews for GHG emissions from certain large stationary sources, require the monitoring and annual reporting of GHG emissions from specified sources in the United States, implement standards reducing emissions of methane, a form of GHG, from specified oil and gas sectors, and together with the U.S. Department of Transportation, implement GHG emissions limits on vehicles manufactured for operation in the United States. While these rules largely do not directly impact our operations, they do represent a concerted effort at the federal level to reduce emissions of GHGs in an effort to mitigate adverse effects associated with climate change. However, the EPA under the Trump Administration has made efforts to repeal or otherwise modify regulation of GHG emissions at the federal level, including issuing a proposal to revoke the EPA's GHG "Endangerment Finding," which underpins the majority of the EPA's GHG regulations. Separately, various states and groups of states have adopted or are considering adopting legislation, regulations or other regulatory initiatives that are focused on such areas as GHG cap and trade programs, carbon taxes, reporting and tracking programs, disclosure of climate risk management, and restriction of emissions. We cannot predict whether such efforts will ultimately be successful or what effects they may have on our business or results of operations.
At the international level, there exists the United Nations-sponsored “Paris Agreement,” which requires nations to submit non-binding GHG emissions reduction goals every five years after 2020, though the United States is not currently a party to the Paris Agreement. Additionally, various agreements and commitments have been made at the annual Conference of the Parties (“COP”) to eliminate certain fossil fuel subsidies, phase out fossil fuels in energy systems, and pursue further action on non-carbon dioxide GHGs, though none have been legally binding. The Trump Administration has undertaken efforts to decrease the United States’ participation in such initiatives, including the withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Agreement and all other agreements made under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and has sought other legislative and regulatory changes related to climate change. Notwithstanding the United States' withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, various state and local governments remain committed to the Paris Agreement and, while these agreements and commitments are non-binding, they could result in increased pressure among financial institutions and various stakeholders to reduce demand for fossil fuels, which could have a negative impact on our business or results of operations.
Litigation risks, including lawsuits against fossil-fuel energy companies arising from the production and use of fossil fuels that contribute to global warming effects, such as rising sea levels, erosion and damage to existing physical infrastructure, and financial risks for such entities as stockholders and bondholders currently invested in fossil fuel energy companies concerned about the potential effects of climate change may elect in the future to shift some or all of their investments into non-fossil fuel energy related sectors further exacerbate the potential for these indirect adverse effects. Moreover, the increased competitiveness of alternative “clean” energy sources such as wind and solar photovoltaic could also ultimately reduce demand for fossil fuels and increase the costs of marine motor fuels, which would lead to a reduction in our revenues. Increased focus on non-fossil fuel energy sources and related efforts could reallocate resources or potentially disincentive the production and sale of our products that rely upon fossil fuels, which could have a negative impact on our operations.
Certain jurisdictions are considering or implementing, or have attempted to implement, increased disclosure requirements related to climate change and GHG emissions. For example, the SEC previously released a rule establishing a framework for reporting of climate risks, targets, and metrics. However, the rule is currently paused pending litigation and the case is being held in abeyance until the SEC
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reconsiders, repeals or otherwise modifies the rule. Further, in October 2023 California passed climate disclosure laws that, among other requirements, will require public and private companies that do business in California with total annual revenues exceeding certain thresholds to make disclosures including GHG emission data and climate-related financial risks. The requirements are currently set to begin taking effect in 2026, with additional requirements phasing in through 2030. These laws are both currently subject to ongoing legal challenges, though the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit recently issued an injunction on the enforcement of one of the laws. Moreover, some other states in which we operate, such as New York, have attempted to or are considering adopting climate disclosure laws. While many of the laws have been subject to legal challenges and we are still assessing the impact of these requirements, additional reporting obligations could cause us to incur increased costs.
Focus on Sustainability matters could impact our operations and expose us to additional risks.
Societal expectations on companies to address, climate change and other environmental and social impacts, investor, regulatory and societal expectations regarding voluntary and mandatory sustainability-related disclosures may result in increased costs, reduced profits, increased investigations and litigation, negative impacts on our stock price and reduced access to capital.
Furthermore, public statements with respect to sustainability matters, such as emissions reduction goals or progress, other environmental targets or other commitments addressing certain social issues, are subject to heightened scrutiny from public and governmental authorities related to the risk of potential “greenwashing,” i.e., misleading information or false claims overstating potential sustainability benefits. Certain regulators as well as nongovernmental organizations and other private actors have filed lawsuits under various securities and consumer protection laws alleging that certain sustainability statements, goals or standards were misleading, false or otherwise deceptive. As a result, we may face litigation risks from private parties and regulatory enforcement from governmental authorities related to our real or perceived sustainability efforts or lack thereof. Additionally, we could face increasing costs as we attempt to comply with and navigate further regulatory focus and . Furthermore, we could be by various anti-sustainability stakeholders for the scope of our climate or sustainability related goals or policies, our strategic choices regarding sustainability matters as they may impact our operations now or in the future, or for any revisions to the same, as well as initiatives we may pursue or any public statements we may make. We could be to responses by governmental actors (such as anti-sustainability legislation or legislative or administrative treatment) or consumers (such as or publicity campaigns), which could affect our reputation, business, financial performance, market access and growth. While we may create and publish voluntary disclosures regarding sustainability matters from time to time, many of the statements in those voluntary disclosures as based on hypothetical expectations and assumptions that may or may not be representative of current or actual risks or events or forecasts of expected risks or events, including the costs associated therewith. Such expectations and assumptions are necessarily uncertain and may be to or subject to given the long timelines involved and the of an established single approach to identifying, measuring, and reporting on many sustainability matters.
