pre14a
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OMB APPROVAL |
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OMB Number:
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3235-0059 |
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Expires:
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January 31, 2008 |
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Estimated average burden hours per
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14.75 |
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 14A
Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No. )
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Filed by the Registrant
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Filed by a Party other than the Registrant o |
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Check the appropriate box: |
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þ Preliminary Proxy Statement |
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Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by
Rule 14a-6(e)(2)) |
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o Definitive Proxy Statement |
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o Definitive Additional Materials |
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Soliciting Material Pursuant to §240.14a-12 |
Crown Crafts, Inc.
(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)
(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy
Statement, if other than the Registrant)
Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):
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þ No fee required. |
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Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1)
and 0-11. |
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1) Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies: |
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2) Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies: |
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3) Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed
pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which the
filing fee is calculated and state how it was determined): |
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4) Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction: |
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o Fee paid previously with preliminary materials. |
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o Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act
Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee
was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration
statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing. |
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1) Amount Previously Paid: |
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2) Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.: |
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SEC 1913 (11-01) |
Persons who are to respond to the collection of information
contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid
OMB control number. |
June 26, 2006
Dear Stockholder:
Please join us for the 2006 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of
Crown Crafts, Inc. (the Company). The meeting will
be held on August 8, 2006, at 10:00 a.m., central
daylight time, at our headquarters, located at 916 South
Burnside Avenue, Gonzales, Louisiana 70737.
At this years meeting, we will ask our stockholders to
elect two Class II directors, to approve the Companys
2006 Omnibus Incentive Plan and to transact any other business
that may properly come before the meeting. If you owned shares
of the Companys Series A Common Stock at the close of
business on June 9, 2006, you are entitled to notice of,
and to vote at, the meeting.
Additional information about the items of business to be
discussed at our meeting is given in the attached Notice of
Annual Meeting of Stockholders and Proxy Statement. We also
include in this package the Companys Annual Report on
Form 10-K for the
year ended April 2, 2006, as filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (exclusive of documents incorporated by
reference).
I urge you to carefully review the proxy materials and to vote
FOR the director nominees and the 2006 Omnibus Incentive
Plan.
We hope to see you at the 2006 Annual Meeting on August 8,
2006.
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Sincerely, |
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E. Randall Chestnut |
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Chairman of the Board, President and |
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Chief Executive Officer |
YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT. PLEASE FILL IN, DATE, SIGN AND
PROMPTLY MAIL THE ENCLOSED PROXY CARD IN THE ACCOMPANYING
POST-PAID ENVELOPE TO ASSURE THAT YOUR SHARES ARE REPRESENTED AT
THE MEETING. IF YOU ATTEND THE MEETING, YOU MAY CHOOSE TO VOTE
IN PERSON EVEN IF YOU HAVE PREVIOUSLY SENT IN YOUR PROXY
CARD.
CROWN CRAFTS, INC.
916 South Burnside Avenue
Gonzales, Louisiana 70737
(225) 647-9100
NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
TO BE HELD ON AUGUST 8, 2006
To the Stockholders of Crown Crafts, Inc.:
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the annual meeting of stockholders
(the Annual Meeting) of Crown Crafts, Inc.
(Crown Crafts or the Company) will be
held at the Companys executive offices, located at
916 South Burnside Avenue, Third Floor, Gonzales,
Louisiana, on August 8, 2006, at 10:00 a.m., central
daylight time, for the following purposes:
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(i) to elect two members to the board of directors to hold
office for a three-year term; |
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(ii) to approve the Companys 2006 Omnibus Incentive
Plan; and |
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(iii) to transact such other business as may properly come
before the Annual Meeting or any adjournment or postponement
thereof. |
These items of business are described in the attached proxy
statement. The board of directors has fixed June 9, 2006 as
the record date to determine the stockholders entitled to notice
of and to vote at the Annual Meeting. Only those stockholders of
record of Crown Crafts Series A common stock as of the
close of business on that date will be entitled to vote at the
Annual Meeting or at any adjournment or postponement thereof.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOUR SHARES BE REPRESENTED AND VOTED
WHETHER OR NOT YOU PLAN TO ATTEND THE ANNUAL MEETING IN PERSON.
PLEASE COMPLETE, DATE, SIGN AND MAIL THE ENCLOSED PROXY CARD IN
THE ACCOMPANYING RETURN ADDRESSED ENVELOPE, WHICH REQUIRES NO
POSTAGE IF MAILED IN THE UNITED STATES. IF YOU LATER DESIRE TO
REVOKE OR CHANGE YOUR PROXY FOR ANY REASON, YOU MAY DO SO AT ANY
TIME BEFORE THE VOTING BY DELIVERING TO CROWN CRAFTS A WRITTEN
NOTICE OF REVOCATION OR A DULY EXECUTED PROXY BEARING A LATER
DATE OR BY ATTENDING THE ANNUAL MEETING AND VOTING IN PERSON.
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By Order of the Board of Directors, |
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Olivia Elliott |
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Secretary/ Treasurer |
Gonzales, Louisiana
June 26, 2006
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CROWN CRAFTS, INC.
916 South Burnside Avenue
Gonzales, Louisiana 70737
PROXY STATEMENT
GENERAL INFORMATION
Solicitation of Proxies
This proxy statement and the accompanying form of proxy (which
were first sent or given to stockholders on or about
July 7, 2006) are furnished to stockholders of Crown
Crafts, Inc. (Crown Crafts or the
Company) in connection with the solicitation by and
on behalf of the board of directors of the Company of proxies
for use at the annual meeting of the Companys stockholders
to be held at the Companys executive offices, located at
916 South Burnside Avenue, Third Floor, Gonzales, Louisiana, on
August 8, 2006, at 10:00 a.m., central daylight time,
and any adjournment or postponement thereof (the Annual
Meeting).
The Annual Meeting is being held for the following purposes:
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(i) to elect two members to the board of directors to hold
office for a three-year term; |
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(ii) to approve the Companys 2006 Omnibus Incentive
Plan; and |
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(iii) to transact any other business as may properly come
before the Annual Meeting or any adjournment or postponement
thereof. |
Record Date; Outstanding Shares; Shares Entitled to
Vote
Only holders of record of Crown Crafts Series A common
stock at the close of business on the record date, June 9,
2006 (the Record Date), are entitled to notice of
and to vote at the Annual Meeting. As of the Record Date, there
were 9,505,937 shares of Crown Crafts Series A common
stock outstanding and entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting,
held by approximately 691 holders of record. A list of the
Companys stockholders will be available for review at the
Companys executive offices during regular business hours
for a period of ten days before the Annual Meeting. Each holder
of Crown Crafts Series A common stock is entitled to one
vote for each share of Crown Crafts Series A common stock
he or she owned as of the Record Date.
Quorum and Vote Required
A quorum of stockholders is necessary to transact business at
the Annual Meeting. The presence, in person or by proxy, of
shares of Crown Crafts Series A common stock representing a
majority of shares of Crown Crafts Series A common stock
outstanding and entitled to vote on the Record Date is necessary
to constitute a quorum at the Annual Meeting. Abstentions and
broker
non-votes,
discussed below, count as present for establishing a quorum.
Directors are elected by a plurality of the votes cast, which
means the two nominees who receive the largest number of
properly cast votes will be elected as directors of Crown
Crafts. Cumulative voting is not permitted. Approval of each of
the other proposals requires the affirmative vote of a majority
of the shares of the Companys Series A common stock
present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote
at the Annual Meeting. If a quorum is not present at the Annual
Meeting, then it is expected that the Annual Meeting will be
adjourned or postponed to solicit additional proxies.
As of the Record Date, the Companys directors and
executive officers as a group beneficially owned and were
entitled to vote approximately 792,215 shares of the
Companys Series A common stock, or approxi-
mately 8.3% of the outstanding shares of the Companys
Series A common stock on that date. This amount excludes
approximately 10,310 shares of the Companys
Series A common stock held by members of the immediate
families of certain officers and directors of Crown Crafts with
respect to which such officers and directors disclaim beneficial
ownership.
Voting; Proxies; Revocation
You may vote by proxy or in person at the Annual Meeting.
Voting in Person. If you plan to attend the Annual
Meeting and wish to vote in person, you will be given a ballot
at the Annual Meeting. Please note, however, that if your shares
are held in street name, which means your shares are
held of record by a broker, bank or other nominee, and you wish
to vote at the Annual Meeting, you must bring to the Annual
Meeting a proxy from the record holder of the shares authorizing
you to vote at the Annual Meeting.
Voting by Proxy. You should vote your proxy even
if you plan to attend the Annual Meeting. You can always change
your vote at the Annual Meeting. Your latest dated vote before
the Annual Meeting will be the vote counted. Voting instructions
are included on your proxy card. If you properly grant your
proxy and submit it to the Company in time to vote, one of the
individuals named as your proxy will vote your shares as you
have directed. If no instructions are indicated on a properly
executed proxy card or voting instruction, the shares will be
voted for the election of all of the director
nominees and for the approval of the Companys
2006 Omnibus Incentive Plan. If other matters properly come
before the Annual Meeting, the shares represented by proxies
will be voted, or not voted, by the individuals named in the
proxies in their discretion.
You may submit your proxy through the mail by completing your
proxy card, and signing, dating and returning it in the
enclosed,
pre-addressed,
postage-paid envelope. To be valid, a returned proxy card must
be signed and dated.
If you are not the record holder of your shares, you must
provide the record holder of your shares with instructions on
how to vote your shares. If your shares are held by a bank,
broker or other nominee, that bank, broker or nominee may allow
you to deliver your voting instructions by telephone. If your
shares are held by a broker, you may also be allowed to deliver
your voting instructions over the Internet. Stockholders whose
shares are held by a bank, broker or other nominee should refer
to the voting instruction card forwarded to them by that bank,
broker or other nominee holding their shares.
Revocation of Proxy. You may revoke your proxy at
any time before it is voted at the Annual Meeting by:
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delivering to the Secretary of Crown Crafts a signed notice of
revocation, bearing a date later than the date of the proxy,
stating that the proxy is revoked; |
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granting a new proxy, relating to the same shares and bearing a
later date; or |
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attending the Annual Meeting and voting in person. |
If your shares are held in the name of a broker, bank or other
nominee, you may change your vote by submitting new voting
instructions to your broker, bank or other nominee. You must
contact your broker, bank or other nominee to find out how to
do so.
Written notices of revocation and other communications with
respect to the revocation of proxies should be addressed to:
Crown Crafts, Inc., P.O. Box 1028, Gonzales,
Louisiana 70707.
Abstentions and Broker Non-Votes. Shares of Crown
Crafts Series A common stock held by persons attending the
Annual Meeting but not voting, and shares of Crown Crafts
Series A common stock for which the Company has received
proxies but with respect to which holders of those shares have
abstained from voting, will be counted as present at the Annual
Meeting for purposes of determining the presence or absence of a
quorum for the transaction of business at the Annual Meeting.
Because directors are elected by a plurality of votes cast,
abstentions will not be counted in determining which nominees
received the largest number of votes cast.
2
Under certain circumstances, brokers are prohibited from
exercising discretionary authority for beneficial owners who
have not returned proxies to the brokers
(so-called broker
non-votes). In
these cases, and in cases where the stockholder abstains from
voting on a matter, those shares will be counted for the purpose
of determining if a quorum is present, but will not be included
in the vote totals with respect to those matters and, therefore,
will have no effect on the vote. In addition, if a broker
indicates on the proxy card that it does not have discretionary
authority on other matters considered at the Annual Meeting,
those shares will not be counted in determining the number of
votes cast with respect to those matters.
Proxy Solicitation. Crown Crafts will bear the
costs of printing and mailing this proxy statement, as well as
all other costs incurred on behalf of the Companys board
of directors in connection with its solicitation of proxies from
the holders of Crown Crafts Series A common stock. In
addition, directors, officers and employees of Crown Crafts and
its subsidiaries may solicit proxies by mail, personal
interview, telephone or telegraph without additional
compensation therefor. Arrangements also will be made with
brokerage houses, voting trustees, banks, associations and other
custodians, nominees and fiduciaries, who are record holders of
the Companys Series A common stock not beneficially
owned by them, for forwarding these proxy materials to, and
obtaining proxies from, the beneficial owners of such stock
entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting. Crown Crafts will
reimburse these persons for their reasonable expenses incurred
in doing so.
Other Business; Adjournments. The Company does not
expect that any matter other than the proposals presented in
this proxy statement will be brought before the Annual Meeting.
However, if other matters are properly presented at the Annual
Meeting or any adjournment or postponement of the Annual
Meeting, the persons named as proxies will vote in accordance
with their best judgment with respect to those matters.
Assistance
If you need assistance in completing your proxy card or have
questions regarding the Annual Meeting, please contact Olivia
Elliott at (225) 647-9124 or write to Ms. Elliott at
the following address: P.O. Box 1028, Gonzales,
Louisiana 70707.
3
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF MANAGEMENT AND CERTAIN BENEFICIAL
OWNERS
The following table sets forth certain information, based upon
publicly-filed documents, regarding the number and percentage of
shares of Crown Crafts Series A common stock that are
deemed to be beneficially owned under the rules of
the Securities and Exchange Commission
(the SEC), as of the Record Date, by
(i) each director of the Company, (ii) the current
executive officers of the Company named in the Summary
Compensation Table included elsewhere herein, (iii) all
officers and directors as a group, and (iv) all persons
known to the Company who may be deemed beneficial owners of more
than 5% of the outstanding shares of the Companys
Series A common stock. An asterisk indicates beneficial
ownership of less than one percent. Unless otherwise specified
in the footnotes, the stockholder has sole voting and
dispositive power over the shares of Series A common stock
beneficially held.
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Number of | |
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Percentage | |
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of | |
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Beneficially | |
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Outstanding | |
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Owned(1) | |
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Shares | |
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Michael H. Bernstein(2)
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1,137,939 |
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12.0 |
% |
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c/o Ugo F. Ippolito
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Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP
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999 Peachtree Street, N.E., Suite 1400
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Atlanta, Georgia 30309-3964
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Wynnefield Capital, Inc.
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1,433,835 |
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15.1 |
% |
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450 Seventh Avenue, Suite 509
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New York, New York 10123
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E. Randall Chestnut(3)
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461,103 |
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4.8 |
% |
Amy Vidrine Samson(4)
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148,112 |
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1.6 |
% |
Nanci Freeman(5)
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251,310 |
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2.6 |
% |
William T. Deyo, Jr.(6)
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11,001 |
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Steven E. Fox(6)
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11,001 |
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Sidney Kirschner(6)
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11,001 |
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Zenon S. Nie(6)
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11,001 |
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William P. Payne(6)
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11,001 |
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Dr. Donald Ratajczak(6)
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11,001 |
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Dr. James A. Verbrugge(6)
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11,001 |
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All officers and directors as a group (10 persons)
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937,532 |
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9.7 |
% |
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(1) |
The number of shares beneficially owned and the percentage of
ownership includes all options to acquire shares of
Series A common stock that may be exercised within
60 days of June 9, 2006. |
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(2) |
Includes 897,791 shares of Series A common stock owned
individually by Mr. Bernstein, 92,912 shares held by
Mr. Bernstein as custodian or trustee for his minor
children as to which he disclaims beneficial ownership,
82,236 shares held by the Bernstein Family Foundation, a
charitable foundation for which Mr. Bernstein acts as
trustee, and 65,000 shares owned by a trust for which
Mr. Bernstein is a trustee. |
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(3) |
Includes 426,103 shares of Series A common stock owned
individually by Mr. Chestnut and options to
purchase 35,000 shares of Series A common stock. |
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(4) |
Includes 140,612 shares of Series A common stock owned
individually by Ms. Samson and options to
purchase 7,500 shares of Series A common stock. |
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(5) |
Includes 190,500 shares of Series A common stock owned
individually by Ms. Freeman, 10,250 shares owned by
her husband, 60 shares owned by her minor children, options
owned by Ms. Freeman to purchase 15,000 shares of
Series A common stock and options owned by her husband to
purchase 35,500 shares of Series A common stock. |
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(6) |
Includes 5,000 shares of Series A common stock owned
individually and options to purchase 6,001 shares of
Series A common stock. |
4
PROPOSAL 1:
ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
Board of Directors
The board of directors of Crown Crafts is responsible for
establishing broad corporate policies of the Company and
monitoring the Companys overall performance and ensuring
that the Companys activities are conducted in a
responsible and ethical manner. However, in accordance with
well-established corporate legal principles, the board of
directors is not involved in the Companys
day-to-day operating
matters. Members of the board are kept informed about the
Companys business by participating in board and committee
meetings, by reviewing analyses and reports provided to them by
the Company and through discussions with the chairman of the
board and other officers of the Company.
Election of Directors
The Company has a classified board currently consisting of three
Class I directors (Messrs. E. Randall Chestnut,
William T. Deyo and Steven E. Fox), three Class II
directors (Messrs. Sidney Kirschner, Zenon S. Nie and
William P. Payne) and two Class III directors
(Messrs. Donald Ratajczak and James A. Verbrugge). At each
annual meeting of stockholders, directors are duly elected for a
full term of three years to succeed those whose terms are
expiring. The Class II directors currently serve until the
Annual Meeting, and the Class I and Class III
directors currently serve until the annual meetings of
stockholders to be held in 2007 and 2008, respectively.
William P. Payne, currently a Class II director, previously
notified the Company that he would not stand for re-election to
the Companys board at the Annual Meeting so that he may
devote more time to other matters. Pursuant to the
Companys bylaws, the board of directors has since fixed
its membership at seven directors effective as of the time of
the Annual Meeting. After the Annual Meeting, the Class II
directors will consist of two members, and the Class I,
Class II and Class III directors will serve until the
annual meetings of stockholders to be held in 2007, 2009 and
2008, respectively, and until their respective successors are
duly elected and qualified.
At the Annual Meeting, two Class II directors will be
elected to hold office until the 2009 annual meeting of
stockholders of the Company. The board of directors has
unanimously nominated Sidney Kirschner and Zenon S. Nie as
Class II nominees for election to the board of directors.
Each of these nominees presently serves on the board of
directors of the Company.
The proxy holder intends to vote for the election of
the named nominees unless you have specifically indicated by
proper proxy that your shares should be withheld from voting for
any or all of these nominees. If at the time of the Annual
Meeting any nominee is unavailable or unwilling to serve as a
director, the proxies will be voted for the remaining nominees
and for any other person designated by the board of directors as
a nominee. Proxies cannot be voted at the Annual Meeting for a
greater number of persons than the number of nominees named.
Recommendation of the Board of Directors
The board of directors unanimously recommends a vote FOR
each of the Class II nominees.
Class II Nominees
The following persons are the nominees for Class II
directorships with terms ending in 2009.
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Director Since | |
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Sidney Kirschner
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71 |
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2001 |
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Zenon S. Nie
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55 |
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2001 |
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5
Sidney Kirschner was Chairman of the Board, President and
Chief Executive Officer of Northside Hospital, Atlanta, Georgia,
from 1992 to 2004. He is a member of the Board of Directors of
Superior Uniforms, Inc.
Zenon S. Nie is Chairman of the Board, President and
Chief Executive Officer of the C.E.O. Advisory Board, a
management consulting firm he founded in 2000, and has been an
operating partner in Tri-Artisan Partners since 2001. From 1993
to 2000, he was Chairman of the Board, President, Chief
Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Simmons
Company, a manufacturer and distributor of mattresses. He is a
member of the Board of Directors of Hilding Anders
International, AB.
Continuing Directors
The following persons are the Class I and Class III
directors of the Company, with terms expiring as set forth below.
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CLASS I
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E. Randall Chestnut
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58 |
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Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President |
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1995 |
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Through 2007 |
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William T. Deyo
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61 |
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Director |
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2001 |
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Through 2007 |
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Steven E. Fox
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60 |
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Director |
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2001 |
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Through 2007 |
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CLASS III
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Donald Ratajczak
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63 |
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Director |
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2001 |
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Through 2008 |
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James A. Verbrugge
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65 |
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Director |
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2001 |
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Through 2008 |
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E. Randall Chestnut joined the Company in January
1995 as Vice President, Corporate Development. Since then, he
has been an executive of the Company, and in July 2001 he was
elected President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the
Board.
William T. Deyo, Jr. has been a principal of Goddard
Investment Group, LLC, a real estate investment firm, since
1999. He was Executive Vice President of NAI/ Brannen Goddard
Company, a real estate brokerage firm, from 1999 to 2000. From
1966 to 1999, he held various positions with Wachovia Bank in
Atlanta, Georgia, serving last as Executive Vice President.
Mr. Deyo also is Chairman of the Board of the Fulton County
(Georgia) Hospital Authority and a past member of the Board of
Directors of the Center for Visually Impaired Foundation.
Steven E. Fox is a partner in the law firm of
Rogers & Hardin LLP, where he has practiced since 1976.
He is a member of the Board of Directors of Athens Olympic
Broadcasting S.A.
Dr. Donald Ratajczak is a consulting economist and
the former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Brainworks
Ventures, Inc., an enterprise development company he founded in
2000. He is also Regents Professor Emeritus of the
Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University. From
1997 to 2000, he was Regents Professor of Economics at
Georgia State University, and from 1973 to 1997, he was a
Professor or Associate Professor in that department. He was also
the founder and Director of the Economic Forecasting Center at
Georgia State University from 1973 to 2000. He is a member of
the Board of Directors of each of Ruby Tuesday, Inc., Assurance
America Corporation, Citizens Bankshares Corporation and Regan
Holding Corp.
Dr. James A. Verbrugge is Professor of Finance
Emeritus in the Terry College of Business at the University of
Georgia. From 2002 to 2004, he was the Director of the Center
for Strategic Risk Management in the Terry College. From 1976 to
2001, he was the Chairman of the Department of Banking and
Finance, and he held the Chair of Banking from 1992 to 2002. He
is currently a member of the Board of Directors of each of One
Travel Holdings, Inc.,
Tri-S Security
Corporation and Verso Technologies, Inc. He also serves on the
board of one private company.
6
Board Committees and Meetings
Currently, the board of directors has two standing committees:
the audit committee and the compensation committee. Committee
membership and the responsibilities assigned by the board of
directors to each of the committees are briefly described below.
The board of directors met seven times during the last fiscal
year. The audit committee met two times and the compensation
committee met once during that same period. In addition, the
chairman of the audit committee met with the Companys
independent accountants twice during the last fiscal year. Each
director attended at least 75% of the total number of meetings
of the board and committees of which he was a member during
fiscal year 2006, except for Mr. Payne, who attended 62.5%
of the total number of such board and committee meetings. Seven
directors also attended the Companys annual meeting held
in fiscal year 2006, and all members of the board have been
requested to attend the Annual Meeting.
The Company does not have a standing nominating committee or a
charter with respect to the nominating process. The board is of
the view that such a committee is unnecessary given the
relatively small number of directors elected each year and the
fact that all directors are considered by and recommended to the
Companys stockholders by the full board, which is
comprised of a majority of independent directors. If the board
appointed such a committee, its membership would consist of the
independent directors or a subset of them. To date, all director
nominees recommended to the stockholders have been identified by
current directors or management, and the Company has never
engaged a third party to identify director candidates. The board
would also consider any director candidate proposed in good
faith by a stockholder of the Company. To do so, a stockholder
should send the director candidates name, credentials,
contact information and his or her consent to be considered as a
candidate to the secretary of the Company. The proposing
stockholder should also include his or her contact information
and a statement of his or her share ownership (how many shares
of the Company owned and for how long). The board will evaluate
candidates based on their financial literacy, business acumen
and experience, independence, and willingness,
ability and availability for service.
Audit Committee. The audit committee is currently
comprised of four members, none of whom is a current or former
employee of the Company or any of its subsidiaries and all of
whom are, in the opinion of the board, free from any
relationship that would interfere with the exercise of their
independent judgment in the discharge of the audit
committees duties. See Report of the Audit Committee
of the Board. The current members of the audit committee
are Drs. Ratajczak and Verbrugge and Messrs. Deyo and
Kirschner. The audit committee represents the board in
discharging its responsibility relating to the accounting,
reporting and financial practices of the Company and its
subsidiaries. Its primary functions include monitoring the
integrity of the Companys financial statements, system of
internal controls, and compliance with regulatory and legal
requirements; monitoring the independence, qualifications and
performance of the Companys independent auditor; and
providing an avenue of communication among the independent
auditor, management and the board.
Compensation Committee. The compensation committee
is currently comprised of three directors, Messrs. Nie
(Chairman), Fox and Payne, none of whom is a current or former
employee of the Company or any of its subsidiaries. The duties
of the compensation committee are generally to establish the
compensation for the Companys executive officers and to
act on such other matters relating to compensation as it deems
appropriate, including an annual evaluation of the
Companys Chief Executive Officer and the design and
oversight of all compensation and benefit programs in which the
Companys employees and officers are eligible to
participate.
Directors Compensation
Each nonemployee director is paid an annual cash retainer of
$20,000, and committee chairmen are paid an additional $4,500
annual cash retainer. During fiscal year 2006, each nonemployee
director also received a cash fee of $2,500 for each board
meeting attended and $2,000 for each committee meeting held
other than in conjunction with a board meeting. For each
committee meeting that is held in conjunction with a board
meeting, each committee member receives a cash fee of $1,000. An
additional $2,500 is received for travel time associated with
attending the Companys Annual Meeting. Each nonemployee
director also received an
7
option grant to purchase 2,000 shares of the
Companys Series A common stock after the annual
meeting of stockholders of the Company held in 2005.
Directors who are employees of Crown Crafts or its subsidiaries
do not receive any compensation for their service as directors.
Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider
Participation
None of the members of the compensation committee during fiscal
year 2006 or as of the date of this proxy statement is or has
been an officer or employee of the Company.
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Executive Officers
The executive officers of the Company are as follows:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Name |
|
Age | |
|
Position With Company |
|
|
| |
|
|
E. Randall Chestnut(1)
|
|
|
58 |
|
|
Chairman of the Board, President and
Chief Executive Officer |
Amy Vidrine Samson(2)
|
|
|
45 |
|
|
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer |
Nanci Freeman(3)
|
|
|
48 |
|
|
President and Chief Executive Officer, Crown Crafts Infant
Products, Inc. |
|
|
(1) |
Information about the business experience of Mr. Chestnut
is set forth under Continuing Directors above. |
|
(2) |
Ms. Samson joined the Company on July 23, 2001 as Vice
President and Chief Financial Officer. Before joining the
Company, she had served, since 1995, as Vice President of
Finance and Operations of Hamco, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary
of the Company. |
|
(3) |
Ms. Freeman has been President and Chief Executive Officer
of Crown Crafts Infant Products, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary
of the Company, since 1999. |
Subject to the terms of his or her employment agreement, each
executive officer of the Company is elected or appointed by the
board and holds office until such officers successor is
elected or until such officers death, resignation or
removal.
8
Summary of Executive Compensation
The following table and notes present the total compensation
paid to or earned by the Companys chief executive officer
and its other executive officers whose annual salary and bonus
exceeded $100,000 (the Named Executive Officers) for
services rendered during each of the Companys last three
fiscal years.
Summary Compensation Table
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Long-Term Compensation | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Annual Compensation | |
|
Restricted | |
|
Securities | |
|
|
|
|
Fiscal | |
|
| |
|
Stock | |
|
Underlying | |
|
All Other | |
Name and Principal Position |
|
Year | |
|
Salary | |
|
Bonus | |
|
Awards(1) | |
|
Options (#) | |
|
Compensation | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
E. Randall Chestnut
|
|
|
2006 |
|
|
$ |
395,000 |
|
|
$ |
166,000 |
|
|
$ |
-0- |
|
|
|
-0- |
|
|
$ |
-0- |
|
|
Chairman of the Board,
|
|
|
2005 |
|
|
|
395,000 |
|
|
|
-0- |
|
|
|
-0- |
|
|
|
-0- |
|
|
|
-0- |
|
|
President and Chief
|
|
|
2004 |
|
|
|
368,000 |
|
|
|
221,000 |
|
|
|
-0- |
|
|
|
-0- |
|
|
|
-0- |
|
|
Executive Officer
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Amy Vidrine Samson
|
|
|
2006 |
|
|
$ |
190,000 |
|
|
$ |
55,000 |
|
|
$ |
-0- |
|
|
|
-0- |
|
|
$ |
-0- |
|
|
Vice President and
|
|
|
2005 |
|
|
|
193,000 |
|
|
|
-0- |
|
|
|
-0- |
|
|
|
-0- |
|
|
|
-0- |
|
|
Chief Financial Officer
|
|
|
2004 |
|
|
|
174,000 |
|
|
|
71,000 |
|
|
|
30,000 |
|
|
|
-0- |
|
|
|
-0- |
|
Nanci Freeman
|
|
|
2006 |
|
|
$ |
261,000 |
|
|
$ |
104,000 |
|
|
$ |
-0- |
|
|
|
-0- |
|
|
$ |
-0- |
|
|
President and Chief Executive
|
|
|
2005 |
|
|
|
267,000 |
|
|
|
-0- |
|
|
|
-0- |
|
|
|
-0- |
|
|
|
-0- |
|
|
Officer, Crown Crafts
|
|
|
2004 |
|
|
|
245,000 |
|
|
|
99,000 |
|
|
|
30,000 |
|
|
|
-0- |
|
|
|
-0- |
|
|
Infant Products, Inc.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1) |
At April 2, 2006, Ms. Samson and Ms. Freeman each
held 40,500 restricted shares of Series A common stock with
a value of $25,920. The dollar amounts reported in the table
above reflect the value of these shares on the date of grant,
June 23, 2003. These shares vested on June 23, 2005.
The Company does not expect to pay dividends on these shares. |
Employment Agreements
Mr. Chestnut has a Severance Protection Agreement for a
two-year term renewable annually (so as to always be effective
for two years after each renewal date), unless either party
notifies the other of non-renewal in a timely manner, providing
for payment of three times his compensation, acceleration of
vesting of stock awards, repurchase by the Company of shares
acquired on the exercise of stock options if he so elects, a
cash payment sufficient to relieve him of any tax liability
resulting from excise taxes on the payments to him and other
benefits if his employment is terminated within two years of a
Change in Control (as defined) and such termination is
without cause (as defined) or for Good Reason
(as defined).
In addition, Mr. Chestnut, Ms. Samson and
Ms. Freeman each have an employment agreement, the original
terms of which expired March 31, 2004, in the case of
Mr. Chestnut, and April 30, 2006, in the case of
Ms. Samson and Ms. Freeman, and which currently renew
automatically on a monthly basis unless either party to such
agreement gives the other party to such agreement one
years advance notice of non-renewal. Each agreement
provides for annual salary and performance bonuses, as well as
other benefits. If the Company terminates
Mr. Chestnuts employment without cause
(as defined) or Mr. Chestnut terminates his employment
for Good Reason (as defined), then Mr. Chestnut will
be entitled to be paid the amounts provided in his Severance
Protection Agreement. If the Company terminates the employment
of either Ms. Samson or Ms. Freeman without cause
(as defined) or either Ms. Samson or Ms. Freeman
terminates her employment for Good Reason (as defined),
then Ms. Samson or Ms. Freeman, as the case may be,
will be entitled to her compensation for the greater of the
remaining term of the agreement or one year plus an amount equal
to her highest annual bonus for the three prior years. If there
is a Change in Control (as defined), then each of
Mr. Chestnut, Ms. Samson and Ms. Freeman may,
under certain circumstances, elect to terminate their respective
employment relationship with the Company and receive the
foregoing benefits. Each of the employment agreements contains
one-year post-employment non-competition provisions and provides
for a continuity of compensation during that period if
termination of employment was without cause or for Good Reason.
9
Option Exercises and Holdings
The following table sets forth certain information with respect
to stock options held by the Named Executive Officers, at
April 2, 2006. No options were granted to or exercised by
the Named Executive Officers during fiscal 2006.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number of | |
|
Value of | |
|
|
Securities | |
|
Unexercised | |
|
|
Underlying | |
|
In-the-Money | |
|
|
Options at | |
|
Options at | |
|
|
4/2/06 | |
|
4/2/06(1) | |
|
|
(Exercisable/ | |
|
(Exercisable/ | |
Name and Principal Position |
|
Unexercisable) | |
|
Unexercisable) | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
E. Randall Chestnut, Chairman of the Board, President and Chief
Executive Officer
|
|
|
35,000/ 0 |
|
|
$ |
0/ $0 |
|
Amy Vidrine Samson, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
|
|
|
7,500/ 0 |
|
|
$ |
0/ $0 |
|
Nanci Freeman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Crown
Crafts Infant Products, Inc.
|
|
|
15,000/ 0 |
|
|
$ |
0/ $0 |
|
|
|
(1) |
Value is equal to the difference between the April 2, 2006
closing price of the Series A common stock and the exercise
price, which is equal to the closing price on the date of grant. |
REPORT OF THE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE
This report of the compensation committee sets forth the
compensation committees compensation policies applicable
to the Companys chief executive officer and its other
executive officers.
The compensation committee is currently comprised of three
nonemployee directors: Messrs. Nie, Fox and Payne. No
current member of the compensation committee has ever been an
employee of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, and none is
eligible to participate in any of the compensation plans that
the compensation committee administers other than the
Companys Amended 1995 Stock Option Plan, under which each
director receives an option grant to
purchase 2,000 shares of the Companys
Series A common stock each year on the day after the
Companys annual meeting of stockholders. Mr. Fox is a
partner in the firm of Rogers & Hardin LLP, which
performed legal services for the Company in fiscal 2006, and is
performing legal services for the Company in fiscal 2007, at
customary rates.
The compensation committee has overall responsibility to review,
monitor and recommend compensation plans to the board for
approval. In reviewing and approving executive compensation for
key executives other than the chief executive officer, the
committee reviews recommendations from the chief executive
officer.
Policy and Objectives. The fundamental philosophy
of the compensation program of the Company is to motivate
executive officers to achieve short-term and long-term goals
through incentive-based compensation and to provide competitive
levels of compensation that will enable the Company to attract
and retain qualified executives.
The Companys executive compensation program consists
primarily of three components. Of the three, only base salary is
fixed. The other two components are incentive-based. The Company
provides short-term incentives in the form of bonuses paid to
employees pursuant to formulae established by the compensation
committee based upon the Companys annual operating results
and has provided long-term incentives through the Companys
Amended 1995 Stock Option Plan.
A key objective of the compensation committee is to assure that
the total compensation of the Companys executives is
competitive. To this end, the compensation committee compared
the compensation of the Companys senior executives with
the compensation provided to executives in comparable positions
at a self-constructed group of peer companies. As the basis for
its 2006 competitive review, the compensation committee, with
assistance from an independent compensation consultant,
determined the appropriate companies to include in the peer
group, which included companies in addition to those included in
the Companys peer group index that appears in this proxy
statement for stock performance purposes. In the
10
committees view, this analysis helps to ensure that the
total compensation provided to the Companys senior
executives is set at an appropriate level to reward, retain and
attract a talented management team.
The compensation committee meets annually to set goals and
establish formulae for the awarding of bonuses, based upon
numerous factors, including the Companys projected
operating results. The formulae are generally progressive,
meaning that lower levels of profitability or sales growth by
the Company result in a lower proportion of incentive
compensation to pretax income than do higher levels of
profitability or sales growth. The compensation committee has
reserved the right to alter the formulae at any time to reflect
changing conditions.
Short-Term Compensation
Base Salary. The compensation committee targets
the base salary for each executive officer, including the chief
executive officer, at median market levels for the peer group.
Base salaries are reviewed annually by the compensation
committee. The compensation committee believes this policy is
consistent with the overall philosophy as set forth above.
Short-Term Incentives. The Company provides
executives with an opportunity for competitive short-term
compensation in the form of bonuses based upon the
Companys operating results for the fiscal year. The
maximum amounts potentially realizable by the eligible
executives are targeted to median bonus levels for the peer
group and are earned only if the Company meets or exceeds
certain performance objective(s) for the fiscal year. The
Companys earnings in fiscal year 2006 were above the
minimum level required to earn incentive compensation.
Long-Term Compensation
The Companys compensation program includes long-term
compensation in the form of periodic grants of stock options.
Long-term compensation is offered only to those key employees
who can make an impact on the Companys long-term
performance. The granting of stock options is designed to link
the interests of the executives with those of the stockholders
as well as to retain key executives. Stock option grants provide
an incentive that focuses the executives attention on
managing the Company from the perspective of an owner with an
equity stake in the business. Stock options are tied to the
future performance of the Companys stock and will provide
value only if the price of the Companys stock increases
after the stock option becomes exercisable and before it expires.
Compensation Paid to the Chief Executive Officer
The compensation committee meets annually to evaluate the
performance of the chief executive officer. The compensation
paid in fiscal year 2006 to Mr. Chestnut was based on the
factors generally applicable to compensation paid to executives
of the Company as described in this Report.
In reviewing Mr. Chestnuts short-term incentive
compensation, the compensation committee reviewed and considered
Mr. Chestnuts recent performance, his achievements in
prior years, his achievement of specific short-term goals and
the Companys performance in fiscal year 2006.
Mr. Chestnuts base salary and bonus formula for
fiscal year 2006 were approved based on this review process.
Mr. Chestnuts bonus formula, which was based on the
Companys operating results for fiscal year 2006, resulted
in a bonus for fiscal year 2006 of $166,000.
Additionally, Mr. Chestnuts long-term compensation
was determined by considering such factors as the overall
long-term goals of the Company, performance trends, potential
stock appreciation and actual performance, taking into
consideration factors and conditions which affected that
performance, both positively and negatively.
11
Tax Compliance Policy
Certain provisions of the federal tax laws limit the
deductibility of certain compensation for the chief executive
officer and other executives to $1.0 million in applicable
remuneration in any year. This provision has had no effect on
the Company since its enactment because no officer of the
Company has received $1.0 million in applicable
remuneration in any year. Nonetheless, the presence of
non-qualified stock options makes it theoretically possible that
the threshold may be exceeded at some time in the future. In
such a case, the Company intends to take the necessary steps to
conform its compensation to qualify for deductibility. Further,
the compensation committee intends to give strong consideration
to the deductibility of compensation in making its compensation
decisions for executive officers in the future, balancing the
goal of maintaining a compensation program which will enable the
Company to attract and retain qualified executives while
maximizing the creation of long-term stockholder value.
This report has been submitted by the compensation committee.
|
|
|
Zenon S. Nie, Chairman |
|
Steven E. Fox |
|
William P. Payne |
Pursuant to the regulations of the SEC, this report is not
soliciting material, is not deemed filed with the
SEC and is not to be incorporated by reference in any filing of
the Company under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
12
REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE
The audit committee of the Companys board of directors is
comprised of four directors, all of whom are independent, as
defined by the listing standards of NASDAQ. The board has
determined that Dr. Donald Ratajczak is an audit committee
financial expert within the meaning of regulations adopted by
the SEC as a result of his accounting and related financial
management expertise and experience. The main function of the
audit committee is to ensure that effective accounting policies
are implemented and that internal controls are in place to deter
fraud, anticipate financial risks and promote accurate and
timely disclosure of financial and other material information to
the public markets, the board and the stockholders. The audit
committee also reviews and recommends to the board the approval
of the annual financial statements and provides a forum,
independent of management, where the Companys auditors can
communicate any issues of concern. In performing all of these
functions, the audit committee acts only in an oversight
capacity and necessarily relies on the work and assurances of
the Companys management and independent auditors, which,
in their report, express an opinion on the conformity of the
Companys annual financial statements to generally accepted
accounting principles.
The audit committee has adopted a formal, written charter, which
has been approved by the full board and which specifies the
scope of the audit committees responsibilities and how it
should carry them out. The complete text of the audit committee
charter is available on the Companys website at
www.crowncrafts.com.
The audit committee has reviewed and discussed with the
Companys management the audited financial statements of
the Company for the fiscal year ended April 2, 2006. The
audit committee has discussed with Deloitte & Touche
LLP, the Companys independent public accountants, the
matters required to be discussed by Statement on Auditing
Standards No. 61 (Communication with Audit Committees), as
amended. The audit committee has also received the written
disclosures and the letter from Deloitte & Touche LLP
required by Independence Standards Board Standard No. 1
(Independence Discussions with Audit Committees), and the audit
committee has discussed the independence of Deloitte &
Touche LLP with that firm.
Based on the aforementioned review and discussions with
management and the Companys auditors, and subject to the
limitations on the role and responsibilities of the audit
committee described above, the audit committee recommended to
the board that the Companys audited consolidated financial
statements be included in the Companys Annual Report on
Form 10-K for the
fiscal year ended April 2, 2006.
This report has been submitted by the audit committee.
|
|
|
Dr. Donald Ratajczak, Chairman |
|
William T. Deyo, Jr. |
|
Sidney Kirschner |
|
Dr. James Verbrugge |
Pursuant to the regulations of the SEC, this report is not
soliciting material, is not deemed filed with the
SEC and is not to be incorporated by reference in any filing of
the Company under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
13
PERFORMANCE GRAPH
The Performance Graph set forth below compares the cumulative
total stockholder return on $100 invested in the Companys
Series A common stock for the five-year period ended
April 2, 2006, with the cumulative total return on the same
investment in the Standard & Poors 500 Stock
Index and the Standard & Poors Apparel,
Accessories and Luxury Goods Index. The graph assumes all
dividends were reinvested. The cumulative total stockholder
return on the following graph is not necessarily indicative of
future stockholder return.
COMPARISON OF 5 YEAR CUMULATIVE TOTAL RETURN*
AMONG CROWN CRAFTS, INC., THE S & P 500 INDEX
THE S & P APPAREL, ACCESSORIES & LUXURY
GOODS INDEX
|
|
* |
$100 invested on 3/31/01 in stock or index including
reinvestment of dividends. Fiscal year ending March 31. |
Copyright©
2006. Standard & Poors, a division of The
McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. all rights reserved.
www.researchdatagroup.com/S&P.htm
14
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS
Deloitte & Touche LLP currently serves as the
Companys independent accountants and conducted the audit
of the Companys consolidated financial statements for
fiscal year 2006. The board of directors, upon the
recommendation of its audit committee, has ratified the
selection of Deloitte & Touche LLP as the
Companys independent registered accounting firm for 2007.
Appointment of the independent accountants of the Company is not
required to be submitted to a vote of the stockholders of the
Company for ratification under the laws of Delaware.
Representatives of Deloitte & Touche LLP are expected
to be present at the Annual Meeting. They will have the
opportunity to make a statement if they desire to do so and are
expected to be available to respond to appropriate questions.
Principal Accountant Fees and Services
The following is a summary of the fees billed to the Company by
Deloitte & Touche LLP for professional services
rendered for the fiscal years ended April 2, 2006 and
April 3, 2005:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fiscal | |
|
Fiscal | |
Fee Category |
|
2006 Fees | |
|
2005 Fees | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
Audit Fees
|
|
$ |
119,000 |
|
|
$ |
113,500 |
|
Audit-related Fees
|
|
|
9,700 |
|
|
|
5,200 |
|
Tax Fees
|
|
|
51,300 |
|
|
|
71,700 |
|
All Other Fees
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Fees
|
|
$ |
180,000 |
|
|
$ |
190,400 |
|
Audit Fees
Audit fees consist of fees billed for professional services
rendered for the audit of the Companys annual consolidated
financial statements and review of the interim consolidated
financial statements included in quarterly reports and services
that are normally provided by Deloitte & Touche LLP in
connection with statutory and regulatory filings or engagements.
Audit-Related Fees
Audit-related fees consist of fees billed for assurance and
related services that are reasonably related to the performance
of the audit or review of the Companys consolidated
financial statements and are not reported under Audit
Fees. These services include attest services that are not
required by statute or regulation and consultations concerning
financial accounting and reporting standards.
Tax Fees
Tax fees consist of fees billed for professional services for
tax compliance, tax advice and tax planning. These services
include assistance regarding federal, state and local tax
compliance and custom and duties tax planning.
All Other Fees
Other fees consist of fees for products and services other than
the services reported above. There were no fees paid to
Deloitte & Touche LLP in fiscal 2006 or 2005 that are
not included in the above classifications.
Policy on Audit Committee Pre-Approval of Audit and
Permissible Non-Audit Services of Independent Auditors
All services provided by Deloitte & Touche LLP are
subject to pre-approval by the Companys audit committee.
Before granting any approval, the audit committee must receive:
(1) a detailed description of the proposed service;
(2) a statement from management as to why they believe
Deloitte & Touche LLP is best
15
qualified to perform the service; and (3) an estimate of
the fees to be incurred. Before granting any approval, the audit
committee gives due consideration to whether approval of the
proposed service will have a detrimental impact on the
independence of Deloitte & Touche LLP.
PROPOSAL 2:
APPROVAL OF 2006 OMNIBUS INCENTIVE PLAN
Introduction
The Crown Crafts, Inc. 2006 Omnibus Incentive Plan (the
Omnibus Plan) is intended to attract and retain
directors, officers and employees of Crown Crafts and its
subsidiaries and to motivate these persons to achieve
performance objectives related to the Companys overall
goal of increasing stockholder value. The board of directors
unanimously approved and adopted the Omnibus Plan on
June 13, 2006, and the Omnibus Plan is being submitted to
the stockholders of the Company for approval. If a quorum is
present at the Annual Meeting, the approval of the Omnibus Plan
must receive the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes
cast at the Annual Meeting.
The board of directors believes approval of the Omnibus Plan by
stockholders is in the Companys best interest. The
principal reason for adopting the Omnibus Plan is to ensure that
Crown Crafts has a mechanism for long-term, equity-based
incentive compensation to directors, officers and employees. The
Omnibus Plan is designed to comply with
Rule 16b-3 under
the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and, to the
extent applicable, with the provisions of Section 409A of
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the
Code).
In addition, Crown Crafts will also amend the Companys
Amended 1995 Stock Option Plan (the 1995 Plan) if
the Omnibus Plan is approved by the Companys stockholders.
As of June [ ], 2006, the 1995
Plan had
[ ] shares
remaining available for grant. If the Omnibus Plan is approved
by stockholders, the 1995 Plan will be amended to reduce the
number of shares available for grant under the 1995 Plan to
[ ], with the result that no
additional shares will be available for grants under the 1995
Plan and the 1995 Plan will be continued only for the purpose of
administering and settling outstanding grants.
Summary of the Omnibus Plan
The full text of the Omnibus Plan is set forth at
Appendix A to this Proxy Statement, and the following
summary is qualified in its entirety by reference to
Appendix A.
General. Awards granted under the Omnibus Plan may
be in the form of qualified or non-qualified stock options,
restricted stock, stock appreciation rights (SARs),
long-term incentive compensation units consisting of a
combination of cash and shares of the Companys
Series A common stock, or any combination thereof within
the limitations set forth in the Omnibus Plan. The Omnibus Plan
provides that awards may be made for ten years, and the Omnibus
Plan will remain in effect thereafter until all matters relating
to the payment of awards and administration of the Omnibus Plan
have been settled.
Administration. The Omnibus Plan, if approved by
the stockholders of the Company, will be administered by the
compensation committee of the board of directors (the
Omnibus Committee). The Omnibus Committee has sole
authority to administer and interpret the Omnibus Plan. The
Omnibus Committee, within the terms of the Omnibus Plan, selects
eligible employees and nonemployee directors to participate in
the Omnibus Plan and determines the type, amount and duration of
individual awards.
Shares Available. The Omnibus Plan provides that
the aggregate number of shares of Crown Crafts Series A
common stock that may be subject to award may not exceed
[ ] shares,
subject to adjustment in certain circumstances to prevent
dilution. The Series A common stock to be delivered under
the Omnibus Plan will be authorized and unissued shares. Shares
underlying awards that are canceled, expired, forfeited or
terminated shall, in most circumstances, again be available for
the grant of additional awards within the limits provided by the
Omnibus Plan.
16
Eligibility. The Omnibus Plan provides for awards
to eligible employees of the Company and its subsidiaries and to
nonemployee directors of the Company. Because it is generally
within the discretion of the Omnibus Committee to determine
which participants receive awards and the amount and type of
award received, it is not possible at the present time to
determine the amount of awards or the number of individuals to
whom awards will be made under the Omnibus Plan. The executive
officers of the Company named in the table under the caption
Executive Compensation herein are among the
employees who would be eligible to receive awards under the
Omnibus Plan.
Stock Options. Subject to the terms and provisions
of the Omnibus Plan, options to purchase the Series A
common stock of the Company may be granted to participants at
any time and from time to time as shall be determined by the
Omnibus Committee. Such options may be incentive stock
options, as defined in Section 422 of the Code, or
non-qualified options under the Code. Incentive
stock options may only be granted to eligible employees and not
to nonemployee directors. The Omnibus Committee will have
discretion in determining the number of shares of Series A
common stock to be covered by each option granted to the
recipient. Each grant of options under the Omnibus Plan will be
evidenced by an option agreement that will specify the exercise
price, the duration of the option, the number of shares to which
the option pertains, the percentage of the option that becomes
exercisable on specified dates in the future, and such other
provisions as the Omnibus Committee may determine.
The initial exercise price for each option granted under the
Omnibus Plan will be determined by the Omnibus Committee in its
discretion, provided that the exercise price of any option may
not be less than the fair market value of the Series A
common stock (as determined pursuant to the Omnibus Plan) on the
date of grant of the option and, in the case of any optionee who
owns stock possessing more than 10% of the total combined voting
power of all classes of the capital stock of the Company (within
the meaning of Section 422(b)(6) of the Code), 110% of such
fair market value with respect to any option intended to qualify
as an incentive stock option.
All options granted under the Omnibus Plan will expire no later
than ten years from the date of grant. Subject to the
limitations set forth in the Omnibus Plan, any option may be
exercised by payment to the Company of cash or, at the
discretion of the Omnibus Committee, by surrender of shares of
the Companys Series A common stock owned by the
participant (including, if the Omnibus Committee so permits, a
portion of the shares as to which the option is then being
exercised) or a combination of cash and such shares.
The Omnibus Plan places limitations on the exercise of options
that constitute incentive stock options under certain
circumstances upon or after termination of employment, and also
provides the Omnibus Committee with the discretion to place
similar limitations on the exercise of any non-qualified
options. Options are nontransferable except by will or in
accordance with applicable laws of descent and distribution. The
granting of an option does not provide the recipient the rights
of a stockholder, and such rights accrue only after the exercise
of an option and the payment in full of the exercise price by
the optionee for the shares being purchased.
Restricted Stock. The Omnibus Plan provides for
the award of shares of Series A common stock which are
subject to certain restrictions provided in the Omnibus Plan or
otherwise determined by the Omnibus Committee. Restricted stock
awards pursuant to the Omnibus Plan will be evidenced by a
restricted stock grant agreement between the Company and the
recipient, specifying the purchase price, if any, paid by the
holder for the restricted stock, with such price to be
determined by the Omnibus Committee. The restricted stock grant
agreement will also set forth any forfeiture provisions
regarding the restricted stock, as determined by the Omnibus
Committee in its discretion. The holder may sell, transfer,
pledge, exchange, hypothecate or otherwise dispose of the
restricted stock during the restriction period designated by the
Omnibus Committee only in accordance with the specific
limitations imposed in the applicable restricted stock grant
agreement, by applicable state or federal securities laws or as
may be determined by the Omnibus Committee. Certificates
representing restricted stock issued pursuant to the Omnibus
Plan will bear all legends required by law and necessary to
effectuate the provisions of the Omnibus Plan and the applicable
restricted stock grant agreement. To facilitate the enforcement
of the restrictions on the restricted stock, the Omnibus
Committee
17
may in its discretion require the holder to deliver such
certificates to the Company to be held in escrow until the
applicable restriction period has expired.
Long-Term Incentive Compensation Units. The
Omnibus Plan authorizes the Omnibus Committee to grant awards of
units to participants. Units will be granted only
upon authorization by the Omnibus Committee and the execution
and delivery of a unit award agreement, in form and substance
satisfactory to the Omnibus Committee, by the participant to
whom units are to be granted. Stock or cash underlying units
will be distributed only after the end of a performance period
of two of more years beginning with the year in which the units
are granted. The performance period respecting each grant of
units will be set by the Omnibus Committee. There may be more
than one unit granted to a unit recipient at any given time and
the performance periods may differ. At the time a unit is
granted the Omnibus Committee will establish levels of financial
performance and other performance objectives to be achieved in
each year of the performance period. The Omnibus Committee may
adopt one or more performance categories or eliminate all
performance categories other than financial performance.
Distributions of stock or cash underlying units will be based on
the Companys financial performance with results from other
performance categories applied as a factor, not exceeding one,
against financial results. The annual financial and other
performance results will be averaged over the performance period
and translated into percentage factors according to graduated
criteria established by the Omnibus Committee for the entire
performance period. The resulting percentage factors will
determine the percentage of units to be distributed. No
distributions will be made if a minimum average percentage of
the applicable measurement of performance established by the
Omnibus Committee is not achieved for the performance period.
The Omnibus Plan provides for, in the discretion of the Omnibus
Committee, the proration of units in the event of a unit
recipients death, disability or retirement. In the event
of termination of the unit recipients status as an
eligible employee or member of the board of directors prior to
the end of the applicable performance period for any reason
other than death, disability or retirement, undistributed units
awarded for such performance period will be immediately
forfeited.
A unit recipient will have no rights as a stockholder of the
Company with respect to any units until the distribution of
shares of Series A common stock in connection therewith,
other than receipt of dividends credited to the unit
recipients account for units awarded and not distributed,
calculated according to the terms of the Omnibus Plan.
Stock Appreciation Rights. The Omnibus Committee
in its discretion may grant SARs under the Omnibus Plan. SARs
will be granted only pursuant to a SAR agreement, which shall
provide for an expiration date not later than ten years after
the date such SAR is granted. A SAR will entitle the holder to
receive from the Company an amount equal to the excess, if any,
of the aggregate fair market value of the Companys
Series A common stock which is the subject of the SAR over
its base value, defined as the fair market value of
such stock on the date of issuance of the SAR.
The Company will pay the amount to which the SAR recipient
exercising the SAR is entitled in cash. A SAR recipient may
designate a beneficiary to receive cash otherwise payable to the
SAR recipient in the event of the SAR recipients death.
New Plan Benefits. No benefits have been granted
or will be granted under the Omnibus Plan prior to the approval
of the Omnibus Plan by the stockholders of the Company.
Effect of Change in Control. Awards under the
Omnibus Plan are generally subject to special provisions upon
the occurrence of a change in control (as defined in
the Omnibus Plan) transaction with respect to the Company. Under
the Omnibus Plan, upon the occurrence of a change in control any
outstanding stock options, SARs or other equity awards under the
Omnibus Plan will generally become fully vested and exercisable
and, in certain cases, paid to the participant, unless the
agreement entered into with respect to such equity award
provides otherwise. Payments under awards that become subject to
the excess parachute tax rules may be reduced under certain
circumstances.
18
Federal Income Tax Consequences
The following description of federal income tax consequences is
based on current statutes, regulations and interpretations. The
description does not address state or local income tax
consequences. In addition, the description is not intended to
address specific tax consequences applicable to an individual
participant who receives an award under the Omnibus Plan.
Incentive Options. There will not be any federal
income tax consequences to either the optionee or the Company as
a result of the grant of an incentive stock option under the
Omnibus Plan. The exercise by an optionee of an incentive stock
option also will not result in any federal income tax
consequences to the Company or the optionee, except that
(i) an amount equal to the excess of the fair market value
of the shares acquired upon exercise of the incentive stock
option, determined at the time of exercise, over the amount paid
for the shares by the optionee will be includable in the
optionees alternative minimum taxable income for purposes
of the alternative minimum tax, and (ii) the optionee may
be subject to an additional excise tax if any amounts are
treated as excess parachute payments, as discussed below.
Special rules will apply if previously acquired shares of
Series A common stock are permitted to be tendered in
payment of an option exercise price or if shares otherwise to be
received pursuant to the exercise of such option are used for
such purpose.
If the optionee disposes of the shares of Series A common
stock acquired upon exercise of the incentive stock option, the
federal income tax consequences will depend upon how long the
optionee has held the shares. If the optionee does not dispose
of the shares within two years after the incentive stock option
was granted, nor within one year after the incentive stock
option was exercised and the shares were transferred to the
optionee, then the optionee will recognize a long-term capital
gain or loss. The amount of the long-term capital gain or loss
will be equal to the difference between (i) the amount the
optionee realized on disposition of the shares and (ii) the
option price at which the optionee acquired the shares. The
Company would not be entitled to any compensation expense
deduction under these circumstances.
If the optionee does not satisfy both of the above holding
period requirements (a disqualifying disposition),
then the optionee will be required to report as ordinary income,
in the year the shares are disposed of, the amount by which
(A) the lesser of (i) the fair market value of the
shares at the time of exercise of the incentive stock option
(or, for directors, officers or greater than 10% stockholders of
the Company, generally the fair market value of the shares six
months after the date of exercise, unless such persons file an
election under Section 83(b) of the Code within
30 days of exercise) or (ii) the amount realized on
the disposition of the shares, exceeds (B) the option price
for the shares. The Company will be entitled to a compensation
expense deduction in an amount equal to the ordinary income
includable in the taxable income of the optionee (as such
deduction may be limited by certain provisions of the Code). The
remainder of the gain recognized on the disposition, if any, or
any loss recognized on the disposition, will be treated as
long-term or short-term capital gain or loss, depending on the
holding period.
Non-qualified Options. Neither the optionee nor
the Company incurs any federal income tax consequences as a
result of the grant of a non-qualified option. Upon exercise of
a non-qualified option, an optionee will recognize ordinary
income, subject, in the case of employees, to payroll tax
withholding and reporting requirements, on the
includability date in an amount equal to the
difference between (i) the fair market value of the shares
purchased, determined on the includability date; and
(ii) the consideration paid for the shares. The
includability date generally will be the date of exercise of the
non-qualified option. However, the includability date for
participants who are officers, directors or greater than 10%
stockholders of the Company will generally occur six months
later, unless such persons file an election under
Section 83(b) of the Code within 30 days of the date
of exercise to include as ordinary income the amount realized
upon exercise of the non-qualified option. The optionee may be
subject to an additional excise tax if any amounts are treated
as excess parachute payments, as discussed below. Special rules
will apply if previously acquired shares of Series A common
stock are permitted to be tendered in payment of an option
exercise price or if shares otherwise to be received pursuant to
the exercise of such option are used for such purpose.
At the time of a subsequent sale or disposition of any shares of
Series A common stock obtained upon exercise of a
non-qualified option, any gain or loss will be a capital gain or
loss. Such capital gain or loss will be
19
long-term capital gain or loss if the sale or disposition occurs
more than one year after the includability date and short-term
capital gain or loss if the sale or disposition occurs one year
or less after the includability date.
In general, the Company will be entitled to a compensation
expense deduction in connection with the exercise of a
non-qualified option for any amounts includable in the taxable
income of the optionee as ordinary income (as such deduction may
be limited by certain provisions of the Code).
Restricted Stock Awards. With respect to shares
issued pursuant to a restricted stock award that is not subject
to a substantial risk of forfeiture, a holder will recognize
ordinary income, subject, in the case of employees, to payroll
tax withholding and reporting requirements, in the year of
receipt an amount equal to the fair market value of the shares
received on the date of receipt. With respect to shares that are
subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture, a holder may file
an election under Section 83(b) of the Code within
30 days after receipt to recognize ordinary income,
subject, in the case of employees, to payroll tax withholding
and reporting requirements, in the year of receipt an amount
equal to the fair market value of the shares received on the
date of receipt (determined as if the shares were not subject to
any risk of forfeiture). If a Section 83(b) election is
made, the holder will not recognize any additional income when
the restrictions on the shares issued in connection with the
restricted stock award lapse. The Company will receive a
corresponding tax deduction for any amounts includable in the
taxable income of the holder as ordinary income (as such
deduction may be limited by certain provisions of the Code). At
the time any such shares are sold or disposed of, any gain or
loss will be treated as long-term or short-term capital gain or
loss, depending on the holding period from the date of receipt
of the restricted stock award.
A holder who does not make a Section 83(b) election within
30 days of the receipt of a restricted stock award that is
subject to a risk of forfeiture will recognize ordinary income,
subject, in the case of employees, to payroll tax withholding
and reporting requirements, at the time of the lapse of the
restrictions in an amount equal to the then fair market value of
the shares free of restrictions. The Company will receive a
corresponding tax deduction for any amounts includable in the
taxable income of the holder as ordinary income (as such
deduction may be limited by certain provisions of the Code). At
the time of a subsequent sale or disposition of any shares of
Series A common stock issued in connection with a
restricted stock award as to which the restrictions have lapsed,
any gain or loss will be treated as long-term or short-term
capital gain or loss, depending on the holding period from the
date the restrictions lapse. Any dividends received by a holder
with respect to unvested shares will, unless such holder has
made a valid Section 83(b) election, constitute
compensation income (for which the Company generally will be
entitled to a corresponding tax deduction) subject to the
holders ordinary income tax rates and, in the case of
employees, to payroll tax withholding and reporting by the
Company.
Units. Any cash and the fair market value of any
Series A common stock of the Company received as payment in
respect of units will generally constitute ordinary income to
the unit recipient upon receipt. The Company will be entitled to
an income tax deduction corresponding to the ordinary income
recognized by the unit recipient (as such deduction may be
limited by certain provisions of the Code).
SARs. A participant who is granted SARs under the
Omnibus Plan will not realize any taxable income upon the grant
of such SAR, and the Company will not be entitled to any
deduction for income tax purposes at such time. However, when
the SAR Recipient exercises a SAR, the amount of cash paid by
the Company is taxable to the SAR recipient as ordinary income.
The Company will be entitled to a corresponding deduction for
the taxable year in which the SAR is exercised (as such
deduction may be limited by certain provisions of the Code).
Excise Tax on Parachute Payments.
Section 4999 of the Code imposes an excise tax on
excess parachute payments, as defined in
Section 280G of the Code. Generally, parachute payments are
payments in the nature of compensation to employees or
independent contractors who are also officers, stockholders or
highly-compensated individuals, where such payments are
contingent on a change in ownership or control of the stock or
assets of the paying corporation. In addition, the payments
generally must be substantially greater in amount than the
recipients regular annual compensation. Under Treasury
Regulations finalized by the Internal Revenue Service in 2003,
under certain circumstances the grant, vesting, acceleration or
exercise of
20
awards pursuant to the Omnibus Plan could be treated as
contingent on a change in ownership or control for purposes of
determining the amount of a participants parachute
payments.
In general, the amount of a parachute payment (some portion of
which may be deemed to be an excess parachute
payment) would be the cash or the fair market value of the
property received (or to be received) less the amount paid for
such property. If a participant were found to have received an
excess parachute payment, he or she would be subject to a
special nondeductible 20% excise tax on the amount thereof, and
the Company would not be allowed to claim any deduction with
respect thereto. Under the provisions of the Omnibus Plan, the
Company may reduce the amount of payments to be made to a
participant to the extent necessary to avoid that result.
Million Dollar Deduction Limit.
Section 162(m) of the Code limits the tax deduction a
public company may take with respect to compensation in excess
of $1,000,000 that is paid to certain executive officers of the
company, including the chief executive officer and the
companys four other most highly compensated officers.
Under the provisions of the Omnibus Plan, the Company may reduce
the amount of payments to be made to a participant in a
particular year to the extent necessary to avoid the
deductibility limits of Section 162(m). In such event, the
amount by which the payments in a particular year were reduced
will be paid to the participant in the following year if the
payment of such amounts would not cause the Companys
compensation deduction in that year to be limited by the
provisions of Section 162(m).
Excise Tax on Deferred Compensation.
Section 409A of the Code provides for the imposition of an
excise tax and interest on service providers in the case of
certain deferrals of compensation that do not comply with the
statutes requirements. The Company intends and anticipates
that awards under the Omnibus Plan will not be subject to the
requirements of Section 409A because awards generally will
be payable as soon as administratively practicable after the
award becomes vested, thus avoiding a deferral of compensation,
or otherwise will not provide for compensation deferral.
However, to the extent that Section 409A does apply to an
award, the Omnibus Plan will be interpreted, operated and
administered consistent with the Companys intent that
participants not be subject to the imposition of excise tax and
interest, and any inconsistent provision of an award agreement
will be deemed to be modified as the Omnibus Committee
determines in its sole discretion and without further consent of
the affected participant.
Amendment and Termination
The board of directors may, at any time and from time to time,
terminate, amend, or modify some or all of the provisions of the
Omnibus Plan. However, without the approval of the stockholders
of the Company (as may be required by the Code, by
Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, by any national securities exchange or system on which
the shares are then listed or reported, or by a regulatory body
having jurisdiction with respect hereto) no such termination,
amendment, or modification may: (i) materially increase the
total number of shares which may be granted under the Omnibus
Plan; (ii) materially modify the requirements as to
eligibility for participation in the Omnibus Plan; or
(iii) materially increase the benefits accruing to
participants under the Omnibus Plan.
No termination, amendment or modification of the Omnibus Plan
may in any manner adversely affect any award previously granted
under the Omnibus Plan, without the written consent of the
recipient.
Vote
Unless otherwise specified, the proxy holders designated in the
proxy will vote the shares covered thereby at the Annual Meeting
for the approval of the Omnibus Plan.
Recommendation of the Board of Directors
The board of directors unanimously recommends a vote FOR
approval of the Crown Crafts, Inc. 2006 Omnibus Incentive
Plan.
21
SECTION 16(A) BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REPORTING
COMPLIANCE
Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, requires the Companys directors, executive
officers and persons who own more than 10% of the common stock
of the Company to file with the SEC initial reports of ownership
and reports of changes in ownership of the common stock. They
are also required to furnish the Company with copies of all
Section 16(a) forms they file with the SEC.
To the Companys knowledge, based solely on its review of
the copies of such reports furnished to it and written
representations that no other reports were required, during the
fiscal year ended April 2, 2006, all of the Companys
officers, directors and greater than 10% stockholders complied
with all applicable Section 16(a) filing requirements.
OTHER MATTERS
The board does not contemplate bringing before the Annual
Meeting any matter other than those specified in the
accompanying Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders, nor does
it have information that other matters will be presented at the
Annual Meeting. If other matters come before the Annual Meeting,
signed proxies will be voted upon such questions in accordance
with the best judgment of the persons acting under the proxies.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Where You Can Find More Information
Crown Crafts is delivering with this proxy statement a copy of
its Annual Report on
Form 10-K for the
year ended April 2, 2006. Crown Crafts files annual,
quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other
information with the SEC. You may read and copy these reports,
statements or other information at the SECs Public
Reference Room at 450 Fifty Street, N.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at
1-800-SEC-0330 for
further information on the public reference rooms. The
Companys SEC filings are also available to the public from
commercial document retrieval services and at the website
maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov.
Code of Ethics
The Company has adopted a code of ethics that is applicable to
the Companys chief executive officer and all senior
financial officers, including the chief financial officer and
principal accounting officer. The complete text of the code of
ethics is available on the Companys website at
www.crowncrafts.com. It has also been filed as an exhibit
to the Companys 2004 Annual Report on
Form 10-K. The
Company intends to post any amendments to, or waivers from, its
code of ethics on its website.
Stockholder Proposals
Crown Crafts will hold an annual meeting in the year 2007.
Pursuant to the Companys bylaws and
Rule 14a-8 under
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, stockholders
may present proper proposals for inclusion in the Companys
proxy statement with respect to such meeting. Under the
Companys bylaws, you must notify the Companys
secretary in writing not less than 90 days in advance of
such meeting or, if later, the seventh day following the first
public announcement of the date of such meeting, of any
proposals. Such notice must include (i) the name and
address of the stockholder and the person or persons to be
nominated as directors or a description of the business to be
proposed; (ii) the class and number of shares of the
Companys capital stock that are owned beneficially by such
stockholder; and (iii) as applicable, all information
relating to such nominee or each matter of business to be
proposed by such stockholder that would be required to be
included in a proxy statement filed pursuant to the proxy rules
of the SEC had the nominee been nominated, or the matter been
proposed, by the board. In addition, your proposal must
otherwise comply with
Rule 14a-8 to be
eligible for inclusion in the Companys 2007 proxy
statement. Even if the Company receives a proposal from a
stockholder in a timely manner, it reserves the right to omit
from its
22
2007 proxy statement any proposal that it is not required to
include under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
You may write to the Secretary of Crown Crafts at the following
address: Crown Crafts, Inc., P.O. Box 1028, Gonzales,
Louisiana 70707, Attn: Corporate Secretary.
Householding of Proxy Materials
The SEC has adopted rules that permit companies and
intermediaries such as brokers to satisfy delivery requirements
for proxy statements with respect to two or more stockholders
sharing the same address by delivering a single proxy statement
addressed to those stockholders. This process, which is commonly
referred to as householding, potentially provides
extra convenience for stockholders and cost savings for
companies. It is anticipated that a number of brokers with
account holders who are stockholders of the Company will be
householding the Companys proxy materials. If you receive
notice from your broker that it will be householding materials
to your address, householding will continue until you are
notified otherwise or until you revoke your consent. If, at any
time, you no longer wish to participate in householding and
would prefer to receive a separate proxy statement, or if you
are receiving multiple copies of the proxy statement and wish to
receive only one, please notify your broker or notify us by
sending a written request to Crown Crafts, Inc.,
P.O. Box 1028, Gonzales, Louisiana 70707, Attn:
Corporate Secretary.
23
APPENDIX A
CROWN CRAFTS, INC.
2006 OMNIBUS INCENTIVE PLAN
THIS IS THE 2006 OMNIBUS INCENTIVE PLAN
(Plan) of Crown Crafts, Inc., a Delaware
corporation (the Corporation or the
Company), under which ISOs and Non-Qualified
Options to acquire shares of the Stock, Restricted Stock, Stock
Appreciation Rights and/or Units may be granted from time to
time to Eligible Employees of the Corporation and of any of its
subsidiaries (the Subsidiaries) and to
Nonemployee Directors, subject to the following provisions:
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS
The following terms shall have the meanings set forth below.
Additional terms defined in this Plan shall have the meanings
ascribed to them when first used herein.
Affiliate. Any entity that would be treated as an
affiliate of the Company for purposes of
Rule 12b-2 under
the 1934 Act.
Board. The Board of Directors of the Corporation.
Cause. A termination by the Corporation or a
Subsidiary of an Eligible Employees employment by the
Corporation or the Subsidiary in connection with the good faith
determination of the Board or the Board of Directors of the
Subsidiary, as applicable, that the Eligible Employee
(i) has been convicted of, or entered a plea of nolo
contendere to, a crime that constitutes a felony under Federal
or state law, (ii) has engaged in willful gross misconduct
in the performance of the Eligible Employees duties to the
Company or the Subsidiary or (iii) has committed a material
breach of any written agreement with the Company or the
Subsidiary with respect to confidentiality, noncompetition,
nonsolicitation or similar restrictive covenant. In the event
that an Eligible Employee is a party to an employment agreement
with the Company or any Subsidiary that defines a termination on
account of Cause (or a term having similar meaning),
such definition shall apply as the definition of a termination
on account of Cause for purposes hereof, but only to
the extent that such definition provides the Eligible Employee
with greater rights. A termination on account of Cause shall be
communicated by written notice to the Eligible Employee and
shall be deemed to occur on the date such notice is delivered to
the Eligible Employee.
Change in Control. A Change in Control
shall be deemed to have occurred upon:
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(i) the occurrence of an acquisition by any individual,
entity or group (within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) or
14(d)(2) of the 1934 Act) (a Person) of
beneficial ownership (within the meaning of
Rule 13d-3
promulgated under the 1934 Act) of a percentage of the
combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities
of the Company entitled to vote generally in the election of
directors (the Company Voting Securities)
(but excluding (1) any acquisition directly from the
Company (other than an acquisition by virtue of the exercise of
a conversion privilege of a security that was not acquired
directly from the Company), (2) any acquisition by the
Company or an Affiliate and (3) any acquisition by an
employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained
by the Company or any Affiliate) that is thirty percent (30%) or
more of the Company Voting Securities; |
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(ii) at any time during a period of two
(2) consecutive years or less, individuals who at the
beginning of such period constitute the Board (and any new
directors whose election by the Board or nomination for election
by the Companys shareholders was approved by a vote of at
least two-thirds
(2/3
) of the directors then still in office who either were
directors at the beginning of the period or whose election or
nomination for election was so approved) cease for any reason
(except for Death, Disability or Retirement) to constitute a
majority thereof; |
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(iii) the consummation of a merger, consolidation,
reorganization or similar corporate transaction, whether or not
the Company is the surviving company in such transaction, other
than a merger, |
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consolidation, or reorganization that would result in the
Persons who are beneficial owners of the Company Voting
Securities outstanding immediately prior thereto continuing to
beneficially own, directly or indirectly, in substantially the
same proportions, at least fifty percent (50%) of the combined
voting power of the Company Voting Securities (or the voting
securities of the surviving entity) outstanding immediately
after such merger, consolidation or reorganization; |
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(iv) the sale or other disposition of all or substantially
all of the assets of the Company; |
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(v) the approval by the shareholders of the Company of a
complete liquidation or dissolution of the Company; or |
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(vi) the occurrence of any transaction or event, or series
of transactions or events, designated by the Board in a duly
adopted resolution as representing a change in the effective
control of the business and affairs of the Company, effective as
of the date specified in any such resolution. |
Code. The Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended, or any successor thereto, together with the rules and
regulations promulgated thereunder.
Committee. The Compensation Committee of the Board.
Common Stock. The Series A Common Stock,
$0.01 par value per share, of the Corporation.
Death. The date of death of a Participant who has
received Rights as established by the relevant death certificate.
Disability. The date on which a Participant who
has received Rights becomes permanently and totally disabled
within the meaning of Section 22(e)(3) of the Code, which
shall be determined by the Committee on the basis of such
medical or other evidence as it may reasonably require or deem
appropriate.
Effective Date. The date as of which this Plan is
effective, which shall be the date it is adopted by the Board.
Eligible Employees. Those individuals who meet all
of the following eligibility requirements:
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(i) Such individual must be a full-time employee of the
Corporation or a Subsidiary. For this purpose, an individual
shall be considered to be an employee only if there
exists between the Corporation or a Subsidiary and the
individual the legal and bona fide relationship of employer and
employee. In determining whether such relationship exists, the
regulations of the United States Treasury Department relating to
the determination of such relationship for the purpose of
collection of income tax at the source on wages shall be applied. |
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(ii) If the Registration shall not have occurred, such
individual must have such knowledge and experience in financial
and business matters that he or she is capable of evaluating the
merits and risks of the investment involved in the receipt
and/or exercise of a Right. |
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(iii) Such individual, being otherwise an Eligible Employee
under the foregoing items, shall have been selected by the
Committee as a person to whom a Right or Rights shall be granted
under the Plan. |
Fair Market Value. With respect to the
Corporations Common Stock, the market price per share of
such Common Stock determined by the Committee, consistent with
the requirements of Section 422 of the Code and to the
extent consistent therewith, as follows, as of the date
specified in the context within which such term is used:
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(i) if the Common Stock is traded on a national securities
exchange on the date in question, then the Fair Market Value
will be equal to the closing price reported by the applicable
composite-transactions report for such date; |
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(ii) if the Common Stock is traded
over-the-counter on the
date in question and is classified as a national market issue,
then the Fair Market Value will be equal to the last transaction
price quoted by the National Association of Securities Dealers
Automated Quotation System (NASDAQ), National
Market System (NMS) prior to the date in
question; |
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(iii) if the Common Stock was traded
over-the-counter on the
date in question but was not classified as a national market
issue, then the Fair Market Value will be equal to the average
of the last reported representative bid and asked prices quoted
by the NASDAQ for such date; and |
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(iv) if none of the foregoing provisions is applicable,
then the Fair Market Value will be determined by the Committee
in good faith on such basis as it deems appropriate, subject to
the approval of the Board, and the Committee shall maintain a
written record of its method of determining Fair Market Value. |
ISO. Any Option that both (i) qualifies as an
incentive stock option as defined in
Section 422 of the Code and (ii) is designated by the
Committee as an ISO.
Nonemployee Director. A member of the Board who is
not an employee of the Corporation or a Subsidiary at the time a
Right is granted to such Board member hereunder.
Non-Qualified Option. Any Option granted under
Article III whether designated by the Committee as a
Non-Qualified Option or otherwise, other than an Option
designated by the Committee as an ISO, or any Option so
designated but which, for any reason, fails to qualify as an ISO
pursuant to Section 422 of the Code and the rules and
regulations thereunder.
Option Agreement. The agreement between the
Corporation and an Optionee with respect to Options granted to
such Optionee, including such terms and provisions as are
necessary or appropriate under Article III.
Options. ISOs and Non-Qualified Options are
collectively referred to herein as Options;
provided, however, whenever reference is
specifically made only to ISOs or Non-Qualified Options, such
reference shall be deemed to be made to the exclusion of the
other.
Participant. An Eligible Employee or a Nonemployee
Director who is selected by the Committee to participate in the
Plan.
Plan Pool. A total of
[ ] shares
of authorized, but unissued, Common Stock, as adjusted pursuant
to Section 2.3(b), which shall be available as Stock under
this Plan.
Registration. The registration by the Corporation
under the 1933 Act and applicable state Blue
Sky and securities laws of this Plan, the offering of
Rights under this Plan, the offering of Stock under this Plan,
and/or the Stock acquirable under this Plan.
Repricing. The Company or the Committee
(i) amending the terms of an outstanding Right to lower its
exercise price; (ii) taking any other action that is
treated as repricing under generally accepted accounting
principles; or (iii) taking any other action that is
treated as repricing under any applicable rule of the NASDAQ or
any national securities exchange on which the Common Stock is
listed or reported.
Restricted Stock. The Stock which a Holder shall
be awarded with restrictions when, as, in the amounts and with
the restrictions described in Article IV.
Restricted Stock Grant Agreement. The agreement
between the Corporation and a Holder with respect to Rights to
Restricted Stock, including such terms and provisions as are
necessary or appropriate under Article IV.
Retirement. The termination of an Eligible
Employees employment under conditions which would
constitute normal retirement or early
retirement under any tax qualified retirement plan
maintained by the Corporation or a Subsidiary; the termination
of an Eligible Employees employment after attaining
age 65 (except in the case of a termination for Cause); or
the voluntary termination of a Nonemployee Directors
membership on the Board.
Rights. The rights to exercise, purchase or
receive the Options, Restricted Stock, Units and SARs described
herein.
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Rights Agreement. An Option Agreement, a
Restricted Stock Grant Agreement, a Unit Agreement or an SAR
Agreement.
SAR. The Right of an SAR Recipient to receive cash
when, as and in the amounts described in Article VI.
SAR Agreement. The agreement between the
Corporation and an SAR Recipient with respect to the SAR awarded
to the SAR Recipient, including such terms and conditions as are
necessary or appropriate under Article VI.
SEC. The Securities and Exchange Commission.
Stock. The shares of Common Stock in the Plan Pool
available for issuance pursuant to the valid exercise of a Right
or on which the cash value of a Right is to be based.
Tax Withholding Liability. All federal and state
income taxes, social security tax, and any other taxes
applicable to the compensation income arising from the
transaction required by applicable law to be withheld by the
Corporation.
Transfer. The sale, assignment, transfer,
conveyance, pledge, hypothecation, encumbrance, loan, gift,
attachment, levy upon, assignment for the benefit of creditors,
or any other form of transfer of a share of Stock or of a Right,
including any transfer by operation of law, by will or descent
and distribution, by a qualified domestic relations order,
property settlement or maintenance agreement, or by result of
the bankruptcy laws.
Units. The Right of a Unit Recipient to receive a
combination of cash and Stock as described in Article V.
Unit Agreement. The agreement between the
Corporation and Unit Recipient with respect to the award of
Units to the Unit Recipient, including such terms and conditions
as are necessary or appropriate under Article V.
1933 Act. The Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, together with the rules and regulations promulgated
thereunder.
1934 Act. The Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended, together with the rules and regulations
promulgated thereunder.
ARTICLE II
GENERAL
Section 2.1. Purpose.
The purposes of this Plan are (i) to encourage and motivate
employees and directors to contribute to the successful
performance of the Corporation and its Subsidiaries and the
growth of the market value of the Corporations Common
Stock; (ii) to achieve a unity of purpose between such
employees and directors in the achievement of the
Corporations primary long-term performance objectives; and
(iii) to retain such employees and directors by rewarding
them with potentially tax-advantageous future compensation.
These objectives will be promoted through the granting of Rights
to designated Participants pursuant to the terms of this Plan.
Section 2.2. Administration.
(a) The Plan shall be administered by the Committee.
Subject to the provisions of
Rule 16b-3(d)
under the 1934 Act, the Committee may designate any
officers or employees of the Corporation or any Subsidiary to
assist in the administration of the Plan, to execute documents
on behalf of the Committee and to perform such other ministerial
duties as may be delegated to them by the Committee.
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(b) Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the
determinations and the interpretation and construction of any
provision of the Plan by the Committee shall be recommended to
the Board for approval, and when so approved by the Board shall
be final and conclusive upon persons affected thereby. By way of
illustration and not of limitation, the Committee shall have the
discretion, subject to the approval by the Board;
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(i) to construe and interpret the Plan and all Rights
granted hereunder and to determine the terms and provisions (and
amendments thereof) of the Rights granted under the Plan (which
need not be identical); |
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(ii) to define the terms used in the Plan and in the Rights
granted hereunder; |
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(iii) to prescribe, amend and rescind the rules and
regulations relating to the Plan; |
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(iv) to determine the Participants to whom and the time or
times at which such Rights shall be granted, the time or times
or event or events upon which such Rights shall vest and become
exercisable, the number of shares of Stock, as and when
applicable, to be subject to each Right, the exercise price(s)
or other relevant purchase price(s) or value(s) pertaining to a
Right, and the determination of leaves of absence which may be
granted to Eligible Employees without constituting a termination
of their employment for the purposes of the Plan; and |
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(v) to make all other determinations and interpretations
necessary or advisable for the administration of the Plan. |
(c) Notwithstanding the foregoing, or any other provision
of this Plan, the Committee will have no authority to determine
any matters, or exercise any discretion, to the extent that the
power to make such determinations or to exercise such discretion
would cause the loss of exemption under
Rule 16b-3 under
the 1934 Act of any grant or award hereunder.
(d) It shall be in the discretion of the Committee, subject
to approval by the Board, to grant Options to purchase shares of
Stock which qualify as ISOs under the Code or which will be
given tax treatment as Non-Qualified Options. Any Options
granted which fail to satisfy the requirements for ISOs shall
become Non-Qualified Options.
(e) The intent of the Corporation is to effect the
Registration. In such event, the Corporation shall make
available to Participants receiving Rights and/or shares of
Stock in connection therewith all disclosure documents required
under such federal and state laws. If such Registration shall
not occur, the Committee shall be responsible for supplying the
recipient of a Right and/or shares of Stock in connection
therewith with such information about the Corporation as is
contemplated by the federal and state securities laws in
connection with exemptions from the registration requirements of
such laws, as well as providing the recipient of a Right with
the opportunity to ask questions and receive answers concerning
the Corporation and the terms and conditions of the Rights
granted under this Plan. In addition, if such Registration shall
not occur, the Committee shall be responsible, subject to
approval by the Board, for determining the maximum number of
Participants and the suitability of particular persons to be
Participants in order to comply with applicable federal and
state securities statutes and regulations governing such
exemptions.
(f) In determining the Participants to whom Rights may be
granted and the number of shares of Stock to be covered by each
Right, the Committee and the Board shall take into account the
nature of the services rendered by such Participants, their
present and potential contributions to the success of the
Corporation and/or a Subsidiary and such other factors as the
Committee and the Board shall deem relevant. A Participant who
has been granted a Right under this Plan may be granted an
additional Right or Rights under this Plan having the same or
different terms and conditions if the Committee and the Board
shall so determine. If pursuant to the terms of this Plan, or
otherwise in connection with this Plan, it is necessary that the
percentage of stock ownership of a Participant be determined,
the ownership attribution provisions set forth in
Section 424(d) of the Code shall be controlling.
(g) The granting of Rights pursuant to this Plan is in the
exclusive discretion of the Board, and until the Board acts, no
individual shall have any rights under this Plan. The terms of
this Plan shall be interpreted in accordance with this intent.
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(h) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Plan,
unless and except to the extent otherwise approved by the
shareholders of the Corporation, Repricing of Rights granted
under this Plan shall not be permitted.
Section 2.3. Stock
Available For Rights.
(a) Shares of Stock shall be subject to, or underlying,
grants of Options, Restricted Stock, SARs and Units under this
Plan. The total number of shares of Stock for which, or with
respect to which, Rights may be granted (including the number of
shares of Stock in respect of which SARs and Units may be
granted) under this Plan shall be those designated in the Plan
Pool. In the event that a Right granted under this Plan to any
Participant expires or is terminated unexercised as to any
shares of Stock covered thereby, such shares thereafter shall be
deemed available in the Plan Pool for the granting of Rights
under this Plan; provided, however, if the
expiration or termination date of a Right is beyond the term of
existence of this Plan as described in Section 7.3, then
any shares of Stock covered by unexercised or terminated Rights
shall not reactivate the existence of this Plan and therefore
shall not be available for additional grants of Rights under
this Plan.
(b) If the outstanding shares of Common Stock are
increased, decreased, changed into or exchanged for a different
number or kind of securities as a result of a stock split,
reverse stock split, stock dividend, recapitalization, merger,
share exchange acquisition, combination or reclassification,
then appropriate proportionate adjustments will be made in:
(i) the aggregate number and/or kind of shares of Stock in
the Plan Pool that may be issued pursuant to the exercise of, or
that are underlying, Rights granted hereunder; (ii) the
exercise or other purchase price or value pertaining to, and the
number and/or kind of shares of Stock called for with respect
to, or underlying, each outstanding Right granted hereunder; and
(iii) other rights and matters determined on a per share
basis under this Plan or any Rights Agreement. Any such
adjustments will be made only by the Committee, subject to
approval by the Board, and when so approved will be effective,
conclusive and binding for all purposes with respect to this
Plan and all Rights then outstanding. No such adjustments will
be required by reason of (i) the issuance or sale by the
Corporation for cash of additional shares of its Common Stock or
securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares of its
Common Stock, or (ii) the issuance of shares of Common
Stock in exchange for shares of the capital stock of any
corporation, financial institution or other organization
acquired by the Corporation or any Subsidiary in connection
therewith.
(c) The grant of a Right pursuant to this Plan shall not
affect in any way the right or power of the Corporation to make
adjustments, reclassification, reorganizations or changes of its
capital or business structure or to merge or to consolidate or
to dissolve, liquidate or sell, or transfer all or any part of
its business or assets.
(d) No fractional shares of Stock shall be issued under
this Plan for any adjustment under Section 2.3(b).
Section 2.4. Severable
Provisions.
The Corporation intends that the provisions of each of
Articles III, IV, V and VI, in each case together with
Articles I, II and VII, shall each be deemed to be
effective on an independent basis, and that if one or more of
such Articles, or the operative provisions thereof, shall be
deemed invalid, void or voidable, the remainder of such Articles
shall continue in full force and effect.
Section 2.5. Compliance
with Code Section 409A.
It is intended and anticipated that awards of Rights under the
Plan will not be subject to the requirements of Code
Section 409A because Rights generally will be payable as
soon as administratively practicable after the Right becomes
vested. However, to the extent that Code Section 409A does
apply to an award, the Plan is intended to comply with Code
Section 409A, and official guidance issued thereunder, and
thus avoid the imposition of any excise tax and interest on any
Participant pursuant to Code Section 409A(a)(1)(B).
Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary, the
Plan shall be interpreted, operated and administered consistent
with this intent, and any inconsistent provision of any Option
Agreement, Restricted
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Stock Grant Agreement, Unit Agreement or SAR Agreement, as the
case may be, shall be deemed to be modified accordingly as the
Committee shall determine in its sole discretion and without
further consent of the applicable Participant; provided that the
Company shall have no liability whatsoever to any Participant or
any other person in the event that any Right is determined to be
subject to and not in compliance with Code Section 409A.
Section 2.6. Compliance
with
Rule 16b-3.
With respect to persons subject to Section 16 of the
1934 Act, transactions under this Plan are intended to
comply with all applicable conditions of
Rule 16b-3 or its
successors under the 1934 Act. To the extent any provision
of this Plan or action by the Board or the Committee fails so to
comply, it shall be deemed null and void, to the extent
permitted by law and deemed advisable by the Committee and the
Board.
ARTICLE III
OPTIONS
Section 3.1. Grant
of Options.
(a) The Company may grant Options to Participants as
provided in this Article III. Options will be deemed
granted pursuant to this Article III only upon
(i) authorization by the Committee and (ii) the
approval of such grant by the Board. Each Option grant shall be
subsequently evidenced as soon as administratively practicable
by the execution and delivery of an Option Agreement by the
Participant (the Optionee) and a duly
authorized officer of the Company. The aggregate number of
shares of Stock potentially acquirable under all Options granted
shall not exceed the total number of shares of Stock remaining
in the Plan Pool, less all shares of Stock potentially acquired
under, or underlying, all other Rights outstanding under this
Plan.
(b) Subject to approval by the Board, the Committee shall
designate Options at the time a grant is authorized as either
ISOs or Non-Qualified Options; provided that the Company shall
have no liability whatsoever to any Participant or any other
person in the event that any Option designated as an ISO fails
to qualify as such at any time. In accordance with
Section 422(d) of the Code, the aggregate Fair Market Value
(determined as of the date an ISO is granted) of the shares of
Stock as to which an ISO may first become exercisable by an
Optionee in a particular calendar year (pursuant to
Article III and all other plans of the Company and/or its
Subsidiaries) may not exceed $100,000 (the $100,000
Limitation). If an Optionee is granted Options in
excess of the $100,000 Limitation, or if such Options otherwise
become exercisable with respect to a number of shares of Stock
which would exceed the $100,000 Limitation, such excess Options
shall be Non-Qualified Options.
Section 3.2. Exercise
Price.
Subject to approval by the Board, the initial exercise price of
each Option granted under this Plan (the Exercise
Price) shall be determined by the Committee in its
discretion; provided, however, that the Exercise
Price of an Option shall not be less than the Fair Market Value
of the Common Stock on the date of grant of the Option; and
provided, further, that the Exercise Price of an
ISO shall not be less than one hundred ten percent (110%) of
such Fair Market Value in the case of any Eligible Employee who
owns Stock possessing more than ten percent (10%) of the total
combined voting power of all classes of the capital stock of the
Company within the meaning of Section 422(b)(6) of the Code
(a 10% Shareholder).
Section 3.3. Terms
and Conditions of Options.
(a) All Options must be granted within ten (10) years
of the Effective Date.
(b) The Committee, subject to the approval by the Board,
may grant ISOs and Non-Qualified Options, either separately or
jointly, to an Eligible Employee, but the Committee may not
grant ISOs to any Participant who is not an Eligible Employee.
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(c) Each grant of Options shall be evidenced by an Option
Agreement in form and substance satisfactory to the Committee in
its discretion, consistent with the provisions of this
Article III.
(d) At the discretion of the Committee, an Optionee, as a
condition to the granting of an Option, may be required to
execute and deliver to the Company a confidential information
agreement approved by the Committee.
(e) Nothing contained in Article III, any Option
Agreement or in any other agreement executed in connection with
the granting of an Option under this Article III will
confer upon any Optionee any right with respect to the
continuation of his or her status as an employee of the Company
or any of its Subsidiaries or as a member of the Board.
(f) Except as otherwise provided herein, each Option
Agreement may specify the period or periods of time within which
each Option or portion thereof will first become exercisable
(the Vesting Period) with respect to the
total number of shares of Stock acquirable thereunder and/or the
event or events upon the occurrence of which each Option or
portion thereof will first become exercisable (the
Vesting Event). The Vesting Period and the
Vesting Event will be fixed by the Committee in its discretion,
and may be accelerated or shortened or modified or altered, as
applicable, by the Committee in its discretion; provided,
however, that the Vesting Period for any portion of each
ISO shall be at least one (1) year from the date such
Option was granted.
(g) Not less than one hundred (100) shares of Stock
may be purchased at any one time through the exercise of an
Option unless the number purchased is the total number at that
time purchasable under all Options granted to the Optionee.
(h) An Optionee shall have no rights as a shareholder of
the Company with respect to any shares of Stock covered by
Options granted to the Optionee until payment in full of the
Exercise Price by such Optionee for the shares being purchased,
along with the Companys Tax Withholding Liability with
respect thereto. No adjustment shall be made for dividends
(ordinary or extraordinary, whether in cash, securities or other
property) or distributions or other rights for which the record
date is prior to the date such Stock is fully paid for, except
as provided in Section 2.3(b).
(i) All shares of Stock obtained pursuant to an Option
which qualifies as an ISO shall be held in escrow for a period
which ends one (1) year and one (1) day after the
issuance of such shares pursuant to the exercise of the ISO.
Such shares of Stock shall be held by the Company or its
designee. The Optionee who has exercised the ISO shall have all
rights of a shareholder, including the rights to vote, receive
dividends and sell such shares. The sole purpose of the escrow
is to inform the Company of a disqualifying disposition of the
shares of Stock acquired within the meaning of Section 422
of the Code, and it shall be administered solely for this
purpose.
Section 3.4. Exercise
of Options.
(a) An Optionee other than a Nonemployee Director must be
an Eligible Employee at all times from the date of grant until
the exercise of the Options granted, except as provided in
Section 3.5(b).
(b) An Option may be exercised to the extent then
exercisable (i) by giving written notice of exercise to the
Company, specifying the number of full shares of Stock to be
purchased and, if applicable, accompanied by full payment of the
Exercise Price thereof and the amount of the Tax Withholding
Liability pursuant to Section 3.4(c); and (ii) by
giving assurances satisfactory to the Company that the shares of
Stock to be purchased upon such exercise are being purchased for
investment and not with a view to resale in connection with any
distribution of such shares in violation of the 1933 Act;
provided, however, that in the event of the prior
occurrence of the Registration or in the event resale of such
Stock without such Registration would otherwise be permissible,
this second condition will be inoperative if, in the opinion of
counsel for the Company, such condition is not required under
the 1933 Act or any other applicable law, regulation or
rule of any governmental agency.
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(c) As a condition to the issuance of the shares of Stock
upon full or partial exercise of a Non-Qualified Option, the
Optionee will pay to the Company in cash, or in such other form
as the Committee may determine in its discretion, the amount of
the Companys Tax Withholding Liability required in
connection with such exercise.
(d) The Exercise Price of an Option shall be payable to the
Company either (i) in United States dollars, in cash or by
check, or money order payable to the order of the Company; or
(ii) at the discretion of the Committee and the Board,
through the delivery of shares of the Stock owned by the
Optionee (including, if the Committee so permits, a portion of
the shares of Stock as to which the Option is then being
exercised) with a Fair Market Value as of the date of delivery
equal to the Exercise Price; or (iii) at the discretion of
the Committee and the Board, by a combination of (i) and
(ii) above. No shares of Stock shall be delivered until
full payment has been made.
Section 3.5. Term
and Termination of Option.
(a) Subject to approval by the Board, the Committee shall
determine, and each Option Agreement shall state, the expiration
date or dates of each Option, but such expiration date shall be
not later than ten (10) years after the date such Option was
granted (the Option Period). In the event an
ISO is granted to a 10% Shareholder, the expiration date or
dates of each Option Period shall be not later than five
(5) years after the date such Option is granted. Subject to
approval by the Board, the Committee may extend the expiration
date or dates of an Option Period of any Non-Qualified Option
after such date was originally set; provided,
however, that such expiration date may not exceed the
maximum expiration date described in this Section 3.5(a).
(b) To the extent not previously exercised, each Option
will terminate upon the expiration of the Option Period
specified in the Option Agreement; provided,
however, that, subject to the provisions of
Section 3.5(a), each ISO will terminate upon the earlier
of: (i) three (3) months after the date that the
Optionee ceases to be an Eligible Employee for any reason, other
than by reason of Death, Disability or Cause; (ii) one
(1) year after the date that the Optionee ceases to be an
Eligible Employee by reason of Disability; or
(iii) immediately as of the date that the Optionee ceases
to be an Eligible Employee by reason of a termination for Cause.
The Committee may, subject to approval by the Board, specify
other events that will result in the termination of an ISO
(including termination of employment by reason of Death). In the
case of Non-Qualified Options, the Committee shall have
discretion, subject to approval by the Board, to specify what
events, if any, will terminate the Option prior to the
expiration of the Option Period.
Section 3.6. Restrictions
On Transfer.
An Option granted under Article III may not be Transferred
except by will or the laws of descent and distribution and,
during the lifetime of the Optionee to whom it was granted, may
be exercised only by such Optionee.
Section 3.7. Stock
Certificates.
Certificates representing the Stock issued pursuant to the
exercise of Options will bear all legends required by law and
necessary to effectuate the provisions hereof. The Company may
place a stop transfer order against such shares of
Stock until all restrictions and conditions set forth in this
Article III, the applicable Option Agreement and the
legends referred to in this Section 3.7 have been complied
with.
Section 3.8. Amendment
and Discontinuance.
The Board may amend, suspend or discontinue the provisions of
this Article III at any time or from time to time;
provided, however, that no action of the Board
will cause ISOs granted under this Plan not to comply with
Section 422 of the Code unless the Board specifically
declares such action to be made for that purpose; and,
provided, further, that no such action may,
without the approval of the shareholders of the Company,
materially increase (other than by reason of an adjustment
pursuant to Section 2.3(b) hereof) the maximum aggregate
number of shares of Stock in the Plan Pool, materially increase
the benefits accruing to Participants
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or materially modify eligibility requirements for participation
under this Article III. Moreover, but expressly subject to
Section 2.5 hereof, no such action may alter or impair any
Option previously granted under this Article III without
the consent of the applicable Optionee.
ARTICLE IV
RESTRICTED STOCK GRANTS
Section 4.1 Grants
of Restricted Stock.
(a) The Company may issue Restricted Stock to Participants
as provided in this Article IV. Restricted Stock will be
deemed issued only upon (i) authorization by the Committee,
(ii) approval by the Board, and (iii) the execution
and delivery of a Restricted Stock Grant Agreement by the
Participant to whom such Restricted Stock is to be issued (the
Holder) and a duly authorized officer of the
Company. Restricted Stock will not be deemed to have been issued
merely upon authorization by the Committee and/or approval by
the Board.
(b) Each issuance of Restricted Stock pursuant to this
Article IV will be evidenced by a Restricted Stock Grant
Agreement between the Company and the Holder in form and
substance satisfactory to the Committee in its sole discretion,
consistent with this Article IV. Each Restricted Stock
Grant Agreement will specify the purchase price per share, if
any, paid by the Holder for the Restricted Stock, such amount to
be fixed by the Committee and the Board.
(c) Without limiting the foregoing, and as determined by
the Committee and the Board, each Restricted Stock Grant
Agreement shall set forth the terms and conditions of any
forfeiture provisions regarding the Restricted Stock as well as
provisions addressing voting rights, dividends, and the
escrowing of the Restricted Stock during the period prior to the
expiration of such forfeiture provisions.
(d) At the discretion of the Committee, the Holder, as a
condition to such issuance, may be required (i) to execute
and deliver to the Company a confidential information agreement
approved by the Committee and/or (ii) to pay to the
Corporation in cash, or in such other form as the Committee may
determine in its discretion, the amount of the
Corporations Tax Withholding Liability required in
connection with such issuance.
(e) Nothing contained in this Article IV, any
Restricted Stock Grant Agreement or in any other agreement
executed in connection with the issuance of Restricted Stock
under this Article IV will confer upon any holder any right
with respect to the continuation of his or her status as an
employee of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or as a
member of the Board.
Section 4.2. Restrictions
on Transfer of Restricted Stock.
(a) Shares of Restricted Stock acquired by a Holder may be
Transferred only in accordance with the specific limitations on
the Transfer of Restricted Stock imposed pursuant to the
applicable Restricted Stock Grant Agreement, by applicable state
or federal securities laws, or as set forth below, and subject
to certain undertakings of the transferee set forth in
Section 4.2(c). All Transfers of Restricted Stock not
meeting the conditions set forth in this Section 4.2(a) are
expressly prohibited.
(b) Any prohibited Transfer of Restricted Stock is void and
of no effect. Should such a Transfer purport to occur, the
Company may refuse to carry out the Transfer on its books,
attempt to set aside the Transfer, enforce any undertaking or
right under this Section 4.2(b), and/or exercise any other
legal or equitable remedy.
(c) Any Transfer of Restricted Stock that would otherwise
be permitted under the terms of this Plan is prohibited unless
the transferee executes such documents as the Company may
reasonably require to ensure the Companys rights under a
Restricted Stock Grant Agreement and this Article IV are
adequately protected with respect to the Restricted Stock so
Transferred. Such documents may include an agreement by the
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transferee to be bound by all of the terms of this Plan
applicable to Restricted Stock and of the applicable Restricted
Stock Grant Agreement, as if the transferee were the original
Holder of such Restricted Stock.
(d) To facilitate the enforcement of the restrictions on
Transfer set forth in this Article IV, the Committee may,
at its discretion, require the Holder of shares of Restricted
Stock to deliver the certificate(s) for such shares with a stock
power executed in blank by the Holder and the Holders
spouse, to the corporate secretary of the Company or his or her
designee, and the Company may hold said certificate(s) and stock
power(s) in escrow and take all such actions as are necessary to
insure that all Transfers and/or releases are made in accordance
with the terms of this Plan. The certificates may be held in
escrow so long as the shares of Restricted Stock whose ownership
they evidence are subject to any restriction on Transfer under
this Article IV or under a Restricted Stock Grant
Agreement. Each Holder acknowledges that the corporate secretary
of the Company (or his or her designee) is so appointed as the
escrow holder with the foregoing authorities as a material
inducement to the issuance of shares of Restricted Stock under
this Article IV, that the appointment is coupled with an
interest, and that it accordingly will be irrevocable. The
escrow holder will not be liable to any party to a Restricted
Stock Grant Agreement (or to any other party) for any actions or
omissions unless the escrow holder is grossly negligent relative
thereto. The escrow holder may rely upon any letter, notice or
other document executed by any signature purported to be genuine.
Section 4.3. Compliance
with Law.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article IV,
Restricted Stock may be issued pursuant to this Article IV
only after there has been compliance with all applicable federal
and state securities laws, and such issuance will be subject to
this overriding condition. The Company may include shares of
Restricted Stock in a Registration, but will not be required to
register or qualify Restricted Stock with the SEC or any state
agency, except that the Company will register with, or as
required by local law, file for and secure an exemption from
such registration requirements from, the applicable securities
administrator and other officials of each jurisdiction in which
a Participant would be issued Restricted Stock hereunder prior
to such issuance.
Section 4.4. Stock
Certificates.
Certificates representing the Restricted Stock issued pursuant
to this Article IV will bear all legends required by law
and necessary to effectuate the provisions hereof. The Company
may place a stop transfer order against shares of
Restricted Stock until all restrictions and conditions set forth
in this Article IV, the applicable Restricted Stock Grant
Agreement and the legends referred to in this Section 4.4
have been complied with.
Section 4.5. Market
Standoff.
To the extent requested by the Company and any underwriter of
securities of the Company in connection with a firm commitment
underwriting, no Holder of any shares of Restricted Stock will
Transfer any such shares not included in such underwriting, or
not previously registered in a Registration, during the one
hundred twenty (120) day period following the effective
date of the registration statement filed with the SEC under the
1933 Act in connection with such offering.
Section 4.6. Amendment
and Discontinuance.
The Board may amend, suspend or discontinue this Article IV
at any time or from time to time; provided,
however, that no such action of the Board shall alter or
impair any rights previously granted to Holders under this
Article IV without the consent of such affected Holders;
and provided, further, that no such action may,
without the approval of the Companys shareholders,
materially increase (other than by reason of an adjustment
pursuant to Section 2.3(b) hereof) the maximum aggregate
number of shares of Stock in the Plan Pool, materially increase
the benefits accruing to Participants under this Article IV
or materially modify the requirements as to eligibility for
participation under this Article IV. Moreover, but
expressly subject to Section 2.5 hereof, no such action may
alter or impair any Restricted Stock previously granted under
this Article IV without the consent of the applicable
Holder.
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ARTICLE V
LONG-TERM INCENTIVE COMPENSATION UNITS
Section 5.1. Awards
of Units.
(a) The Company may grant awards of Units to Participants
as provided in this Article V. Units will be deemed granted
only upon (i) authorization by the Committee,
(ii) approval by the Board, and (iii) the execution
and delivery of a Unit Agreement by the Participant to whom
Units are to be granted (a Unit Recipient)
and an authorized officer of the Company. Units will not be
deemed granted merely upon authorization by the Committee and/or
approval by the Board. Units may be granted in each of the years
2006 through 2013 in such amounts and to such Unit Recipients as
the Committee may determine, subject to approval by the Board
and to the limitation in Section 5.2 below.
(b) Each grant of Units pursuant to this Article V
will be evidenced by a Unit Agreement between the Company and
the Unit Recipient in form and substance satisfactory to the
Committee in its sole discretion, consistent with this
Article V.
(c) Except as otherwise provided herein, Units will be
distributed only after the end of a performance period of two
(2) or more years (Performance Period)
beginning with the year in which such Units were awarded. The
Performance Period shall be set by the Committee and the Board
for each years awards.
(d) The percentage of the Units awarded under this
Section 5.1 or credited pursuant to Section 5.5 that
will be distributed to Unit Recipients shall depend on the
levels of financial performance and other performance objectives
achieved during each year of the Performance Period;
provided, however, that the Committee may, subject
to approval of the Board, adopt one or more performance
categories or eliminate all performance categories other than
financial performance. Financial performance shall be based on
the consolidated results of the Company and its Subsidiaries
prepared on the same basis as the financial statements published
for financial reporting purposes and determined in accordance
with Section 5.1(e) below. Other performance categories
adopted by the Committee shall be based on measurements of
performance as the Committee shall deem appropriate.
(e) Distributions of Units awarded will be based on the
Companys financial performance with results from other
performance categories applied as a factor, not exceeding one
(1), against financial results. The annual financial and other
performance results will be averaged over the Performance Period
and translated into percentage factors according to graduated
criteria established by the Committee, subject to approval of
the Board, for the entire Performance Period. The resulting
percentage factors shall determine the percentage of Units to be
distributed. No distributions of Units, based on financial
performance and other performance, shall be made if a minimum
average percentage of the applicable measurement of performance,
to be established by the Committee and approved by the Board, is
not achieved for the Performance Period. The performance levels
achieved for each Performance Period and percentage of Units to
be distributed shall be conclusively determined by the
Committee, subject to approval by the Board.
(f) The percentage of Units awarded which Unit Recipients
become entitled to receive based on the levels of performance
(including those Units credited under Section 5.5) will be
determined as soon as practicable after each Performance Period
and are called Retained Units.
(g) As soon as practical after determination of the number
of Retained Units, such Retained Units shall be distributed in
the form of a combination of shares and cash in the relative
percentages as between the two as determined by the Committee,
subject to approval by the Board. The Units awarded, but which
Unit Recipients do not become entitled to receive, shall be
canceled.
(h) Notwithstanding any other provision in this
Article V, the Committee, if it determines that it is
necessary or advisable under the circumstances, may, subject to
approval by the Board, adopt rules pursuant to which
Participants by virtue of hire, or promotion or upgrade to a
higher job grade classification, or special individual
circumstances, may be granted the total award of Units or any
portion thereof, with respect to one
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or more Performance Periods that began in prior years and at the
time of the awards have not yet been completed.
Section 5.2. Limitations.
The aggregate number of shares of Stock potentially
distributable under all Units granted, including those Units
credited pursuant to Section 5.5, shall not exceed the
total number of shares of Stock remaining in the Plan Pool, less
all shares of Stock potentially acquirable under, or underlying,
all other Rights outstanding under this Plan.
Section 5.3. Terms
and Conditions.
(a) All awards of Units must be made within ten
(10) years of the Effective Date.
(b) At the discretion of the Committee and the Board, a
Unit Recipient, as a condition to the award of Units, may be
required to execute and deliver to the Company a confidential
information agreement approved by the Committee.
(c) Nothing contained in this Article V, any Unit
Agreement or in any other agreement executed in connection with
the award of Units under this Article V will confer upon
any Unit Recipient any right with respect to the continuation of
his or her status as an employee of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries or as a member of the Board.
(d) A Unit Recipient shall have no rights as a shareholder
of the Company with respect to any Units until the distribution
of shares of Stock in connection therewith. No adjustment shall
be made in the number of Units for dividends (ordinary or
extraordinary, whether in cash, securities or other property) or
distributions or other rights for which the record date is prior
to the date such Stock is fully paid for, except as provided in
Sections 2.3(b) and 5.6.
Section 5.4. Special
Distribution Rules.
(a) Except as otherwise provided in this Section 5.4,
a Unit Recipient other than a Nonemployee Director must be an
Eligible Employee from the date a Unit is awarded to him or her
continuously through and including the date of distribution of
such Unit.
(b) In case of the Death or Disability of a Unit Recipient
prior to the end of any Performance Period, the number of Units
awarded to the Unit Recipient for such Performance Period shall
be reduced pro rata based on the number of months remaining in
the Performance Period after the month of Death or Disability.
The remaining Units, reduced in the discretion of the Committee
and the Board to the percentage indicated by the levels of
performance achieved prior to the date of Death or Disability,
if any, shall be distributed within a reasonable time after
Death or Disability. All other Units awarded to the Unit
Recipient for such Performance Period shall be canceled.
(c) If a Unit Recipient enters into Retirement prior to the
end of any Performance Period, the Units awarded to such Unit
Recipient under this Article V and not yet distributed
shall be prorated to the end of the year in which such
Retirement occurs and distributed at the end of the Performance
Period based upon the Companys performance for such period.
(d) In the event of the termination of the Unit
Recipients status as an Eligible Employee or service as a
Nonemployee Director prior to the end of any Performance Period
for any reason other than Death, Disability or Retirement, all
Units awarded to the Unit Recipient with respect to any such
Performance Period shall be immediately forfeited and canceled.
(e) Upon a Unit Recipients promotion to a higher job
grade classification, the Committee and the Board may award to
the Unit Recipient the total Units, or any portion thereof,
which are associated with the higher job grade classification
for the then current Performance Period.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan, the Committee
and the Board may reduce or eliminate awards to a Unit Recipient
who has been demoted to a lower job grade classification, and
where circumstances
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warrant, may permit continued participation, proration or early
distribution, or a combination thereof, of awards which would
otherwise be canceled.
Section 5.5. Dividend
Equivalent Units.
On each record date for dividends on the Common Stock, an amount
equal to the dividend payable on one share of Common Stock will
be determined and credited (the Dividend Equivalent
Credit) on the payment date to each Unit
Recipients account for each Unit which has been awarded to
the Unit Recipient and not distributed or canceled. Such amount
will be converted within the account to an additional number of
Units equal to the number of shares of Common Stock that could
be purchased at Fair Market Value on such dividend payment date.
These Units will be treated for purposes of this Article V
in the same manner as those Units granted pursuant to
Section 5.1.
Section 5.6. Adjustments.
In addition to the provisions of Section 2.3(b), if an
extraordinary change occurs during a Performance Period which
significantly alters the basis upon which the performance levels
were established under Section 5.1 for that Performance
Period, to avoid distortion in the operation of this
Article V, but subject to Section 5.2, the Committee
may, subject to approval by the Board, make adjustments in such
performance levels to preserve the incentive features of this
Article V, whether before or after the end of the
Performance Period, to the extent it deems appropriate in its
sole discretion, which adjustments shall be conclusive and
binding upon all parties concerned. Such changes may include
adoption of, or changes in, accounting practices, tax laws and
regulatory or other laws or regulations; economic changes not in
the ordinary course of business cycles; or compliance with
judicial decrees or other legal authorities.
Section 5.7. Other
Conditions.
(a) No person shall have any claim to be granted an award
of Units under this Article V, and there is no obligation
for uniformity of treatment of Participants or Unit Recipients
under this Article V.
(b) The Company shall have the right to deduct from any
distribution or payment in cash under this Article V, and
the Unit Recipient or other person receiving shares of Stock
under this Article V shall be required to pay to the
Company, any Tax Withholding Liability. The number of shares of
Stock to be distributed to any individual Unit Recipient may be
reduced by the number of shares of Stock, the Fair Market Value
of which on the Distribution Date (as defined in
Section 5.7(d) below) is equivalent to the cash necessary
to pay any Tax Withholding Liability, where the cash to be
distributed is not sufficient to pay such Tax Withholding
Liability, or the Unit Recipient may deliver to the Company cash
sufficient to pay such Tax Withholding Liability.
(c) Any distribution of shares of Stock under this
Article V may be delayed until the requirements of any
applicable laws or regulations, and any stock exchange or
NASDAQ-NMS requirements, are satisfied. The shares of Stock
distributed under this Article V shall be subject to such
restrictions and conditions on disposition as counsel for the
Company shall determine to be desirable or necessary under
applicable law.
(d) For the purpose of distribution of Units in cash, the
value of a Unit shall be the Fair Market Value on the
Distribution Date. Except as otherwise determined by the
Committee, the Distribution Date shall be
March 15th in the year of distribution (or, if such
date does not constitute a business day, the immediately
preceding business day), except that in the case of special
distributions the Distribution Date shall be the first business
day of the month in which the Committee and the Board determine
the amount and form of the distribution.
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(e) Notwithstanding any other provision of this
Article V, no Dividend Equivalent Credits shall be made and
no distributions of Units shall be made if at the time a
Dividend Equivalent Credit or distribution would otherwise have
been made:
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(i) the regular quarterly dividend on the Common Stock has
been omitted and not subsequently paid or there exists any
default in payment of dividends on any such outstanding shares
of capital stock of the Corporation; |
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(ii) the rate of dividends on the Common Stock is lower
than at the time the Units to which the Dividend Equivalent
Credit relates were awarded, adjusted for any change of the type
referred to in Section 2.3(b); |
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(iii) estimated consolidated net income of the Corporation
for the twelve (12) month period preceding the month the
Dividend Equivalent Credit or distribution would otherwise have
been made is less than the sum of the amount of the Dividend
Equivalent Credits and Units eligible for distribution under
this Article V in that month plus all dividends applicable
to such period on an accrual basis, either paid, declared or
accrued at the most recently paid rate, on all outstanding
shares of Common Stock; or |
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(iv) the Dividend Equivalent Credit or distribution would
result in a default in any agreement by which the Corporation is
bound. |
(f) In the event net income available under
Section 5.7(e) above for Dividend Equivalent Credits and
awards eligible for distribution under this Article V is
sufficient to cover part but not all of such amounts, the
following order shall be applied in making payments:
(i) Dividend Equivalent Credits, and then (ii) Units
eligible for distribution under this Article V.
Section 5.8. Designation
of Beneficiaries.
A Unit Recipient may designate a beneficiary or beneficiaries to
receive all or part of the Stock and/or cash to be distributed
to the Unit Recipient under this Article V in case of
Death. A designation of beneficiary may be replaced by a new
designation or may be revoked by the Unit Recipient at any time.
A designation or revocation shall be on a form to be provided
for that purpose and shall be signed by the Unit Recipient and
delivered to the Corporation prior to the Unit Recipients
Death. In case of the Unit Recipients Death, any amounts
to be distributed to the Unit Recipient under this
Article V with respect to which a designation of
beneficiary has been made (to the extent it is valid and
enforceable under applicable law) shall be distributed in
accordance with this Article V to the designated
beneficiary or beneficiaries. The amount distributable to a Unit
Recipient upon Death and not subject to such a designation shall
be distributed to the Unit recipient estate. If there shall be
any question as to the legal right of any beneficiary to receive
a distribution under this Article V, the amount in question
may be paid to the estate of the Unit Recipient, in which event
the Corporation shall have no further liability to anyone with
respect to such amount.
Section 5.9. Restrictions
on Transfer.
Units granted under Article V may not be Transferred,
except as provided in Section 5.8, and, during the lifetime
of the Unit Recipient to whom Units were awarded, cash and stock
receivable with respect to Units may be received only by such
Unit Recipient.
Section 5.10. Amendment
and Discontinuance.
No award of Units may be granted under this Article V after
December 31, 2013. The Board may amend, suspend or
discontinue the provisions of this Article V at any time or
from time to time; provided, however, that no such
action may, without the approval of the shareholders of the
Corporation, materially increase (other than by reason of an
adjustment pursuant to Section 2.3(b) hereof) the maximum
number of shares of Stock in the Plan Pool, materially increase
the benefits accruing to Participants under this Article V
or materially modify the eligibility requirements for
participation under this Article V. Moreover, but expressly
subject to Section 2.5 hereof, no such action may alter or
impair any Unit previously granted under this Article V
without the consent of the applicable Unit recipient.
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ARTICLE VI
STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHTS
Section 6.1. Grants
of SARs.
(a) The Corporation may grant SARs under this
Article VI. SARs will be deemed granted only upon
(i) authorization by the Committee; (ii) approval by
the Board; and (iii) the execution and delivery of a SAR
Agreement by the Participant to whom the SARs are to be granted
(the SAR Recipient) and a duly authorized
officer of the Corporation. SARs will not be deemed granted
merely upon authorization by the Committee. The aggregate number
of shares of Stock which shall underlie SARs granted hereunder
shall not exceed the total number of shares of Stock remaining
in the Plan Pool, less all shares of Stock potentially
acquirable under or underlying all other Rights outstanding
under this Plan.
(b) Each grant of SARs pursuant to this Article VI
shall be evidenced by a SAR Agreement between the Corporation
and the SAR Recipient, in form and substance satisfactory to the
Committee in its sole discretion, consistent with this
Article VI.
Section 6.2. Terms
and Conditions of SARs.
(a) All SARs must be granted within ten (10) years of
the Effective Date.
(b) Each SAR issued pursuant to this Article VI shall
have an initial base value (the Base Value)
equal to the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock on the
date of issuance of the SAR.
(c) At the discretion of the Committee and the Board, a SAR
Recipient, as a condition to the granting of a SAR, may be
required to execute and deliver to the Corporation a
confidential information agreement approved by the Committee.
(d) Nothing contained in this Article VI, any SAR
Agreement or in any other agreement executed in connection with
the granting of a SAR under this Article VI will confer
upon any SAR Recipient any right with respect to the
continuation of his or her status as an employee of the
Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries or as a member of the
Board.
(e) Except as otherwise provided herein, each SAR Agreement
may specify the period or periods of time within which each SAR
or portion thereof will first become exercisable (the
SAR Vesting Period). Such SAR Vesting Periods
will be fixed by the Committee, subject to approval by the
Board, and may be accelerated or shortened by the Committee,
subject to approval by the Board.
(f) SARs relating to no less than one hundred
(100) shares of Stock may be exercised at any one time
unless the number exercised is the total number at that time
exercisable under all SARs granted to the SAR Recipient.
(g) A SAR Recipient shall have no rights as a shareholder
of the Corporation with respect to any shares of Stock
underlying such SAR. No adjustment shall be made for dividends
(ordinary or extraordinary, whether in cash, securities or other
property) or distributions or other rights for which the record
date is prior to the date such Stock is fully paid for, except
as provided in Section 2.3(b).
Section 6.3. Restrictions
On Transfer of SARs.
SARs granted under this Article VI may not be Transferred,
except as provided in Section 6.7, and during the lifetime
of the SAR Recipient to whom it was granted, may be exercised
only by such SAR Recipient.
Section 6.4. Exercise
of SARs.
(a) A SAR Recipient (or his or her executors or
administrators, or heirs or legatees) shall exercise a SAR by
giving written notice of such exercise to the Corporation. SARs
may be exercised only upon the
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completion of the SAR Vesting Period, if any, applicable to such
SAR (the date such notice is received by the Corporation being
referred to herein as the SAR Exercise Date).
(b) Within ten (10) business days of the SAR Exercise
Date applicable to a SAR exercised in accordance with
Section 6.4(a), the SAR Recipient shall be paid in cash the
difference between the Base Value of such SAR and the Fair
Market Value of the Common Stock as of the SAR Exercise Date, as
such difference is reduced by the Companys Tax Withholding
Liability arising from such exercise.
Section 6.5. Termination
of SARs.
Subject to approval by the Board, the Committee shall determine,
and each SAR Agreement shall state, the expiration date or dates
of each SAR, but such expiration date shall be not later than
ten (10) years after the date such SAR is granted (the
SAR Period). Subject to approval by the
Board, the Committee may extend the expiration date or dates of
a SAR Period after such date was originally set;
provided, however, such expiration date may not
exceed the maximum expiration date described in this
Section 6.5.
Section 6.6. Designation
of Beneficiaries.
A SAR Recipient may designate a beneficiary or beneficiaries to
receive all or part of the cash to be paid to the SAR Recipient
under this Article VI in case of Death. A designation of
beneficiary may be replaced by a new designation or may be
revoked by the SAR Recipient at any time. A designation or
revocation shall be on a form to be provided for that purpose
and shall be signed by the SAR Recipient and delivered to the
Corporation prior to the SAR Recipients Death. In case of
the SAR Recipients Death, the amounts to be distributed to
the SAR Recipient under this Article VI with respect to
which a designation of beneficiary has been made (to the extent
it is valid and enforceable under applicable law) shall be
distributed in accordance with this Article VI to the
designated beneficiary or beneficiaries. The amount
distributable to a SAR Recipient upon Death and not subject to
such a designation shall be distributed to the SAR
Recipients estate. If there shall be any question as to
the legal right of any beneficiary to receive a distribution
under this Article VI, the amount in question may be paid
to the estate of the SAR Recipient in which event the
Corporation shall have no further liability to anyone with
respect to such amount.
Section 6.7. Amendment
and Discontinuance.
The Board may amend, suspend or discontinue the provisions of
this Article VI at any time or from time to time, provided
that no action of the Board may, without the approval of the
shareholders of the Corporation materially increase (other than
by reason of an adjustment pursuant to Section 2.3(b)
hereof) the maximum aggregate number of shares of Stock in the
Plan Pool, materially increase the benefits accruing to
Participants or materially modify eligibility requirements for
participation under this Article VI. Moreover, but
expressly subject to Section 2.5 hereof, no such action may
alter or impair any SAR previously granted under this
Article VI without the consent of the applicable SAR
Recipient.
ARTICLE VII
MISCELLANEOUS
Section 7.1. Effect
of Change in Control.
Except to the extent a Rights Agreement provides for a different
result (in which case the Rights Agreement will govern and this
Section 7.1 shall not be applicable), notwithstanding
anything elsewhere in the Plan or any rules adopted by the
Committee pursuant to the Plan to the contrary, if a Change in
Control of the Company shall occur, then, effective immediately
prior to such Change in Control, (i) each outstanding
Option and SAR, to the extent that it shall not otherwise have
become vested and exercisable, shall automatically become fully
and immediately vested and exercisable, without regard to any
otherwise applicable vesting requirement; (ii) all
Restricted Stock shall become fully and immediately vested and
all
A-17
forfeiture and transfer restrictions thereon shall lapse; and
(iii) each outstanding Unit shall become immediately and
fully vested and payable.
Section 7.2. Excise
Tax Limit and Million Dollar Deduction Limit.
(a) (i) Notwithstanding anything contained herein to
the contrary, in the event that the vesting of Rights, together
with all other payments and the value of any benefit received or
to be received by a Participant hereunder and under any other
plan or agreement of the Company (collectively, the
Payments), would be subject to the excise tax
(the Excise Tax) imposed under
Section 4999 of the Code, or would be nondeductible by the
Company pursuant to Section 280G of the Code, such Payments
shall be reduced (but not below zero) if and to the extent
necessary so that no portion of any Payment to be made or
benefit to be provided to such Participant shall be subject to
the Excise Tax or shall be nondeductible by the Company pursuant
to Section 280G of the Code (such reduced amount is
hereinafter referred to as the Limited Payment
Amount). Unless such Participant shall have given
prior written notice specifying a different order to the Company
to effectuate the Limited Payment Amount, the Company shall
reduce or eliminate the Payments by first reducing or
eliminating those payments or benefits which are not payable in
cash and then by reducing or eliminating cash payments, in each
case in reverse order beginning with payments or benefits which
are to be paid the farthest in time from the Determination (as
hereinafter defined). Any notice given by such Participant
pursuant to the immediately preceding sentence shall take
precedence over the provisions of any other plan, arrangement or
agreement governing such Participants rights and
entitlements to any benefits or compensation.
(ii) An initial determination as to whether the Payments
shall be reduced to the Limited Payment Amount pursuant to the
Code and the amount of such Limited Payment Amount shall be made
by an accounting firm at the Companys expense selected by
the Company which is designated as one of the four largest
accounting firms in the United States (the Accounting
Firm). The Accounting Firm shall provide its
determination (the Determination), together
with detailed supporting calculations and documentation, to the
Company and the Participant, and if the Accounting Firm
determines that no Excise Tax is payable by such Participant
with respect to a Payment or Payments, it shall furnish such
Participant with an opinion reasonably acceptable to such
Participant that no Excise Tax will be imposed with respect to
any such Payment or Payments. Within ten (10) days of the
delivery of the Determination to such Participant, the
Participant shall have the right to dispute the Determination
(the Dispute). If there is no Dispute, the
Determination shall be binding, final and conclusive upon the
Company and the Participant, subject to the application of
Section 7.2(a)(iii) below.
(iii) As a result of the uncertainty in the application of
Sections 4999 and 280G of the Code, it is possible that the
Payments to be made to, or provided for the benefit of, the
Participant either have been made or will not be made by the
Company which, in either case, will be inconsistent with the
limitations provided in Section 7.2(a)(i) hereof
(hereinafter referred to as an Excess Payment
or Underpayment, respectively). If it is
established pursuant to a final determination of a court or an
Internal Revenue Service (the IRS) proceeding
which has been finally and conclusively resolved that an Excess
Payment has been made, such Excess Payment shall be deemed for
all purposes to be a loan to the Participant made on the date
the Participant received the Excess Payment, and such
Participant shall repay the Excess Payment to the Company on
demand (but not less than ten (10) days after written
notice is received by the Participant), together with interest
on the Excess Payment at the Applicable Federal Rate
(as defined in Section 1274(d) of the Code) from the date
of the Participants receipt of such Excess Payment until
the date of such repayment. In the event that it is determined
(A) by the Accounting Firm, the Company (which shall
include the position taken by the Company, or together with its
consolidated group, on its federal income tax return) or the
IRS; (B) pursuant to a determination by a court; or
(C) upon the resolution of the Dispute to the
Participants satisfaction, that an Underpayment has
occurred, the Company shall pay an amount equal to the
Underpayment to the Participant within ten (10) days of
such determination or resolution, together with interest on such
amount at the Applicable Federal Rate from the date such amount
would have been paid to the Participant until the date of
payment.
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(b) (i) Notwithstanding anything contained herein to
the contrary, if any portion of the Payments to be made or
benefit to be provided to an Participant would be nondeductible
by the Company pursuant to Section 162(m) of the Code, then
the Payments to be made to such Participant in any taxable year
of the Company shall be reduced (but not below zero) if and to
the extent necessary so that no portion of any Payment to be
made or benefit to be provided to such Participant in such
taxable year of the Company shall be nondeductible by the
Company pursuant to Section 162(m) of the Code. The amount
by which any Payment is reduced pursuant to the immediately
preceding sentence, together with interest thereon at the
Applicable Federal Rate, shall be paid by the Company to such
Participant on or before the fifth business day of the
immediately succeeding taxable year of the Company, subject to
the application of the limitations of the immediately preceding
sentence and this Section 7.2(b)(i). Unless such
Participant shall have given prior written notice specifying a
different order to the Company to effectuate this
Section 7.2(b)(i), the Company shall reduce or eliminate
the Payments in any one taxable year of the Company by first
reducing or eliminating those payments or benefits which are not
payable in cash and then by reducing or eliminating cash
payments, in each case in reverse order beginning with payments
or benefits which are to be paid the farthest in time from the
Section 162(m) Determination (as hereinafter defined). Any
notice given by such Participant pursuant to the immediately
preceding sentence shall take precedence over the provisions of
any other plan, arrangement or agreement governing such
Participants rights and entitlements to any benefits or
compensation.
(ii) The determination as to whether the Payments shall be
reduced pursuant to Section 7.2(b)(i) hereof and the amount
of the Payments to be made in each taxable year after the
application of Section 7.2(b)(i) hereof shall be made by
the Accounting Firm at the Companys expense. The
Accounting Firm shall provide its determination (the
Section 162(m) Determination), together
with detailed supporting calculations and documentation to the
Company and the Participant. The Section 162(m)
Determination shall be binding, final and conclusive upon the
Company and such Participant.
Section 7.3. Application
of Funds.
The proceeds received by the Corporation from the sale of Stock
pursuant to the exercise of Rights will be used for general
corporate purposes.
Section 7.4. No
Obligation to Exercise Right.
The granting of a Right shall impose no obligation upon the
recipient to exercise such Right.
Section 7.5. Term
of Plan.
Except as otherwise specifically provided herein, Rights may be
granted pursuant to this Plan from time to time within ten
(10) years from the Effective Date.
Section 7.6. Captions
and Headings; Gender and Number; Interpretation.
Captions and paragraph headings used herein are for convenience
only, do not modify or affect the meaning of any provision
herein, and are not a part of, and shall not serve as a basis
for interpretation or construction of, this Plan. As used
herein, the masculine gender shall include the feminine and
neuter, and the singular number shall include the plural, and
vice versa, whenever such meanings are appropriate. As used
herein, the conjunction and/or means one or the
other or both, or any one or more or all, of the things or
individuals or entities with respect to which the conjunction is
used. Whenever the words include,
includes, or including are used in this
Plan, they will be deemed to be followed by the words
without limitation,
Section 7.7. Expenses
of Administration of Plan.
All costs and expenses incurred in the operation and
administration of this Plan shall be borne by the Corporation or
by one or more Subsidiaries. The Corporation shall also
indemnify, defend and hold each member of the Committee and the
Board harmless against all claims, expenses and liabilities
arising out of or
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related to the exercise of the powers of the Committee and the
Board and the discharge of the duties of the Committee and the
Board hereunder.
Section 7.8. Governing
Law.
Without regard to the principles of conflicts of laws, the laws
of the State of Delaware shall govern and control the validity,
interpretation, performance and enforcement of this Plan.
Section 7.9. Successors
and Assigns.
This Plan shall be binding on all successors and assigns of the
Corporation and each Participant who has been granted Rights
hereunder, including the estate of such Participant and the
executor, administrator or trustee of such estate, or any
receiver or trustee in bankruptcy or representative of the
creditors of such Participant.
Section 7.10. Plan
Controls.
A copy of this Plan, and any amendments thereto, shall be
maintained by the corporate secretary of the Corporation and
shall be shown to any proper person making inquiry with respect
thereto. In the event of any conflict between this Plan and any
Option Agreement, Restricted Stock Grant Agreement, Unit
Agreement or SAR Agreement, as the case may be, the Plan shall
control, and such agreement shall be deemed to be modified
accordingly as the Committee shall determine in its sole
discretion.
* * * * *
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CROWN CRAFTS, INC.
Post Office Box 1028
Gonzales, Louisiana 70707-1028
This Proxy is Solicited on Behalf of the Board of
Directors.
The undersigned hereby appoints E. Randall Chestnut
and Amy Vidrine Samson, and each of them, with full
power of substitution, the proxies and attorneys of the
undersigned at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the
Meeting) of Crown Crafts, Inc. (the
Company) to be held on August 8, 2006, at the
Companys headquarters, 916 South Burnside Avenue,
Gonzales, Louisiana 70737, at 10:00 a.m., central daylight
time, and at any adjournment or postponement thereof, and hereby
authorizes them to vote as designated below at the Meeting all
the shares of Series A Common Stock of the Company held of
record by the undersigned as of June 9, 2006.
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1. |
Election of the following nominees to the Board of Directors in
Class II for three-year terms of office: |
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o
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FOR all nominees listed below (except as marked to the
contrary below) |
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WITHHOLD AUTHORITY to vote for all nominees listed below |
Class II: Sidney
Kirschner Zenon
S. Nie
INSTRUCTIONS: To withhold authority to vote for any
individual nominee(s), write the name(s) of such nominee(s)
in the space provided below. If this proxy is executed by the
undersigned in such manner as not to withhold authority
to vote for the election of any nominee, this proxy shall be
deemed to grant such authority.
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2. |
To approve the Companys 2006 Omnibus Incentive Plan: |
o FOR o AGAINST o ABSTAIN
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3. |
To transact any other business that may properly come before the
Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof: |
o FOR o AGAINST o ABSTAIN
UNLESS OTHERWISE MARKED, THIS PROXY WILL BE VOTED AS IF
MARKED FOR THE PROPOSALS ABOVE.
Receipt of the accompanying proxy statement dated
June 26, 2006 is hereby acknowledged.
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Print
Name(s): |
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Signature: |
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Signature If
Held
Jointly: |
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Dated: |
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, 2006 |
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Please date and sign in the same manner in which your shares are
registered. When signing as executor, administrator, trustee,
guardian, attorney or corporate officer, please give full title
as such. Joint owners should each sign. |