AMCOL INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION NONQUALIFIED DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN

Employee Benefits Plan Agreement

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AMCOL INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION | Clark Consulting, Inc

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Title: AMCOL INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION NONQUALIFIED DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN
Governing Law: Illinois Date: 3/16/2009
Industry: Construction - Raw Materials Sector: Capital Goods

Exhibit 10.1

AMCOL INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION

NONQUALIFIED DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN

AMCOL International Corporation

Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan (As Amended)

Master Plan Document

Effective January 1, 2008

By Clark Consulting, Inc.

AMCOL International Corporation

Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan

Master Plan Document

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ARTICLE 1		Definitions	- 1 -

ARTICLE 2		Selection, Enrollment, Eligibility	- 8 -

	2.1	Selection by Committee	- 8 -

	2.2	Enrollment and Eligibility Requirements; Commencement of Participation.	- 8 -

ARTICLE 3		Deferral Commitments/Company Contribution Amounts/Company Restoration Matching Amounts/ Vesting/Crediting/Taxes	- 9 -

	3.1	Minimum/Maximum Deferral	- 9 -

	3.2	Timing of Deferral Elections; Effect of Election Form.	- 9 -

	3.3	Withholding and Crediting of Annual Deferral Amounts	- 11 -

	3.4	Company Contribution Amount	- 11 -

	3.5	Company Restoration Matching Amount	- 12 -

	3.6	Vesting	- 12 -

	3.7	Crediting/Debiting of Account Balances	- 13 -

	3.8	FICA and Other Taxes.	- 15 -

ARTICLE 4		Scheduled Distribution; Unforeseeable Emergencies	- 16 -

	4.1	Scheduled distributions	- 16 -

	4.2	Postponing Scheduled Distributions	- 16 -

	4.3	Other Benefits Take Precedence Over Scheduled Distributions	- 17 -

	4.4	Unforeseeable Emergencies	- 17 -

ARTICLE 5		Change in Control Benefit	- 17 -

	5.1	Change in Control Benefit	- 17 -

	5.2	Payment of Change in Control Benefit	- 18 -

ARTICLE 6		Retirement Benefit	- 18 -

	6.1	Retirement Benefit	- 18 -

	6.2	Payment of Retirement Benefit.	- 18 -

ARTICLE 7		Termination Benefit	- 19 -

	7.1	Termination Benefit	- 19 -

	7.2	Payment of Termination Benefit	- 19 -

AMCOL International Corporation

Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan

Master Plan Document

ARTICLE 8		Disability Benefit	- 19 -

	8.1	Disability Benefit	- 19 -

	8.2	Payment of Disability Benefit	- 20 -

ARTICLE 9		Death Benefit	- 20 -

	9.1	Death Benefit	- 20 -

	9.2	Payment of Death Benefit	- 20 -

ARTICLE 10		Beneficiary Designation	- 20 -

	10.1	Beneficiary	- 20 -

	10.2	Beneficiary Designation; Change; Spousal Consent	- 20 -

	10.3	Acknowledgment	- 20 -

	10.4	No Beneficiary Designation	- 20 -

	10.5	Doubt as to Beneficiary	- 21 -

	10.6	Discharge of Obligations	- 21 -

ARTICLE 11		Leave of Absence	- 21 -

	11.1	Paid Leave of Absence	- 21 -

	11.2	Unpaid Leave of Absence	- 21 -

ARTICLE 12		Termination of Plan, Amendment or Modification	- 21 -

	12.1	Termination of Plan	- 21 -

	12.2	Amendment	- 22 -

	12.3	Plan Agreement	- 22 -

	12.4	Effect of Payment	- 22 -

ARTICLE 13		Administration	- 22 -

	13.1	Committee Duties.	- 22 -

	13.2	Administration Upon Change In Control	- 22 -

	13.3	Agents	- 23 -

	13.4	Binding Effect of Decisions	- 23 -

	13.5	Indemnity of Committee	- 23 -

	13.6	Employer Information	- 23 -

ARTICLE 14		Other Benefits and Agreements	- 23 -

	14.1	Coordination with Other Benefits	- 23 -

ARTICLE 15		Claims Procedures	- 23 -

	15.1	Presentation of Claim	- 23 -

AMCOL International Corporation

Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan

Master Plan Document

	15.2	Notification of Decision	- 24 -

	15.3	Review of a Denied Claim	- 24 -

