rps3262010.htm
UNITED
STATES
|
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION
|
Washington, D.C.
20549
|
|
SCHEDULE 14A
INFORMATION
|
|
Proxy
Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(Amendment
No. )
|
|
Filed
by the Registrant ý
|
|
Filed
by a Party other than the Registrant o
|
|
Check
the appropriate box:
|
|
Preliminary
Proxy Statement
|
o
|
Confidential, for Use of the
Commission Only (as permitted by Rule
14a-6(e)(2))
|
|
Definitive
Proxy Statement
|
o
|
Definitive
Additional Materials
|
o
|
Soliciting
Material Under Rule 14a-12
|
|
HNI
CORPORATION
|
(Name
of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)
|
|
|
(Name
of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the
Registrant)
|
|
Payment
of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):
|
ý
|
No
fee required.
|
o
|
Fee
computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and
0-11.
|
|
(1)
|
Title
of each class of securities to which transaction
applies:
|
|
|
|
|
(2)
|
Aggregate
number of securities to which transaction applies:
|
|
|
|
|
(3)
|
Per
unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to
Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which the filing fee is
calculated and state how it was determined):
|
|
|
|
|
(4)
|
Proposed
maximum aggregate value of transaction:
|
|
|
|
|
(5)
|
Total
fee paid:
|
|
|
|
o
|
Fee
paid previously with preliminary materials.
|
o
|
Check
box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule
0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid
previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement number,
or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing.
|
|
(1)
|
Amount
Previously Paid:
|
|
|
|
|
(2)
|
Form,
Schedule or Registration Statement No.:
|
|
|
|
|
(3)
|
Filing
Party:
|
|
|
|
|
(4)
|
Date
Filed:
|
|
|
|
HNI
CORPORATION
408
EAST SECOND STREET
MUSCATINE,
IOWA 52761
563/272-7400
NOTICE
OF ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
The 2010
Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the "Meeting") of HNI Corporation (the
"Corporation") will be held at the Holiday Inn, 2915 North Highway 61,
Muscatine, Iowa, on Tuesday, May 11, 2010, beginning at 10:30 a.m. (Central
Daylight Time), for the following purposes:
1.
|
To
elect four Directors for terms of three years each or until their
successors are elected and qualify;
|
2.
|
To
approve the HNI Corporation 2007 Stock-Based Compensation Plan, as amended
and restated;
|
3.
|
To
approve the HNI Corporation Annual Incentive Plan (f/k/a HNI Corporation
Executive Bonus Plan), as amended and
restated;
|
4.
|
To
approve the HNI Corporation Long-Term Performance Plan, as amended and
restated;
|
5.
|
To
ratify the Audit Committee's selection of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as
the Corporation's independent registered public accountant for the fiscal
year ending January 1, 2011; and
|
6.
|
To
transact any other business that may properly be brought before the
Meeting or any adjournment or postponement of the
meeting.
|
The
holders of record of the Corporation's Common Stock, par value $1.00 per share,
as of the close of business on March 12, 2010, are entitled to vote at the
Meeting.
You are
encouraged to attend the Meeting.
By
Order of the Board of Directors,
Steven M.
Bradford
Vice
President, General Counsel and Secretary
March 26,
2010
YOUR
VOTE IS VERY IMPORTANT. PLEASE MARK, SIGN, DATE AND RETURN PROMPTLY
THE ENCLOSED PROXY CARD IN THE ENCLOSED POSTAGE PREPAID ENVELOPE, WHETHER OR NOT
YOU PLAN TO ATTEND THE MEETING.
|
1
|
|
4
|
|
4
|
|
5
|
|
8
|
|
13
|
|
18
|
|
20
|
|
23
|
|
23
|
|
24
|
|
25
|
|
26
|
|
26
|
|
26
|
|
26
|
|
|
26
|
|
|
42
|
|
|
43
|
|
|
44
|
|
|
45
|
|
|
47
|
|
|
47
|
|
|
48
|
|
50
|
|
52
|
|
53
|
|
54
|
|
54
|
|
55
|
|
|
HNI
Corporation
408
East Second Street
Muscatine,
Iowa 52761
PROXY
STATEMENT
FOR
ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
TO
BE HELD MAY 11, 2010
HNI
Corporation (the "Corporation," "we," "our" or "us") is mailing this Proxy
Statement, with the accompanying proxy card, to you on or about March 26, 2010
in connection with the solicitation of proxies by and on behalf of the
Corporation's Board of Directors (the "Board" or "Directors") for the 2010
annual meeting of shareholders and any adjournment or postponement of that
meeting (the "Meeting"). The Meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 11,
2010, beginning at 10:30 a.m., Central Daylight Time, at the Holiday Inn, 2915
North Highway 61, Muscatine, Iowa.
Who
can attend and vote at the Meeting?
Shareholders
of record as of the close of business on March 12, 2010 (the "Record Date") are
entitled to attend and vote at the Meeting. Each share of the
Corporation's common stock, par value $1.00 per share ("Common Stock"), is
entitled to one vote on all matters to be voted on at the Meeting and can be
voted only if the shareholder of record is present to vote or is represented by
proxy. The proxy card provided with this Proxy Statement indicates
the number of shares of Common Stock you own and are entitled to vote at the
Meeting.
What
constitutes a quorum at the Meeting?
The
presence at the Meeting, in person or represented by proxy, of the holders of a
majority of the outstanding shares of Common Stock ("Outstanding Shares") on the
Record Date will constitute a quorum for purposes of the Meeting. On
the Record Date, there were 45,191,076 Outstanding Shares. For
purposes of determining whether a quorum exists, proxies received but marked
"abstain" and so-called "broker non-votes" (described on the following page)
will be counted as present.
How
do I vote by proxy?
If you
properly complete your proxy card and the Corporation's transfer agent, Wells
Fargo Bank, N.A. ("Wells Fargo"), receives it in time to vote at the Meeting,
your "proxy" (one of the individuals named on your proxy card) will vote your
shares as you have directed. No postage is required if your proxy
card is mailed in the United States in the return envelope enclosed with this
Proxy Statement.
If you
sign, date and return the proxy card but do not specify how your shares are to
be voted, then your proxy will vote your shares as follows:
·
|
"FOR"
the election of the four nominees for Director named on page 5 of this
Proxy Statement under "Proposal No. 1 – Election of
Directors."
|
·
|
"FOR"
the approval of the HNI Corporation 2007 Stock-Based Compensation Plan, as
amended and restated, as described on page 13 of this Proxy Statement
under "Proposal No. 2 –
Approval of HNI Corporation 2007 Stock-Based Compensation Plan, as Amended
and Restated."
|
·
|
"FOR"
the approval of the HNI Corporation Annual Incentive (f/k/a HNI
Corporation Executive Bonus Plan), as amended and restated, as described
on page 18 of this Proxy Statement under "Proposal No. 3 – Approval of
HNI Corporation Annual Incentive Plan (f/k/a HNI Corporation Executive
Bonus Plan), as Amended and
Restated."
|
·
|
"FOR"
the approval of the HNI Corporation Long-Term Performance Plan, as amended
and restated, as described on page 20 of this Proxy Statement under "Proposal No. 4 – Approval of
HNI Corporation Long-Term Performance Plan, as Amended and
Restated."
|
·
|
"FOR"
the ratification of the Audit Committee's selection of
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the Corporation's independent registered
public accountant for the fiscal year ending January 1, 2011, as described
on page 23 of this Proxy Statement under
"Proposal No. 5 –
Ratification of Audit Committee's Selection of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
as the Corporation's Independent Registered Public Accountant for Fiscal
2010."
|
·
|
In
your proxy's discretion as to any other business which may properly come
before the Meeting or any adjournment or postponement of the
Meeting.
|
How
do I vote if my shares of Common Stock are held through a broker, trustee or
other nominee?
If your
shares of Common Stock are held for you as the beneficial owner through a
broker, trustee or other nominee (such as a bank) in "street name," rather than
held directly in your name, you will need to instruct your broker, trustee or
other nominee how to vote your shares. Since a beneficial owner is
not the shareholder of record, you may not vote these shares in person at the
Meeting unless you obtain a "legal proxy" from the broker, trustee or other
nominee that holds your shares, giving you the right to vote the shares at the
Meeting. Your broker, trustee or other nominee has enclosed with this
Proxy Statement, or will provide upon request, voting instructions for you to
use in directing the broker, trustee or other nominee how to vote your
shares.
What
discretion does my broker, trustee or other nominee have to vote my shares of
Common Stock held in "street name"?
A broker,
trustee or other nominee holding your shares of Common Stock in "street name"
must vote those shares according to specific instructions it receives from
you. New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") rules determine the proposals
("Non-Routine Proposals") on which brokers may not vote without specific
instructions from you. If a Non-Routine Proposal comes to a vote at
the Meeting, your shares will not be voted on that Non-Routine Proposal, giving
rise to what is called a "broker non-vote." Shares represented by
broker non-votes will be counted for purposes of determining the existence of a
quorum.
At the
Meeting, your broker, trustee or other nominee may vote your shares in its
discretion only with respect to Proposal No. 5. Proposals No. 1, 2, 3
and 4 are Non-Routine Proposals for which your broker, trustee or other nominee
may not vote your shares in its discretion and requires your
instruction.
Can
I change or revoke my vote after I return my proxy card?
Yes. You
may change your vote at any time before your proxy is voted at the
Meeting. To change your vote, you may:
·
|
Deliver
to the Corporation's Corporate Secretary a written notice revoking your
earlier vote;
|
·
|
Deliver
to the Corporation's transfer agent, if you are the shareholder of record,
a properly completed and signed proxy card with a later
date;
|
·
|
Deliver
to your broker, trustee or other nominee, if your shares are held in
"street name," a properly completed and signed proxy card with a later
date; or
|
·
|
Vote
in person at the Meeting.
|
Your
attendance alone at the Meeting will not revoke a previously delivered
proxy. If you choose any of the above methods to change your vote,
you must take the described action no later than the beginning of the
Meeting. Once voting is completed at the Meeting, you will not be
able to revoke your proxy or change your vote. Unless your proxy is
so revoked or changed, the shares of Common Stock represented by your proxy
received by the Corporation's transfer agent will be voted at the Meeting and at
any adjournment or postponement of the Meeting.
How
do I vote my shares in the Corporation's retirement plan?
If you
participate in the Corporation's retirement plan, the proxy card you receive
will also include Common Stock allocated to your account. Properly
completed and signed proxy cards will serve to instruct the plan trustee on how
to vote any shares allocated to your account and a portion of all shares as to
which no instructions have been received (the "undirected shares") from plan
participants. The proportion of the undirected shares to which your
instructions will apply will be equal to the proportion of the shares to which
the trustee receives instructions represented by your shares.
How
is the Corporation soliciting proxies?
The
Corporation bears the cost of preparing, assembling and mailing the proxy
material related to the solicitation of proxies by and on behalf of the Board
for the Meeting. In addition to
the use
of the mails, certain of the Corporation's officers may, without additional
compensation, solicit proxies in person, by telephone or through other means of
communication. The Corporation has retained Georgeson Inc. to assist
in the solicitation of proxies for a fee of approximately $13,000, plus
reimbursement of expenses. This assistance will include requesting
brokerage houses, custodians, nominees and fiduciaries to forward proxy
solicitation materials to those persons for whom they hold
shares. The Corporation will bear the cost of this
solicitation.
How
will my vote get counted?
Wells
Fargo, the Corporation's transfer agent, will use an automated system to
tabulate the votes and will serve as the Inspector of Election.
Is
my vote confidential?
Proxy
instructions, ballots and voting tabulations that identify individual
shareholders are handled in a manner that protects your voting
privacy. Your vote will not be disclosed either within the
Corporation or to third parties, except: (1) as necessary to meet
applicable legal requirements; (2) to allow for the tabulation of votes and
certification of the vote; and (3) to facilitate a successful proxy
solicitation. Occasionally, shareholders provide written comments on
their proxy cards, which are then forwarded to the Corporation's
management.
How
do I get to the Meeting location?
The
Meeting is being held at the Holiday Inn, 2915 North Highway 61, Muscatine,
Iowa. If driving to the Meeting from the Quad City International
Airport, from the main exit traffic light go straight onto I-74 to I-280, turn
right (cloverleaf) onto I-280 West, drive approximately 10-12 miles crossing the
Mississippi River Bridge, take the second exit in Iowa (Exit 6 – Muscatine), at
the traffic light turn left (west) onto Highway 61 South, continue approximately
22 miles to Muscatine, Holiday Inn is on the right. If driving to the
Meeting on I-80, take Exit 271 (Highway 38 South), drive approximately 12 miles
to Highway 61, turn left (east) at the traffic light, Holiday Inn is one block
on the left.
What
should I do if I receive more than one set of voting materials?
You may
receive more than one set of voting materials, including multiple copies of this
Proxy Statement and multiple proxy cards or voting instruction
cards. For example, if you hold your shares in more than one
brokerage account, you may receive a separate voting instruction card for each
brokerage account in which you hold shares in "street name." If you
are a shareholder of record and your shares are registered in more than one
name, you will receive more than one proxy card. Please complete,
sign, date and return each proxy card and voting instruction card you
receive.
The
Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") has adopted rules that allow us
to deliver a single annual report and/or proxy statement to any household at
which two or more shareholders reside, whom the Corporation believes to be
members of the same family. If you wish to participate in this
program and receive only one copy of future annual reports and/or proxy
statements, please write to the Corporation's transfer agent at Wells Fargo
Bank, N.A., Attention: Wells Fargo Shareowner Services, 160 N.
Concord Exchange, South St.
Paul,
Minnesota 55075-1139. If a broker, trustee or other nominee holds
your shares of Common Stock in "street name" and you wish to participate in the
program, please write to Broadridge, Householding Department, 51 Mercedes Way,
Edgewood, New York 11717. Your consent to receive only one copy of
the annual report and/or proxy statement will remain in effect until the
Corporation's transfer agent or Broadridge receives a written revocation notice
from you, in which case the Corporation will begin sending individual copies
within thirty days thereof. The Corporation will continue to
separately mail a proxy card for each registered shareholder
account. The Corporation will promptly deliver separate copies of its
annual report and/or proxy statement upon request. Shareholders may
request such separate copies by writing to the Corporate Secretary at HNI
Corporation, 408 East Second Street, Muscatine, Iowa 52761 or calling the
Corporation's Assistant Corporate Secretary at 563/272-7590.
Did
the Corporation utilize the SEC's notice and access proxy rules for delivery of
the voting materials this year?
No. The
Corporation delivered its voting materials in the same manner as it has in the
past. However, many shareholders have previously consented to receive
electronic delivery of the proxy statement and annual report and therefore did
not receive hard copies of these materials.
Where
can I find the voting results of the Meeting?
The
Corporation intends to announce preliminary voting results at the Meeting and
will publish final results on a Current Report on Form 8-K, which will be filed
with the SEC within four business days after the Meeting and available on our
website.
THE
ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS TO BE HELD ON MAY 11, 2010
The
2010 Proxy Statement and annual report to security holders are available at
www.hnicorp.com.
The
Corporation provides its annual reports, notices to shareholders of the annual
meetings and proxy statements over the Internet. If you wish to give
your consent to access such documents in the future over the Internet, please
check the box in the CONSENT section on your proxy card. These
documents will be available on or about March 26, 2010, on the Corporation's
website at www.hnicorp.com,
under "Investor Information—Annual & Quarterly
Reports" and "Investor
Information—Proxy Report." Once you give your consent, it will
remain in effect until you notify the Corporation you wish to resume mail
delivery of the annual reports and proxy statements. Even though you
give your consent, you still have the right at any time to request copies of
these documents at no charge by writing to the Corporate Secretary at HNI
Corporation, 408 East Second Street, Muscatine, Iowa 52761 or calling the
Corporation's Assistant Corporate Secretary at 563/272-7590.
Why
is the Corporation asking shareholders to approve the HNI Corporation 2007
Stock-Based Compensation Plan, HNI Corporation Annual Incentive Plan and HNI
Corporation Long-Term Performance Plan, each as amended and
restated?
The
Corporation recently reviewed all of its compensation plans including the HNI
Corporation 2007 Stock-Based Compensation Plan (the "2007 Compensation Plan"),
HNI Corporation Annual Incentive Plan (the "Incentive Plan") and HNI Corporation
Long-Term Performance Plan (the "Performance Plan") (collectively, the
"Plans"). The purpose of the review was to update the plans to
enhance compliance with current regulations, add consistency by and among the
plans, increase plan flexibility and facilitate administration of the plans by
management, the Board and the Human Resources and Compensation Committee of the
Board (the "Compensation Committee"). As a part of this review, the
Corporation made several changes to the Plans including revising performance
measures, changing annual award limitations and changing the number of shares
reserved for full-value awards (e.g., restricted stock, restricted stock units,
deferred share units, performance share awards, stock grant awards (i.e., bonus
stock) and dividend equivalent awards). A few of these changes,
including the ones noted above, specifically require shareholder
approval. Rather than asking shareholders to specifically approve
only those changes requiring shareholder approval, the Board believes it is
better corporate governance and more efficient to simply ask shareholders to
approve each of the Plans, as amended and restated.
In
addition, the Corporation seeks to maximize the tax deductibility of all
components of executive compensation. With respect to the Incentive
Plan and the Performance Plan,
shareholders
must approve the material terms of the performance measures set forth in these
plans at least every five years to comply with the "performance-based"
compensation exception to Section 162(m) ("Section 162(m)") of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"). Section 162(m) limits
the ability of public companies to deduct compensation in excess of $1,000,000
paid annually to the chief executive officer and the three other most highly
compensated executive officers, not including the chief financial officer (the
"162(m) Employees"), unless such compensation is
"performance-based." One of the principal qualifications of
performance-based compensation is shareholder approval of the material terms of
the performance measures used to establish such compensation. With
shareholder approval of the material terms of these performance measures every
five years, the portion of any award under the Incentive Plan linked to
financial performance of the Corporation or any operating unit and any award
under the Performance Plan meet Section 162(m)'s definition of
"performance-based" compensation and are not considered in determining the
$1,000,000 limit. Shareholders last approved the material terms of
the performance measures in the Incentive Plan and the Performance Plan in
2005.
The
By-laws of HNI Corporation (the "By-laws") provide for twelve Directors and the
Board currently consists of twelve Directors. Eleven of the twelve
Directors are independent Directors as further discussed on page 8 of this Proxy
Statement under "Information
Regarding the Board – Director Independence." Stan A. Askren,
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, is the only Director currently
employed by the Corporation and is not independent under the NYSE listing
standards pertaining to director independence or the Corporation's categorical
independence standards for Directors (the "Categorical
Standards").
The Board
is divided into three classes. One class is elected each year for a
term of three years. Four directors will be elected at the Meeting to
serve for a three-year term expiring at the Corporation's 2013 annual meeting of
shareholders.
Director
Nominations
The Board
has adopted guidelines for identifying and evaluating candidates for
Director. Under those guidelines, the Public Policy and Corporate
Governance Committee (the "Governance Committee") takes into account a number of
factors when identifying potential nominees, including: possession of
the desired skills, experience and abilities identified by the Governance
Committee; ability to communicate ideas and contribute to Board deliberations;
independence from management; diversity; judgment, skill, integrity and
reputation; existing commitments to other businesses; potential conflicts of
interest with other pursuits; and legal
restraints. Although the Corporation has no specific policy on
diversity, the guidelines broadly define diversity to include factors such as
age, race, gender, education, ethnicity, career experience and personality;
understanding of and experiences in manufacturing, technology, finance and
marketing; and international experience and culture. The Governance
Committee reviews these factors and others considered useful by the Governance
Committee, in context of an assessment of the perceived needs of the Board from
time to time. The Governance Committee may use a variety of means to
identify potential nominees, including recommendations from the Chairman,
Directors or others associated with the Corporation. The Governance
Committee may also retain third-party search firms to identify potential
nominees based on the Corporation's established criteria for director candidates
discussed above. The Governance Committee screens the potential
candidates and eventually recommends suitable candidates to the Board for
nomination.
The
Governance Committee will consider candidates for Director recommended by
shareholders by applying the criteria for candidates described above and
considering the following additional information. Shareholders
wishing to recommend a candidate for nomination as Director for inclusion in the
Corporation's proxy statement for the 2011 annual meeting should write to the
Corporation's Corporate Secretary before October 1, 2010, and include the
following information: a statement the writer is a shareholder and is
recommending a candidate for Director; the name of and contact information for
the candidate; a statement of the candidate's business and educational
experience; information about each of the factors listed above, sufficient to
enable the Governance Committee to evaluate the candidate; a statement detailing
any relationship between the candidate and any customer, supplier or competitor
of the Corporation; detailed information about any relationship or understanding
between the writer or any other shareholder and the candidate; a statement
whether such person, if elected, intends to tender, promptly following such
person's election or re-election, an irrevocable resignation effective 90 days
after the date of certification of election results if the person fails to
receive the required vote for re-election at the next meeting at which such
person would face re-election; and a statement the candidate is willing to be
considered and will serve as a Director if nominated and elected.
The
Corporation does not have any minimum qualifications for Directors; however,
Directors should possess the highest personal and professional integrity and
ethics and be willing and able to devote the required time to the
Corporation. The Board believes it
should be comprised of Directors with varied and complimentary backgrounds,
which together build the overall strength of the Board.
Nominees
for Election
The Board
is nominating for election at the Meeting Mary H. Bell, James R. Jenkins, Dennis
J. Martin and Abbie J. Smith, each for a term of three years (collectively, the
"Nominees"). The Nominees elected as Directors at the Meeting will
hold office for the three-year term or until their respective successors are
elected and qualify, subject to their prior death, resignation or
removal.
Ms. Bell,
Ms. Smith and Messrs. Jenkins and Martin were most recently elected as Directors
at the 2007 annual meeting of shareholders. Below is biographical
information about each of the Nominees as well as the particular experience,
qualifications, attributes and/or skills of each Nominee which led the Board to
conclude the Nominee should serve as a Director in light of the Corporation's
business and structure. In addition, each Nominee must possess the
highest personal and professional integrity and ethics and a willingness and
ability to devote the required time to the Corporation. For a
detailed description of the Corporation's business and structure, please see
Item 1 of Part I of the Corporation's 2009 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with
the SEC on February 26, 2010.
Mary H. Bell, age 49, has been
a Director of the Corporation since 2006. Ms. Bell has been Vice
President, Building Construction Products Division of Caterpillar Inc., the
world's leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and
natural gas engines and industrial gas turbines, since
2007. Previously, from 2004 to 2007, she was a Vice President of
Caterpillar Inc. and Chairman and President of Caterpillar Logistics Services,
Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Caterpillar Inc. Ms. Bell brings
to the Board considerable logistics, manufacturing and dealer channel expertise
and general management experience.
James R. Jenkins, age 64, has
been a Director of the Corporation since 2005. Mr. Jenkins has been
the Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Deere & Company (John
Deere), the world's leading manufacturer of agricultural and forestry equipment
and a major manufacturer of equipment for use in construction and lawn and turf
care, since 2000. Mr. Jenkins brings to the Board significant legal
and board governance expertise and experience. He also serves as a
director of various non-profit organizations.
Dennis J. Martin, age 59, has
been a Director of the Corporation since 2000. Mr. Martin has been an
independent business consultant since 2005. Previously, from 2001 to
2005, he was the Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of General
Binding Corporation, a manufacturer and marketer of binding and laminating
office equipment. Mr. Martin is a director of Coleman Cable, Inc. and
Federal Signal Corporation. From 2004 to 2005, he served as a
director of A. O. Smith Corporation. Mr. Martin brings to the Board
chief executive officer experience, considerable sales, marketing and operations
expertise in office products and diversified industrial manufacturing companies
and is considered a lean business expert. Mr. Martin serves on public
company audit, compensation and finance committees.
Abbie J. Smith, age 56, has
been a Director of the Corporation since 2000. Ms. Smith has been a
Chaired Professor of The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, a
national leader in higher education and research, since 1999. She is
a director of DFA Investment Dimensions Group, Inc., Dimensional Investment
Group Inc. and Ryder System, Inc. Ms. Smith is also a trustee of The
UBS Funds (Chicago), UBS Relations Trust and UBS SMA Relationship
Trust. Ms. Smith brings to the Board extensive financial
expertise. Although she doesn't currently serve on the Corporation's
Audit Committee, she qualifies as an "audit committee financial
expert." Ms. Smith has served on public company and mutual fund
complex audit, performance, finance and nominating committees.
We have
no reason to believe any of the Nominees listed above will be unavailable to
serve if elected. However, if any one of them becomes unavailable,
the persons named as proxies in the accompanying proxy card have discretionary
authority to vote for a substitute chosen by the Board. Any vacancies
not filled at the Meeting may be filled by the Board.
Incumbent
Directors
Below is
biographical information about each of the incumbent Directors as well as the
particular experience, qualifications, attributes and/or skills of each Director
which led the Board to conclude the Director should serve as a Director in light
of the Corporation's business and structure. In addition, each
Director must possess the highest personal and professional integrity and ethics
and a willingness and ability to devote the required time to the
Corporation. For a detailed description of the Corporation's business
and structure, please see Item 1 of Part I of the Corporation's 2009 Annual
Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 26, 2010.
Ms.
Francis and Messrs. Calado, Porcellato and Stern comprise a class of Directors
whose terms will expire at the Corporation's 2011 annual meeting of
shareholders.
Miguel M. Calado, age 54, has
been a Director of the Corporation since 2004. Mr. Calado has been a
Director and the Chief Financial Officer of Hovione SA, an international fine
chemicals company with manufacturing facilities and offices in the United
States, Europe and Asia, since 2006. He has also been an advising
partner of The Trion Group, a strategic management consulting group based in
Dallas, Texas, since 2006 and President of GAMCAL, LLC, an investment company,
since 2006. Previously, from 1998 to 2005, Mr. Calado was the
Executive Vice President and President, International of Dean Foods Company, a
processor and distributor of dairy, soy and specialty foods. He also
serves as a member of the Advisory Board for the Business School of Catholic
University of Portugal. Mr. Calado brings to the Board extensive
international, general management and financial expertise in several large,
packaged and consumer goods public companies. He also qualifies as an
"audit committee financial expert."
Cheryl A. Francis, age 56, has
been a Director of the Corporation since 1999. Ms. Francis has been
an independent business and financial advisor since 2000 and the Co-Chairman of
the Corporate Leadership Center, a not-for-profit organization focused on
developing tomorrow's business leaders since 2008. Previously, from
2002 to 2008, she was the Vice Chairman of the Corporate Leadership
Center. Ms. Francis is a director of Hewitt Associates Inc. and
Morningstar, Inc. Ms. Francis brings to the Board chief financial
officer experience at a public company and substantial financial and board
governance expertise. Ms. Francis serves on public company audit,
compensation, finance and governance committees. Although she doesn't
currently serve on the Corporation's Audit Committee, she qualifies as an "audit
committee financial expert."
Larry B. Porcellato, age 51,
has been a Director of the Corporation since 2004. Mr. Porcellato has
been the Chief Executive Officer of The Homax Group, Inc., a leading specialty
application consumer products supplier to the home care and repair markets,
since January 2009. Previously, from February 2007 to December 2008,
he was an independent business consultant and, from 2002 to January 2007, he was
the Chief Executive Officer of ICI Paints North America, a manufacturer and
distributor of decorative coatings and a subsidiary of Imperial Chemical
Industries PLC. Mr. Porcellato is a director of OMNOVA Solutions,
Inc. and serves on its audit committee. Mr. Porcellato brings to the
Board significant experience in finance and as a chief executive officer in the
building products industry.
Brian E. Stern, age 62, has
been a Director of the Corporation since 1998 and the Lead Director of the Board
since May 2008. Mr. Stern has been a director of Starboard Capital
Partners, LLC, a financial sponsor that initiates, finances and partners with
management and private equity investors in the acquisition of companies, since
July 2007. Previously, from 2004 to June 2007, he was the Senior Vice
President, Xerox, Fuji Xerox Operations of Xerox Corporation, a developer,
marketer, manufacturer, financier and servicer of document processing products
and services. Mr. Stern brings to the Board significant knowledge of
the office products and office supplies industry and expertise in product
development, sales and marketing. He also has substantial experience
with international operations, manufacturing, channels of distribution and
general management. Mr. Stern has served on other public companies'
governance committees.
Messrs.
Askren, Christensen and Waters comprise a class of Directors whose terms will
expire at the Corporation's 2012 annual meeting of shareholders.
Stan A. Askren, age 49, has
been a Director of the Corporation since 2003. Mr. Askren has also
been the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation since 2004 and
the President of the Corporation since 2003. He is a director of
Armstrong World Industries, Inc. and serves on its audit
committee. Mr. Askren brings to the Board extensive experience and
knowledge of the Corporation's business, operations and culture and experience
on another public company board. He has worked for the Corporation
for 18 years. Mr. Askren was vice president of marketing, an
executive vice president and president of the Corporation's hearth products
operating segment. He also worked in the Corporation's office
furniture operating segment as a group vice president of The HON Company and
president of Allsteel Inc., two of the Corporation's office furniture
subsidiaries. Mr. Askren has served as the vice president of human
resources and an executive vice president of the Corporation.
