UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20549
Form
For the fiscal year ended
Commission File Number
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
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(State of Incorporation) |
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(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
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(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of principal executive offices)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of Each Class |
Trading Symbol |
Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
None
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
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Accelerated filer |
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Non-accelerated filer |
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Smaller reporting company |
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Emerging growth company |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.
If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements.
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes
The aggregate market value of common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant (21,144,473 shares) based on the closing price of the registrant’s common stock as reported on the New York Stock Exchange on March 31, 2023, which was the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, was $
As of November 13, 2023, there were outstanding
Documents Incorporated by Reference
Portions of the registrant’s definitive proxy statement for the 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders are incorporated by reference into Part III of this report.
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MARINEMAX, INC.
ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K
Fiscal Year Ended September 30, 2023
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Item 1 |
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Item 1A |
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Item 1B |
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33 |
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Item 1C |
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33 |
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Item 2 |
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33 |
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Item 3 |
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38 |
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Item 4 |
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Item 5 |
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Item 6 |
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Item 7 |
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Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations |
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Item 7A |
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Item 8 |
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Item 9 |
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Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure |
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Item 9A |
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48 |
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Item 9B |
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Item 9C |
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Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections |
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Item 10 |
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Item 11 |
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Item 12 |
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Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters |
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Item 13 |
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Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence |
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Item 14 |
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Item 15 |
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Item 16 |
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Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information
The statements contained in this report on Form 10-K that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding our “expectations,” “anticipations,” “intentions,” “plans,” “beliefs,” or “strategies” regarding the future. Forward-looking statements also include statements regarding revenue, margins, expenses, and earnings for fiscal 2024 and thereafter; our belief that our practices enhance our ability to attract more customers, foster an overall enjoyable boating experience, and offer boat manufacturers stable and professional retail distribution and a broad geographic presence; our assessment of our competitive advantages, including our hassle-free sales approach, prime retail locations, premium product offerings, extensive facilities, strong management and team members, and emphasis on customer service and satisfaction before and after a boat sale; our belief that our core values of customer service and satisfaction and our strategies for growth and enhancing our business, including without limitation, our acquisition strategies and pursuit of contract manufacturing and vertical integration, will enable us to achieve success and long-term growth as economic conditions continue to recover; our belief that our retailing strategies, like the utilization of our digital platform, are aligned with the desires of consumers and will position us to capitalize on future opportunities; our expectations regarding the growth of the boating market; our ability to reduce the impact of weather conditions and seasonality on our business; and the expected impacts of legal proceedings and changes in accounting assumptions on our business. All forward-looking statements included in this report are based on information available to us as of the filing date of this report, and we assume no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Our actual results could differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially are the factors discussed under Item 1A, “Risk Factors.”
Unless expressly indicated or the context requires otherwise, the terms “MarineMax,” “Company,” “we,” “us,” and “our” in this document refer to MarineMax, Inc. and its subsidiaries.
PART I
Item 1. Business
Introduction
Our Company
MarineMax is the world’s largest recreational boat and yacht retailer, selling new and used recreational boats, yachts, and related marine products and services. MarineMax has 130 locations worldwide, including 81 retail dealership locations, some of which include marinas. Collectively, with the IGY acquisition, MarineMax owns or operates 66 marina and storage locations worldwide. Through Fraser Yachts and Northrop & Johnson, the Company also is the largest superyacht services provider, operating locations across the globe. Cruisers Yachts manufactures boats and yachts with sales through our select retail dealership locations and through independent dealers. Intrepid Powerboats manufactures powerboats and sells through a direct-to-consumer model. MarineMax provides finance and insurance services through wholly owned subsidiaries and operates MarineMax Vacations in Tortola, British Virgin Islands. The Company, through a wholly owned subsidiary, New Wave Innovations, also owns Boatyard, an industry-leading customer experience digital product company, and Boatzon, a boat and marine digital retail platform.
As of September 30, 2023, the Retail Operations segment included the activity of 79 retail locations in Alabama, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin, where we sell new and used recreational boats, including pleasure and fishing boats, with a focus on premium brands in each segment. We also sell related marine products, including engines, trailers, parts, and accessories. In addition, we provide repair, maintenance, and slip and storage rentals; we arrange related boat financing, insurance, and extended service contracts; we offer boat and yacht brokerage sales and yacht charter services. In the British Virgin Islands, we offer the charter of power catamarans, through MarineMax Vacations. Fraser Yachts Group and Northrop & Johnson, leading superyacht brokerage and luxury yacht services companies with operations in multiple countries, are also included in this segment. IGY Marinas is also included in this segment. IGY Marinas maintains a network of strategically positioned luxury marinas situated in yachting and sport fishing destinations around the world. IGY Marinas has created standards for service and quality in nautical tourism. It offers a global network of marinas in the Americas, the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia, delivering year-round accommodations. IGY Marinas caters to a wide variety of luxury yachts, while also being exclusive home ports for some of the world’s largest megayachts.
As of September 30, 2023, the Product Manufacturing segment included activity of Cruisers Yachts, a wholly-owned MarineMax subsidiary, manufacturing sport yacht and yachts with sales through our select retail dealership locations and through independent dealers, and Intrepid Powerboats. Cruisers Yachts is recognized as one of the world’s premier manufacturers of premium sport yacht and yachts, producing models from 33’ to 60’ feet. Intrepid Powerboats, also a wholly-owned MarineMax subsidiary, is a producer of customized boats, which incorporate the desires of each individual owner. Intrepid Powerboats follows a direct-to-consumer distribution model and has received many awards and accolades for its innovations and high-quality craftsmanship that create industry leading products in their categories.
In October 2022, we completed the acquisition of IGY Marinas. In December 2022, we acquired Midcoast Construction Enterprises, LLC ("Midcoast Marine Group"), a leading full-service marine construction company based on Central Florida's Gulf Coast. In January 2023, we acquired Boatzon, a boat and marine digital retail platform, through our recently formed technology entity, New Wave Innovations. In June 2023, we acquired C&C Boat Works, a full-service boat dealer in Crosslake, Minnesota. In October 2023, we acquired Atalanta Golden Yachts ("AGY"), a luxury charter management agency based in Athens, Greece.
We are the largest retailer of Sea Ray and Boston Whaler recreational boats which are manufactured by Brunswick Corporation (“Brunswick”). Sales of new Brunswick boats accounted for approximately 24% of our revenue in fiscal 2023. Sales of new Sea Ray and Boston Whaler boats, both divisions of Brunswick, accounted for approximately 11% and 11%, respectively, of our revenue in fiscal 2023. Brunswick is a world leading manufacturer of marine products and marine engines. We have agreements with Brunswick covering Sea Ray products and Boston Whaler products and are the exclusive dealer of Sea Ray and Boston Whaler boats in almost all of our geographic markets. Additionally, we are the exclusive dealer for Harris aluminum boats, a division of Brunswick, in many of our geographic markets. We also are the exclusive dealer for Italy-based Azimut-Benetti Group, or Azimut, for Azimut and Benetti mega-yachts, yachts, and other recreational boats for the United States. Sales of new Azimut boats and yachts accounted for approximately 11% of our revenue in fiscal 2023. Additionally, we are the exclusive dealer for certain other premium brands that serve certain industry segments in our markets as shown by the table on page three.
We also are involved in other boating-related activities. We sell used boats at our retail locations, online, and at various third-party marinas and other offsite locations; we sell marine engines and propellers, primarily to our retail customers as replacements for their existing engines and propellers; we sell a broad variety of parts and accessories at our retail locations and at various offsite locations, and through our print catalog; we offer maintenance, repair, and slip and storage rentals at most of our retail locations; we offer finance
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and insurance products at most of our retail locations and at various offsite locations and to our customers and independent boat dealers and brokers; we offer boat and yacht brokerage sales at most of our retail locations and at various offsite locations; and we conduct a charter business, which is based in the British Virgin Islands, in which we offer customers the opportunity to charter third-party and Company owned power catamarans.
MarineMax commenced operations as a result of the March 1, 1998 acquisition of five previously independent recreational boat dealers. Since that time, we have acquired 33 additional previously independent recreational boat dealers, multiple marinas, five boat brokerage operations, five superyacht service companies, two full-service yacht repair operations, and two boat and yacht manufacturers. We attempt to capitalize on the experience and success of the acquired companies in order to establish a high standard of customer service and responsiveness in the highly fragmented retail boating industry. As a result of our emphasis on premium brand boats, our average selling price for a new boat in fiscal 2023 was approximately $306,000, an increase from approximately $256,000 in fiscal 2022, compared with the industry average selling price for calendar 2022 of approximately $84,000 based on industry data published by the National Marine Manufacturers Association. We consider a store to be one or more retail locations that are adjacent or operate as one entity or a superyacht services region. Same-store sales include all stores that were open and operated throughout both the current and comparative prior period. Our same-store sales increased 13% in fiscal 2021, increased 5% in fiscal 2022, and decreased 2% in fiscal 2023.
The U.S. recreational boating industry generated approximately $59.3 billion in retail sales in calendar 2022, which is above the former peak of $56.7 billion in calendar 2021. These retail sales include sales of new and used boats; marine products, such as engines, trailers, equipment, and accessories; and related expenditures, such as fuel, insurance, docking, storage, and repairs. Retail sales of new and used boats, engines, trailers, and accessories accounted for approximately $47.3 billion of these sales in 2022 based on industry data from the National Marine Manufacturers Association. The highly-fragmented retail boating industry generally consists of small dealers that operate in a single market and provide varying degrees of merchandising, professional management, and customer service. We believe that many small dealers find it increasingly difficult to make the managerial and capital commitments necessary to achieve higher customer service levels and upgrade systems and facilities as required by boat manufacturers and often demanded by customers. We also believe that many dealers lack an exit strategy for their owners. We believe these factors contribute to our opportunity to gain a competitive advantage in current and future markets, through market expansions and acquisitions.
Material Updates to Our Strategy
Since the last discussion of our strategy in our Form 10-K for our fiscal year ended September 30, 2022, our primary goal remains to enhance our position as the leading recreational boat and yacht retailer and preeminent superyacht services company. Pursuant to this strategy, we have completed recent acquisitions including Fraser Yachts Group, Northrop & Johnson, Skipper Marine Holdings, Inc. and certain affiliates (collectively, "SkipperBud’s"), KCS International Holdings, Inc. and certain affiliates ("Cruisers Yachts"), Intrepid Powerboats, Texas MasterCraft, IGY Marinas, Midcoast Marine Group, C&C Boat Works and AGY. Our acquisitions of Fraser Yachts Group, Northrop & Johnson, SkipperBud’s, and IGY Marinas increases our superyacht brokerage and luxury yacht services and marina/storage services. Additionally, IGY Marinas’ scale and strategic geographic footprint enables it to provide vertically integrated services to superyacht customers as they travel to popular destinations. Our acquisition of IGY Marinas offers a global network of marinas in the Americas, the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia, delivering year-round accommodations. IGY Marinas caters to a wide variety of luxury yachts, while also being exclusive home ports for some of the world’s largest megayachts.
In addition, we continue to broaden and strengthen our digital initiatives. Our digital services are always available and offer our full selection of boats, yachts and charters, as well as our expert team to answer customers’ questions and help them find a boat virtually. Our Boatyard digital platform provides marine businesses effective and customized digital solutions, delivering great customer experiences by enabling customers to interact through a personalized experience tailored to their needs. Additionally, Boatzon offers a boat and marine digital retail platform, through our recently formed technology entity, New Wave Innovations.
Development of the Company; Expansion of Business
Since our initial acquisitions in March 1998, we have acquired 33 additional previously independent recreational boat dealers, multiple marinas, five boat brokerage operations, five superyacht service companies, two full-service yacht repair operations, and two boat and yacht manufacturers. Acquired dealers operate under the MarineMax name.
We continually attempt to enhance our business by providing a full range of services, offering extensive and high-quality product lines, maintaining prime retail locations, pursuing the MarineMax One Price hassle-free sales approach, and emphasizing a high level of customer service and satisfaction.
We also from time to time evaluate opportunities to expand our operations by potentially acquiring recreational boat dealers to expand our geographic scope, expanding our product lines, opening new retail locations within or outside our existing territories, and offering new products and services for our customers and by potentially acquiring companies to pursue contract manufacturing or vertical integration strategies.
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Apart from acquisitions and our superyacht service locations, we have opened 35 new retail locations in existing territories, excluding those opened on a temporary basis for a specific purpose. We also monitor the performance of our retail locations and close retail locations that do not meet our expectations. Based on these factors and previous depressed economic conditions, we have closed 77 retail locations since March 1998 which includes the 2008 financial crisis, excluding those opened on a temporary basis for a specific purpose and including 3 during the last three fiscal years.
The following table sets forth information regarding the businesses that we have acquired and their geographic regions from fiscal year 2011 through September 30, 2023.
Acquired Companies |
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Acquisition Date |
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Geographic Region |
Treasure Island Marina, LLC |
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February 2011 |
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Florida Panhandle |
Bassett Marine, LLC |
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September 2012 |
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Connecticut, Rhode Island and Western Massachusetts |
Parker Boat Company |
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March 2013 |
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Central Florida |
Ocean Alexander Yachts |
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April 2014 |
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Eastern United States |
Bahia Mar Marina |
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January 2016 |
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Florida Panhandle |
Russo Marine |
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April 2016 |
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Eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island |
Hall Marine Group |
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January 2017 |
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North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia |
Island Marine Center |
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January 2018 |
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New Jersey |
Tera Miranda |
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April 2018 |
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Oklahoma |
Bay Pointe Marina |
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September 2018 |
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Massachusetts |
Sail & Ski Center |
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April 2019 |
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Texas |
Fraser Yachts Group |
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July 2019 |
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Worldwide |
Boatyard, Inc. |
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February 2020 |
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Worldwide |
Northrop & Johnson |
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July 2020 |
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Worldwide |
Private Insurance Services |
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July 2020 |
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Worldwide |
SkipperBud’s & Silver Seas Yachts |
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October 2020 |
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Great Lakes region and West Coast United States |
Cruisers Yachts |
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May 2021 |
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Worldwide |
Nisswa Marine |
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July 2021 |
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Minnesota |
Intrepid Powerboats |
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November 2021 |
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Worldwide |
Texas MasterCraft |
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November 2021 |
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Texas |
Superyacht Management, S.A.R.L. |
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April 2022 |
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France |
Endeavour Marina |
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August 2022 |
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Texas |
IGY Marinas |
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October 2022 |
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Worldwide |
Midcoast Marine Group |
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December 2022 |
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Florida |
Boatzon |
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January 2023 |
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Worldwide |
C&C Boat Works |
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June 2023 |
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Minnesota |
In addition to acquiring recreational boat dealers, superyacht service companies, boat manufacturers, marinas, and opening new retail locations, we also add new product lines to expand our operations. The following table sets forth certain of our current product lines that we have added to our existing locations during the years indicated.
