def14a
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION
Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No. )
Filed by the Registrant þ
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Preliminary Proxy Statement |
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Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2)) |
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Definitive Proxy Statement |
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Soliciting Material Pursuant to §240.14a-12 |
ROCKWELL MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)
(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ROCKWELL
MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
30142 Wixom Road
Wixom, Michigan 48393
Dear Shareholder:
You are cordially invited to attend the 2007 Annual Meeting of
Shareholders of Rockwell Medical Technologies, Inc. (the
Company), on Thursday, May 24, 2007 at
4:00 p.m. at the Wixom Community Center, 49015 Pontiac
Trail, Wixom, Michigan. Your Board of Directors and management
look forward to greeting personally those shareholders who are
able to attend.
The meeting principally concerns two matters of particular
interest to the shareholders: the election of one Director for a
three-year term expiring in 2010 and the adoption of the 2007
Long Term Incentive Plan.
Your Board of Directors supports these proposals and believes
that they are in the best interests of the Company and of the
shareholders, and your Board of Directors recommends a vote
FOR each such proposal. The accompanying Proxy
Statement contains additional information and should be reviewed
carefully by shareholders. A copy of the Companys 2006
Annual Report is also enclosed.
It is important that your shares be represented and voted at the
meeting, whether or not you plan to attend. Please sign, date
and mail the enclosed proxy card at your earliest convenience.
Your continued interest and participation in the affairs of the
Company are greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Robert L. Chioini
President and CEO
Wixom, Michigan
April 18, 2007
ROCKWELL
MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF
SHAREHOLDERS
To Be Held May 24,
2007
To the Shareholders of Rockwell Medical Technologies, Inc.:
Notice is hereby given that the 2007 Annual Meeting of
Shareholders of Rockwell Medical Technologies, Inc. (the
Company) will be held at the Wixom Community Center,
49015 Pontiac Trail, Wixom, Michigan, on May 24, 2007, at
4:00 p.m., to consider and take action upon the following
matters:
(1) the election of one Director for a term expiring in
2010;
(2) the adoption of the 2007 Long Term Incentive
Plan; and
(3) the transaction of such other business as may properly
come before the meeting or any adjournment thereof.
Only shareholders of record on April 4, 2007 will be
entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the meeting or any
adjournment of the meeting.
All shareholders are cordially invited to attend the meeting.
Whether or not you intend to be present, please complete, date,
sign and return the enclosed proxy card in the stamped and
addressed envelope enclosed for your convenience. Shareholders
can help the Company avoid unnecessary expense and delay by
promptly returning the enclosed proxy card. The business of the
meeting to be acted upon by the shareholders cannot be
transacted unless a majority of the outstanding Common Shares of
the Company is represented at the meeting.
By Order of the Board of Directors
Thomas E. Klema
Secretary
ROCKWELL
MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
30142 Wixom Road
Wixom, Michigan 48393
PROXY STATEMENT
ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
May 24, 2007
INTRODUCTION
General
The Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the Annual
Meeting) of Rockwell Medical Technologies, Inc. (the
Company) will be held at the Wixom Community Center,
49015 Pontiac Trail, Wixom, Michigan on Thursday, May 24,
2007, at 4:00 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time, for the purposes
set forth in the accompanying Notice of Annual Meeting of
Shareholders. We expect that this proxy statement and
accompanying proxy will be first sent or given to shareholders
on or about April 18, 2007.
It is important that your shares are represented at the Annual
Meeting. Whether or not you plan to attend the Annual Meeting,
please sign and date the enclosed proxy and return it to us. The
proxy is solicited by our Board of Directors. Common Shares
represented by valid proxies in the enclosed form will be voted
if received in time for the Annual Meeting. The expenses
incurred in connection with the solicitation of proxies will be
borne by us and may include requests by mail and personal
contact by our Directors, officers and employees without
additional compensation. This proxy statement, the form of proxy
and the 2006 Annual Report are being furnished to banks, brokers
and other nominees who hold Common Shares on behalf of
beneficial owners and we will reimburse banks, brokers and other
nominees for their
out-of-pocket
expenses in forwarding proxy materials to beneficial owners.
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Voting
Rights and Outstanding Shares
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Only shareholders of record of our Common Shares, no par value
(Common Shares), at the close of business on
April 4, 2007 (the Record Date) will be
entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting or any
adjournment thereof. As of the close of business on the Record
Date, we had 11,501,849 outstanding Common Shares, the only
class of stock outstanding and entitled to vote. You are
considered a shareholder of record if your shares are registered
directly in your name with our transfer agent. You may vote your
shares by signing and dating each proxy card and returning it in
the envelope provided, or by attending the Annual Meeting and
voting in person.
If your shares are held in a stock brokerage account or by a
bank or other nominee, then you are not a holder of record but,
rather, are considered a beneficial owner holding shares in
street name. If you hold your shares in street name,
the proxy statement, annual report and a vote instruction card
have been forwarded to you by your broker, bank or nominee who
is considered, with respect to your shares, the shareholder of
record. As the beneficial owner, you have the right to direct
your broker, bank or nominee how to vote your shares by using
the vote instruction card included in the mailing. You are also
invited to attend the Annual Meeting. However, since as a
beneficial owner you are not the shareholder of record, you may
not vote your shares in person at the meeting unless you request
and obtain a legal proxy from your bank, broker or other agent
or nominee.
Each Common Share is entitled to one vote on each matter
submitted for a vote at the Annual Meeting. The presence, in
person or by proxy, of the holders of record of a majority of
the outstanding Common Shares entitled to vote is necessary to
constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at the
Annual Meeting or any adjournment thereof.
Valid proxies in the enclosed form which are returned in time
for the Annual Meeting and executed and dated in accordance with
the instructions on the proxy will be voted as specified in the
proxy. If no specification is made, the proxies will be voted
FOR the election as a director of the nominee listed
below, and FOR the 2007 Long Term Incentive Plan
described below.
A shareholder giving a proxy may revoke it at any time before it
is voted by giving written notice of such revocation to our
Secretary or by executing and delivering to the Secretary a
later dated proxy. Attendance at the Annual Meeting by a
shareholder who has given a proxy will not have the effect of
revoking it unless such shareholder gives such written notice of
revocation to the Companys Secretary before the proxy is
voted. Any written notice revoking a proxy, and any later dated
proxy, must be received by the Company prior to the date of the
Annual Meeting (unless delivered directly to the Companys
Secretary at the Annual Meeting) and should be sent to Rockwell
Medical Technologies, Inc., 30142 Wixom Road, Wixom, Michigan
48393, Attention: Thomas E. Klema, Secretary.
VOTING
SECURITIES AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS
The following table sets forth information regarding the
ownership of the Common Shares as of April 4, 2007 with
respect to each current director, each director nominee, each of
the persons named in the Summary Compensation Table, all current
directors and executive officers as a group, and each person
known to us to be the beneficial owner of more than five percent
of the outstanding Common Shares. The number of shares
beneficially owned is determined under rules of the Securities
and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the information
is not necessarily indicative of beneficial ownership for any
other purpose. Under such rules, beneficial ownership includes
any shares as to which the individual has sole or shared voting
power or investment power and also any shares which the
individual has the right to acquire on April 4, 2007 or
within 60 days thereafter through the exercise of any stock
option or other right. The persons named in the table have sole
voting power and sole investment power with respect to the
Common Shares beneficially owned, except as otherwise noted
below.
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Amount (number of
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Percent of Outstanding
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Name and Address
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shares) and Nature of
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Common Shares
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of Beneficial Owner
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Beneficial Ownership (a)
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Owned (%)
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Ronald D. Boyd
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160,000
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1.4
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Patrick J. Bagley
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202,950
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1.8
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Robert L. Chioini(b)
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2,472,516
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18.5
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Kenneth L. Holt
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173,000
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1.5
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Thomas E. Klema(b)
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890,004
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7.2
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All directors and all executive
officers as a group (5 persons)
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3,898,470
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26.8
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Thomas G. Berlin
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822,867
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(c)
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7.2
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Includes shares that may be acquired upon exercise of stock
options as set forth in the table below. None of the shares
reflected in the table are pledged by the holder as security for
loans. |
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Option Shares
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Ronald D. Boyd
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160,000
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Patrick J. Bagley
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25,000
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Robert J. Chioini
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1,868,000
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Kenneth L. Holt
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160,000
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Thomas E. Klema
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815,500
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All directors and executive
officers as a group
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3,028,500
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The address for Mr. Chioini and Mr. Klema is 30142
Wixom Road, Wixom, Michigan 48393. |
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Based on
Schedule 13-D/A
filed on February 13, 2007 showing ownership as of
December 31, 2006. Includes Common Shares purchased by
Mr. Berlin in his capacity as the managing member of the
General Partner of Berlin Capital Growth, L.P. and for the
account of Berlin Capital Growth, L.P. and in his capacity as
the managing member of certain privately managed accounts.
Mr. Berlin shares voting and dispositive power with respect
to the shares shown in the table. Mr. Berlins address
is Berlin Financial, Ltd., 1325 Carnegie Avenue, Cleveland,
OH 44115. |
ELECTION
OF DIRECTORS
Background
The Companys Articles of Incorporation divide the
directors into three classes, designated Class I,
Class II and Class III. Each year, on a rotating
basis, the terms of office of the directors in one of the three
classes expire. Successors to the class of directors whose terms
have expired will be elected for a three-year term. The term for
the Class I director who is being elected this year will
expire at the 2010 Annual Meeting of shareholders or upon the
election and qualification of his successor. Directors are
elected by a plurality of the votes cast, so that only votes
cast for directors are counted in determining which
directors are elected. The director receiving the most votes
for will be elected. Broker non-votes (if any) and
withheld votes will be treated as shares present for purposes of
determining the presence of a quorum but will have no effect on
the vote for the election of directors. The Board recommends a
vote FOR the Class I nominee. The persons named in the
accompanying proxy card will vote for the election of the
nominee named in this proxy statement unless shareholders
specify otherwise in their proxies. If for any reason the
nominee becomes unavailable for election, the proxies solicited
will be voted for such nominee as is selected by management.
Management has no reason to believe that the nominee is not
available or will not serve if elected.
Nominee
For Term Expiring In 2010
Ronald D. Boyd, age 44, was elected as one of our
Directors on March 14, 2000. He is a founder and co-owner
of Classic Medical, Inc., a dialysis and medical products
company, and has served as the Executive Vice President of
Classic Medical, Inc. since its inception in November 1993. From
May 1993 to November 1993, Mr. Boyd served as a consultant
for Dial Medical of Florida, Inc., a manufacturer and
distributor of dialysis products. From 1990 to 1993,
Mr. Boyd served as a Regional Sales Manager for Future
Tech, Inc., a dialysis products distributor.
Other
Information Relating to Directors
Robert L. Chioini, age 42, is a founder of the
Company, has served as our Chairman of the Board since March
2000, has served as our President and Chief Executive Officer
since February 1997 and has been one of our Directors since our
formation in October 1996. From January 1996 to February 1997,
Mr. Chioini served as Director of Operations of Rockwell
Medical Supplies, L.L.C., a company which manufactured
hemodialysis concentrates and distributed such concentrates and
other hemodialysis products. From January 1995 to January 1996,
Mr. Chioini served as President of Rockwell Medical, Inc.,
a company which manufactured hemodialysis kits and distributed
such kits and other hemodialysis products. From 1993 to 1995,
Mr. Chioini served as a Regional Sales Manager at Dial
Medical of Florida, Inc., which was acquired by Gambro
Healthcare, Inc. Mr. Chioinis term as a director will
expire in 2009.
Kenneth L. Holt, age 54, was elected as one of our
Directors on March 14, 2000. He was a founder and co-owner
of Charleston Renal Care, LLC, a kidney disease management
company specializing in the treatment of end-stage renal disease
until its sale to Davita, Inc. in 2005. He was a founder and
co-owner of Savannah Dialysis Specialists, LLC, a disease
management company specializing in the treatment of end-stage
renal disease, and served as the Managing Partner from October
1999 until its sale to Davita, Inc. in 2004. From 1996 to
October 1999, Mr. Holt served as Vice President for Gambro
Healthcare, Inc., in its Carolinas Region, and held the same
position at Vivra Renal Care, Inc., its predecessor company,
which was acquired in 1997 by Gambro Healthcare, Inc. From 1986
to 1996, Mr. Holt was also the co-owner and Managing
Partner in five dialysis clinics that he founded, which serviced
approximately 350 dialysis patients. Mr. Holts term
as a director will expire in 2008.
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Patrick J. Bagley, age 42, was elected as one of our
Directors on July 31, 2005. Mr. Bagley is Senior
Partner of the law firm Bagley and Langan, P.L.L.C. and has been
a practicing attorney since 1995. Mr. Bagleys term as
a director will expire in 2009.
The Board of Directors has determined that each of
Messrs. Boyd, Bagley and Holt are independent as
independence is defined in the applicable Nasdaq Stock Market
rule. There were no transactions since January 1, 2006, and
there is no currently proposed transaction, in which the Company
was or is to be a participant, the amount involved exceeded or
will exceed $100,000, and in which any director, executive
officer, 5% shareholder of the Company or any immediate family
member of any of such persons had or will have a direct or
indirect material interest.
Executive
Officers
The executive officers of the Company are elected or appointed
annually and serve as executive officers of the Company at the
pleasure of the Companys Board of Directors. The
Companys current executive officers are described below.
Robert L. Chioinis business experience is described
above under Other Information Relating to Directors.
Thomas E. Klema, age 53, has served as the
Companys Vice President of Finance, Chief Financial
Officer, Treasurer and Secretary since January 1999.
Meetings
and Committees of the Board of Directors
During the year ended December 31, 2006, the Board of
Directors held five meetings. We encourage all of our Directors
to attend the annual meeting of shareholders, if possible. Two
of our continuing Directors attended the 2006 annual meeting of
shareholders.
Audit
Committee
We have an Audit Committee comprised of Messrs. Holt,
Bagley and Boyd. The Board has determined that Kenneth L. Holt,
who is the Chairman of the Audit Committee, is an audit
committee financial expert, as defined by applicable SEC
rules. In addition, the Board has determined that each member of
the Audit Committee is independent as independence for audit
committee members is defined in applicable Nasdaq Stock Market
and SEC rules. During 2006, the Audit Committee held four
meetings and had informal discussions in lieu of additional
meetings. The Board of Directors has adopted a written charter
for the Audit Committee, a copy of which is posted on our
website at www.rockwellmed.com. Pursuant to its charter, the
purpose of the Audit Committee is to assist the Board in its
oversight of the quality and integrity of the accounting,
auditing and financial reporting practices of the Company. The
functions of the Audit Committee include, among other things,
(1) monitoring the adequacy of the Companys internal
controls; (2) engaging and overseeing the work of the
registered public accounting firm engaged for the purpose of
preparing or issuing an audit report or performing other audit,
review or attest services for us, including the conduct of the
annual audit and overseeing the independence of such firm;
(3) overseeing our independent accountants
relationship with the Company; (4) reviewing the audited
financial statements and the matters required to be discussed by
SAS 61 with management and the independent accountants,
including their judgments about the quality of our accounting
principles, applications and practices; (5) recommending to
the Board whether the audited financial statements should be
included in our Annual Report on
Form 10-KSB;
(6) reviewing with management and the independent
accountants the quarterly financial information before we file
our
Forms 10-QSB;
(7) establishing procedures for the receipt, retention and
treatment of complaints received by us regarding accounting,
internal accounting controls or auditing matters, and the
confidential, anonymous submission by our employees of concerns
regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters;
(8) reviewing related party transactions required to be
disclosed in our proxy statement for potential conflict of
interest situations and, where appropriate, approving such
transactions; and (9) monitoring with management the status
of pending litigation.
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Our Audit Committee has:
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Reviewed and discussed our audited financial statements for the
fiscal year ended December 31, 2006 with management;
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Discussed with our independent accountants the matters required
to be discussed by the statement on Auditing Standards
No. 61, as amended (AICPA, Professional Standards,
Vol. 1 AU section 380), as adopted by the Public Company
Accounting Oversight Board in Rule 3200T;
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Received the written disclosures and the letter from our
independent accountants required by Independence Standards Board
Standard No. 1 (Independence Standards Board Standard
No. 1, Independence Discussions with Audit
Committees), as adopted by the Public Company Accounting
Oversight Board in Rule 3600T; and
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Discussed with our independent accountants the independent
accountants independence.
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Based on the review and discussions described above, the Audit
Committee recommended to our Board of Directors that the audited
financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31,
2006 be included in our Annual Report on
Form 10-KSB
for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006 as filed with
the SEC.
Management is responsible for our financial reporting process,
including its system of internal control, and for the
preparation of consolidated financial statements in accordance
with generally accepted accounting principles. Our independent
accountants are responsible for auditing those financial
statements. The Audit Committees responsibility is to
monitor and review these processes. The Audit Committee has
relied, without independent verification, on managements
representation that the financial statements have been prepared
with integrity and objectivity and in conformity with accounting
principles generally accepted in the United States of America
and on the representations of the independent accountants
included in their report on our financial statements.
By the Audit Committee:
Ronald D. Boyd
Kenneth L. Holt
Patrick J. Bagley
There was no standing compensation committee during 2006.
Compensation decisions with regard to the Companys
executive officers were made by the independent members of the
Board. On April 11, 2007, the Board formally appointed the
independent members of the Board (Messrs. Boyd, Holt and
Bagley) to serve as the Compensation Committee and adopted a
charter setting forth the responsibilities of the Committee, a
copy of which is posted on our website at www.rockwellmed.com.
The charter provides that the Compensation Committee will
oversee, review, assess and approve (as to the chief executive
officer) or recommend (as to all other executive officers) all
compensation and benefits for executive officers and make
recommendations to the Board for director compensation. The
Compensation Committee will also be responsible for
administering the stock compensation program (including the
proposed 2007 Long Term Incentive Plan), reporting to the Board
on compensation policies, programs and plans, and approving
other employee compensation and benefit programs where Board
action is necessary or appropriate.
Except to the extent prohibited by Nasdaq Stock Market rules and
state law, the Compensation Committee may delegate its authority
to subcommittees when it deems appropriate and in the best
interests of the Company. Pursuant to its charter, the
Compensation Committee also has the sole authority to retain
compensation consultants to assist in the performance of its
duties. The Compensation Committee has not currently retained
such a compensation consultant. Although the chief executive
officer is specifically prohibited from being present during
voting or deliberations with respect to the review and approval
of his own compensation, the chief executive officer
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may be involved in deliberations with respect to the review and
approval of compensation for other executive officers.
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Nominating
and Advance Notice Procedures
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Our Board of Directors does not have a standing nominating
committee or a nominating committee charter. The Board of
Directors believes it is appropriate not to have a standing
nominating committee because we are a small business with little
turnover in our Board of Directors. At the present time, we
believe it provides better oversight and is more efficient to
have the entire Board of Directors perform the functions of a
nominating committee. The Board of Directors, a majority of the
members of which are independent (as defined under applicable
Nasdaq Stock Market rules), performs the function of a
nominating committee. The entire Board of Directors identifies
the individuals to become board members, but the approval of a
majority of our independent directors is necessary to nominate
directors to be presented for shareholder approval at the annual
meeting of shareholders or to fill any vacancies. The Board of
Directors (including a majority of our independent directors)
has nominated Ronald D. Boyd for re-election as a director at
the Annual Meeting.
The Board of Directors policy is to consider any director
candidates recommended by shareholders. Such recommendations
must be made pursuant to timely notice in writing to our
Secretary, at Rockwell Medical Technologies, Inc., 30142 Wixom
Road, Wixom, Michigan 48393. To be timely, as provided in our
bylaws, the notice must be received at our offices not less than
60 nor more than 90 days before the first anniversary of
the previous years annual meeting of shareholders. If the
annual meeting date is more than 30 days earlier or later
than the first anniversary of the prior years annual
meeting, or if the election is to be held at a special meeting
of shareholders, the notice must be received not later than the
tenth day following the earlier of the date on which notice of
such meeting was mailed or the date on which the meeting date
was publicly announced. The notice must set forth:
With respect to the director candidate,
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The candidates name, age, business address and residence
address,
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The candidates principal occupation or employment,
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The number of our Common Shares beneficially owned by the
candidate,
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Information with respect to the candidates independence,
as defined under applicable Nasdaq Stock Market rules for
independent directors in general and with respect to Audit
Committee members,
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Information with respect to other boards on which the candidate
serves,
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Information with respect to direct or indirect transactions,
relationships, arrangements and understandings between the
candidate and us and between the candidate and the shareholder
giving the notice, and
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Any other information relating to the candidate that we would be
required to disclose in our proxy statement if we were to
solicit proxies for the election of the candidate as one of its
directors or that is otherwise required under SEC rules,
including the candidates written consent to being named in
the proxy statement as a nominee and to serving as a director if
elected, and
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With respect to the shareholder giving the notice,
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The name and address of the shareholder as they appear on our
stock transfer records,
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The number of our Common Shares beneficially owned by the
shareholder (and the period they have been held), and
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Any material interest of the shareholder in such nomination.
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The Board of Directors has not established specific, minimum
qualifications for recommended nominees or specific qualities or
skills for one or more of our directors to possess. The Board of
Directors uses a subjective process for identifying and
evaluating nominees for director, based on the information
available to, and the subjective judgments of, the members of
the Board of Directors and our then current needs, although the
Board does
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not believe there would be any difference in the manner in which
it evaluates nominees based on whether the nominee is
recommended by a shareholder. Historically, nominees have been
existing directors or business associates of our Directors or
officers.
Code of
Business Conduct and Ethics
Our Board of Directors adopted a Code of Business Conduct and
Ethics on April 15, 2004 that applies to all of our
employees, officers and Directors, including our principal
executive officer, principal financial officer and principal
accounting officer or controller. Our Code of Business Conduct
and Ethics contains written standards that we believe are
reasonably designed to deter wrongdoing and to promote:
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Honest and ethical conduct, including the ethical handling of
actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and
professional relationships,
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Full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure in
reports and documents that we file with, or submit to, the SEC
and in other public communications we make,
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Compliance with applicable governmental laws, rules and
regulations,
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The prompt internal reporting of violations of the Code of
Business Conduct and Ethics to the appropriate person or
persons, and
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Accountability for adherence to the Code of Business Conduct and
Ethics.
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Our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics is posted on our website
at www.rockwellmed.com. We will provide to any person without
charge, upon request, a copy of our Code of Business Conduct and
Ethics. Requests for a copy should be made to our Secretary at
Rockwell Medical Technologies, Inc., 30142 Wixom Road, Wixom,
Michigan 48393. We intend to satisfy the disclosure
requirement under Item 5.05 of
Form 8-K
regarding any amendments to, or a waiver from, a provision of
the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics that applies to our
principal executive officer, principal financial officer,
principal accounting officer or controller, or persons
performing similar functions and that relates to any element of
the code of ethics definition enumerated in the applicable SEC
rule by posting such information on our website at
www.rockwellmed.com within four business days following the date
of the amendment or waiver.
Shareholder
Communications with the Board
The Board of Directors has a process for shareholders to send
communications to our Board of Directors or Audit Committee,
including complaints regarding accounting, internal accounting
controls or auditing matters. Communications can be sent to our
Board of Directors, our Audit Committee or specific Directors
either by regular mail to the attention of our Board of
Directors, our Audit Committee or specific Directors, at our
principal executive offices at 30142 Wixom Road, Wixom, Michigan
48393. All of these communications will be initially reviewed by
our Secretary (1) to filter out communications that the
Secretary deems are not appropriate for the Directors, such as
communications offering to buy or sell products or services, and
(2) to sort and relay the remainder (unedited) to the
appropriate Directors.
7
COMPENSATION
OF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
Summary
Compensation Table
The following table summarizes compensation paid to or earned by
the Companys only executive officers during 2006. There
were no stock option or incentive awards during 2006.
Summary
Compensation Table
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All Other
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Name and Principal Position
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Year
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Salary ($)
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Compensation ($)(1)
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Total ($)
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Robert L. Chioini
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2006
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275,000
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19,345
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294,345
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Chief Executive Officer,
Chairman of the Board
and Director
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Thomas E. Klema
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2006
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160,216
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160,216
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Chief Financial Officer,
Secretary and Treasurer
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(1) |
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Reflects the Companys lease car program paid by us of
$16,432 and premiums for long term disability insurance of
$2,913. |
Outstanding
Equity Awards At Fiscal Year-End
The following table shows certain information regarding
outstanding equity awards at December 31, 2006 for the
executive officers. All outstanding options became exercisable
as of December 31, 2005.
Outstanding
Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End
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Number of
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Securities
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Underlying
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Unexercised
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Option
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Option
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Options (#)
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Exercise
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Expiration
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Name
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Exercisable
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Price ($)
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Date
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Robert L. Chioini
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90,000
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$
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3.00
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7/15/07
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100,000
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$
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1.50
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12/2/08
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160,000
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$
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2.19
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12/29/09
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175,000
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$
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0.70
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10/11/11
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143,000
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$
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0.55
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12/16/12
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300,000
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$
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1.81
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06/18/13
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25,000
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$
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3.06
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09/17/13
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165,000
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$
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4.05
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01/13/14
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335,000
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$
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2.79
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12/22/14
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375,000
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$
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4.55
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12/15/15
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Thomas E. Klema
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50,000
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$
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2.00
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01/12/09
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35,000
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$
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2.19
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12/29/09
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100,000
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$
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0.70
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10/11/11
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68,000
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$
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0.55
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12/16/12
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150,000
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$
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1.81
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06/18/13
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25,000
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$
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3.06
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09/17/13
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85,000
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$
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4.05
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01/13/14
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115,000
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$
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2.79
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12/22/14
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187,500
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$
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4.55
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12/15/15
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8
Director
Compensation
In 2006, non-employee directors of the Company did not receive
any compensation. No fees were paid for attendance of any Board
or committee meetings, but the non-employee directors were
reimbursed for their expenses incurred in attending Board
meetings in accordance with Company policy.
The non-employee directors are eligible to receive grants under
the Companys 1997 Stock Option Plan, which expires in July
2007, and will be eligible to receive grants under the proposed
2007 Long Term Incentive Plan if approved by shareholders. The
making of any such grants and the terms of such grants would be
determined by the Compensation Committee in accordance with the
terms of the applicable plan. All previously granted options
became fully exercisable on December 31, 2005. There were
no grants in 2006.
PROPOSAL TO
APPROVE 2007 LONG TERM INCENTIVE PLAN
On April 11, 2007, our Board of Directors adopted the 2007
Long Term Incentive Plan (the LTIP), subject to
shareholder approval at the Annual Meeting. The purpose of the
LTIP is to encourage employees, directors and consultants of the
Company to own stock and align their interests with those of
shareholders. We believe that the LTIP will enhance our ability
to attract, motivate and retain qualified employees, directors
and consultants, and will encourage strong performance through
the grant of performance based awards. A copy of the LTIP is
attached to this proxy statement. We suggest that you read the
LTIP in its entirety for a more complete understanding of its
terms.
As of the record date, the closing sale price of our Common
Shares was $6.92. Approximately 20 employees and 3 non-employee
directors would be eligible to participate in the LTIP if it
were currently in place.
Vote
Required
We are seeking shareholder approval to meet the requirements for
deductibility of executive compensation paid pursuant to the
LTIP under Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986, as amended (the Code), to qualify certain
potential awards as incentive stock options under Code
Section 422 and to comply with applicable rules of the
Nasdaq Stock Market. Section 162(m) of the Code limits the
Companys tax deduction for compensation expense for any
one executive officer to $1 million per year, except that
compensation under certain shareholder-approved incentive
compensation plans is not subject to this limit. The LTIP is
structured to conform with the exception to Section 162(m)
of the Code if the LTIP, including the material terms of the
performance measures included therein, receives shareholder
approval. Section 422 of the Code requires shareholder
approval in order for options under the LTIP to be treated as
incentive stock options if so desired.
Approval of the LTIP requires the affirmative vote of a majority
of the votes cast by the holders of Common Shares entitled to
vote on the proposal. Abstentions, withheld votes and broker
non-votes will not be deemed votes cast in determining approval
of this proposal and will not have the effect of a vote for or
against the proposal.
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE FOR
APPROVAL OF THE 2007 LONG TERM INCENTIVE PLAN.
Shares Subject
to the LTIP
The Company has reserved an aggregate of 1,000,000 of our Common
Shares to be awarded under the LTIP. If an award is exercised or
withheld to satisfy tax liabilities through tendering of shares
or withholding of shares by the Company, we will count only the
number of shares issued net of the shares tendered or withheld.
Shares underlying awards granted under the LTIP that are later
forfeited, cancelled, expire or otherwise terminate will become
available for future grants under the LTIP. To prevent dilution
or enlargement of the rights of participants under the LTIP,
appropriate adjustments will be made by the Compensation
Committee if any change is made to our outstanding Common Shares
by reason of any merger, reorganization, consolidation,
recapitalization, dividend or distribution, stock split, reverse
stock split, spin-off or similar transaction or other change in
corporate structure affecting our Common Shares or its value.
The Companys 1997 Stock Option Plan will terminate as to
future grants on July 15, 2007, or on May 24, 2007 if
the LTIP is approved by shareholders.
9
Participants
All employees, directors and consultants who are selected by the
Compensation Committee in its sole discretion from time to time
are eligible to participate in the LTIP. The Compensation
Committee may condition the grant of an award to an individual
under the LTIP by requiring that the individual become an
employee, director or consultant; provided, however, that the
award is deemed granted as of the date that the individual
becomes an employee, director or consultant. Because all awards
under the LTIP will be determined by the Compensation Committee,
in its sole discretion, it is not possible at this time to
determine the awards that will be made to any particular
employee, consultant or director under the LTIP in the future.
No awards have been made under the LTIP to date.
Administration
The LTIP is administered by the Compensation Committee, or any
other committee or
sub-committee
of the Board designated by the Board from time to time. The
Compensation Committee has the power to select participants who
will receive awards, to make awards under the LTIP and to
determine the terms and conditions of awards (subject to the
terms and conditions of the LTIP). The Compensation Committee
also has broad power to, among other things, interpret the terms
of the LTIP and establish rules and regulations for the
administration of the LTIP. In the case of awards designated as
awards under Section 162(m) of the Code, the
Committees power to take certain actions will be limited
by Section 162(m).
The Compensation Committee and the Board are not permitted to
cancel outstanding options or stock appreciation rights and
grant new awards as substitutes under the LTIP or amend
outstanding options or stock appreciation rights to reduce the
exercise price below the fair market value of the Common Shares
on the original grant date without shareholder approval.
Types of
Plan Awards and Limits
The Compensation Committee may grant stock options, restricted
stock, restricted stock units and performance-based cash or
stock based awards under the LTIP. The terms of each award will
be set forth in a written agreement with the recipient. Subject
to the adjustment provisions described above, the LTIP limits
grants to any one participant in any one fiscal year to 250,000
options or stock appreciation rights, 100,000 restricted stock
or restricted stock units, 100,000 performance awards and
100,000 annual incentive awards. The LTIP further limits the
dollar value payable to any one participant in any one fiscal
year on restricted stock units, performance awards or annual
incentive awards valued in property other than Common Shares to
the lesser of $2 million or four times the
participants base salary (or if the participant is a
director or consultant, the participants total cash
compensation) in the fiscal year. These limitations are intended
to comply with requirements of Section 162(m) of the Code.
Stock
Options
The Compensation Committee may grant incentive stock options and
nonqualified stock options. No option may be exercised after the
tenth anniversary of the date the option was granted. The
exercise price of any option granted under the LTIP must not be
less than the fair market value of our Common Shares on the
grant date. Payment upon exercise may be made (1) by cash
or check, (2) by delivery of our Common Shares that have
been held at least six months and have a fair market value equal
to the exercise price, (3) pursuant to a broker assisted
cashless exercise, (4) by delivery of other consideration
approved by the Compensation Committee with a fair market value
equal to the exercise price or (5) by other means
determined by the Compensation Committee. A payment method
involving delivery or withholding of Common Shares may not be
used if it would violate applicable law or would result in
adverse accounting consequences for the Company.
Options constituting incentive stock options may be granted only
to employees of the Company. The aggregate market value,
determined on the grant date, of stock with respect to which
incentive stock options may first become exercisable for a
holder during a calendar year may not exceed $100,000. In
addition, in the event that the recipient is a more than 10%
shareholder of the Company, the exercise price of incentive
stock options may not be less than 110% of the fair market value
of the Common Shares on the grant date, and the options may not
be exercised more than five years after the grant date.
Incentive stock options may be granted for up to the total
number of Common Shares available for grants under the LTIP
(initially 1,000,000 Common Shares).
10
Stock
Appreciation Rights
The Compensation Committee may grant stock appreciation rights
pursuant to such terms and conditions as the Compensation
Committee determines. No stock appreciation right may be granted
with a term of more than ten years from the grant date. The
exercise price may not be less than the fair market value of the
Common Shares on the grant date. Upon exercise of a stock
appreciation right, the participant will have the right to
receive the excess of the aggregate fair market value of the
shares on the exercise date over the aggregate exercise price
for the portion of the right being exercised. Payments may be
made to the holder in cash or Common Shares as specified in the
grant agreement.
Restricted
Stock and Restricted Stock Units
The Compensation Committee may grant shares of restricted stock
and restricted stock units pursuant to such terms and conditions
as the Compensation Committee determines. The restricted stock
and restricted stock units will be subject to restrictions on
transferability and alienation and other restrictions as the
Compensation Committee may impose. The Compensation Committee
may require payment of consideration for restricted stock
granted under the LTIP, which may be payable in cash, stock or
other property. Recipients of restricted stock may have the same
rights as other shareholders, including all voting and dividend
rights prior to vesting. Recipients of restricted stock units
may receive dividend equivalent rights at the Compensation
Committees discretion. Restricted stock units are payable
in Common Shares or cash as of the vesting date.
Performance
Awards
The Compensation Committee may grant performance awards on terms
and conditions that the Compensation Committee determines.
Performance awards consist of the right to receive cash, Common
Shares or other property. The written agreement for each grant
will specify the performance goals, the period over which the
goals are to be attained, the payment schedule if the goals are
attained and other terms as the Compensation Committee
determines. In the case of performance shares, the participant
will have the right to receive legended stock certificates
subject to restrictions on transferability. A participant will
be entitled to vote those shares prior to satisfaction of the
performance goals, and any dividends received will be reinvested
in additional performance shares. In the case of performance
units, the participant will receive an agreement that specifies
the performance goals that must be satisfied prior to the
Company issuing payment, which may be cash, Common Shares or
other property.
Annual
Incentive Awards
The Compensation Committee may grant annual incentive awards on
terms and conditions that the Compensation Committee determines.
The determination for granting annual incentive awards may be
based on the attainment of performance levels of the Company as
established by the Compensation Committee. Annual incentive
awards will be paid in cash, Common Shares or other property and
will equal a percentage of the participants base salary
for the fiscal year, a fixed dollar amount or some other formula
determined by the Compensation Committee. Payments will be made
within two and a half months after the end of the fiscal year in
which the award is earned, but only after the Compensation
Committee determines that the performance goals were attained.
Code
Section 162(m) Performance Measure Awards
The Compensation Committee may designate that any award in the
form of restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance
shares, performance units or annual incentive awards be granted
pursuant to Section 162(m) of the Code. As a result, such
grants will be subject to certain additional requirements
intended to satisfy the exemption for performance-based
compensation under Section 162(m). The performance criteria
will be one or more of the following objective performance
goals, either individually, alternatively or in any combination,
applied to either the Company as a whole or to a subsidiary or
division, either individually, alternatively, or in any
combination, and measured over a designated performance period,
in each case as specified by the Compensation Committee in the
award and calculated excluding the effect of certain items
specified in the LTIP: earnings (as measured by net income,
gross profit, operating income, operating income before
interest, EBIT, EBITA, EBITDA, pretax income, or cash earnings,
or earnings as adjusted by excluding one or more components of
earnings, included each of the
11
above on a per share
and/or
segment basis); sales/net sales; return on net sales (as
measured by net income, gross profit, operating income,
operating income before interest, EBIT, EBITA, EBITDA, pretax
income, operating cash flow or cash earnings as a percentage of
net sales); sales growth; gross profit margins; cash flow;
operating cash flow; free cash flow; discounted cash flow;
working capital; market capitalization; cash return on
investment; return on capital; return on cost of capital;
shareholder value; return on equity; total shareholder return;
return on investment; economic value added; return on assets or
net assets; stock trading multiples (as measured against
investment, net income, gross profit, operating income,
operating income before interest, EBIT, EBITA, EBITDA, pre-tax
income, cash earnings or operating cash flow); stock price;
total stock market capitalization; attainment of strategic or
operational initiatives; and achievement of operational goals,
including but not limited to obtaining Food and Drug
Administration approval to market new products, development of
new markets or market segments, implementation of infrastructure
improvements and increasing the Companys portfolio of
intellectual property.
Termination
of Employment or Services
Options
and Stock Appreciation Rights
Unless otherwise provided in the related grant agreement, if a
participants employment or services are terminated for any
reason prior to the date that an option or stock appreciation
right becomes vested, the right to exercise the option or stock
appreciation right terminates and all rights cease unless
otherwise provided in the grant agreement. If an option or stock
appreciation right becomes vested prior to termination of
employment or services for any reason other than death or
disability, then the participant has the right to exercise the
option or stock appreciation right to the extent it was
exercisable upon termination before the earlier of three months
after termination or the expiration of the option or stock
appreciation right unless otherwise provided in the related
grant agreement. If termination is due to the participants
death or disability, then the participant or his or her estate
may exercise the option or stock appreciation right to the
extent it was exercisable upon termination until its expiration
date, subject to any limitations in the grant agreement. The
Compensation Committee may, in its discretion, accelerate the
participants right to exercise an option or extend the
option term, subject to any other limitations.
Restricted
Stock and Restricted Stock Units
If a participants employment or services are terminated
for any reason, the restricted shares are generally forfeited to
the Company (subject to a refund by the Company of any purchase
price paid by the participant). The Compensation Committee,
however, may provide, in its sole discretion, in the
participants agreement or otherwise that restricted stock
or restricted stock units will continue after termination of
employment or services. The Compensation Committee may also
waive any restrictions in its sole discretion except for
restrictions on a Code Section 162(m) award. However, the
Compensation Committee may, for Code Section 162(m) awards,
deem restrictions and performance goals satisfied if a
participants employment or services terminate due to
death, disability or involuntary termination by the Company.
Performance
Awards
Performance awards expire and are forfeited upon termination of
a participants employment or services for any reason. The
Compensation Committee, however, in its sole discretion, may
provide in the grant agreement or otherwise for a continuation
of the award after termination or waive any conditions or
restrictions for such awards. The Compensation Committee may not
waive any restrictions or conditions on Code Section 162(m)
awards, but it may deem restrictions and conditions satisfied in
the event a participants employment or services terminate
due to death, disability or involuntary termination by the
Company.
Annual
Incentive Awards
If a participants employment or services are terminated
due to disability or death prior to the end of the
Companys fiscal year, the participant, or his or her
estate, is entitled to a pro-rata payment of the annual
incentive award, which will be paid at the same time as regular
annual incentive awards are paid. Unless otherwise determined by
the Compensation Committee, if a participants employment
or services are terminated for any reason other than death or
disability, he or she forfeits the right to the annual incentive
award for that fiscal year.
12
Limitations
on Transfer of Awards
No award under the LTIP may be transferable other than by will
or the laws of descent and distribution. Stock options and stock
appreciation rights may only be exercised by the participant
during his or her lifetime. However, a participant may assign or
transfer an award, other than an incentive stock option, with
the consent of the Compensation Committee. All Common Shares
subject to an award will contain a legend restricting the
transferability of the shares pursuant to the terms of the LTIP,
which can be removed once the restrictions have terminated,
lapsed or been satisfied.
Termination
and Amendment
No new awards may be granted under the LTIP on or after
April 11, 2017. The Board may terminate the LTIP or the
granting of any awards under the LTIP at any time. In addition,
the Board may amend the LTIP and the Compensation Committee may
amend the terms of outstanding awards, but shareholder approval
will be required for any amendment that materially increases
benefits under the LTIP, increases the Common Shares available
under the LTIP (except pursuant to the adjustment provisions of
the LTIP), changes the eligibility provisions or modifies the
LTIP in a manner requiring shareholder approval under any
applicable stock exchange rule. An amendment to the LTIP will
not, without the consent of the participant, adversely affect
the participants outstanding awards except to qualify the
awards for exemption under Section 409A of the Code, bring
the LTIP into compliance with Section 409A of the Code, or
as provided in the grant agreement.
Change in
Control of the Company
Awards under the LTIP are generally subject to special
provisions upon the occurrence of a change in control
transaction of the kind described in the LTIP. Under the LTIP,
the Compensation Committee may provide in a grant agreement or
otherwise that upon a change in control transaction (i) all
outstanding options or stock appreciation rights immediately
become fully vested and exercisable; (ii) any restriction
period on any Common Shares immediately lapse and the shares
become freely transferable; (iii) all performance goals are
deemed to have been satisfied and any restrictions on any
performance award immediately lapse and the awards become
immediately payable; (iv) all performance measures are
deemed to have been satisfied for any outstanding annual
incentive award, which immediately become payable; or
(v) awards may be treated in any other way as determined by
the Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee may also
determine that upon a change in control, any outstanding option
or stock appreciation right be cancelled in exchange for payment
in cash, stock or other property for each vested share in an
amount equal to the excess of the fair market value of the
consideration to be paid in the change in control transaction
over the exercise price. If we merge with another entity and the
successor company assumes an award payable in Common Shares, the
Compensation Committee may provide that such awards will not be
accelerated as described above as long as the consideration is
substantially equal in fair market value to that of the Common
Shares subject to the awards.
United
States Federal Income Tax Consequences
The following discussion is a summary of the federal income tax
consequences relating to the grant and exercise of awards under
the LTIP and the subsequent sale of Common Shares that will be
acquired under the LTIP. The tax effect of exercising awards may
vary depending upon the particular circumstances, and the income
tax laws and regulations change frequently.
Nonqualified
Stock Options
There will be no federal income tax consequences to a
participant or to the Company upon the grant of a nonqualified
stock option. When the participant exercises a nonqualified
option, he or she will recognize ordinary income in an amount
equal to the excess of the fair market value of the option
shares on the date of exercise over the exercise price, and we
will be allowed a corresponding tax deduction, subject to any
applicable limitations under Section 162(m) of the Code.
Any gain that a participant realizes when the participant later
sells or disposes of the option shares will be short-term or
long-term capital gain, depending on how long the participant
held the shares.
13
Incentive
Stock Options
There will be no federal income tax consequences to a
participant or to the Company upon the grant of an incentive
stock option. If the participant holds the option shares for the
required holding period of at least two years after the date the
option was granted and one year after exercise of the option,
the difference between the exercise price and the amount
realized upon sale or disposition of the option shares will be
long-term capital gain or loss, and we will not be entitled to a
federal income tax deduction. If the participant disposes of the
option shares in a sale, exchange, or other disqualifying
disposition before the required holding period ends, the
participant will recognize taxable ordinary income in an amount
equal to the difference between the exercise price and the
lesser of the fair market value of the shares on the date of
exercise or the disposition price, and we will be allowed a
federal income tax deduction equal to such amount, subject to
any applicable limitations under Section 162(m) of the
Code. Any amount received by the participant in excess of the
fair market value on the exercise date will be taxed to the
participant as capital gain, and we will receive no
corresponding deduction. While the exercise of an incentive
stock option does not result in current taxable income, the
excess of the fair market value of the option shares at the time
of exercise over the exercise price will be a tax preference
item that could subject a participant to alternative minimum tax.
Stock
Appreciation Rights
The participant will not recognize income, and we will not be
allowed a tax deduction, at the time a stock appreciation right
is granted. When the participant exercises the stock
appreciation right, the cash or fair market value of any Common
Shares received will be taxable to the participant as ordinary
income, and we will be allowed a federal income tax deduction
equal to such amount, subject to any applicable limitations
under Section 162(m) of the Code.
Restricted
Stock Awards
Unless a participant makes an election to accelerate recognition
of income to the grant date as described below, the participant
will not recognize income, and we will not be allowed a tax
deduction, at the time a restricted stock award is granted. When
the restrictions lapse, the participant will recognize ordinary
income equal to the fair market value of the Common Shares as of
that date, less any amount paid for the stock, and we will be
allowed a corresponding tax deduction, subject to any applicable
limitations under Section 162(m) of the Code. If the
participant files an election under Section 83(b) of the
Code within 30 days after the grant date, the participant
will recognize ordinary income as of the grant date equal to the
fair market value of the stock as of that date, less any amount
paid for the stock, and we will be allowed a corresponding tax
deduction at that time, subject to any applicable limitations
under Section 162(m) of the Code. Any future appreciation
in the stock will be taxable to the participant at capital gains
rates. However, if the stock is later forfeited, such
participant will not be able to recover the tax previously paid
pursuant to the Section 83(b) election.
Restricted
Stock Unit Awards, Performance Share Awards, and Performance
Share Unit Awards
A participant will not recognize income, and we will not be
allowed a tax deduction, at the time a restricted stock unit
award, performance share award or performance share unit award
is granted. When a participant receives payment under a
restricted stock unit award, performance share award or
performance share unit award, the amount of cash received and
the fair market value of any shares of stock received will be
ordinary income to the participant, and we will be allowed a
corresponding tax deduction at that time, subject to any
applicable limitations under Section 162(m) of the Code.
Impact
of Recent Tax Law Changes
Recently adopted, Section 409A of the Code has implications
that affect traditional deferred compensation plans, as well as
certain equity-based awards, such as stock options, restricted
stock units, and stock appreciation rights. Section 409A
requires compliance with specific rules regarding the timing of
exercise or settlement of equity-based awards and, unless
explicitly set forth in a plan document or award agreement, no
acceleration of payment is permitted. Under the preliminary
guidance with respect to Section 409A provided by the
14
U.S. Department of Treasury, individuals who hold equity
awards are subject to the following penalties if the terms of
such awards do not comply with the requirements of
Section 409A: (i) appreciation is includible in the
participants gross income for tax purposes once the awards
are no longer subject to a substantial risk of
forfeiture (e.g., upon vesting), (ii) the participant
is required to pay interest at the tax underpayment rate plus
one percentage point commencing on the date an award subject to
Section 409A is no longer subject to a substantial risk of
forfeiture, and (iii) the participant incurs a 20% penalty
tax on the amount required to be included in income. As set
forth above, the LTIP and the awards granted thereunder are
intended to conform with the requirements of Section 409A.
Definitive guidance was provided by the U.S. Department of
Treasury just prior to the completion of this proxy statement
that may modify the treatment described above.
Equity
Compensation Plan Information
The following information is provided as of December 31,
2006 with respect to our existing compensation plans, including
individual compensation arrangements, under which our equity
securities are authorized for issuance:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(c)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number of securities
|
|
|
|
(a)
|
|
|
(b)
|
|
|
remaining available for
|
|
|
|
Number of securities to
|
|
|
Weighted-average
|
|
|
future issuance under
|
|
|
|
be issued upon exercise
|
|
|
exercise price of
|
|
|
equity compensation plans
|
|
|
|
of outstanding options,
|
|
|
outstanding options
|
|
|
(excluding securities
|
|
Plan Category
|
|
warrants and rights
|
|
|
warrants and rights
|
|
|
reflected in column (a))
|
|
|
Equity compensation plans approved
by security holders
|
|
|
3,219,235
|
|
|
$
|
2.68
|
|
|
|
489,856
|
|
Equity compensation plans not
approved by security holders
|
|
|
-0-
|
|
|
|
-0-
|
|
|
|
-0-
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
|
|
|
3,219,235
|
|
|
$
|
2.68
|
|
|
|
489,856
|
|
SECTION 16(a)
BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REPORTING COMPLIANCE
Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended (Exchange Act), requires our officers and
Directors, and persons who own more than ten percent of a
registered class of our equity securities to file reports of
ownership and changes in ownership with the SEC. Officers,
Directors and greater than ten percent shareholders are required
by regulation of the SEC to furnish us with copies of all
Section 16(a) forms they file.
Based solely on our review of the copies of the Forms 3, 4
and 5 and any amendments thereto received by us, or written
representations from certain reporting persons that no
Forms 5 were required for those persons, we believe that,
during our fiscal year ended December 31, 2006, our
officers and directors and persons who own more than ten percent
of a registered class of our equity securities have timely
complied with all filing requirements under Section 16(a)
of the Exchange Act.
OTHER
MATTERS
Annual
Report
A copy of the Annual Report to Shareholders for the fiscal year
ended December 31, 2006 accompanies this proxy statement.
We file an Annual Report on
Form 10-KSB
with the SEC. We will provide, without charge, to each person
being solicited by this proxy statement, upon the written
request of any such person, a copy of our Annual Report on
Form 10-KSB
for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006. All such
requests should be directed to Investor Relations, Rockwell
Medical Technologies, Inc., 30142 Wixom Road, Wixom, Michigan
48393.
Independent
Accountants
Plante & Moran, PLLC is our independent accountant and
has reported on our consolidated financial statements included
in our 2006 Annual Report which accompanies this proxy
statement. Plante & Moran, PLLC
15
has served in this capacity since December 1998. Our independent
accountants are appointed by the Audit Committee of the Board of
Directors. The Audit Committee has reappointed Plante &
Moran, PLLC as independent accountants for the year ending
December 31, 2007.
Representatives of Plante & Moran, PLLC are expected to
be present at the Annual Meeting and will have the opportunity
to make a statement at the meeting if they desire to do so. The
representatives are also expected to be available to respond to
appropriate questions.
The following table presents aggregate fees billed for each of
the years ended December 31, 2006 and 2005 for professional
services rendered by Plante & Moran, PLLC in the
following categories:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fiscal Year Ended
|
|
|
|
December 31
|
|
|
|
2006
|
|
|
2005
|
|
|
Audit Fees(1)
|
|
$
|
104,600
|
|
|
$
|
112,000
|
|
Audit-Related Fees(2)
|
|
$
|
2,600
|
|
|
$
|
2,100
|
|
Tax Fees(3)
|
|
$
|
15,300
|
|
|
$
|
11,500
|
|
All Other Fees
|
|
$
|
-0-
|
|
|
$
|
-0-
|
|
|
|
|
(1) |
|
Consists of fees for the audit of our annual financial
statements, review of our quarterly financial statements
included in our
Forms 10-QSB,
services provided in connection with our proxy statement and
services in connection with other regulatory filings, including
our registration statements filed with the SEC under the
Securities Act of 1933. |
|
(2) |
|
Represents consultation on financial accounting and reporting
matters. |
|
(3) |
|
Consists of tax return preparation fees. |
The Audit Committee of the Board does not consider the provision
of the services described above by Plante & Moran, PLLC
to be incompatible with the maintenance of Plante &
Moran, PLLCs independence.
Before Plante & Moran, PLLC is engaged by us to render
audit or non-audit services, the engagement is approved by our
Audit Committee. All of the services performed by
Plante & Moran, PLLC for the Company during 2006 were
pre-approved by the Audit Committee.
Shareholder
Proposals
A shareholder proposal which is intended to be presented at our
2008 Annual Meeting of Shareholders that is eligible for
inclusion in the Companys proxy statement for that meeting
under
Rule 14a-8
of the Exchange Act must be received by our Secretary at the
Companys principal executive office at 30142 Wixom Road,
Wixom, Michigan 48393 before December 20, 2007 to be
considered for inclusion in the proxy statement and proxy
relating to that meeting. Such proposal should be sent by
certified mail, return receipt requested and should satisfy the
informational requirements applicable to shareholder proposals
contained in the applicable rules of the SEC.
In addition, our bylaws provide that, in order for a shareholder
proposal or nomination to be properly brought before the 2008
annual meeting, written notice of such proposal or nomination,
along with the information required by the bylaws, must be
received by the Company at its principal executive offices no
earlier than February 24, 2008 and no later than
March 25, 2008. If the 2008 annual meeting date has been
advanced or delayed by more than 30 days from the first
anniversary of the date of the 2007 Annual Meeting or if the
action to be taken relates to a special meeting of shareholders,
then notice of such proposal must be received by our Secretary
at our principal executive office at 30142 Wixom Road, Wixom,
Michigan 48393 no later than the close of business on the tenth
day following the earlier of the date on which notice of such
meeting was mailed or public disclosure of the date of such
meeting date was made. The bylaws require that a shareholder
proposal must be accompanied by the name and address of the
shareholder as they appear on our stock transfer records, the
number of our Common Shares beneficially owned by the
shareholder, any material interest of the shareholder in such
proposal, a brief description of the business desired to be
brought before the annual meeting and the reasons for conducting
such business at the annual meeting. Nominations must be
accompanied by the information required by the bylaws described
under Nominating and Advance Notice Procedures in
this proxy statement. In each case, the required notice and
16
accompanying information should be sent by certified mail,
return receipt requested and addressed to our Secretary at our
principal executive office. The Company expects the persons
named as proxies for the 2008 annual meeting of shareholders to
use their discretionary voting authority, to the extent
permitted by law, with respect to any proposal or nomination
presented at that meeting by a shareholder who has not provided
the Company with the required written notice and accompanying
information during the period provided in our bylaws.
Householding
We have adopted a procedure approved by the SEC called
householding. Under this procedure, certain
shareholders of record who have the same address and last name
will receive only one copy of our Notice of Annual Meeting of
Shareholders, Proxy Statement, and accompanying documents,
unless one or more of these shareholders notifies us that they
wish to continue receiving individual copies. This procedure
will reduce our printing costs and postage fees.
Shareholders who participate in householding will continue to
receive separate proxy cards. Also, householding will not in any
way affect other mailings.
If you are eligible for householding, but you and other
shareholders of record with whom you share an address currently
receive multiple copies of the Notice of Annual Meeting of
Shareholders, Proxy Statement and accompanying documents, or if
you hold stock in more than one account, and in either case you
wish to receive only a single copy of each of these documents
for your household, please contact the Companys Secretary
at 30142 Wixom Road, Wixom, Michigan 48393, or by telephone at
(248)960-9009.
If you participate in householding and wish to receive a
separate copy of this Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders,
Proxy Statement and the accompanying documents, or if you do not
wish to participate in householding and prefer to receive
separate copies of these documents in the future, please contact
the Companys Secretary as indicated above.
Beneficial owners can request information about householding
from their banks, brokers or other holders of record.
Other
Business
We do not intend to bring before the Annual Meeting any matters
other than those set forth in the Notice of Annual Meeting of
Shareholders, and we have no present knowledge that any other
matters will be presented for action at the meeting by others.
If any other matters properly come before such meeting, however,
it is the intention of the persons named in the enclosed form of
proxy to vote in accordance with their best judgment.
By Order of the Board of Directors
Thomas E. Klema
Secretary
Wixom, Michigan
April 18, 2007
17
APPENDIX
A
ROCKWELL
MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
2007 LONG
TERM INCENTIVE PLAN
1.1 Establishment. On
April 11, 2007, the Board of Directors (Board)
of Rockwell Medical Technologies, Inc. (Corporation)
adopted the Rockwell Medical Technologies, Inc. 2007 Long Term
Incentive Plan (Plan), subject to the approval of
shareholders at the Corporations annual meeting of
shareholders on May 24, 2007.
1.2 Purpose. The purpose of the
Plan is to (a) promote the best interests of the
Corporation and its shareholders by encouraging Employees,
Non-Employee Directors and Consultants of the Corporation and
its Subsidiaries to acquire an ownership interest in the
Corporation by granting stock-based Awards, thus aligning their
interests with those of shareholders, and (b) enhance the
ability of the Corporation to attract, motivate and retain
qualified Employees, Non-Employee Directors and Consultants. It
is the further purpose of the Plan to authorize certain Awards
that will constitute performance based compensation, as
described in Code Section 162(m) and Treasury regulations
promulgated thereunder.
1.3 Plan Duration. Subject to
shareholder approval, the Plan shall become effective on
May 24, 2007 and shall continue in effect until its
termination by the Board; provided, however, that no new Awards
may be granted on or after April 11, 2017.
1.4 Definitions. As used in this
Plan, the following terms have the meaning described below:
(a) Agreement means the written document
that sets forth the terms of a Participants Award.
(b) Annual Incentive Award means an
Award that is granted in accordance with Article VI.
(c) Award means any form of Option,
Stock Appreciation Right, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock
Unit, Performance Award, Annual Incentive Award or other award
granted under the Plan.
(d) Board means the Board of Directors
of the Corporation.
(e) Change in Control means the
occurrence of any of the following events:
(i) If the Corporation consolidates with or merges into any
other corporation or other entity and is not the continuing or
surviving entity of such consolidation or merger;
(ii) If the Corporation permits any other corporation or
other entity to consolidate with or merge into the Corporation
and the Corporation is the continuing or surviving entity but,
in connection with such consolidation or merger, the Common
Stock is changed into or exchanged for stock or other securities
of any other corporation or other entity or cash or any other
assets;
(iii) If the Corporation dissolves or liquidates;
(iv) If the Corporation effects a share exchange, capital
reorganization or reclassification in such a way that holders of
Common Stock shall be entitled to receive stock, securities,
cash or other assets with respect to or in exchange for the
Common Stock;
(v) If any one person, or more than one person acting as a
group (as determined in accordance with Code Section 409A
and IRS guidance thereunder), 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 Common Stock of the Corporation
possessing thirty-five (35) percent or more of the total
voting power of the Common Stock of the Corporation;
(vi) If a majority of members on the Corporations
Board is replaced during any
12-month
period by Directors whose appointment or election is not
endorsed by a majority of the members of the Corporations
Board prior to the date of the appointment or
election (provided that for purposes of this paragraph, the
term Corporation refers solely to the relevant
Corporation, as defined in Code
A-1
Section 409A and IRS guidance issued thereunder), for which
no other Corporation is a majority shareholder; or
(vii) If there is a change in the ownership of a
substantial portion of the Corporations assets, which
shall occur on the date that any one person, or more than one
person acting as a group (within the meaning of Code
Section 409A and IRS guidance issued thereunder) 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 forty
(40) percent of the total gross fair market value of all of
the assets of the Corporation immediately prior to such
acquisition or acquisitions. For this purpose, gross fair market
value means the value of the assets of the Corporation, or the
value of the assets being disposed of, determined without regard
to any liabilities associated with such assets.
(f) Code means the Internal Revenue Code
of 1986, as amended.
(g) Committee means the Compensation
Committee of the Board, or any other committee or
sub-committee
of the Board, designated by the Board from time to time,
comprised solely of two or more Directors who are
Non-Employee Directors, as defined in
Rule 16b-3
of the Exchange Act, Outside Directors as defined in
Code Section 162(m) and Treasury regulations thereunder,
and Independent Directors for purposes of the rules
and regulations of the Stock Exchange. However, the fact that a
Committee member shall fail to qualify under any of these
requirements shall not invalidate any Award made by the
Committee, if the Award is otherwise validly made under the
Plan. The members of the Committee shall be appointed by, and
may be changed at any time and from time to time, at the
discretion of the Board.
(h) Common Stock means shares of the
Corporations authorized common stock.
(i) Consultant means a consultant or
advisor (other than as an Employee or member of the Board) to
the Corporation or a Subsidiary; provided that such person is an
individual who (1) renders bona fide services that are not
in connection with the offer and sale of the Corporations
securities in a capital-raising transaction, and (2) does
not promote or maintain a market for the Corporations
securities.
(j) Corporation means Rockwell Medical
Technologies, Inc., a Michigan corporation.
(k) Director means an individual, other
than an Employee, who has been elected or appointed to serve as
a Director of the Corporation or any Subsidiary.
(l) Disability means total and permanent
disability, as defined in Code Section 22(e); provided,
however, that for purposes of a Code Section 409A
distribution event, disability shall be defined
under Code Section 409A and IRS guidance issued thereunder.
(m) Dividend Equivalent means a credit,
made at the discretion of the Committee or as otherwise provided
by the Plan, to the account of a Participant in an amount equal
to the cash dividend paid on one share of Common Stock for each
share of Common Stock represented by an Award held by such
Participant. Dividend Equivalents shall not be paid on Option or
Stock Appreciation Right Awards.
(n) Employee means an individual who has
an employment relationship with the Corporation or a
Subsidiary, as defined in Treasury
Regulation 1.421-1(h),
and the term employment means employment with the
Corporation, or a Subsidiary of the Corporation.
(o) Exchange Act means the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time, and any
successor thereto.
(p) Fair Market Value means for purposes
of determining the value of Common Stock on the Grant Date, the
closing price of the Common Stock on the Stock Exchange for the
Grant Date. In the event that there are no Common Stock
transactions on such date, the Fair Market Value shall be
determined as of the immediately preceding date on which there
were Common Stock transactions. Unless otherwise specified in
the Plan, Fair Market Value for purposes of
determining the value of Common Stock on the date of exercise
A-2
means the closing price of the Common Stock on the Stock
Exchange for the last date preceding the exercise on which there
were Common Stock transactions.
(q) Grant Date means the date on which
the Committee authorizes an Award, or such later date as shall
be designated by the Committee.
(r) Incentive Stock Option means an
Option that is intended to meet the requirements of
Section 422 of the Code.
(s) Nonqualified Stock Option means an
Option that is not an Incentive Stock Option.
(t) Option means either an Incentive
Stock Option or a Nonqualified Stock Option.
(u) Participant means an Employee
(including an Employee who is a Director), Director or
Consultant who is designated by the Committee to participate in
the Plan.
(v) Performance Award means any Award of
Performance Shares or Performance Units granted pursuant to
Article V.
(w) Performance Measures means the
measures of performance of the Corporation and its Subsidiaries
used to determine a Participants entitlement to an Award
under the Plan. Such performance measures shall have the same
meanings as used in the Corporations financial statements,
or, if such terms are not used in the Corporations
financial statements, they shall have the meaning applied
pursuant to generally accepted accounting principles, or as used
generally in the Corporations industry. Performance
Measures shall be calculated with respect to the Corporation and
each Subsidiary consolidated therewith for financial reporting
purposes or such division or other business unit as may be
selected by the Committee. For purposes of the Plan, the
Performance Measures shall be calculated in accordance with
generally accepted accounting principles, but, unless otherwise
determined by the Committee, prior to the accrual or payment of
any Award under this Plan for the same performance period and
excluding the effect (whether positive or negative) of any
change in accounting standards or any extraordinary, unusual or
nonrecurring item, as determined by the Committee, occurring
after the establishment of the performance goals. Performance
Measures shall be one or more of the following, or a combination
of any of the following, on an absolute or peer group
comparison, as determined by the Committee:
|
|
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|
|
earnings (as measured by net income, gross profit, operating
income, operating income before interest, EBIT, EBITA, EBITDA,
pre-tax income, or cash earnings, or earnings as adjusted by
excluding one or more components of earnings, including each of
the above on a per share
and/or
segment basis);
|
|
|
|
sales/net sales;
|
|
|
|
return on net sales (as measured by net income, gross profit,
operating income, operating income before interest, EBIT, EBITA,
EBITDA, pre-tax income, operating cash flow or cash earnings as
a percentage of net sales);
|
|
|
|
sales growth;
|
|
|
|
gross profit margins:
|
|
|
|
cash flow;
|
|
|
|
operating cash flow;
|
|
|
|
free cash flow;
|
|
|
|
discounted cash flow;
|
|
|
|
working capital;
|
|
|
|
market capitalization;
|
|
|
|
cash return on investment;
|
|
|
|
return on capital;
|
A-3
|
|
|
|
|
return on cost of capital;
|
|
|
|
shareholder value;
|
|
|
|
return on equity;
|
|
|
|
total shareholder return;
|
|
|
|
return on investment;
|
|
|
|
economic value added;
|
|
|
|
return on assets/net assets;
|
|
|
|
stock trading multiples (as measured against investment, net
income, gross profit, operating income, operating income before
interest, EBIT, EBITA, EBITDA, pre-tax income, cash earnings or
operating cash flow);
|
|
|
|
stock price;
|
|
|
|
total stock market capitalization;
|
|
|
|
attainment of strategic or operational initiatives;
|
|
|
|
achievement of operational goals, including but not limited to
obtaining federal Food and Drug Administration approval to
market new products, development of new markets or market
segments, implementation of infrastructure improvements and
increasing the Corporations portfolio of intellectual
property.
|
(x) Performance Share means any grant
pursuant to Article V and Section 5.2(b)(i).
(y) Performance Unit means any grant
pursuant to Article V and Section 5.2(b)(ii).
(z) Plan means the Rockwell Medical
Technologies, Inc. 2007 Long Term Incentive Plan, the terms of
which are set forth herein, and any amendments thereto.
(aa) Restriction Period means the period
of time during which a Participants Restricted Stock or
Restricted Stock Unit is subject to restrictions and is
nontransferable.
(bb) Restricted Stock means Common Stock
granted pursuant to Article IV that is subject to a
Restriction Period.
(cc) Restricted Stock Unit means a right
granted pursuant to Article IV to receive Restricted Stock
or an equivalent value in cash.
(dd) Securities Act means the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended.
(ee) Stock Appreciation Right means the
right to receive a cash or Common Stock payment from the
Corporation, in accordance with Article III of the Plan.
(ff) Stock Exchange means the principal
national securities exchange on which the Common Stock is listed
for trading, or, if the Common Stock is not listed for trading
on a national securities exchange, such other recognized trading
market or quotation system upon which the largest number of
shares of Common Stock has been traded in the aggregate during
the last 20 days before a Grant Date, or date on which an
Option is exercised or Award vests, whichever is applicable.
(gg) Subsidiary means a corporation or
other entity defined in Code Section 424(f).
(hh) Substitute Awards shall mean Awards
granted or shares issued by the Corporation in assumption of, or
in substitution or exchange for, awards previously granted, or
the right or obligation to make future awards, by a company
acquired by the Corporation or any Subsidiary or with which the
Corporation or any Subsidiary combines.
A-4
(ii) Vested or Vesting
means the extent to which an Award granted or issued
hereunder has become exercisable or any applicable Restriction
Period has terminated in accordance with the Plan and the terms
of any respective Agreement pursuant to which such Award was
granted or issued.
(a) The Plan shall be administered by the Committee. The
Committee shall interpret the Plan, prescribe, amend, and
rescind rules and regulations relating to the Plan, and make all
other determinations necessary or advisable for its
administration. The decision of the Committee on any question
concerning the interpretation of the Plan or its administration
with respect to any Award granted under the Plan shall be final
and binding upon all Participants. No member of the Committee
shall be liable for any action or determination made in good
faith with respect to the Plan or any Award hereunder.
(b) In addition to any other powers set forth in the Plan
and subject to the provisions of the Plan, but, in the case of
Awards designated as Awards under Code Section 162(m),
subject to the requirements of Code Section 162(m), the
Committee shall have the full and final power and authority, in
its discretion to:
(i) Amend, modify, or cancel any Award, or to waive any
restrictions or conditions applicable to any Award or any shares
acquired pursuant thereto;
(ii) Subject to Code Section 409A, accelerate,
continue, or defer the exercisability or Vesting of any Award or
any shares acquired pursuant thereto;
(iii) Authorize, in conjunction with any applicable
deferred compensation plan of the Corporation, that the receipt
of cash or Common Stock subject to any Award under this Plan may
be deferred under the terms and conditions of such deferred
compensation plan;
(iv) Determine the terms and conditions of Awards granted
to Participants; and
(v) Establish such other Awards, besides those specifically
enumerated in the Plan, which the Committee determines are
consistent with the Plans purposes.
1.6 Participants. Participants in
the Plan shall be such Employees (including Employees who are
Directors), Directors and Consultants of the Corporation and its
Subsidiaries as the Committee in its sole discretion may select
from time to time. The Committee may grant Awards to an
individual upon the condition that the individual become an
Employee, Director or Consultant of the Corporation or of a
Subsidiary, provided that the Award shall be deemed to be
granted only on the date that the individual becomes an
Employee, Director or Consultant, as applicable.
1.7 Stock.
(a) The Corporation has reserved 1,000,000 shares of
the Corporations Common Stock for issuance pursuant to
stock-based Awards, including without limitation, Incentive
Stock Options. All amounts in this Section 1.7 shall be
adjusted, as applicable, in accordance with Article IX.
(b) [reserved]
(c) If any shares subject to an Award are forfeited,
cancelled, expire or otherwise terminate without issuance of
such shares, or any Award is settled for cash or otherwise does
not result in the issuance of all or a portion of the shares
subject to such Award, the shares shall, to the extent of such
forfeiture, cancellation, expiration, termination, cash
settlement or non-issuance, again be available for Awards under
the Plan.
(d) In the event that (i) any Option or other Award
granted hereunder is exercised through the tendering of shares
or by the withholding of shares by the Corporation, or
(ii) withholding tax liabilities arising from such Option
or other Award are satisfied by the tendering of shares or by
the withholding of shares by the Corporation, then only the
number of shares issued net of the shares tendered or withheld
shall be counted for purposes of determining the maximum number
of shares available for issuance under the Plan.
(e) Substitute Awards shall not reduce the shares reserved
for issuance under the Plan or authorized for grant to a
Participant in any fiscal year. Additionally, in the event that
a company acquired by the Corporation or any Subsidiary or with
which the Corporation or any Subsidiary combines has shares
available under a pre-existing plan
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approved by shareholders and not adopted in contemplation of
such acquisition or combination, the shares available for grant
pursuant to the terms of such pre-existing plan (as adjusted, to
the extent appropriate, using the exchange ratio or other
adjustment or valuation ratio or formula used in such
acquisition or combination to determine the consideration
payable to the holders of common stock of the entities party to
such acquisition or combination) may be used for Awards under
the Plan and shall not reduce the Shares authorized for issuance
under the Plan; provided that Awards using such available shares
shall not be made after the date awards or grants could have
been made under the terms of the pre-existing plan, absent the
acquisition or combination, and shall only be made to
individuals who were not Employees or Directors or an affiliate
of the Corporation or its Subsidiaries prior to such acquisition
or combination.
1.8 Repricing. Without the
affirmative vote of holders of a majority of the shares of
Common Stock cast in person or by proxy at a meeting of the
shareholders of the Corporation at which a quorum representing a
majority of all outstanding shares is present or represented by
proxy, neither the Board nor the Committee shall approve a
program providing for either (a) the cancellation of
outstanding Options
and/or Stock
Appreciation Rights and the grant in substitution therefore of
any new Awards under the Plan having a lower exercise price than
the Fair Market Value of the underlying Common Stock on the
original Grant Date, or (b) the amendment of outstanding
Options
and/or Stock
Appreciation Rights to reduce the exercise price thereof below
the Fair Market Value of the underlying Common Stock on the
original Grant Date. This Section shall not be construed to
apply to issuing or assuming a stock option in a
transaction to which section 424(a) applies, within
the meaning of Section 424 of the Code.
2.1 Grant of Options. The
Committee, at any time and from time to time, subject to the
terms and conditions of the Plan, may grant Options to such
Participants and for such number of shares of Common Stock as it
shall designate. Any Participant may hold more than one Option
under the Plan and any other plan of the Corporation or
Subsidiary. The Committee shall determine the general terms and
conditions of exercise, which shall be set forth in a
Participants Agreement. No Option granted hereunder may be
exercised after the tenth anniversary of the Grant Date. The
Committee may designate any Option granted as either an
Incentive Stock Option or a Nonqualified Stock Option, or the
Committee may designate a portion of an Option as an Incentive
Stock Option or a Nonqualified Stock Option. Unless otherwise
provided in a Participants Agreement, Options are intended
to satisfy the requirements of Code Section 162(m) and the
regulations promulgated thereunder, to the extent applicable.
2.2 Incentive Stock Options. Any
Option intended to constitute an Incentive Stock Option shall
comply with the requirements of this Section 2.2. An
Incentive Stock Option only may be granted to an Employee. No
Incentive Stock Option shall be granted with an exercise price
below the Fair Market Value of Common Stock on the Grant Date
nor with an exercise term that extends beyond ten
(10) years from the Grant Date. An Incentive Stock Option
shall not be granted to any Participant who owns (within the
meaning of Code Section 424(d)) stock of the Corporation or
any Subsidiary possessing more than 10% of the total combined
voting power of all classes of stock of the Corporation or a
Subsidiary unless, at the Grant Date, the exercise price for the
Option is at least 110% of the Fair Market Value of the shares
subject to the Option and the Option, by its terms, is not
exercisable more than five (5) years after the Grant Date.
The aggregate Fair Market Value of the underlying Common Stock
(determined at the Grant Date) as to which Incentive Stock
Options granted under the Plan (including a plan of a
Subsidiary) may first be exercised by a Participant in any one
calendar year shall not exceed $100,000. To the extent that an
Option intended to constitute an Incentive Stock Option shall
violate the foregoing $100,000 limitation (or any other
limitation set forth in Code Section 422), the portion of
the Option that exceeds the $100,000 limitation (or violates any
other Code Section 422 limitation) shall be deemed to
constitute a Nonqualified Stock Option.
2.3 Option Price. The Committee
shall determine the per share exercise price for each Option
granted under the Plan. No Option may be granted with an
exercise price below 100% of the Fair Market Value of Common
Stock on the Grant Date.
2.4 Payment for Option Shares.
(a) The purchase price for shares of Common Stock to be
acquired upon exercise of an Option granted hereunder shall be
paid in full in cash or by personal check, bank draft or money
order at the time of exercise;
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provided, however, that in lieu of such form of payment, unless
otherwise provided in a Participants Agreement, payment
may be made by (i) delivery to the Corporation of
outstanding shares of Common Stock that have been held at least
six (6) months, on such terms and conditions as may be
specified in the Participants Agreement; (ii) by
delivery to the Corporation of a properly executed exercise
notice, acceptable to the Corporation, together with irrevocable
instructions to the Participants broker to deliver to the
Corporation sufficient cash to pay the exercise price and any
applicable income and employment withholding taxes, in
accordance with a written agreement between the Corporation and
the brokerage firm; (iii) delivery of other consideration
approved by the Committee having a Fair Market Value on the
exercise date equal to the total purchase price; (iv) other
means determined by the Committee; or (v) any combination
of the foregoing. Shares of Common Stock surrendered upon
exercise shall be valued at the Stock Exchange closing price for
the Corporations Common Stock on the day prior to
exercise, and the shares shall be surrendered to the Corporation.
(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing, an Option may not be
exercised by delivery to or withholding by the Corporation of
shares of Common Stock to the extent that such delivery or
withholding (i) would constitute a violation of the
provisions of any law or regulation (including the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002), or (ii) if there is a
substantial likelihood that the use of such form of payment
would result in adverse accounting treatment to the Corporation
under generally accepted accounting principles. Until a
Participant has been issued a certificate or certificates for
the shares of Common Stock so purchased (or the book entry
representing such shares has been made and such shares have been
deposited with the appropriate registered book-entry custodian),
he or she shall possess no rights as a record holder with
respect to any such shares.
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III.
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STOCK
APPRECIATION RIGHTS
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3.1 Grant of Stock Appreciation
Rights. Stock Appreciation Rights may be
granted, held and exercised in such form and upon such general
terms and conditions as determined by the Committee on an
individual basis. A Stock Appreciation Right may be granted to a
Participant with respect to such number of shares of Common
Stock of the Corporation as the Committee may determine. Unless
otherwise provided in a Participants Agreement, Stock
Appreciation Rights are intended to satisfy the requirements of
Code Section 162(m) and the regulations promulgated
thereunder, to the extent applicable. No Stock Appreciation
Right shall be granted with an exercise term that extends beyond
ten (10) years from the Grant Date.
3.2 Exercise Price. The Committee
shall determine the per share exercise price for each Stock
Appreciation Right granted under the Plan; provided, however,
that the exercise price of a Stock Appreciation Right shall not
be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of the shares of
Common Stock covered by the Stock Appreciation Right on the
Grant Date.
3.3 Exercise of Stock Appreciation
Rights. A Stock Appreciation Right shall be
deemed exercised upon receipt by the Corporation of written
notice of exercise from the Participant. The Committee shall
specify in a Participants Agreement whether payment shall
be made in cash or shares of Common Stock, or any combination
thereof.
3.4 Stock Appreciation Right
Payment. Upon exercise of a Stock
Appreciation Right, a Participant shall be entitled to payment
from the Corporation, in cash, shares, or partly in each (as
determined by the Committee in accordance with any applicable
terms of the Agreement), of an amount equal to the difference
between (i) the aggregate Fair Market Value on the exercise
date for the specified number of shares being exercised, and
(ii) the aggregate exercise price for the specified number
of shares being exercised.
3.5 Maximum Stock Appreciation Right Amount Per
Share. The Committee may, at its sole
discretion, establish (at the time of grant) a maximum amount
per share which shall be payable upon the exercise of a Stock
Appreciation Right, expressed as a dollar amount.
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IV.
|
RESTRICTED
STOCK AND UNITS
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4.1 Grant of Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock
Units. Subject to the terms and conditions of
the Plan, the Committee, at any time and from time to time, may
grant shares of Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units
under the Plan to such Participants and in such amounts as it
shall determine.
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4.2 Restricted Stock
Agreement. Each grant of Restricted Stock or
Restricted Stock Units shall be evidenced by an Agreement that
shall specify the terms of the restrictions, including the
Restriction Period, or periods, the number of Common Stock
shares subject to the grant, or units, the purchase price for
the shares of Restricted Stock, if any, the form of
consideration that may be used to pay the purchase price of the
Restricted Stock, including those specified in Section 2.4,
and such other general terms and conditions, including
performance goals, as the Committee shall determine.
4.3 Transferability. Except as
provided in this Article IV and Section 10.3 of the
Plan, the shares of Common Stock subject to an Award of
Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units granted hereunder may
not be transferred, pledged, assigned, or otherwise alienated or
hypothecated until the termination of the applicable Restriction
Period or for such period of time as shall be established by the
Committee and specified in the applicable Agreement, or upon the
earlier satisfaction of other conditions as specified by the
Committee in its sole discretion and as set forth in the
applicable Agreement.
4.4 Other Restrictions. The
Committee shall impose such other restrictions on any shares of
Common Stock subject to an Award of Restricted Stock or
Restricted Stock Units under the Plan as it may deem advisable
including, without limitation, restrictions under applicable
Federal or State securities laws, and the issuance of a legended
certificate of Common Stock representing such shares to give
appropriate notice of such restrictions. The Committee shall
have the discretion to waive the applicable Restriction Period
with respect to all or any part of the Common Stock subject to
an Award of Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units that has
not been granted under Code Section 162(m).
4.5 Voting Rights. During the
Restriction Period, Participants holding shares of Common Stock
subject to a Restricted Stock Award may exercise full voting
rights with respect to the Restricted Stock.
4.6 Dividends and Dividend Equivalents.
(a) Except as set forth below or in a Participants
Agreement, during the Restriction Period, a Participant shall be
entitled to receive all dividends and other distributions paid
with respect to shares of Common Stock subject to an Award of
Restricted Stock. If any dividends or distributions are paid in
shares of Common Stock during the Restriction Period applicable
to an Award of Restricted Stock, the dividend or other
distribution shares shall be subject to the same restrictions on
transferability as the shares of Common Stock with respect to
which they were paid.
(b) The Committee, in its discretion, may provide in the
Agreement evidencing any Restricted Stock Unit that the
Participant shall be entitled to receive Dividend Equivalents
with respect to the payment of cash dividends on Common Stock
having a record date prior to the date on which Restricted Stock
Units held by such Participant are settled. Such Dividend
Equivalents, if any, shall be paid by crediting the Participant
with additional whole Restricted Stock Units as of the date of
payment of such cash dividends on Common Stock. The number of
additional Restricted Stock Units (rounded to the nearest whole
number) to be so credited shall be determined by dividing
(i) the amount of cash dividends paid on such date with
respect to the number of shares of Common Stock represented by
the Restricted Stock Units previously credited to the
Participant, by (ii) the Fair Market Value per share of
Common Stock on such date. Such additional Restricted Stock
Units shall be subject to the same terms and conditions and
shall be settled in the same manner and at the same time (or as
soon thereafter as practicable) as the Restricted Stock Units
originally subject to the Restricted Stock Unit. In the event of
a dividend or distribution paid in shares of Common Stock or any
other adjustment made upon a change in the capital structure of
the Corporation as described in Article IX, appropriate
adjustments shall be made in the Participants Restricted
Stock Unit so that it represents the right to receive upon
settlement any and all new, substituted or additional securities
or other property (other than normal cash dividends) to which
the Participant would be entitled by reason of the shares of
Common Stock issuable upon settlement of the Restricted Stock
Unit, and all such new, substituted or additional securities or
other property shall be immediately subject to the same
restrictions as are applicable to the Restricted Stock Unit.
4.7 Settlement of Restricted Stock
Units. If a Restricted Stock Unit is payable
in Common Stock, the Corporation shall issue to a Participant on
the date on which Restricted Stock Units subject to the
Participants Restricted Stock Unit Vest or on such other
date determined by the Committee, in its discretion, and set
forth in the Agreement, one (1) share of Common Stock
and/or any
other new, substituted or additional securities or other
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property pursuant to an adjustment described in Section 9.1
for each Restricted Stock Unit then becoming Vested or otherwise
to be settled on such date, subject to the withholding of
applicable taxes.
5.1 Grant of Performance
Awards. The Committee, at its discretion, may
grant Performance Awards to Participants and may determine, on
an individual or group basis, the performance goals to be
attained pursuant to each Performance Award.
5.2 Terms of Performance Awards.
(a) Performance Awards shall consist of rights to receive
cash, Common Stock, other property or a combination of each, if
designated performance goals are achieved. The terms of a
Participants Performance Award shall be set forth in a
Participants Agreement. Each Agreement shall specify the
performance goals, which may include the Performance Measures,
applicable to a particular Participant or group of Participants,
the period over which the targeted goals are to be attained, the
payment schedule if the goals are attained, and any other
general terms as the Committee shall determine and conditions
applicable to an individual Performance Award. The Committee, at
its discretion, may waive all or part of the conditions, goals
and restrictions applicable to the receipt of full or partial
payment of a Performance Award that has not been granted
pursuant to Code Section 162(m).
(b) Performance Awards may be granted as Performance Shares
or Performance Units, at the discretion of the Committee.
(i) In the case of Performance Shares, the Participant
shall receive a legended certificate of Common Stock, restricted
from transfer prior to the satisfaction of the designated
performance goals and restrictions, as determined by the
Committee and specified in the Participants Agreement.
Prior to satisfaction of the performance goals and restrictions,
the Participant shall be entitled to vote the Performance
Shares. Further, any dividends paid on such shares during the
performance period automatically shall be reinvested on behalf
of the Participant in additional Performance Shares under the
Plan, and such additional shares shall be subject to the same
performance goals and restrictions as the other shares under the
Performance Share Award.
(ii) In the case of Performance Units, the Participant
shall receive an Agreement from the Committee that specifies the
performance goals and restrictions that must be satisfied before
the Corporation shall issue the payment, which may be cash, a
designated number of shares of Common Stock, other property, or
a combination thereof.
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VI.
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ANNUAL
INCENTIVE AWARDS
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6.1 Grant of Annual Incentive Awards.
(a) The Committee, at its discretion, may grant Annual
Incentive Awards to such Participants as it may designate from
time to time. The terms of a Participants Annual Incentive
Award shall be set forth in the Participants individual
Agreement. Each Agreement shall specify such general terms and
conditions as the Committee shall determine.
(b) The determination of Annual Incentive Awards for a
given year may be based upon the attainment of specified levels
of Corporation or Subsidiary performance as measured by
pre-established, objective performance criteria determined at
the discretion of the Committee, including any or all of the
Performance Measures.
(c) The Committee shall (i) select those Participants
who shall be eligible to receive an Annual Incentive Award,
(ii) determine the performance period, (iii) determine
target levels of performance, and (iv) determine the level
of Annual Incentive Award to be paid to each selected
Participant upon the achievement of each performance level. The
Committee generally shall make the foregoing determinations
prior to the commencement of services to which an Annual
Incentive Award relates (or within the permissible time period
established under Code Section 162(m)), to the extent
applicable, and while the outcome of the performance goals and
targets is uncertain.
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6.2 Payment of Annual Incentive Awards.
(a) Annual Incentive Awards shall be paid in cash, shares
of Common Stock or other property, at the discretion of the
Committee. Payments shall be made following a determination by
the Committee that the performance targets were attained and
shall be made within two and a half
(21/2)
months after the later of the end of the fiscal or calendar year
in which the Annual Incentive Award is earned.
(b) The amount of an Annual Incentive Award to be paid upon
the attainment of each targeted level of performance shall equal
a percentage of a Participants base salary for the fiscal
year, a fixed dollar amount, or such other formula, as
determined by the Committee.
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VII.
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CODE
SECTION 162(M) PERFORMANCE MEASURE AWARDS
|
7.1 Awards Granted Under Code
Section 162(m). The Committee, at its
discretion, may designate that a Restricted Stock, Restricted
Stock Unit, Performance Share, Performance Unit or Annual
Incentive Award shall be granted pursuant to Code
Section 162(m). Such an Award must comply with the
following additional requirements, which shall control over any
other provision that pertains to such Award under
Articles IV, V and VI.
(a) Each Code Section 162(m) Award shall be based upon
the attainment of specified levels of pre-established, objective
Performance Measures that are intended to satisfy the
performance based compensation requirements of Code
Section 162(m) and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
Further, at the discretion of the Committee, an Award also may
be subject to goals and restrictions in addition to the
Performance Measures.
(b) For each Code Section 162(m) Award, the Committee
shall (i) select the Participant who shall be eligible to
receive a Code Section 162(m) Award, (ii) determine
the applicable performance period, (iii) determine the
target levels of the Corporation or Subsidiary Performance
Measures, and (iv) determine the number of shares of Common
Stock or cash or other property (or combination thereof) subject
to an Award to be paid to each selected Participant. The
Committee shall make the foregoing determinations prior to the
commencement of services to which an Award relates (or within
the permissible time period established under Code
Section 162(m)) and while the outcome of the performance
goals and targets is uncertain.
7.2 Attainment of Code Section 162(m)
Goals.
(a) After each performance period, the Committee shall
certify, in writing: (i) if the Corporation has attained
the performance targets, and (ii) the number of shares
pursuant to the Award that are to become freely transferable, if
applicable, or the cash or other property payable under the
Award. The Committee shall have no discretion to waive all or
part of the conditions, goals and restrictions applicable to the
receipt of full or partial payment of an Award except in the
case of the death or Disability of a Participant.
(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Committee may, in
its discretion, reduce any Award based on such factors as may be
determined by the Committee, including, without limitation, a
determination by the Committee that such a reduction is
appropriate in light of pay practices of competitors, or the
performance of the Corporation, a Subsidiary or a Participant
relative to the performance of competitors, or performance with
respect to the Corporations strategic business goals.
7.3 Individual Participant
Limitations. Subject to adjustment as
provided in Section 9.1, no Participant in any one fiscal
year of the Corporation may be granted (a) Options or Stock
Appreciation Rights with respect to more than two hundred fifty
thousand (250,000) shares of Common Stock; (b) Restricted
Stock or Restricted Stock Units that are denominated in shares
of Common Stock with respect to more than one hundred thousand
(100,000) shares; (c) Performance Awards that are
denominated in shares of Common Stock with respect to more than
one hundred thousand (100,000) shares; and (d) an Annual
Incentive Award denominated in shares of Common Stock with
respect to more than one hundred thousand (100,000) shares. The
maximum dollar value payable to any Participant in any one
fiscal year of the Corporation with respect to Restricted Stock
Units, Performance Awards or Annual Incentive Awards that are
valued in property other than Common Stock is the lesser of two
million dollars ($2,000,000) or four (4) times the
Participants base salary (or if the Participant is a
Director or Consultant, the Participants total cash
compensation) for the fiscal year. If an Award is cancelled, the
cancelled Award shall continue to be counted towards the
applicable limitations.
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VIII.
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TERMINATION
OF EMPLOYMENT OR SERVICES
|
8.1 Options and Stock Appreciation Rights.
(a) If, prior to the date when an Option or Stock
Appreciation Right first becomes Vested, a Participants
employment or services are terminated for any reason, the
Participants right to exercise the Option or Stock
Appreciation Right shall terminate and all rights thereunder
shall cease, unless provided otherwise in a Participants
Agreement.
(b) If, on or after the date when an Option or Stock
Appreciation Right first becomes Vested, a Participants
employment or services are terminated for any reason other than
death or Disability, the Participant shall have the right,
within the earlier of (i) the expiration of the Option or
Stock Appreciation Right, and (ii) three (3) months
after termination of employment or services, as applicable, to
exercise the Option or Stock Appreciation Right to the extent
that it was exercisable and unexercised on the date of the
Participants termination of employment or services,
subject to any other limitation on the exercise of the Option or
Stock Appreciation Right in effect on the date of exercise. The
Committee may designate in a Participants Agreement that
an Option or Stock Appreciation Right shall terminate at an
earlier or later time than set forth above.
(c) If, on or after the date when an Option or Stock
Appreciation Right first becomes Vested, a Participants
employment or services are terminated due to death while an
Option or Stock Appreciation Right is still exercisable, the
person or persons to whom the Option or Stock Appreciation Right
shall have been transferred by will or the laws of descent and
distribution, shall have the right within the exercise period
specified in the Participants Agreement to exercise the
Option or Stock Appreciation Right to the extent that it was
exercisable and unexercised on the Participants date of
death, subject to any other limitation on exercise in effect on
the date of exercise. Provided, however, that the beneficial tax
treatment of an Incentive Stock Option may be forfeited if the
Option is exercised more than one (1) year after a
Participants date of death.
(d) If, on or after the date when an Option or Stock
Appreciation Right first becomes Vested, a Participants
employment or services are terminated due to Disability, the
Participant shall have the right, within the exercise period
specified in the Participants Agreement, to exercise the
Option or Stock Appreciation Right to the extent that it was
exercisable and unexercised on the date of the
Participants termination of employment or services due to
Disability, subject to any other limitation on the exercise of
the Option or Stock Appreciation Right in effect on the date of
exercise. If the Participant dies after termination of
employment or services, as applicable, while the Option or Stock
Appreciation Right is still exercisable, the Option or Stock
Appreciation Right shall be exercisable in accordance with the
terms of paragraph (c), above.
(e) The Committee, at the time of a Participants
termination of employment or services, may accelerate a
Participants right to exercise an Option or, subject to
Code Section 409A, may extend an Option term.
(f) Shares subject to Options and Stock Appreciation Rights
that are not exercised in accordance with the provisions of
(a) through (e) above shall expire and be forfeited by
the Participant as of their expiration date and shall become
available for new Awards under the Plan as of such date.
8.2 Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock
Units. If a Participants employment or
services are terminated for any reason, the Participants
right to shares of Common Stock subject to a Restricted Stock or
Restricted Stock Unit Award that are still subject to a
Restriction Period automatically shall terminate and be
forfeited by the Participant (or, if the Participant was
required to pay a purchase price for the Restricted Stock, other
than for the performance of services, the Corporation shall have
the option to repurchase any shares acquired by the Participant
which are still subject to the Restriction Period for the
purchase price paid by the Participant) and, subject to
Section 1.6, said shares shall be available for new Awards
under the Plan as of such termination date. Provided, however,
that the Committee, in its sole discretion, may provide in a
Participants Agreement for the continuation of a
Restricted Stock Award or Restricted Stock Unit after a
Participants employment or services are terminated or may
waive or, subject to Code Section 409A, change the
remaining restrictions or add additional restrictions, as it
deems appropriate. The Committee shall not waive any
restrictions on a Code Section 162(m) Restricted Stock or
Restricted Stock Unit Award, but the Committee may provide in a
Participants Code Section 162(m) Restricted Stock or
Restricted Stock Unit Agreement or otherwise that upon the
Employees termination of employment due to (a) death,
(b) Disability, or (c) involuntary termination by the
Corporation without cause (as determined by the
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Committee) prior to the termination of the Restriction Period,
that the performance goals and restrictions shall be deemed to
have been satisfied on terms determined by the Committee.
8.3 Performance
Awards. Performance Awards shall expire and
be forfeited by a Participant upon the Participants
termination of employment or services for any reason, and,
subject to Section 1.7, shall be available for new Awards
under the Plan as of such termination date. Provided, however,
that the Committee, in its discretion, may provide in a
Participants Agreement or, subject to Code
Section 409A, may provide otherwise for the continuation of
a Performance Award after a Participants employment or
services are terminated or may waive or change all or part of
the conditions, goals and restrictions applicable to such
Performance Award. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Committee
shall not waive any restrictions on a Code Section 162(m)
Performance Award, but the Committee may provide in a
Participants Code Section 162(m) Performance Share
Agreement or otherwise that upon the Participants
termination of employment or services due to (a) death;
(b) Disability; or (c) involuntary termination by the
Corporation without cause (as determined by the Committee) prior
to the attainment of the associated performance goals and
restrictions, that the performance goals and restrictions shall
be deemed to have been satisfied on terms determined by the
Committee.
8.4 Annual Incentive Awards.
(a) A Participant who has been granted an Annual Incentive
Award and whose employment or services terminate due to
Disability or death prior to the end of the Corporations
fiscal year shall be entitled to a pro-rated payment of the
Annual Incentive Award, based on the number of full months of
employment or services, as applicable during the fiscal year.
Any such prorated Annual Incentive Award shall be paid at the
same time as regular Annual Incentive Awards and, in the event
of the Participants death, to the Participants
designated beneficiary.
(b) Except as otherwise determined by the Committee in its
discretion, a Participant who has been granted an Annual
Incentive Award and whose employment or services terminate for
any reason other than Disability or death before the payment
date of an Annual Incentive Award, shall forfeit the right to
the Annual Incentive Award payment for that fiscal year.
8.5 Other Provisions. The transfer
of an Employee from one corporation to another among the
Corporation and any of its Subsidiaries, or a leave of absence
under the leave policy of the Corporation or any of its
Subsidiaries shall not be a termination of employment for
purposes of the Plan, unless a provision to the contrary is
expressly stated by the Committee in a Participants
Agreement issued under the Plan.
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IX.
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ADJUSTMENTS
AND CHANGE IN CONTROL
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9.1 Adjustments. In the event of a
merger, reorganization, consolidation, recapitalization,
dividend or distribution (whether in cash, shares or other
property), stock split, reverse stock split, spin-off or similar
transaction or other change in corporate structure affecting the
Common Stock or the value thereof, such adjustments and other
substitutions shall be made to the Plan and Awards as the
Committee deems equitable or appropriate, including adjustments
in the aggregate number, class and kind of securities that may
be delivered under the Plan and, in the aggregate or to any one
Participant, in the number, class, kind and option or exercise
price of securities subject to outstanding Awards granted under
the Plan (including, if the Committee deems appropriate, the
substitution of similar options to purchase the shares of, or
other awards denominated in the shares of, another company, as
the Committee may determine to be appropriate in its sole
discretion).
9.2 Change in Control.
(a) Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the
contrary, the Committee, in its discretion, may provide in a
Participants Agreement or otherwise that upon a Change in
Control, any or all of the following shall occur: (i) any
outstanding Option or Stock Appreciation Right granted hereunder
immediately shall become fully Vested and exercisable,
regardless of any installment provision applicable to such
Option or Stock Appreciation Right; (ii) the remaining
Restriction Period on any Shares of Common Stock subject to a
Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Unit Award granted
hereunder immediately shall lapse and the shares shall become
fully transferable, subject to any applicable Federal or State
securities laws; (iii) all performance goals and conditions
shall be deemed to have been satisfied and all restrictions
shall lapse on any outstanding Performance Awards, which
immediately shall
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become payable (either in full or pro-rata based on the portion
of the applicable performance period completed as of the Change
in Control); (iv) all performance targets and performance
levels shall be deemed to have been satisfied for any
outstanding Annual Incentive Awards, which immediately shall
become payable (either in full or pro-rata based on the portion
of the applicable performance period completed as of the Change
in Control); or (v) such other treatment as the Committee
may determine.
(b) The Committee may, in its sole discretion and without
the consent of any Participant, determine that, upon the
occurrence of a Change in Control, each or any Option or Stock
Appreciation Right outstanding immediately prior to the Change
in Control shall be cancelled in exchange for a payment with
respect to each Vested share of Common Stock subject to such
cancelled Option or Stock Appreciation Right in (i) cash,
(ii) stock of the Corporation or of a corporation or other
business entity a party to the Change in Control, or
(iii) other property which, in any such case, shall be in
an amount having a Fair Market Value equal to the excess of the
Fair Market Value of the consideration to be paid per share of
Common Stock in the Change in Control transaction over the
exercise price per share under such Option or Stock Appreciation
Right (the Spread). In the event such determination
is made by the Committee, the Spread (reduced by applicable
withholding taxes, if any) shall be paid to a Participant in
respect of the Participants cancelled Options and Stock
Appreciation Rights as soon as practicable following the date of
the Change in Control.
(c) Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Committee, in its
discretion, may provide in a Participants Agreement or
otherwise that, if in the event of a Change in Control the
successor company assumes or substitutes for an Option, Stock
Appreciation Right, Restricted Stock, or Restricted Stock Unit
payable in shares of Common Stock, Performance Award payable in
shares of Common Stock or Annual Incentive Award payable in
shares of Common Stock, then each such outstanding Option, Stock
Appreciation Right, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Unit,
Performance Award or Annual Incentive Award shall not be
accelerated as described in Section 9.2(a). For the
purposes of this Section 9.2(c), such an Option, Stock
Appreciation Right, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Unit,
Performance Award or Annual Incentive Award shall be considered
assumed or substituted for if following the Change in Control
the Award confers the right to purchase or receive, for each
share of Common Stock subject to such Option, Stock Appreciation
Right, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Unit, Performance
Award or Annual Incentive Award immediately prior to the Change
in Control, the consideration (whether stock, cash or other
securities or property) received in the transaction constituting
a Change in Control by holders of shares of Common Stock for
each share held on the effective date of such transaction (and
if holders were offered a choice of consideration, the type of
consideration chosen by the holders of a majority of the
outstanding shares); provided, however, that if such
consideration received in the transaction constituting a Change
in Control is not solely common stock of the successor company,
the Committee may, with the consent of the successor company,
provide that the consideration to be received upon the exercise
or vesting of such Option, Stock Appreciation Right, Restricted
Stock, Restricted Stock Unit, Performance Award or Annual
Incentive Award, for each share of Common Stock subject thereto,
shall be solely common stock of the successor company
substantially equal in fair market value to the per share
consideration received by holders of shares of Common Stock in
the transaction constituting a Change in Control. The
determination of such substantial equality of value of
consideration shall be made by the Committee in its sole
discretion and its determination shall be conclusive and binding.
10.1 Partial Exercise/Fractional
Shares. The Committee may permit, and shall
establish procedures for, the partial exercise of Options and
Stock Appreciation Rights granted under the Plan. No fractional
shares shall be issued in connection with the exercise of a
Stock Appreciation Right or payment of a Performance Award,
Restricted Stock Award, Restricted Stock Unit, or Annual
Incentive Award; instead, the Fair Market Value of the
fractional shares shall be paid in cash, or at the discretion of
the Committee, the number of shares shall be rounded down to the
nearest whole number of shares and any fractional shares shall
be disregarded.
10.2 Rights Prior to Issuance of
Shares. No Participant shall have any rights
as a shareholder with respect to shares covered by an Award
until the issuance of a stock certificate for such shares (or
book entry representing such shares has been made and such
shares have been deposited with the appropriate registered
book-entry custodian). No adjustment shall be made for dividends
or other rights with respect to such shares for which the record
date is
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prior to the date the certificate is issued except as otherwise
provided in the Plan or a Participants Agreement or by the
Committee.
10.3 Non Assignability; Certificate Legend;
Removal.
(a) Except as described below or as otherwise determined by
the Committee in a Participants Agreement, no Award shall
be transferable by a Participant except by will or the laws of
descent and distribution, and an Option or Stock Appreciation
Right shall be exercised only by a Participant during the
lifetime of the Participant. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a
Participant may assign or transfer an Award that is not an
Incentive Stock Option with the consent of the Committee (each
transferee thereof, a Permitted Assignee); provided
that such Permitted Assignee shall be bound by and subject to
all of the terms and conditions of the Plan and any Agreement
relating to the transferred Award and shall execute an agreement
satisfactory to the Corporation evidencing such obligations; and
provided further that such Participant shall remain bound by the
terms and conditions of the Plan.
(b) Each certificate representing shares of Common Stock
subject to an Award shall bear the following legend:
The sale or other transfer of the shares of stock represented by
this certificate, whether voluntary, involuntary or by operation
of law, is subject to certain restrictions on transfer set forth
in the Rockwell Medical Technologies, Inc. 2007 Long Term
Incentive Plan (Plan), rules and administrative
guidelines adopted pursuant to such Plan and an Agreement
dated , .
A copy of the Plan, such rules and such Agreement may be
obtained from the Secretary of Rockwell Medical Technologies,
Inc.
(c) Subject to applicable Federal and State securities
laws, issued shares of Common Stock subject to an Award shall
become freely transferable by the Participant after all
applicable restrictions, limitations, performance requirements
or other conditions have terminated, expired, lapsed or been
satisfied. Once such issued shares of Common Stock are released
from such restrictions, limitations, performance requirements or
other conditions, the Participant shall be entitled to have the
legend required by this Section 10.3 removed from the
applicable Common Stock certificate.
10.4 Securities Laws.
(a) Anything to the contrary herein notwithstanding, the
Corporations obligation to sell and deliver Common Stock
pursuant to the exercise of an Option or Stock Appreciation
Right or deliver Common Stock pursuant to a Restricted Stock
Award, Restricted Stock Unit, Performance Award or Annual
Incentive Award is subject to such compliance with Federal and
State laws, rules and regulations applying to the authorization,
issuance or sale of securities as the Corporation deems
necessary or advisable. The Corporation shall not be required to
sell and deliver or issue Common Stock unless and until it
receives satisfactory assurance that the issuance or transfer of
such shares shall not violate any of the provisions of the
Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
or the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange
Commission promulgated thereunder or those of the Stock Exchange
or any stock exchange on which the Common Stock may be listed,
the provisions of any State laws governing the sale of
securities, or that there has been compliance with the
provisions of such acts, rules, regulations and laws.
(b) The Committee may impose such restrictions on any
shares of Common Stock acquired pursuant to the exercise of an
Option or Stock Appreciation Right or the grant of Restricted
Stock or Restricted Stock Units or the payment of a Performance
Award or Annual Incentive Award under the Plan as it may deem
advisable, including, without limitation, restrictions
(i) under applicable Federal securities laws;
(ii) under the requirements of the Stock Exchange or any
other securities exchange or recognized trading market or
quotation system upon which such shares of Common Stock are then
listed or traded; and (iii) under any blue sky or State
securities laws applicable to such shares.
10.5 Withholding Taxes.
(a) The Corporation shall have the right to withhold from a
Participants compensation or require a Participant to
remit sufficient funds to satisfy applicable withholding for
income and employment taxes upon the exercise of an Option or
Stock Appreciation Right or the lapse of the Restriction Period
on a Restricted Stock Award or Restricted Stock Unit, or the
payment of a Performance Award or Annual Incentive Award. A
Participant may, in order to
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fulfill the withholding obligation, tender previously-acquired
shares of Common Stock that have been held at least six
(6) months or have shares of stock withheld from the
exercise, provided that the shares have an aggregate Fair Market
Value sufficient to satisfy in whole or in part the applicable
withholding taxes. The broker-assisted exercise procedure
described in Section 2.4(a)(ii) may also be utilized to
satisfy the withholding requirements related to the exercise of
an Option. At no point shall the Corporation withhold from the
exercise of an Option more shares than are necessary to meet the
established tax withholding requirements of federal, state and
local obligations.
(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Participant may not
use shares of Common Stock to satisfy the withholding
requirements to the extent that (i) there is a substantial
likelihood that the use of such form of payment or the timing of
such form of payment would subject the Participant to a
substantial risk of liability under Section 16 of the
Exchange Act; (ii) such withholding would constitute a
violation of the provisions of any law or regulation (including
the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002); or (iii) there is a
substantial likelihood that the use of such form of payment
would result in adverse accounting treatment to the Corporation
under generally accepted accounting principles.
10.6 Termination and Amendment.
(a) The Board may terminate the Plan, or the granting of
Awards under the Plan, at any time. No new Awards shall be
granted under the Plan after April 11, 2017.
(b) The Board may amend or modify the Plan at any time and
from time to time, and the Committee may amend or modify the
terms of an outstanding Agreement at any time and from time to
time, but no amendment or modification, without the approval of
the shareholders of the Corporation, shall (i) materially
increase the benefits accruing to Participants under the Plan;
(ii) increase the amount of Common Stock for which Awards
may be made under the Plan, except as permitted under
Sections 1.7 and Article 9; or (iii) change the
provisions relating to the eligibility of individuals to whom
Awards may be made under the Plan. In addition, if the
Corporations Common Stock is listed on a Stock Exchange,
the Board may not amend the Plan in a manner requiring approval
of the shareholders of the Corporation under the rules of the
Stock Exchange without obtaining the approval of the
shareholders.
(c) No amendment, modification, or termination of the Plan
or an outstanding Agreement shall in any manner adversely affect
any then outstanding Award under the Plan without the consent of
the Participant holding such Award, except as set forth in any
Agreement relating to the Award, or to bring the Plan
and/or an
Award into compliance with the requirements of Code
Section 409A or to qualify for an exemption under Code
Section 409A.
10.7 Code Section 409A. It is
intended that Awards granted under the Plan shall be exempt from
or in compliance with Code Section 409A. The Board reserves
the right to amend the terms of the Plan and the Committee
reserves the right to amend any outstanding Agreement if
necessary either to exempt such Award from Code
Section 409A or comply with the requirements of Code
Section 409A, as applicable. Further, Plan Participants who
are Specified Employees (as defined under Code
Section 409A and IRS guidance issued thereunder), shall be
required to delay payment of an Award for six (6) months
after separation from service to the extent such Award is
governed by Code Section 409A, and the delay is required
thereunder.
10.8 Effect on Employment or
Services. Neither the adoption of the Plan
nor the granting of any Award pursuant to the Plan shall be
deemed to create any right in any individual to be retained or
continued in the employment or services of the Corporation or a
Subsidiary.
10.9 Use of Proceeds. The proceeds
received from the sale of Common Stock pursuant to the Plan
shall be used for general corporate purposes of the Corporation.
10.10 Severability. If any one or
more of the provisions (or any part thereof) of this Plan or of
any Agreement issued hereunder, shall be held to be invalid,
illegal or unenforceable in any respect, such provision shall be
modified so as to make it valid, legal and enforceable, and the
validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining
provisions (or any part thereof) of the Plan or of any Agreement
shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby. The Board
may, without the consent of any Participant, and in a manner
determined necessary solely in the discretion of the Board,
amend the Plan and any outstanding Agreement as the Corporation
deems necessary to ensure the Plan and all Awards remain valid,
legal or enforceable in all respects.
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10.11 Beneficiary
Designation. Subject to local laws and
procedures, each Participant may file a written beneficiary
designation with the Corporation stating who is to receive any
benefit under the Plan to which the Participant is entitled in
the event of such Participants death before receipt of any
or all of a Plan benefit. Each designation shall revoke all
prior designations by the same Participant, be in a form
prescribed by the Corporation, and become effective only when
filed by the Participant in writing with the Corporation during
the Participants lifetime. If a Participant dies without
an effective beneficiary designation for a beneficiary who is
living at the time of the Participants death, the
Corporation shall pay any remaining unpaid benefits to the
Participants legal representative.
10.12 Unfunded Obligation. A
Participant shall have the status of a general unsecured
creditor of the Corporation. Any amounts payable to a
Participant pursuant to the Plan shall be unfunded and unsecured
obligations for all purposes. The Corporation shall not be
required to segregate any monies from its general funds, or to
create any trusts, or establish any special accounts with
respect to such obligations. The Corporation shall retain at all
times beneficial ownership of any investments, including trust
investments, which the Corporation may make to fulfill its
payment obligations hereunder. Any investments or the creation
or maintenance of any trust or any Participant account shall not
create or constitute a trust or fiduciary relationship between
the Committee or the Corporation and a Participant, or otherwise
create any Vested or beneficial interest in any Participant or
the Participants creditors in any assets of the
Corporation. A Participant shall have no claim against the
Corporation for any changes in the value of any assets which may
be invested or reinvested by the Corporation with respect to the
Plan.
10.13 Approval of Plan. The Plan
shall be subject to the approval of the holders of at least a
majority of the votes cast on a proposal to approve the Plan at
a duly held meeting of shareholders of the Corporation held
within twelve (12) months after adoption of the Plan by the
Board. No Award granted under the Plan may be exercised or paid
in whole or in part unless the Plan has been approved by the
shareholders as provided herein. If not approved by shareholders
within twelve (12) months after approval by the Board, the
Plan and any Awards granted under the Plan shall be null and
void, with no further force or effect.
10.14 Governing Law. Except to the
extent governed by applicable federal law, the validity,
interpretation, construction and performance of the Plan and
Agreements under the Plan, shall be governed by the laws of the
State of Michigan, without regard to its conflict of law rules.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Rockwell Medical Technologies, Inc.
2007 Long Term Incentive Plan has been executed on behalf of the
Corporation on this 11th day of April, 2007.
ROCKWELL MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
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By:
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/s/ Robert
L. Chioini
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Its:
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Chief Executive Officer
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BOARD APPROVAL:
4/11/07
SHAREHOLDER APPROVAL: / /07
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REVOCABLE PROXY
ROCKWELL MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
MAY 24, 2007
THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OF ROCKWELL MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
The undersigned, as a shareholder of record on April 4, 2007, hereby appoints Robert L. Chioini and
Thomas E. Klema, and each of them, attorneys and proxies with full power of substitution in each of
them, in the name, place and stead of the undersigned and hereby authorizes them to vote as proxy
all of the Common Shares, no par value per share, of the undersigned in Rockwell Medical
Technologies, Inc. (the Company) which the undersigned would be entitled to vote if then
personally present at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders of the Company to be held on May 24, 2007
at 4:00 p.m. E.D.T., and at any and all adjournments thereof, upon all matters properly coming
before the Annual Meeting including, without limitation, those matters set forth in the Notice of
Annual Meeting and Proxy Statement dated April 18, 2007 (receipt of which is hereby acknowledged).
In their discretion, to the extent permitted by law, the proxies are also authorized to vote upon
such matters as may properly come before the meeting, including the election of any person to the
Board of Directors where a nominee named in the Proxy Statement dated April 18, 2007, is unable to
serve or, for good cause, will not serve. The undersigned ratifies all that the proxies or either
of them or their substitutes may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof and revokes all
former proxies.
(Continued and to be Signed on Reverse Side)
ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS OF
ROCKWELL MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
MAY 24, 2007
Please date, sign and mail your proxy card in the envelope provided as soon as possible.
Please detach along perforated line and mail in the envelope provided.
The Board recommends a vote FOR the nominee and FOR Proposal 2.
PLEASE DATE, SIGN AND RETURN PROMPTLY IN THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE. PLEASE MARK
YOUR VOTE IN BLUE OR BLACK INK AS SHOWN HERE [X]
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FOR
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WITHHOLD |
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1.
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Election of Class I Director
Nominee: Ronald D. Boyd
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FOR
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AGAINST
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ABSTAIN |
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2.
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Approval of the Rockwell Medical
Technologies, Inc. 2007 Long Term
Incentive Plan, including the
material terms of the performance
measures included therein.
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3.
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In their discretion with respect to any other
matters that may properly come before the
meeting. |
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This proxy will be voted, when properly executed, in accordance with the
specifications made herein. If no instructions are indicated, the shares
represented by this Proxy will be voted FOR the nominee in Proposal 1 and FOR
Proposal 2.
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To change the address on your account, please check
the box at right and indicate your new address in the
address space above. Please note that changes to the
registered name(s) on the account may not be submitted
via this method.
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Signature of Shareholder |
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DATE
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Signature of Shareholder |
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DATE
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NOTE: Please sign exactly as your name or names appear on this Proxy. When shares are held
jointly, each holder should sign. When signing as executor, administrator, attorney, trustee or
guardian, please give full title as such. If the signer is a corporation, please sign full
corporate name by duly authorized officer, giving full title as such. If signer is a partnership,
please sign in partnership name by authorized person.