Risks Related to Our Class A Common Stock
OneWater Inc. is a holding company. OneWater Inc.’s only material asset is its direct and indirect equity interest in OneWater LLC, and OneWater Inc. is accordingly dependent upon distributions from OneWater LLC to pay taxes, make payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement and cover OneWater Inc.’s corporate and other overhead expenses.
OneWater Inc. is a holding company and its only material asset is its equity interest in OneWater LLC, which it holds directly and through other direct and/or indirect wholly owned subsidiaries. OneWater Inc. has no independent means of generating revenue, and its ability to pay taxes, satisfy its obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement (“TRA”), and fund its corporate and other overhead expenses depends on the ability of OneWater LLC to make distributions to OneWater Inc.
Under the OneWater LLC Agreement, and subject to the terms of any current or future debt instruments and applicable law, OneWater LLC is required to make distributions to OneWater Inc. in amounts sufficient for OneWater Inc. to satisfy its tax liabilities and its obligations under the TRA. In prior periods, these distributions were made pro rata to OneWater Inc. and the other holders of OneWater LLC Units; however, as of March 31, 2025, OneWater Inc. is the sole holder of all outstanding OneWater LLC Units. OneWater LLC is also required to make certain non-pro rata payments to OneWater Inc. to reimburse it for corporate and other overhead expenses, which payments are not treated as distributions under the OneWater LLC Agreement.
The ability of OneWater LLC to make distributions to OneWater Inc. depends, in turn, on the ability of OneWater LLC’s subsidiaries to make distributions to OneWater LLC, and may be limited by: (i) the applicable provisions of Delaware law (or other governing jurisdiction) that restrict the amount of funds legally available for distribution; and (ii) restrictions in current or future debt instruments of OneWater LLC, its subsidiaries, or other entities in which it directly or indirectly holds an equity interest. These limitations can restrict the amount, timing, or ability of OneWater LLC or its subsidiaries to make distributions needed by OneWater Inc. to meet its obligations. If OneWater Inc. is unable to receive distributions from OneWater LLC or its subsidiaries when required, OneWater Inc.’s liquidity and financial condition could be materially adversely affected.
In addition, if OneWater Inc. is unable to make payments under the TRA for any reason, such payments will be deferred and will accrue interest until paid. Accelerated TRA payments, if triggered, are expected to be funded from the proceeds of the change-of-control transaction giving rise to such acceleration.
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If we experience any material weaknesses in the future or otherwise fail to develop or maintain an effective system of internal controls in the future, we may not be able to accurately report our financial condition or results of operations, which may adversely affect investor confidence in us and, as a result, the value of our Class A common stock.
Effective internal controls are necessary for us to provide reliable financial reports, prevent fraud and operate successfully as a public company. If we cannot provide reliable financial reports or prevent fraud, our reputation and operating results would be harmed. As a result of being a public company, we are required, under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, to furnish a report by management on, among other things, the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. This assessment must include disclosure of any material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting identified by our management or our independent registered public accounting firm. We continue to take additional steps to improve control processes as appropriate, validate through testing that controls are functioning as documented, and implement a continuous reporting and improvement process for our internal control over financial reporting. If we identify one or more material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting during the evaluation and testing process or we are to comply with the requirements of Section 404 in a timely manner, we may be to conclude that our internal controls are . For additional information, please see “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Internal Controls and Procedures.”
Our independent registered public accounting firm is required to express an opinion on the effectiveness of our internal controls. If in the future we are unable to confirm that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, or if our independent registered public accounting firm is unable to express an unqualified opinion on the effectiveness of our internal controls, we could lose investor confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports, which could cause the price of our Class A common stock to decline. We cannot assure you that there will not be material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in our disclosure controls or our internal controls over financial reporting in the future.
An active, liquid and orderly trading market for our Class A common stock may not be maintained, and our stock price may be volatile.
Although our Class A common stock is listed on Nasdaq, we do not know how liquid that market might be at any point in time. You may not be able to resell your Class A common stock at or above the price at which you purchased it. Additionally, lack of liquidity may result in wide bid-ask spreads, contribute to significant fluctuations and volatility in the market price of the Class A common stock and limit the number of investors who are able to buy the Class A common stock.