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Product Line |
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Fiscal Year |
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Current Geographic Regions |
Boston Whaler |
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1998 |
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West Central Florida, Stuart, Florida, and Dallas, Texas |
Grady-White |
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2002 |
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Houston, Texas |
Boston Whaler |
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2004-2005 |
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North and South Carolina (2004), Houston, Texas (2005) |
Azimut |
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2006 |
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Northeast United States from Maryland to Maine |
Boston Whaler |
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2006 |
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New York |
Grady-White |
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2006-2010 |
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Pensacola, Florida (2006), Jacksonville, Florida (2010) |
Azimut |
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2008 |
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Florida |
Boston Whaler |
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2009-2012 |
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Southwest Florida (2009), Pompano Beach, Florida (2012) |
Harris |
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2010 |
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Missouri, Minnesota, and New Jersey |
Nautique by Correct Craft |
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2010 |
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West Central Florida and Minnesota |
Harris |
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2011-2012 |
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West Central Florida (2011), Alabama (2012), North and Southwest Florida (2012), and Texas (2012) |
Crest |
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2011-2018 |
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Georgia (2011), Oklahoma (2012), North Carolina and South Carolina (2012), New Jersey (2015), Florida (2018) |
Azimut |
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2012 |
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United States other than where previously held |
Scout |
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2012 |
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Southeast Florida, Maryland, and New Jersey |
Sailfish |
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2013 |
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Connecticut, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, and Rhode Island |
Ocean Alexander Yachts |
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2014 |
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Eastern United States |
Scout |
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2014 |
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Texas, New York |
Aquila |
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2014 |
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Worldwide, excluding China |
Galeon |
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2015 |
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North America, Central America, and South America |
Grady-White |
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2016 |
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Miami, Florida |
Boston Whaler |
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2016 |
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Parts of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island |
Yamaha Jet Boats |
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2017 |
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Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina |
Bennington |
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2017 |
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South Carolina |
Mastercraft |
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2018-2021 |
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South Carolina (2018), Wisconsin and Illinois (2021) |
Tigé |
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2018-2019 |
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Orlando, Florida, Oklahoma, and Georgia |
Aviara |
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2019 |
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United States |
MJM Yachts |
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2019 |
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Florida |
Dargel |
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2019 |
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Texas |
Kawasaki |
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2019 |
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Texas |
ATX Surf Boats |
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2020-2021 |
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Orlando, Florida, Oklahoma, and Georgia |
Bayliner |
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2019-2021 |
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Texas (2019); Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan and Ohio (2021) |
Barletta |
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2021 |
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Wisconsin, Illinois, Detroit, and Michigan |
Four Winns |
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2021 |
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Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio and Detroit, Michigan |
Harris |
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2021 |
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Wisconsin, Illinois, Grand Rapids, Michigan and Ohio |
HeyDay Inboards |
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2021 |
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Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan and Ohio |
Tigé |
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2021 |
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Wisconsin and Illinois |
Scarab |
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2021 |
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Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan and Ohio |
ATX Surf Boats |
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2021 |
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Wisconsin and Illinois |
Sea Ray |
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2021 |
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Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio |
Starcraft |
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2021 |
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Wisconsin, Illinois & Michigan |
Sylvan |
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2021 |
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Wisconsin, Illinois, & Eastern Michigan |
Tiara |
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2021 |
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Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, California & Ohio |
Princess |
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2021 |
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California and Seattle, Washington |
Yamaha Jet Boats |
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2021 |
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Wisconsin |
Edgewater |
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2021 |
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Newport Beach, California |
Gran Turismo |
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2021 |
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Michigan and Ohio |
Antares |
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2021 |
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Michigan and Ohio |
Beneteau Flyer |
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2021 |
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Michigan and Ohio |
Cruisers Yachts (1) |
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2021 |
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Worldwide |
Chris-Craft, Moomba, Supra |
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2021 |
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Minnesota |
Saxdor |
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2021 |
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North America |
Bertram |
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2021 |
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United States and Canada with certain exceptions |
Premier |
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2021-2022 |
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Minnesota (2021), Texas (2022) |
Mastercraft |
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2021-2022 |
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Wisconsin and Illinois (2021), Minnesota (2021), North Texas (2022) |
Boston Whaler |
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2022 |
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Minnesota |
Intrepid Powerboats (1) |
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2022 |
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Worldwide |
Wider Yachts |
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2022 |
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North America |
World Cat |
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2022 |
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Wisconsin, Illinois, & Michigan |
Cobalt |
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2023 |
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Minnesota |
Premier |
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2023 |
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Georgia |
Boston Whaler |
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2023 |
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North Carolina and South Carolina |
We add brands with the intent to either offer a migration path for our existing customer base or fill a gap in our product offerings. As a result, we believe that new brands we offer are generally complementary and do not negatively impact the business generated from our other prominent brands. We also discontinue offering product lines from time to time, primarily based upon customer preferences.
We strive to maintain our core values of high customer service and satisfaction and plan to continue to pursue strategies that we believe will enable us to achieve long-term success and growth. We believe our expanded product offerings have strengthened our
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same-store sales growth. We plan to further expand our business through both acquisitions in new territories and new store openings in existing territories. In addition, we plan to continue to expand our other traditional services, including conducting used boat sales at our retail locations, at offsite locations, and digitally; selling related marine products, including engines, trailers, parts, and accessories at our retail locations and at various offsite locations; providing maintenance, repair, and storage services at most of our retail locations; offering our customers the ability to finance new or used boat purchases and to purchase extended service contracts and arrange insurance coverage, including boat property, disability, undercoating, gel sealant, fabric protection, trailer tire and wheel protection, and casualty insurance coverage; offering boat and yacht brokerage sales at most of our retail locations and at various offsite locations; offering boat storage; conducting our yacht charter business; and manufacturing sport yacht and yachts. Our expansion plans will depend, in large part, upon economic and industry conditions.
U.S. Recreational Boating Industry
The U.S. recreational boating industry generated approximately $59.3 billion in retail sales in calendar 2022, which is above the former peak of $56.7 billion in calendar 2021. The retail sales include sales of new and used recreational boats; marine products, such as engines, trailers, parts, and accessories; and related boating expenditures, such as fuel, insurance, docking, storage, and repairs. Retail sales of new and used boats, engines, trailers, equipment, and accessories accounted for approximately $47.3 billion of such sales in calendar 2022. To provide historical perspective, annual retail recreational boating sales were $17.9 billion in 1988, but declined to a low of $10.3 billion in 1992 based on industry data published by the National Marine Manufacturers Association. We believe this decline was attributable to several factors, including a recession, the Gulf War, and the imposition throughout 1991 and 1992 of a luxury tax on boats sold at prices in excess of $100,000. The luxury tax was repealed in 1993, and retail boating sales increased each year thereafter except for 1998, 2003, and 2007 through 2010. We believe recreational boating has a natural appeal to consumers, along with other outdoor activities, and that the recreational boating market will continue to grow in favorable economic conditions absent any unusual industry headwinds (see Risk Factors).
The recreational boat retail market remains highly fragmented with little consolidation having occurred to date and consists of numerous boat retailers, most of which are small companies owned by individuals that operate in a single market and provide varying degrees of merchandising, professional management, and customer service. We believe that many boat retailers are encountering increased pressure from boat manufacturers to improve their levels of service and systems, increased competition from larger national retailers in certain product lines, and, in certain cases, business succession issues.
Products and Services
We offer new and used recreational boats and related marine products, including engines, trailers, parts, and accessories. While we sell a broad range of new and used boats, we focus on premium brand products. In addition, we assist in arranging related boat financing, insurance, and extended service contracts; provide boat maintenance and repair services; offer slip and storage accommodations; provide boat and yacht brokerage sales; and conduct a yacht charter business.
New Boat Sales
We primarily sell recreational boats, including pleasure boats and fishing boats. A number of the products we offer are manufactured by Brunswick, a leading worldwide manufacturer of recreational boats and yachts, including Sea Ray pleasure boats, Boston Whaler fishing boats, and Harris aluminum boats. Sales of new Brunswick boats accounted for approximately 24% of our revenue in fiscal 2023. Sales of new Sea Ray and Boston Whaler boats accounted for approximately 11% and 11%, respectively, of our revenue in fiscal 2023. Certain of our dealerships also sell luxury yachts, fishing boats, and pontoon boats provided by other manufacturers, including Italy-based Azimut. Sales of new Azimut boats and yachts accounted for approximately 11% of our revenue in fiscal 2023. Cruisers Yachts, a wholly-owned MarineMax subsidiary, manufactures sport yacht and yachts with sales through our select retail dealership locations and through independent dealers. Intrepid Powerboats, a MarineMax company, manufactures powerboats and sells through a direct-to-consumer model. During fiscal 2023, new boat sales, including sales of Cruisers Yachts and Intrepid Powerboats, accounted for approximately 68.7% or $1.6454 billion of our revenue.
We offer recreational boats in most market segments, but have a particular focus on premium quality pleasure boats and yachts as reflected by our fiscal 2023 average new boat sales price of approximately $306,000, an increase from approximately $256,000 in fiscal 2022, compared with an estimated industry average selling price for calendar 2022 of approximately $84,000 based on industry data published by the National Marine Manufacturers Association. Given our locations in some of the more affluent, offshore-oriented boating areas in the United States and emphasis on high levels of customer service, we sell a relatively higher percentage of large recreational boats, such as mega-yachts, yachts, and sport cruisers. We believe that the product lines we offer are among the highest quality within their respective market segments, with well-established trade-name recognition and reputations for quality, performance, and style.
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The following table is illustrative of the range and approximate manufacturer suggested retail price range of new boats that we currently offer, but is not all inclusive.
Product Line and Trade Name |
|
Overall Length |
|
Manufacturer Suggested |
E-Power Yachts |
|
|
|
|
Wider Yachts |
|
92' to 230' |
|
10,000,000+ |
Motor Yachts |
|
|
|
|
Azimut |
|
42' to 120'+ |
|
1,600,000 to 26,000,000+ |
Ocean Alexander Yachts |
|
88’ to 120’+ |
|
10,00,000 to 25,000,000+ |
Princess |
|
35' to 95'+ |
|
700,000 to 10,000,000+ |
Pleasure Boats |
|
|
|
|
Sea Ray |
|
19’ to 40’ |
|
58,000 to 1,200,000+ |
Bayliner |
|
15' to 24' |
|
20,000 to 110,000 |
Cobalt |
|
23' to 35' |
|
110,000 to 500,000 |
Chris-Craft |
|
24' to 28' |
|
220,000 to 330,000 |
Aquila |
|
28’ to 72’ |
|
300,000 to 7,000,000+ |
Galeon |
|
32’ to 80’ |
|
750,000 to 8,500,000+ |
Saxdor |
|
20' to 32' |
|
50,000 to 470,000 |
MJM Yachts |
|
35’ to 50’+ |
|
700,000 to 1,500,000+ |
Aviara |
|
32’ to 40’ |
|
500,000 to 1,300,000+ |
Cruisers Yachts (1) |
|
34' to 60' |
|
700,000 to 3,800,000+ |
Tiara |
|
34' to 60' |
|
600,000 to 3,500,000+ |
Four Winns |
|
20' to 38' |
|
60,000 to 600,000+ |
Intrepid Powerboats (1) |
|
30' to 51' |
|
330,000 to 2,000,000+ |
Pontoon Boats |
|
|
|
|
Harris |
|
19’ to 30’ |
|
50,000 to 250,000+ |
Crest |
|
20’ to 27’ |
|
50,000 to 250,000+ |
Bennington |
|
17’ to 30’ |
|
30,000 to 350,000 |
Barletta |
|
20' to 28' |
|
60,000 to 250,000 |
Premier |
|
21' to 33' |
|
50,000 to 375,000 |
Starcraft |
|
18' to 25' |
|
25,000 to 100,000 |
Sylvan |
|
18' to 25' |
|
25,000 to 100,000 |
Fishing Boats |
|
|
|
|
Boston Whaler |
|
13’ to 42’ |
|
20,000 to 2,000,000 |
Bertram |
|
28' to 39' |
|
350,000 to 1,200,000 |
Grady White |
|
18’ to 45’ |
|
60,000 to 1,800,000 |
Scout |
|
17’ to 53’ |
|
50,000 to 3,500,000+ |
Sailfish |
|
19’ to 36’ |
|
120,000 to 700,000+ |
Ski Boats |
|
|
|
|
Nautique by Correct Craft |
|
20’ to 25’ |
|
170,000 to 450,000+ |
Tigé |
|
20’ to 25’ |
|
160,000 to 270,000 |
ATX Surf Boats |
|
20’ to 24’ |
|
120,000 to 160,000 |
Mastercraft |
|
20’ to 26’ |
|
140,000 to 430,000 |
Jet Boats |
|
|
|
|
Yamaha Jet Boats |
|
19’ to 27’ |
|
40,000 to 160,000 |
Scarab |
|
16' to 28' |
|
40,000 to 150,000 |
E-Power Yachts. Italian-made Wider Yachts manufactures electric yachts with performance and exceptional quality in mind. From its line of superyachts to express cruisers, electric catamarans, and new builds, Wider Yachts offers a number of features.
Motor Yachts. Ocean Alexander Yachts, Azimut and Princess are three of the world’s premier yacht builders. The motor yacht product lines typically include state-of-the-art designs with live-aboard luxuries. Azimut yachts are known for their Americanized open layout with Italian design and powerful performance. The luxurious interiors of Azimut yachts are accented by windows and multiple accommodations that have been designed for comfort. Ocean Alexander Yachts are known for their excellent engineering, performance, and functionality combined with luxuries typically found on larger mega yachts. Princess yachts are a leading British luxury yacht manufacturer with attention to detail, design, and performance.
