VALMONT INDUSTRIES,
INC.
STOCK OPTION
AGREEMENT
STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT made this
DATE , between Valmont Industries, Inc., a Delaware
corporation (“Company”), and NAME, an employee of the
Company (“Employee”).
The Company desires, by affording
the Employee an opportunity to purchase its common shares as
hereinafter provided, to carry out the purpose of the Valmont 2008
Stock Plan (the “Plan”). This option is expressly
designated not to be an Incentive Stock Option as defined in I.R.C.
§422A.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of
the mutual covenants hereinafter set forth and for good and
valuable consideration, the parties hereto agree as
follows:
1. Grant of Option .
The Company hereby irrevocably grants to the Employee, pursuant to
and subject to the terms of the Plan, the right and option,
hereinafter called the “Option,” to purchase all or any
part of an aggregate of #### shares of common stock (the
“Common Shares”) of the Company (such number being
subject to adjustment as provided in Paragraph 8 hereof) on the
terms and conditions herein set forth. The holder of the Option
shall not have any of the rights of a stockholder with respect to
the shares covered by the Option until one or more certificates for
such shares shall be delivered to such holder upon the due exercise
of the Option.
Employee acknowledges receipt of a
copy of the Plan, and agrees that this award of the Option shall be
subject to all of the terms and conditions set forth in the Plan,
including future amendments thereto, if any, which Plan is
incorporated herein by reference as part of this
Agreement.
2.
Purchase Price . The purchase price of the Common
Shares covered by the Option shall be $xx.xx per share. The
purchase price of the shares as to which the Option shall be
exercised shall be paid in full in cash at the time of exercise or,
at the discretion of the Compensation Committee of the Board of
Directors of the Company (the “Committee”), the
purchase price may be paid in common stock of the Employer already
owned by the Employee valued at its Fair Market Value (as defined
in the Plan) on the date of exercise. The purchase price of the
Common Shares may also be paid by a “net exercise”
arrangement pursuant to which the Company will reduce the number of
Common Shares issued upon exercise by the largest whole number of
shares with a Fair Market Value that does not exceed the aggregate
exercise price; provided that the Company shall accept cash or
other payment to the extent of any remaining balance of the
aggregate exercise price.
3.
Term of Option . The term of the Option shall be for
a period of seven years from the date hereof, subject to earlier
termination as provided in Paragraphs 5, 6 and 12
hereof.
4.
Non-Transferability . Except as otherwise permitted
by the Committee, the Option shall not be transferable otherwise
than by will or the laws of descent and distribution, and the
Option may be exercised, during the lifetime of the Employee, only
by such Employee.
More particularly (but without
limiting the generality of the foregoing), the Option may not be
assigned, transferred (except as provided above), pledged or
hypothecated in any way, shall not be assignable by operation of
law, and shall not be subject to execution, attachment or similar
process. Any attempted assignment, transfer, pledge, hypothecation
or other disposition of the Option contrary to the provisions
hereof or the levy of any execution, attachment or similar process
upon the Option shall be null and void and without
effect.
5.
Exercisability . Subject to Paragraph 6, this Option
shall be exercisable in staggered one-third (1/3) increments, all
with a period of exercisability commencing on the date of first
exercisability and ending on DATE. The following exercise table is
applicable:
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Last Date Options
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Shares Granted
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Exercisable on or
After
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May be Exercised
|
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1/3 of total grant
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Date
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Date
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|
1/3 of total grant
|
Date
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Date
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1/3 of total grant
|
Date
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Date
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The Option may be exercised, at any
time or from time to time, as to any part or all the shares
exercisable; provided, however, that the Option may not be
exercised as to less than one hundred (100) shares at any one time
(or the remaining shares then purchasable under the Option, if less
than one hundred (100) shares). The Option may not be exercised
unless at the date of exercise a Registration Statement under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended, relating to the shares covered
by the Option shall be in effect or the Company shall have
determined that an exemption from such registration is available.
Subject to Paragraph 6, the Option may not be exercised at any time
unless the Employee shall have been in the continuous employ of the
Company or a subsidiary from the time hereof to the date of the
exercise of the Option.
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6.
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Termination of
Employment .
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(a) In
the event that the Employee voluntarily terminates employment,
prior to retirement on or after age 62, or in the event the Company
terminates the Employee’s employment for Cause, the Option
may be exercised by the Employee (to the extent that the Employee
shall have been entitled to do so at the termination of employment)
at or prior to the time of such termination.
(b) In
the event the employment of the Employee shall be terminated by the
Company without Cause, the Employee shall have ninety days
following such termination to exercise all options exercisable on
the date of termination.
(c) In
the event the employment of the Employee terminates due to death or
Disability, the Option shall become immediately exercisable,
provided that the Option must be exercised by Employee (or
Employee’s personal representative or successor) within a
period ending on the earlier of (i) three years following the death
or Disability or (ii) the remaining term of the Option as set forth
in Paragraph 3.
(d) In
the event that the employment of the Employee voluntarily
terminates due to retirement of the Employee on or after attaining
age 62, this Option shall continue to vest for a period ending on
the earlier of (i) three years from the date of retirement, or (ii)
the remaining term of the Option as set forth in Paragraph 3. All
Options which become exercisable must be exercised within three
years following the date of retirement.
(e) In
the event of a Change-of-Control of the Company (as defined in the
Plan), this Option shall become immediately