Exhibit 99.2
EXECUTIVE EMPLOYMENT
AGREEMENT
THIS EXECUTIVE EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
(the “Agreement”) is made and entered into as of
August 15, 2004 (“Effective Date”), by and between
Poore Brothers, Inc. , a Delaware corporation, (the
“Company”), and Thomas W. Freeze , (the
“Executive”).
WITNESSETH:
WHEREAS, Executive is currently
employed with the Company and the Company desires to continue
retaining the services of Executive, and Executive desires to
remain employed by the Company, on the terms and conditions of this
Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of
the premises and the mutual covenants and agreements set forth
herein, the Company and Executive, intending to be legally bound,
hereby agree as follows:
1.
Prior Employment
Agreement . The
Company and Executive agree that that certain Employment Agreement
between the Company and Executive dated as of January 3, 2003,
is hereby terminated and superceded by this Agreement.
2.
Employment
. The Company agrees to employ
Executive as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company,
and Executive accepts such employment and agrees to perform
full-time employment services for the Company, subject always to
resolutions of the Board of Directors of the Company (the
“Board”), for the period and upon the other terms and
conditions set forth in this Agreement.
3.
Term . The term of Executive’s
employment hereunder (the “Term”) shall commence on the
Effective Date, and shall continue until this Agreement is
terminated upon written notice by either party as set forth in
Section 6 below, for any reason whatsoever, this being an
“at will” employment agreement. Sections 6 and 7
of this Agreement shall govern the amount of any compensation to be
paid to Executive upon termination of this Agreement and his
employment.
4.
Position and Duties
.
4.1.
Service with the
Company . During
the Term of this Agreement, Executive agrees to perform such
executive employment duties as the Board shall reasonably assign to
him from time to time. In addition, during the period of
Executive’s employment by the Company, Executive shall serve
without any additional compensation on the Company’s Board
upon nomination by the Board and the vote of the
shareholders.
4.2.
No Conflicting Duties
. Executive hereby confirms
that he is under no contractual commitments inconsistent with his
obligations set forth in this Agreement, and that during the Term
of this Agreement, he will not render or perform services, or enter
into any contract to do so, for any other corporation, firm, entity
or person that are inconsistent with the provisions of this
Agreement or Executive’s fiduciary obligations to the
Company.
5.
Compensation and
Benefits .
5.1.
Base Salary
. As compensation for all
services to be rendered by Executive under this Agreement, the
Company shall pay to Executive an annual salary of $280,000.00 (the
“Base Salary”). The Base Salary shall be subject
to review and change at the discretion of the Board (or its
Compensation Committee), however, the Base Salary may not be
decreased without the written consent of the Executive. The
Company shall pay the Base Salary to Executive on the
Company’s regularly scheduled paydays in accordance with the
Company’s normal payroll procedures and policies.
5.2.
Bonuses . Executive may be eligible for bonuses as
determined by the Board (or its Compensation Committee) in its
discretion.
5.3.
Stock Options
. Executive will be eligible
for stock option grants as determined by the Board (or its
Compensation Committee) in its discretion. Any existing
written stock option agreements between Executive and the Company
remain in full force and effect in accordance with their
terms.
5.4.
Participation in Benefit
Plans . Executive
shall be included to the extent eligible thereunder in any and all
plans of the Company providing general benefits for the
Company’s executive employees, including, without limitation,
medical, dental, vision, disability, life insurance, 401(k) plan,
sick days, vacation, and holidays. Executive’s
participation in any such plan or program shall be subject to the
provisions, rules, and regulations applicable thereto. In addition,
during the Term of this Agreement, Executive shall be eligible to
participate in all non-qualified deferred compensation and similar
compensation, bonus and stock plans offered, sponsored or
established by Company on substantially the same or a more
favorable basis as any other employee of Company.
5.5.
Business Expenses
. In accordance with the
Company’s policies established from time to time, the Company
will pay or reimburse Executive for all reasonable and necessary
out-of-pocket expenses incurred by him in the performance of his
duties under this Agreement, subject to the presentment of
appropriate supporting documentation.
5.6.
Key Man Life Insurance
. During the Term of this
Agreement, the Company shall have the option of purchasing and
paying the premiums for a “Key Man” life insurance
policy relating to Executive in a coverage amount determined by the
Company, and the Company shall be named as the beneficiary of such
policy. Executive represents and warrants that he currently
is insurable for such policy on an unrated basis and agrees to
fully cooperate with the Company in obtaining the
policy.
5.7.
Other Benefits
. During the Term of this
Agreement, the Company shall furnish to Executive the following
benefits:
5.7.1.
