Technical Olympic USA Inc.
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 14A
(Rule 14a-101)
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN PROXY STATEMENT
SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION
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Securities
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No. )
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o Definitive
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o Soliciting
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Technical Olympic USA, 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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Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by
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Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.: |
TECHNICAL OLYMPIC USA, INC.
4000 Hollywood Boulevard, Suite 500 N
Hollywood, Florida 33021
To Our Stockholders:
We cordially invite you to attend the 2005 Annual Meeting of
Stockholders to be held on Tuesday, May 10, 2005, at the
Mandarin Oriental, Miami, 500 Brickell Key Drive, Miami, Florida
33131. The meeting will start promptly at 8:00 a.m.
The attached Notice of Annual Meeting and the Proxy Statement
describe the formal business to be transacted at the Annual
Meeting. Our directors and officers, as well as a representative
of Ernst & Young LLP, our independent certified public
accountants, will be present at the Annual Meeting to respond to
any questions that our stockholders may have regarding the
business to be transacted.
It is important that your shares be represented and voted at the
meeting. Therefore, we urge you to complete, sign, date, and
return the enclosed proxy card in the envelope according to the
instructions on the proxy card. If you attend the meeting, you
may vote your shares personally, even though you have previously
designated a proxy. The items to be considered at the meeting
include the election of directors and transaction of such other
business as may properly come before the meeting and any
adjournments or postponements thereof.
We sincerely hope you will be able to attend and participate in
our 2005 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. We welcome the
opportunity to meet with you and give you a firsthand report on
the progress of your company.
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Very truly yours, |
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Konstantinos Stengos
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Chairman |
TECHNICAL OLYMPIC USA, INC.
NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
TO BE HELD MAY 10, 2005
To Our Stockholders:
We will hold our Annual Meeting of Stockholders on Tuesday,
May 10, 2005, at 8:00 a.m. Our meeting will be held at
the Mandarin Oriental, Miami, 500 Brickell Key Drive,
Miami, Florida 33131. If you owned common stock at the close of
business on April 1, 2005, you may vote at this meeting or
any adjournments or postponements thereof.
At the meeting, we plan to:
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1. elect ten directors for a term of one year and, in each
case, until his or her successor is duly elected and
qualified; and |
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2. transact such other business as may properly come before
the meeting or any adjournments or postponements thereof. |
Our Board of Directors is not aware of any other proposals for
the May 10, 2005 meeting.
It is important that your common stock be represented at the
meeting regardless of the number of shares you hold. You are
encouraged to specify your voting preferences by completing,
signing, dating, and returning the enclosed proxy card. If you
attend the meeting, you may, if you wish, withdraw your proxy
and vote in person.
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TECHNICAL OLYMPIC USA, INC. |
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Beatriz L. Koltis
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Secretary |
Hollywood, Florida
April 18, 2005
YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT.
PLEASE COMPLETE, SIGN, DATE, AND RETURN THE ENCLOSED PROXY
PROMPTLY SO THAT YOUR VOTE MAY BE RECORDED AT THE MEETING IF YOU
DO NOT ATTEND IN PERSON.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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TECHNICAL OLYMPIC USA, INC.
4000 Hollywood Boulevard, Suite 500 N
Hollywood, Florida 33021
PROXY STATEMENT
INFORMATION ABOUT THE MEETING
This proxy statement is furnished in connection with the
solicitation of proxies by the Board of Directors of Technical
Olympic USA, Inc. (TOUSA or the Company)
for our Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on Tuesday,
May 10, 2005, at 8:00 a.m. Our Annual Meeting will be
held at the Mandarin Oriental, Miami, 500 Brickell Key
Drive, Miami, Florida 33131. This proxy statement and the
accompanying proxy are first being mailed to stockholders on or
about April 18, 2005.
Voting Instructions
You may vote your common stock if our records show you owned
your shares at the close of business on the record date, which
is April 1, 2005. On the record date, there were
56,080,430 shares of our common stock outstanding, with a
par value of $.01 per share. Holders of our common stock
are entitled to one vote per share held as of the record date.
You may vote: (a) in person by attending the meeting or
(b) by mail by completing, signing, dating, and returning
the enclosed proxy card. If you hold your shares through a
broker, bank, or other nominee, you will receive separate
instructions from the nominee describing how to vote your shares.
Proxies duly executed and received in time for the meeting will
be voted in accordance with your instructions. If no
instructions are given, proxies will be voted as follows:
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1. FOR the election as directors of the nominees named
herein, each to serve for a term of one year and, in each case,
until his or her successor is duly elected and
qualified; and |
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2. In the discretion of the proxy holders, FOR or AGAINST
such other business as may properly come before the meeting or
any adjournment or postponement thereof. |
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How You May Revoke or Change Your Vote |
Proxies may be revoked at any time prior to the meeting in the
following ways:
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by giving written notice of revocation to our Secretary; |
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by giving a later dated proxy; or |
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by attending the meeting and voting in person. |
If providing revocation by written notice to our Secretary,
please note that no such revocation shall be effective, however,
unless received by us at or prior to the meeting.
All record holders of issued and outstanding shares of our
common stock are entitled to vote. Brokers who hold shares in
street name for customers have the authority under the rules of
the various stock
exchanges to vote on certain items when they have not received
instructions from beneficial owners. Shares for which brokers
have not received instructions, and which therefore are not
voted with respect to a certain proposal, are referred to as
broker non-votes.
Under Delaware law and our Bylaws, the presence, in person or by
proxy, of stockholders entitled to cast a majority of all votes
entitled to be cast on the matter at the Annual Meeting
constitutes a quorum. Abstentions and broker non-votes will
count for purposes of determining if there is a quorum present
at the Annual Meeting.
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PROPOSAL 1
ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
General
Pursuant to our Bylaws, our Board of Directors may have up to 15
members. Currently, we have 11 members on our Board of Directors
and each director is elected for a one-year term. Our
Independent Directors Committee has recommended and nominated
the ten individuals listed below for election to our Board of
Directors at the Annual Meeting to hold office until the next
annual meeting and the election of their successors.
Mr. Fedrick, the other current director, has decided not to
stand for re-election. Consequently, there will be a vacancy on
our Board of Directors. The Board does not have a current
candidate to fill the vacancy, but intends to fill the vacancy
during the course of 2005, if and when a suitable candidate is
identified. All of the nominees for director are currently
serving as members of our Board of Directors.
Each of the nominees has consented to be named in this proxy
statement and to serve as a member of our Board of Directors, if
elected. In the event that any nominee withdraws or for any
reason is not able to serve as a director, the proxy will be
voted for such other person as may be designated by our Board of
Directors, but in no event will the proxy be voted for more than
ten nominees for director. Our management has no reason to
believe that any nominee will not serve if elected.
Recommendation of our Board of Directors
We recommend that you vote your shares to elect the following
nominees. If you complete, sign, date, and return the enclosed
proxy, your shares will be voted for the election of the ten
nominees recommended by our Board of Directors, unless you mark
the proxy in such a manner as to withhold authority to vote.
Please see the Voting Instructions on page 1 of this proxy
statement for instructions on how to cast your vote.
Nominees
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Nominees to Serve for a One-Year Term Expiring in 2006 |
Below is a short biography of the business experience of the
individuals who are nominated for election. The age indicated
and other information in each nominees biography is as of
April 18, 2005.
Konstantinos Stengos, 68, has been the Chairman of our
Board since December 15, 1999. Mr. Stengos has served
as the President and Managing Director of Technical Olympic S.A.
(TOSA), our parent company, since he formed TOSA in
1965. Mr. Stengos owns more than 5% of the outstanding
equity of TOSA, which is publicly traded on the Athens Stock
Exchange. Mr. Stengos has also served as a director and
President of Technical Olympic Services, Inc. (TOSI)
since October 2003. TOSA and TOSI are each affiliates of ours.
In March 2005, Mr. Stengos was found by a Court of
Misdemeanors in Athens, Greece, to have violated certain Greek
laws relating to a 1999 sale of certain shares of TOSA.
Mr. Stengos has advised the Company that he is appealing
the ruling.
Antonio B. Mon, 60, became a director of the Company, and
our Executive Vice Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and
President, on June 25, 2002. From October 2001 to June
2002, Mr. Mon served as the Chief Executive Officer of
Technical Olympic, Inc., our former parent company
(TOI). From May 2001 to October 2001, Mr. Mon
was a consultant to TOI. From 1997 to 2001, Mr. Mon was the
Chairman of Maywood Investment Company, LLC, a private firm
engaged in private equity investments and general consulting. In
1991, Mr. Mon co-founded Pacific Greystone Corporation, a
west coast homebuilder that merged with Lennar Corporation in
1997, and served as its Vice Chairman from 1991 to 1997. Prior
to 1991, Mr. Mon worked in various positions for The Ryland
Group, Inc. (a national homebuilder), M.J. Brock Corporation (a
California homebuilder), and Cigna Corporation (a financial
services corporation).
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Andreas Stengos, 42, has been a director of the Company
since 1999. Since October 2003, Mr. Stengos has served as a
director and Treasurer of TOSI. Mr. Stengos has also been a
director of TOSA since 1989 and has served as its Vice President
and General Manager since 1995.
George Stengos, 38, has been a director of the Company
since 1999, and has served as our Executive Vice President since
April 2004. Since October 2003, Mr. Stengos has served as a
director, Vice President, and Secretary of TOSI. From 2001 to
December 2002, Mr. Stengos served as President and Chairman
of the Board of Mochlos S.A., a subsidiary of TOSA, and is
currently Managing Director of Mochlos S.A. From 1993 to 2000,
Mr. Stengos was Executive Vice President of Mochlos S.A.
Mr. Stengos has also served as Managing Director of TOSA
since June 30, 2004.
Marianna Stengou, 27, has been a director of the
Company since 2004. Ms. Stengou has served as Vice
President of Porto Carras Campus Hospitality Studies S.A. since
April 2002. Ms. Stengou has served in a variety of
positions at TOSA, including most recently as Director of Human
Resources and Quality, since January 2000. Ms. Stengou
served as President and Managing Director of Toxotis S.A. from
November 1997 to June 2004. Ms. Stengou has also been a
director of TOSA since June 2003.
Larry D. Horner, 71, has been a director of the Company
since 1997. Mr. Horner served as Chairman of Pacific USA
Holdings Corp., a subsidiary of Pacific Electric Wire and Cable
Co., a cable manufacturer, from 1994 to 2001, and was Chairman
of the Board of Asia Pacific Wire & Cable Corporation
Limited, a manufacturer of copper wire, cable and fiber optic
wire products, with operations in Southeast Asia, which was
publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange until 2001. He is
also a director of ConocoPhillips (an energy company), Atlantis
Plastics, Inc. (a manufacturer of plastic films and plastic
components), UT Starcom, Inc. (a provider of wireline, wireless,
optical, and access switching solutions), Clinical Data, Inc. (a
provider of physicians office and hospital laboratory
products), and New River Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (a research-based
pharmaceutical company). Mr. Horner was formerly associated
with KPMG LLP, a professional services firm, for 35 years,
retiring as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of both the
U.S. and International firms in 1991. He is a certified public
accountant.
William A. Hasler, 63, has been a director of the Company
since 1998. Mr. Hasler served as Co-Chief Executive Officer
of Aphton Corporation, a biopharmaceutical company, from July
1998 to January 2004. From August 1991 to July 1998,
Mr. Hasler served as Dean of the Haas School of Business at
the University of California at Berkeley. Prior to that, he was
both Vice Chairman and a director of KPMG LLP, a professional
services firm. Mr. Hasler also serves on the boards of
Mission West (a real estate investment trust), DiTech
Communications (a global telecommunications equipment supplier
for voice networks), Schwab Funds (a mutual fund company),
Aphton Corporation and Stratex Networks (a provider of
high-speed wireless transmission solutions), and is Chairman of
the Board of Solectron Corp. (a provider of electronics
manufacturing services). Mr. Hasler is a trustee of Pomona
College. He is a certified public accountant.
Michael J. Poulos, 74, has been a director of the Company
since 2000. Mr. Poulos also serves as a trustee of Century
Shares Trust, a mutual fund. Mr. Poulos served as Chairman,
President, and Chief Executive Officer of Western National
Corporation, a life insurance company, from 1993 until 1998 when
he retired. Mr. Poulos worked for American General
Corporation, from 1970 to 1993, and served as its President from
1981 to 1991 and as its Vice Chairman from 1991 to 1993.
