WINNEBAGO INDUSTRIES INC

General

The use of the terms "Winnebago Industries," "Winnebago," "we," "our," and "us" in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, unless the context otherwise requires, refer to Winnebago Industries, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries.

Winnebago Industries, Inc. is one of the leading North American manufacturers of recreation vehicles ("RVs") and marine products with a diversified portfolio used primarily in leisure travel and outdoor recreational activities. We also design and manufacture advanced battery solutions that deliver “house power,” supporting internal electrical features and appliances for a variety of outdoor products including RVs, boats, specialty and other low-speed vehicles, as well as other industrial applications. Other products manufactured by us consist primarily of original equipment manufacturing parts for other manufacturers and commercial vehicles. We produce our towable RV units in Indiana; our motorhome RV units in Iowa and Indiana; our marine units in Indiana and Florida; and our battery solutions in Florida. We distribute our RV and marine products primarily through independent dealers throughout the U.S. and Canada, who then retail the products to the end consumer. We also distribute our marine products internationally through independent dealers, who then retail the products to the end consumer. Our battery solutions are primarily sold to customers in the U.S.

All references to Fiscal 2024 refer to the 53-week period ended August 31, 2024. Fiscal 2023 refers to the 52-week period ended August 26, 2023 and Fiscal 2022 refers to the 52-week period ended August 27, 2022.

Available Information

Our internet website, located at www.winnebagoind.com, provides additional information about us. On our website you can obtain, free of charge, this and prior year Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and all other recent filings with the SEC. Our recent press releases and important information regarding our corporate governance practices are also available on our website. Information contained on our website is not incorporated into this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The SEC also maintains an internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC which can be accessed at http://www.sec.gov.

Principal Products

Our operations are organized into three reportable segments, Towable RV, Motorhome RV, and Marine, based on similarities within their markets, products, operations and distributions.

Towable RV

A towable RV is a non-motorized vehicle that is designed to be towed by automobiles, pickup trucks, SUVs, or vans and is used primarily as temporary living quarters during vacation and camping trips, or to support active and mobile lifestyles. The Recreation Vehicle Industry Association ("RVIA") classifies towable RVs into six types: conventional travel trailers, fifth wheels, travel trailers with expandable ends, folding camping trailers, truck campers, and park models. We manufacture and sell conventional travel trailers and fifth wheels under the Winnebago and Grand Design brand names, which are defined as follows:

Our travel trailer and fifth wheel towable RVs are sold by dealers in the retail market with manufacturer's suggested retail prices ranging from approximately $20,000 to $154,000, which can vary depending on size and model, plus optional equipment and delivery charges.

Motorhome RV

A motorhome RV is a self-propelled mobile dwelling used primarily as temporary living quarters during vacation and camping trips, or to support active and mobile lifestyles. The RVIA classifies motorhome RVs into three types, all of which we manufacture and sell under the Winnebago and Newmar brand names, which are defined as follows:

Our Class A, Class B, and Class C motorhome RVs are sold by dealers in the retail market with manufacturer's suggested retail prices ranging from approximately $143,000 to $1,847,000, which can vary depending on size and model, plus optional equipment and delivery charges. Our motorhome RVs range in length from approximately 18 to 45 feet.

Motorhome RV parts and service activities represent revenues generated by service work we perform for retail customers at our Forest City, Iowa and Nappanee, Indiana facilities as well as revenues from the sale of unit parts. Our competitive strategy is to provide proprietary manufactured parts through our dealer network, which we believe increases customer satisfaction and the value of our motorhome RVs.

Marine

We manufacture and sell premium quality recreational boats under our Chris-Craft and Barletta brands through an established network of independent authorized dealers.

Our boats are sold by dealers in the retail market with manufacturer's suggested retail prices ranging from approximately $47,000 to $768,000, which can vary depending on size and model, plus optional equipment and delivery charges.

Winnebago Specialty Vehicles

We manufacture specialty commercial vehicles custom designed for the buyer's specific needs and requirements, such as law enforcement command centers, mobile medical clinics, and mobile office space. We also provide commercial vehicles as bare shells to third-party upfitters for conversion at their facilities. These specialty commercial vehicles are manufactured in Forest City, Iowa and sold through our dealer network.