Automobile Allowance
. The Company shall pay
Executive $800.00 per month as an automobile allowance, less any
required withholdings for tax purposes (the “Monthly Car
Allowance”). Executive shall procure and maintain
adequate insurance coverage on the automobile he uses for Company
purposes. Executive acknowledges that he may recognize
taxable income in connection with these payments and that these
amounts will be reflected on Executive’s W-2, if required by
law.
5.7.2.
Cellular Telephone
. The Company shall furnish to
Executive a mobile or cellular telephone for Executive’s use
and shall pay all charges in connection therewith (except Executive
shall reimburse the Company for the charges each month that are in
excess of $200 of charges in such month that are not accounted for
by Executive as charges for the purposes of the Company). The
telephone to be furnished to Executive shall be agreed upon by the
Company and Executive from time to time.
6.
Termination
.
6.1.
Disability
. At the Company’s
election, Executive’s employment and this Agreement shall
terminate upon Executive’s becoming totally or permanently
disabled for a period of ninety (90) days or more in any twelve
(12) month period. For purposes of this Agreement, the term
“totally or permanently disabled” or “total or
permanent disability” means Executive’s inability on
account of sickness or accident, whether or not job-related, to
engage in regularly or to perform adequately his assigned duties
under this Agreement. A reasonable determination by the
Company of the existence of a disability shall be conclusive for
all purposes hereunder. In making such determination of
disability, the Company may utilize such advice and consultation as
the Company deems appropriate, but there is no requirement of
procedure or formality associated with the making of a
determination of disability.
6.2.
Death of Executive
. Executive’s employment
and this Agreement shall terminate immediately upon the death of
Executive.
6.3.
Termination for Cause
. The Company may terminate
Executive’s employment and this Agreement at any time for
“Cause” (as hereinafter defined) immediately upon
written notice to Executive. As used herein, the term
“Cause” shall mean that Executive shall have in the
reasonable judgment of the Board (i) committed a criminal act
or a single act of fraud, embezzlement, breach of trust, or an act
of gross misconduct, or (ii) violated any material written
Company policy or rules of the Company, unless cured by
Executive within 30 days following written notice thereof to
Executive, or (iii) Executive’s willful and material
violation of, or noncompliance with, any securities laws or stock
exchange listing rules, including, without limitation, the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, provided that such violation or
noncompliance resulted in material economic harm to the Company, or
(iv) refused to follow the reasonable written directions given
by the Board or its designee or breached any covenant or obligation
under this Agreement or other agreement with the Company, unless
cured by Executive within 30 days following written notice thereof
to Executive.
6.4.
Resignation
. Executive’s employment
and this Agreement shall terminate on the earlier of the date that
is one (1) month following the written submission of
Executive’s resignation to the Company or the date such
resignation is accepted by the Company.
6.5.
Termination Without
Cause . The Company
may terminate Executive’s employment and this Agreement
without cause upon written notice to Executive. Termination
“without cause” shall mean termination of employment on
any basis (including no reason or no cause) other than termination
of Executive’s employment hereunder pursuant to Sections 6.1,
6.2, 6.3, or 6.4.
6.6.
Surrender of Records and
Property . Upon
termination of his employment with the Company, Executive shall
deliver promptly to the Company all credit cards, computer
equipment, cellular telephone, records, manuals, books, blank
forms, documents, letters, memoranda, notes, notebooks, reports,
data, tables, calculations or copies thereof, that are the property
of the Company
and that relate in any way to the business,
strategies, products, practices, processes, policies or techniques
of the Company, and all other property, trade secrets and
confidential information of the Company, including, but not limited
to, all documents that in whole or in part contain any trade
secrets or confidential information of the Company that in any of
these cases are in his possession or under his control, and
Executive shall also remove all such information from any personal
computers and other electronic devices that he owns or
controls.
7.
Compensation Upon the Termination
of Executive’s Employment .
7.1.
In the event that Executive’s
employment and this Agreement are terminated pursuant to
Section 6.1 (Disability), 6.3 (Cause), or 6.4 (Resignation),
then Executive shall be entitled to receive Executive’s then
current Base Salary through the date his employment is terminated,
but no other compensation of any kind or amount.
7.2.
In the event Executive’s
employment and this Agreement are terminated pursuant to
Section 6.2 (Death), Executive’s beneficiary or a
beneficiary designated by Executive in writing to the Company, or
in the absence of such beneficiary, Executive’s estate, shall
be entitled to receive Executive’s then current Base Salary
through the end of the month in which his death occurs, but no
other compensation of any kind or amount.
7.3.