Susan B. Parks, 48, has been a director of the Company
since 2004. She is the founder and CEO of WalkStyles, Inc., a
consumer products company, since September 2003. Prior to
becoming an entrepreneur, Ms. Parks was with Kinkos,
a multibillion dollar document solutions and business services
company, from August 2002 until September 2003, where she served
as the Executive Vice President of Operations. From December
2001 to August 2002, Ms. Parks was with Gateway, a personal
computer and related products company, where she served as
Senior Vice President of US Markets for Gateway, leading their
US Market business unit, and Senior Vice President of the
Gateway Business division. Ms. Parks also spent
approximately five years with U.S. West, a
telecommunications company, serving in a succession of senior
positions and has served in various leadership positions at both
Mead Corporation and Avery-Dennison. Ms. Parks was
nominated to our Board of Directors by the Independent Directors
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Committee upon the recommendation of Mr. Mon, our Chief
Executive Officer, and Mr. Horner, our senior outside
director, after Mr. Mons consideration of several
qualified candidates identified by a third party search
consultant.
J. Bryan Whitworth, 66, has been a director of the
Company since January 2005. Mr. Whitworth has been Of
Counsel at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, a leading
corporate and securities law firm, since May 2003. Prior to
joining Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz,
Mr. Whitworth served as Executive Vice President of
ConocoPhillips, a global integrated petroleum company, from
September 2002 to March 2003. Mr. Whitworth joined
ConocoPhillips in 2002, following the merger of Conoco Inc. and
Phillips Petroleum Company. Prior to the merger,
Mr. Whitworth spent more than 30 years with Phillips
Petroleum Co., most recently serving as the Executive Vice
President and Chief Administrative Officer of that company.
Mr. Whitworth also served as Phillips Petroleums
Senior Vice President of Human Resources, Public Relations and
Government Relations, as well as its General Counsel.
Mr. Whitworth was nominated to our Board of Directors by
the Independent Directors Committee upon the recommendation of
Mr. Horner and Mr. Mon.
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Director Whose Term Expires in 2005 |
Lonnie M. Fedrick, 60, has been a director of the Company
since 1997 and served as our President and Chief Executive
Officer from 1997 until June 25, 2002. Mr. Fedrick was
President and Chief Executive Officer of Newmark Home
Corporation since 1994 and was its Executive Vice President from
1984 to 1994.
Vote Required
The affirmative vote of a plurality of the votes cast by holders
of outstanding shares of our common stock is required for the
approval of the election of the directors. You may vote in favor
of all the nominees or you may withhold your vote from any or
all nominees. Votes that are withheld with respect to this
matter will be excluded entirely from the vote and will have no
effect, other than for purposes of determining the presence of a
quorum. Brokers that do not receive instructions are entitled to
vote those shares with respect to the election of directors.
BOARD INDEPENDENCE, MEETINGS, COMMITTEES, AND COMPENSATION
Independence
TOSA currently owns 73.36% of our outstanding common stock. As a
result, we are a controlled company within the
meaning of the corporate governance standards of the New York
Stock Exchange (the NYSE). We have elected to take
advantage of the controlled company exemption as
permitted under Section 303A.00 of the NYSE Listed Company
Manual. As a controlled company, we are not
currently required to have independent directors comprise a
majority of our Board of Directors, nor are we required to have
a nominating/corporate governance committee and compensation
committee comprised entirely of independent directors. The Board
of Directors has determined, however, that Messrs. Horner,
Hasler, Poulos, and Whitworth, and Ms. Parks each meet the
standards of independence set forth in the corporate
governance standards of the NYSE. In making this determination,
the Board of Directors specifically determined that charitable
contributions of up to $40,000 made by the Company to
organizations in which a family member of a director is an
executive officer does not constitute a material relationship
which affects the independence of a director.
Board Meetings and Committees
During fiscal year 2004, our Board of Directors held four
regularly scheduled meetings and no special meetings, and acted
by unanimous written consent on 18 occasions. For fiscal year
2004, each director attended at least 75% or more of the
aggregate number of meetings held by our Board of Directors and
the committees on which he or she served. As a general matter,
Board members are expected to attend
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the Companys annual meetings of stockholders. All members
of our Board were present at the Companys 2004 annual
meeting of stockholders.
Our Board of Directors currently has four standing committees,
all of which were also in place during fiscal year 2004: the
Audit Committee, the Human Resources, Compensation, and Benefits
Committee, the Independent Directors Committee, and the Board
Executive Committee, each briefly described below.
Audit Committee. Prior to April 2005, the Audit Committee
consisted of Messrs. Hasler, Horner, Poulos, and Whitworth,
and Ms. Parks. Beginning in April 2005, the Audit Committee
consists of Messrs. Hasler, Poulos, and Whitworth. Our Board of
Directors has determined that each of Messrs. Hasler and
Poulos is also an audit committee financial expert
as defined by the rules promulgated by the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the Commission), and that, in
the business judgment of the Board of Directors,
Mr. Whitworth is financially literate.
The Audit Committee generally has responsibility for appointing,
overseeing, and determining the compensation of our independent
certified public accountants, reviewing the plan and scope of
the accountants audit, reviewing our audit and internal
control functions, approving all permitted non-audit services
provided by our independent certified public accountants, and
reporting to our full Board of Directors regarding all of the
foregoing. The Audit Committee meets with the independent
certified public accountants and our management in connection
with its review and approval of (i) the unaudited financial
statements for inclusion in our Quarterly Reports on
Form 10-Q and (ii) the annual audited financial
statements for inclusion in our Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Additionally, the Audit Committee provides our Board of
Directors with such additional information and materials as it
may deem necessary to make our Board of Directors aware of
significant financial matters that require its attention. The
Audit Committees goals and responsibilities are set forth
in a written Audit Committee charter, a copy of which is
attached as Appendix A. The Audit Committee held five
meetings during the year ended December 31, 2004. The Audit
Committee Report is set forth below.
Human Resources, Compensation, and Benefits Committee.
Prior to April 2005, the Human Resources, Compensation, and
Benefits Committee consisted of Messrs. Poulos, Horner,
Hasler, and Whitworth, and Ms. Parks. Beginning in April
2005, the Human Resources, Compensation, and Benefits Committee
consists of Messrs. Poulos and Horner, and Ms. Parks.
The Human Resources, Compensation, and Benefits Committee has
responsibility for (a) establishing the compensation and
bonus plan for the Chief Executive Officer,
(b) establishing the compensation and bonus plan for other
executives, and (c) administering the Annual and Long-Term
Incentive Plan and granting options and performance awards under
that Plan. In addition, the Human Resources, Compensation, and
Benefits Committee has responsibility for matters of employee
compensation and the granting of discretionary bonuses to our
Chief Executive Officer and our other senior officers. The Human
Resources, Compensation, and Benefits Committee held two
meetings and acted by unanimous written consent on six occasions
during the year ended December 31, 2004. The Human
Resources, Compensation, and Benefits Committee operates under a
written charter adopted by our Board of Directors, a copy of
which can be found on the Companys website,
www.tousa.com, under Investor
Information Corporate Governance.
Independent Directors Committee. The Independent
Directors Committee consists of Messrs. Horner, Hasler,
Poulos, and Whitworth, and Ms. Parks. Mr. Horner
served as our senior outside director during fiscal year 2004
and has been designated our senior outside director for fiscal
year 2005. As our senior outside director, Mr. Horner
presides over the regularly scheduled sessions of our
independent directors.
The Independent Directors Committee generally has responsibility
for considering and acting on any proposed transaction that
would be considered a related party transaction, including any
proposed transaction (a) between us and TOSA or any
affiliate of TOSA, and (b) by any affiliate which may
affect or involve us and in which one or more of our directors
may have an actual or perceived interest in the transaction. The
Independent Directors Committee also has responsibility for
considering and acting upon any other matters that require the
review and/or approval of our independent directors.
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The Independent Directors Committee acted by unanimous written
consent on one occasion and held two meetings during the year
ended December 31, 2004. The Independent Directors
Committee operates under a written charter adopted by our Board
of Directors, a copy of which can be found on the Companys
website, www.tousa.com, under Investor
Information Corporate Governance.
In addition, the Independent Directors Committee solicits,
considers, and nominates candidates to serve on our Board of
Directors. The Independent Directors Committee considers
possible candidates from many sources, including stockholders,
for nominees for directors. In evaluating the qualifications of
nominees for our Board of Directors, including nominees
recommended by stockholders, the Independent Directors Committee
evaluates a variety of factors, such as education, work
experience, knowledge of the Companys industry, membership
on the boards of directors of other corporations, and civic
involvement. In addition, if a candidate is being considered for
an independent director position, the Independent Directors
Committee also evaluates the nominees independence from
the Company based on applicable securities laws and the
NYSEs corporate governance standards.
If a stockholder wishes to recommend a nominee for director for
consideration at our 2006 Annual Meeting, the recommendation
should be sent to the Secretary by December 19, 2005 in
accordance with the instructions set forth later in this proxy
statement under Stockholder Proposals for 2006 Annual
Meeting. All recommendations should be accompanied by a
complete statement of such persons qualifications
(including education, work experience, knowledge of the
Companys industry, membership on the board of directors of
another corporation, and civic activity) and an indication of
the persons willingness to serve.
Board Executive Committee. The members of the Board
Executive Committee are Messrs. Horner, Mon, George
Stengos, and Andreas Stengos, and Mr. Tommy McAden serves
as the non-director management representative to the Board
Executive Committee. The Board Executive Committee has authority
to consider and approve acquisitions, investments and other
transactions by us or our subsidiaries for amounts not exceeding
$35 million, to the extent not considered and approved by
our Board of Directors, and makes reports to our full Board of
Directors. The Board Executive Committee held no meetings during
the year ended December 31, 2004.
Family Relationships
Konstantinos Stengos is the father of Andreas Stengos, George
Stengos, and Marianna Stengou. We have no other familial
relationships among the executive officers and directors.
Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting
Compliance
Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
requires our directors, executive officers, and persons who own
more than 10% of our outstanding common stock to file with the
Commission reports of changes in their ownership of common
stock. Directors, officers, and greater than 10% stockholders
are also required to furnish us with copies of all forms they
file under this regulation. To our knowledge, based solely on a
review of the copies of such reports furnished to us and
representations that no other reports were required, during the
year ended December 31, 2004, all Section 16(a) filing
requirements applicable to our directors, officers, and greater
than 10% stockholders were satisfied except that Mr. Mon
filed four late Form 4 filings reflecting four gifts and
transfers of stock options made for estate planning purposes
that were not reported on a timely basis.
Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider
Participation
Messrs. Poulos, Horner, and Hasler, and Ms. Parks
comprised the Human Resources, Compensation, and Benefits
Committee in 2004. None of these persons served as an officer or
employee of ours or any of our subsidiaries during fiscal year
2004. There were no material transactions between us and any of
the members of the Human Resources, Compensation, and Benefits
Committee during fiscal year 2004.
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Compensation of Directors
In compliance with our director compensation policy, during 2004
our outside directors (which we consider to be those directors
who are not officers of the Company, TOSA, or their affiliates),
other than the senior outside director, received an annual fee
of $40,000, an annual equity award of either non-qualified stock
options or restricted stock valued at $40,000, and reimbursement
of reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred for attendance at
Board and Board committee meetings. Under our policy, the
designated senior outside director for 2004 received an annual
cash retainer of $80,000, an annual equity award of either
non-qualified stock options or restricted stock valued at
$80,000, and reimbursement of reasonable out-of-pocket expenses
incurred for attendance at Board and Board Committee meetings.
For 2005, the amount of the annual fee and the annual equity
award payable to our outside directors, other than the senior
outside director, will each increase to $60,000, and the amount
of the annual fee and the annual equity award for our senior
outside director will each increase to $120,000. In addition,
the chairperson of the Audit Committee for 2005 will receive an
additional annual fee of $20,000, and the chairperson of the
Human Resources, Compensation, and Benefits Committee for 2005
will receive an additional annual fee of $10,000.
Mr. Hasler serves as chairperson of our Audit Committee,
and Mr. Poulos serves as chairperson of the Human
Resources, Compensation, and Benefits Committee. Mr. Horner
served as our senior outside director during fiscal year 2004
and has been designated our senior outside director for fiscal
year 2005. Directors who also served as officers of the Company,
TOSA, or their affiliates did not receive any additional
compensation for their services as directors during 2004.