	15.4	Decision on Review	- 24 -

	15.5	Legal Action	- 25 -

ARTICLE 16		Trust	- 25 -

	16.1	Establishment of the Trust	- 25 -

	16.2	Interrelationship of the Plan and the Trust	- 25 -

	16.3	Distributions From the Trust.	- 25 -

ARTICLE 17		Miscellaneous	- 25 -

	17.1	Status of Plan	- 25 -

	17.2	Unsecured General Creditor	- 26 -

	17.3	Employer's Liability	- 26 -

	17.4	Nonassignability	- 26 -

	17.5	Not a Contract of Employment	- 26 -

	17.6	Furnishing Information	- 26 -

	17.7	Terms	- 26 -

	17.8	Captions	- 27 -

	17.9	Governing Law	- 27 -

	17.10	Notice	- 27 -

	17.11	Successors	- 27 -

	17.12	Spouse's Interest	- 27 -

	17.13	Validity	- 27 -

	17.14	Incompetent	- 27 -

	17.15	Domestic Relations Orders	- 27 -

	17.16	Distribution in the Event of Income Inclusion Under Code Section 409A	- 28 -

	17.17	Deduction Limitation on Benefit Payments	- 28 -

	17.18	Insurance	- 28 -

	17.19	Legal Fees To Enforce Rights After Change in Control	- 29 -

AMCOL International Corporation

Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan

Master Plan Document

Purpose

The purpose of this Plan is to provide specified benefits to Directors and a select group of management or highly compensated Employees who contribute materially to the continued growth, development and future business success of AMCOL International Corporation, a Delaware corporation, and its subsidiaries, if any, that sponsor this Plan. This Plan shall be unfunded for tax purposes and for purposes of Title I of ERISA. This Plan amends and restates in its entirety the AMCOL International Corporation Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan, effective January 1, 2008.

This Plan is intended to comply with all applicable law, including Code Section 409A and related Treasury guidance and Regulations, and shall be operated and interpreted in accordance with this intention. In order to transition to the requirements of Code Section 409A and related Treasury Regulations, the Committee may make available to Participants certain transition relief provided under Notice 2007-86, as described more fully in Appendix A of this Plan.

ARTICLE 1

Definitions

For the purposes of this Plan, unless otherwise clearly apparent from the context, the following phrases or terms shall have the following indicated meanings:

1.1

“Account Balance” shall mean, with respect to a Participant, an entry on the records of the Employer equal to the sum of the Participant’s Annual Accounts. The Account Balance shall be a bookkeeping entry only and shall be utilized solely as a device for the measurement and determination of the amounts to be paid to a Participant, or his or her designated Beneficiary, pursuant to this Plan.

If a Participant is both an Employee and a Director and participates in the Plan in each capacity, then separate Account Balances (and separate Annual Accounts, if applicable) shall be established for such Participant as a device for the measurement and determination of the (a) amounts deferred under the Plan that are attributable to the Participant’s status as an Employee, and (b) amounts deferred under the Plan that are attributable to the Participant’s status as a Director.

1.2

“Annual Account” shall mean, with respect to a Participant, an entry on the records of the Employer equal to (a) the sum of the Participant’s Annual Deferral Amount, Company Contribution Amount and Company Restoration Matching Amount for any one Plan Year, plus (b) amounts credited or debited to such amounts pursuant to this Plan, less (c) all distributions made to the Participant or his or her Beneficiary pursuant to this Plan that relate to the Annual Account for such Plan Year. The Annual Account shall be a bookkeeping entry only and shall be utilized solely as a device for the measurement and determination of the amounts to be paid to a Participant, or his or her designated Beneficiary, pursuant to this Plan.