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Pleasure Boats. Sea Ray pleasure boats target both the luxury and the family recreational boating markets and come in a variety of configurations designed to suit each customer’s particular recreational boating style. Sea Ray pleasure boats feature custom instrumentation that may include an electronics package; various hull, deck, and cockpit designs that can include a swim platform; bow pulpit and raised bridge; and various amenities, such as swivel bucket helm seats, lounge seats, sun pads, wet bars, built-in ice chests, and refreshment centers. Most Sea Ray pleasure boats feature Mercury or MerCruiser engines. Galeon specializes in luxury yacht and motorboats with over thirty years of experience. Bayliner is the world's largest manufacturer of recreational boats, offering a variety of hulls with versatility in each model. We believe Bayliner offers quality materials, and features dedicated storage spaces, optimal performance and efficiency engines and quality electronics, ensuring accurate navigation. Cobalt Boats, an American manufacturer of recreational boats, has found continued success through investments in innovation and manufacturing capability. Chris-Craft is an American boat manufacturer which primarily produces classic wooden boats built with high quality materials. Each boat is crafted by highly experienced and detail-oriented designers to achieve timeless beauty and passenger comfort. Galeon is one of Europe’s leading and premier boat manufacturers. We believe Galeon yachts combine the latest technology, hand crafted excellence, attention to detail, superb performance, and great innovative designs with modern styling and convenience. Aquila power catamarans provide form, function, and offer practicality and comfort with innovation. Saxdor Yachts is a Finnish premium boat producer whose philosophy can be described as a combination of Italian cutting-edge design, American functionality, German quality, French competitive pricing and the Scandinavian way of boating. MJM Yachts combine speed, performance, greater stability, innovative designs and layouts, along with comforts and space for entertaining in addition to a patent protected MJM signature look. Aviara is the newest brand manufactured by MasterCraft focused on the production of vessels 30-feet and over with the goal of creating an elevated open water experience by fusing progressive style, comfort, and luxury. Cruisers Yachts is continuously building innovative, quality, hand-crafted, American made sport yacht and yachts with the stylish and luxurious Cantius series of boats as well as sleek and powerful outboard models. Tiara Yachts manufactures handcrafted, American-made luxury yachts designed for performance and comfort. Four Winns manufactures quality runabouts, bowriders, yachts and tow sport boats. Intrepid Powerboats uses advanced composite construction to make each boat unique to its owner as well as stronger, faster and more fuel-efficient to deliver a safe, smooth, dry ride on the water.
Pontoon Boats. Harris is a pontoon industry leader and offers a variety of some of the most innovative, luxurious, and premium pontoon models to fit boaters’ needs. Harris is known for exceptional performance combined with a stable and safe platform. Crest provides a variety of pontoon models that are designed to provide extreme levels of quality, safety, style and comfort to meet family recreational needs. Bennington offers what we believe to be industry leading design, craftsmanship, and a quiet, smooth, ride. Barletta offers quality construction, simple yet refined models, and customer focused amenities. Premier designs and manufactures world-class pontoons, featuring luxury furniture, creative seating configurations, premium flooring, and premium technology for navigational and recreational purposes. Starcraft is a leading boat manufacturer with a long history of continuous improvements to fiberglass hull design and a dedication to providing pontoon, runabouts, and deck boat models for families and watersport enthusiasts. Sylvan builds quality, innovative, high performance pontoon boats. With a variety of designs and options, the pontoon boats we offer appeal to a broad audience of pontoon boat enthusiasts and existing customers.
Fishing Boats. The fishing boats we offer, such as Boston Whaler, Bertram, Grady-White, Scout, and Sailfish, range from entry level models to advanced models designed for fishing and water sports in lakes, bays, and off-shore waters, with cabins with limited live-aboard capability. The fishing boats typically feature livewells, in-deck fishboxes, rodholders, rigging stations, cockpit coaming pads, and fresh and saltwater washdowns.
Ski Boats. The ski boats we offer are Nautique by Correct Craft, Tigé, ATX Surf Boats, and Mastercraft, which range from entry level models to advanced models and all of which are designed to achieve an ultimate wake for increased skiing, surfing, and wakeboarding performance and safety. With a variety of designs and options, Nautique, Tigé, ATX Surf Boats, and Mastercraft ski boats appeal to the competitive and recreational user alike.
Jet Boats. Yamaha jet boats are designed to offer a reliable, high performing, internal propulsion system with superior handling. Yamaha is a worldwide leader in jet boats. The Scarab jet boats we offer range from entry level models to advanced models, all of which are designed for performance and with exclusive design elements to meet family recreational needs. With a variety of designs and options, the jet boats we offer appeal to a broad audience of jet boat enthusiasts and existing customers.
Used Boat Sales
We sell used versions of the new makes and models we offer and, to a lesser extent, used boats of other makes and models generally taken as trade-ins. During fiscal 2023, used boat sales accounted for 7.9% or approximately $189.5 million of our revenue.
Our used boat sales depend on our ability to source a supply of high-quality used boats at attractive prices. We acquire substantially all of our used boat inventory through customer trade-ins. We strive to increase our used boat business through the availability of quality used boat trade-ins generated from our new boat sales efforts, which are well-maintained through our service initiatives. Additionally, substantially all of our used boat inventory is posted on our digital properties, which expands the awareness and availability of our products to a large audience of boating enthusiasts. We also sell used boats at various marinas and other offsite locations throughout the country.
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To further enhance our used boat sales, we offer extended warranty plans generally available for used boats less than nine years old. The extended warranty plans apply to each qualifying used boat, which has passed a 48-point inspection, and provides protection against failure of most mechanical parts for up to three years. We believe this type of program enhances our sales of used boats by motivating purchasers of used boats to complete their purchases through our dealerships.
Marine Engines, Related Marine Equipment, and Boating Parts and Accessories
We offer marine engines and equipment, predominantly manufactured by Mercury Marine, a division of Brunswick, and Yamaha. We sell marine engines and propellers primarily to retail customers as replacements for their existing engines or propellers. Mercury Marine and Yamaha have introduced various new engine models that are designed to reduce engine emissions to comply with current United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) requirements. See “Business — Governmental Regulations, including Environmental Regulations.” Industry leaders, Mercury Marine and Yamaha, specialize in state-of-the-art marine propulsion systems and accessories. Many of our dealerships have been recognized by Mercury Marine as “Premier Service Dealers”. This designation is generally awarded based on meeting certain standards and qualifications.
We also sell a broad variety of marine parts and accessories at our retail locations, at various offsite locations, and through our print catalog. These marine parts and accessories include marine electronics; dock and anchoring products, such as boat fenders, lines, and anchors; boat covers; trailer parts; water sport accessories, such as tubes, lines, wakeboards, and skis; engine parts; oils; lubricants; steering and control systems; corrosion control products and service products; high-performance accessories, such as propellers and instruments; and a complete line of boating accessories, including life jackets, inflatables, and water sports equipment. We also offer novelty items, such as shirts, caps, and license plates bearing the manufacturer’s or dealer’s logos. In all of our parts and accessories business, we utilize our industry knowledge and experience to offer boating enthusiasts high-quality products with which we have experience.
The sale of marine engines, related marine equipment, and boating parts and accessories, which are all tangible products, accounted for approximately 4.7% or $112.1 million of our fiscal 2023 revenue.
Maintenance, Repair, and Storage Services
Providing customers with professional, prompt maintenance and repair services is critical to our sales efforts and contributes to our success. We provide maintenance and repair services at most of our retail locations, with extended service hours at certain of our locations. In addition, in many of our markets, we provide mobile maintenance and repair services at the location of the customer’s boat. We believe that this service commitment is a competitive advantage in the markets in which we compete and is critical to our efforts to provide a trouble-free boating experience. To further this commitment, in certain of our markets, we have opened stand-alone maintenance and repair facilities in locations that are more convenient for our customers and that increase the availability of such services. We also believe that our maintenance and repair services contribute to strong customer relationships and that our emphasis on preventative maintenance and quality service increases the potential supply of well-maintained boats for our used boat sales.
We perform both warranty and non-warranty repair services, with the cost of warranty work reimbursed by the manufacturer in accordance with the manufacturer’s warranty reimbursement program. For warranty work, most manufacturers, including Brunswick, reimburse a percentage of the dealer’s posted service labor rates, with the percentage varying depending on the dealer’s customer satisfaction index rating and attendance at service training courses. We derive the majority of our warranty revenue from Brunswick products, as Brunswick products comprise the largest percentage of our products sold. Certain other manufacturers reimburse warranty work at a fixed amount per repair. Because boat manufacturers permit warranty work to be performed only at authorized dealerships, we receive substantially all of the warranted maintenance and repair work required for the new boats we sell. The third-party extended warranty contracts we offer also result in an ongoing demand for our maintenance and repair services for the duration of the term of the extended warranty contract.
Our maintenance and repair services are performed by manufacturer-trained and certified service technicians. In charging for our mechanics’ labor, many of our dealerships use a variable rate structure designed to reflect the difficulty and sophistication of different types of repairs. The percentage markups on parts are similarly based on manufacturer suggested prices and market conditions for different parts.
At many of our locations, we offer boat storage services, including in-water slip storage and inside and outside land storage. These storage services are offered at competitive market rates and include both in-season and out-of-season storage. In October 2022, we completed the acquisition of IGY Marinas. IGY Marinas maintains a network of luxury marinas situated in yachting and sport fishing destinations around the world. IGY Marinas has high standards for service and quality in nautical tourism. It offers a global network of marinas in the Americas, the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia, delivering year-round accommodations. IGY Marinas caters to a wide variety of luxury yachts, while also being exclusive home ports for some of the world’s largest megayachts.
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Maintenance, repair, rent, and storage services accounted for approximately 9.5% or $228.6 million of our revenue during fiscal 2023 of which, approximately 3.1% or $73.6 million related to repair services, approximately 1.3% or $30.9 million related to parts and accessories for repairs, and approximately 5.1% or $124.1 million related to income from rent and storage service rentals.
F&I Products
At each of our retail locations and at various offsite locations where applicable, we offer our customers the ability to finance new or used boat purchases and to purchase extended service contracts and arrange insurance coverage, including boat property, disability, undercoating, gel sealant, fabric protection, trailer tire and wheel protection, and casualty insurance coverage (collectively, “F&I”). We have relationships with various national marine product lenders under which the lenders purchase retail installment contracts evidencing retail sales of boats and other marine products that are originated by us in accordance with existing pre-sale agreements between us and the lenders. These arrangements permit us to receive a portion of the finance charges expected to be earned on the retail installment contract based on a variety of factors, including the credit standing of the buyer, the annual percentage rate of the contract charged to the buyer, and the lender’s then current minimum required annual percentage rate charged to the buyer on the contract. This participation is subject to repayment by us if the buyer prepays the contract or defaults within a designated time period, usually 0 to 180 days. To the extent required by applicable state law, our dealerships are licensed to originate and sell retail installment contracts financing the sale of boats and other marine products.
We also offer third-party extended service contracts under which, for a predetermined price, we provide all designated services pursuant to the service contract guidelines during the contract term at no additional charge to the customer above a deductible. While we sell all new boats with the boat manufacturer’s standard hull and engine warranty, extended service contracts provide additional coverage beyond the time frame or scope of the manufacturer’s warranty. Purchasers of used boats generally are able to purchase an extended service contract, even if the selected boat is no longer covered by the manufacturer’s warranty. Generally, we receive a fee for arranging an extended service contract. Most required services under the contracts are provided by us and paid for by the third-party contract holder. Since fiscal 2021, we have partnered with a third-party F&I product provider to offer prepaid maintenance plans for select, new models.
We also are able to assist our customers with obtaining property and casualty insurance which covers loss or damage to the vessel. We provide worldwide yacht insurance programs for brokerage houses, yacht management groups, and maritime attorneys. We utilize expertise in complex underwriting, including understanding the exposure of an owner, captain, crew, guests, tenders and navigation to provide clients with uniquely designed protection so customers can cruise confidently.
During fiscal 2023, fee income generated from F&I products accounted for approximately 2.8% or $66.8 million of our revenue. We believe that our customers’ ability to obtain competitive financing quickly and easily at our dealerships complements our ability to sell new and used boats. We also believe our ability to provide customer-tailored financing on a “same-day” basis gives us an advantage over many of our competitors, particularly smaller competitors that lack the resources to arrange boat financing at their dealerships or that do not generate sufficient volume to attract the diversity of financing sources that are available to us.
Brokerage Sales
Through employees or subcontractors that are licensed boat or yacht brokers where applicable, we offer boat or yacht brokerage sales at most of our retail locations. For a commission, we offer for sale brokered boats or yachts, listing them digitally on various sites, advising our other retail locations of their availability through our integrated computer system, and posting them on our website, www.MarineMax.com. Often sales are co-brokered, with the commission split between the buying and selling brokers. We believe that our access to potential used boat customers and methods of listing and advertising customers’ brokered boats or yachts is more extensive than is typical among brokers. In addition to generating revenue from brokerage commissions, our brokerage sales also enable us to offer a broad array of used boats or yachts without increasing related inventory costs. Also, through Fraser Yachts Group and Northrop & Johnson, we offer yacht and superyacht brokerage. During fiscal 2023, brokerage sales commissions accounted for approximately 4.8% or $112.7 million of our revenue.
Our brokerage customers generally receive the same high level of customer service as our new and used boat customers. Our waterfront retail locations enable in-water demonstrations of an on-site brokered boat. Our maintenance and repair services, including mobile service, also are generally available to our brokerage customers. Generally, the purchaser of a boat brokered through us also can take advantage of MarineMax Getaways!® weekend and day trips and other rendezvous gatherings and in-water events, as well as boat operation and safety seminars. We believe that the array of services we offer are unique in the brokerage business.
Yacht Charter
In 2011 we launched a yacht charter business in which we offer customers the opportunity to charter catamarans in exotic destinations, starting with our initial location in the British Virgin Islands. In this business, we sell specifically designed yachts to third parties for inclusion in our yacht charter fleet; enter into yacht management agreements under which yacht owners enable us to put their
9
yachts in our yacht charter program for a period of several years for a fixed monthly fee payable by us; provide our services in storing, insuring, and maintaining their yachts; and charter these yachts to vacation customers at agreed fees payable to us. The yacht owners are able to utilize the yachts for personal use for a designated number of weeks during the terms of the management agreement and take possession of their yachts following the expiration of the yacht management agreements.
In addition to the specific business we launched in the British Virgin Islands, we also offer yacht charter services. For a fee, we assist yacht owners in the charter of their vessel by third-parties. Additionally, through Fraser Yachts Group and Northrop & Johnson, we offer yacht and superyacht chartering, charter management, yacht management, crew placement, new boat build oversight services and other luxury yacht services. During fiscal 2023, the income from rentals of chartering power yachts, yacht charter fees, and other charter services accounted for approximately 1.6% or $39.6 million of our revenue.
Offsite Sales
We sell used boats, offer F&I products, and sell parts and accessories at various third-party offsite locations, including marinas.