Consulting Agreement
Effective January 1, 2003, we entered into a consulting
agreement with Mr. Fedrick with an initial term of three
years. Under the terms of the consulting agreement,
Mr. Fedrick receives an annual fee of $400,000. Upon
recommendation of the Chief Executive Officer and approval of
our Board of Directors or a designated committee,
Mr. Fedrick may receive a bonus or other compensation in
his capacity as a consultant. During the term of the agreement,
in addition to his service as a member of our Board of
Directors, Mr. Fedrick will (a) provide land review,
acquisition, and development services for our Houston
operations, (b) identify and acquire land in the greater
Houston area, (c) perform other assignments requested by
the Chairman of our Board of Directors or the Chief Executive
Officer from time to time, (d) transition his network of
contacts and local knowledge to Company management, and
(e) provide other general business advisory services. The
agreement requires Mr. Fedrick to devote at least twenty
percent (20%) on average of his working time and energy to the
Company. The consulting agreement contains non-compete and
non-interference provisions. During the year ended
December 31, 2004, Mr. Fedrick was paid an aggregate
of $400,000 under his consulting agreement with the Company.
8
MANAGEMENT
Our executive officers, their ages and positions, as of
April 18, 2005, are as follows:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Name |
|
Age | |
|
Position |
|
|
| |
|
|
Antonio B. Mon
|
|
|
60 |
|
|
Executive Vice Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, President, and
Director |
|
George Stengos
|
|
|
38 |
|
|
Executive Vice President and Director |
|
David J. Keller
|
|
|
56 |
|
|
Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Treasurer |
|
Tommy L. McAden
|
|
|
42 |
|
|
Senior Vice President Strategy and Operations |
|
Patricia M. Petersen
|
|
|
45 |
|
|
Senior Vice President and General Counsel |
|
Randy L. Kotler
|
|
|
40 |
|
|
Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer |
|
Harry Engelstein
|
|
|
70 |
|
|
Senior Executive Vice President TOUSA Homes |
|
John Kraynick
|
|
|
50 |
|
|
Vice President Land
Senior Vice President TOUSA Homes |
|
Clint Ooten
|
|
|
34 |
|
|
Vice President Human Resources and Administration |
|
Edward R. Wohlwender
|
|
|
45 |
|
|
Vice President Operations Support Group
Senior Vice President TOUSA Homes |
Below is a summary of the business experience of each of our
executive officers who does not serve on our Board of Directors.
The business experience of Messrs. Mon and Stengos appears
under the caption Proposal 1 Election of
Directors set forth above.
David J. Keller became our Senior Vice President, Chief
Financial Officer, and Treasurer in May 2004. Prior to joining
the Company, Mr. Keller served as Executive Vice President
and Chief Financial Officer of CitiFinancial, a subsidiary of
CitiGroup, from October 1999 through August 2003. Prior to
CitiGroup, Mr. Keller spent eight years as Chief Financial
Officer of D.R. Horton, a homebuilder. Mr. Keller began his
career with Ernst & Young LLP, where he was an audit
partner for eight years. Mr. Keller is a certified public
accountant.
Tommy L. McAden became our Senior Vice
President Strategy and Operations in April 2004.
Mr. McAden served as our Vice President of Finance and
Administration, Chief Financial Officer, and Treasurer from June
2002 to April 2004. Mr. McAden served as a director, Vice
President, and Chief Financial Officer of TOI from January 2000
to June 2002. From 1994 to December 1999, Mr. McAden was
Chief Financial Officer of Pacific Realty Group, Inc., which was
our former 80% stockholder.
Patricia M. Petersen became our Vice President and
General Counsel on September 1, 2002, was named Senior Vice
President in April 2004, and served as our Secretary from July
2003 to November 2004. Before joining TOUSA, Ms. Petersen
served as Assistant General Counsel of Corning Incorporated, a
technology company, from January 2001 to August 2002. From
September 1992 to October 2000, Ms. Petersen served as
Managing Partner of the Nestor Nestor Kingston Petersen law firm
in Bucharest, Romania, and from 1990 to August 1992 as Associate
Counsel with the Hillis Clark Martin & Peterson law
firm in Seattle, Washington.
Randy L. Kotler became our Vice President and Chief
Accounting Officer on June 25, 2002. Prior to joining
TOUSA, Mr. Kotler spent 13 years in public accounting,
including the last five with Ernst & Young LLP in its
Real Estate Group. Mr. Kotler is a certified public
accountant.
Harry Engelstein became Senior Executive Vice President
of TOUSA Homes, Inc. in April 2004, served as Executive Vice
President of TOUSA Homes, Inc. from February 2003 to April 2004,
and
9
managed our South Florida division from June 2002 to February
2003. Mr. Engelstein began his career in homebuilding in
Montreal, Canada, in 1960, as a contractor. In 1979, he moved to
Florida to help form Engle Homes, Inc., our predecessor in
interest. In 1992, Engle Homes went public, and
Mr. Engelstein served as Executive Vice President and
Corporate Chief Construction Manager.
John Kraynick became our Vice President Land
in December 2004 and has served as Senior Vice President of
TOUSA Homes, Inc. since June 2002. Prior to that time,
Mr. Kraynick served as Executive Vice President of Engle
Homes, our predecessor in interest, since December 1998. He
originally joined Engle Homes in March 1986. As Executive Vice
President of Engle Homes, Mr. Kraynick coordinated the
operations of that companys seven divisions and oversaw
land acquisition on a national level.
Clint Ooten became our Vice President Human
Resources and Administration in April 2004. From March 2002
until November 2004, Mr. Ooten served as our Director of
Human Resources. Prior to joining TOUSA, Mr. Ooten served
for five years as the Director of Human Resources for GE
Industrial Systems, a division of the General Electric Company.
Edward R. Wohlwender became our Vice
President Operations Support Group in December 2004
and has served as Senior Vice President of TOUSA Homes, Inc.
since February 2003. Mr. Wohlwender served as Vice
President Supply Management of TOUSA Homes, Inc.
from January 2002 to February 2003. From January 2001 to January
2002, Mr. Wohlwender owned and managed Value Chain
Consulting, a consulting firm based in Cincinnati, Ohio and
specializing in supply chain optimization. From July 1999 to
January 2001, Mr. Wohlwender served as Senior Vice
President Supply Chain for the Standard Register
Company, an integrated document solutions provider based in
Dayton, Ohio. Prior to July 1999, Mr. Wohlwender worked as
a senior executive at Ernst & Young LLP in their
consulting practice and was Director of Logistics for a division
of the Sara Lee Corporation.
10
AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT
For fiscal year 2004, the Audit Committee operated under a
written charter adopted by our Board of Directors, and on
October 13, 2004, our Board of Directors adopted an amended
and restated Audit Committee charter, a copy of which is
attached as Appendix A to this Proxy Statement. The Audit
Committee members responsibilities and functions are not
intended to duplicate or to certify the activities of management
and the independent certified public accountants. The Audit
Committee oversees our financial reporting process on behalf of
our Board of Directors. Our management has the primary
responsibility for the financial statements and reporting
process, including our systems of internal control over
financial reporting.
During fiscal year 2004, at each of its meetings, the Audit
Committee met with the senior members of the Companys
financial management team, the Companys General Counsel,
and our independent certified public accountants. In addition,
the Director of Internal Audit attends all regularly scheduled
Audit Committee meetings and also meets in private session with
the Audit Committee on a regular basis. The Committee agenda is
established by the Audit Committees Chairman, the Chief
Financial Officer, and the General Counsel. During 2004, the
Audit Committee held private sessions with the Companys
independent certified public accountants.
The Audit Committee approved the engagement of Ernst &
Young LLP as our independent certified public accountants for
the year ended December 31, 2004 and reviewed with the
Companys senior financial management and the independent
certified public accountants overall audit scope and plans, the
results of audit examinations, evaluations by the auditors of
the Companys internal controls, and the quality of the
Companys financial reporting.
The Audit Committee held meetings on February 15 and
March 8, 2005, and took the following actions regarding our
2004 audited financial statements:
|
|
|
|
|
reviewed and discussed the 2004 audited consolidated financial
statements with our management; this included a discussion of
the quality, not just the acceptability, of the accounting
principles, the reasonableness of significant accounting
judgments and estimates, and the clarity of disclosures in the
financial statements. In addressing the quality of
managements accounting judgments, members of the Audit
Committee asked for managements representations and
reviewed certifications prepared by the Chief Executive Officer
and Chief Financial Officer that the consolidated financial
statements of the Company present fairly, in all material
respects, the financial position and results of operations of
the Company; |
|
|
|
discussed with the independent certified public accountants,
Ernst & Young LLP, matters required to be discussed by
Statement on Auditing Standards No. 61, Communication with
Audit Committees; |
|
|
|
received the written disclosures and the letter from
Ernst & Young LLP required by Independence Standards
Board Standard No. 1, Independence Discussions with Audit
Committees, and discussed with Ernst & Young LLP its
independence; and |
|
|
|
in reliance on the reviews and discussions referred to above,
the Audit Committee recommended to our Board of Directors, and
our Board approved, that the audited consolidated financial
statements be included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K
for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004 for filing with
the Commission. |
11
This report furnished by the Audit Committee of our Board of
Directors.
Messrs. Hasler, Horner, Poulos, and Whitworth, and
Ms. Parks
March 31, 2005
The report of the Audit Committee and the performance graph
on page 25 shall not be deemed to be soliciting
material or to be filed with the SEC, nor shall this
information be incorporated by reference by any general
statement incorporating by reference this proxy statement into
any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the
Acts), except to the extent that Technical Olympic
USA, Inc. specifically incorporates this information by
reference, and shall not otherwise be deemed filed under such
Acts.
12
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND
MANAGEMENT
The following table sets forth certain information as of
April 1, 2005, regarding beneficial ownership of our common
stock by
|
|
|
|
|
each person (or group of affiliated persons) who we know to
beneficially own more than 5% of the outstanding shares of our
common stock; |
|
|
|
each of our current directors and our Named Executive Officers
(as defined below); and |
|
|
|
all of our current executive officers and directors as a group. |
The percentage of beneficial ownership is based on
56,080,430 shares of our common stock outstanding on
April 1, 2005.
This table is based on information supplied to us by our
executive officers, directors, and principal stockholders and
information filed with the Commission, and the information in
the table has been adjusted for our five-for-four stock split,
effected in the form of a 25% stock dividend, which was paid to
stockholders on March 31, 2005 (the 2005 Stock
Split).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Name and Address of |
|
Amount and Nature of | |
|
|
Beneficial Owner |
|
Beneficial Ownership(1) | |
|
Percent Owned(1) | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
Technical Olympic S.A.(2)
|
|
|
41,141,975 |
|
|
|
73.36 |
% |
Bricoleur Capital Management LLC(3)
|
|
|
3,530,181 |
|
|
|
6.29 |
% |
Konstantinos Stengos
|
|
|
273,197 |
(4) |
|
|
* |
|
Antonio B. Mon
|
|
|
2,650,009 |
(5) |
|
|
4.51 |
% |
Andreas Stengos
|
|
|
226,322 |
(6) |
|
|
* |
|
George Stengos
|
|
|
226,322 |
(6) |
|
|
* |
|
Marianna Stengou
|
|
|
245,072 |
(4) |
|
|
* |
|
Larry D. Horner
|
|
|
19,670 |
|
|
|
* |
|
William A. Hasler
|
|
|
17,072 |
(7) |
|
|
* |
|
Michael J. Poulos
|
|
|
9,833 |
|
|
|
* |
|
Susan B. Parks
|
|
|
3,375 |
|
|
|
* |
|
J. Bryan Whitworth
|
|
|
2,614 |
(8) |
|
|
* |
|
Lonnie M. Fedrick
|
|
|
87,791 |
|
|
|
* |
|
David J. Keller
|
|
|
22,750 |
(9) |
|
|
* |
|
Tommy L. McAden
|
|
|
662,628 |
(10) |
|
|
1.17 |
% |
Harry Engelstein
|
|
|
26,250 |
(6) |
|
|
* |
|
John Kraynick
|
|
|
9,375 |
(6) |
|
|
* |
|
Mark R. Upton
|
|
|
37,500 |
(6) |
|
|
* |
|
J. Eric Rome
|
|
|
54,375 |
(11) |
|
|
* |
|
All directors and executive officers as a group (19 persons)
|
|
|
4,564,780 |
(12) |
|
|
7.55 |
% |
Except as otherwise indicated, the address of each person named
in this table is c/o Technical Olympic USA, Inc., 4000
Hollywood Boulevard, Suite 500 N, Hollywood, Florida
33021.
|
|
|
|
(1) |
The amounts and percentage of common stock beneficially owned
are reported on the basis of regulations of the Commission.
