DOUGLAS DYNAMICS INC

To the shareholders and the Board of Directors of Douglas Dynamics, Inc.

Opinions on the Financial Statements and Internal Control over Financial Reporting

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Douglas Dynamics, Inc. and subsidiaries (the "Company") as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, the related consolidated statements of income and comprehensive income, changes in shareholders' equity, and cash flows, for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2024, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the "financial statements"). We also have audited the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024, based on criteria established inInternal Control—* Integrated Framework (2013)* issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).

In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2024, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Also, in our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024, based on criteria established inInternal Control—* Integrated Framework (2013)* issued by COSO.

Basis for Opinions

The Company’s management is responsible for these financial statements, for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management's Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud, and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.

Our audits of the financial statements included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures to respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audits also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.

Definition and Limitations of Internal Control over Financial Reporting

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

Critical Audit Matters

The critical audit matters communicated below are matters arising from the current-period audit of the financial statements that were communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that (1) relate to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matters below, providing separate opinions on the critical audit matters or on the accounts or disclosures to which they relate.

Indefinite Lived Intangible Tradename–** Dejana**–** Refer to Notes 2 and 7 to the Financial Statements**

Critical Audit Matter Description

The Company tests the Dejana indefinite lived intangible tradename for impairment annually or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable by comparing the fair value of the indefinite lived tradename to its carrying value. The Company determines the fair value of the indefinite lived tradename using the relief from royalty method. The significant assumptions used in the determination of the fair value include revenue attributable to the asset, royalty rate and the discount rate, reflecting the risks inherent in the future cash flow stream. Changes in these assumptions could have significant impacts on the fair value of the indefinite lived intangible amount, and the amount of an impairment charge, if any. The Dejana indefinite lived intangible balance was $14 million as of December 31, 2024. The fair value of the Dejana indefinite lived intangible tradename exceeded the carrying value as of the measurement date and, therefore, no impairment was recognized.

The significant estimates and assumptions management makes to estimate the fair value and the sensitivity of Dejana operations to the near-term business disruption from supply chain constraints and chassis availability required a high degree of auditor judgment and an increased extent of effort, including the need to involve our fair value specialists.

How the Critical Audit Matter Was Addressed in the Audit

Our audit procedures related to forecasts of future revenue growth, and the selection of royalty and discount rates for the Dejana indefinite lived tradename included the following, among others:

Sale Leaseback Transaction–** Refer to Notes 2 and 6 to the Financial Statements**

Critical Audit Matter Description

As described in Note 6 to the Company’s consolidated financial statements, the Company entered into a sale leaseback transaction involving seven properties with an unrelated third party during the year ended December 31, 2024. The Company determined that the transaction qualified as sale leaseback transaction in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 842, Leases.

We identified management’s evaluation of whether the sale leaseback transaction transferred control, was recognized timely, and at fair value, as a critical audit matter. Management applies judgment in assessing relevant lease terms, provisions, and other conditions, including repurchase rights, included in the Company’s sale and leaseback agreement to determine whether or not the control of the real estate property has transferred from the Company, the timing of the transaction, and the determination of fair value. Auditing these assessments made by management involved challenging auditor judgment due to the extent of specialized skills or knowledge required.

How the Critical Audit Matter Was Addressed in the Audit

Our audit procedures related to the sale leaseback transaction included the following, among others:

/s/DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

February 25, 2025

We have served as the Company's auditor since 2017.