false
0000107687
0000107687
2026-10-22
2026-10-22
iso4217:USD
xbrli:shares
iso4217:USD
xbrli:shares
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of The
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of report (Date of earliest event reported)
October 22, 2026

| Winnebago Industries, Inc. |
| (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter) |
| Minnesota |
001-06403 |
42-0802678 |
| (State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation) |
(Commission File Number) |
(IRS Employer Identification No.) |
| |
|
|
|
|
| 13200 Pioneer Trail |
Eden Prairie |
Minnesota |
|
55347 |
| (Address of Principal Executive Offices) |
|
(Zip Code) |
Registrant's telephone number, including area code
952-829-8600
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________
(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since
Last Report.)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K
filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
¨ Written communications pursuant
to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
x Soliciting
material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
¨ Pre-commencement
communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
¨ Pre-commencement
communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of each class |
Trading Symbol(s) |
Name of each exchange on which registered |
| Common Stock, $0.50 par value per share |
WGO |
New York Stock Exchange |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth
company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
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. ¨
| Item 1.01 | Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement. |
On October
22, 2026, Winnebago Industries, Inc. (the “Company”) entered into a cooperation agreement (the “Cooperation Agreement”)
by and between the Company and Vision One Fund, LP, Vision One Management Partners, LP, Vision One Fund Partners, LP, Vision One Management
Partners Holdings, LP, Vision One Management Partners GP, LLC, Vision One Onshore Fund, LP and Vision One Offshore Fund, LP (collectively
with their affiliates, “Vision One”).
Pursuant
to the Cooperation Agreement, the Company has agreed to (i) take all necessary actions to nominate Jay L. Johnson (the “New Director”)
for election to the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) as an independent Class III director at the Company’s
2026 annual meeting of shareholders (the “2026 Annual Meeting”) for a term expiring at the Company’s 2029 annual meeting
of shareholders (the “2029 Annual Meeting”); (ii) include the New Director in the Board’s slate of director nominees
for election at the 2026 Annual Meeting, recommend his election to the Company’s shareholders and solicit proxies in favor of his
election; and (iii) following his election to the Board, take all necessary actions to appoint the New Director to the Board’s Audit
and Finance Committee and maintain his membership on such committee until the termination of the Cooperation Agreement, subject to certain
conditions. From the conclusion of the 2026 Annual Meeting until the termination of the Cooperation Agreement, the size of the Board will
not exceed ten (10) directors.
In addition,
pursuant to the Cooperation Agreement, the Board has agreed to take all necessary actions to rename the Audit Committee to the “Audit
and Finance Committee” and amend the committee’s charter to provide for additional clarity regarding the committee’s
oversight of the Company’s capital structure, investments, uses of cash and capital allocation.
Until the
termination of the Cooperation Agreement, and as long as Vision One continues to beneficially own at least the lesser of (i) 0.9% of the
then-outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock and (ii) 250,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, in the event
that the New Director is unable or unwilling to stand for election at the 2026 Annual Meeting or to serve as a director for any reason
or ceases to serve as a director of the Company, Vision One will be entitled to propose potential replacement directors mutually agreeable
to the Company and Vision One, subject to certain qualifications and other conditions, until Vision One and the Company mutually agree
on a replacement director.
Pursuant
to the Cooperation Agreement, the Company has agreed to submit for shareholder approval at the 2026 Annual Meeting amendments to its Articles
of Incorporation and conforming amendments to its Amended and Restated Bylaws to phase out the classified Board over a three-year period.
The Board will recommend that shareholders vote in favor of, and the Company will solicit proxies and use reasonable best efforts to obtain
approval of, such amendments, including by using reasonable best efforts to have all directors and officers of the Company vote in favor
of such proposals and by engaging a nationally recognized proxy solicitor. Subject to shareholder approval and effectiveness of such amendments,
directors elected at the Company’s 2027 annual meeting of shareholders and at each subsequent annual meeting of shareholders will
be elected for one-year terms as their respective terms expire, with all directors standing for annual election beginning at the 2029
Annual Meeting.
Pursuant
to the Cooperation Agreement, Vision One has irrevocably withdrawn its notice of shareholder proposals and director nominations, dated
September 15, 2026, and has agreed to cease all solicitation activities in respect of the 2026 Annual Meeting.
The Cooperation
Agreement also contains customary voting commitments, standstill, non-disparagement and other provisions.