Gary M. Christensen, age 66,
has been a Director of the Corporation since 2000. Mr. Christensen
served as the Lead Director of the Board from 2005 to May 2008. He
has been active with Wind Point Partners in private equity investment since
2002. From 2005 to 2009, Mr. Christensen served as a director of
United Subcontractors Inc. Building Products. Mr.
Christensen
brings to the Board chief executive officer experience and significant knowledge
of the building products industry. He also has substantial sales,
marketing and manufacturing experience at several large public companies and is
considered a lean business expert. Mr. Christensen has served on
public companies' audit and compensation committees.
Ronald V. Waters, III, age 58, has been a
Director of the Corporation since 2002. Mr. Waters has been a
Director and the President and Chief Executive Officer of LoJack Corporation, a
premier worldwide marketer of wireless tracking and recovery systems for
valuable mobile assets and a leader in global stolen vehicle recovery, since
2009 and, from 2007 to 2008, he was a Director and the President and Chief
Operating Officer of LoJack Corporation. Previously, from 2004 to
2006, Mr. Waters was the Chief Operating Officer of Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company, a
leader in the confectionery industry and the world's largest manufacturer and
marketer of gum. He is a director of Fortune Brands, Inc. and serves
on its audit and corporate responsibilities committees. From 2006 to
2007, Mr. Waters served as a director of Sabre Holdings
Corporation. Mr. Waters brings to the Board chief executive officer
experience and significant international, finance, law and information
technology expertise at several large public companies. He previously
served as partner of a large public accounting firm, has extensive outside audit
experience and qualifies as an "audit committee financial
expert." Mr. Waters has served on public companies' audit and
corporate responsibilities committees.
Departing
Director
John A.
Halbrook is not standing for re-election. His term as a Director will
expire after the Board meeting on May 11, 2010. The Board intends to
amend the By-laws to reduce the number of Directors from 12 to 11 effective
after the May 11, 2010 Board meeting.
Required
Vote
Election
of the Nominees as Directors requires the affirmative vote of the holders of a
majority of the Outstanding Shares voted at the Meeting.
Recommendation
of the Board
THE
BOARD RECOMMENDS A VOTE "FOR" THE ELECTION OF THE NOMINEES AS
DIRECTORS.
|
Director
Independence
In
addition to complying with NYSE listing standards pertaining to director
independence, the Corporation adopted the Categorical Standards, which are
attached as Exhibit A to the HNI Corporation Corporate Governance Guidelines
(the "Governance Guidelines") and available on the Corporation's website at
www.hnicorp.com,
under "Corporate Governance –
Governance Guidelines." Under the Categorical Standards, the
following relationships will not, in and of themselves, be considered material
relationships, unless otherwise expressly provided for with respect to a
particular interest or relationship, under the NYSE listing
standards: (1) contributions or payments (including the provision of
goods and services) by the Corporation to a charitable organization (including a
foundation), a university or other not-for-profit organization in which a
Director or a Director's immediate family member is a director, trustee, officer
or employee, unless the contribution or payment (excluding matching gifts)
was: (A) made to an entity for which the Director or the Director's
spouse currently serves as a director, trustee or officer and he or she served
in such position at the time of the contribution or payment; (B) made within the
three fiscal years preceding the date of any determination; and (C) in an amount
exceeding the greater of $1,000,000 or two percent of the charitable
organization's aggregate annual charitable receipts during the organization's
last completed fiscal year prior to the date of the contribution or payment; and
(2) other business relationships between a Director or a Director's immediate
family member and the Corporation, such as a purchase by the Corporation of
products or services, including consulting, legal or financial advisory
services, unless: (A) the Director or the Director's spouse is a
partner, officer or 10 percent owner of a company or firm providing such
products or services, and he or she held such position at any time within the 12
months preceding the date of any determination; (B) the products or services
were provided within the three fiscal years preceding the date of any
determination; and (C) the products or services provided during
any
12-month period were in an aggregate amount exceeding the greater of $1,000,000
or one percent of such company's or firm's consolidated gross revenues for its
last completed fiscal year. The Categorical Standards in clause (2)
above do not include business relationships with the Corporation's internal or
external auditors that are covered by the criteria set forth above and the NYSE
listing standards.
Under the
Governance Guidelines, at least three-fourths of the Directors must meet the
NYSE listing standards pertaining to director independence and the Categorical
Standards. The Board has determined (1) each of the current
non-management Directors, including Miguel M. Calado, Gary M. Christensen,
Cheryl A. Francis, John A. Halbrook, Larry B. Porcellato, Brian E. Stern and
Ronald V. Waters, III (each of whom are current members of the Board), Mary H.
Bell, James R. Jenkins, Dennis J. Martin and Abbie J. Smith (each of whom are
current members of the Board standing for re-election), Joseph E. Scalzo (former
member of the Board who resigned in November 2009) and (2) each of the current
members of the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee and the Governance
Committee, has no material relationship with the Corporation (either directly or
as a partner, shareholder or officer of an organization that has a relationship
with the Corporation) and is independent under the NYSE listing standards and
the Categorical Standards.
Mr.
Askren does not meet such independence standards because he is the Chairman,
President and Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation.
Board
Committees
The Board
has three standing committees, the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee
and the Governance Committee. The Governance Committee fulfills the
role of a nominating committee. Each committee operates under a
written charter, which has been approved by the Board. The Board
reviews each committee charter at least annually. Current copies of
the committees' charters can be found on the Corporation's website at www.hnicorp.com,
under "Corporate Governance –
Committee Charters." Shareholders may
request a paper copy of the Board's committees' charters by writing to the
Corporate Secretary at HNI Corporation, 408 East Second Street, Muscatine, Iowa
52761. During the Corporation's fiscal year ended January 2, 2010
("Fiscal 2009"), each Director attended all of the meetings for the committees
on which such Director served, except Mr. Scalzo did not attend three committee
meetings.
Audit
Committee. The Audit Committee consists of three independent
Directors: Miguel M. Calado, Chairperson, James R. Jenkins and Ronald
V. Waters, III. The Board has determined each Audit Committee member
is "independent" as independence for audit committee members is defined by the
NYSE listing standards pertaining to director independence, in applicable SEC
rules and under the Categorical Standards. The Board has determined
all members of the Audit Committee are financially literate pursuant to the NYSE
listing standards. The Board has also determined Messrs. Calado and
Waters are each an "audit committee financial expert," as defined by Item
407(d)(5) of Regulation S-K. In accordance with the Audit Committee
Charter, none of the Audit Committee members serve simultaneously on audit
committees of more than three public companies. The Audit Committee
met eight times during Fiscal 2009. The Audit Committee appoints the
Corporation's independent registered public accountant and reviews the
independent registered public accountant's performance, independence, fees and
audit plans. The Audit Committee also reviews the annual and
quarterly financial statements; internal audit staffing, plans and reports;
nonaudit services provided by the independent registered public accountant; the
Corporation's insurance coverage; and any other financial matters as directed by
the Board.
Human Resources
and Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee is
comprised of Abbie J. Smith, Chairperson, Cheryl A. Francis, John A. Halbrook
and Brian E. Stern. Each member of the Compensation Committee is an
independent director as that term is defined by the NYSE listing standards
pertaining to director independence and under the Categorical
Standards. In addition, each member qualifies as (1) an "outside
director" for purposes of Section 162(m) and (2) a"non-employee director" for
purposes of SEC Rule 16b-3. The Compensation Committee met five times
during Fiscal 2009. The Compensation Committee reviews executive
compensation, executive succession planning, benefit programs for all members
(i.e., employees), management's recommendations on election of officers and
human resources development and oversees evaluation of the Chief Executive
Officer (the "CEO") by the Board.
Public Policy and
Corporate Governance Committee. The Governance Committee
consists of Dennis J. Martin, Chairperson, Mary H. Bell, Gary M. Christensen and
Larry B. Porcellato. Each member of the Governance Committee is an
independent director as that term is defined by the NYSE listing standards
pertaining to director independence and under the Categorical
Standards. The Governance Committee met five times during Fiscal
2009. The Governance Committee serves as the nominating committee and
identifies individuals qualified to serve as Directors of the Corporation
consistent with criteria approved by the Board; recommends director nominees to
the Board for the next annual meeting of shareholders; develops and recommends
to the Board corporate governance principles applicable to the Corporation; and
oversees the Corporation's finance policy, capital structure and evaluation of
the Board and the Corporation by the Directors.
Processes
and Procedures for the Consideration and Determination of Director Compensation
by Governance Committee
The
Governance Committee is responsible for annually reviewing the compensation paid
to Directors for service on the Board and for recommending changes to such
compensation to the Board, if appropriate. The Board is responsible
for approving Director compensation annually based on recommendations of the
Governance Committee. Neither the Governance Committee nor the Board
delegates its authority with respect to setting Director compensation to any
other person or group. However, the Corporation's management may, at
the request of the Governance Committee, assist the Governance Committee in its
annual review of Director compensation, which may include recommending changes
to such compensation. Although it has not done so recently, the
Governance Committee has authority to retain and terminate any consultant to
assist in the evaluation of the compensation and benefits for Directors and to
approve the consultant's fees and other retention terms.
Processes
and Procedures for the Consideration and Determination of Executive Compensation
by Compensation Committee
The
Compensation Committee is responsible for developing and implementing the
Corporation's compensation policies and programs for the Chairman and CEO and
other senior executives as further discussed throughout the Compensation
Discussion and Analysis (the "CD&A") which begins on page 26 of this Proxy
Statement. With regard to senior executives, other than the Chairman
and CEO, the Compensation Committee reviews and considers management's
recommendation, assesses the compensation of such senior executives and approves
compensation and benefit levels (1) consistent with the Corporation's
compensation philosophy and (2) necessary to attract and retain senior
executives. This includes determining the following, without the need
for approval or ratification by the Board:
·
|
Total
compensation, including base salaries, and benefit levels for senior
executives who report to the Chairman, President and
CEO;
|
·
|
Annual
Incentive Plan and Performance Plan participants, targets and aggregate
award levels; and
|
·
|
Participants
and awards under the HNI Corporation Supplemental Income Plan (f/k/a HNI
Corporation ERISA Supplemental Retirement Plan) (the "SIP"), other than
the CEO.
|
For all
senior executives, including the Chairman and CEO, the Compensation Committee
recommends stock option or other equity compensation awards under the 2007
Compensation Plan to the Board for approval. The Compensation
Committee also reviews and approves the base salaries for other executive
officers of the Corporation who are subject to Section 16 of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act") and who do not report directly to the
Chairman, President and CEO.
With
regard to the Chairman and CEO, at least annually the Compensation
Committee:
·
|
Reviews
and recommends to the Board (1) corporate goals and objectives relevant to
Chairman and CEO compensation and (2) compensation and benefits for the
Chairman and CEO, including Incentive Plan,
Performance Plan and SIP awards and stock option or other equity
compensation awards under the 2007 Compensation
Plan;
|
·
|
Evaluates
the Chairman and CEO's performance in light of such goals and objectives
and, together with other independent Directors, approves the Chairman and
CEO's compensation and benefits based on this evaluation and the
Compensation Committee's
recommendation;
|
·
|
Reviews
the Chairman and CEO's performance evaluation
form;
|
·
|
Issues
the Chairman and CEO performance evaluation form to all independent
Directors;
|
·
|
Compiles
and reviews the Chairman and CEO performance evaluation
results;
|
·
|
Reviews
the Chairman and CEO performance evaluation results with the Board for
additional comment; and
|
·
|
Chairperson
of Compensation Committee reviews the Board's evaluation results of the
CEO's performance with the Chairman and
CEO.
|
In
determining the long-term incentive component of Chairman and CEO compensation,
the Compensation Committee, together with the other independent Directors,
considers the Corporation's performance and relative shareholder return, the
value of similar incentive awards granted to chairmen and chief executive
officers at comparable companies and the awards granted to the Corporation's
Chairman and CEO in past years. Until February 2010, the Compensation
Committee used the Compensation Analysis (as described under "Annual Incentive
Compensation" on page 29 of this Proxy Statement) to evaluate the
competitiveness of the long-term incentive component of the Chairman and CEO's
compensation. Beginning in February 2010, the Compensation Committee
used an analysis prepared by Frederic W. Cook & Co., Inc., ("Frederic W.
Cook"), a national compensation
consulting
firm, in connection with the Compensation Committee's and the Board's review of
the Chairman and CEO's compensation as further described below under "Role of Compensation
Consultants."
Neither
the Compensation Committee nor the Board delegates its authority with respect to
determining executive compensation to any other person or
group. However, the Corporation's management does assist the
Compensation Committee in its review and determination of executive
compensation, which may include recommending changes to such
compensation.
Role of
Compensation Consultants. The Compensation Committee's Charter
provides the Compensation Committee shall have sole authority to (1) retain any
outside compensation consultants who offer advice on compensation levels and
benefits for the Chairman and CEO or other senior executives and (2) approve the
consultant's fees and other retention terms. Any other consulting services
by such compensation consultants must be approved in advance by the Compensation
Committee Chairperson.
In the
fourth quarter of the Corporation's fiscal year ended January 3, 2009 ("Fiscal
2008"), and the first quarter of Fiscal 2009, the Compensation Committee
retained Semler Brossy Consulting Group, LLC ("Semler"), a national compensation
consulting firm, for an executive compensation project involving executive
retention. Semler noted potential issues with the Corporation's
executive retention policies and practices for consideration by the Compensation
Committee. Based in part on the issues identified by Semler, the
Compensation Committee recommended to the Board for approval (1) time-based
restricted stock unit, or RSU, awards under the 2007 Compensation Plan instead
of Performance Plan awards and (2) a greater proportion of the long-term
incentive compensation awards in the form of RSUs as opposed to stock
options. For additional information regarding the decision by the
Compensation Committee to recommend and the Board to grant RSU awards instead of
Performance Plan awards, see "Long-Term Incentive
Compensation" on page 34 of this Proxy Statement. Semler did
not provide any additional services to the Corporation or its affiliates in
Fiscal 2008 or Fiscal 2009.
In the
fourth quarter of Fiscal 2009 and the first quarter of the Corporation's fiscal
year ending January 1, 2011 ("Fiscal 2010"), the Compensation Committee retained
Frederic W. Cook in connection with an overall review of the compensation of the
Corporation's Chairman and CEO. As a part of the review, Frederic W.
Cook collected and analyzed market information on several elements of total
compensation for chairmen and chief executive officers, including base salary,
annual incentive compensation and long-term incentive
compensation. Based in part on the findings and analysis of Frederic
W. Cook, the Compensation Committee recommended to the Board for approval a
change to annual base salary and long-term incentive compensation award target
for the Corporation's Chairman and CEO. For additional information
regarding the decision by the Compensation Committee to recommend and the Board
to change the Chairman and CEO's (1) annual base salary, see "Base Salary – Recent Salary
Freezes/Reductions" on page 28 of this Proxy Statement and (2) long-term
incentive compensation award target, see "Long-Term Incentive
Compensation" on page 34 of this Proxy Statement. Frederic W.
Cook did not provide any additional services to the Corporation or its
affiliates in Fiscal 2009 or Fiscal 2010 through the date of this Proxy
Statement.
For
additional details regarding the process and procedures followed by the
Compensation Committee in establishing the Corporation's compensation policies
and programs for the Chairman and CEO and other senior executives, see the
Compensation Committee's Charter, which is posted on the Corporation's website
at www.hnicorp.com,
under "Corporate Governance –
Committee Charters."
Board
Leadership Structure
The
Corporation's current board leadership structure consists of a combined chairman
and chief executive officer position and eleven independent Directors, one of
which has been designated as the Lead Director.
While
certain of the conventional functions for the Chairman have been shared by all
Directors, the Chairman position has traditionally been held by the
Corporation's CEO. The Board believes the combined role of Chairman
and CEO promotes unified leadership and direction for the Corporation, which
allows for a single, clear focus for management to execute the Corporation's
strategy and business plans. The Board believes this leadership
structure has contributed to the long-term growth and financial success of the
Corporation.
The
Corporation has strong governance structures and processes in place to ensure
the independence of its Board, eliminate conflicts of interest and prevent
dominance of the Board by management. All Directors, with the
exception of the Chairman, are independent as defined under NYSE listing
standards pertaining to director independence and the Categorical Standards, and
all committees of the Board are made up entirely of independent
Directors. In addition, the Board and the Governance Committee have
assembled a board comprised of strong and sophisticated Directors who are
currently or have recently been leaders of major companies or institutions, are
independent thinkers and have a wide range of expertise and
skills.
In
February 2005, the Board adopted Lead Director Guidelines and appointed a Lead
Director at its May 2005 meeting from the ranks of the independent
Directors. The Lead Director's duties and responsibilities
include: (1) presiding at all meetings of the independent Directors;
(2) communicating to the Chairman and CEO the substance of the discussions and
consensus reached at the meetings of independent Directors; (3) encouraging the
independent Directors and the Chairman and CEO to communicate with each other at
any time and to act as principal liaison between the independent Directors and
the Chairman and CEO on sensitive matters; (4) providing input to the Chairman
and CEO on preparation of agendas for Board and committee meetings; (5)
presiding at Board meetings when the Chairman and CEO is not in attendance; (6)
acting as spokesperson for the Corporation in the event the Chairman and CEO is
unable to act due to conflict of interest or incapacity; and (7) receiving and
responding to communications from interested parties to the independent
Directors. Brian Stern has been the Lead Director since May
2008. From May 2005 until May 2008, Gary Christensen served as the
Corporation's Lead Director.
The Board
regularly meets in executive session without the presence of
management. The Lead Director presides at these meetings and provides
the Board's guidance and feedback to the Chairman and CEO and the Corporation's
management team. Further, the Board has complete access to the
Corporation's management team. At each Board and/or committee
meeting, Directors receive valuable information and insight from management on
matters impacting the Corporation as well as current and future
issues.
Given the
strong leadership of the Corporation's Chairman and CEO, the counterbalancing
role of the Lead Director and a Board comprised of strong and independent
Directors, the Board believes it is in the best long-term interests of the
Corporation and its shareholders to maintain a combined role of Chairman and
CEO.
Board's
Role in Risk Oversight
The Board
administers its risk oversight role primarily through its committee structure
and the committees' regular reports to the Board at each quarterly Board
meeting. The Audit Committee meets frequently during the year (eight
times in Fiscal 2009) and discusses with management, the Corporation's Vice
President, Internal Audit, and the Corporation's independent registered public
accountant: (1) current business trends affecting the Corporation;
(2) major risks facing the Corporation; (3) steps management has taken to
monitor and control such risks; and (4) adequacy of internal controls that could
significantly affect the Corporation's financial statements. The
Audit Committee also reviews the Corporation's enterprise risk management
process for identification of and response to major risks. The Audit
Committee Chairperson provides the Board with a report concerning its risk
oversight activities at each quarterly Board meeting. In addition,
the Compensation Committee conducted its first annual assessment of the
Corporation's compensation programs in February 2010 to ensure the programs do
not encourage excessive risk taking by members which could result in a material
adverse impact on the Corporation. The Compensation Committee
Chairperson provides the Board with a report on compensation, including risk,
annually.
Board
Meetings
The Board
held four regular meetings and no special meetings during Fiscal
2009. All Directors attended 100 percent of the total
number of meetings of the Board.
In
accordance with the NYSE listing standards regarding corporate governance, the
Corporation's non-management Directors meet at regularly scheduled executive
sessions without management present. Mr. Stern, Lead Director,
presides at these executive sessions. The Corporation's
non-management Directors met four times during Fiscal 2009.
Director
Attendance at Annual Meetings of Shareholders
All
Directors are encouraged to attend annual meetings of shareholders when
possible. Directors may attend either in person or by
telephone. Last year each Director attended the 2009 annual meeting
of shareholders in person.
Shareholder
Communications with the Board
Shareholders
and interested parties may communicate with the Lead Director, the Chairperson
of the Governance Committee and the Vice President, General Counsel and
Secretary, or with the Corporation's non-management Directors as a group, by
sending an email to "BoardOfDirectors@hnicorp.com" or by writing to Lead
Director, Chairperson of the Governance Committee, Vice President, General
Counsel and Secretary or Non-Management Directors at HNI Corporation, 408 East
Second Street, Muscatine, Iowa 52761, Attention: Corporate
Secretary. All communications received will be opened by the office
of the Corporate Secretary for the sole purpose of determining whether the
contents are a message to the Directors. Any communications
not in the nature of advertising or promotions of a product or service will be
promptly forwarded to the appropriate party.
COMPENSATION
PLAN, AS AMENDED AND RESTATED
General
On
February 17, 2010, the Board approved the amendment and restatement of the 2007
Compensation Plan. The 2007 Compensation Plan was previously approved
by shareholders on May 8, 2007. The 2007 Compensation Plan is
designed to promote the long-term financial success of the Corporation and to
increase shareholder value by enabling the Corporation to recruit and retain
quality members and to further align the interests of members with the interests
of the Corporation's shareholders. The amendment and restatement of
the 2007 Compensation Plan is subject to the approval of the Corporation's
shareholders, which requires the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority
of the Outstanding Shares voted at the Meeting.
The 2007
Compensation Plan permits the Corporation to issue to its members, and to
members of its subsidiaries, including executive officers, stock-based
compensation awards in the form of non-statutory stock options, stock
appreciation rights, restricted stock, RSUs, deferred share units, performance
share awards, stock grant awards (i.e., bonus stock) and dividend equivalent
awards.
Summary
of the 2007 Compensation Plan
The
following is a summary of the 2007 Compensation Plan which is qualified in its
entirety by reference to the full text of the 2007 Compensation Plan, as amended
and restated. A copy of the full text of the 2007 Compensation Plan,
as amended and restated, is included as Appendix
A to the Proxy Statement filed electronically with the SEC on March
26, 2010, a copy of which is available on the Corporation's website at www.hnicorp.com,
under "Investor
Information—Proxy Report."
Purpose. The
2007 Compensation Plan aids the Corporation in recruiting and retaining members
capable of assuring the future success of the Corporation. Awards
under the 2007 Compensation Plan and opportunities for stock ownership in the
Corporation provide incentives to participants to exert their best efforts for
the success of the Corporation, thereby aligning their interests with those of
the Corporation's shareholders.
Administration. A
committee (the "Committee") consisting of two or more non-employee Directors,
designated by the Board, administers the 2007 Compensation
Plan. Subject to the terms of the 2007 Compensation Plan, the
Committee has the power to determine, among other things, eligibility, the types
and sizes of awards, the price and timing of awards, the terms and conditions of
awards, any applicable vesting requirements or restrictions and the acceleration
or waiver of any such vesting requirements or restrictions. The
Committee also has the authority to interpret the 2007 Compensation Plan and to
prescribe, interpret and revoke rules and regulations relating to the 2007
Compensation Plan.
Eligibility. The
Committee determines which members of the Corporation or its subsidiaries are
eligible to participate in the 2007 Compensation Plan. Currently, 74
persons, including 162(m) Employees, are eligible to participate in the 2007
Compensation Plan.
Shares
Authorized. The Board has reserved
5,000,000 shares of Common Stock for issuance under the 2007 Compensation
Plan. Shares that are subject to awards that terminate, lapse or are
cancelled or forfeited will be available again for grant under the 2007
Compensation Plan.
Certain
Limitations. No more than
2,000,000 shares of Common Stock are available under the 2007 Compensation Plan
for issuance as full-value awards (e.g., restricted stock, restricted stock
units, deferred share units, performance share awards, stock grant awards and
dividend equivalent awards). The current version of the 2007
Compensation Plan (prior to amendment and restatement) reserves 1,000,000 shares
for issuance as full-value awards. As the Corporation has issued
933,580 shares as full-value awards through the date of this Proxy Statement,
after shareholder approval of the 2007 Compensation Plan, as amended and
restated, there will be a total of 1,066,420 shares available for full-value
awards. Shares subject to any such awards that terminate, lapse or
are cancelled or forfeited will again be available for issuance as full-value
awards. In addition, no participant may be granted awards under the
2007 Compensation Plan for more than 500,000 shares of Common Stock in the
aggregate in any calendar year.
Types of
Awards. The 2007 Compensation Plan authorizes the following
types of awards:
·
|
Stock
Options. The 2007 Compensation Plan authorizes grants of
stock options to purchase shares of Common Stock. All stock
options granted under the 2007 Compensation Plan are "non-statutory stock
options," meaning they are not intended to qualify as "incentive stock
options" under the
Code. The stock options provide for the right to
purchase shares of Common Stock at a specified price and become
exercisable after the grant date pursuant to the terms established by the
Committee. The per share option exercise price may not be less
than 100 percent of the fair
market value of a share of Common Stock on the grant
date.
|
·
|
Stock
Appreciation Rights. Under the 2007 Compensation Plan,
the Committee may grant stock appreciation rights
("SARs"). SARs confer on the holder a right to receive upon
exercise the excess of the fair market value of one share of Common Stock
on the date of exercise, over the grant price of the SAR, which may not be
less than 100 percent of the fair
market value of a share of Common Stock on the grant
date.
|
·
|
Restricted
Stock and Restricted Stock Units. The 2007 Compensation
Plan authorizes awards of restricted stock and RSUs, to be subject to any
restrictions the Committee may impose, such as satisfaction of performance
measures or a performance period, or restrictions on the right to vote or
receive dividends. The minimum vesting period of such awards
subject solely to satisfaction of a performance measure is one year from
the grant date. The minimum vesting period of such awards
subject solely to satisfaction of a performance period is three years from
the grant date.
|
·
|
Deferred
Share Units. The Committee may grant awards of deferred
share units, subject to a deferral period of not less than one
year. The deferred share units also may be subject to such
restrictions as the Committee may impose, such as satisfaction of
performance measures or a performance period. The minimum
vesting period of deferred share units subject solely to satisfaction of a
performance measure is one year from the grant date. The
minimum vesting period of deferred share units subject solely to
satisfaction of a performance period is three years from the grant
date. No shares of Common Stock are issued at the time deferred
share units are granted. Rather, the shares are issued and
delivered upon expiration of the applicable deferral
period.
|
·
|
Performance
Share Awards. Pursuant to the 2007 Compensation Plan,
the Committee may grant performance share awards. Each
performance share constitutes a right, contingent upon the attainment of
certain performance measures within a performance period, to receive a
share of Common Stock or the fair market value of such performance share
in cash. Prior to the settlement of a performance share award,
the holder of such award has no rights as a shareholder with respect to
the shares of Common Stock subject to the award. Performance
shares are generally subject to forfeiture if the specified performance
measures are not attained. The minimum performance period for
any performance share award is one year from the date of
grant.
|
·
|
Stock Grant
Awards. The 2007 Compensation Plan also authorizes
grants of unrestricted shares of Common Stock. Such awards may
be subject to any terms and conditions the Committee may
determine.
|
·
|
Dividend
Equivalent Awards. The Committee may grant dividend
equivalent awards on previously granted awards of restricted stock, RSUs,
performance share awards, deferred share units or stock grant
awards. Such dividend equivalent awards entitle the recipient
to receive payment in cash, shares of Common Stock or other property as
determined by the Committee based on the amount of any cash dividends paid
by the Corporation to holders of shares of Common
Stock.
|
All
awards are subject to the terms of the 2007 Compensation Plan and any other
terms and conditions as the Committee may deem appropriate.
Non-transferability. In
general, awards under the 2007 Compensation Plan may not be transferred except
upon death, by will or the laws of descent and distribution or pursuant to a
transfer to a family member expressly permitted by the Committee.
Adjustment for
Certain Corporate Changes. In the event of a stock
split, stock dividend, recapitalization, reorganization, merger or other similar
event, which affects shares such that an adjustment is required to prevent
dilution or enlargement of the benefits or potential benefits intended to be
made available under the 2007 Compensation Plan, the Committee shall, in such
manner as it may deem equitable, make appropriate adjustments to the number of
shares of Common Stock available for grant, the number of shares of Common Stock
covered by outstanding awards or other terms as the Committee deems necessary or
appropriate.
Change in
Control. The 2007 Compensation Plan provides, in the event of
a change in control involving the Corporation, all awards granted under the 2007
Compensation Plan will become vested and exercisable in
full. Alternatively, the Committee may require each award to be
surrendered and redeemed for its cash equivalent.
Amendment. The
Board may amend the 2007 Compensation Plan at any time, except the Board may not
amend the 2007 Compensation Plan to increase materially the benefits to
participants under the 2007 Compensation Plan without shareholder
approval. In addition, the Board may not make any amendment impairing
an outstanding award under the 2007 Compensation Plan.
Term. The
term of the 2007 Compensation Plan commenced on May 8, 2007, when the
shareholders originally approved it, and expires on May 7, 2017, unless earlier
terminated by the Board.
Effect of
Termination of Employment. The 2007 Compensation Plan
authorizes the Committee to determine, at the time of the grant of any award,
all terms relating to the exercise, cancellation, forfeiture or other
disposition of such award upon a participant's termination of
employment. However, in the event of a termination of employment by
reason of death or disability, each award granted under the 2007 Compensation
Plan will become fully exercisable and vested. In addition, in the
event of termination of employment due to retirement, each grant of stock
options and SARs under the 2007 Compensation Plan will become fully exercisable
and vested.
