Clarus (CLAR) Risk Analysis

Many of our products are used in applications and situations that involve high levels of risk of personal injury and death. As a result, we maintain a staff who focus on including appropriate disclaimers and markings, and undertaking testing and otherwise seeking to assure the quality and safety of our products. We stay current with laws to seek to provide thorough and protective disclaimers and instructions on all of our products and packaging. Furthermore, our technical climbing and avalanche safety equipment and our related operations meet and are certified to International Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) standards set by the EEC or ISO 9001 quality system standards. Failure to use our products for their intended purposes, failure to use or care for them properly, or their malfunction, or, in some limited circumstances, even correct use of our products, have resulted in serious bodily injury or death. We remain exposed to product liability claims by the nature of the products we produce, including, without limitation, recalls and liability claims relating to BDEL's avalanche beacon transceivers. Exposure occurs if one of our products is alleged to have resulted in property damage, bodily injury or other adverse effects. Any such product liability claims have included allegations of defects in manufacturing and/or design, failure to warn of dangers inherent in the product or activities associated with the product, negligence, strict liability, and/or breach of warranties. Although we maintain product liability insurance in amounts that we believe are reasonable, there can be no assurance that we will be able to maintain such insurance on acceptable terms, if at all, in the future or that product liability claims will not exceed the amount of insurance coverage. As a manufacturer and distributor of consumer products, we are subject to government regulation in the United States and other countries, including, without limitation, the Consumer Products Safety Act, which empowers the CPSC to exclude from the market products that are found to be unsafe or hazardous. Under certain circumstances, the CPSC could require us to repurchase or recall one or more of our products and/or subject us to financial penalties. For example, as disclosed in Item 3. "Legal Proceedings," BDEL was notified by the CPSC that the agency staff believes we failed to timely meet our statutory reporting obligations under the Consumer Product Safety Act with respect to certain models of avalanche transmitters distributed by BDEL either switching unexpectedly out of "send" mode and/or out of "search" mode, that we made material misrepresentations in reports to the CPSC, and that the agency staff has recommended that the CPSC impose substantial civil monetary penalties on us. Furthermore, as disclosed in Item 3. "Legal Proceedings," the U.S. Department of Justice has commenced an investigation relating to the CPSC investigation and we received grand jury subpoenas for documents relating to, among other things, certain avalanche transmitters distributed by BDEL. Additionally, laws regulating certain consumer products exist in some cities and states, as well as in other countries in which we sell our products, and more restrictive laws and regulations may be adopted in the future. Any such recalls or repurchases of our products and/or imposition of financial penalties on us could be costly to us and could damage our business and reputation as well as have a material adverse effect on the Company's liquidity, stock price, consolidated financial position, results of operations and/or cash flows. If we are required to remove, or if we voluntarily remove, our products from the market, our reputation could be tarnished and we might have large quantities of finished products that we are unable to sell. We spend substantial resources seeking to ensure compliance with governmental and other applicable standards. However, compliance with these standards does not necessarily prevent individual or class action lawsuits, which can entail significant cost and risk. We do not maintain insurance against many types of claims involving alleged defects in our products that do not involve personal injury or property damage. As a result, these types of claims could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition. Our product liability insurance program is an occurrence-based program based on our current and historical claims experience and the availability and cost of insurance. We carry both general and umbrella liability policies that insure us for product liability claims. The policy has a small retention, which enables us to manage and control our product liability claims. Historically, product liability awards have not exceeded our individual per occurrence self-insured retention. We cannot assure you, however, that our future product liability experience will be consistent with our past experience. Additionally, we do not maintain product recall insurance. We maintain a warranty reserve for estimated future warranty claims, but the actual costs of servicing future warranty claims may exceed the reserve. Insurance coverage may become unavailable or more expensive, and policy limits, exclusions, or retentions could leave us exposed to significant uninsured or underinsured losses. As a result, product recalls or product liability claims-including, without limitation, recalls, liability claims, and/or financial penalties-could be costly to us and could damage our business and reputation, potentially having a material adverse effect on the Company's liquidity, stock price, consolidated financial position, results of operations, and/or cash flows. This includes, without limitation, the imposition by the CPSC of substantial civil monetary penalties on us, requirements to take corrective actions (including recalls),  and/or the ongoing investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice relating to BDEL's avalanche beacon transceivers. We believe it is reasonably possible that a change in our ability to estimate the amount of loss relating to any penalties imposed by the CPSC or other regulators could occur in the near term and that such a change in estimate could be material. Additionally, given the ongoing nature of this matter, the Company is currently unable to predict its duration, the resources required, or the ultimate outcome, nor can we determine the full impact it may have on the Company's liquidity, financial condition, results of operations, and/or cash flows. Any penalties imposed by the CPSC or other regulators could be significant which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