Product Manufacturing
Cruisers Yachts, a wholly-owned MarineMax subsidiary, manufactures sport yacht and yachts with sales through our select retail dealership locations and through independent dealers. Cruisers Yachts is recognized as one of the world’s premier manufacturers of premium sport yacht and yachts, producing models from 33’ to 60’ feet. Intrepid Powerboats, also a wholly-owned MarineMax subsidiary, is recognized as a world class producer of customized boats, reflecting the unique desires of each individual owner. Intrepid Powerboats follows a direct-to-consumer distribution model.
Retail Locations
We sell our recreational boats and other marine products and offer our related boat services through 81 retail locations in Alabama, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin. Each retail location generally includes an indoor showroom (including some of the industry’s largest indoor boat showrooms) and an outside area for displaying boat inventories; a business office to assist customers in arranging financing and insurance; maintenance and repair facilities; and, at certain retail locations, boat storage services, including in-water slip storage and inside and outside land storage.
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Many of our retail locations are waterfront properties on some of the nation’s most popular boating locations. Our waterfront retail locations, most of which include marina-type facilities and docks at which we display our yachts and boats, are easily accessible to the boating populace, serve as in-water showrooms, and enable the sales force to give customers immediate in-water demonstrations of various boat models. Most of our other locations are in close proximity to water. The following table sets forth certain of our waterfront properties.
State |
Waterfront properties |
|
California |
Newport Bay |
San Diego Bay |
|
Richardson Bay |
|
Connecticut |
Norwalk Harbor |
Westbrook Harbor |
Florida |
Intracoastal Waterway |
Atlantic Ocean |
|
Boca Ciega Bay |
Caloosahatchee River |
|
Naples Bay |
Tampa Bay |
|
Pensacola Bay |
Saint Andrews Bay |
Georgia |
Lake Lanier |
Wilmington River |
Illinois |
Lake Michigan |
Lake Marie |
Maryland |
Chesapeake Bay |
|
Massachusetts |
Town River |
|
Michigan |
Saginaw River |
Lake St. Clair |
|
Cass Lake |
Spring Lake |
|
Lake Fenton |
|
Minnesota |
Lake Minnetonka |
St. Croix River |
|
Cross Lake |
|
Missouri |
Lake of the Ozarks |
|
New Jersey |
Barnegat Bay |
Little Egg Harbor Bay |
|
Little Egg Harbor Bay |
Manasquan River |
New York |
Huntington Harbor |
|
North Carolina |
Masonboro Inlet |
|
Ohio |
Lake Erie |
|
Oklahoma |
Grand Lake |
|
Rhode Island |
Newport Harbor |
|
South Carolina |
Lake Wylie |
|
Texas |
Clear Lake |
Lake Lewisville |
Washington |
Lake Union |
|
Wisconsin |
Sturgeon Bay |
Lake Mendota |
|
Kinnickinnic River |
Lake Butte Des Mortes |
Additionally, through IGY Marinas we own and manage luxury marinas situated around the world. The following table sets forth certain of our owned and managed luxury marinas.
Location |
Luxury Marinas |
|
Colombia |
Marina Santa Marta |
|
Costa Rica |
Marina Bahia Golfito |
|
England |
St. Katharine Docks |
|
France |
IGY Sète Marina |
IGY Vieux – Port de Cannes |
Italy, Sardinia |
IGY Portisco Marina |
Marina Di Porto Cervo |
Mexico |
Marina Cabo San Lucas |
|
Panama |
Red Frog Beach Island Marina |
|
Providenciales, Turks & Caicos |
Blue Haven Marina |
|
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia |
NEOM Sindalah Island |
|
Spain |
IGY Málaga Marina |
Málaga Marina San Andres |
|
IGY Ibiza Marina |
|
St. Maarten |
Yacht Club Isle de Sol |
Simpson Bay Marina |
St. Lucia |
Rodney Bay Marina |
|
United States, Florida |
Yacht Haven Grande Miami |
Maximo Marina, St. Petersburg |
United States, New York |
North Cove Marina at Brookfield Place |
|
United States Virgin Islands, Saint Thomas |
Yacht Haven Grande |
American Yacht Harbor |
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Operations
Dealership Operations and Management
We have adopted a generally decentralized approach to the operational management of our dealerships. While certain administrative functions are centralized at the corporate level, local management is primarily responsible for the day-to-day operations of the retail locations. Each retail location is managed by a general manager, who oversees the day-to-day operations, personnel, and financial performance of the individual store, subject to the direction of a regional president, district president or area manager, who generally has responsibility for the retail locations within a specified geographic region. Typically, each retail location also has a staff consisting of an F&I manager, a parts manager, a service manager, sales representatives, maintenance and repair technicians, and various support personnel.
Sales and Marketing
Our sales philosophy focuses on selling the pleasures of the boating and yachting lifestyle and creating memories of a lifetime with family and friends. We believe that the critical elements of our sales philosophy include our appealing retail and marina locations, no-hassle sales approach, highly trained sales representatives, high level of customer service, emphasis on educating the customer and the customer’s family on boating, and providing our customers with opportunities for experiences through our MarineMax Getaways!®. We strive to provide exceptional customer experiences through the best services, products, and technology before, during, and after the sale. Our team and customers are United by Water®.
Each retail location offers the customer the opportunity to evaluate a variety of new and used boats in a comfortable and convenient setting. Our full-service retail locations facilitate a turn-key purchasing process that includes attractive lender financing packages, extended service agreements, and insurance. Many of our retail locations are located on waterfronts and marinas, which attract boating enthusiasts and enable customers to operate various boats prior to making a purchase decision.
The brands we offer are diverse in size and use and are spread across our customer activities of leisure, fishing, watersports, luxury, and vacations. We believe the transformative qualities of the water should be shared by everyone, so we created our boat lineup accordingly. Our promise gives our brands meaning and reason to exist next to one another on our showroom floor.
We sell our boats at posted MarineMax “One Price” that generally represent a discount from the manufacturer’s suggested retail price. Our sales approach focuses on the customer experience by minimizing customer anxiety associated with price negotiation.
As a part of our sales and marketing efforts, our digital marketing capabilities are a competitive advantage, with the majority of leads originating through our digital properties, including MarineMax.com. Social media is a leading venue for customer engagement and communication and has become a strong medium for connecting with new customers. Additionally, we hold online experience events, including immersive boat tours, that allow participants to explore boats and yachts from multiple manufacturers, segments, and models from anywhere using their phone, tablet, or computer.
We participate in boat shows and in-the-water sales events at area boating locations, typically held in January, February, March, and toward the end of the boating season, in each of our markets. Boat shows and other offsite promotions are an important venue for engaging new customers. The boat shows also generate a significant amount of interest in our company and products, resulting in sales before and after the show. Our products and services are always available online and, through our online platform, we offer our full selection of boats, yachts, charters, and services. Our expert team is also available to assist customers and provide a great customer experience.
We emphasize customer education through one-on-one education from our team members including, at many locations, our delivery captains, both before and after a sale, and through in-house seminars for the entire family on boating safety, the use and operation of boats, and product demonstrations. Typically, one of our delivery captains or other team members delivers the customer’s boat to an area boating location and thoroughly instructs the customer about the operation of the boat, including hands-on instructions for docking and trailering the boat. To enhance our customer relationships after the sale, we lead and sponsor MarineMax Getaways!® group boating trips to various destinations, rendezvous gatherings, and on-the-water organized events that promote the boating lifestyle and memories of a lifetime. Each Company-sponsored event, planned and led by a Company team member, also provides a favorable medium for acclimating new customers to boating, sharing exciting boating destinations, creating friendships with other boaters, and enabling us to promote new product offerings to boating enthusiasts.
As a result of our ongoing investments in sales and marketing, we believe we have a competitive advantage within the industry by leveraging our strategic marketing capabilities to connect customers to the boating lifestyle. Part of our marketing capabilities include our customer relationships and data platforms that automatically manage customer engagements, evaluate a customer’s propensity to buy, manage sales activities, and facilitate Company-wide availability of a particular boat or other marine products and services desired by a customer.
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Suppliers and Inventory Management
We purchase a substantial portion of our new boat inventory directly from manufacturers, which allocate new boats to dealerships based on the amount of boats sold by the dealership and their market share. We manufacture a portion of our new boat inventory from our Product Manufacturing segment. We also exchange new boats with other dealers to accommodate customer demand and to balance inventory.
In fiscal 2023, sales of new Brunswick and Azimut boats and yachts accounted for approximately 24% and 11% of our revenue, respectively. Sales of new Sea Ray and Boston Whaler boats accounted for approximately 11% and 11%, respectively, of our revenue in fiscal 2023. No purchases of new boats and other marine related products from any other manufacturer accounted for more than 10% of our revenue in fiscal 2023.
We have entered into multi-year agreements with Brunswick covering Sea Ray and Boston Whaler. We also have a multi-year agreement with Azimut-Benetti Group for its Azimut product line. We typically deal with each of our manufacturers, other than Brunswick and Azimut-Benetti Group, under an annually renewable, non-exclusive dealer agreement.
The dealer agreements do not restrict our right to sell any product lines or competing products provided that we are in compliance with the material obligations of our dealer agreements. The terms of each dealer agreement appoints a designated geographical territory for the dealer, which is exclusive to the dealer provided that the dealer is able to meet the material obligations of its dealer agreement.
Manufacturers generally establish prices on an annual basis, but may change prices at their sole discretion. Manufacturers typically discount the cost of inventory and offer inventory financing assistance during the manufacturers’ slow seasons, generally October through March. To obtain lower cost of inventory, we strive to capitalize on these manufacturer incentives to take product delivery during the manufacturers’ slow seasons. This permits us to gain pricing advantages and better product availability during the selling season. Arrangements with certain other manufacturers may restrict our right to offer some product lines in certain markets.
We transfer individual boats among our retail locations to fill customer orders that otherwise might take substantially longer to fill from the manufacturer. This reduces delays in delivery, helps us maximize inventory turnover, and assists in minimizing potential overstock or out-of-stock situations. We actively monitor our inventory levels to maintain levels appropriate to meet current anticipated market demands. We are not bound by contractual agreements governing the amount of inventory that we must purchase in any year from any manufacturer, but the failure to purchase at agreed upon levels may result in the loss of certain manufacturer incentives or dealership rights.
Inventory Financing
Marine manufacturers customarily provide interest assistance programs to retailers. The interest assistance varies by manufacturer and may include periods of free financing or reduced interest rate programs. The interest assistance may be paid directly to the retailer or the financial institution depending on the arrangements the manufacturer has established. We believe that our financing arrangements with manufacturers are standard within the industry.
We account for consideration received from our vendors in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 606, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers” (“ASC 606”). ASC 606 requires us to classify interest assistance received from manufacturers as a reduction of inventory cost and related cost of sales as opposed to netting the assistance against our interest expense incurred with our lenders. Pursuant to ASC 606, amounts received by us under our co-op assistance programs from our manufacturers are netted against related advertising expenses.
We are party to a Credit Agreement with Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company as Administrative Agent, Swingline Lender, and Issuing Bank, Wells Fargo Commercial Distribution Finance, LLC, as Floor Plan Agent, and the lenders party thereto (the “Amended Credit Facility”). The Amended Credit Facility provides the Company a line of credit with asset based borrowing availability of up to $950 million and establishes a revolving credit facility in the maximum amount of $100 million (including a $20 million swingline facility and a $20 million letter of credit sublimit), a delayed draw term loan facility to finance the acquisition of IGY Marinas in the maximum amount of $400 million, and a $100 million delayed draw mortgage loan facility. The maturity of each of the facilities is August 2027. The Amended Credit Facility is further discussed in the “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” section of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Technology Platform
We believe that our technology platform, which is utilized by our companies and dealerships and that is continually developed with the latest capabilities, strategically enhances our ability to integrate successfully the operations of our companies and future acquisitions, facilitates the interchange of information, and enhances cross-selling opportunities throughout our company. The platform integrates each level of operations on a Company-wide basis, including but not limited to inventory, financial reporting, budgeting, marketing and sales management. We manage each company’s operations with the platform to execute at the highest level, continually grow, and deliver exceptional customers experiences. Sales representatives use the platform to gain strategic competitive insights,
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automatically generate follow-up activities, facilitate the availability of Company-wide products and services and monitor the maintenance and service needs of customers’ boats. Company representatives also utilize the platform to provide financing and insurance products, proactively schedule services and continually communicate with customers. We mitigate cybersecurity risks by employing extensive measures, including but not limited to employee training, protective technologies, monitoring and testing, external assessment services and maintenance of protective systems and contingency plans. Although we have not experienced a known material information security breach in the last three years and have developed systems and processes to prevent or detect security breaches and protect the confidential information we receive, store, transmit, and use, we cannot assure that such measures will provide absolute security.
Human Capital Resources
As of September 30, 2023, we had 3,928 employees, 2,671 (68%) of whom were in store-level operations, 927 (24%) of whom were in manufacturing operations, and 330 (8%) of whom were in corporate administration and operational management. We are not a party to any collective bargaining agreements. We consider our relations with our employees to be excellent.
In managing the business, we devote substantial efforts to recruit employees that we believe to be exceptionally well qualified for their position. We also train our employees to understand our core retail philosophies, which focus on making the purchase of a boat and its subsequent use as hassle-free and enjoyable as possible. Through our MarineMax Academy, we teach our retail philosophies to existing and new employees at various locations and through our online platform. MarineMax Academy offers synchronous and asynchronous instruction options to meet the needs of all team members. The learning modules kick off with a customized onboarding experience and then focus on our retailing philosophies, including instruction on such matters as the sales process, customer service, F&I, accounting, leadership, safety, compliance, and human resources. We also have a specialized service training center and program in Clearwater, Florida where we offer apprenticeship programs and train our service technicians in best practices.
Sales representatives receive compensation primarily on a commission basis. Each general manager is a salaried employee with incentive bonuses based on the performance of the managed dealership. Maintenance and repair service managers receive compensation on a salary basis with bonuses based on the performance of their departments. Our technology platform provides each store and department manager with daily financial and operational information, enabling them to monitor the performance of their personnel on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. We have a uniform, fully integrated technology platform serving each of our dealerships.
Our philosophy is to pay competitive base salaries to team members at levels that help us to attract, motivate, and retain highly qualified team members and reduce turnover. Cash incentive bonuses are designed to reward individuals based on our Company’s financial results as well as the achievement of personal and corporate objectives designed to contribute to our long-term success in building shareholder value. Grants of stock-based awards under our 2021 Stock-Based Compensation Plan are intended to align compensation with the price performance of our common stock. Total compensation levels reflect corporate positions, responsibilities, and achievement of goals. As a result of our performance-based compensation philosophy, pay levels may vary significantly from year to year and among our various team members. Performance metrics utilized by our cash compensation plans include pretax income performance bonus, aged inventory, district and regional financial performance targets, and net promoter score (customer satisfaction).
