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INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN

Equity Incentive Plan Agreement

INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN | Document Parties: FERRELLGAS FINANCE CORP | Ferrell Companies, Inc | Ferrellgas Partners, LP | Ferrellgas, Inc You are currently viewing:
This Equity Incentive Plan Agreement involves

FERRELLGAS FINANCE CORP | Ferrell Companies, Inc | Ferrellgas Partners, LP | Ferrellgas, Inc

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Title: INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN
Date: 9/28/2009

INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN, Parties: ferrellgas finance corp , ferrell companies  inc , ferrellgas partners  lp , ferrellgas  inc
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Exhibit 10.22

 

FERRELL COMPANIES, INC.1998

 

INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN

 

As Amended and Restated effective as of October 11, 2004

 

1.      PURPOSE. The purposes of the Ferrell Companies, Inc. 1998 Incentive Compensation Plan (the “Plan”) are as follows:

 

(a)                                   to allow upper middle and senior level managers of Ferrellgas, Inc. (“FGI”) to participate in the equity growth of Ferrell Companies, Inc. (“FCI”) and, indirectly (through its “subsidiary” holding), in the equity growth of Ferrellgas Partners, L.P. (the “Partnership”) and its subsidiaries (with FCI, FGI, the Partnership and its subsidiaries being collectively referred to herein as “Companies”);

 

(b)                                  to generate an increased incentive to contribute to the Partnership’s future success and prosperity and to focus on the value growth of FCI; and

 

(c)                                   to focus on profitable Partnership growth and acquisition activities that will enable subordinated Partnership units (“Subordinated Units”) held by FCI to convert to common Partnership units (“Common Units”), to increase the value of all Partnership Units (including both Common and Subordinated Units) and to increase the equity value of FCI, through an increasing Partnership value, a maximization of Partnership distributions, a reduction of FCI debt, and an optimization of share value growth for the FCI shares held by FCI’s employee stock ownership plan (its “ESOP”).

 

Unless defined in the sentence or paragraph in which they are used, definitions used herein are set forth in Section 9.9 below. The following provisions constitute an amendment, restatement and continuation of the Plan effective as of October 11, 2004.

 

2.     ADMINISTRATION.

 

2.1                                Administration by Committee. The Plan shall be administered by the FCI Options Committee (comprised of three members of the FCI’s or FGI’s Management Committee, and generally including the CEO and CFO of FGI, as well as the senior personnel manager of FGI) (the “Committee”).

 

2.2                                Authority. Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Committee shall have the authority to (a) interpret the provisions of the Plan, and prescribe, amend, and rescind rules and procedures relating to the Plan, (b) grant incentives under the Plan, in such forms and amounts and subject to such terms and conditions as it deems appropriate, including, without limitation, incentives which are made in combination with or in tandem with other incentives (whether or not contemporaneously granted) or compensation or in lieu of current or deferred compensation, (c) modify the terms of, cancel and reissue, or repurchase outstanding incentives, subject to Section 9.7, (d) suspend the operation of the Plan (or any portion thereof) pursuant to the provisions of Section 9.8 hereinbelow and (e) make all other determinations and take all other actions as it deems necessary or desirable for the administration of the Plan. The determination of the Committee on matters within its authority shall be conclusive and binding on Companies and all other persons. The Committee shall comply with all applicable law in administering the Plan.

 

3.    PARTICIPATION. Subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan, the Committee shall designate from time to time employees of Companies (including, without limitation, employees who are officers and/or directors of any Companies entity) who shall receive incentives under the Plan (“Participants”).

 

4.     SHARES SUBJECT TO THE PLAN

 

4.1                                Number of Shares Reserved. Subject to adjustment in accordance with Sections 4.2 and 4.3, the aggregate number of shares of FCI common stock (“Common Stock”) available for incentives under the Plan shall be that number of shares of Common Stock equaling 20% of FCI’s outstanding Common Stock shares, on a fully-diluted basis, immediately following the date on which the ESOP has acquired all of the outstanding Common Stock shares.

 

All shares of Common Stock issued under the Plan may be authorized and unissued shares or treasury shares. In addition, all of such shares may, but need not, be issued pursuant to the exercise of nonqualified stock options and/or “incentive stock options” (as defined in section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”)).

