Warbird Marine acquires Yellowfin
Warbird Marine Holdings, formed by EagleTree Capital to invest in category-leading boat builders and managed by industry veteran John Dorton, announced it has completed the acquisition of Yellowfin Yachts. Yellowfin will be a separately managed sister company to Invincible Boat Company, which Warbird acquired in 2019. With this acquisition, Warbird becomes the largest and best capitalized designer and builder of custom offshore fishing boats.
Founded by Wylie Nagler in 1998, Yellowfin pioneered the premium center console category. In the 23 years since, Yellowfin has established itself as the most recognized brand in its segment and synonymous with the saltwater lifestyle.
“We are delighted to add Yellowfin to our Warbird platform. Yellowfin is at the pinnacle of their segment
both in product line up and brand prestige,” said John Dorton, CEO of Warbird. “The Yellowfin team will
remain in place at their Sarasota headquarters with Wylie Nagler as President. Wylie will continue to
focus on the products and relationships that have made Yellowfin a legendary brand.”
“At Yellowfin, we have always strived to build the best boat by using the best materials — the best
hardware, the best systems,” said Wylie Nagler, Founder and President of Yellowfin Yachts. “Joining
forces with Warbird and John Dorton gives us the scale and resources of the Warbird platform, without
changing Yellowfin’s DNA or our relentless focus on quality.”
Warbird said it will invest in Yellowfin’s facilities, people, and new product development – the same playbook that
has made Invincible one of the fastest growing brands in the industry. Yellowfin and Invincible will
continue to be managed independently.
“Both the Yellowfin and Invincible brands have their own personalities and design philosophies, and we
intend to keep it that way,” Dorton said. “The center console category is split between volume builders that can’t deliver the customization, quality and performance the premium buyer demands, and small prestige brands that build quality boats but lack the scale and investment to become truly state-of-the-art.”
“By combining the resources of these two great businesses, Warbird will be able to accelerate innovation,
invest in quality and customer service, expand capacity and ensure timely deliveries to our valued
customers and distributors,” Dorton added. “Our goal is to set a new bar for the premium center console
segment – world-beating boats with a complete customer experience to match.”
Jones Day provided legal counsel to Warbird Marine Holdings. Barrett Evans of Montecito Capital served
as financial advisor to Yellowfin Yachts and Katz Barron provided legal counsel.