Intellectual Property
We have registered tradenames and trademarks, including among other marks, “MarineMax” and “United by Water” in over 20 countries and territories. Pursuant to agreements with manufacturers and subject to restrictions in those agreements, we have the right to use and display the trademarks and logos of our manufacturer’s brands at our retail stores as well as in our advertising and promotional materials. The current registrations of our tradenames and trademarks are effective for varying periods of time, which we may renew periodically, provided that we comply with all statutory maintenance requirements, including continued use of each trademark in each country.
Seasonality and Weather Conditions
Our business, as well as the entire recreational boating industry, is highly seasonal, with seasonality varying in different geographic markets. Over the three-year period ended September 30, 2023, the average revenue for the quarters ended December 31, March 31, June 30 and September 30 represented approximately 20%, 25%, 31%, and 24%, respectively, of our average annual revenues. With the exception of Florida, we generally realize significantly lower sales and higher levels of inventories and related short-term borrowings, in the quarterly periods ending December 31 and March 31. The onset of the public boat and recreation shows in January generally stimulates boat sales and typically allows us to reduce our inventory levels and related short-term borrowings throughout the remainder of the fiscal year. Our expansion into boat storage may act to reduce our seasonality and cyclicality.
Our business is also subject to weather patterns, which may adversely affect our results of operations. For example, prolonged winter conditions, drought conditions (or merely reduced rainfall levels) or excessive rain, may limit access to area boating locations or render boating dangerous or inconvenient, thereby curtailing customer demand for our products. In addition, unseasonably cool weather and prolonged winter conditions may lead to a shorter selling season in certain locations. Hurricanes and other storms could result in
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disruptions of our operations or damage to our boat inventories and facilities, as has been the case when Florida and other markets were affected by hurricanes, such as Hurricane Ian in 2022. Although our geographic diversity is likely to reduce the overall impact to us of adverse weather conditions in any one market area, these conditions will continue to represent potential, material adverse risks to us and our future financial performance.
Governmental Regulations, including Environmental Regulations
Our operations are subject to extensive regulation, supervision, and licensing under various foreign, federal, state, and local statutes, ordinances, and regulations. While we believe that we maintain all requisite licenses and permits and are in compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations, there can be no assurance that we will be able to maintain all requisite licenses and permits. The failure to satisfy those and other regulatory requirements could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. The adoption of additional laws, rules, and regulations could also have a material adverse effect on our business. Various foreign, federal, state, and local regulatory agencies, including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”), the EPA, and similar foreign, federal, state, and local agencies, have jurisdiction over the operation of our dealerships, repair facilities, and other operations with respect to matters such as consumer protection and privacy, workers’ safety, and laws regarding protection of the environment, including air, water, and soil.
The EPA has various air emissions regulations for outboard marine engines that impose more strict emissions standards for two-cycle, gasoline outboard marine engines. The majority of the outboard marine engines we sell are manufactured by Mercury Marine. Mercury Marine’s product line of low-emission engines, including the Verado, SeaPro, Pro XS, and other four-stroke outboards, have achieved the EPA’s mandated 2006 emission levels. While we remain committed to supporting sustainable manufacturing and a sustainable environment for all boaters, any increased costs of producing engines resulting from EPA standards, or the inability of our manufacturers to comply with EPA requirements, could have a material adverse effect on our business.
Certain of our facilities own and operate underground storage tanks (“USTs”) and above ground storage tanks (“ASTs”) for the storage of various petroleum products. The USTs and ASTs are generally subject to federal, state, and local laws and regulations that require testing and upgrading of tanks and remediation of contaminated soils and groundwater resulting from leaking tanks. In addition, if leakage from Company-owned or operated tanks migrates onto the property of others, we may be subject to civil liability to third parties for remediation costs or other damages. Based on historical experience, we believe that our liabilities associated with tank testing, upgrades, and remediation are unlikely to have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or operating results.
As with boat dealerships generally, and parts and service operations in particular, our business involves the use, handling, storage, and contracting for recycling or disposal of hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, including 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. Accordingly, we are subject to regulation by federal, state, and local authorities establishing requirements for the use, management, handling, and disposal of these materials and health and environmental quality standards, and liability related thereto, and providing penalties for violations of those standards. We are also subject to laws, ordinances, and regulations governing investigation and remediation of contamination at facilities we operate to which we send hazardous or toxic substances or wastes for treatment, recycling, or disposal.
We do not believe we have any material environmental liabilities or that compliance with environmental laws, ordinances, and regulations will, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations. However, soil and groundwater contamination has been known to exist at certain properties owned or leased by us. We have also been required and may in the future be required to remove USTs and ASTs containing hazardous substances or wastes. As to certain of our properties, specific releases of petroleum have been or are in the process of being remedied in accordance with state and federal guidelines. We are monitoring the soil and groundwater as required by applicable state and federal guidelines. In addition, the shareholders of certain of the acquired dealers have indemnified us (and such indemnification is continuing) for specific environmental issues identified on environmental site assessments performed by us as part of the acquisitions. We maintain insurance for pollutant cleanup and removal. The coverage pays for the expenses to extract pollutants from land or water at the insured property, if the discharge, dispersal, seepage, migration, release, or escape of the pollutants is caused by or results from a covered cause of loss. We also have additional storage tank liability insurance and Superfund (as defined below) coverage where applicable. In addition, certain of our retail locations are located on waterways that are subject to federal or state laws regulating navigable waters (including oil pollution prevention), fish and wildlife, and other matters.
Three of the properties we own were historically used as gasoline service stations. Remedial action with respect to prior historical site activities on these properties has been completed or is being completed in accordance with federal and state law. We do not believe that any of these environmental issues will result in any material liabilities to us.
Additionally, certain states have required or are considering requiring a license in order to operate a recreational boat. While such licensing requirements are not expected to be unduly restrictive, regulations may discourage potential first-time buyers, thereby limiting future sales, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
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Environmental Responsibility
We operate many retail locations near or on bodies of water that are acutely susceptible to the risks associated with climate change. Such risks include those related to the physical impacts of climate change, such as possibly more frequent and severe weather events, rising sea levels, and/or long term shifts in climate patterns, and risks related to the transition to a lower-carbon economy, such as reputational, market and/or regulatory risks. Our commitment to environmental responsibility and initiatives to reduce our environmental footprint are outlined in our “Environmental Policy.” Our Environmental Policy can be found on the Investor Relations section of our website at www.MarineMax.com under Governance Documents (for the avoidance of doubt, our Environmental Policy and other information contained on or accessible through our website is not incorporated into, and does not form a part of, this Annual Report or any other report or document we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC")). Our Environmental Policy and associated climate related risks and opportunities are reviewed by our Board of Directors on an annual basis or more frequently as needed.
We have engaged in many efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change. For example, we seek out, to the extent feasible, manufacturers committed to the highest levels of sustainability, environmental stewardship, and low-emissions as demonstrated by Mercury Marine. Mercury Marine’s commitment to sustainability and successes are detailed in its 2021 Sustainability Report. Mercury Marine’s accomplishments include winning the 2020 Energy Efficiency Excellence Award from Wisconsin’s Focus on Energy program, 2019 Sustainable Process Award from the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council for its sustainable use of aluminum, winning the 2018 Sustainable Product of the Year from the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council for its Active Trim technology, and winning the 2018 Business Friend of the Environment Award for their new V6 and V8 outboard engines. For the 11th consecutive year, the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council awarded Mercury Marine a “Green Masters” designation, a program measuring a broad range of sustainability issues including energy and water conservation, waste management, community outreach, and education. Mercury Marine has improved energy efficiency by implementing energy‑reducing projects, promoting best practices in energy management and employing new energy technologies, such as using the latest and most energy efficient HVAC systems, LED lighting, top-rated insulation, passive (natural) lighting, weather-stripping around windows and doors, double-door vestibules, automatic and timer-activated doors, and plans to build roof-mounted solar arrays where applicable.
Additionally, Azimut Yachts was awarded ISO 14001 certification, for its consistent and effective management system aimed at reducing the environmental impact of its operations. In addition, to maximize the eco-compatible standards of their yachts, Azimut Yachts adopted RINA (an organization specializing in classification, certification, testing, and inspection) principles to achieve RINA Green Plus notation. Azimut-Benetti Group and alternative fuels company Eni Sustainable Mobility signed an agreement for the supply and use of HVOlution, a biofuel derived from renewable raw materials, illustrating a tangible step forward on the course charted to reduce CO2 emissions. HVOlution is made of 100% hydrogenated vegetable oil and is produced at Eni Sustainable Mobility refineries in Venice and Gela, Italy from waste raw materials and vegetable residues or oils generated from crops that do not compete with food production. Also, MasterCraft's manufacturing facilities operate in alignment with the ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems Standard, the ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems standard, and the OHSAS 18001 International Occupational Health and Safety Management System standard. MasterCraft's largest facility, the MasterCraft brand facility, is certified in all three standards. MasterCraft believes it is the only boat manufacturer to achieve all three of these prestigious ISO certifications across production and product development systems.
Further, as opportunities arise, we have made targeted investments to support new technology, innovations, and research in the marine industry to reduce emissions, provide environmental stewardship, and support a sustainable environment for all boaters. The Fraser Yachts Group has become the first yacht company to sign the Pact for Energy Transition with the Monaco Government. The energy transition pact was created by the Monaco government to improve energy efficiency and promote renewable energy sources, with the target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by allowing residents, workers, businesses, institutions and associations to contribute to the energy transition effort.
We take pride in maintaining our retail locations and marinas for the benefit of the local communities and boaters we serve. We strive to execute a proactive strategy related to environmental, health, and safety laws and regulations, and environmental stewardship, which includes investing significant resources in maintaining and developing our retail locations and marinas for the long term. Additionally, several of our marinas have been designated as Clean Marinas. The Clean Marina Program recognizes facilities engaging in environmental best practices and exceeding regulatory requirements in and around waterways.
Corporate Social Responsibility
Our commitment to social responsibility is outlined in our “Human Rights Policy.” Our Human Rights Policy can be found on the Investor Relations section of our website at www.MarineMax.com under Governance Documents (for the avoidance of doubt, our Human Rights Policy and other information contained on or accessible through our website is not incorporated into, and does not form a part of, this Annual Report or any other report or document we file with the SEC). Our Human Rights Policy is reviewed by our Board of Directors on an annual basis or more frequently as needed. We strive to conduct our business in an ethical and socially responsible way, and are sensitive to the needs of the environment, our customers, our shareholders, our team members and our communities. Our ethical
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and social responsibility is guided by our MarineMax culture and values which are honesty, trust, loyalty, professionalism, consistency, always do what is right, treat others as we want to be treated, and always consider the long term. Our culture, values, and mission are shared and reinforced with our team members through daily stand up meetings, team events, and online communications. We pride ourselves on supporting our local communities both on and off the water. One way in which our presence is felt within the local community is by providing our team members time to volunteer and assist with Habitat for Humanity housing projects in addition to making charitable donations to Habitat for Humanity. In addition, we support humanitarian aid to countries in need through organizations such as the Red Cross. We also partner with the American Cancer Society to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month across all of our retail operations.
Product Liability
The products we sell or service may expose us to potential liabilities for personal injury or property damage claims relating to the use of those products. Historically, the resolution of product liability claims has not materially affected our business. Manufacturers of the products we sell generally maintain product liability insurance. We also maintain third-party product liability insurance that we believe to be adequate. We may experience claims that are not covered by, or that are in excess of, our insurance coverage. 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.
Available Information
Our internet address is www.MarineMax.com. We make available, free of charge through our website, our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC. For the avoidance of doubt, information contained on, or accessible through, our website is not incorporated into, and does not form a part of, this Form 10-K or any other report or document we file with the SEC.
Executive Officers
The following table sets forth information concerning each of our executive officers as of November 15, 2023:
Name |
|
Age |
|
Position |
William H. McGill Jr. |
|
79 |
|
Executive Chairman of the Board and Director |
William Brett McGill |
|
55 |
|
Chief Executive Officer, President and Director |
Michael H. McLamb |
|
58 |
|
Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, |
Charles A. Cashman |
|
60 |
|
Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer |
Anthony E. Cassella, Jr |
|
54 |
|
Executive Vice President Finance and Chief Accounting Officer |
Shawn Berg |
|
53 |
|
Executive Vice President and Chief Digital Officer |
Kyle G. Langbehn |
|
49 |
|
Executive Vice President and President of Retail Operations |
William H. McGill Jr. has served as the Executive Chairman of the Board since October 2018. Mr. McGill served as Chief Executive Officer of MarineMax from January 23, 1998 to September 30, 2018 and as the Chairman of the Board and as a Director of the Company since March 6, 1998. Mr. McGill served as the President of the Company from January 23, 1988 until September 8, 2000 and re-assumed the position from July 1, 2002 to October 1, 2017. Mr. McGill was the principal owner and president of Gulfwind USA, Inc., one of our operating subsidiaries, from 1973 until its merger with us in 1998.
William Brett McGill has served as Chief Executive Officer since October 2018, as President since October 2017, and as a Director since February 21, 2019. Mr. McGill served as President and Chief Operating Officer of MarineMax from October 2017 to October 2018. Mr. McGill served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer from October 2016 to October 2017, Executive Vice President Operations of the Company from October 2015 to September 2016, as Vice President of West Operations of the Company from May 2012 to September 2015, and was appointed as an executive officer by our Board of Directors in November 2012. Mr. McGill served as one of our Regional Presidents from March 2006 to May 2012, as Vice President of Information Technology, Service and Parts of the Company from October 2004 to March 2006, and as Director of Information Services from March 1998. Mr. McGill began his professional career with a software development firm, Integrated Dealer Systems, prior to joining MarineMax in 1996. William Brett McGill is the son of William H. McGill, Jr.
Michael H. McLamb has served as Executive Vice President of MarineMax since October 2002, as Chief Financial Officer since January 23, 1998, as Secretary since April 5, 1998, and as a Director since November 1, 2003. Mr. McLamb served as Vice President
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and Treasurer of the Company from January 23, 1998 until October 22, 2002. Mr. McLamb, a certified public accountant, was employed by Arthur Andersen LLP from December 1987 to December 1997, serving most recently as a Senior Manager.