Plan
Benefits. Although the Corporation anticipates awards will be
made to members following shareholder approval during the remaining term of the
2007 Compensation Plan, no specific determinations have been made regarding the
timing, size or terms of individual awards at this time. All members
of the Corporation and its subsidiaries, including executive officers, may be
eligible for awards under the 2007 Compensation Plan as determined by the
Committee. The timing, size, terms and recipients of such awards are
determined from time to time by the Board in its discretion.
The
dollar value and number of stock options and RSUs granted in Fiscal 2009 under
the 2007 Compensation Plan to each of the Corporation's Chairman, President and
CEO, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (the "CFO") and three other most
highly compensated executives (collectively, the "Named Executive Officers") are
reflected in the table titled "Grants of Plan-Based Awards for
Fiscal 2009" on page 44 of this Proxy Statement. In addition,
each of the Named Executive Officers, in Fiscal 2009, received benefits under
the SIP, which are distributed as stock grant awards under the 2007 Compensation
Plan. The value of each stock grant award, including the number of
underlying shares, for each of the Named Executive Officers for Fiscal 2009 is
set forth in the table below.
Name and Position
|
Dollar Value ($)
|
Number of Units (#)
|
Stan
A. Askren
Chairman,
President and Chief Executive Officer,
HNI
Corporation
|
147,177
|
11,365
|
Kurt
A. Tjaden
Vice
President and Chief Financial Officer,
HNI
Corporation
|
0
|
0
|
Bradley
D. Determan
Executive
Vice President, HNI Corporation
President,
Hearth & Home Technologies Inc.
|
14,180
|
1,095
|
Jerald
K. Dittmer
Executive
Vice President, HNI Corporation
President,
The HON Company
|
48,368
|
3,735
|
Marco
V. Molinari
Executive
Vice President, HNI Corporation
President,
HNI International Inc.
|
47,021
|
3,631
|
The
tables below set forth the aggregate dollar value of and number of units
comprising all awards in Fiscal 2009 under the 2007 Compensation Plan for the
groups identified. As noted above for the Named Executive Officers,
the stock grant awards are issued as payment of benefits due under the
SIP. The executive group consists of all current executive officers,
including the Named Executive Officers. The non-executive officer
employee group consists of all members who received awards under the 2007
Compensation Plan in Fiscal 2009, but are not executive officers.
Executive
Group
Type
of Award
|
Dollar
Value ($)
|
Number
of Units (#)
|
Stock
Options
|
827,353
|
327,017
|
RSUs
|
2,669,244
|
340,465
|
Stock
Grant Award
|
299,273
|
23,110
|
Total
|
3,795,870
|
690,592
|
Non-Executive
Officer Employee Group
Type
of Award
|
Dollar
Value ($)
|
Number
of Units (#)
|
Stock
Options
|
431,914
|
170,717
|
RSUs
|
2,808,092
|
358,175
|
Stock
Grant Award
|
154,001
|
11,892
|
Total
|
3,394,007
|
540,784
|
Non-employee
Directors are not eligible to participate in the 2007 Compensation
Plan.
Summary
of Key Changes to the 2007 Compensation Plan
Key
changes to the 2007 Compensation Plan, which are reflected in the summary above,
include:
·
|
increase
in the number of shares reserved for full-value awards from 1,000,000 to
2,000,000 (after shareholder approval, there will be a total of 1,066,420
shares available for full-value awards as the Corporation previously
issued 933,580 such shares);
|
·
|
increase
the annual share award limit per participant from 250,000 to 500,000
shares;
|
·
|
addition
of automatic vesting of stock options and SARs in the event of
retirement;
|
·
|
provision
of discretion to the CEO to waive the vesting requirements with respect to
any award, except for awards to the CEO for which the Committee has
discretion to waive the vesting
requirements;
|
·
|
clarification
that the Committee may base the vesting of any award on the financial
performance of the Corporation or one of the Corporation's subsidiaries or
operating units;
|
·
|
addition
of minimum vesting periods for awards of restricted stock, RSUs and
deferred share units depending on whether such awards are subject to
satisfaction of a performance measure or a performance
period;
|
·
|
addition
of a minimum performance period for all performance share
awards;
|
·
|
addition
of a provision specifying a dividend equivalent award on a performance
share award shall only be settled or paid when the underlying performance
share award is settled or paid; and
|
·
|
addition
of a provision addressing the establishment of performance measures for
162(m) Employees.
|
Federal
Income Tax Consequences
The
following is a brief overview of the U.S. federal income tax consequences
generally arising with respect to awards under the 2007 Compensation
Plan. This summary is not intended to be exhaustive, is subject to
change and does not describe state or local tax consequences or consequences of
other applicable tax laws.
Tax Consequences
to Participants. The tax consequences to the participants
depend on the type of award granted under the 2007 Compensation
Plan.
·
|
Stock
Options. In general: (1) no income will be
recognized by the participant at the time a stock option is granted; (2)
at the time of exercise of a stock option, ordinary income will be
recognized by the participant in an amount equal to the difference between
the option price paid for the shares and the fair market value of the
shares if they are unrestricted on the date of exercise; and (3) at the
time of sale of shares acquired pursuant to the exercise of a stock
option, any appreciation (or depreciation) in the value of the shares
after the date of exercise will be treated as either short-term or
long-term capital gain (or loss) depending on how long the shares have
been held.
|
·
|
Stock
Appreciation Rights. No income will be recognized by a
participant in connection with the grant of SARs. When the SAR
is exercised, the participant normally will be required to include as
ordinary income in the year of exercise an amount equal to the amount of
cash and the fair market value of any unrestricted shares received
pursuant to the exercise.
|
· Restricted Stock
and Restricted Stock Units. A participant receiving restricted
stock or RSUs will not recognize ordinary income at the time of grant unless the
participant makes an election to be taxed at such time. If such
election is not made, the participant will recognize ordinary income at the time
the restrictions lapse in an amount equal to the excess of the fair market value
of the stock at such time over the amount, if any, paid for the stock or
units. In addition, a participant receiving dividends with respect to
restricted stock or RSUs for which the above-described election has not been
made and prior to the time the restrictions lapse will recognize ordinary
income, rather than dividend income, in an amount equal to the dividends
paid. To date, the Corporation has not issued any dividend equivalent
awards with respect to restricted stock and RSUs. Upon disposition of
such stock, any appreciation (or depreciation) in the value of the stock after
the date the restrictions lapse will be taxed as either short-term or long-term
capital gain (or loss) depending on the holding period. If a
participant properly makes an election to be taxed at the time the restricted
stock or RSU is granted, the participant will recognize ordinary income on the
date of grant equal to the excess of the fair market value of the stock or RSU
at such time over the amount, if any, paid for such stock. The
participant will not recognize any income at the time the restrictions
lapse. Upon disposition of such stock, any appreciation (or
depreciation) in the value of the stock after the date the restricted stock or
RSU was granted will be taxed as either short-term or long-term capital gain (or
loss) depending on the holding period.
·
|
Deferred
Share Units. A participant receiving a deferred share
unit will recognize ordinary income in the year the participant receives
shares in an amount equal to the value of the deferred shares at that time
less any consideration paid by the participant. Upon
disposition of such shares, any appreciation (or depreciation) in the
value of the shares after the date of the delivery of the deferred shares
will be taxed as either short-term or long-term capital gain (or loss)
depending on the holding period.
|
·
|
Performance
Share Awards. A participant receiving a performance
share award will not recognize taxable income upon the grant of such
award. Upon the settlement of the award, the participant will
recognize ordinary income in an amount equal to the fair market value of
any shares delivered and any cash paid by the Corporation. Upon
disposition of such shares, any appreciation (or depreciation) in the
value of the shares after the date of the settlement of the award will be
taxed as either short-term or long-term capital gain (or loss) depending
on the holding period.
|
·
|
Stock Grant
Awards. A participant receiving a stock grant award will
recognize taxable income at the time the stock is awarded in an amount
equal to the then fair market value of such stock less the amount, if any,
paid for such shares. Upon disposition of such stock, any
appreciation (or depreciation) in the value of the stock after the date
the participant received the stock will be taxed as either short-term or
long-term capital gain (or loss) depending on the holding
period.
|
·
|
Dividend
Equivalent Awards. If an award also includes a dividend
equivalent award, a participant will recognize ordinary income when the
participant receives payment of the dividend
equivalents.
|
Tax Consequences
to the Corporation. To
the extent a participant recognizes ordinary income in the circumstances
described above, the Corporation or the subsidiary for which the member performs
services will be entitled to a corresponding deduction if, among other things,
the income meets the test of reasonableness, is an ordinary and necessary
business expense, is not an "excess parachute payment" within the meaning of
Section 280G of the Code and is not disallowed by Section 162(m).
Required
Vote
Approval
of the 2007 Compensation Plan as amended and restated requires the affirmative
vote of the holders of a majority of the Outstanding Shares voted at the
Meeting.
Recommendation
of the Board
THE
BOARD RECOMMENDS A VOTE "FOR" APPROVAL OF HNI CORPORATION
2007 STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION
PLAN, AS AMENDED AND RESTATED.
|
(f/k/a HNI
CORPORATION EXECUTIVE BONUS PLAN), AS AMENDED AND RESTATED
General
On
February 17, 2010, the Board approved the amendment and restatement of the
Incentive Plan. Portions of the Incentive Plan were previously
approved by shareholders on May 3, 2005. The Incentive Plan provides
for performance-based compensation payable in cash and/or Common
Stock. The Incentive Plan is designed to promote the long-term
financial success of the Corporation and to increase shareholder value by
enabling the Corporation to recruit and retain quality members and to further
align the interests of members with the interests of the Corporation's
shareholders. The amendment and restatement of the Incentive Plan is
subject to the approval of the Corporation's shareholders, which requires the
affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the Outstanding Shares voted at
the Meeting.
As noted
above, shareholder approval of the Incentive Plan is necessary for the
Corporation to meet the requirements for tax deductibility under Section
162(m). Section 162(m) limits the annual federal tax deduction for
162(m) Employees to $1,000,000. Certain performance-based
compensation is excluded from this limitation. The Incentive Plan has
been designed to comply with requirements of Section 162(m) with respect to
162(m) Employees. The Incentive Plan also benefits members who are
not 162(m) Employees.
Summary
of the Incentive Plan
The
following is a summary of the Incentive Plan which is qualified in its entirety
by reference to the full text of the Incentive Plan, as amended and
restated. A copy of the full text of the Incentive Plan, as amended
and restated, is included as Appendix
B to the Proxy Statement filed electronically with the SEC on March
26, 2010, a copy of which is available on the Corporation's website at www.hnicorp.com,
under "Investor
Information—Proxy Report."
Purpose. The
Incentive Plan aids the Corporation in recruiting and retaining members capable
of assuring the future success of the Corporation. The purpose of the
Incentive Plan is to encourage a consistently high standard of excellence and
continued employment by certain designated key executives and members of the
Corporation and its subsidiaries.
Administration. The
Incentive Plan is administered by the Board, which may from time to time
delegate all or any part of its authority under the Incentive Plan to the
Committee or management. All decisions with respect to 162(m)
Employees are made by the Committee. In particular, the Committee has
the exclusive authority to: (1) establish performance measures for
all 162(m) Employees; (2) determine and certify the achievement of the
performance measures for all 162(m) Employees; and (3) make any other
discretionary decisions affecting 162(m) Employees.
Eligibility. Participation
in the Incentive Plan is limited to members of the Corporation and its
subsidiaries who are designated by the Board to receive benefits under the
Incentive Plan. Currently, 99 persons, including 162(m) Employees,
are eligible to participate in the Incentive Plan.
Target
Performance Awards. Each participant is
granted a target performance award at the beginning of a performance period, as
determined by the Board or the Committee. The target performance
award is expressed as a percentage of the participant's base pay at the time the
award is granted. The actual award payable to a participant at the
end of a performance period (i.e., the earned performance award) is determined
by multiplying the percentage achievement of the applicable performance measure
by the target performance award. In no event will a participant's
award for a performance period exceed $3,000,000.
Performance
Measures. Performance measures are goals established for a
performance period. Performance measures are based on the level of
performance for the operating unit, division or other business unit of an
operating unit or individual performance for a participant for a performance
period. A performance period is one fiscal year of the Corporation or
such other period as may be determined by the Board or the
Committee.
In the
case of a participant who is a 162(m) Employee, all performance measures must be
pre-established by the Committee, be objective and state, in terms of an
objective formula or standard, the method for computing the amount of
compensation payable if the performance measure is attained.
Performance
measures may take into account such criteria as the Board determines to be
appropriate. In the case of a 162(m) Employee, the performance
measure shall be based exclusively on one or more of the following financial
measures: (1) pre-tax profit or after-tax gross profit; (2) operating
income; (3) operating profit; (4) earnings before interest, taxes,
depreciation
and amortization; (5) income before taxes; (6) net income; (7) revenue; (8) cash
flow; (9) return on invested capital; (10) return on net assets; (11) pre-tax or
after-tax profit margin; (12) pre-tax or after-tax profit growth;
(13) revenue growth; (14) stock price; and (15) economic profit.
In
addition, performance goals may be established for participants on an individual
basis to take into account such criteria as the Board determines to be
appropriate. In the case of a 162(m) Employee, the individual
performance measure shall be based exclusively on one or more of the
following: (1) increasing customer or member satisfaction; (2)
reducing member turnover; (3) improving safety record; (4) integrating and/or
managing acquisitions; (5) increasing inventory turns; (6) increasing
productivity of members, materials, manufacturing and/or logistics; (7)
strengthening market position (market share); (8) enhancing culture and
capabilities; (9) reducing operating costs; (10) building a best-cost lean
enterprise; (11) improving cash flow and/or cash management; (12) developing a
succession plan for key positions; (13) improving collaboration among corporate
functions and operating units; (14) developing new products and product
extensions; (15) improving the customer buying experience; (16) expanding
distribution; (17) enhancing brand and image; (18) developing new market
opportunities; (19) managing risk; and (20) enhancing corporate
compliance.
Payment of
Awards. Participants will be paid on or before the first day
of the Corporation's March fiscal month following the end of the performance
period. Payment of the earned performance award shall be in
cash. However, the Board or the Committee may require an award (or
portion thereof) be paid in the form of shares as a stock grant award under the
2007 Compensation Plan: (1) at the participant’s request, in the
amount indicated by the participant, subject to the Board (or the Committee's)
approval; or (2) in the amount of up to 50 percent of the award in the event the
Board (or the Committee) determines, in its sole discretion, the participant's
respective stock ownership level under the Corporation’s Executive Stock
Ownership Guideline does not reflect appropriate progress toward such
participant's five-year goal thereunder.
In
general, a participant must be employed on the last day of a performance period
in order to receive the value of such participant's earned performance award for
that performance period. There is an exception to this rule for
participants who terminate employment during a performance period due to death,
disability or retirement. Under these circumstances, the participant
is entitled to a prorated payment.
The Board
may reduce the amount of, or completely eliminate, an amount otherwise payable
to a participant for a performance period if the Board determines due to the
participant's performance or behavior during or immediately following such
performance period the participant should not be entitled to the
payment. Further, all amounts payable to the Corporation's CEO and
CFO are subject to forfeiture as provided in Section 304 of the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act of 2002.
Change in
Control. In the event of a change in control of the
Corporation, prior to the effective date of such change in control, the Board
will determine the value of each target performance award. Each
participant's target performance award will then become payable without
proration prior to the effective date of the change in control. If
there is a change in control of a subsidiary or the sale of all or substantially
all of the assets of an operating unit that is not a subsidiary, the value of
each award to participants employed by such subsidiary or operating unit will be
determined by the Board as of the date of the change in control or sale based on
(1) the percentage of the performance measure completed as of the date of the
change in control or sale, (2) the number of months of the performance period
completed as of the date of the change in control or sale, (3) the actual
purchase price of the subsidiary or operating unit and (4) such other factors as
the Board deems relevant in light of the circumstances of the sale.
Amendment or
Termination of the Incentive Plan. The Board has the authority
to interpret the Incentive Plan and to adopt, amend and rescind rules and
regulations for implementing and administering the Incentive
Plan. The interpretation and construction by the Board of any
provision of the Incentive Plan or any agreement are final and
conclusive. Shareholder approval of amendments to the Incentive Plan
will be required to the extent required by applicable law or national securities
exchange regulations, including the NYSE's listing standards. If the
Incentive Plan is terminated before the last day of the performance period, the
earned performance award otherwise payable for such performance period will be
prorated.
Plan
Benefits. Awards under the Incentive Plan will be based on the
Corporation's future performance and are not presently
determinable. However, the dollar value of awards paid under the
Incentive Plan for Fiscal 2009 to each of the Named Executive Officers are
reflected in the Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation column and note 6 of the
"Summary Compensation Table
for Fiscal 2009, Fiscal 2008 and Fiscal 2007" on page 43 of this Proxy
Statement. The aggregate dollar value of awards paid under the
Incentive Plan for Fiscal 2009 to all of the Corporation's current executive
officers (including the Named Executive Officers) as a group was
$3,091,521. The aggregate dollar value of awards paid under the
Incentive Plan for Fiscal 2009 to all of the Corporation's members as a group
who received awards under the Incentive Plan, but are not executive officers,
was $6,252,675. Non-employee Directors are not eligible to
participate in the Incentive Plan.
Summary
of Key Changes
Key
changes to the Performance Plan, which are reflected in the summary above,
include:
·
|
change
in the name of the Incentive Plan from the "HNI Corporation Executive
Bonus Plan" to the "HNI Corporation Annual Incentive
Plan;"
|
·
|
clarification
that CEO discretion to waive the service requirement included in the
definition of retirement for any award does not apply for awards to the
CEO for which only the Committee has discretion to waive the service
requirement;
|
·
|
increase
in the annual award limit per participant from $2,000,000 to
$3,000,000;
|
·
|
change
from the average of the high/low price of a share of Common Stock to the
closing price of a share of the Common Stock for any portion of an award
paid in Common Stock;
|
·
|
clarification
that the Committee may base the vesting of any award on the financial
performance of the Corporation or one of the Corporation's subsidiaries or
operating units;
|
·
|
clarification
of the Board's ability to delegate authority under the Incentive Plan to
the Committee and certain officers;
|
·
|
triggering
of a partial payment in the event of a sale or change in control of a
subsidiary or operating unit;
|
·
|
revision
of the format of the Incentive Plan and the addition of a table of
contents and definitions section;
|
·
|
change
of the award payment date from February 15 to the first day of the
Corporation's March fiscal month following the end of the performance
period; and
|
·
|
revision
of the definition of performance measure (f/k/a "Profit Achievement
Factors" and "Personal Objective Achievement
Factors").
|
Federal
Income Tax Consequences
All
awards under the Performance Plan will be considered compensation income to the
participants, subject to federal income tax in the year they are paid, and
deductible to the Corporation for federal income tax purposes to the extent they
are considered reasonable compensation.
Required
Vote
Approval
of the Annual Incentive Plan as amended and restated requires the affirmative
vote of the holders of a majority of the Outstanding Shares voted at the
Meeting.
Recommendation
of the Board
THE
BOARD RECOMMENDS A VOTE "FOR" APPROVAL OF HNI CORPORATION
ANNUAL
INCENTIVE PLAN (f/k/a HNI CORPORATION EXECUTIVE BONUS PLAN),
AS AMENDED AND
RESTATED.
|
AS
AMENDED AND RESTATED
General
On
February 17, 2010, the Board approved the amendment and restatement of the
Performance Plan. The Performance Plan was previously approved by
shareholders on May 3, 2005. The Performance Plan provides for
performance-based compensation payable in cash and/or Common
Stock. The Performance Plan is designed to promote the long-term
financial success of the Corporation and to increase shareholder value by
enabling the Corporation to recruit and retain quality members and to further
align the interests of members with the interests of the Corporation's
shareholders. The amendment and restatement of the Performance Plan
is subject to the approval of the Corporation's shareholders, which requires the
affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the Outstanding Shares voted at
the Meeting.
As noted
above, shareholder approval of the Performance Plan is necessary for the
Corporation to meet the requirements for tax deductibility under Section
162(m). Section 162(m) limits the annual federal tax deduction for
162(m) Employees to $1,000,000. Certain performance-based
compensation is excluded from this limitation. The Performance Plan
has been designed to comply with requirements of Section 162(m) with respect to
162(m) Employees. The Performance Plan also benefits members who are
not 162(m) Employees.
Summary
of the Performance Plan
The
following is a summary of the Performance Plan which is qualified in its
entirety by reference to the full text of the Performance Plan, as amended and
restated. A copy of the full text of the Performance Plan, as amended
and restated, is included as Appendix
C to the Proxy Statement filed electronically with the SEC on March
26, 2010, a copy of which is available on the Corporation's website at www.hnicorp.com,
under "Investor
Information—Proxy Report."
Purpose. The
Performance Plan aids the Corporation in recruiting and retaining members
capable of assuring the future success of the Corporation. The
purpose of the Performance Plan is to promote the attainment of the
Corporation's performance goals by providing incentive compensation for certain
designated key executives and members of the Corporation and its
subsidiaries.
Administration. The
Performance Plan is administered by the Board, which may from time to time
delegate all or any part of its authority under the Performance Plan to the
Committee or management. All decisions with respect to 162(m)
Employees are made by the Committee. In particular, the Committee has
the exclusive authority to: (1) establish performance measures for
all 162(m) Employees; (2) determine and certify the achievement of the
performance measures for all 162(m) Employees; and (3) make any other
discretionary decisions affecting 162(m) Employees.
Eligibility. Participation
in the Performance Plan is limited to members of the Corporation and its
subsidiaries who are designated by the Board to receive benefits under the
Performance Plan. Currently, 74 persons, including 162(m) Employees,
are eligible to participate in the Performance Plan.
Target
Performance Awards. Each participant is
granted a target performance award at the beginning of a performance period, as
determined by the Board or the Committee. The target performance
award is expressed as a percentage of the participant's base pay at the time the
award is granted. The actual award payable to a participant at the
end of a performance period (i.e., the earned performance award) is determined
by multiplying the percentage achievement of the applicable performance measure
by the target performance award. In no event will a participant's
award for a performance period exceed $5,000,000.
Other
Awards. The Committee may from time to time in its discretion
grant awards under the Performance Plan conditioned on satisfaction of criteria
other than a performance measure, such as remaining employed by the Corporation
on a continuous basis through the end of a performance period. Such
awards would not meet the requirements for tax deductibility under Section
162(m) however.
Performance
Measures. Performance measures are goals established for a
performance period. Performance measures are based on the level of
performance for the operating unit, division or other business unit of an
operating unit for a performance period. A performance period is a
period of at least two consecutive fiscal years of the Corporation.
In the
case of a participant who is a 162(m) Employee, all performance measures must be
pre-established by the Committee, be objective and state, in terms of an
objective formula or standard, the method for computing the amount of
compensation payable if the performance measure is attained.
Performance
measures may take into account such criteria as the Board determines to be
appropriate. In the case of a 162(m) Employee, the performance
measure shall be based exclusively on one or more of the following financial
measures: (1) pre-tax profit or after-tax gross profit; (2) operating
income; (3) operating profit; (4) earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation
and amortization; (5) income before taxes; (6) net income; (7) revenue; (8) cash
flow; (9) return on invested capital; (10) return on net assets; (11) pre-tax or
after-tax profit margin; (12) pre-tax or after-tax profit growth;
(13) revenue growth; (14) stock price; and (15) economic profit.
Payment of
Awards. Participants will be paid on or before the first day
of the Corporation's March fiscal month following the end of the performance
period. Payment of the earned performance award shall be in cash or
as a stock grant award under the 2007 Compensation Plan, or some combination, as
determined by the Board in its discretion.
In
general, a participant must be employed on the last day of a performance period
in order to receive the value of such participant's earned performance award for
that performance period. There is an exception to this rule for
participants who terminate employment during a performance period due to death,
disability or retirement. Under these circumstances, the participant
is entitled to a prorated payment.
The Board
may reduce the amount of, or completely eliminate, an amount otherwise payable
to a participant for a performance period if the Board determines due to the
participant's performance or behavior during or immediately following such
performance period the participant should not be entitled to the
payment. Further, all amounts payable to the Corporation's CEO and
CFO are subject to forfeiture as provided in Section 304 of the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act of 2002.
Change in
Control. In the event of a change in control of the
Corporation, prior to the effective date of such change in control, the Board
will determine the value of each target performance award. Each
participant's target performance award will then become payable without
proration prior to the effective date of the change in control. If
there is a change in control of a subsidiary or the sale of all or substantially
all of the assets of an operating unit that is not a subsidiary, the value of
each award to participants employed by such subsidiary or operating unit will be
determined by the Board as of the date of the change in control or sale based on
(1) the percentage of the performance measure completed as of the date of the
change in control or sale, (2) the number of months of the performance period
completed as of the date of the change in control or sale, (3) the actual
purchase price of the subsidiary or operating unit and (4) such other factors as
the Board deems relevant in light of the circumstances of the sale.
Amendment or
Termination of the Performance Plan. The Board has the
authority to interpret the Performance Plan and to adopt, amend and rescind
rules and regulations for implementing and administering the Performance
Plan. The interpretation and construction by the Board of any
provision of the Performance Plan or any agreement are final and
conclusive. Shareholder approval of amendments to the Performance
Plan will be required to the extent required by applicable law or national
securities exchange regulations, including the NYSE's listing
standards. If the Performance Plan is terminated before the last day
of the performance period, the earned performance award otherwise payable for
such performance period will be prorated.
Plan
Benefits. It is not presently possible to determine the amount
of any awards that may be made in the future under the Performance
Plan. Although the Corporation anticipates awards will be made to
members at some point in the future under the Performance Plan, no specific
determinations have been made regarding the timing, size or terms of individual
awards at this time. The Corporation did not make any awards under
the Performance Plan in 2009.
Summary
of Key Changes
Key
changes to the Performance Plan, which are reflected in the summary above,
include:
·
|
increase
in the annual award limit per participant from $3,000,000 to
$5,000,000;
|
·
|
provision
of discretion to the Board and the Committee regarding the form of payment
of awards (all cash, all Common Stock or some combination) and the length
of the performance period (minimum of 2
years);
|
·
|
provision
of discretion to the Board and the Committee to grant time-based (e.g.,
awards cliff-vest three years from date of grant) as opposed to
performance-based awards;
|
·
|
change
from the average of the high/low price of a share of Common Stock to the
closing price of a share of the Common Stock for any portion of an award
paid in Common Stock;
|
·
|
clarification
that participants receive the prorated portion of the earned performance
award as opposed to the target performance award in the event of
termination of employment during the performance period due to death,
disability or retirement;
|
·
|
clarification
that CEO discretion to waive the service requirement included in the
definition of retirement for any award does not apply for awards to the
CEO for which only the Committee has discretion to waive the service
requirement;
|
·
|
deletion
of language limiting the ability of the Board to amend the Performance
Plan no later than March 15 each
year;
|
·
|
change
of the award payment date from February 15 to the first day of the
Corporation's March fiscal month following the end of the performance
period; and
|
·
|
revision
of the definition of performance
measure.
|
Federal
Income Tax Consequences
All
awards under the Performance Plan will be considered compensation income to the
participants, subject to federal income tax in the year they are paid, and
deductible to the Corporation for federal income tax purposes to the extent they
are considered reasonable compensation.
Required
Vote
Approval
of the Performance Plan as amended and restated requires the affirmative vote of
the holders of a majority of the Outstanding Shares voted at the
Meeting.
Recommendation
of the Board
THE
BOARD RECOMMENDS A VOTE "FOR" APPROVAL OF HNI CORPORATION
LONG-TERM
PERFORMANCE PLAN, AS AMENDED AND RESTATED.
|
PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS
LLP AS THE CORPORATION'S
INDEPENDENT
REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT FOR FISCAL 2010
The Audit
Committee has selected PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the Corporation's
independent registered public accountant for Fiscal 2010.
The Board
proposes the shareholders ratify the selection by the Audit Committee of
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP to serve as the Corporation's independent registered
public accountant for Fiscal 2010. The Audit Committee is directly
responsible for the appointment of the independent registered public
accountant. Although shareholder ratification of the Audit
Committee's selection of the independent registered public accountant is not
required by the By-laws or otherwise, the Corporation is submitting the
selection of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP to its shareholders for ratification to
permit shareholders to participate in this important decision. If the
shareholders fail to ratify the Audit Committee's selection of
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the Corporation's independent registered public
accountant for Fiscal 2010 at the Meeting, the Audit Committee will reconsider
the selection, although the Audit Committee will not be required to select a
different independent registered public accountant. Representatives
of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP will be present at the Meeting, have an
opportunity to make a statement if they so desire and be available to respond to
appropriate questions.
Recommendation
of the Board
THE
BOARD RECOMMENDS A VOTE "FOR" RATIFICATION OF AUDIT COMMITTEE'S SELECTION
OF PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS LLP AS THE CORPORATION'S INDEPENDENT REGISTERED
PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT FOR FISCAL 2010.
|
The Board
has adopted a written charter for the Corporation's Audit
Committee. A current copy of the charter is available on the
Corporation's website at www.hnicorp.com,
under "Corporate Governance –
Committee Charters." The primary functions of the Audit
Committee are set forth in its charter and on page 9 of this Proxy Statement
under "Board
Committees."