Approximately 58% of our sales for the year ended December 31, 2025 were earned in international markets. As such our ability to maintain the current level of operations in our existing international markets and to capitalize on growth in existing and new international markets is subject to risks associated with international operations. Our products are subject to increasingly stringent and complex domestic and foreign product labeling and performance and safety standards, laws and other regulations. These requirements could result in greater expense associated with compliance efforts, and failure to comply with these regulations could result in a delay, non-delivery, recall, or destruction of inventory shipments during key seasons or in other financial penalties. Significant or continuing noncompliance with these standards and laws could disrupt our business and harm our reputation. These risks include the burdens of complying with a variety of foreign laws and regulations, unexpected changes in regulatory requirements, new tariffs or other barriers to some international markets. For example, any future withdrawal or renegotiation of trade agreements, and the prosecution of trade disputes or the imposition of tariffs, duties, taxes and other charges on imports or exports between the United States and countries like China, Canada and Mexico may adversely affect our ability to operate our business and execute our growth initiatives. In addition, it may be more difficult for us to enforce agreements, collect receivables, receive dividends and repatriate earnings through foreign legal systems. In addition, our international operations may increase our exposure to compliance risks under anti-corruption, anti-money laundering, and sanctions laws. Like other companies operating internationally, we are subject to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (the "FCPA") and other anti-corruption, anti-money laundering, and sanctions laws that prohibit improper payments and other misconduct by us, our employees, agents, distributors, and other third parties with whom we do business. We operate, and may seek to expand, in markets where corruption and bribery risks may be heightened, and we rely on third parties in certain jurisdictions. We have implemented policies, procedures, training, and internal controls designed to promote compliance, but we cannot assure you that our employees or third parties will comply, that our controls will be effective, or that we will not be subject to investigations, enforcement actions, or private litigation. In February 2025, an executive order directed the U.S. Department of Justice ("DOJ") to pause certain FCPA enforcement activity for a review period, and DOJ issued updated enforcement guidelines in June 2025 and resumed FCPA enforcement with a stated focus on matters implicating U.S. economic and national security interests. These developments, and any future shifts in enforcement priorities, do not eliminate our compliance obligations, and enforcement may increase or decrease over time. In addition, the Securities and Exchange Commission retains civil enforcement authority relating to, among other things, the FCPA's accounting provisions (books and records and internal controls), and we could face significant penalties, compliance costs, business disruption, reputational harm, and loss of business if we, our employees, or third parties are alleged to have violated applicable laws. We cannot predict whether quotas, duties, taxes, exchange controls, current or future "trade wars" or other restrictions will be imposed by the United States, China, Canada and Mexico or other countries upon the import or export of our products and the commodities and components used to manufacture our products, or what effect any of these actions would have on our business, financial condition or results of operations. We cannot predict whether there might be changes in our ability to repatriate earnings or capital from international jurisdictions. Changes in regulatory and geopolitical policies and other factors may adversely affect our business or may require us to modify our current business practices. Some of our operations are conducted or products are sold in countries where economic growth has slowed, or where economies have suffered economic, social and/or political instability or hyperinflation. Moreover, declining economic conditions create the potential for future impairments of goodwill and other intangible and long-lived assets that may negatively impact our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, global economic uncertainty relating to the effects of fiscal and political crises and political and economic disputes, changes in consumer spending, foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, political unrest, natural disasters or other crises, terrorist acts, acts of war and/or military operations, could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Various sectors of the credit markets and the financial services industry have experienced a period of unprecedented turmoil and upheaval characterized by disruption in the credit markets and availability of credit and other financing, the failure, bankruptcy, collapse or sale of various financial institutions and an unprecedented level of intervention from the United States federal government. While the future recurrence of these events cannot be predicted, they may have a material adverse effect on our ability to obtain financing necessary to effectively execute acquisitions, the ability of our customers and suppliers to continue to operate their businesses or the demand for our products, which could have a material adverse effect on the market price of our common stock and our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