Charles A. Cashman has served as Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer of MarineMax since October 2016. Mr. Cashman served as Executive Vice President Sales, Marketing, and Manufacturer Relations of the Company from October 2015 to September 2016, served as Vice President of East Operations from May 2012 to September 2015, and was appointed as an executive officer by our Board of Directors in November 2012. Mr. Cashman served as Regional President of East Florida from October 2008 to May 2012, and as District Manager of the East Coast of Florida from March 2007 to October 2008. Mr. Cashman served in several other positions of increasing responsibility, including Sales Consultant, Sales Manager, and General Manager, since joining MarineMax in 1992.
Anthony E. Cassella, Jr. has served as Executive Vice President Finance of MarineMax since February 2023, Vice President since February 2016, Chief Accounting Officer as appointed by our Board of Directors in October 2014, and Vice President of Accounting and Shared Services since February 2011. Mr. Cassella served as Director of Shared Services from October 2007 until February 2011 and Regional Controller from March 1999 until October 2007. Mr. Cassella was the Controller of Merit Marine which the Company acquired in March 1999. Mr. Cassella, a certified public accountant, worked in public accounting from June 1991 to February 1998, serving most recently as Manager.
Shawn Berg has served as Chief Digital Officer since April 2019 overseeing the Company's Technology, Marketing, and Digital Business operations. Mr. Berg was appointed as an executive officer of MarineMax by our Board of Directors in October 2022. Previously he served as Vice President of Technology after joining MarineMax in 2017. Mr. Berg has over 30 years of experience, including multiple officer-level positions, delivering strategic business growth to companies across the marine, auto, and retail industries. In addition, Mr. Berg has extensive experience in finance, insurance, distribution, servicing, and supply chain operations.
Kyle G. Langbehn has served as President of Retail Operations since July 2020, responsible for MarineMax’s retail operations. Mr. Langbehn was appointed as an executive officer of MarineMax by our Board of Directors in October 2022. Previously he served as Vice President of Operations beginning in October of 2018. Mr. Langbehn has excelled in numerous positions of increasing responsibility including Sales Consultant, Sales Manager, General Sales Manager, General Manager, and Regional President since joining MarineMax in 2002.
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Item 1A. Risk Factors
Risks Related to Competition, Economic, and Industry Conditions
Our success depends to a significant extent on the well-being, as well as the continued popularity and reputation for quality of the boating products, of our manufacturers, particularly Brunswick’s Sea Ray and Boston Whaler boat lines, Azimut-Benetti Group’s Azimut products and Mercury Marine engines. The failure to obtain a high quality and desirable mix of competitively priced products that our customers demand could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Approximately 24% of our revenue in fiscal 2023 resulted from sales of new boats manufactured by Brunswick, including approximately 11% from Brunswick’s Sea Ray division, 11% from Brunswick’s Boston Whaler division, and approximately 2% from Brunswick’s other divisions. Additionally, approximately 11% of our revenue in fiscal 2023 resulted from sales of new boats manufactured by Azimut-Benetti Group. The remainder of our fiscal 2023 revenue from new boat sales resulted from sales of products from a limited number of other manufacturers, none of which accounted for more than 10% of our revenue.
We depend on our manufacturers to provide us with products that compare favorably with competing products in terms of quality, performance, safety, and advanced features, including the latest advances in propulsion and navigation systems. Any adverse change in the production efficiency, product development efforts, technological advancement, expansion of manufacturing footprint, supply chain and third-party suppliers, marketplace acceptance, marketing capabilities, ability to secure adequate access to capital, and financial condition of our manufacturers, particularly Brunswick (including Mercury Marine, a division of Brunswick) and Azimut-Benetti Group, given our reliance on Sea Ray, Boston Whaler, Mercury Marine engines, and Azimut, would have a substantial adverse impact on our business. Any difficulties encountered by any of our manufacturers, particularly Brunswick and Azimut-Benetti Group, resulting from economic, financial, supply chain, or other factors could adversely affect the quality and amount of products that they are able to supply to us and the services and support they provide to us.
Any interruption or discontinuance of the operations of Brunswick, Azimut-Benetti Group or other manufacturers could cause us to experience shortfalls, disruptions or delays with respect to needed inventory. Although we believe in our brand, our product diversification and that adequate alternate sources would be available that could replace any manufacturer other than Brunswick and Azimut-Benetti Group as a product source, those alternate sources may not be available at the time of any interruption, and alternative products may not be available at comparable quality and price.
Boat manufacturers exercise substantial control over our business.
We depend on our dealer agreements. We have dealer agreements with Brunswick covering Sea Ray and Boston Whaler products. Most of our retail locations have a multi-year dealer agreement which provides for the lowest product prices charged by the Sea Ray division of Brunswick or Boston Whaler, as applicable, from time to time to other domestic Sea Ray or Boston Whaler dealers, as applicable. These terms are subject to:
Each dealer agreement designates a specific geographical territory for the dealer, which is exclusive to the dealer provided that the dealer is able to meet the material obligations of its dealer agreement.
We are the exclusive dealer for Azimut-Benetti Group’s Azimut product line for the United States. The Azimut dealer agreement provides a geographic territory to promote the product line and to network with the appropriate clientele through various independent locations designated for Azimut retail sales. Our dealer agreement is a multi-year term but requires us to be in compliance with its terms and conditions.
As is typical in the industry, we generally deal with manufacturers, other than Sea Ray, Boston Whaler, and Azimut, under renewable annual dealer agreements. These agreements do not contain any contractual provisions concerning product pricing or required purchasing levels. Pricing is generally established on a model year basis, but is subject to change in the manufacturer’s sole discretion. Any change or termination of these arrangements for any reason could adversely affect product availability and cost and our financial performance.
Through these dealer agreements, boat manufacturers (particularly Brunswick and Azimut) exercise significant control over their dealers, restricting them to specified locations, and retaining approval rights over changes in management and ownership, among other
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things. Failure to meet the customer satisfaction, market share goals, and other conditions set forth in any dealer agreement could have various consequences, including the following:
These events could have a material adverse effect on our competitive position and financial performance.
Our business, as well as the entire recreational boating industry, is highly seasonal, with seasonality varying in different geographic markets.
Over the three-year period ended September 30, 2023, the average revenue for the quarterly periods ended December 31, March 31, June 30 and September 30 represented approximately 20%, 25%, 31%, and 24%, respectively, of our average annual revenue. With the exception of Florida, we generally realize significantly lower sales and higher levels of inventories and related short-term borrowings in the quarterly periods ending December 31 and March 31. The onset of the public boat and recreation shows in January typically stimulates boat sales and allows us to reduce our inventory levels and related short-term borrowings throughout the remainder of the fiscal year. Our business could become substantially more seasonal if we acquire dealers that operate in colder regions of the United States, which are generally closed or experience lower volume in the winter months.
The failure to receive rebates and other dealer incentives (interest assistance and co-op assistance) 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.
Other recreational activities, poor industry perception, and potential health risks from 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 health risks from engaging in outdoor activities and local environmental conditions in the areas in which we operate dealerships could adversely affect the levels of boat purchases. 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 lack of customer education throughout the retail boat industry, which has traditionally been perceived to be relatively poor, represent impediments to boat purchases.
We face intense competition.
We operate in a highly competitive 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 retail locations. We rely to a certain extent on boat shows to generate sales.
We compete primarily with single-location boat dealers and, with respect to sales of marine parts, accessories, and equipment, with national specialty marine parts and accessories stores, online catalog retailers, sporting goods stores, and mass merchants. Competition among boat dealers is based on the quality 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
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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 used boats represent an additional source of competition.
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 marine and storage availability to satisfy demand.
Timing of large boat and yacht sales and failure to adequately anticipate consumer preference and demand may have an adverse impact on our business.
Forecasting optimal inventory levels is difficult to predict based on, among other things, changes in economic conditions, consumer preferences, delivery of new models from manufacturers, and timing of large boat and yacht sales. Failure to adequately anticipate consumer demand and preferences could negatively impact our inventory management strategies, inventory carrying costs, and our operating margins.
Economic conditions and consumer spending patterns can have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
General economic conditions 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 consumer spending in the markets we serve and adversely affect our business. Economic conditions in areas in which we operate dealerships, such as corporate downsizing, military base closings, and inclement weather such as hurricanes or other storms, environmental conditions, and specific events, such as the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, or Hurricane Ian in 2022, also could adversely affect, and in certain instances have adversely 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 luxury goods. Consumer spending on luxury goods also may decline as a result of lower consumer confidence levels, even if prevailing economic conditions are favorable. As a result, an economic downturn could impact us more than certain of our competitors due to our strategic focus on a higher end of our market.
Unfavorable economic conditions can cause us to reduce our acquisition program, delay new store openings, reduce our inventory purchases, engage in inventory reduction efforts, close a number of our retail locations, reduce our headcount, and amend and replace our credit facility, and could also interfere with our supply of certain brands by manufacturers, reduce marketing and other support by manufacturers, decrease revenue, put additional pressures on margins, and result in our failure to satisfy covenants under our credit agreement.
More recently, inflation has increased in the United States and throughout the world. This has affected the prices manufacturers charge us, as well as the prices that we charge our customers. To the extent such inflation continues, increases, or both, it may reduce our margins and have a material adverse effect on our financial performance.
Our sales have been, and may further be, adversely impacted by recent increases, and likely future increases, in interest rates and adverse changes in fiscal policy or credit market conditions.
Fiscal and monetary policy have had a material adverse impact on worldwide economic conditions, the financial markets, and availability of credit and, consequently, have negatively affected, and may further negatively affect, our industries, businesses, and overall financial condition. Recent changes by the Federal Reserve to raise its benchmark interest rate has resulted in significantly higher long-term interest rates, which has negatively impacted, and may further negatively impact, our customers’ willingness or desire to purchase our products. While credit availability is currently adequate to support demand, if credit conditions worsen and adversely affect the ability of customers to finance potential purchases at acceptable terms and interest rates, it could result in a decrease in sales and materially impact our financial condition or results of operations.
Inflation could adversely affect our financial results.
The market prices of certain materials and components used by us and our suppliers in manufacturing our products can be volatile. Significant increases in inflation, particularly those related to wages and increases in the cost of raw materials, may have an adverse impact on the business, financial condition, and results of operations of us or our suppliers, and our suppliers may in turn pass such increases along to us by raising the cost of our inventories. In addition, new boat buyers often finance their purchases. Inflation, along with rising interest rates, could translate into an increased cost of boat ownership. 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.
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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.
Risks Related to Our Strategies
Failure to implement strategies to enhance our performance or our strategies could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition.
We are increasing our efforts to grow our financing and insurance, parts and accessories, service, yacht charter, brokerage, and boat storage businesses to better serve our customers and thereby increase revenue and improve profitability as a result of these higher margin businesses. In addition, we have implemented programs to increase the lead capture and digital sales of used boats, parts, accessories, and a wide range of boating supplies and products. These efforts and programs are designed to increase our revenue and reduce our dependence on the sale of new boats. We are also pursuing certain acquisitions as discussed in the immediately following Risk Factors. These business initiatives have required, and will continue to require, us to add personnel, invest capital, enter businesses 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 such investments if not successful.
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 dealers and each dealer we acquire in the future.
Since March 1, 1998, we have acquired 33 additional previously independent recreational boat dealers, multiple marinas, five boat brokerage operations, five superyacht service companies, two full-service yacht repair operations, and two boat and yacht manufacturers. Each acquired dealer and entity operated independently prior to its acquisition by us. 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 dealers, 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 dealerships. We may not be able to oversee the combined entity efficiently, realize anticipated synergies, or implement effectively 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 failure to pursue successfully our acquisition strategies or operate effectively the combined entity could have a material adverse effect on our rate of growth and operating performance.
We may pursue acquisition strategies in new lines of business.
We have historically pursued strategic acquisitions to capitalize upon the consolidation opportunities in the highly fragmented recreational boat dealer industry by acquiring additional dealers and related operations and improving their performance and profitability through the implementation of our operating strategies. We have also recently pursued, and may continue to pursue, potential contract manufacturing, vertical integration strategies, yacht charter and brokerage, marinas, boat storage, or other acquisitions as opportunities arise. To the extent we are successful in pursuing one or more of these strategies, we will face certain risks in addition to those that exist with acquisitions more closely related to our historical business, including potential inexperience in a line of business that is either new to us or that has become materially more significant to us as a result of a transaction, the potential difficulty of presenting a unified corporate image, greater uncertainties in the financial benefits and potential liabilities associated with this expanded base of acquisitions, different types of legal and operational risks, and different types of applicable financial metrics and goals. Our failure to pursue successfully our acquisition strategies in new lines of business, operate effectively the combined entity, and/or mitigate any potential new risks, could have a material adverse effect on our rate of growth and operating performance.
Unforeseen expenses, difficulties, and delays frequently encountered in connection with expansion through acquisitions could inhibit our growth and negatively impact our profitability.
The acquisition of additional recreational boat dealers, boat storage facilities, yacht brokerage operations, and marinas, which is one of our growth strategies, and vertical integration strategies, all involve significant risks. This strategy entails reviewing and potentially reorganizing acquired business operations, corporate infrastructure and systems, and financial controls. Unforeseen expenses, difficulties and delays frequently encountered in connection with expansion through acquisitions could inhibit our growth and negatively
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impact our profitability. We may be unable to identify suitable acquisition candidates or to complete the acquisitions of candidates that we identify. 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 best interest of shareholders. Acquisitions also may become more difficult or less attractive in the future as we acquire more of the most attractive dealers that best align with our culture and focus on customer service. In addition, we may encounter difficulties in integrating the operations of acquired dealers with our own operations, difficulties in retaining employees, potential risks of losing customers, suppliers, or other business relationships, and difficulties in managing acquired dealers profitably without substantial costs, delays, or other operational or financial problems.
Our ability to continue to grow through acquisitions depends upon various factors, including the following:
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 shareholders will experience dilution in the voting power of their common stock and earnings per share could be negatively impacted. 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.
We may be required to obtain the consent of Brunswick and various other 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 also may 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 internal growth and operating strategies of opening new locations and offering new products involve risk.
In addition to pursuing growth by acquiring boat dealers, we intend to continue to pursue a strategy of growth through opening new retail locations and offering new products in our existing and new territories. This strategy may entail 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.
Accomplishing these goals for expansion will depend upon a number of factors, including the following:
Our dealer agreements with Brunswick require Brunswick’s consent to open, close, or change retail locations that sell Sea Ray or Boston Whaler products, as applicable, and other dealer agreements generally contain similar provisions. We may not be able to open and operate new retail locations or introduce new product lines on a timely or profitable basis. Moreover, the costs associated with opening new retail locations or introducing new product lines may adversely affect our profitability.
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As a result of these growth strategies, we expect to continue to expend significant time and effort in opening and acquiring new retail locations, improving existing retail locations in our current markets, and introducing new products. Our systems, procedures, controls, financial resources, and management and staffing levels 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.