Under the rules of the Commission, a person is deemed to be a
beneficial owner of a security if that person has or shares
voting power, which includes the power to vote or
direct the voting of the security, or investment
power, which includes the power to dispose of or direct
the disposition of the security. Except as indicated by
footnote, and subject to community property laws where
applicable, the persons named in the table above have sole voting |
13
|
|
|
|
|
and investment power with respect to all shares of common stock
shown as beneficially owned by them. In addition, in determining
the number and percentage of shares beneficially owned by each
person, shares issuable pursuant to options exercisable within
60 days after April 1, 2005, are deemed outstanding
for purposes of determining the total number outstanding for
such person and are not deemed outstanding for such purpose for
all other stockholders. Under these rules, more than one person
may be deemed a beneficial owner of the same securities and a
person may be deemed a beneficial owner of securities as to
which he has no economic interest. |
|
|
(2) |
The principal business address of Technical Olympic S.A. is
20 Solomou Street, Alimos, Athens, Greece, 17456.
Mr. Konstantinos Stengos owns more than 5% of the
outstanding stock of Technical Olympic S.A. |
|
|
(3) |
The principal business address of Bricoleur Capital Management
(Bricoleur) is 12230 El Camino Real, Suite 100,
San Diego, California 92130. This number is based solely on
Amendment No. 4, filed on April 8, 2005, to the
Schedule 13G filed with the Commission by Bricoleur.
According to the Schedule 13G, as amended, Bricoleur has
shared voting power and shared dispositive power with respect to
all of the referenced shares. |
|
|
(4) |
Includes 226,322 shares issuable upon exercise of stock
options that have already vested or will vest within
60 days of April 1, 2005. |
|
|
(5) |
As a result of various gifts and transfers for estate planning
purposes, Mr. Mon has transferred all of his stock options
to various family-controlled entities. The total set forth above
includes (i) 622,749 shares issuable upon exercise of
stock options that have already vested or will vest within
60 days of April 1, 2005 that are beneficially owned
by Maywood Investment Company, LLC (MIC),
(ii) 967,307 shares issuable upon exercise of stock options
that have already vested or will vest within 60 days of
April 1, 2005 that are beneficially owned by a trust for
the benefit of Mr. Mons adult children (the
Trust), and (iii) 1,059,953 shares
issuable upon exercise of stock options that have already vested
or will vest within 60 days of April 1, 2005 that are
beneficially owned by Maywood Capital, LLC (MC).
Mr. Mon is not the managing member of MIC, nor does he own
or control majority of the membership interests in MIC, and,
accordingly, he disclaims beneficial ownership of the stock
options owned by MIC. Mr. Mon disclaims beneficial
ownership of the stock options held by the Trust, and, although
he has a pecuniary interest in MC, he also disclaims beneficial
ownership of the stock options held by MC. |
|
|
(6) |
Consists solely of shares issuable upon exercise of stock
options that have already vested or will vest within
60 days of April 1, 2005. |
|
|
(7) |
Includes 14,522 shares issuable upon exercise of stock
options that have already vested or will vest within
60 days of April 1, 2005. |
|
|
(8) |
Includes 1,364 shares issuable upon exercise of stock
options that have already vested or will vest within
60 days of April 1, 2005. |
|
|
(9) |
Includes 18,750 shares issuable upon exercise of stock
options that have already vested or will vest within
60 days of April 1, 2005. |
|
|
(10) |
Includes 662,503 shares issuable upon exercise of stock
options that have already vested or will vest within
60 days of April 1, 2005. |
|
(11) |
Includes 37,500 shares issuable upon exercise of stock
options that have already vested or will vest within
60 days of April 1, 2005. |
|
(12) |
Includes 4,370,561 shares issuable upon exercise of stock
options that have already vested or will vest within
60 days of April 1, 2005. |
14
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
The following table presents certain summary information
concerning compensation earned for services rendered by
(i) our Chief Executive Officer during 2004, (ii) our
other four most highly compensated executive officers whose
total annual salary and bonus exceeded $100,000 during the
fiscal year ended December 31, 2004, and (iii) two
additional individuals for whom disclosure is required (the
Named Executive Officers).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Long Term | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Compensation | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Annual Compensation | |
|
Awards | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Annual | |
|
Securities | |
|
All Other | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Compen- | |
|
Underlying | |
|
Compensa- | |
Name and Principal Position |
|
Year | |
|
Salary($) | |
|
Bonus($) | |
|
sation($) | |
|
Options(#)(5) | |
|
tion($) | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
Antonio B. Mon
|
|
|
2004 |
|
|
|
992,200 |
|
|
|
3,950,000 |
|
|
|
140,208 |
(1) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
111,636 |
(2) |
|
Chief Executive Officer, |
|
|
2003 |
|
|
|
896,700 |
|
|
|
2,500,000 |
|
|
|
117,239 |
(3) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
111,636 |
(2) |
|
President, and Director |
|
|
2002 |
|
|
|
828,333 |
|
|
|
2,394,700 |
|
|
|
61,644 |
(4) |
|
|
3,293,169 |
|
|
|
111,636 |
(2) |
|
David J. Keller(6)(7)
|
|
|
2004 |
|
|
|
300,000 |
|
|
|
500,000 |
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
93,750 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Senior Vice President, |
|
|
2003 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chief Financial Officer, |
|
|
2002 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
and Treasurer |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tommy L. McAden
|
|
|
2004 |
|
|
|
459,800 |
|
|
|
965,000 |
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Senior Vice President |
|
|
2003 |
|
|
|
418,000 |
|
|
|
625,000 |
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Strategy and Operations |
|
|
2002 |
|
|
|
395,833 |
|
|
|
550,000 |
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
823,292 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
John Kraynick(6)
|
|
|
2004 |
|
|
|
445,000 |
|
|
|
500,000 |
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
46,875 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Vice President Land |
|
|
2003 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sr. Vice President TOUSA Homes |
|
|
2002 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Harry Engelstein
|
|
|
2004 |
|
|
|
445,500 |
|
|
|
2,000,000 |
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
56,250 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Senior Executive Vice President |
|
|
2003 |
|
|
|
445,000 |
|
|
|
1,019,064 |
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
37,500 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOUSA Homes |
|
|
2002 |
|
|
|
415,000 |
|
|
|
969,064 |
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mark R. Upton(8)
|
|
|
2004 |
|
|
|
420,000 |
|
|
|
1,322,000 |
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Executive Vice President |
|
|
2003 |
|
|
|
420,000 |
|
|
|
1,000,000 |
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
93,750 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOUSA Homes |
|
|
2002 |
|
|
|
239,850 |
|
|
|
696,927 |
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. Eric Rome(8)
|
|
|
2004 |
|
|
|
420,000 |
|
|
|
924,100 |
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Executive Vice President |
|
|
2003 |
|
|
|
420,000 |
|
|
|
1,000,000 |
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
93,750 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOUSA Homes |
|
|
2002 |
|
|
|
408,846 |
|
|
|
800,000 |
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* |
Value of perquisites and other personal benefits does not exceed
the lesser of $50,000 or 10% of the total of annual salary and
bonus reported for the Named Executive Officer. These
perquisites and other personal benefits consist of automobile
allowances and/or the personal use of a corporate automobile,
the taxable portion of premiums paid by the Company on group
term life insurance, and tax gross ups on certain of these
payments. |
|
|
(1) |
Of this amount, $37,644 represents an automobile allowance,
$50,400 represents use of a corporate apartment, and the balance
represents personal use of a corporate automobile, the taxable
portion of premiums paid by the Company on group term life
insurance, and tax gross-up payments on these perquisites. |
|
(2) |
This amount includes $60,000 paid for life insurance policies,
plus $51,636 paid in tax gross-up payments on such premiums. |
|
(3) |
Of this amount, $37,644 represents an automobile allowance,
$46,800 represents use of a corporate apartment, and the balance
represents personal use of a corporate automobile and tax
gross-up payments on these perquisites. |
|
(4) |
This amount represents an automobile allowance, use of a
corporate apartment, the taxable portion of premiums paid by the
Company on group term life insurance, and tax gross-up payments. |
|
(5) |
Adjusted to reflect a three for two stock split, effected in the
form of a 50% stock dividend, which was paid to stockholders on
June 1, 2004 (the 2004 Stock Split), and the
2005 Stock Split. |
|
(6) |
Individual was not an executive officer of the Company during
the fiscal years ended December 31, 2002 and 2003. |
|
(7) |
Base salary amount does not include $37,500 earned by the
executive officer during 2004 as a consultant to the Company
prior to his employment by the Company. |
|
(8) |
Individual was not an executive officer of the Company as of
December 31, 2004. |
15
Stock Option Grants and Exercises
The following table provides certain information concerning
individual grants of stock options under our Annual and
Long-Term Incentive Plan made during the year ended
December 31, 2004 to the Named Executive Officers. The
information in the following table has been adjusted to reflect
the 2004 Stock Split and the 2005 Stock Split.
Option Grants in Last Fiscal Year
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Potential Realizable | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Value at Assumed | |
|
|
Number of | |
|
Percent of | |
|
|
|
|
|
Annual Rates of Stock | |
|
|
Securities | |
|
Total Options | |
|
|
|
|
|
Price Appreciation for | |
|
|
Underlying | |
|
Granted To | |
|
Exercise or | |
|
|
|
Option Term | |
|
|
Options | |
|
Employees In | |
|
Base Price | |
|
Expiration | |
|
| |
Name |
|
Granted(#) | |
|
Fiscal Year | |
|
($/Sh) | |
|
Date | |
|
5%($) | |
|
10%($) | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
Antonio B. Mon
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
David J. Keller
|
|
|
18,750 |
|
|
|
20.8 |
% |
|
|
19.36 |
|
|
|
05/03/14 |
|
|
|
173,625 |
|
|
|
491,438 |
|
|
|
|
18,750 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
21.29 |
|
|
|
05/03/14 |
|
|
|
137,438 |
|
|
|
455,250 |
|
|
|
|
18,750 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
23.42 |
|
|
|
05/03/14 |
|
|
|
97,500 |
|
|
|
415,313 |
|
|
|
|
18,750 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
25.76 |
|
|
|
05/03/14 |
|
|
|
53,625 |
|
|
|
371,438 |
|
|
|
|
18,750 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
28.34 |
|
|
|
05/03/14 |
|
|
|
5,250 |
|
|
|
323,063 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
93,750 |
(1) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tommy L. McAden
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
John Kraynick
|
|
|
9,375 |
|
|
|
10.4 |
% |
|
|
17.25 |
|
|
|
03/03/14 |
|
|
|
77,438 |
|
|
|
219,094 |
|
|
|
|
9,375 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
18.98 |
|
|
|
03/03/14 |
|
|
|
61,219 |
|
|
|
202,875 |
|
|
|
|
9,375 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
20.88 |
|
|
|
03/03/14 |
|
|
|
43,406 |
|
|
|
185,063 |
|
|
|
|
9,375 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
22.96 |
|
|
|
03/03/14 |
|
|
|
23,906 |
|
|
|
165,563 |
|
|
|
|
9,375 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
25.25 |
|
|
|
03/03/14 |
|
|
|
2,438 |
|
|
|
144,094 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
46,875 |
(2) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Harry Engelstein
|
|
|
11,250 |
|
|
|
12.5 |
% |
|
|
17.25 |
|
|
|
03/03/14 |
|
|
|
92,925 |
|
|
|
262,913 |
|
|
|
|
11,250 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
18.98 |
|
|
|
03/03/14 |
|
|
|
73,463 |
|
|
|
243,450 |
|
|
|
|
11,250 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
20.88 |
|
|
|
03/03/14 |
|
|
|
52,088 |
|
|
|
222,075 |
|
|
|
|
11,250 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
22.96 |
|
|
|
03/03/14 |
|
|
|
28,688 |
|
|
|
198,675 |
|
|
|
|
11,250 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
25.25 |
|
|
|
03/03/14 |
|
|
|
2,925 |
|
|
|
172,913 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
56,250 |
(2) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mark R. Upton
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. Eric Rome
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1) |
The option grant vests in 5 equal annual installments beginning
on May 3, 2005 and ending on May 3, 2009. |
|
(2) |
The option grant vests in 5 equal annual installments beginning
on March 3, 2005 and ending on March 3, 2009. |
16
The following table provides information regarding the options
exercised by the Named Executive Officers during the year ended
December 31, 2004 and the value of options outstanding for
such individuals at December 31, 2004. The information in
the following table has been adjusted to reflect the 2004 Stock
Split and the 2005 Stock Split.