1.3	“Annual Deferral Amount” shall mean that portion of a Participant's Base Salary, Bonus and Director Fees that a Participant defers in accordance with Article 3 for any one Plan Year, without regard to whether such amounts are withheld and credited during such Plan Year.

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AMCOL International Corporation

Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan

Master Plan Document

1.4

“Base Salary” shall mean the annual cash compensation relating to services performed during any calendar year, excluding distributions from nonqualified deferred compensation plans, bonuses, commissions, overtime, fringe benefits, stock options, relocation expenses, incentive payments, non-monetary awards, director fees and other fees, and automobile and other allowances paid to a Participant for employment services rendered (whether or not such allowances are included in the Employee’s gross income). Base Salary shall be calculated before reduction for compensation voluntarily deferred or contributed by the Participant pursuant to all qualified or nonqualified plans of any Employer and shall be calculated to include amounts not otherwise included in the Participant's gross income under Code Sections 125, 402(e)(3), 402(h), or 403(b) pursuant to plans established by any Employer; provided, however, that all such amounts will be included in compensation only to the extent that had there been no such plan, the amount would have been payable in cash to the Employee.

1.5	“Beneficiary” shall mean one or more persons, trusts, estates or other entities, designated in accordance with Article 10, that are entitled to receive benefits under this Plan upon the death of a Participant.

1.6	“Beneficiary Designation Form” shall mean the form established from time to time by the Committee that a Participant completes, signs and returns to the Committee to designate one or more Beneficiaries.

1.7

“Benefit Distribution Date” shall mean the date upon which all or an objectively determinable portion of a Participant’s vested benefits will become eligible for distribution. Except as otherwise provided in the Plan, a Participant’s Benefit Distribution Date shall be determined based on the earliest to occur of an event or scheduled date set forth in Articles 4 through 9, as applicable.

1.8	“Board” shall mean the board of directors of the Company.

1.9	“Bonus” shall mean any compensation, in addition to Base Salary earned by a Participant under any Employer's annual bonus and cash incentive plans.

1.10	“Change in Control” shall mean the occurrence of a “change in the ownership,” a “change in the effective control” or a “change in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets” of a corporation, as determined in accordance with this Section.

In order for an event described below to constitute a Change in Control with respect to a Participant, except as otherwise provided in part (b)(ii) of this Section, the applicable event must relate to the corporation for which the Participant is providing services, the corporation that is liable for payment of the Participant’s Account Balance (or all corporations liable for payment if more than one), as identified by the Committee in accordance with Treas. Reg. §1.409A-3(i)(5)(ii)(A)(2), or such other corporation identified by the Committee in accordance with Treas. Reg. §1.409A-3(i)(5)(ii)(A)(3).

In determining whether an event shall be considered a “change in the ownership,” a “change in the effective control” or a “change in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets” of a corporation, the following provisions shall apply:

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AMCOL International Corporation

Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan

Master Plan Document

(a)

A “change in the ownership” of the applicable corporation shall occur on the date on which any one person, or more than one person acting as a group, acquires ownership of stock of such corporation that, together with stock held by such person or group, constitutes more than 50% of the total fair market value or total voting power of the stock of such corporation, as determined in accordance with Treas. Reg. §1.409A-3(i)(5)(v). If a person or group is considered either to own more than 50% of the total fair market value or total voting power of the stock of such corporation, or to have effective control of such corporation within the meaning of part (b) of this Section, and such person or group acquires additional stock of such corporation, the acquisition of additional stock by such person or group shall not be considered to cause a “change in the ownership” of such corporation.