We believe that our future success will depend, in part, upon our ability to continue to introduce innovative design extensions for our existing products and to develop, manufacture, and market new products. We cannot assure you that we will be successful in the introduction, manufacturing, and marketing of any new products or product innovations, or develop and introduce, in a timely manner, innovations to our existing products that satisfy customer needs or achieve market acceptance. Our failure to develop new products and introduce them successfully and in a timely manner, and at favorable margins, would harm our ability to successfully grow our business and could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

The success of our proprietary products depends, in part, on our ability to protect our current and future technologies and products and to defend our intellectual property rights. If we fail to adequately protect our intellectual property rights, competitors may manufacture and market products similar to ours. Our principal intellectual property rights include our trademarks, patents, and trade secrets. We hold numerous patents for the invention of new or improved technologies, which are known as utility patents, and pending patent applications covering a wide variety of products. We cannot be sure that we will receive patents for any of our patent applications or that any existing or future patents that we receive or license will provide competitive advantages for our products. We also cannot be sure that competitors will not challenge, invalidate or avoid the application of any existing or future patents that we receive or license. In addition, patent rights may not prevent our competitors from developing, using or selling products that are similar or functionally equivalent to our products. Third parties may have patents, or may be awarded new patents, that may materially adversely affect our ability to market, distribute and sell our products. Accordingly, our products, including, but not limited to, our technical climbing and backpack products, may become subject to patent infringement claims or litigation, any adverse determination of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

We maintain and rely extensively on information technology systems and network infrastructures for the effective operation of our business, including manufacturing, order fulfillment, financial reporting, and communications with customers and suppliers. Techniques used to gain unauthorized access to networks, compromise systems, or obtain data are constantly evolving, and we may be unable to anticipate or prevent all incidents. We and our third-party vendors are vulnerable to computer viruses, malware, ransomware, phishing and other social engineering attacks, denial-of-service attacks, insider threats, and other malicious activities. Any such incident could lead to interruptions, delays, or shutdowns; loss, corruption, or unauthorized access to data (including personally identifiable information); and increased costs and diversion of management attention. In addition, public companies are subject to evolving cybersecurity disclosure and governance requirements, including Securities and Exchange Commission rules adopted in July 2023 that require disclosure of material cybersecurity incidents on Form 8-K and enhanced annual disclosures regarding cybersecurity risk management, strategy and governance. Compliance may require additional processes, controls, and resources, and may increase the risk of regulatory scrutiny, private litigation, and reputational harm. Moreover, disclosure of information about incidents or our cybersecurity controls could be costly, could expose us to additional risks (including by providing threat actors with information), and could adversely affect our relationships with customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders.

Changing laws, regulations and standards relating to corporate governance and public disclosure, including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the "Sarbanes Oxley Act"), the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, new Securities and Exchange Commission regulations and NASDAQ rules, are creating uncertainty for companies such as ours. These new or changed laws, regulations, and standards are subject to varying interpretations, in many cases due to their lack of specificity. As a result, their application in practice may evolve over time as new guidance is provided by regulatory and governing bodies, which could result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters and higher costs necessitated by ongoing revisions to disclosure and governance practices. We are committed to maintaining high standards of corporate governance and public disclosure. As a result, our efforts to comply with evolving laws, regulations, and standards have resulted in, and are likely to continue to result in, increased general and administrative expenses and a diversion of management time and attention from revenue-generating activities to compliance activities.