Lithionics

On April 28, 2023, we acquired 100% of the equity interests of Lithionics Battery, LLC and Lithionics LLC (collectively, "Lithionics"), a premier lithium-ion battery solutions provider to the recreational equipment and specialty vehicle markets. Using a proprietary battery management system called NeverDie® Technology, Lithionics offers a broad range of standard and custom-designed battery configurations delivering “house power” and supporting internal electrical features and appliances for a variety of outdoor products, including RVs, boats, specialty and other low-speed vehicles, as well as other industrial applications. These batteries are manufactured in Clearwater, Florida. Refer to Note 2 in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, included in Item 8 of Part II in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, for further detail regarding the acquisition.

Production

We generally produce towable RVs, motorhome RVs, and marine products made to order for dealers. We have some ability to increase our capacity by scheduling overtime and/or hiring additional production employees or to decrease our capacity through the use of shortened work weeks and/or reducing head count. We have long been known as an industry leader in innovation as each year we introduce new or redesigned products. These changes generally include new floor plans, features, functionality, and sizes as well as design and decor modifications. Most of our raw materials such as steel, aluminum, fiberglass, and wood products are obtainable from numerous sources.

Our towable RVs are produced at two assembly campuses located in Indiana. The majority of components are comprised of frames, appliances, and furniture, and are purchased from multiple suppliers.

Our motorhome RVs are produced in the states of Iowa and Indiana at five different assembly campuses. Our motorhome RV business utilizes vertically integrated supply streams, with the principal exceptions being chassis, engines, generators, and appliances that we purchase from multiple suppliers. Certain parts, especially motorhome RV chassis, are available from a small group of suppliers.

Our marine products are produced in the states of Indiana and Florida at two different assembly campuses. We manufacture certain components and purchase other components from suppliers and install them on the boat. Certain parts, especially motors, are available from a small group of suppliers.

Backlog

We strive to balance timely order fulfillment to our dealers with the lead times suppliers require to efficiently source materials and manage costs. Production facility constraints at peak periods also lead to fluctuations in backlog orders, which we manage closely. A more detailed description of our Towable RV, Motorhome RV, and Marine order backlog is included in Item 7 of Part II in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Distribution and Financing

We distribute our RV and marine products primarily through independent dealers throughout the U.S. and Canada, who then retail the products to the end consumer. We also distribute our marine products internationally through independent dealers, who then retail the products to the end consumer. Foreign sales accounted for less than 10% of net revenues during each of the past three fiscal years.

As of August 31, 2024, our RV and marine dealer network in the U.S. and Canada included over 750 physical dealer locations, many of which carry more than one of our brands. None of our dealer organizations accounted for more than 10% of our net revenues during each of the past three fiscal years.

We have sales and service agreements with most dealers, which are subject to annual review. Many of the dealers are also engaged in other areas of business, including the sale of automobiles, trailers, or boats, and most dealers carry one or more competitive lines of products. We continue to place high emphasis on the capability of our dealers to provide complete service for our products. Dealers are obligated to provide full service for owners of our products or, in lieu thereof, to secure such service from other authorized providers.

We advertise and promote our products through national trade magazines, product brochures, the Go RVing national advertising campaign sponsored by RVIA, our websites, social media, direct-mail advertising campaigns, various national promotional opportunities, and on a local basis through trade shows, television, radio, and newspapers, primarily in connection with area dealers.

Sales to dealers are made primarily on cash terms. Most dealers are financed on a "floorplan" basis under which a bank or finance company lends the dealer all, or substantially all, of the purchase price, collateralized by a security interest in the merchandise purchased. As is customary in the industries we serve, we typically enter into a repurchase agreement with a lending institution financing a dealer's purchase of our product upon the lending institution's request and after completion of a credit check of the dealer involved. Our repurchase agreements provide that, for up to 18 months after an RV unit is financed and up to 24 months after a marine unit is financed, in the event of default by the dealer on the agreement to pay the lending institution and repossession of the unit(s) by the lending institution, we will repurchase the financed merchandise from the lender at the amount then due, which is often less than dealer invoice. Our maximum exposure for repurchases can vary significantly, depending upon the level of dealer inventory, general economic conditions, demand for our products, dealer location, and access to and the cost of financing. See Note 12 in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, included in Item 8 of Part II in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, for more information.