(b)

A “change in the effective control” of the applicable corporation shall occur on either of the following dates:

(i)

The date on which any one person, or more than one person acting as a group, acquires (or has acquired during the 12-month period ending on the date of the most recent acquisition by such person or persons) ownership of stock of such corporation possessing 30% or more of the total voting power of the stock of such corporation, as determined in accordance with Treas. Reg. §1.409A-3(i)(5)(vi). If a person or group is considered to possess 30% or more of the total voting power of the stock of a corporation, and such person or group acquires additional stock of such corporation, the acquisition of additional stock by such person or group shall not be considered to cause a “change in the effective control” of such corporation; or

(ii)

The date on which a majority of the members of the applicable corporation’s board of directors is replaced during any 12-month period by directors whose appointment or election is not endorsed by a majority of the members of such corporation’s board of directors before the date of the appointment or election, as determined in accordance with Treas. Reg. §1.409A-3(i)(5)(vi). In determining whether the event described in the preceding sentence has occurred, the applicable corporation to which the event must relate shall only include a corporation identified in accordance with Treas. Reg. §1.409A-3(i)(5)(ii) for which no other corporation is a majority shareholder.

(c)

A “change in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets” of the applicable corporation shall occur on the date on which any one person, or more than one person acting as a group, acquires (or has acquired during the 12-month period ending on the date of the most recent acquisition by such person or persons) assets from the corporation that have a total gross fair market value equal to or more than 40% of the total gross fair market value of all of the assets of the corporation immediately before such acquisition or acquisitions, as determined in accordance with Treas. Reg. §1.409A-3(i)(5)(vii). A transfer of assets shall not be treated as a “change in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets” when such transfer is made to an entity that is controlled by the shareholders of the transferor corporation, as determined in accordance with Treas. Reg. §1.409A-3(i)(5)(vii)(B).

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AMCOL International Corporation

Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan

Master Plan Document

1.11	“Code” shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as it may be amended from time to time.

1.12	“Committee” shall mean the committee described in Article 13.

1.13	“Company” shall mean AMCOL International Corporation, a Delaware corporation, and any successor to all or substantially all of the Company’s assets or business.

1.14	“Company Contribution Amount” shall mean, for any one Plan Year, the amount determined in accordance with Section 3.4.

1.15	“Company Restoration Matching Amount” shall mean, for any one Plan Year, the amount determined in accordance with Section 3.5.

1.16	“Director” shall mean any member of the board of directors of any Employer.

1.17	“Director Fees” shall mean the annual fees earned by a Director from any Employer, including retainer fees and meetings fees, as compensation for serving on the board of directors.

1.18

“Disability” or “Disabled” shall mean that a Participant is either (a) unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment that can be expected to result in death or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months, or (b) by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment that can be expected to result in death or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months, receiving income replacement benefits for a period of not less than 3 months under an accident and health plan covering employees of the Participant’s Employer. For purposes of this Plan, a Participant shall be deemed Disabled if determined to be totally disabled by the Social Security Administration. A Participant shall also be deemed Disabled if determined to be disabled in accordance with the applicable disability insurance program of such Participant’s Employer, provided that the definition of “disability” applied under such disability insurance program complies with the requirements of this Section.

1.19	“Election Form” shall mean the form, which may be in electronic format, established from time to time by the Committee that a Participant completes, signs and returns to the Committee to make an election under the Plan.

1.20	“Employee” shall mean a person who is an employee of an Employer.

1.21	“Employer(s)” shall be defined as follows:

(a)

Except as otherwise provided in part (b) of this Section, the term “Employer” shall mean the Company and/or any of its subsidiaries (now in existence or hereafter formed or acquired) that have been selected by the Board to participate in the Plan and have adopted the Plan as a sponsor.

(b)

For the purpose of determining whether a Participant has experienced a Separation from Service, the term “Employer” shall mean:

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AMCOL International Corporation

Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan

Master Plan Document

(i)

The entity for which the Participant performs services and with respect to which the legally binding right to compensation deferred or contributed under this Plan arises; and

(ii)

All other entities with which the entity described above would be aggregated and treated as a single employer under Code Section 414(b) (controlled group of corporations) and Code Section 414(c) (a group of trades or businesses, whether or not incorporated, under common control), as applicable. In order to identify the group of entities described in the preceding sentence, the Committee shall use an ownership threshold of at least 50% as a substitute for the 80% minimum ownership threshold that appears in, and otherwise must be used when applying, the applicable provisions of (A) Code Section 1563 for determining a controlled group of corporations under Code Section 414(b), and (B) Treas. Reg. §1.414(c)-2 for determining the trades or businesses that are under common control under Code Section 414(c).

1.22	“ERISA” shall mean the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as it may be amended from time to time.

1.23	“401(k) Plan” shall mean, with respect to an Employer, a plan qualified under Code Section 401(a) that contains a cash or deferral arrangement described in Code Section 401(k), adopted by the Employer, as it may be amended from time to time, or any successor thereto.

1.24	“Participant” shall mean any Employee or Director (a) who is selected to participate in the Plan, (b) whose executed Plan Agreement, Election Form and Beneficiary Designation Form are accepted by the Committee, and (c) whose Plan Agreement has not terminated.

1.25

“Performance-Based Compensation” shall mean compensation the entitlement to or amount of which is contingent on the satisfaction of pre-established organizational or individual performance criteria relating to a performance period of at least 12 consecutive months, as determined by the Committee in accordance with Treas. Reg. §1.409A-1(e).

1.26

“Plan” shall mean the AMCOL International Corporation Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan, which shall be evidenced by this instrument, as it may be amended from time to time, and by any other documents that together with this instrument define a Participant’s rights to amounts credited to his or her Account Balance.

1.27

“Plan Agreement” shall mean a written agreement in the form prescribed by or acceptable to the Committee that evidences a Participant’s agreement to the terms of the Plan and which may establish additional terms or conditions of Plan participation for a Participant. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, the most recent Plan Agreement accepted with respect to a Participant shall supersede any prior Plan Agreements for such Participant. Plan Agreements may vary among Participants and may provide additional benefits not set forth in the Plan or limit the benefits otherwise provided under the Plan.

1.28	“Plan Year” shall mean a period beginning on January 1 of each calendar year and continuing through December 31 of such calendar year.

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AMCOL International Corporation

Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan

Master Plan Document

1.29

“Quarterly Installment Method” shall be a quarterly installment payment over the number of years selected by the Participant in accordance with this Plan, calculated as follows: the vested Account Balance of the Participant shall be calculated as of the close of business on or around the last business day of the month which precedes the date on which the quarterly payment is made pursuant to the Plan. The quarterly installment shall be calculated by multiplying this balance by a fraction, the numerator of which is one and the denominator of which is the remaining number of quarterly payments due the Participant. By way of example, if the Participant elects a ten (10) year Quarterly Installment Method, the first payment shall be 1/40 of the vested Account Balance, calculated as described in this definition. The following quarter, the payment shall be 1/39 of the vested Account Balance, calculated as described in this definition. Each quarterly installment shall be paid no later than sixty (60) days after the last business day of the applicable quarter. Shares of Stock that shall be distributable from the Stock Option Gain Account shall be distributable in shares of actual Stock in the same manner previously described. However, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, (i) adjust the quarterly installments in order to distribute whole shares of actual Stock and/or (ii) accelerate the distribution of such actual shares of Stock by payment of a lump sum.

1.30	“Quarterly Payment Date” shall mean the last day of the 2nd, 5th, 8th and 11th months of each calendar year.

1.31

“Retirement,” “Retire(s)” or “Retired” shall mean with respect to a Participant who is an Employee, a Separation from Service on or after the date on which the sum of the Participant’s age and Years of Service equals at least 70, and shall mean with respect to a Participant who is a Director, a Separation from Service. If a Participant is both an Employee and a Director and participates in the Plan in each capacity, (a) the determination of whether the Participant qualifies for Retirement as an Employee shall be made when the Participant experiences a Separation from Service as an Employee and such determination shall only apply to the applicable Account Balance established in accordance with Section 1.1 for amounts deferred under the Plan as an Employee, and (b) the determination of whether the Participant qualifies for Retirement as a Director shall be made at the time the Participant experiences a Separation from Service as a Director and such determination shall only apply to the applicable Account Balance established in accordance with Section 1.1 for amounts deferred under the Plan as a Director.

1.32

“Separation from Service” shall mean a termination of services provided by a Participant to his or her Employer, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, other than by reason of death or Disability, as determined by the Committee in accordance with Treas. Reg. §1.409A-1(h). In determining whether a Participant has experienced a Separation from Service, the following provisions shall apply:

(a)

For a Participant who provides services to an Employer as an Employee, except as otherwise provided in part (c) of this Section, a Separation from Service shall occur when such Participant has experienced a termination of employment with such Employer. A Participant shall be considered to have experienced a termination of employment when the facts and circumstances indicate that the Participant and his or her Employer reasonably anticipate that either (i) no further services will be performed for the Employer after a certain date, or (ii) that the level of bona fide services the Participant will perform for the Employer after such date (whether as an Employee or as an independent contractor) will permanently decrease to no more than 20% of the average level of bona fide services performed by such Participant (whether as an Employee or an independent contractor) over the immediately preceding 36-month period (or the full period of services to the Employer if the Participant has been providing services to the Employer less than 36 months).

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AMCOL International Corporation

Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan

Master Plan Document

If a Participant is on military leave, sick leave, or other bona fide leave of absence, the employment relationship between the Participant and the Employer shall be treated as continuing intact, provided that the period of such leave does not exceed 6 months, or if longer, so long as the Participant retains a right to reemployment with the Employer under an applicable statute or by contract. If the period of a military leave, sick leave, or other bona fide leave of absence exceeds 6 months and the Participant does not retain a right to reemployment under an applicable statute or by contract, the employment relationship shall be considered to be terminated for purposes of this Plan as of the first day immediately following the end of such 6-month period. In applying the provisions of this paragraph, a leave of absence shall be considered a bona fide leave of absence only if there is a reasonable expectation that the Participant will return to perform services for the Employer.

(b)

For a Participant who provides services to an Employer as an independent contractor, except as otherwise provided in part (c) of this Section, a Separation from Service shall occur upon the expiration of the contract (or in the case of more than one contract, all contracts) under which services are performed for such Employer, provided that the expiration of such contract(s) is determined by the Committee to constitute a good-faith and complete termination of the contractual relationship between the Participant and such Employer.

(c)

For a Participant who provides services to an Employer as both an Employee and an independent contractor , a Separation from Service generally shall not occur until the Participant has ceased providing services for such Employer as both as an Employee and as an independent contractor, as determined in accordance with the provisions set forth in parts (a) and (b) of this Section, respectively. Similarly, if a Participant either (i) ceases providing services for an Employer as an independent contractor and begins providing services for such Employer as an Employee, or (ii) ceases providing services for an Employer as an Employee and begins providing services for such Employer as an independent contractor, the Participant will not be considered to have experienced a Separation from Service until the Participant has ceased providing services for such Employer in both capacities, as determined in accordance with the applicable provisions set forth in parts (a) and (b) of this Section.

Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions in this part (c), if a Participant provides services for an Employer as both an Employee and as a Director, to the extent permitted by Treas. Reg. §1.409A-1(h)(5) the services provided by such Participant as a Director shall not be taken into account in determining whether the Participant has experienced a Separation from Service as an Employee, and the services provided by such Participant as an Employee shall not be taken into account in determining whether the Participant has experienced a Separation from Service as a Director.

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AMCOL International Corporation

Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan

Master Plan Document

1.33	“Trust” shall mean one or more trusts established by the Company in accordance with Article 16.

1.34

“Unforeseeable Emergency” shall mean a severe financial hardship of the Participant resulting from (a) an illness or accident of the Participant, the Participant’s spouse, the Participant’s Beneficiary or the Participant’s dependent (as defined in Code Section 152 without regard to paragraphs (b)(1), (b)(2) and (d)(1)(b) thereof), (b) a loss of the Participant’s property due to casualty, or (c) such other similar extraordinary and unforeseeable circumstances arising as a result of events beyond the control of the Participant, all as determined by the Committee based on the relevant facts and circumstances.