Aggregated Option Exercises in Last Fiscal Year and Fiscal
Year-End Option Values
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number of Securities | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Underlying Unexercised | |
|
Value of Unexercised | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Options at | |
|
In-The-Money Options | |
|
|
Shares | |
|
|
|
Fiscal Year-End(#) | |
|
at Fiscal Year-End($)(1) | |
|
|
Acquired on | |
|
Value | |
|
| |
|
| |
Name |
|
Exercise(#) | |
|
Realized($) | |
|
Exercisable | |
|
Unexercisable | |
|
Exercisable | |
|
Unexercisable | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
Antonio B. Mon(2)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,991,370 |
|
|
|
1,301,799 |
|
|
|
20,306,747 |
|
|
|
12,499,778 |
|
David J. Keller
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
93,750 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
17,625 |
|
Tommy L. McAden
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
497,845 |
|
|
|
325,447 |
|
|
|
5,076,718 |
|
|
|
3,124,919 |
|
John Kraynick
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
46,875 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
40,969 |
|
Harry Engelstein
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
7,500 |
|
|
|
86,250 |
|
|
|
76,650 |
|
|
|
316,013 |
|
J. Eric Rome
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
18,750 |
|
|
|
75,000 |
|
|
|
191,625 |
|
|
|
667,126 |
|
Mark R. Upton
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
18,750 |
|
|
|
75,000 |
|
|
|
191,625 |
|
|
|
667,126 |
|
|
|
(1) |
Based on the closing price of TOUSAs common stock on
December 31, 2004 of $20.30, as adjusted for the 2005 Stock
Split. |
|
(2) |
As a result of various gifts and transfers for estate planning
purposes, Mr. Mon has transferred all of his stock options
to various family-controlled entities. The amounts set forth
above include (i) 773,891 shares issuable upon
exercise of stock options that are beneficially owned by Maywood
Investment Company, LLC (MIC),
(ii) 1,202,073 shares issuable upon exercise of stock
options that are beneficially owned by a trust for the benefit
of Mr. Mons adult children (the Trust),
and (iii) 1,317,205 shares issuable upon exercise of
stock options that are beneficially owned by Maywood Capital,
LLC (MC). Mr. Mon is not the managing member of
MIC, nor does he own or control majority of the membership
interests in MIC, and, accordingly, he disclaims beneficial
ownership of the stock options owned by MIC. Mr. Mon
disclaims beneficial ownership of the stock options held by the
Trust, and, although he has a pecuniary interest in MC, he also
disclaims beneficial ownership of the stock options held by MC. |
Employment Agreements
Effective July 26, 2003, Antonio B. Mon and the Company
entered into an Amended and Restated Employment Agreement with a
term ending on December 31, 2008. Pursuant to that
agreement, Mr. Mon serves as our Chief Executive Officer
and Executive Vice-Chairman, as well as one of our directors.
The agreement provides that Mr. Mon will receive an initial
base salary of $968,000 with annual increases of a minimum of
10% per year until the agreement expires or is terminated.
Mr. Mon is also entitled to an annual bonus, based upon the
Companys net income and return on equity.
The amended and restated employment agreement also provides that
Mr. Mon will be eligible to receive equity incentive
compensation for each of 2007 and 2008 in an amount per year
equal to one percent (1%) of our then outstanding shares on
a fully-diluted basis. The form of the equity incentive
compensation will be mutually agreed upon by Mr. Mon and
the Company. If the equity incentive compensation takes the form
of options to purchase shares of our common stock, the exercise
price for the shares (subject to specified adjustments) will be
$16.23 for the 2007 grant and $17.85 for the 2008 grant, as
adjusted for the 2004 Stock Split and the 2005 Stock Split, and
they will vest one year from the grant date and expire ten years
from the grant date. If the equity incentive compensation
ultimately takes the form of a grant of stock options, and the
exercise prices noted above are below the then-existing fair
market value of the Companys common stock, most, if not
all, of the compensation expense recognized by the Company may
not be tax deductible to the Company under Section 162(m)
of the Internal Revenue
17
Code. If the equity incentive compensation takes a form other
than stock options, the employment agreement provides that the
economic value be equivalent to that of an option grant as
described above. Unless such economically equivalent
compensation qualifies as performance-based compensation that is
otherwise excluded from the limitations of Section 162(m),
most, if not all, of the compensation expense related to such
compensation may not be tax deductible to the Company under
Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code.
In the event of termination by us without cause, or in the event
Mr. Mon terminates for good reason or due to a change in
control, we will pay Mr. Mon a termination payment equal to
the greater of (a) three times the sum of his highest base
salary and annual cash bonus paid in the three years prior to
such termination, and the value of his fringe benefits, or
(b) the aggregate amount of his base salary, his annual
cash bonuses, and the value of the fringe benefits that would be
payable for the remainder of the agreement term. He will also
receive the equity incentive compensation described above and
continued health plan coverage until age 65 or until he
becomes covered under another plan. In the event of termination
by the Company for cause or due to Mr. Mons death or
disability, Mr. Mon or his estate is entitled to any earned
but unpaid salary, a pro rata bonus for the year of termination,
and any other accrued obligations or unreimbursed business
expenses.
Effective May 1, 2004, David J. Keller and the Company
entered into an employment agreement pursuant to which
Mr. Keller serves as our Senior Vice President, Chief
Financial Officer and Treasurer. The agreement expires on
April 30, 2007. The agreement provides that Mr. Keller
will receive a base salary of $450,000, subject to increase, and
he is targeted to earn an annual cash bonus of up to 100% of his
base salary. For fiscal year 2004, the employment agreement
provided for a guaranteed minimum bonus to Mr. Keller of
$450,000.
If Mr. Kellers employment is terminated by the
Company without cause, or by Mr. Keller for good reason
(including a change of control of the Company), Mr. Keller
will be entitled to receive (i) his base salary for the
remainder of the agreement term, (ii) a pro-rated bonus for
the year of termination, (iii) an additional amount equal
to the aggregate bonus that would have been payable during the
remainder of the agreement term (other than the year in which
the termination occurs), based on the highest bonus paid to
Mr. Keller during the prior three fiscal years,
(iv) any earned but unpaid salary, and any earned and
vested, but unpaid, bonus through the date of termination, as
well as the economic value of any accrued but unused vacation
time and any unreimbursed business expenses (collectively, the
Accrued Obligations), and (v) the fair market
value of any benefits and other perquisites to be provided to
Mr. Keller for the remainder of the agreement term. If
Mr. Kellers employment is terminated for cause, he is
entitled to receive any Accrued Obligations. If
Mr. Kellers employment is terminated due to
disability or death, Mr. Kellers is entitled to
receive any Accrued Obligations and a pro-rated bonus for the
year of termination.
From June 25, 2002 until April 27, 2004, Tommy L.
McAden served as our Vice President of Finance and
Administration, Chief Financial Officer, and Treasurer, and on
April 27, 2004, Mr. McAden became our Senior Vice
President Strategy and Operations. Pursuant to the
terms of the employment agreement between Mr. McAden and
us, which expires on June 25, 2005, Mr. McAden will
receive an initial base salary of $380,000, with annual
increases of a minimum of 10% per year thereafter until the
agreement expires or is terminated. Mr. McAden is also
entitled to an annual bonus of up to 200% of his base salary,
based upon the Companys net income and return on equity.
Pursuant to the agreement, Mr. McAden has been granted
options under the Companys Annual and Long Term Incentive
Plan to purchase 823,292 shares of our common stock,
as adjusted for the 2004 Stock Split and the 2005 Stock Split.
In the event of termination by us without cause, or by
Mr. McAden for good reason, we will pay Mr. McAden a
termination payment in the amount of the sum of (i) his
base salary for the remainder of the agreement term, (ii) a
pro-rated bonus for the year of termination, (iii) an
additional amount equal to
18
the aggregate bonus that would have been payable during the
remainder of the agreement term (other than the year in which
the termination occurs), based on the highest bonus paid to
Mr. McAden during the prior three fiscal years,
(iv) the value of any benefits and perquisites that would
have been provided during the remainder of the agreement term,
and (v) any Accrued Obligations. In the event of a change
in control and Mr. McAdens termination of the
agreement on this basis, he will receive the greater of
(a) the termination payment due above, or (b) two
times the sum of the highest salary paid pursuant to the
agreement and the highest annual bonus paid to Mr. McAden
in the prior three fiscal years, plus the value of any benefits
and perquisites that would have been provided during the
remainder of the agreement term, and any Accrued Obligations. In
the event of a termination of the agreement by the Company for
cause, Mr. McAden is entitled to receive any Accrued
Obligations. In the event that Mr. McAdens employment
is terminated due to disability, he will receive any Accrued
Obligations plus a pro-rated bonus for the year of termination.
If Mr. McAdens employment is terminated due to his
death, his estate will receive (i) any Accrued Obligations,
(ii) a pro-rated bonus for the year of termination, and
(iii) an additional payment equal to the lesser of
(y) $2 million or (z) an amount equal to two
times the sum of Mr. McAdens salary at the time of
his death and the highest bonus paid to him during the three
fiscal years prior to his death.
Effective January 1, 2004, TOUSA Associates Services
Company, on behalf of the Company, and Mr. Kraynick entered
into an employment agreement pursuant to which he serves as
Senior Vice-President of Land for our homebuilding operations.
The agreement expires on December 31, 2005. Pursuant to the
agreement, Mr. Kraynick is entitled to receive a base
salary of $445,000, subject to increase, and is targeted to earn
an annual performance-based bonus of up to 150% of his base
salary, calculated based on the Companys average return on
equity.
If Mr. Kraynicks employment is terminated without
cause or by Mr. Kraynick for good reason, Mr. Kraynick
will be entitled to receive (i) his base salary for the
remainder of the agreement term, (ii) a pro-rated bonus for
the year of termination, (iii) an additional amount equal
to the aggregate bonus that would have been payable during the
remainder of the agreement term (other than the year in which
the termination occurs), based on the highest bonus paid to
Mr. Kraynick during the prior three fiscal years,
(iv) any Accrued Obligations, and (v) the fair market
value of any benefits and other perquisites to be provided to
Mr. Kraynick for the remainder of the agreement term. If
Mr. Kraynicks employment is terminated for cause, he
is entitled to receive any Accrued Obligations. If
Mr. Kraynicks employment is terminated due to
disability or death, he or his estate is entitled to receive any
Accrued Obligations, plus a pro-rated bonus for the year of
termination.
Effective December 1, 2004, the TOUSA Associates Services
Company, on behalf of the Company, and Mr. Engelstein
entered into an employment agreement pursuant to which he serves
as Senior Executive Vice President of our homebuilding
operations. The agreement expires on December 31, 2006.
Pursuant to the agreement, Mr. Engelstein is entitled to
receive a base salary of $500,000, subject to increase, and an
annual bonus in an amount equal to $50,000 more than the next
highest annual bonus paid to an Executive Vice President of the
Companys homebuilding operations. Mr. Engelstein is
also entitled to participate in the Companys Performance
Unit Program (PUP) under the Companys Annual
and Long-Term Incentive Plan. Pursuant to the employment
agreement, Mr. Engelstein received a grant of 37,500
performance units under the Plan with respect to fiscal year
2005, as adjusted for the 2005 Stock Split.
If Mr. Engelsteins employment is terminated by the
Company without cause, or by Mr. Engelstein for good
reason, Mr. Engelstein will be entitled to receive
(i) his base salary for the greater of two full years or
the remainder of the agreement term, (ii) his bonus for the
year in which his employment terminates, (iii) a bonus,
based on the average bonus paid to Mr. Engelstein in the
prior three fiscal years, for the greater of two full years or
the remainder of the agreement term (other than the year in
which the termination occurs), (iv) any Accrued
Obligations, and (v) the fair market value of any benefits
and other
19
perquisites to be provided to Mr. Engelstein for the
remainder of the agreement term. If Mr. Engelsteins
employment is terminated for cause, he is entitled to receive
any Accrued Obligations. If Mr. Engelsteins
employment is terminated due to disability or death,
Mr. Engelstein or his estate is entitled to receive any
Accrued Obligations and a pro-rated bonus for the year of
termination.
Effective January 1, 2005, TOUSA Associates Services
Company, on behalf of the Company, and Mr. Upton entered an
employment agreement pursuant to which he will serve as an
Executive Vice President of the homebuilding operations of the
Company. The agreement expires on December 31, 2006.
Pursuant to the employment agreement, Mr. Upton is entitled
to a base salary of $420,000 and a quarterly, performance-based
bonus calculated in accordance with the terms of the employment
agreement. Mr. Upton is also entitled to participate in the
Companys PUP under the Companys Annual and Long-Term
Incentive Plan. Pursuant to the employment agreement,
Mr. Upton received a grant of 31,250 performance units with
respect to fiscal year 2005, as adjusted for the 2005 Stock
Split.
If Mr. Uptons employment is terminated by the Company
without cause, or by Mr. Upton for good reason,
Mr. Upton will be entitled to receive (i) his base
salary for the remainder of the agreement term, (ii) a
bonus payment in an amount equal to twelve months prior
bonus paid to Mr. Upton, (iii) any Accrued
Obligations, and (iv) the fair market value of any benefits
and other perquisites to be provided to Mr. Upton for the
remainder of the agreement term. If Mr. Uptons
employment is terminated for cause, or due to
Mr. Uptons disability or death, he is entitled to
receive the Accrued Obligations. In addition, the employment
agreement provides Mr. Upton the right to terminate the
employment agreement in the event of a change of
control of the Company. Upon a termination by
Mr. Upton following a change of control, Mr. Upton
will be entitled to receive a termination payment equal to
(a) his base salary for the remainder of the agreement term
and (b) a bonus payment in an amount equal to twelve
months prior bonus paid to Mr. Upton.
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Provisions in the Employment Agreements Generally |
The employment agreements with Messrs. Mon, Keller and
McAden also provide that if payments are deemed to constitute
excess parachute payments and any of them become
liable for any tax penalties imposed thereon, the Company will
make a cash payment to them in an amount equal to the tax
penalties. The employment agreements with Messrs. Mon,
Keller, McAden and Kraynick also contain non-compete and
non-disclosure provisions in the event of their termination of
employment. The employment agreements with
Messrs. Engelstein and Upton contain non-compete provisions
in the event of their termination of employment.
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Independent Contractor Agreement with J. Eric Rome |
On April 1, 2003, the Company and Mr. Rome entered
into an employment agreement to reflect his responsibilities as
an Executive Vice President of our homebuilding operations. On
March 10, 2005, this agreement was terminated, and
Mr. Rome entered into a separation and independent
contractor agreement with the Company. Pursuant to the new
agreement, Mr. Rome will actively seek real property for
acquisition by the Companys homebuilding operations. The
agreement provides that Mr. Rome will receive an initial
payment of $82,500, monthly payments of $38,666.66 per
month from March 15, 2005 through December 31, 2007,
and an additional aggregate payment of $1,286,000 payable in
four quarterly installments beginning on April 15, 2005,
and certain other benefits and perquisites. In addition,
Mr. Rome will be paid 3% of the base purchase price of any
property identified by him and ultimately acquired by the
Company and is eligible to receive additional compensation if
such property exceeds specified Company profit margin targets
upon development. In the event of a change of control of the
Company, Mr. Rome is entitled to terminate the agreement
and receive an accelerated payment of all amounts due to him
under the agreement. The agreement can be terminated by
Mr. Rome on 60 days notice to the Company. The
agreement with Mr. Rome contains certain limited
non-compete and non-disclosure provisions.
20
COMMITTEE REPORT ON EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004, our Human
Resources, Compensation, and Benefits Committee was responsible
for both the establishment and administration of the policies
that govern annual compensation programs and for the
compensation and bonus arrangement for the Chief Executive
Officer and other top executive officers, the establishment of
compensation for all other officers, and the administration of
our long-term incentive program. During 2004, the Human
Resources, Compensation, and Benefits Committee was comprised of
Messrs. Poulos, Hasler and Horner, and Ms. Parks, each
of whom are independent directors.
This report, regarding our compensation policies and the
implementation of these policies during 2004, is furnished by
the Human Resources, Compensation, and Benefits Committee.
Determination of Executive Officer Compensation
Our compensation policies are intended to:
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reward executives for long-term strategic management that
results in the enhancement of stockholder values; |
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support a performance oriented environment that rewards
achievement of both our internal goals and enhanced Company
performance as measured against performance levels of comparable
companies in the industry; and |
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attract and retain executives whose abilities are critical to
our long-term success and competitiveness. |
Components of Executive Officer Compensation
For 2004, the executive compensation program consisted of three
key components, which are unchanged from the prior year:
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base salary; |
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incentive compensation (bonus); and |
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stock options. |
Base salaries paid to Named Executive Officers were paid
pursuant to agreements described in Employment
Agreements above. Each Named Executive Officers base
salary was determined by the individual officers level of
responsibility and comparisons to similar positions within TOUSA
as well as with other companies in the industry.
The Human Resources, Compensation, and Benefits Committee
evaluated and approved annual bonuses for 2004 for our senior
officers. The bonus formulas contained in the employment
agreements of the Companys senior officers are designed to
reward personal contribution and performance, measured by
reference to performance measures tailored to the particular
responsibilities of the specific senior officer, such as
achievement of specified targets for return on equity, Company
net income, regional/divisional profit goals,
regional/divisional contribution targets, customer service
rankings, and/or overall performance. In the budgeting process,
a profit goal or regional contribution target is set for each
division and region, and minimum threshold performance criteria
for regional and divisional officers must be reached before any
bonus awards will be granted. In addition, the individual
performance of each senior officer and/or any extraordinary or
unusual circumstances or events are taken into consideration in
making bonus awards. As a result, the Human Resources,
Compensation, and Benefits Committee has the discretion to and
does, from time to time, grant discretionary bonuses in excess
of the amounts resulting from the bonus formulas contained in
the relevant employment agreements for the Companys senior
officers.
21
Determination of Chief Executive Officer Compensation
In connection with our principal stockholders decision to
merge the operations and businesses of Newmark Homes Corp. and
Engle Holdings Corp. in 2002, we determined that it was
necessary to bring on a new Chief Executive Officer who had
significant experience in our industry. Upon review of industry
compensation standards, we entered into an initial employment
agreement with Mr. Mon in June 2002 (the Original
Employment Agreement), which provided for a base salary
and an annual bonus that was strictly tied to the performance of
the Company. We determined that the best way to align the
interests of our Chief Executive Officer with the long-term
interests of our stockholders was to align his annual bonus with
the Companys results of operations, thereby providing
meaningful downside risk and upside opportunity for variations
in our financial performance. In addition to his base salary and
annual bonus, the Human Resources, Compensation, and Benefits
Committee determined that the compensation of our Chief
Executive Officer should have an equity component to further
align the Chief Executive Officers interests with those of
our stockholders by providing a direct link between executive
compensation and long-term performance of TOUSA. Stock options
were granted to our Chief Executive Officer at various premiums
to the fair market price at the time, and 889,161 of these
options (as adjusted for the 2004 Stock Split and the 2005 Stock
Split) contained performance-based accelerated vesting criteria.
In recognition of Mr. Mons performance, and in the
consideration of the best interests of the Company, in July
2003, the Human Resources, Compensation, and Benefits Committee
approved an amendment to the Original Employment Agreement with
Mr. Mon to extend the term of such agreement for two years,
to December 31, 2008. The Amended and Restated Employment
Agreement did not modify Mr. Mons base salary or
provide him with any other material benefit, other than to
provide for the grant of additional equity compensation to be
awarded to Mr. Mon during 2007 and 2008, the additional
years of the employment term, as described in greater detail
under Employment Agreements above.
Accordingly, in accordance with these policies and the terms of
his Amended and Restated Employment Agreement, for fiscal 2004,
Mr. Mon received aggregate compensation valued at
$5,194,044, which included a base salary of $992,200, an
aggregate bonus of $3,950,000, and other perquisites having an
aggregate value of $251,844, as described in more detail under
Executive Compensation. In addition, during 2004,
the performance-based accelerated vesting criteria applicable to
certain of his stock option awards were partially satisfied,
resulting in the accelerated vesting of options to purchase an
aggregate of 246,001 shares of Company common stock (as
adjusted for the 2004 Stock Split and the 2005 Stock Split).
Annual and Long-Term Incentive Plan
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Stock Options and Restricted Stock |
The Plan provides that any employee, consultant, or director of
the Company, its subsidiaries, its parent corporation, and
affiliated entities is eligible to receive stock options,
restricted stock, performance awards, phantom shares, bonus
shares, or other stock-based awards, either separately or in
combination. The number of shares of common stock with respect
to which awards may be granted under the Plan is 7,500,000,
subject to adjustment. The Plan is intended to promote the
interests of the Company by encouraging employees, consultants,
and directors of the Company, its parent corporation, its
subsidiaries, and affiliated entities to acquire or increase
their equity interest in the Company and to provide a means
whereby they may develop a sense of ownership and personal
involvement in the development and financial success of the
Company, and to encourage them to remain with and devote their
best efforts to the Companys business, thereby advancing
the interests of the Company and its stockholders. As of
December 31, 2004, and as adjusted for the 2005 Stock
Split, 6,827,737 options were outstanding under the Plan, and
32,862 shares of Restricted Stock had been granted under
the Plan.
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Performance Unit Program (PUP) |
In February 2005, the Human Resources, Compensation, and
Benefits Committee made grants of performance units under the
Companys PUP to various officers and other employees of
the Company. The performance units are payable in cash and vest
at the end of a specified three-year vesting period based upon
the Companys achievement of return on equity and
cumulative earnings targets approved by the Human Resources,
Compensation, and Benefits Committee. The value of a performance
unit equals the appreciation of one share of Company stock from
the beginning to the end of the vesting period, and may be
increased based upon the extent to which the relevant return on
equity and cumulative earnings targets are exceeded. Once
vested, the performance units are paid in two equal installments
on each March 31 following the end of the three-year
vesting period. Outstanding performance unit awards are subject
to adjustment in the event of stock splits or stock dividends,
extraordinary cash dividends or other similar events. The
performance units granted to certain officers and employees will
vest immediately upon the occurrence of a change of control of
the Company.
For 2005, the Named Executive Officers received the following
grants of performance units (as adjusted for the 2005 Stock
Split), all with a vesting period of January 1, 2005 to
December 31, 2007: Mr. Keller, 62,500 performance
units; Mr. McAden, 43,750 performance units;
Mr. Kraynick, 25,000 performance units;
Mr. Engelstein, 37,500 performance units; and
Mr. Upton, 31,250 performance units.
Executive Savings Plan
Effective December 1, 2004, the Company implemented the
Technical Olympic USA, Inc. Executive Savings Plan (the
Savings Plan). The Savings Plan allows a select
group of management or highly compensated employees of the
Company or certain of the Companys subsidiaries to elect
to defer up to 90% of their salary and up to 100% of their
bonus. The Company credits an amount equal to the compensation
deferred by a participant to that participants deferral
account under the Savings Plan. Each participants deferral
account is credited with income, gains and losses based on the
performance of investment funds selected by the participant from
a list of funds designated by the Company. Participants are at
all times 100% vested in the amounts that they choose to defer
under the Savings Plan. The deferred compensation credited to a
participants account is payable in cash, commencing upon a
date specified in advance by the participant pursuant to the
terms of the Savings Plan or, if earlier, the termination of the
participants employment with the Company or its
subsidiary, subject to certain provisions allowing accelerated
distributions in the event of disability, certain changes
of control of the Company and/or unforeseeable
emergencies. The Company does not make any contributions under
the Plan and may terminate the Savings Plan and discontinue any
further deferrals under the Savings Plan at any time. The
obligation to make distributions from participant accounts under
the Savings Plan is an unsecured, general obligation of the
Company.
Compliance with Section 162(m)
Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code generally
disallows a tax deduction to public companies for annual
compensation over $1.0 million paid to their Chief
Executive Officer and certain other highly compensated executive
officers. Generally, the Code excludes from the calculation of
the $1.0 million cap compensation that is based on the
attainment of pre-established, objective performance goals.
Where practicable, it is the Human Resources, Compensation, and
Benefits Committees policy to establish compensation
practices that are both cost-efficient from a tax standpoint and
effective as a compensation program. The Human Resources,
Compensation, and Benefits Committee considers it important to
be able to utilize the full range of incentive compensation
tools, even though some compensation may not be fully deductible.
This report is furnished by the Human Resources, Compensation,
and Benefits Committee of our Board of Directors.
Messrs. Poulos, Hasler, Horner, and Whitworth, and
Ms. Parks
March 31, 2005
23
CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS
Management Services Agreement
In June 2003, we entered into an Amended and Restated Management
Services Agreement with TOI, our former parent company, and in
connection with an October 2003 restructuring transaction, TOI
assigned its obligations and rights under the Amended and
Restated Management Services Agreement to TOSI, a Delaware
corporation wholly-owned by TOSA. Under the Amended and Restated
Management Services Agreement, TOSI provided consultation with,
and assistance to, our Board of Directors and management in
connection with issues involving our business, as well as other
services requested from time to time by our Board of Directors.
In consideration for providing such services, the agreement
requires us to pay TOSI an annual management fee of $500,000
and, to the extent our net income for any fiscal year meets
established targets, additional annual incentive fees, which may
not exceed $3.0 million. Pursuant to the agreement, we have
agreed to indemnify TOSI for any liability incurred by it as a
result of the performance of its duties other than any liability
resulting from TOSIs gross negligence or willful
misconduct. We may terminate the agreement upon six months
prior written notice. Pursuant to the terms of our revolving
credit facility, the aggregate amount of annual fees payable
under the Amended and Restated Management Services Agreement may
not exceed $3.5 million. For the year ended
December 31, 2004, we have made payments of
$2.5 million to TOSI under this agreement. The agreement
expires on December 31, 2007.