 

4.2                                Reusage of Shares.

 

(a)                                   In the event of the termination (by reason of forfeiture, expiration, cancellation, surrender, or otherwise) of any incentive under the Plan, that number of shares of Common Stock that was subject to the incentive but not delivered shall be available again for incentives under the Plan.

 

(b)                                  In the event that shares of Common Stock are delivered under the Plan and are thereafter forfeited or reacquired by FCI (whether or not pursuant to rights reserved upon the award thereof), such forfeited or reacquired shares shall be available again for incentives under the Plan.

 

4.3                                Adjustments to Shares Reserved. In the event of any merger, consolidation, reorganization, recapitalization, spinoff, stock dividend, stock split, reverse stock split, exchange, or other distribution with respect to shares of Common Stock or other change in the corporate structure or capitalization affecting the Common Stock (each being an “Adjustment”), the type and number of shares of stock which are or may be subject to incentives under the Plan and the terms of any outstanding incentives (including the price at which shares of stock may be issued pursuant to an outstanding incentive) shall be equitably adjusted by the Committee, in its sole discretion, to preserve both the value of incentives awarded or to be awarded to Participants under the Plan and the percentage of outstanding Common Stock shares (on a fully-diluted basis) available for incentives under the Plan immediately prior to the date of the Adjustment (taking into account both incentives granted but not yet distributed from the Plan and incentives not yet granted under the Plan).

 



 

5.     STOCK OPTIONS.

 

5.1                                Awards. Subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan, the Committee shall designate the individuals to whom “nonqualified stock options” to purchase shares of Common Stock (“Stock Options”) are to be awarded under the Plan and shall determine the number, and terms of the Stock Options to be awarded to each of them. Unless and until the Committee makes a decision to the contrary, the Participants to whom Stock Options are granted hereunder shall be designated from the following two employee groups:

 

(i)                                      field employees who are at or above the “area manager” designation level; and

 

(ii)                                   corporate employees who are deemed by the Committee to have a material positive impact on developing and implementing the strategies, systems or processes that support the operations of the Partnership and contribute to the achievement by the Partnership of its financial and operational goals and the maximization of the equity value of FCI.

 

Stock Options awarded under the Plan will, unless and until the Committee makes a decision to the contrary, be classified as either “Tranche A Options” or “Tranche B Options.” Each Stock Option awarded under the Plan shall be a “nonqualified stock option” for tax purposes.

 

5.2                                Adjustment of Awards. If a Participant experiences a material change in job status (or other similar compensation measurement as may, from time to time, be utilized by the Committee), the Committee may, in its sole discretion, determine whether any or all of the unvested portion of the Participant’s Stock Option(s) shall be taken from the Participant and returned to FCI. In addition, in the event of a Change in Control, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, determine what adjustments, if any, should be made to (i) Stock Options awarded hereunder and/or (ii) the Plan.

 

5.3                                Time for Exercise. Each Stock Option shall be exercisable in accordance with the following rules:

 

(a)                                   Each Stock Option granted prior to September 28, 2004, shall be exercisable only if it is vested (as described in Section 5.4 below) and, then, only to the extent, at the times and until the expiration date(s) described in the following table and the remainder of this Section 5.3(a):

 

Exercise Event

 

Percentage of Vested Portion of
Tranche A Options Which May be
Exercised on Specified Exercise
Dates

 

Percentage of Vested Portion of
Tranche B Options Which May be
Exercised on Specified Exercise
Dates

 

 

 

 

 

Full repayment of the “FCISenior Notes” (as defined in Section 9.9 below) (“Trigger 1”)

 

Up to 25% of the vested portion of a Participant’s Stock Option(s) may be exercised, upon (and only upon) the first odd-numbered year “Exercise Date” (as defined in Section 9.9 below) next following such repayment of the FCI Senior Notes.

 

Up to 25% of the vested portion of a Participant’s Stock Option(s) may be exercised, upon (and only upon) the first even-numbered year “Exercise Date” next following such repayment of the FCI Senior Notes.