1.35

“Years of Service” shall mean the total number of full years in which a Participant has been employed by one or more Employers. For purposes of this definition, a year of employment shall be a 365 day period (or 366 day period in the case of a leap year) that, for the first year of employment, commences on the Employee's date of hiring and that, for any subsequent year, commences on an anniversary of that hiring date. A partial year of employment shall not be treated as a Year of Service.

ARTICLE 2

Selection, Enrollment, Eligibility

2.1

Selection by Committee . Participation in the Plan shall be limited to Directors and, as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion, a select group of management or highly compensated Employees. From that group, the Committee shall select, in its sole discretion, those individuals who may actually participate in this Plan.

2.2	Enrollment and Eligibility Requirements; Commencement of Participation .

(a)

As a condition to participation, each Director or selected Employee shall complete, execute and return to the Committee a Plan Agreement, an Election Form and a Beneficiary Designation Form by the deadline(s) established by the Committee in accordance with the applicable provisions of this Plan. In addition, the Committee shall establish from time to time such other enrollment requirements as it determines, in its sole discretion, are necessary.

(b)

Each Director or selected Employee who is eligible to participate in the Plan shall commence participation in the Plan on the date that the Committee determines that the Director or Employee has met all enrollment requirements set forth in this Plan and required by the Committee, including returning all required documents to the Committee within the specified time period.

(c)

If a Director or an Employee fails to meet all requirements established by the Committee within the period required, that Director or Employee shall not be eligible to participate in the Plan during such Plan Year.

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AMCOL International Corporation

Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan

Master Plan Document

ARTICLE 3

Deferral Commitments/Company Contribution Amounts/

Company Restoration Matching Amounts/ Vesting/Crediting/Taxes

3.1	Minimum/Maximum Deferral .

(a)

Annual Deferral Amount . For each Plan Year, a Participant may elect to defer, as his or her Annual Deferral Amount, Base Salary, Bonus and/or Director Fees up to the following maximum percentages for each deferral elected:

Deferral	Maximum Percentage	Minimum Amount
Base Salary	75%	$3,000 aggregate with Bonus
Bonus	100%	$3,000 aggregate with Base Salary
Director Fees	100%	$0

(b)

Short Plan Year . Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a Participant first becomes a Participant after the first day of a Plan Year, then to the extent required by Section 3.2 and Code Section 409A and related Treasury Regulations, the maximum amount of the Participant’s Base Salary, Bonus or Director Fees that may be deferred by the Participant for the Plan Year shall be determined by applying the percentages set forth in Section 3.1(a) to the portion of such compensation attributable to services performed after the date that the Participant’s deferral election is made.

3.2	Timing of Deferral Elections; Effect of Election Form .

(a)

General Timing Rule for Deferral Elections . Except as otherwise provided in this Section 3.2, in order for a Participant to make a valid election to defer Base Salary, Bonus and/or Director Fees, the Participant must submit an Election Form on or before the deadline established by the Committee, which in no event shall be later than the December 31 ^st preceding the Plan Year in which such compensation will be earned.

Any deferral election made in accordance with this Section 3.2(a) shall be irrevocable; provided, however, that if the Committee permits or requires Participants to make a deferral election by the deadline described above for an amount that qualifies as Performance-Based Compensation, the Committee may permit a Participant to subsequently change his or her deferral election for such compensation by submitting a new Election Form in accordance with Section 3.2(d) below.

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AMCOL International Corporation

Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan

Master Plan Document

(b)

Timing of Deferral Elections for Newly Eligible Plan Participants . A Director or selected Employee who first becomes eligible to participate in the Plan on or after the beginning of a Plan Year, as determined in accordance with Treas. Reg. §1.409A-2(a)(7)(ii) and the “plan aggregation” rules provided in Treas. Reg. §1.409A-1(c)(2), may be permitted to make an election to defer the portion of Base Salary, Bonus and/or Director Fees attributable to services to be performed after such election, provided that the Participant submits an Election Form on or before the deadline established by the Committee, which in no event shall be later than 30 days after the Participant first becomes eligible to participate in the Plan.