Purchasing Agreements
In order to consolidate the purchasing function, we and our
subsidiary TOUSA Homes, Inc. entered into non-exclusive
purchasing agreements with TOSA in November 2000. Under the
purchasing agreements, TOSA would purchase certain materials and
supplies necessary for operations on our respective behalves and
provide them to us at cost. No additional fees or other
consideration are paid to TOSA. These agreements may be
terminated upon 60 days prior notice. TOSA purchased
an aggregate of $302.6 million of materials and supplies on
our behalf for the year ended December 31, 2004.
Certain Land Bank Transactions
We have sold certain undeveloped real estate parcels to, and
entered into a number of agreements (including option contracts
and construction contracts) with, Equity Group, a limited
liability company controlled by Alec Engelstein, Harry
Engelsteins brother. We made payments of $5.5 million
to Equity Group pursuant to these agreements during the year
ended December 31, 2004, and, as of December 31, 2004,
had options to purchase from Equity Group additional lots for a
total aggregate sum of approximately $13.8 million. We
believe that the terms of these various agreements include
purchase prices that approximate fair market value.
Tax Allocation Agreement
As a result of the merger of TOI into one of our wholly-owned
subsidiaries pursuant to an October 2003 restructuring
transaction, a previously existing tax allocation agreement
between TOI and us was terminated. Due to the termination of the
tax allocation agreement between TOI and us, the tax accounts
between the two companies were settled. The closing
reconciliation of tax accounts resulted in an estimated
$4.1 million due to us from TOSI, a Delaware corporation
that is wholly-owned by TOSA, who assumed this liability from
TOI as part of the October 2003 restructuring transaction. In
satisfaction of this obligation, during the year ended
December 31, 2004, TOSI (i) paid us approximately
$2.8 million and (ii) also assigned to us a federal
tax refund of approximately $1.3 million relating to
amendments to tax returns filed pursuant to the tax allocation
agreement.
24
PERFORMANCE GRAPH
The graph below compares the cumulative total return on our
common stock with the cumulative total return of the Standard
and Poors 500 Index and the Standard and Poors 600
Homebuilding Index for the last five fiscal years (assuming the
investment of $100 in each vehicle and the reinvestment of all
dividends).
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Dec. 31, 1999 | |
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Dec. 31, 2000 | |
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Dec. 31, 2001 | |
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Dec. 31, 2002 | |
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Dec. 31, 2003 | |
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Dec. 31, 2004 | |
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Technical Olympic USA, Inc.
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$ |
100 |
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$ |
170.83 |
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$ |
251.28 |
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$ |
257.71 |
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$ |
476.80 |
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$ |
663.67 |
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S&P 500 Index
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$ |
100 |
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$ |
90.90 |
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$ |
80.09 |
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$ |
62.39 |
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$ |
80.29 |
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$ |
89.03 |
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S&P 600 Homebuilding
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$ |
100 |
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$ |
162.12 |
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$ |
233.00 |
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$ |
242.85 |
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$ |
432.74 |
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$ |
645.11 |
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25
INDEPENDENT CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS
Relationship with Independent Certified Public Accountants
The Audit Committee has selected Ernst & Young LLP,
independent certified public accountants, to audit our
consolidated financial statements for fiscal year 2005.
Ernst & Young LLP has served as our independent
certified public accountants since October 1, 2001. A
member of Ernst & Young LLP will be present at the
Annual Meeting, will have the opportunity to make a statement,
and will be available to respond to appropriate questions you
may ask.
Independent Certified Public Accountants Fees
The aggregate fees billed to TOUSA for the years ended
December 31, 2003 and 2004, by our independent certified
public accounting firm, Ernst & Young LLP, are as
follows:
Audit Fees: The aggregate fees for professional services
rendered by Ernst & Young LLP in connection with
(i) the audit of our annual financial statements
(Form 10-K), (ii) the audit of the Companys
internal controls over financial reporting in compliance with
Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
(Section 404), (iii) reviews of our
quarterly financial statements (Forms 10-Q),
(iv) assisting us with the preparation and review of our
various documents relating to securities offerings, including
the preparation of comfort letters, (v) evaluating the
effects of various accounting issues and changes in professional
standards, and (vi) statutory audits of certain of our
subsidiaries for the years ended December 31, 2003 and
2004, were approximately $957,000 and $1.8 million,
respectively. The increase in 2004 audit fees is primarily
related to services provided in connection with compliance with
Section 404.
Audit Related Fees: The aggregate fees for professional
services rendered by Ernst & Young LLP for services
reasonably related to the performance of the audit and review of
our financial statements, including (i) assisting us in the
due diligence review of, and audits and accounting consultations
regarding, acquisitions, (ii) employee benefit plan audits,
and (iii) assisting us in documenting internal control
policies with respect to information systems and other business
processes during the years ended December 31, 2003 and
2004, were approximately $395,000 and $124,000, respectively.
Tax Fees: The aggregate fees for professional services
rendered by Ernst & Young LLP for tax compliance, tax
advice, and tax planning during the years ended
December 31, 2003 and 2004 were approximately
$3.3 million and $1.3 million, respectively.
All Other Fees: The aggregate fees for professional
services, not included in audit fees, audit related fees and tax
fees above, rendered by Ernst & Young LLP primarily
relating to (i) a review of treasury policies and
procedures, (ii) a data warehouse validation project, and
(iii) real estate advisory and due diligence services
during the fiscal years ended December 31, 2003 and 2004,
were approximately $311,000 and $231,000, respectively.
Ernst & Young LLP advised the Audit Committee that it
did not believe its audit was impaired by providing such
services. As a result, Ernst & Young LLP confirmed
that, as of December 31, 2004, it was an independent
accountant with respect to TOUSA within the meaning of the
Securities Act of 1933 and the requirements of the Independence
Standards Board.
Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures for Audit and Permitted
Non-Audit Services
The Audit Committee has developed policies and procedures
requiring the Audit Committees pre-approval of all audit
and permitted non-audit services to be rendered by
Ernst & Young LLP. These policies and procedures are
intended to ensure that the provision of such services does not
impair Ernst & Youngs independence. These
services may include audit services, audit-related services, tax
services, and other services. Pre-approval is generally provided
for a period of a fiscal year and any pre-approval is detailed
as to the particular service or category of service approved and
is generally subject to a specific cap on professional fees for
such services.
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The Audit Committee has delegated to the Chairman of the Audit
Committee the authority to pre-approve services to be rendered
by Ernst & Young LLP and requires that the Chairman
report to the Audit Committee any pre-approval decisions made by
him at the next scheduled meeting of the Audit Committee. In
connection with making any pre-approval decision, the Audit
Committee and the Chairman must consider whether the provision
of such permitted non-audit services by Ernst & Young
LLP is consistent with maintaining Ernst & Youngs
status as our independent certified public accountants.
Consistent with these policies and procedures, the Audit
Committee approved all of the services rendered by
Ernst & Young LLP during fiscal year 2004, as described
above.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Other Matters. Our Board of Directors does not intend to
present any matter for action at this meeting other than the
matters described in this proxy statement. If any other matters
properly come before the Annual Meeting, it is intended that the
holders of the proxies hereby solicited will act in respect to
such matters in accordance with their best judgment.
Contacting our Board of Directors. The Company maintains
contact information (address and an e-mail link), on its website
at www.tousa.com under the heading Investor
Information Investor Contacts. Communications
for our senior outside director, or our independent directors as
a group, should be sent to Investor Relations in writing (by
mail or e-mail) and should be specifically marked as a
communication for the senior outside director or the independent
directors as a group. All communications directed to the senior
outside director and/or the independent directors as a group
will be reviewed by the Secretary of the Company, who has been
directed by the Independent Director Committee to remove
communications relating to: (i) spam, if via e-mail;
(ii) solicitations for products or services; or
(iii) warranty claims or other correspondence relating to
customer service issues. All other communications shall be
forwarded to the intended recipient(s), as appropriate or as
requested in the stockholder communication.
Multiple Stockholders Sharing the Same Address.
Regulations regarding the delivery of copies of proxy materials
and annual reports to stockholders permit us, banks, brokerage
firms, and other nominees to send one annual report and proxy
statement to multiple stockholders who share the same address
under certain circumstances. This practice is known as
householding. Stockholders who hold their shares
through a bank, broker, or other nominee may have consented to
reducing the number of copies of materials delivered to their
address. In the event that a stockholder wishes to revoke a
householding consent previously provided to a bank,
broker, or other nominee, the stockholder must contact the bank,
broker, or other nominee, as applicable, to revoke such consent.
In the event that a stockholder wishes to receive a separate
proxy statement for the 2005 Annual Meeting or a 2004 Annual
Report, the stockholder may receive printed copies by contacting
Technical Olympic USA, Inc., Attention: Secretary, at
4000 Hollywood Boulevard, Suite 500 N, Hollywood,
Florida 33021 or by calling (954) 364-4000.
Any stockholders of record sharing an address who now receive
multiple copies of our annual reports and proxy statements and
who wish to receive only one copy of these materials per
household in the future should also contact us by mail or
telephone as instructed above. Any stockholders sharing an
address whose shares of common stock are held by a bank, broker,
or other nominee who now receive multiple copies of our annual
reports and proxy statements, and who wish to receive only one
copy of these materials per household, should contact the bank,
broker, or other nominee to request that only one set of these
materials be delivered in the future.
Stockholder Proposals for 2006 Annual Meeting.
Stockholder proposals for inclusion in the proxy materials
related to the 2006 Annual Meeting of Stockholders must be
received by TOUSA at its principal executive offices, 4000
Hollywood Boulevard, Suite 500 N, Hollywood, Florida 33021
by December 19, 2005. Such proposals should be sent by
certified mail, return receipt requested.
TOUSA must receive notice of any stockholder proposal to be
submitted at the 2006 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (but not
required to be included in our proxy statement) by March 4,
2006, or such
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proposal will be considered untimely pursuant to Rule 14a-4
and 14a-5(e) under the Exchange Act and the persons named in the
proxies solicited by management may exercise discretionary
voting authority with respect to such proposal.
Expenses of Solicitation. Proxies will be solicited by
mail, telephone, or other means of communication. Solicitation
also may be made by our directors, officers, and regular
employees. The entire cost of solicitation will be borne by
TOUSA.
Additional Information. We have adopted a Code of
Business Conduct and Ethics that applies to our Chief Executive
Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Accounting Officer and
Controller, as well as our directors, officers, associates,
agents and representatives, including consultants. We have also
adopted Corporate Governance Guidelines. The Code of Business
Conduct and Ethics and our Corporate Governance Guidelines are
each located on our internet web site at www.tousa.com under
Investor Information Corporate
Governance.
The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors has adopted a
written charter which is attached to this Proxy Statement as
Appendix A, and is also available on our internet web site
at www.tousa.com under Investor
Information Corporate Governance. The
Independent Directors Committee and the Human Resources,
Compensation, and Benefits Committee have also adopted written
charters that are available on our internet web site at
www.tousa.com under Investor
Information Corporate Governance.
Our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, our Corporate
Governance Guidelines, and the Audit Committee, Independent
Directors Committee and Human Resources, Compensation, and
Benefits Committee charters are each available in print free of
charge to any stockholder who submits a written request for any
of these documents to Technical Olympic USA, Inc., Attn:
Investor Relations, 4000 Hollywood Blvd., Suite 500 N,
Hollywood, Florida 33021.
Form 10-K
Stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting may obtain a
copy of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year
ended December 31, 2004, including the financial statements
required to be filed with the SEC, without charge, upon written
or oral request to Technical Olympic USA, Inc., Attention:
Secretary, 4000 Hollywood Blvd., Suite 500 N, Hollywood,
Florida 33021 or (954) 364-4000.
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By Order of the Board of Directors, |
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Konstantinos Stengos
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Chairman |
Hollywood, Florida
April 18, 2005
28
APPENDIX A
CHARTER FOR THE AUDIT COMMITTEE
OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OF TECHNICAL OLYMPIC USA, INC.
Purpose:
This charter governs the operations of the Audit Committee of
Technical Olympic USA, Inc. and its subsidiaries (the
Company). The Audit Committee (the
Committee) shall provide assistance to the Board of
Directors (the Board) in fulfilling their oversight
responsibility to the shareholders, potential shareholders, the
investment community, and others relating to: the integrity of
the Companys financial statements; the accounting and
financial reporting processes of the Company; the audits of the
financial statements of the Company; the systems of internal
accounting and financial controls; the performance of the
Companys internal audit function and independent auditors;
the independent auditors qualifications and independence;
and the Companys compliance with ethics policies and legal
and regulatory requirements. In so doing, it is the
responsibility of the Committee to maintain free and open
communication between the Committee, independent auditors, the
internal auditors, and management of the Company.