The market price of our Class A common stock could vary significantly as a result of a number of factors, some of which are beyond our control. In the event of a drop in the market price of our Class A common stock, you could lose a substantial part or all of your investment in our Class A common stock. You may not be able to sell shares of our Class A common stock at prices equal to or greater than the price paid by you.
The following factors could affect our stock price:
• quarterly variations in our financial and operating results;
• the public reaction to our press releases, our other public announcements and our filings with the SEC;
• strategic actions by our competitors or suppliers;
• changes in revenue, Dealership same-store sales or earnings estimates, or changes in recommendations or withdrawal of research coverage, by equity research analysts;
• acquisitions or integration of acquired marine retailers or other businesses;
• the failure of our operating results to meet the expectations of equity research analysts and investors;
• speculation in the press or investment community;
• the failure of research analysts to continue to cover our Class A common stock;
• sales of our Class A common stock by us or our stockholders, or the perception that such sales may occur;
• changes in accounting principles, policies, guidance, interpretations or standards;
• additions or departures of key management personnel;
• actions by our stockholders;
• general market conditions, including fluctuations in commodity prices;
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• the publication of boating industry sales data or new boat registration data;
• domestic and international economic, legal and regulatory factors unrelated to our performance; and
• the realization of any risks described under this “Risk Factors” section.
The stock markets in general have experienced extreme volatility that has often been unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. These broad market fluctuations may adversely affect the trading price of our Class A common stock. Securities class action litigation has often been instituted against companies following periods of volatility in the overall market and in the market price of a company’s securities. Such litigation, if instituted against us, could result in very substantial costs, divert our management’s attention and resources and materially harm our business, operating results and financial condition.
Our Legacy Owners own a significant amount of our voting stock, and their interests may conflict with those of our other stockholders.
The Legacy Owners own a significant amount of our voting stock. As a result, the Legacy Owners may be able to substantially influence matters requiring stockholder approval, including the election of directors, approval of any potential acquisition of us, changes to our organizational documents and significant corporate transactions. This concentration of ownership makes it unlikely that any other holder or group of holders of our Class A common stock will be able to affect the way we are managed or the direction of our business. The interests of the Legacy Owners with respect to matters potentially or actually involving or affecting us, such as future acquisitions, financings and other corporate opportunities and attempts to acquire us, may conflict with the interests of our other stockholders.
For example, the Legacy Owners may have different interests from us, especially in light of the Tax Receivable Agreement, that could influence their decisions regarding whether and when to support the disposition of assets, the incurrence or refinancing of new or existing indebtedness, or the termination of the Tax Receivable Agreement and acceleration of our obligations thereunder. In addition, the determination of future tax reporting positions, the structuring of future transactions and the handling of any challenge by any taxing authority to our tax reporting positions may take into consideration the Legacy Owners tax or other considerations which may differ from the considerations of us or our other stockholders. Please read “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Tax Receivable Agreement” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Certain of our executive officers and directors have significant duties with, and spend significant time serving, entities that may compete with us in seeking business opportunities and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in allocating time or pursuing business opportunities.
Certain of our executive officers and directors, who are responsible for managing the direction of our operations, hold positions of responsibility with other entities (including affiliated entities) that are in the retail boating industry. These executive officers and directors may become aware of business opportunities that may be appropriate for presentation to us as well as to the other entities with which they are or may become affiliated. Due to these existing and potential future affiliations, they may present potential business opportunities to other entities prior to presenting them to us, which could cause additional conflicts of interest. They may also decide that certain opportunities are more appropriate for other entities with which they are affiliated, and as a result, they may elect not to present those opportunities to us. These conflicts may not be resolved in our favor.
Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws, as well as Delaware law, contain provisions that could discourage acquisition bids or merger proposals, which may adversely affect the market price of our Class A common stock and could deprive our investors of the opportunity to receive a premium for their shares.
Our certificate of incorporation authorizes our Board of Directors to issue preferred stock without stockholder approval in one or more series, designate the number of shares constituting any series, and fix the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions thereof, including dividend rights, voting rights, rights and terms of redemption, redemption price or prices and liquidation preferences of such series. If our Board of Directors elects to issue preferred stock, it could be more difficult for a third party to acquire us. In addition, some provisions of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire control of us, even if the change of control would be beneficial to our stockholders. These provisions include:
• providing that all vacancies, including newly created directorships, may, except as otherwise required by law or, if applicable, the rights of holders of a series of preferred stock, only be filled by the affirmative vote of a majority of directors then in office, even if less than a quorum;
• permitting any action by stockholders to be taken only at an annual meeting or special meeting rather than by a written consent of the stockholders, subject to the rights of any series of preferred stock with respect to such rights;
• permitting special meetings of our stockholders to be called only by our Chief Executive Officer, the chairman of our Board of Directors and our Board of Directors pursuant to a resolution adopted by the affirmative vote of a majority of the total number of authorized directors whether or not there exist any vacancies in previously authorized directorships;
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• subject to the rights of the holders of shares of any series of our preferred stock, requiring the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority in voting power of all then outstanding common stock entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class, to remove any of all of the directors from office at any time;
• prohibiting cumulative voting in the election of directors;
• establishing advance notice provisions for stockholder proposals and nominations for elections to the Board of Directors to be acted upon at meetings of stockholders; and
• providing that the Board of Directors is expressly authorized to adopt, or to alter or repeal our bylaws.