In addition to our traditional repeat and referral business in our physical locations, digital channels are increasingly significant in serving our existing customer base and reaching new customers. Our continued expansion and success will be negatively impacted if we are not able to fully exploit these channels.
Our digital channels are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that are beyond our control, including the following:
Further, we may also be vulnerable to competitive pressures from the growing electronic commerce activity in our market, both as they may impact our own on-line business, and as they may impact the operating results and investment values of our existing physical locations.
Various operations in multiple countries around the world expose us to international political, economic, foreign currency, and other risks.
Our operations involve certain international activities, including our sales of yachts produced by the Azimut-Benetti Group in Italy, yachts produced by Galeon in Poland, yachts produced by Ocean Alexander in Taiwan, and power catamarans produced by Sino Eagle in China, as well as our Fraser Yachts Group and Northrop & Johnson operations in various countries. These activities in multiple countries around the world expose us to international political, economic, foreign currency, and other risks. Some of our sales and purchases of inventory are denominated in a currency other than the U.S. dollar. Consequently, a strong or weak U.S. dollar may adversely affect reported revenues and our profitability. We may hedge certain foreign currency exposures to lessen and delay, but not to completely eliminate, the effects of foreign currency fluctuations on our financial results. Our future financial results could be significantly affected by the value of the U.S. dollar in relation to the foreign currencies in which we conduct business.
Furthermore, the geopolitical and economic uncertainty and/or instability that may result from changes in the relationship among the United States, Taiwan and China, may, directly or indirectly, materially harm our business, financial condition and financial performance. For example, certain of our suppliers are dependent on products sourced from Taiwan. Greater restrictions and/or disruptions of our suppliers’ ability to operate facilities and/or do business in and with Taiwan may increase the cost of certain materials and/or limit the supply of products sourced from Taiwan. This may result in deterioration of our profit margins, a potential need to increase our pricing and, in so doing, may decrease demand for our products and thereby adversely impact our financial performance.
Additionally, protectionist trade legislation in the United States, the European Union, Poland, or China, such as a change in current tariff structures, export or import compliance laws, or other trade policies could adversely affect our ability to import yachts from these foreign suppliers under economically favorable terms and conditions. There have been recent changes, and additional changes may occur in the future, to United States and foreign trade and tax policies, including heightened import restrictions, import and export licenses, new tariffs, trade embargoes, government sanctions, and trade barriers. Any of these restrictions could prevent or make it difficult or more costly for us to import yachts from foreign suppliers under economically favorable terms and conditions. Increased
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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. Many of these challenges, particularly tariffs, are present in commerce with China, a market from which we purchase products. While such tariffs may be delayed or cancelled before coming into effect and we believe we have taken steps to mitigate their potential effects, such tariffs would likely increase our costs for our Chinese suppliers.
Our international operations create a number of logistical and communications challenges. The economic, political and other risks we face resulting from these operations include the following:
The intended benefits of the IGY Marinas acquisition may not be realized.
The IGY Marinas acquisition poses risks for our ongoing operations, including, among others:
As a result of the foregoing, we cannot assure you that the IGY Marinas acquisition will be accretive to us in the near term or at all. Furthermore, if we fail to realize the intended benefits of the IGY Marinas acquisition, the market price of our common stock could decline to the extent that the market price reflects those benefits.
The Ukraine crisis could have a significant adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, and cash flow in the future.
The Ukraine crisis raises a host of potential threats and risk factors to consider even though we do not conduct significant business directly in Ukraine or Russia. Sanctions brought against Russia will impact the import, export, sale, and supply of goods and services with companies located in the U.S. and other regions. Many companies have ceased all operations in Russia with significant expected short-term and long-term losses. This has had, will likely continue to have, a negative impact on the global economy and has affected, and will likely continue to affect, economic and capital markets. A downturn in the economy could adversely affect our financial performance.
The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine has impacted global energy markets, particularly in Europe, leading to high volatility and increasing prices for crude oil, natural gas and other energy supplies. Higher energy costs result in increases in operating expenses
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at our manufacturing facilities, in the expense of shipping raw materials to our facilities, and in the expense of shipping products to our customers. In addition, increases in energy costs may adversely affect the pricing and availability of petroleum-based raw materials, such as resins and foams that are used in manufacturing.
Risks Related to Our Operations
The availability and costs of borrowed funds can adversely affect our ability to obtain adequate boat inventory and the ability and willingness of our customers to finance boat purchases.
The availability and costs of borrowed funds can adversely affect our ability to obtain and maintain adequate boat inventory and the holding costs of that inventory as well as the ability and willingness of our customers to finance boat purchases. We rely on the Amended Credit Agreement to purchase and maintain our inventory of boats. The Amended Credit Agreement provides the Company a line of credit with asset based borrowing availability of up to $950 million and establishes a revolving credit facility in the maximum amount of $100 million, a delayed draw term loan facility to finance the acquisition of IGY Marinas in the maximum amount of $400 million, and a $100 million delayed draw mortgage loan facility. None of our real estate has been pledged for collateral for the Amended Credit Agreement. As of September 30, 2023, we were in compliance with all of the covenants under the Amended Credit Agreement and our additional available borrowings under the Amended Credit Agreement was approximately $8.5 million based upon the outstanding borrowing base availability.
Our ability to borrow under the Amended Credit Agreement depends on our ability to continue to satisfy our covenants and other obligations under the Amended Credit Agreement and the ability for our manufacturers to be approved vendors under our Amended Credit Agreement. The variable interest rate under our Amended Credit Agreement will fluctuate with changing market conditions and, accordingly, our interest expense will increase as interest rates rise. A significant increase in interest rates could have a material adverse effect on our operating results. The aging of our inventory limits our borrowing capacity as defined provisions in the Amended Credit Agreement 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 Amended Credit Agreement to fund our operations. Any inability to utilize the Amended Credit Agreement or the acceleration of amounts owed, resulting from a covenant violation, insufficient collateral, or lender difficulties, could require us to seek other sources of funding to repay amounts outstanding under the Amended Credit Agreement or replace or supplement the Amended Credit Agreement, which may not be possible at all or under commercially reasonable terms.
Similarly, decreases in the availability of credit and increases in the cost of credit 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 and insurance activities.
Higher energy, costs and availability of raw materials, parts, components, and fuel costs along with adequate supply may adversely affect our business.
All of the recreational boats we sell are powered by diesel or gasoline engines. Consequently, an interruption in the supply, or 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 negatively impact boat sales. The supply of fuels may be interrupted, rationing may be imposed, or the price of or tax on fuels may significantly increase in the future, adversely impacting our business. Also, increases in energy costs can adversely affect the pricing and availability of petroleum-based raw materials such as resins and foam that are used in many of the marine products produced by boat manufacturers, including Cruisers Yachts and Intrepid Powerboats, increasing our cost of inventory. Additionally, higher fuel prices may also have an adverse effect on demand for our parts and accessories business because higher fuel prices increase the cost of boat ownership and possibly affect product use.
Boat manufacturers, including Cruisers Yachts and Intrepid Powerboats, rely on third parties to supply raw materials used in the manufacturing process, including oil, aluminum, copper, steel, and resins, as well as product parts and components. The prices for these raw materials, parts, and components fluctuate depending on market conditions and, in some instances, commodity prices or trade policies, including tariffs. Substantial increases in the prices of raw materials, parts, and components would increase our product and operating costs, and could reduce our profitability if we are unable to recoup the increased costs through higher product prices or improved operating efficiencies. Similarly, if a critical supplier were to close its operations, cease manufacturing, or otherwise fail to deliver an essential component necessary to our manufacturing operations, that could detrimentally affect our ability to purchase or manufacture and sell products, resulting in an interruption in business operations and/or a loss of sales.
In addition, some components used in the boat manufacturing processes, including certain engine components, furniture, upholstery, and boat windshields, are available from a sole supplier or a limited number of suppliers. Operational and financial difficulties that these or other suppliers may face in the future could adversely affect their ability to supply us with the parts and components we and our boat manufacturers need, which could significantly disrupt our operations. It may be difficult to find a
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replacement supplier for a limited or sole source raw material, part, or component without significant delay or on commercially reasonable terms. In addition, an uncorrected defect or supplier's variation in a raw material, part, or component, either unknown to us or incompatible with our manufacturing process, could jeopardize our ability to manufacture products.
Some additional supply risks that could disrupt our operations, impair our ability to deliver products to customers, and negatively affect our financial results include:
These risks are exacerbated in the case of single-source suppliers, and the exclusive supplier of a key component could potentially exert significant bargaining power over price, quality, warranty claims, or other terms.
Substantially all of our products are powered with outboard engines from Mercury Marine, Yamaha, and inboard engines from Volvo, which makes us reliant on these companies for the supply of engines.
The availability and cost of engines for our boats and yachts is critical. If we are required to replace Mercury Marine, Yamaha, or Volvo as our engine suppliers for any reason, it could cause a decrease in products available for sale or an increase in our cost of sales, either of which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. If we experience an interruption to our engine supply, then this could cause a decrease in products available for sale or an increase in our cost of sales, either of which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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. Any difficulty of customers to obtain affordable boat insurance could impede boat sales and adversely affect our business.
Elements of our yacht charter and charter brokerage businesses expose us to certain risks.
Our yacht charter business entails the sale of specifically designed yachts to third parties for inclusion in our yacht charter fleet; a yacht management agreement under which yacht owners enable us to put their yachts in our yacht charter program for a period of several years for a fixed monthly fee payable by us; our services in storing, insuring, and maintaining their yachts; and the charter by us of these yachts to vacation customers at agreed fees payable to us. Our failure to find purchasers for yachts intended for our charter fleet will increase our boat inventory and related operating costs; lack of sales into our charter fleet may result in increased losses due to market adjustments of our yacht charter inventory; and our failure to generate a sufficient number of vacation charter customers will require us to absorb all the costs of the monthly fees to the yacht owners as well as other operating costs.
Customers consider safety and reliability a primary concern in selecting a yacht charter provider. The yacht charter business may present a number of safety risks including, but not limited to, catastrophic disaster, adverse weather and marine conditions, such as Hurricane Ian in 2022, mechanical failure and collision, and public health issues. If we are unable to maintain acceptable records for safety and reliability, our ability to retain current customers and attract new customers may be adversely affected. Additionally, any safety issue encountered during a yacht charter may result in claims against us as well as negative publicity. These events could have a material adverse effect on the competitive position and financial performance of both our yacht charter business and our core retail sales business.
The yacht charter business is also highly fragmented, consisting primarily of local operators and franchisees. Competition among charter operators is based on location, the type and size of yachts offered, charter rates, destinations serviced, and attention to customer service. Yacht charters also face competition from other travel and leisure options, including, but not limited to, cruises, hotels, resorts, theme parks, organized tours, land-based casino operators, and vacation ownership properties. We therefore risk losing business not only to other charter operators, but also to vacation operators that provide such alternatives.
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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 and insurance products, consisting of customer financing, insurance coverage, 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 rate environment. Lenders may impose terms in their boat financing arrangements with us that may be unfavorable to us or our customers. 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 F&I products.
The reduction of profit margins on sales of F&I products or the lack of demand for or the unavailability of these products could have a material adverse effect on our operating margins.
Our continued success is dependent on positive perceptions of our MarineMax brand which, if impaired, could adversely affect our sales.
We believe that our MarineMax brand is one of the reasons our customers choose to come to us for their boating needs. To be successful, we must preserve our reputation. Reputational value is based in large part on perceptions, and broad access to social media makes it easy for anyone to provide public feedback that can influence perceptions of us. It may be difficult to control negative publicity, regardless of whether it is accurate. While reputations may take decades to build, any negative incidents can quickly erode trust and confidence, particularly if they result in significant negative mainstream and/or social media publicity, governmental investigations, or litigation. Additionally, an isolated business incident at a single retail location could materially adversely affect our other stores, retail brands, reputation and sales channels, particularly if such incident results in significant adverse publicity, governmental investigations or litigation. Negative incidents, such as quality and safety concerns or incidents related to our manufacturers’ products, could lead to tangible adverse effects on our business, including lost sales or team member retention and recruiting difficulties. In addition, vendors and others with whom we choose to do business may affect our reputation.
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. As a result of our decentralized operating strategy, we also rely on the management teams of our businesses. In addition, we likely will depend on the senior management of any significant businesses we acquire in the future.
The products we sell, or services we provide, may expose us to potential liabilities for personal injury or property damage claims relating to the use of those products.
Manufacturers of the products we sell generally maintain product liability insurance. We also maintain third-party product liability insurance that we believe to be adequate. We may experience claims that are not covered by, or that are in excess of, our insurance coverage. 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.
We manufacture and sell products that create exposure to potential claims and litigation.
Our manufacturing operations and the products we produce could result in product quality, warranty, personal injury, property damage, and other issues, thereby increasing the risk of litigation and potential liability, as well as regulatory fines. Historically, the resolution of such claims has not had a materially adverse effect on our business, and we maintain what we believe to be adequate insurance coverage to mitigate a portion of these risks. However, we may experience material losses in the future, incur significant costs to defend claims or issue product recalls, experience claims in excess of our insurance coverage or that are not covered by insurance, or be subjected to fines or penalties. Our reputation may be adversely affected by such claims, whether or not successful, including potential negative publicity about our products. We record accruals for known potential liabilities, but there is the possibility that actual losses may exceed these accruals and therefore negatively impact earnings.
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We have a fixed cost base that can affect our profitability if demand decreases.
The fixed cost levels of operating a boat and yacht manufacturer can put pressure on profit margins when sales and production decline. Our profitability depends, in part, on our ability to spread fixed costs over a sufficiently large number of products sold and shipped, and if we make a decision to reduce our rate of production, gross or net margins could be negatively affected. Consequently, decreased demand or the need to reduce production can lower our ability to absorb fixed costs and materially impact our financial condition or results of operations.
Adverse federal or state tax policies can have a negative effect on us.
Changes in federal and state tax laws, such as an imposition of luxury taxes on new boat purchases, increases in prevailing federal or state tax rates, and removal of certain interest deductions, also 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.
In addition, increases in the United States corporate income tax rates (as currently being contemplated by the United States' legislative and executive branches) would have an adverse effect on our financial performance and financial condition. Further, related increases in capital gains rates, personal income tax rates or both could have an adverse effect on the buying power of potential customers and therefore an adverse effect on our financial performance and financial condition.
Marinas may not be readily adaptable to other uses.