From time to time, we have been and may be subject to claims, lawsuits, government investigations, and other proceedings involving products liability, competition and antitrust, intellectual property, privacy, consumer protection, securities, tax, labor and employment, commercial disputes, and other matters that could adversely affect our business operations and financial condition.  Injuries sustained by those who use or purchase our products, including, without limitation, BDEL's avalanche beacon transceivers, have, and could in the future, subject us to regulatory proceedings and litigation by government agencies and private litigants brought against us, that regardless of their merits, could harm our reputation, divert management's attention from our operations and result in substantial legal fees and other costs. For example, as disclosed in Item 3. "Legal Proceedings," BDEL was notified by the CPSC that the agency staff believes we failed to timely meet our statutory reporting obligations under the Consumer Product Safety Act with respect to certain models of avalanche transmitters distributed by BDEL either switching unexpectedly out of "send" mode and/or out of "search" mode, that we made material misrepresentations in reports to the CPSC, and that the agency staff intends to recommend that the CPSC impose substantial civil monetary penalties on us. Any financial or other penalties imposed by the CPSC as well as the Department of Justice or other regulators could be costly to us and could damage our business and reputation as well as have a material adverse effect on the Company's liquidity, stock price, consolidated financial position, results of operations and/or cash flows. Also, we have reporting obligations to safety regulators in all jurisdictions where we sell our products, where reporting may trigger further regulatory investigations. Under the Company's Second Amended and Restated By-Laws, the Company may be obligated to indemnify, and advance expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) to, certain officers and employees of the Company or its subsidiaries in connection with the investigation being conducted by the United States Department of Justice relating to the Company's avalanche transceivers and any related proceedings, including if such persons are or become witnesses, subjects, targets, or otherwise become involved in such matters. If any applicable liability insurance maintained by the Company is unavailable or is not sufficient to cover, or does not cover, such indemnification and advancement obligations and related costs, the Company may be required to pay such amounts directly, which could be significant and could adversely affect the Company's liquidity, consolidated financial position, results of operations and/or cash flows. Any amounts advanced are generally subject to an undertaking to repay such amounts if it is ultimately determined that the applicable person was not entitled to indemnification.

As a global company, we determine our income tax liability in various tax jurisdictions and our effective tax rate based on an analysis and interpretation of local tax laws and regulations, as well as our financial projections. This analysis requires significant judgment and estimation, often based on assumptions about the future, which, in times of economic disruptions or legislative changes, are highly uncertain. Our tax determinations are subject to periodic domestic and foreign audits, and while we accrue for uncertain tax positions, these accruals may be insufficient to satisfy unfavorable findings. Unfavorable audit findings or tax rulings could result in payment of additional taxes, fines, and penalties for prior periods and could lead to higher tax rates in future periods. Tax laws and regulations continue to evolve at both domestic and international levels. For example, recent legislative changes in the United States, such as the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, introduced a corporate alternative minimum tax and an excise tax on stock buybacks, which could impact our effective tax rate and cash flows. Additionally, international tax initiatives, including the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development ("OECD")'s global minimum tax framework under Pillar Two, aim to establish a minimum corporate tax rate of 15% for large multinational enterprises. As countries implement these measures, our tax obligations could increase, and compliance requirements may become more complex. While the Company does not currently meet the minimum revenue threshold for Pillar Two and is not subject to its provisions, any future compliance could increase our tax obligations, impose additional compliance costs, and adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. Moreover, ongoing tax reform discussions in the U.S. and other jurisdictions could further impact our tax liabilities. Proposals to modify corporate tax rates, implement new taxation mechanisms on foreign earnings, or change existing tax deductions and credits could materially affect our financial results. Given the political and economic uncertainty surrounding tax policy, we cannot predict the likelihood, form, or timing of such changes, but any unfavorable developments could have an adverse impact on our effective tax rate, income tax expense, and overall financial performance. Furthermore, changes in global tax laws, including efforts to reform the taxation of digital services and cross-border transactions, may lead to increased tax costs or compliance burdens. The OECD's Base Erosion and Profit Shifting ("BEPS") initiatives and similar measures adopted by various jurisdictions may further contribute to tax uncertainty. As new regulations and interpretations emerge, our ability to mitigate risks associated with these changes may be limited, and our results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected.