Unless Section 8 applies, in
the event Executive’s employment and this Agreement are
terminated by the Company pursuant to Section 6.5 (Without
Cause), the Company shall pay to Executive, as a severance
allowance, the following amounts, but no other compensation or
benefits of any kind: (a) his then current monthly Base Salary
and Executive’s Monthly Car Allowance for the twelve (12)
month period following the date of termination, paid on the
Company’s regular paydays throughout that 12-month period;
(b) for Executive’s benefit, up to $10,000.00 for
outplacement services for Executive with an outplacement firm
selected by Executive; (c) within thirty (30) days after
termination of Executive’s employment, any amounts payable
under any bonus plans for which Executive is eligible to
participate as of the date of the termination of his employment,
after pro rating all targets, quotas, and bonus payments as of the
termination date, regardless when such bonus may be due under the
bonus plan. Executive shall be entitled to receive these
benefits and payments only if he complies with his continuing
obligations to the Company as set forth in this
Agreement.
7.4.
In the event that Executive’s
employment and this Agreement are terminated pursuant to 6.4
(Resignation) within twelve (12) months after a Change in Control
(as defined in Section 8.1 below), the Company shall pay, for
Executive’s benefit, up to $10,000.00 for outplacement
services for Executive with an outplacement firm selected by
Executive.
8.
Change in Control
. In the event of both a
Change in Control (as defined below) and the occurrence of Good
Reason (as defined below), the Company shall, within thirty (30)
days after occurrence of the last of these conditions, pay
Executive a lump sum amount equal to the sum of (a) 200% of
Executive’s then current annual Base Salary;
(b) Executive’s Monthly Car Allowance for twelve (12)
months; and (c) any amounts payable under any bonus plans for
which Executive is eligible to participate as of the date of the
Change of Control, after pro rating all targets, quotas, and bonus
payments as of the date of the Change in Control, regardless when
such bonus may be due under the bonus plan. Executive
shall be entitled to receive these benefits and payments only if he
complies with his continuing obligations to the Company as set
forth in this Agreement.
8.1.
Definition of Change in
Control . As used
herein, a “Change in Control” means both: (i) a
change in the composition of the Board, as a result of which less
than a majority of the incumbent directors are directors who either
(x) had been directors of the Company on the date 24 months
prior to the date of the event that may constitute a Change in
Control (the “original directors”) or (y) were
elected, or nominated for election, to the Board with the
affirmative votes of at least a majority of the aggregate of the
original directors who were still in office at the time of the
election or nomination and the directors whose election or
nomination was previously so approved; and (ii) one of the
following events has occurred: (a) the consummation of a
merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another entity
or any other corporate reorganization, if more than 30% of the
combined voting power of the continuing or surviving entity’s
securities outstanding immediately after such merger,
consolidation, or other reorganization is owned by persons who were
not stockholders of the Company immediately prior to such merger,
consolidation, or other reorganization; or (b) the sale,
transfer, or other disposition of all or substantially all of the
Company’s assets. A transaction shall not constitute a
Change of Control if its sole purpose is to change the state of the
Company’s incorporation or to create a holding company that
will be owned in substantially the same proportions by the persons
who held the Company’s securities immediately before such
transaction.
8.2.
Definition of Good
Reason . As used
herein, “Good Reason” means any of the following:
(i) termination by the Company of Executive’s employment
and this Agreement without cause (as that term is defined in
Section 6.5) within three (3) months before, or within
twelve (12) months after, a Change in Control; (ii) a material
reduction in Executive’s title, status, authority, or
responsibility at the Company within twelve (12) months after a
Change in Control; (iii) within twelve (12) months after a
Change in Control, there is a material reduction in the benefits
that were in effect for the Executive immediately prior to the
Change in Control, and comparable reductions have not been made in
the benefits of the other members of senior management of the
Company; (iv) except with Executive’s prior written
consent, relocation of Executive’s principal place of
employment to a location outside Maricopa County, Arizona within
twelve (12) months following a Change in Control; or (v) any
material breach by the Company of its material obligations under
this Agreement within twelve (12) months following a Change in
Control.
9.
Release . As a condition precedent to the
Company’s obligation to provide Executive with the amounts
set forth in Section 7.3, Section 7.4, or Section 8,
Executive must first execute and deliver to the Company a legal
release, in form and substance acceptable to the Company, in which
Executive releases the Company and its affiliates, directors,
officers, employees, agents, and others affiliated with the Company
from any and all claims, including claims relating to the
Executive’s employment with the Company, the termination of
Executive’s employment, if applicable, and any facts
constituting Good Reason.
10.
Ventures . If, during the Term of this Agreement,
Executive is engaged in or associated with the planning or
implementing of any project, program, or venture involving the
Company and a third party or parties, all rights in the project,
program, or venture shall belong to the Company and shall
constitute a corporate opportunity belonging exclusively to the
Company. Except as approved in writing by the Board, Executive
shall not be entitled to any interest in such project, program, or
venture or to any commission, finder’s fee, or other
compensation in connection therewith other than the Base Salary to
be paid to Executive as provided in this Agreement.
11.
Restricti