In addition, certain change of control events have the effect of accelerating the payment due under the Tax Receivable Agreement, which could be substantial and accordingly serve as a disincentive to a potential acquirer of our company. Please see “—In certain cases, payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement may be accelerated and/or significantly exceed the actual benefits, if any, OneWater Inc. realizes in respect of the tax attributes subject to the Tax Receivable Agreement.”
Our certificate of incorporation designates the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware as the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings that may be initiated by our stockholders and our bylaws designate the federal district courts of the United States shall be the sole and exclusive forum for the resolution of causes of action arising under the Securities Act of 1933 (the "Securities Act"). These designations could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers, employees or agents.
Our certificate of incorporation provides that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, be the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers, employees or agents to us or our stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim against us or any director or officer or other employee of ours arising pursuant to any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law, our certificate of incorporation or our bylaws, or (iv) any action asserting a claim against us or any director or officer or other employee of ours that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine, in each such case subject to such Court of Chancery having personal jurisdiction over the indispensable parties named as defendants therein. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the exclusive forum provision will not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Exchange Act, the Securities Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction. Further, our bylaws also provide that the federal district courts of the United States shall be the sole and forum for the resolution of any asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act. Although our bylaws provide for an forum for causes of action under the Securities Act, its stockholders will not be deemed to have waived compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of our capital stock will be deemed to have notice of, and consented to, the provisions of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws described herein. These choice of forum provisions may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds for with us or our directors, officers, employees or agents, which may such lawsuits us and such persons. Alternatively, if a court were to find these provisions of our certificate of incorporation or bylaws inapplicable to, or unenforceable in respect of, one or more of the specified types of actions or proceedings, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such matters in other jurisdictions, which could affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.
We do not intend to pay cash dividends on our Class A common stock, and our Credit Facilities place certain restrictions on our ability to do so. Consequently, your only opportunity to achieve a return on your investment is if the price of our Class A common stock appreciates.
We do not plan to declare cash dividends on shares of our Class A common stock in the foreseeable future. Additionally, the Credit Facilities place certain restrictions on our ability to pay cash dividends. Any future credit agreements or financing arrangements may also contain restrictions on our ability to pay cash dividends. Consequently, your only opportunities, while such dividend restrictions remain in place, to achieve a return on your investment in us may be to sell your Class A common stock at a price greater than you paid for it. There is no guarantee that the price of our Class A common stock that will prevail in the market will ever exceed the price that you paid.
Future sales or issuances of our Class A common stock in the public market, or the perception that such sales or issuances may occur, could reduce our stock price, and any additional capital raised by us through the sale or issuance of equity or convertible securities may dilute your ownership in us.
We may sell additional shares of Class A common stock in subsequent public offerings. We may also issue additional shares of Class A common stock or convertible securities. We have 16,527,533 outstanding shares of Class A common stock as of December 2, 2025. Certain Legacy Owners are party to a registration rights agreement (the “Registration Rights Agreement”), which requires us to effect the registration of certain of their shares of Class A common stock.
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On September 6, 2024, we filed a registration statement with the SEC on Form S-3 providing for the registration of an indeterminate number of shares of Class A common stock to be offered, on a primary basis, at indeterminate prices with an aggregate offering price not to exceed $250,000,000.
On July 1, 2022, the first offering period began under the 2021 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “ESPP”). As of September 30, 2025, the ESPP provides for a maximum issuance of 510,145 shares of Class A common stock, subject to certain adjustments set forth in the ESPP.
We cannot predict the size of future issuances of our Class A common stock or securities convertible into Class A common stock or the effect, if any, that future issuances and sales of shares of our Class A common stock will have on the market price of our Class A common stock. Sales of substantial amounts of our Class A common stock (including shares issued in connection with an acquisition), or the perception that such sales could occur, may adversely affect prevailing market prices of our Class A common stock.
OneWater Inc. is required to make payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement for certain tax benefits that it may claim, and the amounts of such payments could be significant.
The Tax Receivable Agreement generally provides for the payment by OneWater Inc. to each holder of rights thereunder, which includes the Legacy Owners and their permitted transferees, if any (a "TRA Holder") of 85% of the net cash savings, if any, in U.S. federal, state and local income tax and franchise tax (computed using simplifying assumptions to address the impact of state and local taxes) that OneWater Inc. actually realizes (or is deemed to realize in certain circumstances) in periods after the IPO as a result of certain increases in tax basis available to OneWater Inc. as a result of the redemption or exchange of OneWater LLC Units in accordance with the OneWater LLC Agreement or that relate to prior transfers of such OneWater LLC Units that will be available to OneWater Inc. as a result of its acquisition of those units, and certain benefits attributable to imputed interest. OneWater Inc. will retain the benefit of the remaining net cash savings.