Marinas are specific-use properties and may contain features or assets that have limited alternative uses. These properties may also have distinct operational functions that involve specific procedures and training. If the operations of any of our marinas become unprofitable due to industry competition, operational execution or otherwise, then it may not be feasible to operate the property for another use, and the value of certain features or assets used at the property, or the property itself, may be impaired, this would have a material adverse effect on our financial performance.
We may be unable to obtain, renew or maintain permits, licenses and approvals necessary for the operation of our marinas.
Governmental bodies control much of the land located beneath and surrounding many of our marinas and lease such land to MarineMax and IGY Marinas under leases that typically range from five to 50 years. As a result, it is unlikely that we can obtain fee-simple title to the land on or near these marinas. If these governmental authorities terminate, fail to renew, or interpret in ways that are materially less favorable any of the permits, licenses and approvals necessary for operation of these properties, this would have a material adverse effect on our financial performance.
Some marinas must be dredged from time to time to remove silt and mud that collect in harbor-areas in order to assure that boat traffic can safely enter the harbor. Dredging and disposing of the dredged material can be very costly and require permits from various governmental authorities. If the permits necessary to dredge marinas or dispose of the dredged material cannot be timely obtained after the acquisition of a marina, or if dredging is not practical or is exceedingly expensive, this would have a material adverse effect on our financial performance.
Changes in the assumptions used to calculate our acquisition related contingent consideration liabilities could have a material adverse impact on our financial results.
Our recent acquisitions included 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 and goodwill 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, 2023, we have approximately $528 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
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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 is recorded at fair value at the time of acquisition and is not amortized but reviewed for impairment at least annually or more frequently if impairment indicators arise. In evaluating the potential for impairment of goodwill, 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 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.
Risks Related to the Environment and Geography
Weather and environmental conditions may adversely impact our business.
Weather and environmental conditions may adversely impact our operating results. For example, drought conditions, reduced rainfall levels, excessive rain and environmental conditions, and hurricanes may force boating areas to close or render boating dangerous or inconvenient, thereby curtailing customer demand for our products. While we traditionally maintain a full range of insurance coverage for any such events, there can be no assurance that such insurance coverage is adequate to cover losses that we sustain as a result of such disasters. In addition, unseasonably cool weather and prolonged winter conditions may lead to shorter selling seasons in certain locations. Many of our dealerships sell boats to customers for use on reservoirs, thereby subjecting our business to the continued viability of these reservoirs for boating use. Although our geographic diversity and any future geographic expansion should reduce the overall impact on us of adverse weather and environmental conditions in any one market area, weather and environmental conditions will continue to represent potential material adverse risks to us and our future operating performance.
Demand for wet slip storage increases during the summer months in our northern markets as customers contract for the summer boating season. Demand for dry storage increases during the winter season as seasonal weather patterns in certain geographies require boat owners to store their vessels on dry docks and within covered racks. Our results on a quarterly basis can fluctuate due to this cyclicality and seasonality.
Additionally, to the extent unfavorable weather conditions are exacerbated by global climate change, regardless of the cause, resulting in environmental changes including, but not limited to, severe weather, changing sea levels, poor water conditions, or reduced access to water, such conditions could disrupt or negatively affect our business.
Environmental and climate changes could affect our business.
We operate many retail locations near or on bodies of water that are acutely susceptible to the risks associated with climate change. Such risks include those related to the physical impacts of climate change, such as more frequent and severe weather events, rising sea levels, and/or long term shifts in climate patterns, and risks related to the transition to a lower-carbon economy, such as reputational, market and/or regulatory risks. Climate change and climate events could result in social, cultural and economic disruptions in these areas, including supply chain disruptions, the disruption of local infrastructure and transportation systems that could limit the ability of our team members and our customers to access our retail locations. These events could also compound adverse economic conditions and impact consumer confidence and discretionary spending.
A significant amount of our boat sales are from the State of Florida.
Economic conditions, weather and environmental conditions, competition, market conditions, and any other adverse conditions impacting the State of Florida in which we generated approximately 50%, 51% and 53% of our dealership revenue during fiscal 2021, 2022, and 2023, respectively, could have a major impact on our operations.
Environmental and other regulatory issues may impact our operations.
Our operations are subject to extensive regulation, supervision, and licensing under various federal, state and local statutes, ordinances and regulations, such as those relating to finance and insurance, consumer protection, consumer privacy, escheatment, anti-money laundering, the environment, emissions, health or safety, U.S. trade sanctions, the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and employment practices. With respect to employment practices, we are subject to various laws and regulations, including complex federal, state and local wage and hour and anti-discrimination laws. The failure to satisfy those and other regulatory requirements could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations, as well as potentially the assessment of damages, the imposition of penalties, changes to our processes, or a cessation of our operations, and/or damage to our image and reputation.
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Various federal, state, and local regulatory agencies, including OSHA, EPA, and similar federal and local agencies, have jurisdiction over the operation of our dealerships, repair facilities, and other operations, with respect to matters such as consumer protection, workers’ safety, and laws regarding protection of the environment, including air, water, and soil. The EPA promulgated emissions regulations for outboard marine engines that impose stricter emissions standards for two-cycle, gasoline outboard marine engines. It is possible that environmental regulatory bodies (including state regulatory bodies) may impose higher emissions standards in the future for these and other marine engines. Any increased costs of producing engines resulting from current or potentially higher EPA or state standards in the future could be passed on to our company, or could result in the inability or potential unforeseen delays of our manufacturers to comply with current and future EPA or state requirements, and these potential consequences could have a material adverse effect on our business.
Certain of our facilities own and operate USTs, and ASTs for the storage of various petroleum products. USTs and ASTs are generally subject to federal, state and local laws and regulations that require testing and upgrading of tanks and remediation of contaminated soils and groundwater resulting from leaking tanks. In addition, we may be subject to civil liability to third parties for remediation costs or other damages if leakage from our owned or operated tanks migrates onto the property of others.
Our business involves the use, handling, storage, and contracting for recycling or disposal of hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, including 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. Accordingly, we are subject to regulation by federal, state and local authorities establishing investigation and health and environmental quality standards, and liability related thereto, and providing penalties for violations of those standards.
Our Product Manufacturing segment is regulated by federal, state and local environmental laws governing our use, transport and disposal of substances and control of emissions. While we are unaware of any failure to comply with these laws or any contamination at our facilities, the costs of compliance, including remediations of any discovered issues and any changes to our operations mandated by new or amended laws, may be significant, and any failures to comply could result in material expenses, delays or fines.
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, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (“CERCLA” or “Superfund”) imposes joint, strict, and several liability on:
A majority of states have adopted Superfund statutes 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. 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. In addition, certain of our retail locations are located on waterways that are subject to federal or state laws regulating navigable waters (including oil pollution prevention), fish and wildlife, and other matters.
Soil and groundwater contamination has been known to exist at certain properties owned or leased by us. We have also been required, and may in the future be required, to remove USTs and ASTs containing hazardous substances or wastes. As to certain of our properties, specific releases of petroleum have been or are in the process of being remediated in accordance with state and federal guidelines. We are monitoring the soil and groundwater as required by applicable state and federal guidelines. We also may have additional storage tank liability insurance and Superfund coverage where applicable. Environmental laws and regulations are complex and subject to frequent change. Compliance with amended, new or more stringent laws or regulations, more strict interpretations of existing laws, or the future discovery of environmental conditions may require additional expenditures by us, and such expenditures may be material.
Additionally, certain states have required or are considering requiring a license in order to operate a recreational boat. These regulations could discourage potential buyers, thereby limiting future sales and adversely affecting our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
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Risks Related to Cybersecurity
Increased cybersecurity requirements, vulnerabilities, threats and more sophisticated and targeted computer crime could pose a risk to our systems, networks, data and our third-party service providers. Our business operations could be negatively impacted by an outage or breach of our informational technology systems or a cybersecurity event.
Our business is dependent upon the efficient operation of our technology platform. The platform facilitates the interchange of information and enhances cross-selling opportunities throughout our company. The platform integrates each level of operations on a Company-wide basis, including but not limited to inventory, financial reporting, budgeting, marketing, sales management, as well as to prepare our consolidated financial and operating data. The failure of our technology platform to perform as designed or the failure to maintain and enhance or protect the integrity of our technology platform and those of our third-party service providers, could disrupt our business operations, impact sales and the results of operations, expose us to customer or third-party claims, or result in adverse publicity.
Increased global cybersecurity vulnerabilities, threats and more sophisticated and targeted cyber-related attacks (including ransomware) 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. Unauthorized parties may also attempt 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 we attempt to mitigate these risks by employing extensive measures, including employee training, defensive systems, monitoring and testing, and maintenance of protective systems and contingency plans, we remain potentially vulnerable to additional known or unknown threats.
We may also have access to sensitive, confidential or personal data or information that is subject to privacy, security laws, and regulations. Despite our efforts to protect sensitive, confidential or personal data or information, we and our third-party service providers may be vulnerable to security breaches, theft, 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, unauthorized access, use, disclosure, modification or destruction of information, and operational disruptions.
It is possible that we or our third-party service providers might not be aware of a successful cyber-related attack on our systems until well after the incident. In addition, a cyber-related attack could result in other negative consequences, including damage to our reputation or competitiveness, remediation or increased protection costs, litigation or regulatory action, and could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Depending on the nature of the information compromised, we may have obligations to notify customers and/or employees about the incident, and we may need to provide some form of remedy, such as a subscription to a credit monitoring service, for the individuals affected by the incident, which could result in material reputational damage to us. While we traditionally maintain a full range of insurance coverage for any such events, there can be no assurance that such insurance coverage is adequate to cover losses that we sustain as a result of an outage or breach of our technology platform or a cybersecurity event.
We are also subject to laws and regulations in the United States and other countries concerning the handling of personal information, including laws that require us to notify governmental authorities and/or affected individuals of data breaches involving certain personal information. These laws and regulations include, for example, the European General Data Protection Regulation, effective May 2018, the California Consumer Privacy Act, effective January 2020, and new SEC cybersecurity-related disclosures adopted in July 2023. Regulatory actions or litigation seeking to impose significant penalties could be brought against us in the event of a data breach or alleged non-compliance with such laws and regulations.
Risks Related to Our Common Stock
The timing and amount of our share repurchases are subject to a number of uncertainties.
The Company maintains a stock repurchase plan authorizing the Company to purchase up to 10 million shares of its common stock through March 2024. There is no guarantee that our stock repurchase plans will be able to successfully mitigate the dilutive effect of stock options and stock-based grants. The success of our stock repurchase plans is based upon a number of factors, including the price and availability of the Company’s stock, general market conditions, the nature of other investment opportunities available to us from time to time, and the availability of cash.
We do not pay cash dividends.
We have never paid cash dividends on our common stock and we have no current intention to do so for the foreseeable future.
If securities analysts do not publish research or reports about our company, or if they issue unfavorable commentary about us or our industry or downgrade our common stock, the price of our common stock could decline.
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The trading market for our common stock depends in part on the research and reports that third-party securities analysts publish about our company and our industry. We may be unable or slow to attract research coverage and if one or more analysts cease coverage of our company, we could lose visibility in the market. In addition, one or more of these analysts could downgrade our common stock or issue other negative commentary about our company or our industry. As a result of one or more of these factors, the trading price of our common stock could decline.
Certain activist shareholder actions could cause us to incur expense and hinder execution of our strategies.
We actively engage in discussions with our shareholders regarding further strengthening our Company and creating long-term shareholder value. This ongoing dialogue can include certain divisive activist tactics, which can take many forms. Some shareholder activism, including potential proxy contests, could result in substantial costs, such as legal fees and expenses, and divert management's and our Board's attention and resources from our business and strategic plans. Additionally, public shareholder activism could give rise to perceived uncertainties as to our future, adversely affect our relationships with suppliers or customers, make it more difficult to attract and retain qualified personnel, and cause our stock price to fluctuate based on temporary or speculative market perceptions or other factors that do not necessarily reflect the underlying fundamentals and prospects of our businesses. These risks could adversely affect our financial performance.
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments
None.
Item 1C. Cybersecurity
Not applicable.
Item 2. Properties
The Retail Operations segment includes our leased corporate offices in Clearwater, Florida. We also lease 49 properties under leases in the United States and British Virgin Islands, many of which contain multi-year renewal options and some of which grant us right of first refusal to purchase the property at fair value. In most cases, we pay a fixed rent at negotiated rates. In substantially all of the leased locations, we are responsible for taxes, utilities, insurance, and routine repairs and maintenance. We own 38 properties associated with the retail locations we operate. Additionally, we own three retail locations that are currently leased to a third-party or available for lease as noted below. A store is considered one or more retail locations that are adjacent or operate as one entity. Fraser Yachts Group and Northrop & Johnson lease offices in the United States and Europe.
The following table reflects the status, approximate size, and facilities of the various retail locations in the United States and British Virgin Islands we operate as of the date of this report.
Location |
|
Location Type |
|
Square |
|
|
Facilities at Property |
|
Operated |
|
|
Waterfront |
|
|||
Alabama |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
Gulf Shores |
|
Company owned |
|
|
4,000 |
|
|
Retail and service |
|
1998 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
California |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
Newport Beach |
|
Third-party lease |
|
|
1,000 |
|
|
Retail only, 4 wet slips |
|
2020 |
|
|
Newport Bay |
|
||
San Diego |
|
Third-party lease |
|
|
1,400 |
|
|
Retail only, 12 wet slips |
|
2020 |
|
|
San Diego Bay |
|
||
Sausalito |
|
Third-party lease |
|
|
2,000 |
|
|
Retail and service; 6 wet slips |
|
2020 |
|
|
Richardson Bay |
|
||
Connecticut |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
Norwalk |
|
Third-party lease |
|
|
9,000 |
|
|
Retail and service; 42 wet slips |
|
1994 |
|
|
Norwalk Harbor |
|
||
Westbrook |
|
Third-party lease |
|
|
4,200 |
|
|
Retail and service |
|
1998 |
|
|
Westbrook Harbor |
|
||
Florida |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
Cape Haze |
|
Company owned |
|
|
18,000 |
|
|
Retail and Service, 12 wet slips |
|
|
— |
|
|
Intracoastal Waterway |
|
|
Clearwater |
|
Company owned |
|
|
42,000 |
|
|
Retail and service; 18 wet slips |
|
1973 |
|
|
Tampa Bay |
|
||
Cocoa |
|
Company owned |
|
|
15,000 |
|
|
Retail and service |
|
1968 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
Dania |
|
Company owned |
|
|
32,000 |
|
|
Repair and service; 10 wet slips |
|
1991 |
|
|
Port Everglades |
|
||
Fisher Island |
|
Third-party lease |
|
|
1,393 |
|
|
Retail only |
|
2023 |
|
|