All
members of the Audit Committee are independent as defined in Section 303A.02 of
the NYSE Listed Company Manual, Exchange Act Rule 10A-3(b)(1) and the
Categorical Standards.
Management
has represented to the Audit Committee the Corporation's consolidated financial
statements were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally
accepted in the United States of America, and the Audit Committee has reviewed
and discussed the consolidated financial statements with management and
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, the Corporation's independent registered public
accountant. Management has also represented it has assessed the
effectiveness of the Corporation's internal control over financial reporting as
of January 2, 2010, and has determined, as of that date, the Corporation
maintained effective internal control over financial reporting. The
Audit Committee has reviewed and discussed with management and the Corporation's
independent registered public accountant this assessment of internal control
over financial reporting. The Audit Committee has also discussed with
the Corporation's independent registered public accountant its evaluation of the
accounting principles, practices and judgments applied by management, and the
Audit Committee has discussed any items required to be communicated to it by the
Corporation's independent registered public accountant in accordance with
regulations promulgated by the SEC and the Public Company Accounting Oversight
Board, or PCAOB, including, without limitation, the matters required to be
discussed by the statement on Auditing Standards, No. 61, as amended (AICPA,
Professional Standards,
Vol. 1., AU section 380), as adopted by the PCAOB in Rule 3200T.
The Audit
Committee received and reviewed the written disclosures and the letter from the
Corporation's independent registered public accountant required by applicable
requirements of the PCAOB, regarding the Corporation's independent registered
public accountant's communications with the Audit Committee concerning
independence, and discussed with the Corporation's independent registered public
accountant its independence.
Based on
the reviews and discussions referred to above, the Audit Committee recommended
to the Board the consolidated financial statements referred to above
be included in the Corporation's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
January 2, 2010, for filing with the SEC.
AUDIT
COMMITTEE
Miguel M.
Calado, Chairperson
James R.
Jenkins
Ronald V.
Waters, III
The
following table sets forth the aggregate fees billed to the Corporation for the
audit and other services provided by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP for Fiscal 2009
and for Fiscal 2008:
|
Fiscal 2009
|
Fiscal 2008
|
Audit
Fees (1)
|
$1,165,305
|
$1,148,504
|
Audit-Related
Fees
|
-
|
-
|
Tax
Fees
|
-
|
-
|
All
Other Fees
|
-
|
-
|
Total
|
$1,165,305
|
$1,148,504
|
|
|
|
|
(1)
|
Audit
fees represent fees for professional services provided in connection with
the audit of the annual financial statements, review of quarterly
financial statements and audit services provided in connection with other
statutory and regulatory filings or
engagements.
|
The Audit
Committee may delegate to one or more members of the Audit Committee as it
designates the authority to pre-approve audit-related and non-audit services not
prohibited by law to be performed by the Corporation's independent registered
public accountant and associated fees. The delegated member or
members must report any such pre-approvals of audit-related or non-audit related
services and fees to the Audit Committee at its next scheduled
meeting. All of the fees incurred in
Fiscal 2009 and Fiscal 2008 were approved by the Audit
Committee.
The
Corporation has adopted a written policy (the "Policy") for review of
transactions between the Corporation (including the Corporation's subsidiaries)
and its Directors, executive officers and other related persons. The
transactions subject to the Policy include any transaction, arrangement or
relationship (including charitable contributions and including any series of
similar transactions, arrangements or relationships) with the Corporation in
which any Director, executive officer or other related person has a direct or
indirect material interest except:
·
|
Transactions
available to all members generally;
|
·
|
Transactions
involving less than $100,000 when aggregated with all similar
transactions;
|
·
|
Transactions
involving compensation or indemnification of executive officers and
Directors duly authorized by the appropriate Board
committee;
|
·
|
Transactions
involving reimbursement for routine expenses in accordance with
Corporation policy; and
|
·
|
Purchases
of any products on the same terms available to all members
generally.
|
The
Corporation's Office of the General Counsel (the "General Counsel") performs the
initial review of all transactions subject to the Policy. Factors to
be considered by the General Counsel in reviewing the transaction
include:
·
|
Whether
the transaction is in conformity with the Corporation's Collective &
Personal Integrity Manual (our code of business conduct and ethics), the
Governance Guidelines, the By-laws and other related policies, including
Outside Business Activities of Officers and Managers, Outside
Directorships of Officers and Conflicts of Interest, and is in the best
interests of the Corporation;
|
·
|
Whether
the transaction would be in the ordinary course of the Corporation's
business;
|
·
|
Whether
the transaction is on terms comparable to those that could be obtained in
arm's length dealings with an unrelated third
party;
|
·
|
The
disclosure standards set forth in Item 404 of Regulation S-K or any
similar provision; and
|
·
|
Whether
the transaction could call into question the status of any Director or
Director nominee as an independent director under the NYSE listing
standards pertaining to director independence and the Categorical
Standards.
|
After
reviewing the terms of the proposed transaction and taking into account the
factors set forth above, the General Counsel will either:
·
|
Approve
the transaction if it is to be entered into in the ordinary course of the
Corporation's business, is for an aggregate amount of $120,000 or less and
is on terms comparable to those that could be obtained in arm's length
dealings with an unrelated third
party;
|
·
|
Disallow
the transaction if it is not in the best interests of the
Corporation;
|
·
|
Recommend
the Audit Committee review the transaction in advance;
or
|
·
|
Allow
the transaction, subject to ratification by the Audit Committee, but only
if the interests of the Corporation will be best served by allowing the
transaction to proceed.
|
At each
regularly scheduled Audit Committee meeting, the General Counsel shall report
each known transaction to be entered into by the Corporation and to be
considered by the Audit Committee, including the proposed aggregate value of
each transaction and any other relevant information. After review,
the Audit Committee shall approve, ratify or disallow each such transaction in
accordance with the guidelines set forth above.
For
purposes of the Policy, an "executive officer" is an executive officer of the
Corporation subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act.
For
purposes of the Policy, a "related person" is:
·
|
An
executive officer, Director or Director nominee of the
Corporation;
|
·
|
A
person who is an immediate family member (including a person's spouse,
parents, stepparents, children, stepchildren, siblings, fathers- and
mothers-in-law, sons- and daughters-in-law, brothers- and sisters-in-law,
and anyone (other than members) who share such person's home) of an
executive officer, Director or Director
nominee;
|
·
|
A
shareholder owning in excess of 5 percent of the Corporation's voting
securities (or its controlled affiliates), or an immediate family member
of such 5 percent shareholder;
or
|
·
|
An
entity which is owned or controlled by a related person or an entity in
which a related person has a substantial ownership
interest.
|
In March
2007, one of the Corporation's subsidiaries entered into a multi-year office
furniture purchase agreement with Dean Foods Company ("Dean Foods"), pursuant to
which Dean Foods purchased approximately $280,000 of office furniture in
2009. Joseph E. Scalzo, a Director who resigned from the Board in
November 2009, is the Chief Operating Officer of Dean Foods. Mr.
Scalzo was not involved with and did not have any material interest in this
transaction. The Corporation did not become aware of the related
party implications of the agreement with Dean Foods until after the agreement
was negotiated and signed. At that time, the Corporation's General
Counsel approved the transaction and informed the Audit Committee in accordance
with the Policy.
The
Corporation maintains a Collective & Personal Integrity Manual (our code of
business conduct and ethics) (the "Ethics Code") as part of its corporate
compliance program. The Ethics Code applies to all Directors and
members, including the Corporation's principal executive officer, principal
financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller or persons
performing similar functions. The Ethics Code is available on the
Corporation's website at www.hnicorp.com,
under "Corporate
Governance—Code of Conduct." The Corporation intends to
disclose amendments to or waivers of the Ethics Code granted to the individual
executive officers listed above and the Directors on the Corporation's website
within four business days of such amendment or waiver. Shareholders
may request a paper copy of the Ethics Code by writing to the Corporate
Secretary at HNI Corporation, 408 East Second Street, Muscatine, Iowa
52761.
The
Governance Guidelines are available on the Corporation's website at www.hnicorp.com,
under "Corporate
Governance—Governance Guidelines." Shareholders may request a
paper copy of the Governance Guidelines by writing to the Corporate Secretary at
HNI Corporation, 408 East Second Street, Muscatine, Iowa 52761.
Overview
of Objectives
Our
executive compensation program has a pay-for-performance philosophy that aligns
the interests of executives with those of our shareholders. The
program is designed to support annual and long-term business goals by rewarding
our executives for their contributions to our performance and creation of
long-term value for shareholders.
The
objectives of our executive compensation program are to:
·
|
attract,
motivate and retain highly qualified
executives;
|
·
|
link
total compensation to both individual performance and the performance of
the Corporation or relevant operating unit or operating
segment;
|
·
|
appropriately
balance incentives for short-term and long-term performance;
and
|
·
|
align
executive and shareholder interests by including equity as a component of
total compensation.
|
Elements
of Compensation Program
Our
executive compensation program includes three key elements: (1) base
salary; (2) short-term or annual incentive compensation under the Incentive
Plan; and (3) long-term incentive compensation under the Performance Plan and
the 2007 Compensation Plan. We believe total compensation is the key
factor in determining the level of compensation for our
executives
and, using the market compensation survey reports described below, we consider
all three elements of executive compensation in determining the amounts for each
individual element.
Our
executive compensation strategy is to target total compensation, including base
salary, short-term or annual incentive compensation and long-term incentive
compensation, at approximately 100 percent of the market median. Our
compensation strategy emphasizes pay for performance by setting base salary
targets at approximately 90 percent of the market median and allocating a
greater portion of executive compensation to performance- and/or time-based
incentive compensation programs.
Base
Salary
Base
salary is the basic element of our executive compensation program and the
foundation for setting our target incentive compensation awards. The
Corporation's Compensation Committee together with the Corporation's other
independent Directors, evaluates and approves the base salary of the
Corporation's Chairman, President and CEO. The Compensation Committee
approves the base salary for the CFO, and the three other most highly
compensated executives.
Criteria for
Determining Base Salary. We derive the base salary market
median from the three market compensation survey reports discussed in further
detail below. As noted above, the Compensation Committee generally
sets base salary targets at approximately 90 percent of the market
median. In most cases, the Compensation Committee sets base salary
for an executive between 80 and 120 percent of the below-market base salary
target resulting in a range of between 72 and 108 percent of the market
median. Based on individual circumstances, however, actual base
salaries may be higher or lower. For Fiscal 2009, the base salaries
for each of the Named Executive Officers fell within the base salary range noted
above. The Compensation Committee uses the following factors in
determining base salary, including when it considers setting base salary outside
of the established base salary range:
·
|
the
duties, complexities and responsibilities of the
position;
|
·
|
salary
levels of comparable positions both within and outside the Corporation
which are based in part on the survey reports described
below;
|
·
|
potential
for advancement;
|
·
|
individual
performance and competency; and
|
·
|
the
length and nature of a Named Executive Officer's
experience.
|
The
Compensation Committee annually reviews base salaries paid to the Corporation's
executives using the following commercially available, broad-based, comparative
market compensation survey reports developed by independent professional
organizations (collectively, the "Survey Reports"):
·
|
Towers
Perrin Human Resources Services, Compensation Data Bank – Executive
Compensation Database – Single Regression Report dated March 1,
2009;
|
·
|
Mercer
Human Resource Consulting ("Mercer"), – US Mercer Benchmark Database –
Executive Compensation Survey dated March 1, 2009;
and
|
·
|
Watson
Wyatt Data Services, – CompQuest Online – Survey Report on Top Management
Compensation dated April 1, 2009.
|
The
Survey Reports cover a more than 2,500 companies over a broad range of
industries.
For
purposes of the Compensation Committee's review, management provides information
that combines and averages market data from the Survey Reports to balance data
outliers and increase reliability. No particular industry peer group
is selected for competitive review because we compete for executives within
industries other than the office furniture and hearth products
industries. The Compensation Committee believes the size of the
business and scope of the executive officer's responsibility are the most
important benchmarking factors for attracting and retaining executive
officers. In establishing appropriate compensation targets for our
executives, management correlates business revenue and compensation across
various industries to compare executives with responsibilities of similar size
and scope.
Based on
the factors identified above and the data derived from the Survey Reports, the
Board, or the Compensation Committee, as the case may be, has typically
increased the annual base salary for each of the Named Executive Officers at the
Compensation Committee's annual review of each such officer's base
salary. The Compensation Committee normally conducts annual base
salary reviews at the Board meeting prior to the anniversary date of each
officer's appointment. The Compensation Committee conducts the CEO's
annual base salary review at the February Board meeting.
Recent Base
Salary Freezes/Reductions. As a result of the economic
downturn and uncertainty in the office furniture and hearth products industries,
the CEO requested he not be considered for a base salary increase at the
February 2008 Board meeting and the Compensation Committee honored his
request. Due primarily to the severe worldwide recession which began
in 2008 and continued into 2009 and the resulting financial performance of the
Corporation, for Fiscal 2009 management recommended and the Compensation
Committee (or the Board in the case of the CEO) approved a freeze in the annual
base salaries of each of the Named Executive Officers. In addition,
on April 3, 2009, the CEO voluntarily requested and the Board approved a 10
percent reduction in his base salary effective May 1, 2009 until such time as
the Board again reviews the CEO's annual base salary.
As noted
above under "Processes and
Procedures for the Consideration and Determination of Executive Compensation by
Compensation Committee – Role of Compensation Consultants" on page 11 of
this Proxy Statement, the Compensation Committee and the Board, having engaged
Frederic W. Cook, conducted an overall review of the CEO's compensation,
including base salary, which culminated at the February 2010 Board
meeting. Based on the review and the CEO's leadership and actions in
successfully managing the Corporation through the global recession, the Board
(1) restored the CEO's annual base salary from $661,504 to $735,004, which was
the CEO's annual base salary prior to the 10 percent reduction on April 3, 2009,
and (2) approved a change in the CEO's annual base salary from $735,004 to
$780,000 effective February 22, 2010.
At the
February 2010 Board meeting, the Compensation Committee also (1) removed the
base salary freeze for each of the Named Executive Officers other than the CEO
and (2) approved a change in the annual base salaries of (a) Jerald K. Dittmer –
Executive Vice President, HNI Corporation and President, The HON Company, from
$355,000 to $390,500 effective March 7, 2010, and (b) Marco V. Molinari –
Executive Vice President, HNI Corporation and President, HNI International Inc.,
from $332,300 to $343,931 effective April 18, 2010.
Fiscal 2009 Base
Salary. As noted above, for Fiscal 2009, the Compensation
Committee honored management's request to freeze the annual base salaries of
each of the Named Executive Officers and in April 2009, the Board honored the
CEO's voluntary request for a 10 percent reduction in the CEO's annual base
salary. In typical years, the Compensation Committee, after reviewing
the criteria for determining base salary described above, generally sets (1)
base salary targets for each Named Executive Officer, at approximately 90
percent of the market median, which is derived from the Survey Reports as
described above and (2) base salaries for each Named Executive Officer between
80 and 120 percent of the base salary target. The table below sets
forth for each Named Executive Officer the following: annual base
salary as of the last day of Fiscal 2009; market median annual base salary for
comparable positions based on our review of the Survey Reports; annual base
salary as a percentage of market median; annual base salary target (90 percent
of market median annual base salary); and annual base salary as a percentage of
target. The variations in annual base salary among each of the Named
Executive Officers are based on their individual performance against the
criteria for determining base salary set forth above.
Named
Executive Officer
|
2009
Annual
Base Salary
($)
(1)
|
Market
Median Annual Base Salary ($)
|
Percentage
of Market Median (%)
|
Annual
Base Salary Target ($)
|
Percentage
of Annual Base Salary Target (%)
|
Stan
A. Askren
Chairman,
President and Chief Executive Officer,
HNI
Corporation
|
661,504
|
871,820
|
76
|
784,640
|
84
|
Kurt
A. Tjaden
Vice
President and Chief Financial Officer,
HNI
Corporation
|
330,000
|
408,990
|
81
|
368,090
|
90
|
Bradley
D. Determan
Executive
Vice President,
HNI
Corporation
President,
Hearth
& Home Technologies Inc.
|
330,000
|
397,390
|
83
|
357,650
|
92
|
Jerald
K. Dittmer
Executive
Vice President,
HNI
Corporation
President,
The HON Company
|
355,000
|
467,170
|
76
|
420,460
|
84
|
Marco
V. Molinari
Executive
Vice President,
HNI
Corporation
President,
HNI
International Inc.
|
332,300
|
415,220
|
80
|
373,700
|
89
|
(1)
|
This
column sets forth the annual base salary for each of the Named Executive
Officers as of the last day of Fiscal 2009, which amounts differ from
those set forth in the salary column of the Summary Compensation Table for
Fiscal 2009, Fiscal 2008 and Fiscal 2007 (the "Summary Compensation
Table"). The amounts set forth in the salary column of the
Summary Compensation Table reflect the actual salary earned by each of the
Named Executive Officers during Fiscal 2009. For example, on
April 3, 2009, the Board, at Mr. Askren's request, approved a 10 percent
decrease to Mr. Askren's annual base salary from $735,004 to $661,504
beginning May 1, 2009. Hence, for approximately the first 17
weeks of Fiscal 2009, Mr. Askren earned $240,007, and for approximately
the last 35 weeks of Fiscal 2009, Mr. Askren earned $445,243, for a total
salary earned during Fiscal 2009 of
$685,250.
|
Annual
Incentive Compensation
The Named
Executive Officers are eligible for annual incentive compensation under the
Incentive Plan, which was approved by shareholders at the 2005 annual meeting of
shareholders. We use the Incentive Plan to motivate executives annually to
achieve specific financial performance goals and individual strategic
objectives. The Compensation Committee approves the annual incentive
compensation award targets, set as a percent of base salary, for each of the
Named Executive Officers except the CEO, whose target is approved by the
independent Directors after recommendation by the Compensation Committee.
The CEO's 2009 annual incentive compensation award target was equal to 100
percent of the CEO's annual base salary as of the end of Fiscal
2009. The other Named Executive Officers, with the exception of
Bradley D. Determan, had a 2009 annual incentive compensation award target of 75
percent of their annual base salary as of the end of Fiscal 2009. The
CEO's annual incentive compensation award target is a greater percentage of his
annual base salary than the targets for the other Named Executive Officers
because the CEO has the greatest potential impact on the Corporation's annual
strategic objectives.
Mr.
Determan's 2009 annual incentive compensation award target, originally equal to
75 percent of his annual base salary as of the end of Fiscal 2009, was reduced
to 38 percent in March 2009. The Corporation, at Mr. Determan's
request, reduced the annual incentive compensation award target by approximately
50 percent for Mr. Determan and almost every other member of Hearth & Home
Technologies Inc. ("HHT"), the Corporation's operating unit for which Mr.
Determan is responsible, that participates in the Incentive Plan. Mr.
Determan made this request to conserve capital in response to the global
recession and unprecedented decline in the domestic housing market.
As noted
above, our executive compensation strategy is to target total compensation,
including base salary, annual or short-term incentive compensation and long-term
incentive compensation, at approximately 100 percent of the market
median. The Compensation Committee believes the market level of
incentive compensation remains relatively consistent from year to year and,
accordingly, typically retains an independent consultant every three to five
years to conduct a thorough, competitive review and analysis of our total
executive compensation program. Mercer most recently conducted this
analysis in late 2004 (the "Compensation Analysis"), and the Compensation
Committee utilized this analysis to establish annual and long-term incentive
compensation award targets for the Named Executive Officers each year from 2005
to 2009. Management annually monitors the market level of annual and
long-term incentive compensation using the Survey Reports and the same
benchmarking approach as described above under "Base Salary – Criteria for Determining Base
Salary" on page 27 of this Proxy Statement.
The
Compensation Committee typically establishes (or recommends to all independent
Directors for approval in the case of the CEO) annual incentive compensation
award targets under the Incentive Plan for each of the Named Executive Officers
slightly above the market median for annual incentive compensation to offset the
fact base salary targets are set slightly below the market median, emphasize pay
for performance and encourage the achievement of established financial
performance goals and individual strategic objectives. The
above-market annual incentive compensation award targets, after taking into
account the below-market base salary targets, provide an opportunity for Named
Executive Officers to earn market-competitive cash compensation. To
achieve a payout at 100 percent of target, executives must achieve significant
results relative to economic and competitive conditions.
Annual
incentive compensation is weighted 60 percent on attainment of the Corporation's
(or one of the Corporation's particular operating unit's) annual financial
performance goals and 40 percent on attainment of individual strategic
objectives. We believe this weighting encourages the proper focus by
the Named Executive Officers on both annual financial returns and individual
contributions to the Corporation's strategic objectives.
Financial
Goals. We believe financial performance goals create a strong
and objective link between executive compensation and shareholder value
creation. We use economic profit as the measurement for financial
performance goal achievement because it promotes the simultaneous optimization
of growth, earnings and capital efficiency. We define economic
profit as
after-tax operating profit less a charge for invested capital. We
believe economic profit is the best indicator of long-term shareholder value
creation and correlates well with long-term stock price appreciation because it
accounts for the investment required to generate a return by including a charge
on invested capital.
Each
year, the Compensation Committee evaluates historical performance, peer
performance, external macroeconomic forecasts, market performance expectations
for the Corporation and industry peers and other relevant data to determine the
reasonableness of all financial performance goals and maintain an alignment of
pay and performance. In addition, management prepares an annual
financial plan the Board approves and the Compensation Committee utilizes to
establish economic profit goals the Board also approves. The economic
profit goals are based on current strategic market conditions (e.g., downturn in
the housing market, global recession or strong corporate earnings) and business
opportunities (e.g., launch of new product line or integration of recently
acquired business) factored into the annual financial plan.
The
Compensation Committee ties the economic profit goals to a predetermined payout
percentage set forth in an award matrix. Payout achievement
percentages range between 0 and 200 percent of target based on economic profit
achievement. As part of our compensation philosophy, the Compensation
Committee establishes and, in 2009 established, economic profit achievement
representing a 100 percent payout level as an aggressive but achievable goal for
the Corporation as a whole or any operating unit based on economic and
competitive conditions at the time goals are established. If a
threshold level of economic profit is not achieved, no payout is made with
respect to the financial component of the annual incentive compensation
award. Economic profit achievement representing a 25 percent payout
level reflects threshold performance required to receive a payout, while
economic profit achievement representing a 200 percent payout level reflects the
maximum incentive for exceptional performance. We expect (1) payout
levels will be between 80 and 120 percent of target in most years and average
approximately 100 percent of target over time and (2) failure to achieve a 25
percent payout level or achievement of a 200 percent payout level will occur
infrequently.
The
Compensation Committee reduced the percent payout level threshold for Fiscal
2009 and Fiscal 2010 from 50 percent to 25 percent due to economic uncertainty,
a rapidly changing business climate and the associated difficulty with
establishing relevant financial performance goals for an entire year at the time
the awards were established. For the same reasons, the Compensation
Committee also divided the annual performance period into two six-month
performance periods with each period looked at separately for purposes of
determining whether a threshold level of economic profit was achieved with any
resulting awards based on the average achievement of the two six-month
performance periods.
The Board
sets separate economic profit goals for the Corporation and each operating unit
to align executives' interests with the financial performance of either the
Corporation or their individual area of responsibility, which may be one or more
individual operating units. The Board established the economic profit
goals for the (1) first and second quarters of Fiscal 2009 at the February 2009
Board meeting and (2) third and fourth quarters of Fiscal 2009 at the August
2009 Board meeting. The goals of the CEO and the CFO are linked to
the overall economic profit of the Corporation. The goals of the
other Named Executive Officers are linked to the economic profit of their
specific areas of responsibility.
The
financial component of the annual incentive compensation awards for Messrs.
Askren and Tjaden is based on achievement of the economic profit goal of the
Corporation as a whole because both are executive officers of the Corporation
and responsible for its overall economic performance. In Fiscal 2008,
the Corporation did not achieve a sufficient level of economic profit to warrant
a payout for Messrs. Askren and Tjaden on the financial component of the annual
incentive compensation award. For the first and second quarters of
Fiscal 2009, the economic profit goal for the Corporation as a whole was
$(40,263,000), and economic profit achievement was $(34,574,000), resulting in a
146 percent payout as shown in the table below.
HNI
– 2009 Q1/Q2 Annual Incentive Plan Matrix
Economic Profit Achievement
($)
|
Financial Component of Annual Incentive
Compensation Award – Payout (%)
|
(49,601,000)
|
25
|
(46,488,000)
|
50
|
(43,376,000)
|
75
|
(40,263,000)
|
100
|
(37,149,000)
|
125
|
(34,035,000)
|
150
|
(30,921,000)
|
175
|
(27,807,000)
|
200
|
For the
third and fourth quarters of Fiscal 2009, the economic profit goal for the
Corporation as a whole was $(6,284,000), and economic profit achievement was
$10,511,000, resulting in a 163 percent payout as shown in the table
below.
HNI
– 2009 Q3/Q4 Annual Incentive Plan Matrix
Economic Profit Achievement
($)
|
Financial Component of Annual Incentive
Compensation Award – Payout (%)
|
(20,099,000)
|
25
|
(15,494,000)
|
50
|
(10,889,000)
|
75
|
(6,284,000)
|
100
|
375,000
|
125
|
7,033,000
|
150
|
13,691,000
|
175
|
20,350,000
|
200
|
The
average of both periods' payout percentage (155 percent) earned Messrs. Askren
and Tjaden payouts of $613,214 and $229,433, respectively, under the financial
performance component of the Incentive Plan. As noted in the table
under "Individual Strategic
Objectives" on page 32 of this Proxy Statement, (1) Mr. Askren's 2009
annual incentive compensation award target was $661,504, 60 percent (or
$396,902) of which was tied to the financial performance of the Corporation –
155 percent of $396,902 is $613,214; and (2) Mr. Tjaden's 2009 annual incentive
compensation award target was $247,500, 60 percent (or $148,500) of which was
tied to the financial performance of the Corporation – 155 percent of $148,500
is $229,433.
The
financial component of Mr. Determan's annual incentive compensation award is
based on achievement of the economic profit goal of HHT (HHT is the only
operating unit included in the Corporation's hearth products operating
segment). For the first and second quarters of Fiscal 2009, the
economic profit goal for HHT was $(15,657,000), and economic profit achievement
was $(22,707,000), resulting in a 0 percent payout as the corresponding
percentage was less than the payout level threshold of 25 percent as shown in
the table below.
HHT
– 2009 Q1/Q2 Annual Incentive Plan Matrix
Economic Profit Achievement
($)
|
Financial Component of Annual Incentive
Compensation Award – Payout (%)
|
(20,069,000)
|
25
|
(18,598,000)
|
50
|
(17,128,000)
|
75
|
(15,657,000)
|
100
|
(14,814,000)
|
125
|
(13,971,000)
|
150
|
(13,128,000)
|
175
|
(12,285,000)
|
200
|
For the
third and fourth quarters of Fiscal 2009, the economic profit goal for HHT was
$(8,738,000), and economic profit achievement was $(5,296,000), resulting in a
200 percent payout as the corresponding percentage was greater than the maximum
of 200 percent as shown in the table below.
HHT
– 2009 Q3/Q4 Annual Incentive Plan Matrix
Economic Profit Achievement
($)
|
Financial Component of Annual Incentive
Compensation Award – Payout (%)
|
(13,607,000)
|
25
|
(11,984,000)
|
50
|
(10,361,000)
|
75
|
(8,738,000)
|
100
|
(7,952,000)
|
125
|
(7,167,000)
|
150
|
(6,381,000)
|
175
|
(5,595,000)
|
200
|
The
average of both periods' payout percentage (100 percent) earned Mr. Determan a
payout of $75,240 under the financial performance component of the Incentive
Plan. As noted in the table under "Individual Strategic
Objectives" on page 32 of this Proxy Statement, Mr. Determan's 2009
annual incentive compensation award target was $125,400, 60 percent (or $75,240)
of which was tied to the financial performance of HHT – 100 percent of $75,240
is $75,240.
The
financial component of Mr. Dittmer's annual incentive compensation award is
based on the achievement of the economic profit goal of The HON Company ("HON"),
the Corporation's operating unit for which he is responsible. The
financial component of Mr. Molinari's annual incentive compensation award is
based on achievement of the economic profit goals of HNI International Inc.
("HNII"), and Hickory Business Furniture, LLC ("HBF"), the Corporation's
operating units for which he is responsible, and HNI Hong Kong Limited
("Lamex"), the Corporation's Chinese subsidiary for which he is also
responsible. In addition, the financial component of Mr. Molinari's
annual incentive compensation award is increased or decreased based on the level
of Lamex sales (i.e., for a given level of economic profit achievement, the
greater the level of Lamex sales, the greater the financial component of Mr.
Molinari's annual incentive compensation award). The Corporation
considers the economic profit goals and achievements of HON, HNII, HBF and Lamex
to be confidential.
As for
all Named Executive Officers, the economic profit performance goals for Messrs.