The terms of the Tax Receivable Agreement commenced upon completion of the IPO and will continue until all tax benefits that are subject to the Tax Receivable Agreement have been utilized or expired, unless OneWater Inc. exercises its right to terminate the Tax Receivable Agreement (or the Tax Receivable Agreement is terminated due to other circumstances, including OneWater Inc.’s breach of a material obligation thereunder or certain mergers or other changes of control), and OneWater Inc. makes the termination payment specified in the Tax Receivable Agreement. In addition, payments OneWater Inc. makes under the Tax Receivable Agreement will be increased by any interest accrued from the due date (without extensions) of the corresponding tax return. Payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement commenced in 2022 and, in the event that the Tax Receivable Agreement is not terminated, are anticipated to continue even after the date of the last redemption of the OneWater LLC Units.
The payment obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement are OneWater Inc.’s obligations and not obligations of OneWater LLC, and we expect that the payments OneWater Inc. will be required to make under the Tax Receivable Agreement will be substantial. Estimating the amount and timing of OneWater Inc.’s realization of tax benefits subject to the Tax Receivable Agreement is by its nature imprecise. The actual increases in tax basis covered by the Tax Receivable Agreement, as well as the amount and timing of OneWater Inc.’s ability to use any deductions (or decreases in gain or increases in loss) arising from such increases in tax basis, are dependent upon significant future events, including but not limited to the amount, character, and timing of taxable income OneWater Inc. generates in the future, the timing and amount of any earlier payments that OneWater Inc. may have made under the Tax Receivable Agreement, the U.S. federal income tax rate then applicable, and the portion of OneWater Inc.’s payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement that constitute imputed interest or give rise to depreciable or amortizable tax basis. Accordingly, estimating the amount and timing of payments that may become due under the Tax Receivable Agreement is also by its nature imprecise. For purposes of the Tax Receivable Agreement, net cash savings in tax generally are calculated by comparing OneWater Inc.’s actual tax liability (determined by using the actual applicable U.S. federal income tax rate and an assumed combined state and local income tax rate) to the amount OneWater Inc. would have been required to pay had it not been to utilize any of the tax benefits subject to the Tax Receivable Agreement. Thus, the amount and timing of any payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement are also dependent upon significant future events, including those noted above in respect of estimating the amount and timing of OneWater Inc.’s realization of tax benefits. Payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement could have an impact on our liquidity.
The payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement are not conditioned upon a TRA Holder's having a continued ownership interest in OneWater Inc. or OneWater LLC. In addition, certain of the TRA Holders’ rights (including the right to receive payments) under the Tax Receivable Agreement are transferable in connection with transfers permitted under the OneWater LLC Agreement of the corresponding OneWater LLC Units or, subject to OneWater Inc.’s consent (not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned, or delayed), after the corresponding OneWater LLC Units have been exchanged or redeemed in accordance with the OneWater LLC Agreement. For additional information regarding the Tax Receivable Agreement, see “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Tax Receivable Agreement” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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In certain cases, payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement may be accelerated and/or significantly exceed the actual benefits, if any, OneWater Inc. realizes in respect of the tax attributes subject to the Tax Receivable Agreement.
If OneWater Inc. experiences a change of control (as defined under the Tax Receivable Agreement, which includes certain mergers, asset sales and other forms of business combinations) or the Tax Receivable Agreement terminates early (at OneWater Inc.’s election or as a result of OneWater Inc.’s breach), OneWater Inc. would be required to make an immediate payment equal to the present value of the anticipated future payments to be made by it under the Tax Receivable Agreement (determined by applying a discount rate equal to the twelve-month SOFR published by CME Group Benchmark Administration Limited plus 71.513 basis points) and such early termination payment is expected to be substantial. The calculation of anticipated future payments is based upon certain assumptions and deemed events set forth in the Tax Receivable Agreement, including that OneWater Inc. has sufficient taxable income to fully utilize the tax benefits covered by the Tax Receivable Agreement. Any early termination payment may be made significantly in advance of, and may materially exceed, the actual realization, if any, of the future tax benefits to which the early termination payment relates.