The Cooperation
Agreement will terminate on the earlier of (i) the date that is thirty (30) calendar days prior to the deadline under the Company’s
Amended and Restated Bylaws for the submission of shareholder nominations of director candidates for election to the Board at the Company’s
2027 annual meeting of shareholders and (ii) the date that is one hundred twenty (120) calendar days prior to the one-year anniversary
of the 2026 Annual Meeting, unless earlier terminated in accordance with its terms.
The foregoing
description of the Cooperation Agreement is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Cooperation Agreement, a copy
of which is attached hereto as Exhibit 10.1 and incorporated herein by reference.
| Item 7.01 | Regulation FD Disclosure. |
On October 23, 2026, the Company issued a press
release in connection with the Cooperation Agreement as reported under Item 1.01 above. A copy of this press release is furnished as Exhibit
99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated herein by reference.
The information in this Item 7.01 of this Current
Report on Form 8-K, including the information contained in Exhibit 99.1, is being furnished and shall not be deemed to be “filed”
for the purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or otherwise subject
to the liabilities of that section, and shall not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act of
1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except as shall be expressly set forth by a specific reference in such filing.
| Item 9.01 | Financial Statements and Exhibits. |
(d) Exhibits.
Exhibit
Number |
|
Description |
| 10.1 |
|
Cooperation Agreement, dated October 22, 2026 |
| |
|
|
| 99.1 |
|
Press release issued on October 23, 2026 |
| |
|
|
| 104 |
|
Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL) |
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| |
Winnebago Industries, Inc. |
| |
|
|
| Date: October 23, 2026 |
By: |
/s/ Stacy L. Bogart |
| |
Name: |
Stacy L. Bogart |
| |
Title: |
Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer, Corporate Secretary, Corporate Responsibility |
Exhibit 99.1
Winnebago Industries Announces Intention to
Nominate Jay L. Johnson to Board of Directors at 2026 Annual Meeting
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn., October 23, 2026 --
Winnebago Industries, Inc. (NYSE: WGO) (the “Company”), a leading manufacturer of outdoor recreation products, today
announced its intent to nominate Jay L. Johnson for election to Winnebago Industries’ Board of Directors (the “Board”)
at the Company’s 2026 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the “2026 Annual Meeting”), expected to be held in December.
“We look forward to welcoming Jay to the
Board and benefiting from his perspectives as we navigate a dynamic environment and advance Winnebago Industries’ position as a
trusted leader in outdoor recreation products,” said John Murabito, Independent Chairman of Winnebago Industries’ Board.
“Jay’s expertise in financial management, capital allocation and capital markets will complement the skills and experience
of our existing directors.”
In connection with Mr. Johnson’s nomination,
Winnebago Industries has entered into a cooperation agreement with Vision One Fund, LP (“Vision One”). Under the cooperation
agreement, Vision One has agreed to customary standstill, voting and other provisions. A complete copy of the cooperation agreement will
be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K.
In addition, Winnebago Industries announced that
the Board has committed to submitting proposals at the 2026 Annual Meeting seeking shareholder approval of amendments to the Company’s
Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws to phase out its classified Board structure over a three-year period, beginning with the 2027 Annual
Meeting of Shareholders.
The Board’s formal recommendations regarding
the election of directors and the proposed amendments to the Company’s Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws will be included in
the Company’s definitive proxy statement for the 2026 Annual Meeting, which will also provide the meeting date and other relevant
information.
About Jay L. Johnson
Jay L. Johnson has been Executive Vice President,
Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of Lamar Advertising Company since October 2019. Prior to joining Lamar, Mr. Johnson
served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of DiamondRock Hospitality Company and as Senior Vice President and Treasurer
of Host Hotels & Resorts. Prior to Host, he served in a variety of senior leadership roles at KeyBank Real Estate Capital and
Bank of America. Mr. Johnson currently serves as a director at SBA Communications Corp., a leading owner and operator of wireless
communications infrastructure, and is a former director at Newell Brands, Inc., a global consumer goods company. He received his
Masters in Business Administration from Harvard Business School and his undergraduate degree from Morehouse College.
About Winnebago Industries
Winnebago Industries, Inc. is a leading
North American manufacturer of outdoor recreation products under the Winnebago, Grand Design, Chris-Craft, Newmar and Barletta brands,
which are used primarily in leisure travel and outdoor recreation activities. The Company builds high-quality motorhomes, travel trailers,
fifth-wheel products, outboard and sterndrive powerboats, pontoons, and commercial community outreach vehicles. Committed to advancing
sustainable innovation and leveraging vertical integration in key component areas, Winnebago Industries has multiple facilities in Iowa, Indiana,
Minnesota and Florida. The Company’s common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and traded under the symbol WGO. For
access to Winnebago Industries' investor relations material or to add your name to an automatic email list for Company news releases,
visit http://investor.wgo.net.