 

 

 

 

 

Full repayment of the “Subordinated Notes” (as defined in Section 9.9 below), and assuming Trigger 1 occurs (“Trigger 2”)

 

An additional 25% of the vested portion of a Participant’s Stock Option(s) may be exercised, upon (and only upon) the first odd-numbered year Exercise Date next following such repayment of the Subordinated Notes.

 

An additional 25% of the vested portion of a Participant’s Stock Option(s) may be exercised, upon (and only upon) the first even-numbered year Exercise Date next following such repayment of the Subordinated Notes.

 

 

 

 

 

Assuming that both Trigger 1 and Trigger 2 have occurred:

 

The vested portion of aParticipant’s Stock Option(s) may be exercised up to the following percentage on the Exercise Date occurring in each of the followingyears:

 

2009 60%
2011 80%
2013 100%
2015 100%
2017 100%

 

The vested portion of aParticipant’s Stock Option(s) may be exercised up to the following percentages on the Exercise Date occurring in each of the followinyears:

 

2010 70%
2012 90%
2014 100%
2016 100%
2018 100%

 

In the event that either or both of Trigger 1 and Trigger 2 has (have) not occurred by 2013 (for Tranche A Options) or 2014 (for Tranche B Options), then (i) 100% of the vested portion of a Participant’s Tranche A Option(s) may be exercised on the Exercise Date occurring in each of 2013, 2015 and 2017; and (ii) to up to 100% of the vested portion of a Participant’s vested Tranche B Option(s) may be exercised on the Exercise Date occurring in each of 2014, 2016 and 2018.

 

(b)                                  Each Stock Option granted on or after September 28, 2004, shall be exercisable only if it is vested (as described in Section 5.4 below) and, then, only to the extent, at the times and until the expiration date(s) established by the Committee and set forth in the stock option agreement evidencing the grant of such Stock Option.

 



 

5.4                                Vesting. Each Stock Option shall vest in accordance with the following:

 

(a)                                   Subject to the provisions of paragraph (c), Tranche A Options and Tranche B Options granted prior to September 28, 2004, shall vest in accordance with the following schedule:

 

Anniversary of

Stock Option

Grant Date

 

Annual
Vested Percentage

 

Cumulative
Vested
Percentage

 

1st

 

5

%

5

%

2nd

 

5

%

10

%

3rd

 

5

%

15

%

4th

 

5

%

20

%

5th

 

5

%

25

%

6th

 

10

%

35

%

7th

 

10

%

45

%

8th

 

10

%

55

%

9th

 

10

%

65

%

10th

 

10

%

75

%

11th

 

10

%

85

%

12th

 

15

%

100

%

 

(b)                                  Subject to the provisions of paragraph (c), Stock Options granted on or after September 28, 2004, shall vest in accordance with the vesting schedule established by the Committee and set forth in the stock option agreement evidencing the grant of such Stock Options.

 

(c)                                   Notwithstanding the vesting schedule set forth in the immediately preceding paragraphs or in a Participant’s stock option agreement, as applicable, all Stock Options granted hereunder shall fully vest upon (i) a “Change in Control” of the Partnership or FCI, (ii) the Participant’s death, or “permanent disability” or (iii) the Participant’s retirement from FCI at or after attainment of age 65. A Stock Option, whether or not vested, will be forfeited, no longer exercisable and, if vested,   divested   if (I) a Participant’s employment with FGI is terminated for gross insubordination (as determined by FGI’s Board of Directors) or (II) the Participant enters a plea of “guilty” or “nolo contendre” to, or is convicted by a court of competent jurisdiction of, a felony.

 

5.5                                Option Price. The option price per share (“Option Price”) for any Stock Option awarded shall not be less than the “Fair Market Value” of a share of Common Stock on the date the Stock Option is granted. Recipients of Stock Options shall be timely notified no less frequently than twice annually of the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock.

 

5.6                                Manner of Exercise. The vested portion of a Stock Option may be exercised, in whole or in part, once a year on the Exercise Date by notice to FCI specifying the number of whole (not fractional) shares of Common Stock to be purchased. Such notice shall be given at least thirty (30) days prior to the Exercise Date and it shall be accompanied by (or provision shall be made for) (i) payment of the Option Price by a certified or cashiers check or wire transferpayable to the order of the Company on or prior to the Exercise Date; (ii) an executed share transfer restriction agreement


 
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