Dittmer and Molinari require superior performance by such officers and their
corresponding operating units and areas of
responsibility. Nonetheless, because we expect superior performance
on a consistent basis, the Corporation and its operating units expect to achieve
the annual economic profit performance goals when such goals are
established. Accordingly, we expect Messrs. Dittmer and Molinari to
achieve 100 percent of target over time on the financial incentive component of
their respective annual incentive compensation awards under the Incentive
Plan.
The
amount of the annual incentive compensation award attributable to financial
performance goals for each of the Named Executive Officers is listed in the
table on page 33 of this Proxy Statement under the column titled "Actual Annual
Incentive Compensation Award Attributable to Financial Goals (Financial
Performance Goal) ($)." The table also includes specific payouts and
target percentages for each of the Named Executive Officers.
Individual
Strategic Objectives. Each Named Executive Officer's
individual strategic objectives are based on broad strategic objectives of the
Corporation or a particular operating unit and are defined and measured within
the Corporation's fiscal year. The independent Directors annually
review and approve the CEO's individual strategic objectives. The CEO
annually reviews and approves the individual strategic objectives of each of the
other Named Executive Officers. Individual strategic objectives are
designed to focus each Named Executive Officer on those matters having a
significant impact on his individual area of responsibility. A
summary of each Named Executive Officer's individual strategic objectives for
Fiscal 2009 is set forth below.
Mr. Askren. Mr.
Askren's individual strategic objectives were to (1) enhance customer value and
market impact by building powerful brands, using split and focused business and
selling models and aggressive end-user product and solutions development; (2)
build best cost, lean enterprise by implementing step function cost reductions,
extending lean enterprise to total value stream, becoming a global best-cost
provider and implementing greater Corporation-wide cooperation; and (3) enhance
culture and capabilities by leveraging and enhancing core culture and values,
adding critical business skills and diversifying the workforce and
thinking.
Mr. Tjaden. Mr.
Tjaden's individual strategic objectives were to (1) conduct a review of and
make potential changes to the Corporation's capital structure, (2) improve the
Corporation's cash generation and cash flow, (3) deliver key functional
objectives in accordance with the Corporation's strategic plan for the
Corporation's Finance and Information Technology ("IT"), Departments, (4) keep
expenditures in the Corporation's Finance and IT Departments in line with budget
expectations, (5) reset the Corporation's overall cost structure, (6) deliver
organizational capability objectives per the Corporation's strategic plan for
the Corporation's Finance and IT Departments and (7) accelerate rapid continuous
improvement (RCI) and lean initiatives in the Corporation's Finance and IT
Departments.
Mr. Determan. Mr.
Determan's individual strategic objectives were to (1) make HHT an easier
company to do business with, (2) finalize development and begin implementation
of new business process improvement model, (3) implement improvements to achieve
select budgeted sales force efficiencies, (4) improve safety incident rate, (5)
improve HHT's cash flow and (6) increase HHT's sales.
Mr. Dittmer. Mr.
Dittmer's individual strategic objectives were to (1) improve HON's cash
management, (2) improve member engagement and alignment to increase member
performance and retention, (3) increase HON's sales, (4) develop e-Business
tools and programs and (5) re-evaluate and enhance HON's product
portfolio.
Mr. Molinari. Mr.
Molinari's individual strategic goals were to (1) increase Lamex and HBF sales;
(2) complete acquisition integration of HBF into the Corporation; (3) increase
Lamex distribution and enhance the Lamex brand; (4) develop new market
opportunities for HBF; (5) implement effective supply chain risk management and
mitigation process; (6) reduce procurement costs; (7) enhance cash management
and cash flow at HNII, Lamex and HBF; (8) implement plan to manage accounts
receivable risk at HNII; (9) upgrade organizational
capabilities
and processes while maintaining/improving productivity; (10) drive lean and RCI
initiatives at Lamex and HBF; (11) develop and deploy commodity risk management
strategy; (12) reduce OSHA recordable injury rate at Lamex and HBF; and (13)
lead downsizing and restructuring while strengthening key positions and overall
bench.
At
year-end, each of the Named Executive Officers evaluates his performance against
his individual strategic objectives. The CEO, after reviewing these
self-evaluations, recommends the achievement percentage for each of the other
Named Executive Officers' individual strategic objectives for Compensation
Committee approval. The independent Directors, after reviewing the
CEO's self-evaluation, determine the achievement percentage of the CEO's
individual strategic objectives. Achievement percentages range from 0
to 125 percent. There is no threshold performance level for the
individual strategic objective component of the annual incentive compensation
award. The individual strategic objectives of each of the Named
Executive Officers represent aggressive goals that are challenging to
achieve. Historically, achievement of 100 percent is difficult and
most achievement percentages have ranged between 75 and 95 percent, although
future achievement percentages may vary from year to year. The amount
of the annual incentive compensation award attributable to individual strategic
objectives for each of the Named Executive Officers is set forth in the table
below.
For each
Named Executive Officer, achievement of individual strategic objectives accounts
for 40 percent of the current year's annual incentive compensation award under
the Incentive Plan. If a Named Executive Officer fails to achieve an
individual strategic objective, the portion (40 percent) of the Named Executive
Officer's annual incentive compensation award based solely on achievement of
individual strategic objectives will be reduced. Moreover, the
failure to achieve individual strategic objectives is considered, together with
other factors discussed above under "Base Salary" on page 27 of
this Proxy Statement, by the independent Directors or the Compensation Committee
in establishing the officer's base salary for the following fiscal
year. Due to the importance of each of the Named Executive Officers
to the financial performance of the Corporation, the Compensation Committee also
believes a low level of achievement by a Named Executive Officer on his
individual strategic objectives could, in some years, negatively impact the
Corporation's or operating unit's financial performance and result in a decrease
in the portion (60 percent) of the officer's annual incentive compensation award
based solely on the Corporation's or operating unit's financial
performance.
The table
below sets forth detailed information regarding the calculation of the annual
incentive compensation awards under the Incentive Plan for each of the Named
Executive Officers for Fiscal 2009:
Participant
|
Annual
Base Salary
($)
|
Target
%
of
Annual
Base
Salary
(%)
|
Annual
Incentive Compensation Award Target
($)
|
Actual
Annual Incentive Compensation Award Attributable to Financial Goals
(Financial Performance Goal)
($)
|
Actual
Annual Incentive Compensation Award Attributable to Strategic Objectives
(Individual Strategic Objective)
($)
|
Annual
Incentive Compensation Award Payout
($)
|
Stan
A. Askren
|
661,504
|
100
|
661,504
|
613,214
|
268,836
|
882,050
|
Kurt
A. Tjaden
|
330,000
|
75
|
247,500
|
229,433
|
99,000
|
328,433
|
Bradley
D. Determan (1)
|
330,000
|
38
|
125,400
|
75,240
|
47,652
|
122,892
|
Jerald
K. Dittmer
|
355,000
|
75
|
266,250
|
287,550
|
108,630
|
396,180
|
Marco
V. Molinari
|
332,300
|
75
|
249,225
|
115,142
|
99,690
|
214,832
|
(1)
|
As
indicated above on page 29 of the Proxy Statement, the Corporation, at Mr.
Determan's request, reduced his annual incentive compensation award target
by approximately 50 percent.
|
The
Compensation Committee recommends and the independent Directors approve the
payment of the CEO's annual incentive compensation award under the Incentive
Plan. The Compensation Committee approves the payment of the annual
incentive compensation awards for the other Named Executive
Officers. The awards are paid in February following the fiscal year
for which they are earned, subject to a participant's employment with the
Corporation on the last day of the fiscal year for which an award is
earned. The awards are paid in cash unless (1) the executive requests
and the Compensation Committee approves taking the payment or part of the
payment in the form of Common Stock or (2) the Compensation Committee
determines, in its sole discretion, the executive's respective stock ownership
level under the Executive Stock Ownership Guideline does not reflect appropriate
progress toward such executive's five-year goal. All of the Named
Executive Officers received 100 percent of their respective Fiscal 2009 annual
incentive compensation award payouts in cash.
Long-Term
Incentive Compensation
We design
long-term incentive compensation to focus executives on long-term value creation
and to provide balance to annual incentive compensation. We provide
long-term incentive compensation through annual: (1) Performance Plan
awards with rolling three-year performance periods or RSU awards under the 2007
Compensation Plan and (2) stock option grants to select executives, including
all of the Named Executive Officers, under the 2007 Compensation
Plan. As discussed below, in most years, we believe the two types of
long-term incentive compensation provide an appropriate balance between
emphasizing financial performance (Performance Plan awards), stock price
performance (stock options) and retention (time-based RSU awards).
We
generally set long-term incentive compensation award targets for each of the
Named Executive Officers at the market median consistent with our executive
compensation strategy noted above. We do not target actual long-term
incentive compensation payouts at the market median. We derive the
market median primarily from the Compensation Analysis. The table
below compares the Fiscal 2009 long-term incentive compensation award targets
for the Named Executive Officers against the market median long-term incentive
compensation award targets for comparable positions.
Participant
|
Total
Long-Term Incentive Compensation Award Target ($)
|
Annual
Base Salary at Time of Award ($)
|
Total
Long-Term Incentive Compensation Award Target (% of Annual Base
Salary)
|
Market
Median Long-Term Incentive Compensation Award Target (% of Annual Base
Salary)
|
Stan
A. Askren
|
1,470,008
|
735,004
|
200
|
234
|
Kurt
A. Tjaden
|
495,000
|
330,000
|
150
|
168
|
Bradley
D. Determan
|
495,000
|
330,000
|
150
|
139
|
Jerald
K. Dittmer
|
532,500
|
355,000
|
150
|
139
|
Marco
V. Molinari
|
498,450
|
332,300
|
150
|
139
|
The CEO's
long-term incentive compensation award target is equal to 200 percent of annual
base salary. In Fiscal 2009, 80 percent of the CEO's long-term
incentive compensation award, or 160 percent of annual base salary, was granted
as time-based RSU awards, and 20 percent, or 40 percent of annual base salary,
was granted as stock options. The other Named Executive Officers'
long-term incentive compensation award targets are equal to 150 percent of
annual base salary. In Fiscal 2009, 80 percent of the long-term
incentive compensation awards, or 120 percent of annual base salary, for Messrs.
Tjaden, Determan, Dittmer and Molinari was granted as time-based RSU awards, and
20 percent, or 30 percent of annual base salary, was delivered as stock
options. In Fiscal 2010, the Board, as a result of the overall review
of the CEO's compensation described on page 10 of this Proxy Statement under
"Processes
and Procedures for the Consideration and Determination of Executive Compensation
by Compensation Committee – Role of Compensation Consultants", approved a
change, effective February 17, 2010, in the CEO's long-term incentive
compensation award target from 200 percent to 300 percent of the CEO's annual
base salary.
The
Compensation Committee and the Board annually evaluate the award targets and
determine the appropriate balance between Performance Plan awards, time-based
RSUs and stock options for each of the Named Executive Officers. The
Compensation Committee and the Board granted time-based RSUs instead of
Performance Plan awards in Fiscal 2009 due to economic uncertainty at the time
of grant, the deepening global recession and the resulting difficulty in
establishing meaningful three-year financial performance goals and to maintain
leadership stability and further align the interests of executives with the
interests of shareholders. The Compensation Committee and the Board
granted a greater proportion of the long-term incentive compensation awards in
the form of RSUs as opposed to stock options with the intent of maintaining
leadership stability (i.e., retention) during precarious economic
times.
Performance
Plan. The
Performance Plan was last approved by shareholders at the 2005 annual meeting of
shareholders. Until Fiscal 2009, Performance Plan awards were
typically granted annually, and no Performance Plan awards have been granted
since Fiscal 2008. The payout value of each award is determined after
a three-year performance period and is based on cumulative economic profit
during the three-year period. Economic profit is used as the
performance measure for the Performance Plan for the reasons set forth above
under "Annual Incentive
Compensation – Financial Goals" on page 29 of this Proxy
Statement.
Awards
under the Performance Plan are based on separate financial goals for the
Corporation overall and each of the Corporation's two operating segments, office
furniture and hearth products. The CEO's and the CFO's performance is
measured against the Corporation as a whole, and the performance of the other
Named Executive Officers is measured against their respective operating
segments.
The
Compensation Committee recommends and the Board approves cumulative three-year
economic profit goals based on the same current strategic market conditions and
business opportunities on which the economic profit goals for the annual
incentive compensation awards are based, but with a longer time horizon (three
years as opposed to one year). Examples of such conditions and
opportunities are noted above under "Annual Incentive Compensation –
Financial Goals" on page 29 of this Proxy Statement.
The
Compensation Committee ties the economic profit goals to a predetermined payout
percentage set forth in an award matrix. Performance Plan awards are
not paid unless a threshold level of cumulative economic profit is achieved, but
when paid, range from 50 to 200 percent, depending on cumulative economic profit
achievement, with 100 percent as the target. Fifty percent of target
is the minimum award paid if economic profit exceeds a specified
threshold. If economic profit does not reach the threshold level, no
award is paid. Two hundred percent is the maximum award for
exceptional economic profit performance.
As part
of our compensation philosophy, the Compensation Committee establishes economic
profit achievement representing a 100 percent payout level as an aggressive but
achievable goal for the Corporation as a whole or any operating segment based on
economic and competitive conditions at the time goals are
established. We expect payout levels will average approximately 100
percent across multiple performance periods and failure to achieve a 50 percent
payout level or achievement of a 200 percent payout level will occur
infrequently.
For the
2007-2009 performance period, the cumulative economic profit goal for (1) the
Corporation as a whole was $203,300,000, (2) the office furniture operating
segment was $191,100,000 and (3) the hearth products operating segment was
$10,700,000. The table below sets forth additional information
regarding the calculation of awards under the Performance Plan for the 2007-2009
performance period for each of the Named Executive Officers. None of
the Named Executive Officers received payouts under the Performance Plan for the
2007-2009 performance period due to the financial performance of the Corporation
and the office furniture and hearth products operating segments, respectively,
over the three-year performance period when compared with their respective
goals. This was also based in part on the aggressiveness of the
three-year performance goal, the protracted downturn in the housing market and
the credit crisis and global recession of 2008 and 2009.
Name
|
Operating
Segment
|
2007-2009
Performance
Plan
Award Target
($)
|
2007-2009
Cumulative
Economic
Profit Goal
($)
|
Total
Payout
($)
|
Stan
A. Askren
|
HNI
Corporation
|
354,400
|
203,300,000
|
0
|
Kurt
A. Tjaden (1)
|
HNI
Corporation
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
Bradley
D. Determan
|
Hearth
Products
|
215,200
|
10,700,000
|
0
|
Jerald
K. Dittmer (2)
|
HNI
Corporation
|
189,600
|
203,300,000
|
0
|
Marco
V. Molinari
|
Office
Furniture
|
230,900
|
191,100,000
|
0
|
(1)
|
Mr.
Tjaden was not granted a 2007-2009 Performance Plan Award Target as he did
not begin employment with the Corporation until August 25, 2008, almost
two years after the Compensation Committee and the Board established the
award targets.
|
(2)
|
At
the time the Board granted the 2007-2009 Performance Plan awards (February
2007), Mr. Dittmer was the Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of
the Corporation and thus his award was based on the performance of the
Corporation as a whole as opposed to the office furniture operating
segment.
|
The
Compensation Committee approves the payment of Performance Plan awards for the
CFO and the three other Named Executive Officers other than the
CEO. For the CEO, the Compensation Committee recommends payment of
Performance Plan awards to the Board for approval. Awards, if earned,
are paid in February following the close of the applicable three-year
performance period. To encourage Common Stock ownership by
executives, one-half of each award is paid in cash and one-half of each award is
paid in Common Stock. We use the closing price of a share of Common
Stock on the date the award is paid to determine the number of shares to
issue. The payment of a Performance Plan award is conditioned upon
continued employment through the end of the three-year performance
period. Any early termination of employment other than due to death,
disability, retirement or a change in control of the Corporation prior to the
end of the three-year period results in forfeiture
of any outstanding awards. We believe this policy motivates
executives to focus on long-term value creation and supports
retention.
Restricted Stock
Unit Awards. As noted above, in Fiscal 2009, the Board granted
time-based RSUs to the Named Executive Officers under the 2007 Compensation Plan
in place of the typical Performance Plan awards. The RSUs cliff-vest
three years from the date of grant. Early termination of employment
other than due to death, disability, retirement or a change in control of the
Corporation will result in forfeiture of unvested RSU awards. As with
Performance Plan awards, we believe this policy motivates executives to focus on
long-term value creation and supports retention. The number of RSUs
granted was calculated by dividing the portion of each Named Executive Officers'
long-term incentive compensation award allocated to RSUs by the closing price of
a share of Common Stock on the date of grant. The RSU valuation table
below sets forth detailed information regarding the number and corresponding
dollar value of RSUs awarded to each of the Named Executive Officers in Fiscal
2009.
Name
|
Targeted
Value of RSUs Granted in 2009
($)
|
Closing
Price
on
2/23/09
($/share)
|
Number
of RSUs
Granted
(#)
|
Percentage
of Long-Term Incentive Compensation Award
(%)
|
Percentage
of Annual Base Salary
(%)
|
Stan
A. Askren
|
1,176,007
|
10.36
|
113,514
|
80
|
160
|
Kurt
A. Tjaden
|
396,000
|
10.36
|
38,224
|
80
|
120
|
Bradley
D. Determan
|
396,000
|
10.36
|
38,224
|
80
|
120
|
Jerald
K. Dittmer
|
426,000
|
10.36
|
41,120
|
80
|
120
|
Marco
V. Molinari
|
398,760
|
10.36
|
38,490
|
80
|
120
|
For
administrative convenience and because year-end results are first available at
that time, the Board typically awards stock options and RSUs under the 2007
Compensation Plan only once per year at the Board's February
meeting. However, the Board may grant stock options, Performance Plan
awards or RSUs throughout the year for a new hire, a significant promotion or
other special circumstances. In Fiscal 2009, the Board granted stock
options and RSUs for each of the Named Executive Officers effective on February
23, 2009, 12 days after the Board's February meeting. The reason for
the delayed effective date was, unlike prior years, the Corporation's insider
trading window was not yet open at the time of the Board's February
meeting. The trading window opened February 23, 2009.
In
February 2010, the Board again granted time-based RSUs to the Named Executive
Officers instead of Performance Plan awards due to continued economic
uncertainty, the tentative recovery and the resulting difficulty in establishing
meaningful three-year financial performance goals. The Board also
sought to maintain leadership stability and further align the interests of
executives with the interests of shareholders. The RSUs cliff-vest
three years from the date of grant and represent 20 percent of each of the Named
Executive Officers' long-term incentive compensation award for the Corporation's
fiscal year ending January 1, 2011, or Fiscal 2010. Early termination
of employment other than due to death, disability or a change in control of the
Corporation will result in forfeiture of unvested RSU awards. Stock
options comprise the remaining 80 percent of each of the Named Executive
Officers' long-term incentive compensation award for Fiscal 2010.
Stock Option
Awards. In Fiscal 2009, the Board granted stock options
pursuant to the 2007 Compensation Plan, which shareholders last approved at the
2007 annual meeting of shareholders. Stock options align the
interests of the Named Executive Officers with the interests of shareholders by
tying a portion of executive compensation to long-term stock
price. We limit recipients of stock option grants to a small number
of executives (29 in Fiscal 2009, including all of the Named Executive Officers)
who have the ability through their leadership and strategic actions to
significantly impact the Corporation's long-term performance and, consequently,
its stock price.
Under the
2007 Compensation Plan, the Board grants stock options with an exercise price
equal to the closing price of a share of Common Stock on the date of
grant. Annual grants typically occur at the February Board
meeting. The amount of income realized by an executive from an option
is equal to the stock appreciation between the grant and the exercise dates,
providing direct alignment between shareholder and executive interests over the
long term (i.e., increase in stock price). The exercise price may be
paid: (1) in cash; (2) in shares of Common Stock at fair market value
on the date of delivery; (3) by authorizing the Corporation to withhold shares
of Common Stock, which would otherwise be delivered upon exercise of the option,
having a fair
market value equal to the exercise price; (4) in cash by a broker-dealer to whom
the executive has submitted an irrevocable notice of exercise; or (5) by any
combination of the above.
The
targeted dollar value of stock option awards generally ranges between 25 and 150
percent of an executive's base salary as of the end of the fiscal year prior to
grant. Executives with the ability to significantly impact long-term
strategic objectives typically receive a higher percentage of long-term
incentive compensation in the form of stock options. Consequently,
the CEO typically receives a higher percentage of long-term incentive
compensation in the form of stock options than any of the other Named Executive
Officers as the Compensation Committee believes the CEO has the greatest
potential impact on the Corporation's long-term strategic
objectives.
Consistent
with market practices, we use the Black-Scholes option valuation method to
calculate the number of options granted, which is based on the targeted dollar
value of the award. All stock options cliff-vest four years after the
grant date and expire ten years after the grant date. This provides a
balance between the shorter three-year period Performance Plan awards or RSUs
and the longer term options. As with RSU awards, we believe this
policy motivates executives to focus on long-term value creation and supports
retention. Early termination of employment other than due to death,
disability, retirement or a change in control of the Corporation results in
forfeiture of unvested option awards and a reduction in the exercise period of
vested option awards.
The Board
authorized, priced ($10.36) and issued stock option grants to each of the Named
Executive Officers in Fiscal 2009 on February 23, 2009. We make no
attempt to influence executive compensation by timing the stock option grants in
coordination with disclosure of material information to the public which may
result in an increase or decrease of the stock price. See the option
valuation table below for additional details regarding stock option awards in
Fiscal 2009 for each of the Named Executive Officers:
Name
|
Targeted
Value of Stock Options Granted in 2009
($)
|
Black-Scholes
Value of
Stock
Option
($)
(1)
|
Number
of Stock Options Granted
(#)
|
Percentage
of Long-Term Incentive Compensation Award
(%)
|
Percentage
of Annual Base Salary
(%)
|
Stan
A. Askren
|
294,002
|
2.61
|
112,644
|
20
|
40
|
Kurt
A. Tjaden
|
99,000
|
2.61
|
37,931
|
20
|
30
|
Bradley
D. Determan
|
99,000
|
2.61
|
37,931
|
20
|
30
|
Jerald
K. Dittmer
|
106,500
|
2.61
|
40,805
|
20
|
30
|
Marco
V. Molinari
|
99,690
|
2.61
|
38,195
|
20
|
30
|
(1)
|
The
Black-Scholes option value for award purposes ($2.61) differs from the
Black-Scholes option value calculated in accordance with Financial
Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 718,
Compensation – Stock Compensation, or FASB ASC Topic 718, for financial
statement reporting purposes ($2.53). The difference between
the Black-Scholes option value for award purposes and the Black-Scholes
option value for financial statement reporting purposes results from
utilizing a ten-year option life when calculating the value of an award
and a seven-year expected option life when reporting the value of the
award under FASB ASC Topic 718. Our utilization of the ten-year
option life when calculating the value of an award results in fewer
options granted to executives due to the higher option value
produced.
|
On
February 17, 2010, the Board approved a special grant of 36,364 stock options to
Mr. Dittmer in recognition of his outstanding leadership of HON in an extremely
challenging and unpredictable economy and market. The stock options
were granted under the 2007 Compensation Plan, have an exercise price value
equal to the closing price of a share of Common Stock on the date of grant and
cliff-vest four years and expire ten years from the date of
grant. These stock options represent a special award and are in
addition to the stock options granted to Mr. Dittmer as a part of his standard
long-term incentive compensation award for Fiscal 2010.
Other
Compensation Elements
Supplemental
Income Plan. The SIP is available to select key executives who
consistently earn income above compensation caps on our qualified plan (i.e.,
401(k) plan) and cash profit-sharing benefits. The 2009 statutory
compensation limit for qualified plan and cash profit-sharing benefits was
$245,000. Any compensation in excess of that amount is excluded from
the eligible earnings used to calculate such benefits.
Each
year, the Compensation Committee approves and the Board ratifies participation
in the SIP. The SIP provides a benefit to the plan's participants,
including the Named Executive Officers, equal to the additional amounts the
participants would have earned had the Corporation's qualified plan and cash
profit-sharing benefits not been subject to compensation caps, except no income
attributable to the Performance Plan is considered. The benefit is
paid on an after-tax basis and, prior to Fiscal 2010, in the form of fully
vested shares of Common Stock issued under the 2007 Compensation
Plan. The SIP shares bear a restrictive legend prohibiting the
transfer by sale, pledge, gift or otherwise while the participant is employed by
the Corporation. We calculate the number of shares of Common Stock by
dividing the amount of the benefit by the average of the high and low
transaction prices of a share of Common Stock on the date the benefit is paid,
with cash payable in lieu of any fractional share. Beginning in
Fiscal 2010, the SIP benefit can also be paid in cash at the discretion of the
Compensation Committee. Prior to Fiscal 2010, the Corporation paid
all SIP benefits on February 15 (or the next closest business day if such day is
a weekend or holiday) of each year. Beginning in Fiscal 2010, the
Corporation pays all SIP benefits on March 1 (or the next closest business day
if such day is a weekend or holiday) of each year. Participation in
the SIP is provided to assure the overall competitiveness of our executive
compensation program. With respect to SIP shares, the transfer
restriction is intended to facilitate long-term stock ownership by executives,
thereby further aligning the interests of executives with the interests of
shareholders.
Deferred
Compensation Plan. Executives eligible for compensation under
the Incentive Plan, which include all of the Named Executive Officers, are
eligible to participate in the HNI Corporation Executive Deferred Compensation
Plan (the "Deferred Plan"). The Deferred Plan allows executives to
voluntarily defer base salary, Incentive Plan awards, Performance Plan awards,
SIP benefits and other amounts. The purpose of the Deferred Plan is
to provide eligible executives the opportunity to voluntarily defer the receipt
of compensation to supplement retirement and achieve personal financial planning
goals. Amounts can be deferred to a cash account that earns interest
at a rate set each year at one percent above the prime interest rate or to our
notional stock account in the form of nonvoting share units that fluctuate in
value based on the price increase or decrease of Common Stock and earn dividends
distributed to all shareholders. The dividends are automatically
reinvested for each participant to acquire additional nonvoting shares
units. For any cash compensation deferred to our notional stock
account, the number of nonvoting share units is determined by dividing the
amount of the compensation by the fair market value of a share of Common Stock
on the date such compensation would have otherwise been paid. Each
participant elects, on an annual basis, the date or dates of distribution (i.e.,
a participant can elect a lump-sum distribution or distribution via annual
installments not to exceed 15) of any amounts he or she has
deferred. The only Named Executive Officer currently participating in
the Deferred Plan is the CEO.
Profit-Sharing
Retirement Plan. Each of the Named Executive Officers
participates in the HNI Corporation Profit-Sharing Retirement Plan (the
"Retirement Plan"). The Retirement Plan is a defined contribution
plan that includes both pre- and after-tax member contributions as well as
various employer contributions and is generally available to all
members. Members are eligible to make voluntary (pre- and/or
after-tax) contributions immediately upon hire. One year of service
is typically required to be eligible for employer contributions. Each
of the Named Executive Officers is eligible for employer
contributions.
Cash
Profit-Sharing Plan. Each of the Named Executive Officers
participates in and is eligible for distributions under the HNI Corporation Cash
Profit-Sharing Plan (the "Cash Profit-Sharing Plan"). The Cash
Profit-Sharing Plan consists of cash profit-sharing calculated and generally
paid twice per year. The actual amount of the profit-sharing benefit
paid is based upon the profitability (net profit) of each respective operating
unit for those members employed by an operating unit or consolidated adjusted
net profit of the Corporation for those members employed directly by the
Corporation. Members (who are not members of a bargaining unit) are
generally eligible to participate after completion of one year of continuous
service. To be eligible for distribution, a member must be (1)
employed at the date of distribution, (2) retired in accordance with the
retirement policy during the most recent profit-sharing period or (3) on leave
of absence or disability pay.
Perquisites. We do not provide
executives with any special perquisites, such as reserved parking spaces,
company cars, country club memberships or personal use of the Corporation's
aircraft. Executives participate in the same health, retirement,
profit sharing, disability and life insurance programs and member stock purchase
plan as other members.
Post-Employment
and Other Events
Retirement,
death, disability and change in control ("CIC"), events trigger the payment of
certain compensation to the Named Executive Officers that is not available to
all salaried members. Such compensation is discussed below and
quantified under "Potential
Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control" on page 48 of this Proxy
Statement.
Change in Control
Employment Agreements. We have entered into a change in
control employment agreement ("CIC Agreement"), with each of certain corporate
officers and other key managers, including each of the Named Executive
Officers. In 2006, the Compensation Committee retained Mercer to advise
the Compensation Committee on the competitiveness and appropriateness of the
form of CIC Agreement and to recommend changes. After thorough
analysis, the Board adopted an amended and restated agreement, determining it
was in the best interest of shareholders. The description of the
amended form of agreement set forth below is qualified in its entirety by the
actual form of CIC Agreement, attached as Exhibit 10.1 to the Corporation's
Current Report on Form 8-K filed November 16, 2006.
The CIC
Agreement is designed to (1) assure the continuity of executive management
during a threatened takeover and (2) ensure executive management is able to
objectively evaluate any CIC proposal and act in the best interests of
shareholders during a possible acquisition, merger or combination. We
designed the agreement to be part of a competitive compensation package, thereby
aiding in attracting and retaining top-quality executives.
The CIC
Agreement defines a CIC as having occurred (1) when a third person or entity
becomes the beneficial owner of 20 percent or more Common Stock, subject to
certain exceptions, (2) when more than one-third of the Board is composed of
persons not recommended by at least three-fourths of the incumbent Board, (3)
upon the occurrence of certain business combinations involving the Corporation
or (4) upon approval by our shareholders of a complete liquidation or
dissolution.
Upon a
CIC, a two-year employment contract between the Corporation and the executive
becomes effective. The executive is entitled to certain benefits if,
at any time within two years of the CIC, any of the following triggering events
occurs: (1) employment is terminated by the Corporation for any reason
other than cause or disability of the executive; or (2) employment is terminated
by the executive for good reason.
Cause is
defined as: (a) an act or acts of dishonesty on the executive's part
that are intended to result in his or her substantial personal enrichment at our
expense; or (b) repeated violations by the executive of his or her obligations
under the agreement which are demonstrably willful and deliberate on the
executive's part and resulted in material injury to the
Corporation. Good reason is defined as: (1) assignment to
the executive of any duties substantially inconsistent with the executive's
position, authority or responsibilities or any other substantial adverse changes
in the executive's position (including title), authority or responsibilities;
(2) our failure to comply with any of the provisions of the agreement; (3)
a required change of more than 50 miles in the executive's principal
place of work, except for travel reasonably required in performing the
executive's responsibilities; (4) a purported termination of the executive's
employment by the Corporation that is not permitted by the agreement; (5) our
failure to require a successor company to assume the agreement; or (6) the
executive's good faith determination the CIC resulted in the executive being
substantially unable to carry out authorities or responsibilities attached to
his or her position held prior to the CIC.
When a
triggering event occurs following a CIC, the executive is entitled to a
severance payment equal to two times (three times for the CEO) the sum of (1)
the executive's annual base salary and (2) the average of the executive's annual
incentive compensation awards for the prior two years. The executive is
also entitled to receive his or her annual salary through the date of
termination and a bonus equal to the average of the executive's annual incentive
compensation awards for the prior two years prorated based on the length of
employment during the year in which termination occurs.
If a
triggering event occurs, the executive is also entitled to a continuation of
certain employee benefits for up to eighteen months and group life insurance
benefits for up to two years if comparable benefits are not otherwise available
to the executive. In addition, the executive is entitled to receive a
lump-sum payment in an amount equal to the present value of the cost of health
and dental coverage for an additional six months and an additional lump-sum
payment equal to the value, in our reasonable determination, of two years of
continued participation in our disability plans.
The
Corporation must fulfill certain obligations to the executive, or pay certain
amounts to the executive, through the date of the executive's termination if, at
any time within two years of the CIC, the executive is terminated by reason of
death, disability or cause, or if the executive terminates employment other than
for good reason. Disability and certain other benefits must be
provided to the executive after the date of termination if the executive is
terminated by reason of disability.
The
Corporation must pay the full amount due under the agreement and "gross-up" the
executive's compensation for any excise tax, for any federal, state and local
income taxes applicable to the excise tax "gross-up" and for tax penalties and
interest imposed on "excess parachute payments" (i.e., excess severance or CIC
payments), as defined in Section 280G of the Code. A gross-up payment
is payable only to the extent the aggregate present value of the severance or
CIC payments payable to the executive exceeds 110 percent of three times the
executive's annualized includible compensation for the most recent five taxable
years ending before the date on which the CIC occurred. If the 110
percent hurdle is not exceeded, the severance or CIC payments to the executive
are reduced (or repaid to us) to the minimum extent necessary such that no
portion of the executive's benefit constitutes an excess parachute
payment.
In
exchange for receipt of the severance payment, salary, bonus and benefits
pursuant to the agreement as described above, the executive is prohibited, for a
period of one year from the date of termination, from entering into any
relationship with any enterprise, business or division thereof (other than the
Corporation), that is engaged in the same business in those states within the
United States in which we are, at the time of such termination of employment,
conducting our business and which has annual sales of at least
$10,000,000. In addition, the executive shall not, without our prior
written consent, communicate or divulge any confidential information, knowledge
or data relating to us or any of our affiliated companies to anyone other than
us and our designees.
The
executive is entitled to receive reimbursement for any legal fees and expenses,
plus interest thereon, which may be incurred in enforcing or defending his or
her agreement. The CIC Agreement is automatically renewed, on an annual
basis, for a period of two years. The Board may terminate the agreement if
it determines the executive is no longer a key executive; provided, however,
such a determination shall not be made, and if made shall have no effect, within
two years after the occurrence of a CIC.
The
Compensation Committee's rationale for our CIC Agreements is a desire by the
Compensation Committee to strike an appropriate balance between executive and
shareholder interests, preserve productivity, avoid disruption and limit
distraction during a period when we are, or are rumored to be, involved in a CIC
transaction. The Compensation Committee wants executives to be able
to objectively evaluate any CIC proposal presented to us without being so
advantaged by the potential CIC that he or she would overstate the value of the
potential transaction. Likewise, the Compensation Committee intends
to ease the consequences of an unexpected termination of employment so offers
that are in our and our shareholders' best interests are given careful and
thoughtful review. In establishing the payment and benefit levels for
each of the Named Executive Officers under their individual CIC Agreements, the
Compensation Committee evaluated several different options and selected the
option that best met the objectives outlined above. The selected
option is also consistent with market practices.
The
Compensation Committee does not view the CIC Agreements as an element of current
compensation, and such agreements do not necessarily affect the Compensation
Committee's annual decisions with respect to the compensation elements of our
executive compensation program. The Compensation Committee receives
and reviews information pertaining to compensation payable to the Named
Executive Officers upon a CIC, including information contained on page 48 this
Proxy Statement under the heading "Potential Payments Upon Termination
or Change in Control."
Other
Compensation Triggered by Change in Control Event. Pursuant to
both the HNI Corporation Stock-Based Compensation Plan (the "Compensation
Plan"), which terminated upon shareholder approval of the 2007 Compensation Plan
at the 2007 annual meeting of shareholders, and the 2007 Compensation Plan, upon
a CIC, each outstanding (1) RSU award is immediately vested and (2) stock option
is immediately exercisable in full and remains exercisable for the remaining
term of the option. Pursuant to the Performance Plan, the Board
values each outstanding Performance Plan award prior to the effective date of a
CIC and such values are payable without proration within 30 days of the date of
a CIC. In addition, pursuant to the Incentive Plan, the maximum bonus
award for the current fiscal year is immediately payable in cash on a prorated
basis, offset by the bonus actually paid. The foregoing payments
occurring on or after a CIC are not conditioned on termination of
employment.
Compensation
Triggered By Retirement, Death or Disability. Upon retirement
at age 65, or after age 55 with ten years of service, or upon disability or
death, all outstanding (1) Incentive Plan, (2) Performance Plan, (3) stock
option and (4) 2009 RSU awards immediately vest. Option holders who
terminate employment due to disability may exercise stock options, which fully
vest as of the date of disability, until the earlier of the expiration date of
the stock option or the second anniversary of the date of
disability. The representatives of option holders whose employment is
terminated due to death may exercise stock options, which shall fully vest as of
the date of death, until the earlier of the expiration date of the stock option
or the second anniversary of the date of death. Option holders who
terminate employment due to retirement may exercise stock options, which shall
fully vest as of the date of retirement, until the earlier of the expiration of
the stock option, or the third anniversary of the date of
retirement.
In the
event of a termination of employment not due to a CIC event, retirement, death
or disability, the Named Executive Officers receive only those benefits
available to all members. However, in such event, the Named Executive
Officers may exercise stock options which are vested as of the date of
termination until the earlier of the expiration of the stock option or 180 days
following the date of termination.
Tax
Deductibility of Executive Compensation
The
Corporation seeks to maximize the tax deductibility of all components of
executive compensation. Section 162(m) limits the ability of public
companies to deduct compensation in excess of $1,000,000 paid annually to the
CEO and the three other most highly compensated executive officers, not
including the chief financial officer. There are exceptions to this limit,
including compensation that qualifies as "performance-based." The portion
of the Incentive Plan award linked to financial performance and any Performance
Plan and stock option awards comply with the exception to Section 162(m) and are
not considered in determining the $1,000,000 limit.
Impact
of Prior Compensation in Setting Elements of Compensation
Prior
compensation of the Named Executive Officers does not generally impact how we
set elements of current compensation. The Compensation Committee
believes the competitive environment mandates current total compensation be
sufficient to attract, motivate and retain top management. The
Compensation Committee analyzes outstanding stock option and RSU grants,
outstanding Incentive Plan and Performance Plan awards and ownership of Common
Stock for each of the Named Executive Officers to ensure future stock option and
RSU grants, Incentive Plan and Performance Plan awards, CIC Agreements and other
benefits provide appropriate and relevant incentives to the
executives. Based on the current analysis, the Compensation Committee
believes prior compensation will not impact the ongoing effectiveness of our
compensation objectives.
Executive
Stock Ownership Guideline
We have
adopted an Executive Stock Ownership Guideline based on the belief key
executives who can impact shareholder value through their achievements should
own significant amounts of Common Stock. Under the guideline, ownership
levels are provided for executives to acquire and hold a recommended amount of
Common Stock based on their position and compensation level. The guideline
is intended to align the interests of key executives with shareholder
interests. The guideline ownership levels range from four times base
salary for the CEO to two times base salary for the other Named Executive
Officers, as shown below:
Position
|
$ Value of Shares
|
Chairman
of the Board, President and CEO
|
4.0
x Base Salary
|
Operating
Company (Unit) Presidents,
Chief
Financial Officer and Executive Vice Presidents
|
2.0
x Base Salary
|
Other
Officers
|
1.5
x Base Salary
|
Executives
to whom the guideline applies are encouraged to reach their respective stock
ownership level within five years of the date the individual assumes an
executive position covered by the guideline. At the February Board
meeting each year, the Compensation Committee reviews each executive's progress
toward his or her goal. If the Compensation Committee determines an
executive is not achieving appropriate progress toward the ownership goal, it
can specify a percentage of such executive's annual incentive compensation be
paid in shares of Common Stock.
In
addition to shares directly owned by the executive, the guideline credits the
executive with vested shares allocated to the executive under our qualified and
non-qualified retirement plans and with the number of shares (net of the
exercise price) that would be issued to the executive if the executive exercised
vested stock options. As of the end of Fiscal 2009, Mr. Askren was
the only Named Executive Officer with five or more years of service in his
current position. Although Mr. Askren did not meet the applicable
guideline level as of the end of Fiscal 2009, the Compensation Committee
believes Mr. Askren is achieving appropriate progress toward the ownership goal
given (1) future vesting of previously granted equity awards and (2) his
increase in Common Stock ownership during Fiscal 2009 by 20,414 shares not
including unvested equity awards or vested, underwater stock
options. When consideration is given to Mr. Askren's unvested equity
awards, he exceeds the guideline level. The Compensation Committee
believes the other Named Executive Officers are also achieving appropriate
progress toward their respective ownership goals.
Impact
of Restatements that Retroactively Impact Financial Goals
We have
not restated or retroactively adjusted financial information that has materially
impacted the financial goals related to previous annual or long-term incentive
compensation awards. If financial results are significantly restated
due to fraud or intentional misconduct, the Board will review any
performance-based compensation paid to executive officers who are found to be
personally responsible for the fraud or intentional misconduct that led to the
restatement and may, to the extent permitted by applicable law, seek recoupment
of amounts paid in excess of the amounts that would have been paid based on the
restated financial results.
The
Role of the Compensation Committee
Operating
within the framework of the duties and responsibilities established by the
Board, the Compensation Committee's role is to assure our compensation:
(1) strategy is aligned with the long-term interests of shareholders and
members; (2) structure is fair and reasonable; and (3) reflects both corporate
and individual performance.
The
Compensation Committee evaluates management's executive compensation
recommendations and provides independent review of the Corporation's executive
compensation program. The Compensation Committee is comprised solely of
Directors who are not current or former members of the Corporation and each is
independent as defined by the NYSE listing standards pertaining to director
independence and the Corporation's categorical independence standards for
Directors.
The
Compensation Committee is responsible for developing and implementing the
compensation programs for the Named Executive Officers and other key
members. The Compensation Committee reviews and approves base salary
increases, Incentive Plan, Performance Plan and SIP awards for each of the Named
Executive Officers, other than the CEO, without Board
ratification. The Compensation Committee also reviews and recommends
to the Board for approval by the independent Directors (1) base salary increases
and Incentive Plan, Performance Plan and SIP awards for the CEO and (2) stock
option, RSU and any other equity compensation awards under the 2007 Compensation
Plan for each of the Named Executive Officers.
In
discharging its responsibilities in Fiscal 2009 and prior years, the
Compensation Committee utilized the Survey Reports. The Corporation's
Member and Community Relations Department purchases the Survey Reports on behalf
of the Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee did not
retain any consultants in connection with the acquisition of the Survey
Reports. As discussed above, the data from the Survey Reports was
utilized to calculate targeted amounts of base salary and annual and long-term
incentive compensation for the Named Executive Officers.
The
Corporation's Law, Finance and Member and Community Relations Departments
support the Compensation Committee in a variety of ways related to executive
compensation. This support includes filing necessary documents with
regulatory bodies, interpreting laws and regulations, conducting executive
compensation benchmark analysis, preparing compensation-related materials and
providing recommendations on matters such as base salary increase percentages
and annual and long-term incentive compensation award targets. The
CEO, in conjunction with the Law, Finance and Member and Community Relations
Departments, compiles information for review by the Compensation Committee at
each quarterly Board meeting addressing the foregoing executive compensation
topics.
The
Compensation Committee has reviewed and discussed the CD&A, which begins on
page 26 of this Proxy Statement, with management, and based on such review and
discussions, the Compensation Committee recommended to the Board the CD&A be
included in this Proxy Statement.
HUMAN
RESOURCES AND COMPENSATION COMMITTEE
Abbie J.
Smith, Chairperson
Cheryl A.
Francis
John A.
Halbrook
Brian E.
Stern
The table
below sets forth the compensation awarded to, earned by or paid to each of the
Named Executive Officers for Fiscal 2009, Fiscal 2008 and the Corporation's
fiscal year ended December 29, 2007 ("Fiscal 2007"). Other than the
CIC Agreements described above, the Corporation has no employment agreements
with any of its executives. While employed, executives are entitled
to base salary, participation in the executive compensation programs identified
in the tables below and discussed in the CD&A and other benefits common to
all members. The performance-based conditions associated with
Performance Plan and Incentive Plan awards as well as salary and bonus in
proportion to total compensation are discussed in detail throughout the
CD&A, which begins on page 26 of this Proxy Statement.
Performance
Plan awards are disclosed in two separate columns in the table
below. Performance Plan awards are payable 50 percent in Common Stock
and 50 percent in cash. The portion of the Performance Plan awards
paid in cash is considered non-equity incentive compensation. This
portion of the awards is reported in the final year of the three-year
performance period when the awards are fully earned. The portion of
the Performance Plan awards payable in Common Stock is considered equity
incentive compensation because, although the target is set at a dollar value,
the award settles in Common Stock. The stock portion of the
Performance Plan awards is reported in the first year of the three-year
performance period in an amount equal to one-half of the targeted value of the
award computed in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718.
Name
and Principal Position (1)
|
Year
|
Salary
($)
(2)
|
Bonus
($)
(3)
|
Stock
Awards
($)
(4)
|
Option
Awards
($)
(5)
|
Non-Equity
Incentive
Plan
Compensation
($)
(6)
|
All
Other
Compensation
($)
(7)
|
Total
($)
|
Stan
A. Askren
Chairman,
President and Chief Executive Officer,
HNI
Corporation
|
2009
2008
2007
|
685,250
749,139
731,477
|
2,573
6,693
9,731
|
889,950
183,750
177,200
|
284,989
944,462
919,453
|
882,050
276,360
985,373
|
101,851
174,097
171,622
|
2,846,663
2,334,501
2,994,856
|
Kurt
A. Tjaden
Vice
President and Chief Financial Officer,
HNI
Corporation
|
2009
2008
|
330,000
120,577
|
666
50,000
|
299,676
48,125
|
95,965
134,030
|
328,433
33,584
|
2,126
17,409
|
1,056,866
403,725
|
Bradley
D. Determan
Executive
Vice President,
HNI
Corporation
President,
Hearth
& Home Technologies Inc.
|
2009
2008
2007
|
330,000
321,432
286,915
|
1,560
1,855
6,723
|
299,676
107,600
107,600
|
95,965
466,962
186,097
|
122,892
219,780
184,630
|
24,379
26,446
33,933
|
874,472
1,144,075
805,898
|
Jerald
K. Dittmer
Executive
Vice President,
HNI
Corporation
President,
The
HON Company
|
2009
2008
2007
|
355,000
355,962
310,668
|
8,477
7,406
9,731
|
322,381
101,400
94,800
|
103,237
257,346
163,955
|
396,180
101,175
339,382
|
45,626
65,822
55,038
|
1,230,901
889,111
973,574
|
Marco
V. Molinari
Executive
Vice President,
HNI
Corporation
President,
HNI
International Inc.
|
2009
2008
2007
|
332,300
334,752
315,913
|
2,573
6,693
9,731
|
301,762
119,800
115,450
|
96,633
205,276
199,667
|
214,832
193,448
360,574
|
30,693
64,258
73,017
|
978,793
924,227
1,074,352
|
(1)
|
On
March 10, 2008, Mr. Dittmer resigned his position as Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer of the Corporation to become an Executive Vice
President of the Corporation and President of HON. On April 1,
2008, Mr. Askren was appointed the acting Chief Financial Officer and held
that position until August 25, 2008, when Mr. Tjaden was appointed the
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Corporation.
|
(2)
|
The
Corporation follows a 52/53-week fiscal year which ends on the Saturday
nearest December 31. Fiscal 2008 ended on Saturday, January 3,
2009, and is a 53-week year. This means each of the Named
Executive Officers will have effectively earned an additional week of
salary in Fiscal 2008. The amounts set forth in this column
reflect this additional week of
salary.
|
(3)
|
The
amounts in this column reflect the payments of cash profit-sharing during
calendar years 2009, 2008 and 2007 under the Cash Profit-Sharing
Plan. Cash profit-sharing is earned on a non-fiscal year
cycle. This column also reflects a $50,000 sign-on bonus for
Mr. Tjaden in Fiscal 2008.
|
(4) For
Fiscal 2009, the amounts in this column reflect the aggregate grant date fair
value of RSUs granted under the 2007 Compensation Plan computed in accordance
with FASB ASC Topic 718.
|
For
Fiscal 2008 and Fiscal 2007, the amounts in this column reflect the
aggregate grant date fair value for stock awards under the Performance
Plan computed in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718. The
amounts for Fiscal 2008 represent the stock portion of the target award
for the 2008-2010 performance period and the amounts for Fiscal 2007
represent the stock portion of the target award for the 2007-2009
performance period. In the event the highest level of
performance is achieved, the Named Executive Officers would earn the
maximum payout under the Performance Plan, the aggregate grant date fair
value of the stock portion of which would be as
follows:
|
For
Fiscal 2008:
Mr.
Askren – $367,500; Mr. Tjaden – $96,250; Mr. Determan – $215,200; Mr. Dittmer –
$202,800; and Mr. Molinari – $239,600.
For
Fiscal 2007:
Mr.
Askren – $354,400; Mr. Determan – $215,200; Mr. Dittmer – $189,600; and Mr.
Molinari – $230,900.
Assumptions
used in the calculations of these amounts are included in the footnote titled
"Stock-Based Compensation" to the Corporation's audited financial statements for
(1) Fiscal 2009 included in the Corporation's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed
with the SEC on February 26, 2010; (2) Fiscal 2008 included in the Corporation's
Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 27, 2009; and (3)
Fiscal 2007 included in the Corporation's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with
the SEC on February 25, 2008.
(5)
|
The
amounts in this column reflect the aggregate grant date fair value of
stock options granted in Fiscal 2009 and Fiscal 2008 under the 2007
Compensation Plan and in Fiscal 2007 under the Compensation Plan computed
in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718. Assumptions used in the
calculations of these amounts are included in the footnote titled
"Stock-Based Compensation" to the Corporation's audited financial
statements for (1) Fiscal 2009 included in the Corporation's Annual Report
on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 26, 2010; (2) Fiscal 2008
included in the Corporation's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the
SEC on February 27, 2009; and (3) Fiscal 2007 included in the
Corporation's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February
25, 2008.
|
(6)
|
The
amounts in this column include annual incentive awards earned in Fiscal
2009, Fiscal 2008 and Fiscal 2007, respectively, and paid in February
2010, February 2009 and February 2008, respectively, under the Incentive
Plan as follows: Mr. Askren – $882,050; $276,360; $879,060; Mr.
Tjaden – $328,433; $33,584; Mr. Determan – $122,892; $219,780; $184,630;
Mr. Dittmer – $396,180; $101,175; $286,210; and Mr. Molinari – $214,832;
$193,448; $284,675. In Fiscal 2007, Mr. Askren requested and
the Compensation Committee approved the payment of a portion of his annual
incentive award (approximately $222,058) in the form of Common Stock under
the 2007 Compensation Plan which, based on the average of the high and low
prices of a share of Common Stock ($30.71) on February 15, 2008, the date
of grant, translated to 4,886 shares of Common Stock after withholding
2,344 shares for taxes.
|
|
The
amounts in this column also include the cash portion (50 percent) of
Performance Plan awards earned for the 2005-2007 performance period paid
in February 2008, the 2006-2008 performance period paid in February 2009
and the 2007-2009 performance period paid in February 2010 as
follows: (1) 2007–2009 performance period: Mr.
Askren – $-0-; Mr. Tjaden – $-0-; Mr. Determan – $-0-; Mr. Dittmer – $-0-;
and Mr. Molinari – $-0-; (2) 2006–2008 performance period: Mr.
Askren – $-0-; Mr. Tjaden – $-0-; Mr. Determan – $-0-; Mr. Dittmer – $-0-;
and Mr. Molinari – $-0-; and (3) 2005-2007 performance
period: Mr. Askren – $106,313; Mr. Determan – $-0-; Mr. Dittmer
– $53,172; and Mr. Molinari –
$75,899.
|
(7)
|
The
amounts in this column include the Corporation's contributions to the
Retirement Plan, the dollar value of Corporation-paid life insurance
premiums under the HNI Corporation Group Term Life Insurance Plan ("Life
Insurance Plan"), both of which are generally applicable to all members,
the dollar value of Common Stock paid under the SIP and earnings on
deferred compensation, in each case for Fiscal 2009, Fiscal 2008 and
Fiscal 2007. Contributions under the Retirement Plan for Fiscal
2009, Fiscal 2008 and Fiscal 2007 were as follows: Mr. Askren –
$13,418; $16,574; $19,176; Mr. Tjaden – $2,048; $-0-; Mr. Determan –
$12,476; $12,075; $16,377; Mr. Dittmer – $18,909; $17,238; $19,176; and
Mr. Molinari – $13,418; $17,044; $19,176. The dollar values of
Corporation-paid life insurance premiums under the Life Insurance Plan in
Fiscal 2009, Fiscal 2008 and Fiscal 2007 were as follows: Mr.
Askren – $78; $183; $180; Mr. Tjaden – $78; $62; Mr. Determan – $78; $187;
$-0-; Mr. Dittmer – $78; $212; $274; and Mr. Molinari – $78; $185;
$-0-. The dollar values of Common Stock earned under the SIP
for Fiscal 2009, Fiscal 2008 and Fiscal 2007 were as
follows: Mr. Askren – $49,817; $147,186; $145,701; Mr. Tjaden –
$-0-; $-0-; Mr. Determan – $11,825; $14,184; $17,556; Mr. Dittmer –
$26,639; $48,372; $35,588; and Mr. Molinari – $17,197; $47,029;
$53,841. The SIP Common Stock for Fiscal 2009 was issued
February 17, 2010, for Fiscal 2008 was issued February 17, 2009 and for
Fiscal 2007 was issued February 15, 2008. Earnings on deferred
compensation for Fiscal 2009, Fiscal 2008 and Fiscal 2007 were as
follows: Mr. Askren – $38,538; $10,154; $6,565. In
Fiscal 2008, Mr. Tjaden also received a moving expense reimbursement equal
to $17,347, including the tax
gross-up.
|
The table
below sets forth the grants of plan-based awards to the Named Executive Officers
during Fiscal 2009, including stock options and RSUs granted under the 2007
Compensation Plan and Incentive Plan awards. The aggregate grant date
fair value of stock option and RSU awards are disclosed on a grant-by-grant
basis in the table below. For additional information on the Incentive
Plan and the 2007 Compensation Plan, see "Elements of Compensation
Program" on page 26 of this Proxy Statement.
Name
|
Grant
Date
|
Estimated
Future Payouts Under
Non-Equity
Incentive Plan Awards (1)
|
All
Other Stock Awards: Number of Shares of Stock or Units
(#)
|
All
Other Option Awards: Number of Securities Underlying Options
(#)
|
Exercise
or Base Price of Option Awards ($/Sh)
|
Grant
Date Fair Value of Stock and Option Awards ($)
|
Target
($)
|
Maximum
($)
|
|
|
|
|
Stan
A. Askren
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stock
Options
|
2/23/2009
|
|
|
|
112,644
|
10.36
|
284,989
|
RSUs
|
2/23/2009
|
|
|
113,514
|
|
|
889,950
|
Incentive
Plan
|
2/11/2009
|
661,504
|
1,124,557
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Kurt
A. Tjaden
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stock
Options
|
2/23/2009
|
|
|
|
37,931
|
10.36
|
95,965
|
RSUs
|
2/23/2009
|
|
|
38,224
|
|
|
299,676
|
Incentive
Plan
|
2/11/2009
|
247,500
|
420,750
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bradley
D. Determan
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stock
Options
|
2/23/2009
|
|
|
|
37,931
|
10.36
|
95,965
|
RSUs
|
2/23/2009
|
|
|
38,224
|
|
|
299,676
|
Incentive
Plan
|
2/11/2009
|
125,400
|
213,180
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jerald
K. Dittmer
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stock
Options
|
2/23/2009
|
|
|
|
40,805
|
10.36
|
103,237
|
RSUs
|
2/23/2009
|
|
|
41,120
|
|
|
322,381
|
Incentive
Plan
|
2/11/2009
|
266,250
|
452,625
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Marco
V. Molinari
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stock
Options
|
2/23/2009
|
|
|
|
38,195
|
10.36
|
96,633
|
RSUs
|
2/23/2009
|
|
|
38,490
|
|
|
301,762
|
Incentive
Plan
|
2/11/2009
|
249,225
|
423,683
|
|
|
|
|
(1)
|
There
is no threshold performance level for the individual strategic objective
component of the annual incentive award under the Incentive
Plan. However, with respect to the financial goal component of
the annual incentive award under the Incentive Plan, a 25 percent payout
level is the minimum performance threshold required to receive a
payout. As the individual strategic objective component and the
financial goal component of the annual incentive award are combined as one
payment under the Incentive Plan, there is effectively no threshold
performance level for payment of Incentive Plan awards. The
threshold amounts for the financial goal component of the annual incentive
award under the Incentive Plan for Fiscal 2009 for each of the Named
Executive Officers were as follows: Mr. Askren – $99,226; Mr.
Tjaden – $37,125; Mr. Determan – $18,810; Mr. Dittmer – $39,938; and Mr.
Molinari – $37,384.
|
The
following table sets forth the Named Executive Officers' outstanding equity
awards as of the end of Fiscal 2009. All outstanding stock option
awards reported in this table cliff-vest four years and expire ten years from
the date of grant. All of the outstanding stock awards reported in
this table, other than equity incentive plan awards reflected in the final two
columns of the table, represent time-based RSUs granted in February 2009, which
vest in February 2012. Prior to Fiscal 2009, the Corporation had not
issued stock awards subject to vesting to any of the Named Executive Officers
except pursuant to the Performance Plan. The awards under the
Performance Plan are reflected in the final two columns of the
table. These awards represent 50 percent of the Performance Plan
award earned in Fiscal 2009 for the 2008-2010 performance period that, upon
vesting, will be settled in Common Stock. As described in the
CD&A, which begins on page 26 of this Proxy Statement, the Corporation is
unable to determine the actual number of shares of Common Stock underlying the
portion of the Performance Plan award payable in Common Stock until such time as
the award vests and is paid.
|
Option
Awards
|
Stock
Awards
|
Name
|
Number
of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options
(#)
Exercisable
|
Number
of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options (#)Unexercisable
(1)
|
Option
Exercise
Price
($)
(2)
|
Option
Expiration
Date
|
Number
of Shares or Units of Stock That Have Not Vested
(#)
(3)
|
Market
Value
of
Shares or Units of Stock That Have Not Vested
($)
(4)
|
Equity
Incentive
Plan
Awards:
Number
of Unearned Shares, Units or Other Rights That Have Not
Vested
(#)
(5)
|
Equity
Incentive
Plan Awards: Market or Payout Value of Unearned Shares, Units
or Other Rights That Have Not Vested ($) (6)
|
Stan
A. Askren
|
13,000
|
|
23.32
|
2/14/11
|
113,514
|
3,136,392
|
3,325
|
91,875
|
|
20,000
|
|
25.77
|
2/13/12
|
|
|
|
|
|
43,000
|
|
25.82
|
2/12/13
|
|
|
|
|
|
25,000
|
|
39.72
|
2/11/14
|
|
|
|
|
|
25,000
|
|
37.57
|
5/4/14
|
|
|
|
|
|
55,100
|
|
42.66
|
2/16/15
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
40,712
|
58.06
|
2/15/16
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
58,676
|
48.66
|
2/14/17
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
126,434
|
31.69
|
2/13/18
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
112,644
|
10.36
|
2/23/19
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Kurt
A. Tjaden
|
|
36,923
|
17.01
|
11/7/18
|
38,224
|
1,056,129
|
871
|
24,063
|
|
|
37,931
|
10.36
|
2/23/19
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bradley
D. Determan
|
10,000
|
|
32.93
|
8/4/13
|
38,224
|
1,056,129
|
1,947
|
53,800
|
|
8,000
|
|
39.72
|
2/11/14
|
|
|
|
|
|
7,200
|
|
42.66
|
2/16/15
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
8,320
|
58.06
|
2/15/16
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
11,876
|
48.66
|
2/14/17
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
24,677
|
31.69
|
2/13/18
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
57,915
|
22.56
|
5/6/18
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
37,931
|
10.36
|
2/23/19
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jerald
K. Dittmer
|
6,000
|
|
23.32
|
2/14/11
|
41,120
|
1,136,146
|
1,835
|
50,700
|
|
12,000
|
|
25.77
|
2/13/12
|
|
|
|
|
|
15,000
|
|
25.82
|
2/12/13
|
|
|
|
|
|
9,000
|
|
39.72
|
2/11/14
|
|
|
|
|
|
9,200
|
|
42.66
|
2/16/15
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
7,125
|
58.06
|
2/15/16
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10,463
|
48.66
|
2/14/17
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
23,258
|
31.69
|
2/13/18
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
17,133
|
22.56
|
5/6/18
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
40,805
|
10.36
|
2/23/19
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Marco
V. Molinari
|
15,000
|
|
42.98
|
11/7/13
|
38,490
|
1,063,479
|
2,168
|
59,900
|
|
13,000
|
|
39.72
|
2/11/14
|
|
|
|
|
|
11,600
|
|
42.66
|
2/16/15
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
8,926
|
58.06
|
2/15/16
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
12,742
|
48.66
|
2/14/17
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
27,480
|
31.69
|
2/13/18
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
38,195
|
10.36
|
2/23/19
|
|
|
|
|
(1)
|
All
stock options cliff-vest four years from the grant
date. Vesting dates for each unexercisable stock option award,
in descending order, for each of the Named Executive Officers are as
follows: Mr. Askren – February 15, 2010, February 14, 2011,
February 13, 2012 and February 23, 2013; Mr. Tjaden – November 7, 2012 and
February 23, 2013; Mr. Determan – February 15, 2010, February 14, 2011,
February 13, 2012, May 6, 2012 and February 23, 2013; Mr. Dittmer –
February 15, 2010, February 14, 2011, February 13, 2012, May 6, 2012 and
February 23, 2013; and Mr. Molinari – February 15, 2010, February 14,
2011, February 13, 2012 and February 23,
2013.
|
(2)
|
For
fiscal years prior to Fiscal 2008, the exercise price was the average of
the high and low transaction prices of a share of Common Stock on the date
of grant. Stock options granted in Fiscal 2008 and Fiscal 2009
under the 2007 Compensation Plan have an exercise price value equal to the
closing price of a share of Common Stock on the date of
grant.
|
(3)
|
This
column reflects the RSUs granted to each of the Named Executive Officers
under the 2007 Compensation Plan on February 23, 2009. All RSUs
cliff-vest three years from the grant
date.
|
(4)
|
This
column reflects the market value of the RSUs granted to each of the Named
Executive Officers in Fiscal 2009, calculated based on a share price of
$27.63 per share, the closing price of a share of Common Stock on December
31, 2009, the last trading day of Fiscal
2009.
|
(5)
|
This
column reflects the number of shares attributable to unvested outstanding
Performance Plan awards (stock portion) based on achievement of a 50
percent payout level (the threshold or minimum level of performance
required to receive a payout under the Performance Plan) for the 2008-2010
performance period for each Named Executive Officer, calculated based on a
share price of $27.63 per share, the closing price of a share of Common
Stock on December 31, 2009, the last trading day of Fiscal
2009. Such awards vest on the last day of the performance
period – January 1, 2011.
|
(6)
|
This
column reflects the amount attributable to unvested outstanding
Performance Plan awards (stock portion) based on achievement of a 50
percent payout level (the threshold or minimum level of performance
required to receive a payout under the Performance Plan) for the 2008-2010
performance period for each Named Executive
Officer.
|
The
following table sets forth information concerning the Named Executive Officers'
exercise of stock options during Fiscal 2009. No outstanding stock
awards vested during Fiscal 2009. The value of the stock portion of
the Performance Plan awards for the 2007-2009 performance period was
$-0-.
|
Option
Awards
|
Name
|
Number
of Shares
Acquired
on Exercise (#)
|
Value
Realized on
Exercise
($)
(1)
|
Stan
A. Askren
|
25,000
|
219,250
|
Kurt
A. Tjaden
|
0
|
0
|
Bradley
D. Determan
|
0
|
0
|
Jerald
K. Dittmer
|
5,250
|
22,418
|
Marco
V. Molinari
|
0
|
0
|
(1)
|
This
column is calculated by multiplying the number of shares acquired by the
difference between the actual sale price on the date of exercise or, if
the shares were retained by the Named Executive Officer, the closing price
of a share of Common Stock on the date of exercise and the exercise price
of the stock options. The Named Executive Officers exercised
the following options in Fiscal
2009:
|
Name
|
Date of Exercise
|
Number
of Shares Acquired on Exercise
(#)
|
Option
Exercise Price ($/Sh)
|
Sold
or Retained Shares
|
Sale
or Closing Price on Date of
Exercise ($/Sh)
|
Value
Realized on Exercise
($)
|
Stan
A. Askren
|
10/29/09
|
25,000
|
18.31
|
Retained
|
27.08
|
219,250
|
Jerald
K. Dittmer
|
7/30/09
|
5,250
|
18.31
|
Sold
|
22.58
|
22,418
|
As
discussed in the CD&A, which begins on page 26 of this Proxy Statement, the
Deferred Plan allows executives to defer certain compensation to a cash account
that earns interest at a rate set annually at one percent above the prime
interest rate or to the Corporation's notional stock account in the form of
nonvoting share units that earn dividends distributed to shareholders which are
then automatically reinvested in additional nonvoting share
units. The only Named Executive Officer currently participating in
the Deferred Plan is Mr. Askren. Mr. Askren deferred into the
Corporation's notional stock account the after-tax-value of his 2008 SIP award,
which was granted in February 2009, totaling $144,393 and is reflected in the
table below. The value of Mr. Askren's 2008 SIP award, before taxes,
was $147,186. Mr. Askren's balance in the Deferred Plan as of the end
of Fiscal 2009 was 27,962 nonvoting share units. This balance will
not be distributed until the earlier of (1) January 31, 2016 for a portion of
the balance, (2) January 31, 2017 for another portion of the balance and (3) the
date Mr. Askren is no longer employed by the Corporation, other than via
retirement or death, with respect to the entire remaining
balance. For additional information on the Deferred Plan, see "Other Compensation Elements –
Deferred Compensation Plan" on page 38 of this Proxy
Statement.
Name
|
Executive
Contributions
in
Last FY
($)
(1)
|
Aggregate
Earnings
in
Last FY
($)
(2)
|
Aggregate
Balance
at
Last FYE
($)
(3)
|
Stan
A. Askren
|
144,393
|
219,148
|
772,590
|
Kurt
A. Tjaden
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
Bradley
D. Determan
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
Jerald
K. Dittmer
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
Marco
V. Molinari
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
(1)
|
The
amount of Mr. Askren's contribution, before taxes $147,186, is reflected
in the All Other Compensation Column of the Summary Compensation Table for
Mr. Askren's Fiscal 2008
compensation.
|
(2)
|
The
reported dollar value is the sum of (1) share price appreciation (or
depreciation) in the account balance during Fiscal 2009 not attributable
to contributions, withdrawals or distributions during Fiscal 2009 and (2)
dividends earned on the account balance during Fiscal 2009. The
share price appreciation (or depreciation) is calculated by first
multiplying 15,417, the number of nonvoting share units in Mr. Askren's
account at the end of Fiscal 2008, by $27.63, the closing price of a share
of Common Stock on December 31, 2009, the last trading day of Fiscal 2009;
and then subtracting from such amount Mr. Askren's aggregate account
balance at the end of Fiscal 2008 – $245,362. The dividends
earned are calculated by multiplying 1,395, the numbers of nonvoting share
units earned from reinvested dividends during Fiscal 2009, by $27.63, the
closing price of a share of Common Stock on December 31, 2009, the last
trading day of Fiscal 2009. The dividends earned are reflected
in the All Other Compensation Column of the Summary Compensation Table for
Mr. Askren's Fiscal 2009
compensation.
|
(3)
|
The
reported dollar value is calculated by multiplying 27,962, the number of
nonvoting share units in Mr. Askren's account at the end of Fiscal 2009,
by $27.63, the closing price of a share of Common Stock on December 31,
2009, the last trading day of Fiscal 2009. Amounts deferred
after Fiscal 2009 are not reflected in this
column.
|
The
following tables quantify compensation that would be payable to the Named
Executive Officers upon a CIC or the retirement, death or disability of the
executive. The tables include only compensation items not available
to all salaried members and assume the event occurred on the last business day
of Fiscal 2009. For a qualitative discussion of the Corporation's
obligations to the Named Executive Officers in the event of a CIC or the
retirement, death or disability of such Named Executive Officers, see "Post-Employment and Other
Events" on page 39 of this Proxy Statement.
Value
in Event of Involuntary Termination or Voluntary Termination for Good Reason
Following a Change in Control
Name
|
Cash
Severance
Pursuant to CIC Agreement
($)
(1)
|
Total
Value
of
Benefits
Pursuant
to
CIC
Agreement ($) (2)
|
Incentive
Plan
Acceleration
($)
(3)
|
Performance
Plan
Acceleration
($)
(4)
|
Stock
Options
Acceleration
($)
(5)
|
RSU
Acceleration
($)
(6)
|
Excise
Tax
Gross-Up
Pursuant to
CIC
Agreement ($) (7)
|
Total
($)
|
Stan
A. Askren
|
3,723,933
|
19,473
|
242,507
|
0
|
1,945,362
|
3,136,392
|
3,859,684
|
12,927,351
|
Kurt
A. Tjaden
|
699,875
|
19,473
|
92,317
|
0
|
1,047,191
|
1,056,129
|
1,363,017
|
4,278,003
|
Bradley
D. Determan
|
1,070,701
|
19,473
|
90,288
|
0
|
948,697
|
1,056,129
|
1,301,533
|
4,486,821
|
Jerald
K. Dittmer
|
1,103,676
|
19,473
|
56,445
|
0
|
791,567
|
1,136,146
|
1,192,779
|
4,300,086
|
Marco
V. Molinari
|
1,149,014
|
19,473
|
208,851
|
0
|
659,628
|
1,063,479
|
1,287,473
|
4,387,918
|
(1)
|
Pursuant
to the CIC Agreements for each of the Named Executive Officers, the
amounts in this column include the following: (1) an amount
equal to two times (three times for Mr. Askren) the sum of (a) the
executive's annual base salary and (b) the average of the executive's
annual incentive awards for the prior two years; (2) an amount equal to
the value of the cost of health and dental coverage for an additional six
months from the date of termination; and (3) an amount equal to the value
of 24 months of continued participation in the Corporation's accidental
death and travel accident insurance plan and disability
plans.
|
(2)
|
Represents
the value of benefits provided following termination of employment
pursuant to the CIC Agreements for each of the Named Executive
Officers. Such benefits consist of the
following: (1) medical and dental benefits for 18 months; and
(2) group life insurance benefits for 24
months.
|
(3) Represents
the value of the maximum annual incentive award payable under the Incentive Plan
for Fiscal 2009 to each of the Named Executive Officers, prorated based on the
length of employment during the year in which termination occurs, minus the
amount of such award which vested as of the end of Fiscal 2009. Such
awards are normally forfeited upon termination by reason other than death,
disability, retirement or CIC of the Corporation.
(4)
|
Represents
the value of the outstanding long-term incentive awards under the
Performance Plan for the 2008-2010 performance periods based on
performance through the end of Fiscal 2009 without
proration. Such awards are normally forfeited upon termination
by reason other than death, disability, retirement or CIC of the
Corporation. The amounts in this column are zero as the
Corporation does not anticipate making any payouts for the 2008-2010
performance period.
|
(5)
|
Represents
the value of accelerating the vesting of stock options not otherwise
vested in accordance with the Compensation Plan and the 2007 Compensation
Plan. Such options will remain exercisable until the expiration
date established at the time of
award.
|
(6)
|
Represents
the value of accelerating the vesting of RSUs not otherwise vested in
accordance with the 2007 Compensation
Plan.
|
(7)
|
Represents
the payment to "gross-up" the executive's compensation pursuant to the
executive's CIC Agreement for any excise tax and for any federal, state
and local taxes applicable to the excise tax
"gross-up."
|
Value
in Event of Change in Control with No Employment Termination
Name
|
Cash
Severance
Pursuant to CIC Agreement
($)
|
Total
Value
of
Benefits
Pursuant
to
CIC
Agreement ($)
|
Incentive
Plan
Acceleration
($)
(1)
|
Performance
Plan
Acceleration
($)
(2)
|
Stock
Options
Acceleration
($)
(3)
|
|
Excise
Tax
Gross-Up
Pursuant to
CIC
Agreement ($)
|
Total
($)
|
Stan
A. Askren
|
0
|
0
|
242,507
|
0
|
1,945,362
|
3,136,392
|
0
|
5,324,261
|
Kurt
A. Tjaden
|
0
|
0
|
92,317
|
0
|
1,047,191
|
1,056,129
|
0
|
2,195,637
|
Bradley
D. Determan
|
0
|
0
|
90,288
|
0
|
948,697
|
1,056,129
|
0
|
2,095,114
|
Jerald
K. Dittmer
|
0
|
0
|
56,445
|
0
|
791,567
|
1,136,146
|
0
|
1,984,158
|
Marco
V. Molinari
|
0
|
0
|
208,851
|
0
|
659,628
|
1,063,479
|
0
|
1,931,958
|
(1)
|
Represents
the value of the maximum annual incentive award payable under the
Incentive Plan for Fiscal 2009 to each of the Named Executive Officers,
prorated based on the length of employment during the year in which
termination occurs, minus the amount of such award which vested as of the
end of Fiscal 2009. Such awards are normally forfeited upon
termination by reason other than death, disability, retirement or CIC of
the Corporation.
|
(2)
|
Represents
the value of the outstanding long-term incentive awards under the
Performance Plan for the 2008-2010 performance periods based on
performance through the end of Fiscal 2009 without
proration. Such awards are normally forfeited upon termination
by reason other than death, disability, retirement or CIC of the
Corporation. The amounts in this column are zero as the
Corporation does not anticipate making any payouts for the 2008-2010
performance period.
|
(3)
|
Represents
the value of accelerating the vesting of stock options not otherwise
vested in accordance with the Compensation Plan and the 2007 Compensation
Plan. Such options will remain exercisable until the expiration
date established at the time of
award.
|
(4)
|
Represents
the value of accelerating the vesting of RSUs not otherwise vested in
accordance with the 2007 Compensation
Plan.
|
Value
in Event of Retirement, Death or Disability
Name
|
Performance
Plan
Acceleration
($)
(1)
|
Stock
Options
Acceleration
($)
(2)
|
RSU
Acceleration
($)
(3)
|
Total
($)
|
Stan
A. Askren
|
0
|
1,945,362
|
3,136,392
|
5,081,754
|
Kurt
A. Tjaden
|
0
|
1,047,191
|
1,056,129
|
2,103,320
|
Bradley
D. Determan
|
0
|
948,697
|
1,056,129
|
2,004,826
|
Jerald
K. Dittmer
|
0
|
791,567
|
1,136,146
|
1,927,713
|
Marco
V. Molinari
|
0
|
659,628
|
1,063,479
|
1,723,107
|
_______________
Notes
(1) Represents
the value of the outstanding long-term incentive awards under the Performance
Plan for the 2008-2010 performance period based on performance through the end
of Fiscal 2009, prorated according to the time elapsed through the applicable
performance period. Such awards are normally forfeited upon
termination by reason other than death, disability, retirement or CIC of the
Corporation. The amounts in this column are zero as the Corporation
does not anticipate making any payouts for the 2008-2010 performance
period.
(2)
|
Represents
the value of accelerating the vesting of stock options not otherwise
vested in accordance with the Compensation Plan and the 2007 Compensation
Plan. Such options will remain exercisable until three years
from the date of retirement or two years from the date of death or
disability.
|
(3)
|
Represents
the value of accelerating the vesting of RSUs not otherwise vested in
accordance with the 2007 Compensation
Plan.
|
Prior to
May 2009, the Corporation's independent Directors received an annual retainer of
$100,000, of which $50,000 was paid in cash in equal installments of $12,500 at
each quarterly Board meeting and $50,000 was paid in the form of a Common Stock
grant issued under the 2007 Equity Plan for Non-Employee Directors of HNI
Corporation (the "2007 Equity Plan") at the May Board meeting. In
April 2009, the Board unanimously approved a 10 percent decrease in the annual
retainer from $100,000 to $90,000 effective at the May Board meeting, of which
$45,000 was to be paid in cash in equal installments of $11,250 at each
quarterly Board meeting and $45,000 was to be paid in the form of a Common Stock
grant issued under the 2007 Equity Plan at the May Board meeting. Mr.
Askren recommended and the Board approved the reduction due to the very
challenging market conditions facing the Corporation. Consequently,
in Fiscal 2009, each independent Director received (1) a cash installment
payment of (a) $12,500 at the February Board meeting and (b) $11,250 at each of
the May, August and November Board meetings and (2) a $45,000 Common Stock grant
at the May Board meeting. In February 2010, the Board restored the
annual retainer from $90,000 to $100,000 effective immediately.
Each
independent Director who serves as the Chairperson of a Board committee also
receives an additional annual retainer for his or her services. The
Audit Committee Chairperson and the Lead Director each receive an additional
$7,500, and the Chairpersons of the Compensation Committee and the Governance
Committee each receive an additional $4,000. Each Audit Committee
member also receives an additional annual retainer of $4,000. As with
the cash portion of the annual retainer for Board service, retainers for
committee Chairpersons, Lead Director or Audit Committee service are paid in
equal installments at each quarterly Board meeting. Independent
Directors receive an additional $1,000 for each meeting attended if they are
required to travel six hours or more on a round-trip basis. Directors
are also reimbursed for travel and related expenses incurred to attend
meetings. For purposes of determining Director compensation, an
independent Director is anyone who is not a member of the
Corporation. Directors who are members of the Corporation do not
receive additional compensation for service on the Board.
The
Corporation's policy with regard to Common Stock ownership by Directors is for
each Director to own Common Stock with a market value of five times or more the
cash portion of the annual retainer. Pursuant to this policy,
independent Directors are required to receive one-half of the cash portion of
their annual retainer in the form of shares of Common Stock to be issued under
the 2007 Equity Plan or, to the extent the Director participates in the HNI
Corporation Directors Deferred Compensation Plan (the "Directors Deferred
Plan"), in the form of nonvoting share units to be credited to the Director's
account under the Directors Deferred Plan. This requirement does not,
however, apply to any Director owning Common Stock with a market value of five
times or more the cash portion of the annual retainer. As of the end
of Fiscal 2009, all of the Corporation's independent Directors were in
compliance with the Corporation's policy with regard to stock ownership by
Directors.
In
addition to acquiring Common Stock as partial payment of their annual retainer,
independent Directors can also acquire Common Stock in several other
ways. Under the 2007 Equity Plan, Directors may elect to receive up
to 100 percent of their cash retainers in the form of shares of Common
Stock. Under the Directors Deferred Plan, each Director has the
opportunity to defer up to 100 percent of all his or her retainers earned as a
Director. Amounts can be deferred to a cash account that earns
interest at a rate set each year at one percent above the prime interest rate or
to the Corporation's notional stock account in the form of nonvoting share units
that fluctuate in value based on the price increase or decrease of Common Stock
and earn dividends distributed to all shareholders. The dividends are
automatically reinvested for each participant to acquire additional nonvoting
shares units. For any cash compensation deferred to the Corporation's
notional stock account, the number of nonvoting share units is determined by
dividing the amount of the compensation by the fair market value of a share of
Common Stock on the date such compensation would have otherwise been
paid. Each Director participating in the Directors Deferred Plan
elects, on an annual basis, the date or dates of distribution (i.e., a Director
can elect a lump-sum distribution or distribution via annual installments not to
exceed 15) of any amounts he or she has deferred. In addition, each
independent Director is eligible to receive awards of stock options to purchase
Common Stock, restricted stock or Common Stock grants, or any combination
thereof, under the 2007 Equity Plan in such amounts as the Board may
authorize.
In May
2009, each independent Director serving on the Board as of May 12, 2009, was
granted 2,722 shares of Common Stock under the 2007 Equity Plan. This
grant represented one-half the value of the annual retainer, which, at the time
of grant, was $90,000. The Corporation does not have a non-equity
incentive plan for independent Directors. All shares of Common Stock
issued in lieu of cash retainer amounts, except amounts deferred to the
Corporation's notional stock account under the Directors Deferred Plan, have
heretofore been issued pursuant to the Compensation Plan, the 1997 Equity Plan
for Non-Employee Directors of HNI Corporation (the "1997 Equity Plan") or the
2007 Equity Plan. The 1997 Equity Plan terminated upon shareholder
approval of the 2007 Equity Plan at the 2007 annual meeting of
shareholders. As of the Record Date, (1) the Corporation has never
issued stock options to purchase Common Stock or shares of restricted stock to
the independent Directors and (2) all shares of Common Stock issued to Directors
under the Compensation Plan, the 1997 Equity Plan or the 2007 Equity Plan were
fully vested upon issuance.
Director
Compensation for Fiscal 2009
Name
|
Fees
Earned or Paid in Cash ($) (1)
|
Stock
Awards ($) (2)
|
Change
in Pension Value and Nonqualified Deferred Compensation
Earnings
($)
(3)
|
All
Other Compensation
($)
(4)
|
Total
($)
|
Mary
H. Bell
|
46,250
|
45,000
|
--
|
1,756
|
93,006
|
Miguel
M. Calado
|
59,750
|
45,000
|
--
|
1,756
|
106,506
|
Gary
M. Christensen
|
46,250
|
45,000
|
--
|
1,756
|
93,006
|
Cheryl
A. Francis
|
46,250
|
45,000
|
--
|
1,756
|
93,006
|
John
A. Halbrook
|
47,250
|
45,000
|
--
|
1,756
|
94,006
|
James
R. Jenkins
|
52,250
|
45,000
|
1,132
|
1,756
|
100,138
|
Dennis
J. Martin
|
51,250
|
45,000
|
--
|
1,756
|
98,006
|
Larry
B. Porcellato
|
46,250
|
45,000
|
194
|
1,756
|
93,200
|
Joseph
E. Scalzo
|
50,250
|
45,000
|
905
|
2,756
|
98,911
|
Abbie
J. Smith
|
50,250
|
45,000
|
--
|
1,756
|
97,006
|
Brian
E. Stern
|
54,750
|
45,000
|
--
|
1,756
|
101,506
|
Ronald
V. Waters, III
|
50,250
|
45,000
|
2,114
|
4,314
|
101,678
|
(1)
|
For
Fiscal 2009, the independent Directors listed in the Table above each
earned the following fees: Ms. Bell, Ms. Francis and Messrs.
Christensen and Porcellato – $46,250 annual retainer; Mr. Calado – $46,250
annual retainer plus $4,000 retainer for service on the Audit Committee,
$7,500 retainer for service as Chairperson of the Audit Committee and
$2,000 for travel in excess of 6 hours; Mr. Halbrook – $46,250 annual
retainer plus $1,000 for travel in excess of 6 hours; Mr. Jenkins –
$46,250 annual retainer plus $4,000 retainer for service on the Audit
Committee and $2,000 for travel in excess of 6 hours; Mr. Martin – $46,250
annual retainer plus $4,000 retainer for service as Chairperson of the
Governance Committee and $1,000 for travel in excess of 6 hours; Messrs.
Scalzo and Waters – $46,250 annual retainer plus $4,000 retainer for
service on the Audit Committee; Ms. Smith – $46,250 annual retainer plus
$4,000 retainer for service as Chairperson of the Compensation Committee;
and Mr. Stern – $46,250 annual retainer plus $7,500 for service as Lead
Director and $1,000 for travel in excess of 6 hours. Mr. Scalzo
resigned from the Board after the November 2009 Board
meeting.
|
(2)
|
Represents
the portion of the annual retainer paid in the form of shares – a $45,000
Common Stock grant authorized by the Board under the 2007 Equity
Plan. Each independent Director serving on the Board as of May
12, 2009, was issued 2,722 shares of Common Stock at a price of $16.53
(the average of the high and low transaction prices for a share of Common
Stock on the date of grant, May 12, 2009) for a total grant value of
approximately $44,995. The difference between the $45,000
Common Stock grant authorized by the Board and the actual value of Common
Stock issued pursuant to such grant ($44,995) was approximately
$5. As the Corporation only issues fractional shares under the
Directors Deferred Plan and not under the 2007 Equity Plan, the
Corporation paid each independent Director $5 either in the form of cash
in lieu of a fractional share for those Directors that did not elect to
defer their Common Stock grant under the Directors Deferred Plan or in the
form of a fractional share for those Directors that did elect to defer
their Common Stock grant under the Directors Deferred Plan. Ms.
Bell and Messrs. Christensen, Jenkins, Martin, Porcellato and Waters each
deferred 100 percent of their Common Stock grant under the Directors
Deferred Plan. The closing price of Common Stock on May 12,
2009 was $16.53 per share, the same as the average of the high and low
transaction prices for a share of Common Stock on that
day. There are no unexercised option awards or unvested stock
awards outstanding as of the end of Fiscal 2009 for any of the
Directors.
|
(3)
|
Includes
above-market interest earned on cash compensation deferred under the
Directors Deferred Plan. Interest on deferred cash compensation
is earned at one percent over the prime rate. Messrs. Jenkins
and Waters each deferred 50 percent of their cash
compensation. Above-market interest earned by Mr. Porcellato is
for cash compensation deferred prior to January 1, 2007 and interest
earned by Mr. Scalzo is for cash compensation deferred prior to January 1,
2006.
|
(4) Includes
dividends earned on Common Stock grants during Fiscal 2009. Mr.
Scalzo's total also includes a one-time $1,000 charitable contribution made by
the Corporation to Seacology, an international environmental nonprofit
organization that focuses on saving endangered species, habitats and cultures of
islands throughout the world, on behalf of Mr. Scalzo when he resigned from the
Board in November 2009. Mr. Waters' total also includes a one-time
reimbursement of a tax penalty of $2,558 which occurred due to the Corporation's
failure to timely make an installment distribution to Mr. Waters from his
deferred account.
Security
Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners
On the
Record Date, there were 45,191,076 Outstanding Shares. On that date,
to the Corporation's knowledge, there were three shareholders who owned
beneficially more than 5 percent of all Outstanding Shares. The table
below contains information, as of that date (except as noted below), regarding
the beneficial ownership of these entities. Unless otherwise
indicated, the Corporation believes each of the entities listed below has sole
voting and investing power with respect to all the shares of Common Stock
indicated.