In discharging its oversight role, the Committee is empowered to
investigate any matter brought to its attention with full access
to all books, records, facilities, and personnel of the Company
and has the authority to engage independent counsel and other
advisers as it determines necessary to carry out its duties.
Membership:
The Committee will consist of at least three (3) members of
the Board, all of whom shall be independent as
defined by applicable law, regulations of the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the SEC) and the rules or
listing standards of any exchange or automated quotation system
on which shares of the Company are traded. All members of the
Committee must be able to read and understand financial
statements, including the Companys statement of financial
condition, statement of income, and statement of cash flows. At
least one of the directors will be designated the audit
committee financial expert and shall meet the requirements
set forth in applicable law, regulations of the SEC and the
rules or listing standards of any exchange or automated
quotation system on which shares of the Company are traded.
The members of the Committee shall be appointed by the full
Board and elected by the vote of a majority of the independent
directors of the Board. The members of the Committee shall serve
until their resignation, retirement or removal by the Board, or
until their successors are appointed. No member of the Committee
shall be removed except by majority vote of the independent
directors of the Board then in office.
Duties and Responsibilities:
The primary responsibility of the Committee is to oversee the
Companys financial reporting process on behalf of the
Board and report the results of its activities to the Board.
Management is responsible for the preparation, presentation, and
integrity of the Companys financial statements and for the
appropriateness of the accounting principles and reporting
policies that are used by the Company. The independent auditors
are responsible for auditing the Companys financial
statements and for reviewing the Companys unaudited
interim financial statements.
The Committee, in carrying out its responsibilities, believes
its policies and procedures should remain flexible, in order to
best react to changing conditions and circumstances. The
Committee should take appropriate actions to set the overall
corporate tone for quality financial reporting,
sound business risk practices, and ethical behavior.
A-1
The following shall be the principal duties and responsibilities
of the Committee:
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A. Independent Auditors appointment,
compensation, funding and oversight |
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1. Appointing and retaining independent auditors engaged by
the Company for the purpose of preparing or issuing an audit
report or performing other audit, review or attest services for
the Company. Such independent auditors shall report directly to
the Committee. The Committee has sole authority to terminate the
independent auditors. |
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2. Providing appropriate funding, as determined by the
Committee, for payment of (i) compensation to any
independent auditors employed by the Company for the purpose of
rendering an audit report or performing other audit, review or
attest services for the Company, (ii) compensation to any
advisors employed by the Committee, and
(iii) administrative expenses of the Committee that are
necessary and appropriate in carrying out its duties. |
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3. Reviewing and approving compensation arrangements with
the independent auditors. |
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4. Reviewing the independent auditors proposed audit
scope and approach, including the adequacy of staffing. |
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5. Reviewing and overseeing the quality, performance and
independence of the independent auditors, including an
evaluation of the lead partner on the audit team, taking into
account the opinions of management and the Companys
Internal Audit Director. Assuring the regular rotation of the
lead audit partner and further considering whether, in order to
assure continuing auditor independence, there should be regular
rotation of the audit firm itself. |
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At least annually, the Committee shall obtain and review a
report by the independent auditors describing: |
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The independent auditors internal quality control
procedures. |
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Any material issues raised by the most recent internal quality
control review, or peer review, of the independent auditor, or
by any inquiry or investigation by governmental or professional
authorities, within the preceding five years, respecting one or
more independent audits carried out by the independent auditor,
and any steps taken to deal with any such issues. |
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All relationships between the independent auditor and the
Company that are relevant to an assessment of the auditors
independence. The Committee shall engage in a dialogue with the
independent auditor regarding any disclosed relationships or
services that may impact the objectivity and independence of the
auditor. |
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The audit committee will present its conclusions with respect to
the independent auditor to the full Board. |
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6. Reviewing with the independent auditors any audit
problems or difficulties and managements response,
including, without limitation, any restrictions on audit scope
or access to information, any significant disagreements and any
accounting adjustments proposed by the independent auditor but
passed by management, any communications between the
independent auditor and the national office of the independent
auditor, and any management or internal
control letter issued, or proposed to be issued, by the
independent auditor to the Company. |
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7. Overseeing the resolution of disagreements between
management and the independent auditor regarding financial
reporting. |
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8. Pre-approving all audit and non-audit services provided
by the independent auditors. The Committee shall not engage the
independent auditors to perform any non-audit services that are
prohibited by law or regulation. The Committee may delegate
pre-approval authority to a member of the Committee. The
decisions of any Committee member to whom pre-approval authority
is delegated must be presented to the full audit Committee at
its next scheduled meeting. |
A-2
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9. Setting clear hiring policies for employees or former
employees of the independent auditors who participated in any
capacity in the audit of the Company. |
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B. Internal Controls |
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1. Reviewing on a continuing basis, the adequacy of the
Companys system of internal controls. The Committee shall
discuss with management, the internal auditors, and the
independent auditors the adequacy and effectiveness of the
Companys accounting and financial controls, including the
Companys policies and procedures to assess, monitor, and
manage business risk, and legal and ethical compliance. |
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2. Reviewing on a continuing basis, the responsibilities,
budget, and staffing of the Companys internal audit
function. |
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3. Conducting a post-audit review of the financial
statements and audit findings, including any significant
suggestions for improvements provided to management by the
independent auditors or the Internal Audit Director. |
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The audit committee must review: |
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major issues regarding accounting principles and financial
statement presentations, including any significant changes in
the Companys selection or application of accounting
principles, and major issues as to the adequacy of the
Companys internal controls and any special audit steps
adopted in light of material control deficiencies; |
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analysis prepared by management and/or the independent auditor
setting forth significant financial reporting issues and
judgments made in connection with the preparation of the
financial statements, including analysis of the effects of
alternative GAAP methods on the financial statements; and |
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the effect of regulatory and accounting initiatives, as well as
off balance sheet structures, on the financial statements of the
Company. |
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C. Financial Reporting Process and Risk Assessment |
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1. Reviewing with management and the independent auditors
before release, the audited financial statements and disclosures
and Managements Discussion and Analysis in the
Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K, including their
judgment about the quality, not just the acceptability, of
accounting principles, the reasonableness of significant
judgments, and the clarity of the disclosures in the financial
statements. Also, the Committee shall discuss the results of the
annual audit and any other matters required to be communicated
to the Committee by the independent auditors under generally
accepted auditing standards. |
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2. Reviewing with management and the independent auditors
before release, the unaudited quarterly operating results in the
Companys quarterly earnings release, and the unaudited
financial statements and disclosures and Managements
Discussion and Analysis in the Companys Quarterly Report
on Form 10-Q. The chair of the Committee may represent the
entire Committee for the purposes of this review. Also, the
Committee shall discuss the results of the quarterly review and
any other matters required to be communicated to the Committee
by the independent auditors under the standards of the Public
Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). |
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3. Discussing the types and presentation of information to
be disclosed in earnings press releases as well as financial
information and earnings guidance provided to analysts and
rating agencies. |
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4. Discussing policies with respect to risk assessment and
risk management, including the Companys major financial
risk exposures and the steps management has taken to monitor and
control such exposures. |
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5. Overseeing compliance with SEC requirements for
disclosure of independent auditors services and Committee
members and activities. |
A-3
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6. Preparing and publishing an annual Committee report in
the Companys proxy statement. |
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7. Reviewing managements monitoring of compliance
with the Companys standards of business conduct and with
the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. |
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8. Providing oversight and review of the Companys
asset management policies, including an annual review of the
Companys investment policies and performance for cash and
short-term investments. |
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D. Complaints and Special Investigations |
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1. Establishing procedures for the receipt, retention, and
treatment of complaints received by the Company regarding
accounting, internal accounting controls, or auditing matters,
and the confidential, anonymous submission by employees of the
Company of concerns regarding questionable accounting or
auditing matters. |
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2. Reviewing, in conjunction with counsel, any legal
matters that could have a significant impact on the
Companys financial statements. |
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3. Receiving and reviewing corporate attorneys
reports of evidence of a material violation of securities laws
or breaches of fiduciary duty. |
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4. If necessary, instituting special investigations and, if
appropriate, hiring special counsel or experts to assist. |
In addition to the above responsibilities, the Committee will
undertake such other duties as the Board delegates to it, and
will report, at least annually, to the Board regarding the
Committees examinations and recommendations.
Meetings:
The Committee will meet at least two times each year. The
Committee may establish its own schedule, which it will provide
to the Board in advance. A majority of the members of the
Committee shall constitute a quorum. Any action that may be
taken by the Committee at a meeting of such Committee may be
taken without a meeting if a consent in writing setting forth
the actions so taken is signed by all of the members of the
Committee.
The Committee will meet separately with the Chief Executive
Officer and separately with the Chief Financial Officer of the
Company at least annually to review the financial affairs of the
Company.
The Committee will meet separately with the independent auditors
of the Company, at least annually and at such other times as it
deems appropriate, to review the independent auditors
examination and management report and any other matters that the
Committee wishes to review.
The Committee will meet separately with the Internal Audit
Director, at least semi-annually, to discuss any matters that
the Committee or the Internal Audit Director believe should be
discussed privately.
Reports:
The Committee will record its summaries of recommendations to
the Board in written form, which will be incorporated as a part
of the minutes of the Board meeting at which those
recommendations are presented. The Committee will review with
the full Board any issues that arise with respect to the quality
or integrity of the Companys financial statements, the
Companys compliance with legal or regulatory requirements,
the performance and independence of the Companys
independent auditors, or the performance of the internal audit
function.
A-4
Minutes:
The Committee will maintain written minutes of its meetings,
which minutes will be filed with the minutes of the meetings of
the Board.
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Annual Review of Performance and Charter: |
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The Committee will evaluate its performance at least annually to
determine whether it is functioning properly. The Committee
shall also review and reassess this charter at least annually.
A-5
REVOCABLE PROXY
TECHNICAL OLYMPIC USA, INC.
ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
MAY 10, 2005
8:00 A.M. EASTERN TIME
THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The undersigned hereby appoints Konstantinos Stengos and George Stengos, each with full
power of substitution, to act as proxies for the undersigned and to vote all shares of Common Stock
of the Company that the undersigned is entitled to vote only at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders,
to be held on May 10, 2005, at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time, at the Mandarin Oriental, Miami, 500
Brickell Key Drive, Miami, Florida 33131 and at any and all adjournments thereof, as set forth on
the reverse side.
This proxy is revocable and will be voted as directed, but if no instructions are specified on
an executed proxy that is returned, then this proxy will be voted FOR the proposals listed. If any
other business is presented at the Annual Meeting, including whether or not to adjourn the meeting,
this proxy will be voted by those named in this proxy in their best judgment. At the present time,
the Board of Directors knows of no other business to be presented at the Annual Meeting.
PLEASE VOTE, DATE, AND SIGN THIS PROXY ON THE OTHER SIDE AND RETURN PROMPTLY IN THE
ENCLOSED ENVELOPE.
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HAS YOUR ADDRESS CHANGED?
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DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS? |
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x Please mark votes as in this example.
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE FOR EACH OF THE FOLLOWING PROPOSALS
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The election as directors of all nominees listed (except as marked to the contrary below). |
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FOR All Nominees:
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WITHHELD As to All Nominees |
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(01) Konstantinos Stengos, (02) Antonio B. Mon, (03) Andreas
Stengos, (04) George Stengos, (05) Marianna Stengou, (06)
Larry D. Horner, (07) William A. Hasler, (08) Michael J.
Poulos, (09) Susan B. Parks, and (10) J. Bryan Whitworth |
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To withhold your vote for any individual nominee, write that
nominees number on the line provided below. |
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The undersigned acknowledges receipt from the Company prior to the execution of this proxy
of a Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders and the accompanying Proxy Statement relating to the
Annual Meeting.
PLEASE COMPLETE, DATE, SIGN, AND PROMPTLY MAIL THIS PROXY IN THE ENCLOSED POSTAGE-PAID ENVELOPE.
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Mark box at right if you plan to attend the Annual Meeting
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Date
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, 2005 |
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Signature of Stockholder |
Mark box at right if an address change or comment has been
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noted on the reverse side of this card.
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Signature of Stockholder |
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Please sign exactly as
your name appears on
this card. When
signing as attorney,
executor,
administrator, trustee,
or guardian, please
give your full title.
If shares are held
jointly, each holder
may sign but only one
signature is required. |