If a deferral election made in accordance with this Section 3.2(b) relates to compensation earned based upon a specified performance period, the amount eligible for deferral shall be equal to (i) the total amount of compensation for the performance period, multiplied by (ii) a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of days remaining in the service period after the Participant’s deferral election is made, and the denominator of which is the total number of days in the performance period.

Any deferral election made in accordance with this Section 3.2(b) shall become irrevocable no later than the 30 ^th day after the date the Director or selected Employee becomes eligible to participate in the Plan.

(d)

Timing of Deferral Elections for Performance-Based Compensation . Subject to the limitations described below, the Committee may determine that an irrevocable deferral election for an amount that qualifies as Performance-Based Compensation may be made by submitting an Election Form on or before the deadline established by the Committee, which in no event shall be later than 6 months before the end of the performance period.

In order for a Participant to be eligible to make a deferral election for Performance-Based Compensation in accordance with the deadline established pursuant to this Section 3.2(d), the Participant must have performed services continuously from the later of (i) the beginning of the performance period for such compensation, or (ii) the date upon which the performance criteria for such compensation are established, through the date upon which the Participant makes the deferral election for such compensation. In no event shall a deferral election submitted under this Section 3.2(d) be permitted to apply to any amount of Performance-Based Compensation that has become readily ascertainable.

(e)

Timing Rule for Deferral of Compensation Subject to Risk of Forfeiture . With respect to compensation (i) to which a Participant has a legally binding right to payment in a subsequent year, and (ii) that is subject to a forfeiture condition requiring the Participant’s continued services for a period of at least 12 months from the date the Participant obtains the legally binding right, the Committee may determine that an irrevocable deferral election for such compensation may be made by timely delivering an Election Form to the Committee in accordance with its rules and procedures, no later than the 30 ^th day after the Participant obtains the legally binding right to the compensation, provided that the election is made at least 12 months in advance of the earliest date at which the forfeiture condition could lapse, as determined in accordance with Treas. Reg. §1.409A-2(a)(5).

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AMCOL International Corporation

Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan

Master Plan Document

Any deferral election(s) made in accordance with this Section 3.2(e) shall become irrevocable no later than the 30 ^th day after the Participant obtains the legally binding right to the compensation subject to such deferral election(s).

3.3

Withholding and Crediting of Annual Deferral Amounts . For each Plan Year, the Base Salary portion of the Annual Deferral Amount shall be withheld from each regularly scheduled Base Salary payroll in equal amounts, as adjusted from time to time for increases and decreases in Base Salary. The Bonus and/or Director Fees portion of the Annual Deferral Amount shall be withheld at the time the Bonus or Director Fees are or otherwise would be paid to the Participant, whether or not this occurs during the Plan Year itself. Annual Deferral Amounts shall be credited to the Participant’s Annual Account for such Plan Year at the time such amounts would otherwise have been paid to the Participant.

3.4	Company Contribution Amount .

(a)

For each Plan Year, an Employer may be required to credit amounts to a Participant’s Annual Account in accordance with employment or other agreements entered into between the Participant and the Employer, which amounts shall be part of the Participant’s Company Contribution Amount for that Plan Year. Such amounts shall be credited to the Participant’s Annual Account for the applicable Plan Year on the date or dates prescribed by such agreements.

(b)

For each Plan Year, an Employer, in its sole discretion, may, but is not required to, credit any amount it desires to any Participant’s Annual Account under this Plan, which amount shall be part of the Participant’s Company Contribution Amount for that Plan Year. The amount so credited to a Participant may be smaller or larger than the amount credited to any other Participant, and the amount credited to any Participant for a Plan Year may be zero, even though one or more other Participants receive a Company Contribution Amount for that Plan Year. The Company Contribution Amount described i

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