Competition

The RV and marine markets are highly competitive with many other manufacturers selling products which compete directly with our products. Some of our competitors are much larger than us, most notably in the towable RV market, which may provide these competitors additional purchasing power. The competition in our industries is based upon design, price, quality, features, and service of the products. We believe our principal competitive advantages are our brand strength, product differentiation, product quality, and our service after the sale. We also believe that our products have historically commanded a price premium as a result of these competitive advantages.

Seasonality

The primary use of RVs and marine products for leisure travel and outdoor recreation has historically led to a peak retail selling season concentrated in the spring and summer months and lower sales during fall and winter months. Our sales are generally influenced by this pattern in retail sales, but sales can also be impacted by the level of dealer inventory. As a result, our sales are historically lowest during our second fiscal quarter, which ends in February.

Governmental Regulations

We are subject to a variety of federal, state, local, and, to a limited extent, international laws and regulations, including the federal Motor Vehicle Act ("MVA"), under which the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ("NHTSA") may require manufacturers to recall RVs that contain safety-related defects, and numerous state consumer protection laws and regulations relating to the operation of motor vehicles, including so-called "Lemon Laws." The Boat Safety Act of 1971 has similar safety-related recall requirements for marine units. In addition, marine units sold in the U.S. and Europe must meet the certification standards of the U.S. Coast Guard and the European Community, respectively.

We are also subject to regulations established by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration ("OSHA"). Our facilities are periodically inspected by federal and state agencies, such as OSHA. We are a member of RVIA, a voluntary association of RV manufacturers, which promulgates RV safety standards. We place an RVIA seal on each of our RVs to certify that the RVIA standards have been met. We believe that our products and facilities comply in all material respects with the applicable vehicle safety, consumer protection, RVIA, and OSHA regulations and standards.

Our operations are subject to a variety of federal and state environmental laws and regulations relating to the use, generation, storage, treatment, emission, labeling, and disposal of hazardous materials and wastes, and noise pollution. We believe that we are currently in compliance with applicable environmental laws and regulations in all material aspects.

Trademarks

Our products are marketed under a variety of valuable trademarks. Some of the more important trademarks used in our business include Winnebago, Grand Design, Newmar, Chris-Craft, Barletta and Lithionics. We protect these trademarks as appropriate through registrations in the U.S. and other jurisdictions. Depending on jurisdiction, trademarks are generally valid as long as they are in use or their registrations are properly maintained and they have not been found to have become generic. Registrations of trademarks can also generally be renewed indefinitely for as long as the trademarks are in use.

We continue our focus on developing and marketing innovative, proprietary products, many of which use proprietary expertise, trade secrets, and know-how. We consider the collective rights under our various patents, which expire from time to time, a valuable asset, but we do not believe that our businesses are materially dependent upon any single patent or group of related patents.

Human Capital Management

One of our core values is to put people first. Our employees are our greatest strength and we are committed to providing a safe, inclusive, high-performance culture where our people thrive. We strive to recruit, develop, engage and protect our workforce. The following are key human capital measures and objectives that we currently focus on:

Employee Experience – Leadership and Culture Development

We believe our future success depends on our people. Attracting, engaging, retaining and developing diverse talent is a key priority. We strive to grow and develop all of our teams and bolster our talent pipeline. Our leadership expectations provide a shared understanding of the skills our teams develop through continuous learning opportunities and training. Our Code of Conduct and our human rights policy include shared values and guide relationships with our people and our stakeholders. To build and attract the next generation of leaders, we continue to support external partnerships that introduce high school and first-generation college students to potential career opportunities in the RV and marine industries. To increase the pipeline of diverse talent in the outdoor industry and beyond, we provided support to the South Bend Elkhart Regional Partnership and The BrandLab. These programs focus on developing the next generation of talent while engaging Black, Latino, Asian American and Pacific Islander, and

Native/Indigenous students in meaningful paid summer internships. We also collaborate with regional education and workforce development partners to connect job seekers with on-the-job training and leadership development.

Team members respond regularly to an engagement survey, administered at least every two years, that evaluates our employees’ thoughts about their experience working at Winnebago Industries. Responses are reviewed by team leaders and used to help build specific action plans to continually improve our employee engagement, satisfaction, and retention. We engage employees through community volunteerism, team-building, and employee resource groups. We strive to continually improve our employee experience, develop and grow our teams, and create a culture of inclusion and belonging.