If OneWater Inc. experiences a change of control (as defined under the Tax Receivable Agreement) or the Tax Receivable Agreement otherwise terminates early (at OneWater Inc.’s election or as a result of OneWater Inc.’s breach), OneWater Inc.’s obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement could have a substantial negative impact on our liquidity and could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing certain mergers, asset sales, or other forms of business combinations or changes of control. For example, if the Tax Receivable Agreement were terminated immediately after the date hereof, and taking into account any redemptions that occurred prior thereto, the estimated early termination payment would, in the aggregate, be approximately $26.7 million (determined by applying a discount rate equal to the twelve-month SOFR published by CME Group Benchmark Administration Limited plus 71.513 basis points, applied against an undiscounted liability of $37.5 million calculated based on certain assumptions, including but not limited to an estimated blended statutory U.S. federal, state and local corporate income tax rate of 24.7%, no material change in U.S. federal income tax law, and that OneWater Inc. will have sufficient taxable income to utilize such estimated tax benefits). The foregoing number is merely an estimate and the actual payment could differ materially. In the event that OneWater Inc.’s obligation to make payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement is accelerated as a result of a change of control, where applicable, we generally expect the accelerated payments due under the Tax Receivable Agreement to be funded out of the proceeds of the change of control transaction giving rise to such acceleration. However, OneWater Inc. may be required to fund such payment from other sources, and as a result, any early of the Tax Receivable Agreement could have a substantial impact on our liquidity. We do not currently expect to cause an acceleration due to OneWater Inc.’s , and we do not currently expect that OneWater Inc. would elect to the Tax Receivable Agreement early, except in cases where the early payment would not be material. There can be no assurance that OneWater Inc. will be to meet its obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement. Please read “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Tax Receivable Agreement” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
In the event that OneWater Inc.’s payment obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement are accelerated upon certain mergers, other forms of business combinations or other changes of control, the consideration payable to holders of OneWater Inc.’s Class A common stock could be substantially reduced.
If OneWater Inc. experiences a change of control (as defined under the Tax Receivable Agreement, which includes certain mergers, asset sales and other forms of business combinations), OneWater Inc. would be obligated to make an immediate payment, and such payment may be significantly in advance of, and may materially exceed, the actual realization, if any, of the future tax benefits to which the payment relates. As a result of this payment obligation, holders of OneWater Inc.’s Class A common stock could receive substantially less consideration in connection with a change of control transaction than they would receive in the absence of such obligation. Further, OneWater Inc.’s payment obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement are not conditioned upon the TRA Holders’ having a continued interest in OneWater Inc. or OneWater LLC. Accordingly, the TRA Holders’ interests may conflict with those of the holders of OneWater Inc.’s Class A common stock. Please read “— In certain cases, payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement may be accelerated and/or significantly exceed the actual benefits, if any, OneWater Inc. realizes in respect of the tax attributes subject to the Tax Receivable Agreement.”
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OneWater Inc. will not be reimbursed for any payments made under the Tax Receivable Agreement in the event that any tax benefits are subsequently disallowed.
Payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement are based on the tax reporting positions that OneWater Inc. determines and the IRS or another tax authority may challenge all or part of the tax basis increase, as well as other related tax positions OneWater Inc. takes, and a court could sustain such challenge. The TRA Holders will not reimburse OneWater Inc. for any payments previously made under the Tax Receivable Agreement if any tax benefits that have given rise to payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement are subsequently disallowed, except that excess payments made to any TRA Holder will be netted against future payments that would otherwise be made to such TRA Holder, if any, after OneWater Inc.’s determination of such excess (which determination may be made a number of years following the initial payment and after future payments have been made). As a result, in such circumstances, OneWater Inc. could make payments that are greater than its actual cash tax savings, if any, and may not be able to recoup those payments, which could materially adversely affect its liquidity.
Changes to applicable tax laws and regulations or exposure to additional income tax liabilities could affect our business and future profitability.
We are subject to various complex and evolving U.S. federal, state and local taxes. U.S. federal, state and local tax laws, policies, statutes, rules, regulations or ordinances could be interpreted, changed, modified or applied adversely to us, in each case, possibly with retroactive effect, and may have an adverse effect on our business and future profitability.
In addition, we may be subject to audits of our income, sales and other taxes by U.S. federal, state, and local taxing authorities. Outcomes from these audits could have an adverse effect on our operating results and financial condition.
Additionally, changes in federal and state tax laws, such as an imposition of luxury taxes on new boat purchases, increases in prevailing tax rates, and removal of certain interest deductions, may influence consumers' decisions to purchase products we offer and could have a negative effect on our sales. For example, during 1991 and 1992, the federal government imposed a luxury tax on new recreational boats with sales prices in excess of $100,000, which coincided with a sharp decline in boating industry sales from a high of more than $17.9 billion in 1988 to a low of $10.3 billion in 1992. Any increase in tax rates, including those on capital gains and dividends, particularly those on high-income taxpayers, could adversely affect our boat sales.
Our future tax liabilities may be greater than expected if our net operating loss ("NOL") are limited.
As of September 30, 2025, we have U.S. federal net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $32.0 million . Utilization of these NOL carryforwards depends on many factors, including our future income, which cannot be assured. In addition, Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), generally imposes an annual limitation on the amount of NOL carryforwards that may be used to offset taxable income when a corporation has undergone an "ownership change" (as determined under Section 382 of the Code). An ownership change generally occurs if one or more stockholders (or groups of stockholders) who are each deemed to own at last 5% of such corporation's stock change their ownership by more than 50 percentage points over their lowest ownership percentage within a rolling three-year period. None of our U.S. federal NOL carryforwards are currently subject to limitation under Section 382 of the Code. In the event that we were to undergo an ownership change in the future, utilization of our NOL carryforwards would be subject to limitation under Section 382 of the Code. Any unused annual limitation generally may be carried over to later years until they expire. Limitations similar to those applicable under Section 382 of the Code apply for U.S. state income tax purposes. Any on our ability to utilize our NOL carryforwards income or we generate in the future could increase our future tax liabilities and affect our operating results and cash flows.
