Malibu Boats said on 2 March it had acquired Saxdor Yachts, a Finnish maker of premium adventure dayboats, for about €150m, or US$175m.
Why Malibu Boats, Inc. is buying Saxdor Yachts
Malibu said Saxdor fills a gap in its portfolio between Cobalt's luxury sterndrives and Pursuit's offshore boats, gives it a global manufacturing and distribution footprint and reaches younger, affluent and first-time buyers. It estimated the adventure dayboat category at US$2.5bn, growing about 15% a year, and expected the deal to be accretive to earnings per share in the current fiscal year.
“Guided by our build, innovate, and grow framework, we set a high bar for acquisitions – and Saxdor clears it easily with world-class boats, industry-leading growth and global reach”
Deal terms and financing
The price represents about 7.2 times Saxdor's estimated EBITDA for the 12 months to 31 March 2026 and was paid 73% in cash and 27% in Malibu shares, leaving pro forma net leverage at about 1.5 times. Saxdor expected revenue of US$225m–235m and EBITDA margins of 10%–11% for that period.
Regulatory approvals and timing
The acquisition was completed on announcement. Malibu's fiscal fourth-quarter results, published in August, included US$61.2m of revenue from the new Saxdor segment and said integration was progressing well.
Market context
Saxdor was founded in Helsinki in 2019 by Sakari Mattila and has delivered more than 2,000 boats through over 100 dealer locations in more than 50 countries. Its management, led by chief executive Erna Rusi, remains in place, according to Boat Industry.