As of August 31, 2024, we employed approximately 5,700 persons, of which approximately 20% and 80% were salaried and hourly employees, respectively. None of our employees are covered under a collective bargaining agreement. We believe our relations with our employees are good.

Commitment to Inclusion and Belonging

We believe in the value of building a company and community where every person feels welcome, is treated fairly, and has an equal opportunity to succeed while bringing their authentic self to work. In our third year of implementing our “All In, Outdoors” roadmap, we continued to prioritize creating a better sense of belonging in our workplace, our communities, and the outdoors. We advanced our strategy by listening and learning, and expanding our Leadership Speaker Series, where subject matter experts provide inspiration, tools, and resources to create an inclusive culture based on our leadership expectations. We also continued to expand our employee resource groups which are open to all employees across our brands. For example, the Women’s Inclusion Network ("WIN"), which was established in 2022, supports the professional development of women by encouraging access to learning, mentoring, and networking. WIN’s goal is to provide programming and tools, increase women’s sense of belonging, and the percentage of women in leadership roles within our businesses. The Veterans Network Employee Resource Group, which was established in 2023, supports the professional development of our Veteran community by providing a space and place for employees who are Veterans, Active Military and Family & Friends (also known as Allies) to discuss their experiences, address issues through learning, assistance and guidance, and conduct activities to support the growth and development of our Veteran community members in their professional careers. In 2024, we launched the Mosaic Multicultural Network to engage and connect our multicultural and black, indigenous, and persons of color team members and allies. The Mosaic Multicultural Network promotes connection, while helping to bolster an inclusive workplace for all employees, and career mobility, visibility, recruitment and retention. We remain involved with partners who help advance our goals including Society of Women Engineers, Women in Manufacturing, RV Women’s Alliance, and more.

We are committed to increasing inclusion across our industry and beyond. Approximately 25% of our executive and senior leadership team members are women and 12% are racially or ethnically diverse. We continue to expand our partnerships with nonprofit organizations led by and for communities of color and women and organizations helping to diversify the talent pipeline.

We also recognize the importance of having diverse perspectives on our Board of Directors as we build and refresh our Board of Directors. Our inclusion framework, which serves as a roadmap to guide us forward on our journey, includes the Board of Directors, leadership development, and engagement. As of August 31, 2024, 30% of our Board of Directors were women, and 20% were racially or ethnically diverse.

We believe time together outdoors is priceless, and that our company and our brands should reflect the full spectrum of outdoor enthusiasts. We also believe we thrive and are more successful when we empower, value, and respect our employees and our communities. We are committed to continuing to build a stronger, more inclusive culture and workplace.

Employee Well-being and Safety

Winnebago Industries is committed to designing, operating, and maintaining safe, controlled working conditions and a zero-harm culture. We operate under the principle that all workplace injuries and illnesses are preventable. We aspire to control all workplace exposures to risk on our road to zero-harm, and we embed safety as part of our DNA that guides our purpose, culture, and operations. With the mental, emotional, and physical well-being of our employees as a key focus, we have provided resources for employees to manage remote work and balance parental and other family responsibilities. We celebrated our second annual Safety Month in Fiscal 2024, focusing on the theme "Safer Together" across all locations. We continue focused improvement efforts to reduce both our facility and injury/illness incident risk potential, including contracting with health care providers to have physical (on-site) or virtual clinics for convenient access to health care for all employees and advance our hierarchy of control levels across our core risks.

In Fiscal 2024, our total recordable incident rate ("TRIR") was 3.51, a 29% improvement compared to 4.93 in Fiscal 2023. In Fiscal 2024, our days away restricted transfer rate ("DART") was 1.75, an 18% improvement compared to 2.14 in Fiscal 2023. We continue to invest in workplace safety initiatives and our commitment to safety never stops.

Information about our Executive Officers

Officers are elected annually by the Board of Directors and hold office until their successors are chosen and qualify or until their death or resignation. There are no family relationships between or among any of the Executive Officers or Directors of the Company.

Mr. Happe joined Winnebago Industries in January 2016 as President and Chief Executive Officer. Prior to joining Winnebago Industries, he had been employed by The Toro Company, a provider of outdoor maintenance and beautification products, from 1997 to 2016. He served as Executive Officer and Group Vice President of Toro's Residential and Contractor businesses from March 2012 to December 2015. From August 2010 to March 2012, he served as Toro's Vice President, Residential and Landscape Contractor Businesses. Prior to that, he held a series of senior leadership positions throughout his career across a variety of Toro's domestic and international divisions.

Mr. Bhattacharya joined Winnebago Industries in June 2016 as Vice President, Strategic Planning and Development. He became Vice President, Business Development, Specialty Vehicles, and Advanced Technology in 2019 and Senior Vice President, Business Development, Advanced Technology, and Enterprise Marketing in September 2020. Prior to joining Winnebago Industries, Mr. Bhattacharya served at Honeywell International, Inc., a software industrial company, as Vice President, Strategy, Alliances & Internet of Things for the Sensing and Productivity Solutions division from 2010 to 2016. Prior to that, he was employed with Moog, Motorola, and Bain & Company in a variety of roles.

Ms. Bogart joined Winnebago Industries in January 2018 as Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary and was appointed Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Secretary and Corporate Responsibility and President, Winnebago Industries Foundation in October 2020. Prior to joining Winnebago Industries, Ms. Bogart was Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Compliance Officer, Corporate Secretary at Polaris Industries Inc., a manufacturer and marketer of powersports products, where she joined in November 2009. Previously, Ms. Bogart was General Counsel of Liberty Diversified International; Assistant General Counsel and Assistant Secretary at The Toro Company; and a Senior Attorney for Honeywell International, Inc.

Mr. Clark, President of Grand Design RV, became an officer of Winnebago Industries in November 2016 in accordance with the terms of the Grand Design acquisition. He co-founded Grand Design RV, LLC in 2012 and built the team at Grand Design RV. Mr. Clark has over 30 years of successful RV industry experience. Pursuant to our previously announced leadership changes, Mr. Clark will become Group President, Towable RVs and President, Grand Design RV, effective November 1, 2024.

Mr. Hughes joined Winnebago Industries as Vice President, Chief Financial Officer of the Company in May 2017 and was appointed Senior Vice President, Finance, Information Technology and Strategic Planning, and Chief Financial Officer, in October 2020. Mr. Hughes joined Winnebago Industries from Ecolab, Inc., a global sustainability leader offering water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions and services to customers in the food, healthcare, life sciences, hospitality and industrial markets, where he served as Senior Vice President and Corporate Controller from 2014 to 2017, Vice President of Finance from 2008 to 2014 and in various management positions from 1996 to 2008. Prior to his employment with Ecolab, he worked for Ernst & Young, a public accounting firm.

Mr. Tubman joined Winnebago Industries in August 2022 as President of Newmar Corporation. Mr. Tubman joined Winnebago Industries from Whirlpool Corporation, a multinational manufacturer of home appliances, where he served in a variety of leadership and executive roles for over 25 years. Most recently, he served as Vice President and Global Platform Leader from February 2022 to July 2022. He also served as Vice President of Product Marketing from January 2020 to February 2022, and Vice President and General Manager from October 2015 to January 2020.

Mr. West joined Winnebago Industries in September 2016 as Vice President, Operations. He became Senior Vice President, Enterprise Operations in October 2020 and President, Winnebago Outdoors in September 2024. Pursuant to our previously announced leadership changes, Mr. West will become President, Winnebago Motorhome and Specialty Vehicles, effective November 1, 2024. He previously was Vice President of Global Supply Chain for Joy Global, a worldwide mining equipment manufacturer, from 2014 to 2016, and Operations Director from 2012 to 2014. Mr. West served as Director of Manufacturing for

AGCO Corporation, an agricultural equipment manufacturer, from 2008 to 2012 and as Director of Operations and in other management positions for the Nordam Group, a manufacturer of aircraft interiors, from 1999 to 2009.

Mr. Woodson joined Winnebago Industries in January 2015 as Vice President, Administration and was appointed Senior Vice President, Human Resources and Corporate Relations in October 2020. Prior to joining Winnebago, Mr. Woodson was Vice President of Human Resources at Corbion N.V., a food and biochemicals company, from 2007 to 2014 and Director, Human Resources at Sara Lee Corporation from 1999 to 2007. Mr. Woodson has over 25 years of business and human resources experience.