We may issue preferred stock whose terms could adversely affect the voting power or value of our Class A common stock.
Our certificate of incorporation authorizes us to issue, without the approval of our stockholders, one or more classes or series of preferred stock having such designations, preferences, limitations and relative rights, including preferences over our Class A common stock respecting dividends and distributions, as our Board of Directors may determine. The terms of one or more classes or series of preferred stock could adversely impact the voting power or value of our Class A common stock. For example, we might grant holders of preferred stock the right to elect some number of our directors in all events or on the happening of specified events or the right to veto specified transactions. Similarly, the repurchase or redemption rights or liquidation preferences we might assign to holders of preferred stock could affect the residual value of the Class A common stock.
If securities or industry analysts cease publishing research or reports about our business, if they adversely change their recommendations regarding our Class A common stock or if our operating results do not meet their expectations, our stock price could decline.
The trading market for our Class A common stock will be influenced by the research and reports that industry or securities analysts publish about us or our business. If one or more of these analysts cease coverage of our company or fail to publish reports on us regularly, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn could cause our stock price or trading volume to decline. Moreover, if one or
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more of the analysts who cover our company downgrades our Class A common stock or if our operating results do not meet their expectations, our stock price could decline.
General Risk Factors
Our business operations could be negatively impacted by an outage or breach of our information or operational technology systems or a cybersecurity event.
Our business is dependent upon the successful operation of our information and operational technology systems. Our information and operational technology systems enhance cross-selling opportunities and integrate each level of operations on a company-wide basis, including but not limited to purchasing, inventory, receivables, payables, financial reporting, budgeting, marketing and sales management. Our information systems are also used to prepare our consolidated financial and operating data.
Increased global cybersecurity vulnerabilities and cyber-related attacks pose a risk to the security of our and our customers’, suppliers’ and third-party service providers’ products, systems and networks and the confidentiality, availability and integrity of our data. Risks to our information and operational technology systems include potential breakdowns, invasions, viruses, cyber-attacks, cyber-fraud, security breaches, and unauthorized access to, destruction or interruption of our information or operational technology systems or data or those of third parties with whom we do business. Unauthorized parties have attempted to gain access to our systems or facilities, or those of third parties with whom we do business, through fraud, trickery or other forms of deceiving our team members, contractors, vendors and temporary staff. While no instances of unauthorized access have been material to date, we continue to attempt to mitigate these risks by employing a number of measures, including employee training, systems and maintenance of protective systems. the implementation of our cybersecurity process, we remain potentially to known or unknown .
We collect and store sensitive, confidential and personal data and information through the ordinary course of our business that is subject to data privacy and information security laws and regulations. We also work with third-party partners that may in the course of their business relationship with us, collect, store, process and transmit sensitive, confidential or personal data or information on our behalf and in connection with our products and services offerings. Despite our efforts to protect sensitive, confidential or personal data or information, our or our third-party partners’ information or operational technology systems may be vulnerable to security breaches, ransomware theft, cyber phishing attacks, cyber-attacks, including those created through artificial intelligence, misplaced or lost data, programming errors, employee errors and/or malfeasance that could potentially lead to the compromising of sensitive, confidential or personal data or information, improper use of our systems, inability to use our systems, access, use, disclosure, modification or of information, and operational . While no system , or security have been material to date, we may be to anticipate, detect or prevent such events. ongoing efforts to our ability to protect our information and operational technology systems and data stored thereon or transmitted thereby from compromise, we may not be to protect all of our information and operational technology systems or data.
Our efforts to improve security and protect data from compromise may also identify previously undiscovered instances of security breaches or other cyber-related attacks. It is possible that we might not be aware of a successful cyber-related attack on our systems until well after the incident. Any unauthorized access to or material failure of our information or operational technology systems, or systems used by our third-party suppliers or service providers, could result in negative consequences, including damage to our reputation or competitiveness, compliance, remediation or increased protection costs, or litigation or regulatory action, all of which could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operations, or cash flows.
Certain of our employees work remotely. Remote working has increased our vulnerability to risks related to our computer and communications hardware and software systems and exacerbated certain related risks, including risks of phishing and other cybersecurity attacks. Controls employed by our information technology department and our customers and third-party service providers could prove inadequate.
We are subject to laws, rules, regulations and policies regarding data privacy and security, and may be subject to additional related laws and regulations in jurisdictions in which we operate or expand. Many of these laws and regulations are subject to change and reinterpretation, and any real or perceived failure to comply with such obligations could result in claims, changes to our business practices, monetary penalties, increased cost of operations or other harm to our business.