We operate in a highly competitive industry. In this industry, we compete against numerous other domestic and foreign companies. Competition in the markets in which we operate is based primarily on product quality, product innovation, price, and customer service and support, although the degree and nature of such competition vary by location and product line. Some of our competitors are more established in their industries and have substantially greater revenue or resources than we do. Our competitors may take actions to match new product introductions and other initiatives. Since many of our competitors also source their products from third parties, our ability to obtain a cost advantage through sourcing is reduced. Certain of our competitors may be willing to reduce prices and accept lower profit margins to compete with us. Further, retailers often demand that suppliers reduce their prices on existing products. Competition could cause price reductions, reduced profits or losses or loss of market share, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition. To compete effectively in the future in the consumer products industry, among other things, we must: maintain strict quality standards; develop new and innovative products that appeal to consumers; deliver products on a reliable basis at competitive prices; anticipate and respond to changing consumer trends in a timely manner; maintain favorable brand recognition; and provide effective marketing support. Our inability to do any of these things could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

We sell our products to retailers, including sporting goods and specialty retailers, as well as direct to consumers. A significant deterioration in the financial condition of our major customers, including, without limitation, Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI), would have a material adverse effect on our sales and profitability. We regularly monitor and evaluate the credit status of our customers and attempt to adjust sales terms as appropriate. Despite these efforts, a bankruptcy filing by a key customer could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition. In addition, as a result of the desire of retailers to more closely manage inventory levels, there is a growing trend among retailers to make purchases on a "just-in-time" basis. This requires us to shorten our lead time for production in certain cases and more closely anticipate demand, which could in the future require us to carry additional inventories. We may be negatively affected by changes in the policies of our retailer customers, such as inventory destocking, limitations on access to and time on shelf space, use of private label brands, price demands, payment terms, and other conditions, which could negatively impact our results of operations. There is a growing trend among retailers in the U.S. and in foreign markets to undergo changes such as consolidations, restructurings or store closings or reorganizations, that could decrease the number of stores that carry our products or increase the concentration of ownership within the retail industry. These changes within the retail industry could result in a shift of bargaining power to the retail industry and in fewer outlets for our products which could result in price and other competition that could reduce our margins and our net sales. Additionally, shifts in consumer purchasing patterns, including the growth of e-commerce and large one-stop digital marketplaces, e-commerce off-price retailing and online comparison shopping in our key markets may have an adverse effect on our direct-to-consumer operations and the financial health of certain of our wholesale customers, some of whom may reduce their brick and mortar store fleet, file for protection under bankruptcy laws, restructure, or cease operations. These related business impacts have already occurred at certain of our wholesale customers. We face increased risk of order reduction and cancellation when dealing with financially ailing wholesale customers. We also extend credit to our wholesale customers based on an assessment of the wholesale customer's financial condition, generally without requiring collateral. We may choose (and have chosen in the past) to limit our credit risk by reducing our level of business with wholesale customers experiencing financial difficulties and may not be able to replace those revenues with other customers or through our direct-to-consumer businesses within a reasonable period or at all. In addition, our direct-to-consumer and wholesale sales could be adversely affected by changes in the terms, fees, algorithms, search placement, advertising policies, data access, or other practices of third-party e-commerce platforms, online marketplaces, and digital marketing channels, as well as by disruptions or outages affecting such platforms.

Our brands have wide recognition, and our success has been due in large part to our ability to maintain, enhance and protect our brand image and reputation and our consumers' and customers' connection to our brands. Our continued success depends in part on our ability to adapt to a rapidly changing media environment, including our increasing reliance on social media and online dissemination of advertising campaigns. In addition, consumer and customer sentiment could be shaped by our sustainability policies and related design, sourcing and operational decisions. Negative claims or publicity involving us, our board of directors, our brands, our products, including, without limitation, recalls and liability claims relating to BDEL's avalanche beacon transceivers, services and experiences, consumer data, or any of our key employees, endorsers, or suppliers could seriously damage our reputation and the image of our brands, regardless of whether such claims are accurate. Furthermore, social media, which accelerates and potentially amplifies the scope of negative publicity, can increase the challenges of responding to negative claims. Adverse publicity could also damage our reputation and the image of our brands, undermine consumer confidence in us and reduce long-term demand for our products, even if such adverse publicity is unfounded or not material to our operations. If the reputation, culture or image of any of our brands and products, including, without limitation, recalls and liability claims relating to BDEL's avalanche beacon transceivers, is tarnished or if we receive negative publicity, then our sales, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.