Advisors
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC is serving as
financial advisor to Winnebago Industries and Sidley Austin LLP is serving as legal advisor. Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher is
serving as strategic communications advisor.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements
within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the anticipated nomination
and election of Jay L. Johnson to the Board, the proposed declassification of the Board and the timing and implementation of related
governance changes. Forward-looking statements may be identified by terms such as “may,” “will,” “could,”
“anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe”
or similar expressions. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially
from those expressed or implied, including the outcome of shareholder votes at the 2026 Annual Meeting and other factors described in
the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including its Annual Reports on Form 10-K
and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which
speak only as of the date made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, except as required
by law.
Important Additional Information and Where
to Find It
The Company intends to file a proxy statement
on Schedule 14A, an accompanying proxy card and other relevant documents with the SEC in connection with its 2026 Annual Meeting. SHAREHOLDERS
ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO READ THE COMPANY’S DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT (INCLUDING ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS THERETO), THE
ACCOMPANYING PROXY CARD AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE
BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Shareholders may obtain copies of these documents, when available, free of charge at
the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or through the “SEC Filings” section of the Company’s investor relations
website at https://winnebago.gcs-web.com/.
Certain Information Regarding Participants
in the Solicitation
The
Company, its directors and certain of its executive officers (Michael Happe, President and Chief Executive Officer; Bryan Hughes, Senior
Vice President - Chief Financial Officer, Investor Relations, Information Technology and Business Development; and Stacy Bogart, Senior
Vice President - Chief Legal Officer, Corporate Secretary and Corporate Responsibility) are deemed “participants” (as defined
in Schedule 14A under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) in the solicitation of proxies from the Company’s shareholders
in connection with the matters to be considered at the 2026 Annual Meeting. Information regarding the names of the Company’s directors
and executive officers and certain other individuals and their respective interests in the Company, by security holdings or otherwise,
is set forth in the sections entitled “Director Compensation,” “Compensation Discussion and Analysis,” “Compensation
Tables and Narrative Disclosure,” and “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management” of the Company’s
proxy statement on Schedule 14A in connection with its 2025 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, filed with the SEC on November 4, 2025 (available here)
and the section entitled “Information about our Executive Officers” of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed
with the SEC on October 21, 2026 (available here)
and, with respect to Emily Silver, Item 5.02 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on May 1, 2026 (available
here). Supplemental information regarding
the participants’ holdings of the Company’s securities can be found in SEC filings on statements of beneficial ownership
on Forms 3, 4 and 5 filed with the SEC on October 27, 2025 and October 15, 2026 for Sara Armbruster (available here
and here); October
13, 2026 and October 16, 2026 for Stacy Bogart (available here,
here and here);
October 15, 2026 for Christopher Braun (available here);
October 15, 2026 for Kevin Bryant (available here);
November 17, 2025 and October 15, 2026 for William Fisher (available here
and here); October
29, 2025, August 14, 2026, October 13, 2026 and October 16, 2026 for Michael Happe (available here,
here, here,
here and here);
October 13, 2026 and October 16, 2026 for Bryan Hughes (available here,
here and here);
August 31, 2026 and October 15, 2026 for Staci Kroon (available here
and here); December
1, 2025, March 3, 2026 and October 15, 2026 for David Miles (available here,
here and here);
October 15, 2026 for John Murabito (available here);
December 1, 2025, March 3, 2026, June 1, 2026, August 31, 2026 and October 15, 2026 for Michael Pack (available here,
here, here,
here and here);
and May 1, 2026, May 5, 2026 and October 15, 2026 for Emily Silver (available here,
here and here).
Such filings will also be available at no charge by clicking the “SEC Filings” link in the “Financial Information”
section of the “Investors” tab of the Company’s website at https://winnebago.gcs-web.com/.
Any subsequent updates following the date hereof
to the information regarding the identity of potential participants and their direct or indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise,
will be set forth in the Company’s proxy statement on Schedule 14A and other materials to be filed with the SEC in connection with
the Company’s 2026 Annual Meeting, when they become available. These documents will be available free of charge as described above.
Contacts
Investors: Joan Ondala
ir@winnebagoind.com
Media: Dan Sullivan
media@winnebagoind.com
or
Joseph Sala / Mahmoud Siddig / Thomas Crosson
212-355-4449
Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher