EXHIBIT 10.1
EMPLOYMENT
AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT is made and entered
into as of the 28th day of September, 2009, by and between
BLOUNT INTERNATIONAL, INC., a Delaware corporation (the
“Company”), and JOSHUA L. COLLINS
(“Executive”).
W I T N E S S E T H
:
WHEREAS, the Company desires to hire
Executive and Executive desires to accept such employment;
and
WHEREAS, the Company and Executive
desire to enter into an agreement providing for Executive’s
employment by the Company and specifying the terms and conditions
of such employment.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of
the premises and the mutual covenants and agreements contained
herein, the parties hereby agree as follows:
1.
Employment and
Term .
(a)
Subject to the
terms and conditions of this Agreement, the Company hereby employs
Executive and Executive hereby accepts employment as the President,
Chief Operating Officer and Chief Executive Officer-Designate of
the Company and shall have such responsibilities, duties and
authority that are consistent with such positions as may be from
time to time assigned to Executive by the Board of Directors,
provided that effective January 4, 2010, upon the retirement of the
Company’s current Chief Executive Officer
(“CEO”), Executive shall also serve as the
Company’s CEO. Consistent with his positions, Executive
shall, in consultation with the Board and other senior Company
executives, have meaningful authority over the hiring, firing and
promotion of his direct reports and other senior executives.
The Company agrees to nominate Executive for election as a Director
of the Company commencing
with the annual stockholders
meeting in calendar year 2010 and to continue to nominate Executive
for election as a Director during the Term. Executive agrees
that during the Term of this Agreement he will devote substantially
all his working time, attention and energies to the diligent
performance of his duties and responsibilities for the Company;
provided that for a period of up to ten (10) years after the
Effective Date (although Executive reasonably expects this period
will not exceed five (5) years), Executive may spend one (1) day
per calendar quarter and up to five (5) hours a month performing
services in connection with an investment fund for which he
currently performs services. With the consent of the Board of
Directors, Executive may serve as a director on the boards of
directors or trustees of additional companies and
organizations.
(b)
Unless earlier
terminated as provided herein, Executive’s employment under
this Agreement shall be for a rolling, two-year term (the
“Term) commencing on October 15, 2009 (the “Effective
Date”) and shall be deemed to extend automatically, without
further action by either the Company or Executive, each day for an
additional day, such that the remaining term of the Agreement shall
continue to be two years; provided, however, that either party may,
by written notice to the other, cause this Agreement to cease to
extend automatically and, upon such notice, the “Term”
of this Agreement shall be the two-year period following the date
of such notice and this Agreement shall terminate upon the
expiration of such Term; provided, further, that the Term of this
Agreement shall cease on the date Executive attains age
65.
2.
Compensation
and Benefits . As compensation for
his services during the Term of this Agreement, Executive shall be
paid and receive the amounts and benefits set forth in subsections
(a) through (f) below:
2
(a)
An annual base
salary (“Base Salary”) at a rate of Five Hundred Fifty
Thousand Dollars ($550,000.00) per year, prorated for any partial
year of employment. Executive’s Base Salary shall be
subject to annual review starting in 2011 for increase at such time
as the Company conducts salary reviews for its executive officers
generally. Executive’s salary shall be payable in
substantially equal installments on a bi-monthly basis, or in
accordance with the Company’s regular payroll practices in
effect from time to time for executive officers of the
Company.
(b)
Executive shall
be eligible to participate in the Executive Management Annual
Incentive Program (“Incentive Program”) and such other
annual incentive plans as may be established by the Company from
time to time for its executive officers. The Board or a
committee of the Board will in consultation with the Executive
establish performance goals for the Executive each year under the
Incentive Program. For the period from the Effective Date
through December 31, 2009, the Compensation Committee of the Board
(“Compensation Committee”) in its sole discretion may
grant Executive a bonus based on his and/or the Company’s
performance or such other factors deemed appropriate by the
Compensation Committee in its sole discretion. For fiscal
year 2010, Executive shall be entitled to a Target Bonus of
$500,000, provided that the Compensation Committee certifies that
the applicable performance objectives established for such period
have been met. For fiscal year 2011 and thereafter,
Executive’s annual Target Bonus shall be established in
accordance with the determination of the Compensation Committee,
which determination shall be made in a manner consistent with that
for other executive officers of the Company. The annual
incentive bonus payable under this subsection (b) shall
be
3
payable as a lump sum at the
same time bonuses are paid to other senior executives after
certification by the Compensation Committee, that the applicable
performance objectives have been met, unless Executive elects to
defer all or a portion of such amount pursuant to any deferral plan
established by the Company for such purpose.
(c)
Executive shall
be entitled to participate in, or receive benefits under, any
“employee benefit plan” (as defined in Section 3(3) of
ERISA) or employee benefit arrangement made generally available by
the Company to its executive officers, including plans providing
401(k) benefits, matching and Savings Plus benefits, deferred
compensation, health care (including Exec-U-Care), dental and
vision care, life insurance, disability, accidental death and
similar benefits.
(d)
On the Effective
Date, the Company will grant Executive 750,000 options (the
“Options”) to purchase shares of the Company’s
Common Stock under the Company’s 2006 Equity Incentive
Plan. The exercise price for the Options will be the closing
sales price of the Company’s Common Stock on the New York
Stock Exchange on the business day immediately preceding the
Effective Date. The Options will vest in equal installments
of 250,000 shares each on the first, second and third anniversaries
of the Effective Date. To the extent unvested, the Options
will automatically fully vest upon the occurrence of a Change in
Control (as defined in Section 5.3 below). The terms and
conditions of the Stock Option Agreement granting the Options will
be consistent with the agreements for other executive officers of
the Company.
(e)
The Company will
reimburse Executive for membership dues, initiation fees, and any
assessments at a country club of Executive’s choice in the
Portland area and will assist Executive in reducing any waiting
period in regard to
4
membership in such club to
the extent it is able to do so. Executive will be provided an
automobile in accordance with the Company’s automobile policy
for Executives, and the Company will pay all insurance,
maintenance, fuel, oil and related operational expenses for such
automobile. Executive will be entitled to four (4) weeks
vacation during calendar year 2010, which amount will be subject to
increase during the Term in accordance with Company policy.
Executive will be provided an annual physical examination and a
financial/tax consultant for personal financial and tax
planning. Executive will be promptly reimbursed by the
Company for all reasonable business expenses he incurs in carrying
out his duties and responsibilities under this Agreement. If
any of the perquisite amounts provided to Executive pursuant to
this subsection (e) are subject to federal, state or local income
taxes, Executive will be provided an appropriate tax gross-up on
such amounts.
(f)
With respect to
Executive’s relocation to the Portland, Oregon area, the
Company will provide Executive (i) a furnished townhouse or
apartment for three months or until Executive is permanently
relocated, whichever first occurs, including reasonable and
customary living expenses for such period, (ii) one month’s
Base Salary to take care of incidental and miscellaneous moving
expenses payable upon his relocation to Portland; (iii)
reimbursement for the reasonable expenses for house hunting trips
for Executive and his family, (iv) transportation expenses to move
Executive and his family to Portland; (v) reimbursement for the
costs of packing, shipping and unpacking Executive’s
furniture and personal effects, including storage as appropriate;
(vi) with respect to the purchase of a home in the Portland area,
house finding assistance and upon the purchase of a home,
reimbursement of Executive’s
5
closing costs; (vii) with
respect to the sale of Executive’s current home in
Bronxville, New York, the Company will provide marketing assistance
and, if necessary, a guaranteed buyout in accordance with the
customary terms through the Company’s third-party relocation
service provider; and (viii) an appropriate tax gross-up on any
non-tax deductible relocation expenses.
3.
Confidentiality and
Noncompetition .
(a)
Executive
acknowledges that, prior to and during the Term of this Agreement,
the Company has furnished and will furnish to Executive
Confidential Information which could be used by Executive on behalf
of a competitor of the Company to the Company’s substantial
detriment. Moreover, the parties recognize that Executive
during the course of his employment with the Company will develop
important relationships with customers and others having valuable
business relationships with the Company. In view of the
foregoing, Executive acknowledges and agrees that the restrictive
covenants contained in this Section are reasonably necessary to
protect the Company’s legitimate business interests and good
will. Executive acknowledges that at least two weeks prior to
the Effective Date, he was notified in writing that his offer of
employment was conditioned upon his agreement to the noncompetition
restriction in subsection (d)(i) below.
(b)
Executive agrees
that he shall protect the Company’s Confidential Information
and shall not disclose to any Person, or otherwise use, except in
connection with his duties performed in accordance with this
Agreement or otherwise for the Company, any Confidential
Information at any time, including following the termination of his
employment with the Company for any reason; provided, however, that
Executive
6
may make disclosures
required by a valid order or subpoena issued by a court or
administrative agency of competent jurisdiction, in which event
Executive will promptly notify the Company of such order or
subpoena to provide the Company an opportunity to protect its
interests. Executive’s obligations under this Section
3(b) shall survive any expiration or termination of this Agreement
for any reason, provided that Executive may after such expiration
or termination disclose Confidential Information with the prior
written consent of the Board.
(c)
Upon the
termination or expiration of his employment hereunder, Executive
agrees to deliver promptly to the Company all Company files,
customer lists, management reports, memoranda, research, Company
forms, financial data and reports and other documents supplied to
or created by him in connection with his employment hereunder
(including all copies of the foregoing) in his possession or
control, and all of the Company’s equipment and other
materials in his possession or control. Executive’s
obligations under this Section 3(c) shall survive any expiration or
termination of this Agreement.
(d)
Upon the
termination or expiration of his employment under this Agreement,
Executive agrees that for a period of one (1) year from his Date
of Termination or until the end of the period for which he is
entitled to receive compensation under Section 4.1(a) below,
whichever is longer, he shall not (i) be employed by or provide
services to any company or business engaged in the design,
manufacture, marketing or sale of any products similar to those
produced or offered by the Company or its affiliates in the
geographic areas of the world in which the Company conducts its
principal manufacturing and sales operations, including China,
Brazil,
7
Germany and North America,
provided that this noncompetition restriction shall in no event
extend longer than two years from Executive’s Date of
Termination, (ii) divert or attempt to divert any person, concern
or entity which is furnished products or services by the Company
from doing business with the Company or otherwise change its
relationship with the Company, or (iii) solicit, lure or attempt to
hire away any of the employees of the Company with whom the
Executive interacted directly or indirectly, while employed with
the Company.
(e)
Executive
acknowledges that if he breaches or threatens to breach this
Section 3, his actions may cause irreparable harm and damage to the
Company that could not be compensated in damages.
Accordingly, if Executive breaches or threatens to breach this
Section 3, the Company shall be entitled to seek injunctive relief,
in addition to any other rights or remedies available to the
Company. The existence of any claim or cause of action by
Executive against the Company, whether predicated on this Agreement
or otherwise, shall not constitute a defense to the enforcement by
the Company of Executive’s agreement under this Section
3(e).
4.
Termination
.
4.1
By
Executive . Executive shall have
the right to terminate his employment hereunder at any time by
Notice of Termination (as described in Section 6). If
Executive terminates his employment because (i) the Company has
materially breached this Agreement, and such breach has not been
cured within thirty (30) days after written notice of such breach
is given by Executive to the Company; or (ii) Executive has
determined that his termination is for Good Reason (as defined in
Section 5.7), Executive shall be entitled to receive the
compensation and benefits set
8
forth in subsections (a)
through (g) below. If Executive terminates his employment
other than pursuant to clauses (i) or (ii) of this Section 4.1, the
Company’s obligations under this Agreement shall cease as of
the date of such termination. Unless specified otherwise, the
time period (such time period is hereinafter referred to as the
“Severance Period”) in (a) through (g) below shall be
the lesser of (i) (A) if Executive terminates his employment within
24 months of the Effective Date, the 24-month period commencing on
Executive’s Date of Termination or (B) if Executive
terminates his employment more than 24 months after the Effective
Date, the 36-month period commencing on Executive’s Date of
Termination, or (ii) the time period remaining from the
Executive’s Date of Termination until the date he attains age
65. The Company agrees that if Executive terminates
employment and is entitled to compensation and benefits under this
Section 4.1, he shall not be required to mitigate damages by
seeking other employment, nor shall any amount he earns reduce the
amount payable by the Company hereunder.
(a)
Base
Salary - Executive will continue to
receive his Base Salary as then in effect (subject to withholding
of all applicable taxes) for the Severance Period in the same
manner as it was being paid as of the Date of Termination;
provided , however , that the salary payments
provided for hereunder shall be paid in a single lump sum payment,
to be paid not later than 30 days after his termination of
employment; provided , further , that the amount of
such lump sum payment shall be determined by taking the salary
payments to be made and discounting them to their Present Value (as
defined in Section 5.9) on the date Executive’s employment
under this Agreement is terminated.
9
(b)
Bonuses and
Incentives - Executive shall receive
bonus payments from the Company for each month of the Severance
Period in an amount for each such month equal to one-twelfth of the
average of the bonuses (“Average Bonus”) earned by him
for the two fiscal years in which bonuses were paid to him
(including, if applicable, any completed fiscal year for which the
bonus has been earned but has not yet been paid) immediately
preceding the year in which such termination occurs. Any
bonus amounts that Executive had previously earned from the Company
but which may not yet have been paid as of the Date of Termination
shall be payable on the date such amounts are payable to other
executives and Executive’s termination shall not affect the
payment of such bonus. Executive shall also receive a pro
rated bonus for any uncompleted fiscal year at the Date of
Termination, calculated based upon the Average Bonus and the number
of days compared to 365 that he was employed during such fiscal
year. The bonus amounts determined herein shall be paid in a
single lump sum payment, to be paid not later than 60 days after
termination of employment; provided , that the amount of
such lump sum payment representing the monthly bonus payments shall
be determined by taking the monthly bonus payments to be made and
discounting them to their Present Value on the date
Executive’s employment under this Agreement is
terminated.
(c)
Health and
Life Insurance Coverage - The health care coverage
(including Exec-U-Care) and group term life insurance coverage
provided to Executive at his Date of Termination shall be continued
for the Severance Period at the same level and in the same manner
as then provided to actively employed executive participants as if
his employment under this Agreement had not terminated. Any
additional
10
coverages Executive had at
termination, including dependent coverage, will also be continued
for such period on the same terms, to the extent permitted by the
applicable policies or contracts. Any costs Executive was
paying for such coverages at the Date of Termination shall be paid
by Executive by separate check payable to the Company each month in
advance. If the terms of the life insurance coverage referred
to in this subsection (c), or the laws applicable to such life
insurance coverage, do not permit continued participation
b
|