We are subject to a variety of federal, state and local laws, directives, rules and policies relating to privacy and the collection, protection, use, retention, security, disclosure, transfer and other processing of personal data and other data. The regulatory framework for data privacy and security worldwide is continuously evolving and developing and, as a result, interpretation and implementation standards and enforcement practices are likely to remain uncertain for the foreseeable future. In addition, new laws, amendments to or reinterpretations of existing laws, regulations, standards and other obligations may require us to incur additional costs and restrict our business operations, and may require us to change how we use, collect, store, transfer or otherwise process certain types of personal data, including by implementing new processes to comply with those laws and our customers’ exercise of their rights thereunder. These laws also are not uniform, as certain laws may be more stringent or broader in scope, or offer greater individual rights, with respect to sensitive and personal information, and such laws may differ from each other, which may complicate compliance efforts. Any real or perceived failure by us or our third-party service providers to comply with any applicable federal, state or similar foreign law, rule, regulation,
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industry standard, policy, certification or order relating to data privacy and security, or any compromise of security that results in the theft, unauthorized access, acquisition, use, disclosure, or misappropriation of personal data or other customer data, could result in significant awards, fines, civil or criminal penalties or judgments, proceedings or litigation by governmental agencies or customers, including class action privacy litigation in certain jurisdictions and negative publicity and reputational harm, one or all of which could have an adverse effect on our reputation, business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our growing use of artificial intelligence systems in our operations poses inherent risks and could adversely affect our results of operations.
We have and are continuing to incorporate artificial intelligence, including machine learning, in certain of our operations with the intent to enhance efficiency and effectiveness. For example, we have incorporated artificial intelligence and/or generative artificial intelligence to manage inventory and assist in creating boat listings. Flaws, breaches or malfunctions in these systems could lead to operational disruptions, data loss, or erroneous decision-making, impacting our operations, financial condition and reputation. Legal challenges may arise, including cybersecurity incidents, non-compliance with data protection regulations, and lack of transparency. The legal and regulatory landscape and industry standards surrounding artificial intelligence technologies is rapidly evolving and remains uncertain, and compliance may impose significant operational costs and may limit our ability to develop, deploy or use artificial intelligence technologies. Furthermore, the deployment of artificial intelligence systems could us to increased cybersecurity , such as data and access to financial , legal liabilities, and reputational . We also face competitive risks if we to adopt artificial intelligence or other machine-learning technologies in a timely manner.
We may be named in litigation, which may result in substantial costs and reputational harm and divert management’s attention and resources.
We face legal risks in our business, including claims from disputes with our employees and our former employees and claims associated with general commercial disputes, product liability, personal injury and other matters. Risks associated with legal liability often are difficult to assess or quantify and their existence and magnitude can remain unknown for significant periods of time. While we maintain insurance of the types and in the amounts that we believe are customary and adequate, the amount of insurance coverage may not be sufficient to cover a claim and the continued availability of certain insurance cannot be assured. Additionally, we may be named in the future as defendants of class action lawsuits. Negative publicity from litigation, whether or not resulting in a substantial cost, could materially damage our reputation. We may in the future be the target of litigation and this may result in substantial costs and reputational and management’s attention and resources. Costs, to our reputation and could have a material effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Changes in accounting standards could significantly affect our results of operations and the presentation of those results.
The Financial Accounting Standards Board, the SEC, or other accounting organizations or governmental entities frequently issue new pronouncements or new interpretations of existing accounting standards. Changes in accounting standards, how the accounting standards are interpreted, or the adoption of new accounting standards can have a significant effect on our reported results, and could even retroactively affect previously reported transactions, and may require that we make significant changes to our systems, processes and controls. Changes resulting from these new standards may result in materially different financial results and may require that we change how we process, analyze and report financial information and that we change financial reporting controls. Such changes in accounting standards may have an adverse effect on our business, financial position, and income, which may negatively impact our financial results.
Our business could be materially adversely impacted by the widespread outbreak of a contagious disease.
In response to the widespread outbreak of a contagious disease, national, state and local governments in affected regions have, and may again, implement safety precautions, including shelter in place orders, travel restrictions, business closures, cancellations of public gatherings, including boat shows, and other measures. These measures have affected our ability to sell and service boats and may again require us to temporarily close or partially close certain locations. Organizations and individuals may take additional steps to avoid or reduce infection, including limiting travel, staying home, working from home and limiting participation in certain activities, or other measures, which may also affect our ability to operate our marine retailer locations or our manufacturing facilities.
If the negative economic effects of a widespread contagious disease continue for a prolonged period of time, it could lead to a reduction in demand for our products, which would adversely affect our results of operations. Additionally, disruptions in the capital markets, as a result of a global pandemic, may also adversely affect our ability to access capital and additional liquidity. The COVID-19 pandemic's effects led to disruptions in our supply chain, including our ability to obtain boats and parts from our suppliers. A similar contagious disease outbreak could have a similar effect on our supply chain that could adversely affect our results of operations.