Name
and Address of
Beneficial
Owner
|
Amount
and Nature of
Beneficial
Ownership
|
Percent
of
Class
|
State
Farm Insurance Companies (1)
One
State Farm Plaza
Bloomington,
Illinois 61710
|
7,387,496
(2)
|
16.35%
|
BlackRock,
Inc. (3)
40
East 52nd Street
New
York, New York 10022
|
3,144,529
(4)
|
6.96%
|
Fidelity
Management & Research Company
82
Devonshire Street
Boston,
Massachusetts 02109
|
2,435,971
(5)
|
5.39%
|
(1)
|
State
Farm Insurance Companies consists of the following
entities: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company; State
Farm Fire and Casualty Company; State Farm Investment Management Corp.;
State Farm Associates Funds Trust – State Farm Growth Fund; State Farm
Associates Funds Trust – State Farm Balanced Fund; State Farm Insurance
Companies Employee Retirement Trust; State Farm Insurance Companies
Savings and Thrift Plan for U.S. Employees; and State Farm Mutual Fund
Trust.
|
(2)
|
Information
is based on a Schedule 13G/A filed February 2, 2010 with the SEC by State
Farm Insurance Companies for the period ended December 31,
2009. Of the 7,387,496 shares beneficially owned, State Farm
Insurance Companies has sole voting and investing power with respect to
7,366,400 shares and shared voting and investing power with respect to
21,096 shares.
|
(3)
|
On
December 1, 2009, BlackRock, Inc. completed its acquisition of Barclays
Global Investors, NA, according to the Schedule 13G referred to in Note
(4) below.
|
(4)
|
Information
is based on a Schedule 13G filed January 29, 2010 with the SEC by
BlackRock, Inc. for the period ended December 31, 2009. Of the
3,144,529 shares beneficially owned, BlackRock Inc. has sole voting power
with respect to 3,144,529 shares.
|
(5)
|
Information
is based on a Schedule 13G/A filed February 16, 2010 with the SEC by FMR
LLC, parent company of Fidelity Management & Research Company, for the
period ended December 31, 2009. Of the 2,435,971 shares
beneficially owned, Fidelity Management & Research Company does not
have sole voting power with respect to any
shares.
|
Security
Ownership of Directors and Executive Officers
The
following table sets forth the beneficial ownership of Common Stock as of the
Record Date for each Director and nominee for Director, each Named Executive
Officer and for all Directors (including nominees) and executive officers of the
Corporation as a group. The address of the persons listed below is
408 East Second Street, Muscatine, Iowa 52761.
Name
of Beneficial Owner
|
Common Stock
(1)
|
Common
Stock
Units
(2)
|
Stock
Options Exercisable
as
of the Record Date or
Within
60 Days Thereof
|
Total
Stock and
Stock-Based
Holdings
|
Stan
A. Askren
|
59,833
|
30,259
|
221,812
|
311,904
|
Mary
H. Bell
|
0
|
13,298
|
0
|
13,298
|
Miguel
M. Calado
|
23,374
|
0
|
0
|
23,374
|
Gary
M. Christensen
|
0
|
29,218
|
0
|
29,218
|
Cheryl
A. Francis
|
27,299
|
0
|
0
|
27,299
|
John
A. Halbrook
|
10,600
|
4,777
|
0
|
15,377
|
James
R. Jenkins
|
0
|
12,195
|
0
|
12,195
|
Dennis
J. Martin
|
0
|
15,882
|
0
|
15,882
|
Larry
B. Porcellato
|
2,000
|
15,309
|
0
|
17,309
|
Abbie
J. Smith
|
4,132
|
22,297
|
0
|
26,429
|
Brian
E. Stern
|
24,359
|
0
|
0
|
24,359
|
Ronald
V. Waters, III
|
1,575
|
16,197
|
0
|
17,772
|
Bradley
D. Determan
|
10,318
|
0
|
33,520
|
43,838
|
Jerald
K. Dittmer
|
20,698
|
0
|
58,325
|
79,023
|
Marco
V. Molinari
|
12,464
|
0
|
48,526
|
60,990
|
Kurt
A. Tjaden
|
101
|
0
|
0
|
101
|
All
Director and Executive Officers as a Group – (23 persons)
|
225,817
|
159,432
|
395,452
|
780,701
|
(1)
|
Includes
restricted shares held by executive officers over which they have voting
power but not investment power, shares held directly or in joint tenancy,
shares held in trust, by broker, bank or nominee or other indirect means
and over which the individual or member of the group has sole voting or
shared voting and/or investment power. Each individual or
member of the group has sole voting and/or investment power with respect
to the shares shown in the table above, except Mr. Askren's spouse shares
voting and investment power with respect to 7,588 of the 59,833 shares
listed above for Mr. Askren. No Director or Named Executive
Officer owns more than one percent of the Outstanding
Shares. All Directors and executive officers as a group own
approximately 1.7 percent of the Outstanding
Shares.
|
(2)
|
Indicates
the nonvoting share units credited to the account of the named individual
or members of the group, as applicable, under either the Deferred Plan or
the Directors Deferred Plan. For additional information on the
Deferred Plan, see "Other Compensation Elements –
Deferred Compensation Plan" on page 38 and "Nonqualified Deferred
Compensation for Fiscal 2009" on page 47 of this Proxy
Statement. For additional information on the Directors Deferred
Plan, see "Director
Compensation" on page 50 of this Proxy
Statement.
|
The
following table provides information as of January 2, 2010, about Common Stock
which may be issued under the Corporation's equity compensation
plans.
Plan
Category
|
Number
of Securities to be Issued
Upon
Exercise of Outstanding
Options,
Warrants and Rights
(a)
(1)(2)
|
Weighted-Average
Exercise Price
of
Outstanding Options,
Warrants
and Rights
(b)
(3)
|
Number
of Securities Remaining Available
for
Future Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans (Excluding
Securities
Reflected in Column (a))
(c)
(4)
|
Equity
compensation plans approved by security holders
|
2,161,777
|
$29.03
|
4,160,057
|
Equity
compensation plans not approved by security holders
|
––
|
––
|
––
|
Total
|
2,161,777
|
$29.03
|
4,160,057
|
(1)
|
Includes
shares to be issued upon the exercise of outstanding stock options granted
under the 2007 Compensation Plan – 975,167, and the Compensation Plan –
880,467 prior to termination of such plan in May 2007. The
termination of the Compensation Plan does not impact the validity of any
outstanding stock options granted under such plan prior to
termination. As of the last day of Fiscal 2009, there were no
outstanding (1) warrants or rights under the 2007 Compensation Plan or the
Compensation Plan and (2) options, warrants or rights under the 2007
Equity Plan or the 1997 Equity
Plan.
|
(2) Includes
(1) the target value of the stock portion of the 2007-2009 and 2008-2010
Performance Plan awards for all award recipients divided by the $27.63, the
closing price of a share of Common Stock on December 31, 2009, the last trading
day of Fiscal 2009 – 149,785 shares, and (2) the nonvoting share units credited
to the account of individual executive officers or Directors under either the
Deferred Plan – 29,088 shares, or the Directors Deferred Plan – 127,270
shares. For additional information on the Performance Plan, see
"Long-Term Incentive
Compensation – Performance Plan" on page 34 of this Proxy
Statement. For additional information on the Deferred Plan, see
"Other Compensation Elements –
Deferred Compensation Plan" on page 38 and "Nonqualified Deferred Compensation
for Fiscal 2009" on page 47 of this Proxy Statement. For
additional information on the Directors Deferred Plan, see "Director Compensation" on
page 50 of this Proxy Statement. The number of shares attributable to
Performance Plan awards overstates expected Common Stock dilution as the
Corporation made no payouts for the 2007-2009 performance period and no payouts
are expected for the 2008-2010 performance period.
(3)
|
This
column does not take into account any of the Performance Plan awards or
nonvoting share units discussed in Note 2
above.
|
(4)
|
Includes
shares available for issuance under the 2007 Compensation Plan –
3,024,833, the 2007 Equity Plan – 211,871 and the HNI Corporation 2002
Members' Stock Purchase Plan (the "MSPP") – 923,353. Of the
5,000,000 shares originally available for issuance under the 2007
Compensation Plan, no more than 1,000,000 of such shares can be issued as
full-value awards. At the end of Fiscal 2009, 229,968 shares of
the original 1,000,000 shares were available for issuance. The
Corporation anticipates approximately 22,000 shares available for issuance
under the MSPP are subject to purchase during the current purchase period
ending April 3, 2010. The MSPP allows members to purchase
Common Stock at 85 percent of the closing share price on each quarterly
exercise date up to an annual aggregate amount of $25,000 per year and is
available generally to all members.
|
Under the
federal securities laws, the Directors and executive officers of the
Corporation, and certain persons who own more than 10 percent of the Outstanding
Shares, are required to report their ownership of Common Stock and changes in
ownership to the SEC and the NYSE. Specific due dates for these
reports have been established by the SEC, and the Corporation is required to
report in this Proxy Statement any known failure to file by these dates during
Fiscal 2009.
Based
solely on a review of copies of the reports the Corporation has received, or
written representations from certain reporting persons, except as described
below, the Corporation believes during Fiscal 2009 all reporting persons made
all filings required by Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act on a timely
basis. Due to an administrative oversight on behalf of the
Corporation, a timely-filed Form 4 for a Director, Ronald V. Waters, overstated
by (1) 8.4851 the amount of nonvoting share units Mr. Waters acquired under the
Directors Deferred Plan upon the reinvestment of dividends and (2) 0.2612 the
total amount of shares of Common Stock owned by Mr. Waters. Once the
Corporation identified this oversight, an amendment to the original Form 4 was
promptly filed correcting the errors.
Notwithstanding
anything to the contrary set forth in any of the Corporation's previous filings under the
Securities Act of 1933 or the Exchange Act that might incorporate future
filings, including this Proxy Statement, in whole or in part, the Audit
Committee Report included on page 23 of this Proxy Statement and the
Compensation Committee Report included on page 42 of this Proxy Statement shall
not be incorporated by reference into any such filings.
DEADLINE FOR SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS FOR THE 2011 ANNUAL
MEETING
Proposals
by shareholders intended to be presented at the 2011 annual meeting of
shareholders must be received at the Corporation's executive offices no later
than November 26, 2010 to be included in the proxy statement and proxy
form. All shareholder notice of proposals submitted outside the
processes of Exchange Act Rule 14a-8 must be received between February 10, 2011
and March 12, 2011 to be considered for presentation at the 2011 annual meeting
of shareholders. In addition, any shareholder proposals must comply
with the informational requirements contained in the By-laws, Section
2.16(a)(2), in order to be presented at the 2011 annual meeting of
shareholders. On written request to the Corporate Secretary at HNI
Corporation, 408 East Second Street, Muscatine, Iowa 52761, the Corporation will
provide, without charge to any shareholder, a copy of the By-laws.
The Board
knows of no other matters that will be brought before the Meeting, but, if other
matters properly come before the Meeting, it is intended the persons named in
the proxy will vote the proxy according to their best judgment.
On
written request to the Corporate Secretary at HNI Corporation, 408 East Second
Street, Muscatine, Iowa 52761, the Corporation will provide, without charge to
any shareholder, a copy of its Annual Report on Form 10-K for Fiscal 2009,
including financial statements and schedules, filed with the SEC. The
report is also available on the Corporation's website at www.hnicorp.com,
under "Investor
Information–Annual & Quarterly Reports."
Information
set forth in this Proxy Statement is as of March 26, 2010, unless otherwise
noted.
Steven M.
Bradford
Vice
President, General Counsel and Secretary
March 26,
2010
A
summary Annual Report and an Annual Report to Security Holders, including
financial statements and schedules, of the Corporation for Fiscal 2009 are being
mailed to shareholders of the Corporation together with this Proxy
Statement. Neither the summary Annual Report nor the Annual Report to
Security Holders forms any part of the material for the solicitation of
proxies.
55
HNI
CORPORATION
2007
STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION PLAN
HNI
Corporation, an Iowa corporation (the "Corporation"), first adopted the HNI
Corporation 2007 Stock-Based Compensation Plan (the "Plan") on May 8,
2007. The Plan was amended and restated effective May 8, 2007 to
comply with Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code. The Plan was
further amended effective as February 23, 2009. The Corporation
hereby amends and restates the Plan, effective February 17, 2010; provided,
however, that certain provisions of the Plan are subject to shareholder approval
as described in Article 12.
I. PURPOSES; EFFECT ON PRIOR
PLANS
1.1 Purpose. The purpose of
the Plan is to aid the Corporation in recruiting and retaining employees capable
of assuring the future success of the Corporation through the grant of Awards of
stock-based compensation. The Corporation expects that the Awards and
opportunities for stock ownership in the Corporation will provide incentives to
Plan participants to exert their best efforts for the success of the
Corporation's business and thereby align the interests of Plan participants with
those of the Corporation's stockholders. For purposes of the Plan,
references to employment by the Corporation shall also mean employment by a
Subsidiary.
1.2 Effect on
Prior Plans. From and after
the date of stockholder approval of the Plan, no awards shall be granted under
the Corporation's Stock-Based Compensation Plan, as amended, but all outstanding
awards previously granted under that plan shall remain outstanding in accordance
with their terms.
II. DEFINITIONS
In
addition to other terms that may be defined elsewhere herein, wherever the
following terms are used in this Plan with initial capital letters, they shall
have the meanings specified below, unless the context clearly indicates
otherwise.
(a) "Award" means an Option, Stock
Appreciation Right, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Unit, Deferred Share
Unit, Performance Share Award, Stock Grant Award, or Dividend Equivalent
Award granted under the Plan.
(b) "Award Agreement" means any
written agreement, contract or other instrument or document evidencing an Award
granted under the Plan. Each Award Agreement shall be subject to the
applicable terms and conditions of the Plan and any other terms and conditions
(not inconsistent with the Plan) determined by the Committee.
(c) "Board" means the Board of
Directors of the Corporation.
(d) "Change in Control" has the
meaning set forth in Section 10.2 of the Plan.
(e) "Chief Executive Officer"
means the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation.
(f) "Code" means the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and any regulations promulgated
thereunder.
(g)
"Committee"
means the Committee designated by the Board, consisting of two or more members
of the Board, each of whom shall be: (i) a "non-employee director"
within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act; and (ii) an "outside
director" within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code.
(h) "Corporation" means HNI
Corporation, an Iowa corporation.
(i) "Deferred Share Unit" means a
unit evidencing the right to receive a Share (or a cash payment equal to the
Fair Market Value of a Share) at some future date.
(j) "Deferred Share Unit Award"
means a right to receive Deferred Share Units granted under Section 7.2
of the Plan.
(k) "Disability or Disabled," with
respect to a Participant, means that the Participant satisfies the requirements
to receive long-term disability benefits under the Corporation-sponsored group
long-term disability plan in which the Participant participates without regard
to any waiting periods, or that the Participant has been determined by the
Social Security Administration to be eligible to receive Social Security
disability benefits. A Participant shall not be considered to be
Disabled unless the Participant furnishes proof of the Disability to the
Corporation in such form and manner as the Corporation may require.
(l) "Dividend Equivalent" means a
right granted under Section 7.5 of the Plan with respect to Restricted Stock,
Restricted Stock Units, Performance Shares, Deferred Share Units or Stock Grant
Awards to receive payment equivalent to the amount of any cash dividends paid by
the Corporation to holders of Shares.
(m) "Eligible Employee" means any
employee (including an officer) of the Corporation or a Subsidiary whom the
Committee determines to be an Eligible Employee.
(n) "Exchange Act" means the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
(o) "Fair Market Value" of a Share
means the closing price of a Share as reported on the New York Stock Exchange on
the date as of which such value is being determined, or, if there are no
reported transactions for such date, on the next preceding date for which
transactions were reported; provided, however, that if Fair Market Value for any
date cannot be so determined, Fair Market Value shall be determined by the
Committee by whatever means or method as the Committee, in the good faith
exercise of its discretion,
shall at such time deem reasonable and within the meaning of Code Section 409A
and the regulations thereunder.
(p) "162(m) Employee" means a
"covered employee" of the Corporation within the meaning of Section 162(m)(3),
or any subsequent authority or any individual whom the Committee in its judgment
determines is likely to be a "covered employee."
(q) "Operating Unit" means
either: (i) the Corporation as a whole; (ii) an individual
Subsidiary, division, store, or other business unit of the Corporation; or (iii)
a grouping of business units that employs the individuals that have been
approved to participate in the Plan by the Board.
(r) "Option" means an option to
purchase Shares granted under Section 6.1 of the Plan. All Options
granted under the Plan shall be "non-statutory stock options," meaning that they
are not intended to satisfy the requirements set forth in Section 422 of the
Code to be "incentive stock options."
(s) "Participant" means an
Eligible Employee who is designated by the Committee to be granted an Award
under the Plan.
(t) "Performance Measure" means
the criteria and objectives established by the Committee, which shall be
satisfied or met as a condition to the exercisability, vesting or receipt of all
or a portion of an Award. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, in
the case of a 162(m) Employee, the Performance Measure shall be based
exclusively on one or more of the following corporate-wide or Subsidiary,
division, or Operating Unit financial measures: (1) pre-tax profit or
after-tax gross profit, (2) operating income, (3) operating profit, (4) earnings
before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, (5) income before taxes,
(6) net income, (7) revenue, (8) cash flow, (9) return on invested capital, (10)
return on net assets, (11) pre-tax or after tax profit margin, (12)
pre-tax or after-tax profit growth, (13) revenue growth, (14) stock price and
(15) economic profit. In the sole discretion of the Committee, the
Committee may amend or adjust the Performance Measures or other terms and
conditions of an outstanding Award in recognition of unusual or nonrecurring
events affecting the Corporation or its financial statements or changes in law
or accounting principles.
Each goal described above may be
expressed on an absolute or relative basis, may be based on or otherwise employ
comparisons based on current internal targets, the past performance of the
Corporation (including the performance of one or more Subsidiaries, divisions,
or Operating Units) or the past or current performance of other companies, and
in the case of earnings-based measures, may use or employ comparisons relating
to capital (including, but limited to, the cost of capital), shareholders'
equity and/or shares outstanding, or to assets or net assets.
(u) "Performance Share Award"
means a right granted under Section 7.3 of the Plan to receive Shares
contingent upon the attainment of specified Performance
Measures.
(v) "Plan" means the HNI
Corporation 2007 Stock-Based Compensation Plan, as set forth herein, and as may
be amended or restated from time to time.
(w) "Restricted Stock" means
Shares subject to forfeiture restrictions established by the
Committee.
(x) "Restricted Stock Award" means
a grant of Restricted Stock under Section 7.1 of the Plan.
(y) "Restricted Stock Unit" means
a unit evidencing the right to receive a Share (or a cash payment equal to the
Fair Market Value of a Share) at some future date subject to forfeiture
restrictions established by the Committee.
(z) "Restricted Stock Unit Award"
means a grant of Restricted Stock Units under Section 7.1 of the
Plan.
(aa) "Retirement Eligible
Date" means the date on which the Participant has either attained
age 65, or age 55 with ten years of
service with the Corporation or a Subsidiary. The Chief Executive
Officer or, with respect to the Chief Executive Officer if the Chief Executive
Officer is a Participant, the Committee, in his, her or its discretion, may
waive or reduce the ten-year service requirement with respect to a
Participant. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, in the case of
an Award subject to Section 409A of the Code, any such waiver or reduction that
could affect the timing of payment of a Participant's Award shall occur no later
than the end of the calendar year preceding the year in which the Participant
performs the services for which the Award is granted.
(bb) "Stock Appreciation Right"
means a right to receive the appreciation in the value of a Share granted under
Section 6.2 of the Plan.
(cc) "Stock Grant Award" means any
right granted under Section 7.4 of the Plan.
(dd) "Share" means a share of
common stock, par value of $1.00, of the Corporation or any other securities or
property as may become subject to an Award pursuant to an adjustment made under
Section 5.3 of the Plan.
(ee) "Subsidiary" means any
corporation, joint venture, partnership, limited liability company,
unincorporated association or other entity in which the Corporation has a direct
or indirect ownership or other equity interest and directly or indirectly owns
or controls 50 percent or more of the total combined voting or other
decision-making power.
III. ADMINISTRATION
3.1 Power and
Authority of the Committee. The Plan shall be administered by the
Committee. Subject to the express provisions of the Plan and to
applicable law, the
Committee
shall have full power and authority to: (a) designate Participants;
(b) determine the type or types of Awards to be granted to each Participant; (c)
determine the number of Shares to be covered by (or the method by which payments
or other rights are to be calculated in connection with) each Award; (d)
determine the terms and conditions of any Award or Award Agreement; (e) amend
the terms and conditions of any Award or Award Agreement, provided, however,
that, except as otherwise provided in Section 5.3 hereof, the Committee shall
not reprice, adjust or amend the exercise price of Options or the grant price of
Stock Appreciation Rights previously awarded to any Participant, whether through
amendment, cancellation and replacement grant, or any other means; (f)
accelerate the exercisability of any Award or the lapse of restrictions relating
to any Award; (g) determine whether, to what extent, and under what
circumstances Awards may be exercised in cash, Shares, other securities, other
Awards or other property, or canceled, forfeited or suspended; (h) determine
whether, to what extent and under what circumstances cash or Shares payable to a
Participant with respect to an Award shall be deferred either automatically or
at the election of the holder of the Award or the Committee; (i) interpret and
administer the Plan and any instrument or agreement, including any Award
Agreement, relating to the Plan; (j) establish, amend, suspend or waive such
rules and regulations and appoint such agents as it shall deem appropriate for
the proper administration of the Plan; and (k) make any other determination and
take any other action that the Committee deems necessary or desirable for the
administration of the Plan.
Unless
otherwise expressly provided in the Plan, all designations, determinations,
interpretations and other decisions under or with respect to the Plan or any
Award or Award Agreement shall be within the sole discretion of the Committee,
may be made at any time and shall be final, conclusive and binding upon any
Participant, any holder or beneficiary of any Award or Award Agreement, and any
employee of the Corporation or any Subsidiary. A majority of the
Committee shall constitute a quorum. The acts of the Committee shall
be either: (a) acts of a majority of the members of the Committee
present at any meeting at which a quorum is present; or (b) acts approved in
writing by a majority of the members of the Committee without a
meeting.
3.2 Delegation. The Committee may
delegate some or all of its power and authority hereunder to the Chief Executive
Officer or other executive officer of the Corporation as the Committee deems
appropriate; provided, however, that the Committee may not delegate its power
and authority with regard to: (a) the grant of an Award to any person
who is a 162(m) Employee or who, in the Committee's judgment, is likely to be a
162(m) Employee at any time during the period an Award hereunder to such
employee would be outstanding; or (b) the selection for participation in the
Plan of an officer or other person subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act or
decisions concerning the timing, pricing or amount of an Award to such an
officer or other person.
3.3 Power and
Authority of the Board. Notwithstanding
anything to the contrary contained herein, the Board may, at any time and from
time to time, without any further action of the Committee, exercise the powers
and duties of the Committee under the Plan, unless the exercise
of such powers and duties by the Board would cause the Plan to fail to comply
with the requirements of Section 162(m) of the Code.
3.4 Liability
and Indemnification of Plan Administrators. No member of the Board
or Committee, and neither the Chief Executive Officer nor any other executive
officer to whom the Committee delegates any of its power and authority
hereunder, shall be liable for any act, omission, interpretation, construction
or determination made in connection with the Plan in good faith, and the members
of the Board and the Committee and the Chief Executive Officer or other
executive officer shall be entitled to indemnification and reimbursement by the
Corporation in respect of any claim, loss, damage or expense (including
attorneys' fees) arising therefrom to the full extent permitted by law, except
as otherwise may be provided in the Corporation's Articles of Incorporation,
Bylaws, and under any directors' and officers' liability insurance that may be
in effect from time to time.
IV. ELIGIBILITY
Participants in
the Plan shall consist of such Eligible Employees as the Committee in its sole
discretion may select from time to time. The Committee's selection of
an Eligible Employee to be a Participant with respect to any Award shall not
require the Committee to select such Eligible Employee to receive any other
Award at any time.
V. SHARES AVAILABLE FOR
AWARDS
5.1 Shares
Available. Subject to adjustment
as provided in Section 5.3, the total number of Shares available for all grants
of Awards under the Plan shall be 5,000,000 Shares. Shares to be
issued under the Plan will be authorized but unissued Shares or Shares that have
been reacquired by the Corporation and designated as treasury
shares. Shares that are subject to Awards that terminate, lapse or
are cancelled or forfeited shall be available again for grant under the
Plan. Shares that are tendered by a Participant or withheld by the
Corporation as full or partial payment to the Corporation of the purchase or
exercise price relating to an Award or to satisfy tax withholding obligations
relating to an Award shall not be available for future grants under the
Plan. In addition, if Stock Appreciation Rights are settled in Shares
upon exercise, the aggregate number of Shares subject to the Award rather than
the number of Shares actually issued upon exercise shall be counted against the
number of Shares authorized under the Plan.
5.2 Accounting
for Awards. For purposes of this
Article 5, if an Award entitles the holder thereof to receive or purchase
Shares, the number of Shares covered by such Award or to which such Award
relates shall be counted on the date of grant of such Award against the
aggregate number of Shares available for granting Awards.
5.3 Adjustments. In the event that
any dividend or other distribution (whether in the form of cash, Shares, other
securities or other property), recapitalization, stock split, reverse stock
split, reorganization, merger, consolidation, split-up, spin-off, combination,
repurchase or exchange of Shares or other securities of the Corporation,
issuance of warrants or other rights to purchase Shares or other securities of
the Corporation or other similar corporate transaction or event affects the
Shares such that an adjustment is required to prevent
dilution
or enlargement of the benefits or potential benefits intended to be made
available under the Plan, then the Committee shall, in such manner as it may
deem equitable, adjust any or all of: (a) the number and type of
Shares (or other securities or other property) that thereafter may be made the
subject of Awards; (b) the number and type of Shares (or other securities or
other property) subject to outstanding Awards; and (c) the purchase or exercise
price with respect to any Award, provided such change is made in accordance with
the requirements of Treas. Reg. § 1.409A-1(a)(5)(iii)(E)(4).
5.4 Award
Limitations.
(a) Plan Limitation on Restricted Stock,
Restricted Stock Unit, Performance Share, Dividend Equivalent, Deferred Share
Unit and Stock Grant Awards. No more than 2,000,000 Shares
(subject to adjustment as provided in Section 5.3 of the Plan) shall be
available under the Plan for issuance pursuant to Restricted Stock, Restricted
Stock Unit, Performance Share, Dividend Equivalent, Deferred Share Unit and
Stock Grant Awards; provided, however, that Shares subject to any such Awards
that terminate, lapse or are cancelled or forfeited shall again be available for
grants of Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, Performance Share Awards,
Dividend Equivalents, Deferred Share Unit Awards and Stock Grant Awards for
purposes of this limitation on grants of such Awards.
(b) Section 162(m) Limitation for Certain
Types of Awards. No Participant may be granted an Award or
Awards under the Plan for more than 500,000 Shares (subject to adjustment as
provided in Section 5.3 of the Plan) in the aggregate in any calendar
year.
VI. OPTIONS AND STOCK
APPRECIATION RIGHTS
6.1 Options. The Committee may
grant Options with the following terms and conditions and with such additional
terms and conditions not inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan as the
Committee shall determine:
(a) Exercise Price. The
purchase price per Share purchasable under an Option shall be determined by the
Committee and shall not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of a Share on
the date of grant of such Option; provided, however, that the Committee may
designate a per share exercise price below Fair Market Value on the date of
grant if the Option is granted in substitution for a stock option previously
granted by an entity that is acquired by or merged with the Corporation or a
Subsidiary and provided further than such substitution is made in accordance
with the requirements of Treas. Reg. § 1.409A-1(a)(5)(iii)(E)(4).
(b) Option Term. The
term of each Option shall be fixed by the Committee, but shall not be longer
than ten years.
(c) Time, Method and Conditions of
Exercise. The Committee shall determine the time or times at
which an Option may be exercised in whole or in part, but in no
event shall the vesting period be less than three years from the date of
grant. The Committee shall also determine the method or methods by
which, and the form or forms including, without limitation, cash or
Shares having a Fair Market Value on the exercise date equal to the applicable
exercise price) in which, payment of the exercise price with respect thereto may
be made or deemed to have been made.
6.2 Stock
Appreciation Rights. The Committee may
grant Stock Appreciation Rights subject to the terms of the Plan and such
additional terms and conditions not inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan
as the Committee shall determine, but in no event shall the vesting period be
less than three years from the date of grant. A Stock Appreciation
Right granted under the Plan shall confer on the holder thereof a right to
receive upon exercise thereof the excess of: (a) the Fair Market
Value of one Share on the date of exercise; over (b) the grant price of the
Stock Appreciation Right as specified by the Committee, which price shall not be
less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of the Share on the date of grant of the
Stock Appreciation Right; provided, however, that the Committee may designate a
per share grant price below Fair Market Value on the date of grant if the Stock
Appreciation Right is granted in substitution for a stock appreciation right
previously granted by an entity that is acquired by or merged with the
Corporation or a Subsidiary and provided further than such substitution is made
in accordance with the requirements of Treas. Reg. §
1.409A-1(a)(5)(iii)(E)(4). The term of the Stock Appreciation Right
shall be fixed by the Committee, but shall not be longer than ten
years.
VII. STOCK
AWARDS
7.1 Restricted
Stock and Restricted Stock Units. The Committee may
grant Awards of Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units with the following
terms and conditions and with such additional terms and conditions not
inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan as the Committee shall
determine:
(a) Restrictions. Shares
of Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units shall be subject to such
restrictions as the Committee may impose (including, without limitation,
satisfaction of Performance Measures or a performance period and a restriction
on the right to vote a Share of Restricted Stock or the right to receive any
dividend or other right or property with respect thereto), which restrictions
may lapse separately or in combination at such time or times, in such
installments or otherwise, as the Committee may deem appropriate. The
minimum vesting period of such Awards subject to satisfaction of a Performance
Measure shall be one year from the date of grant. The minimum vesting
period of such Awards subject solely to satisfaction of a performance period
shall be three years from the date of grant.
(b) Forfeiture. Subject
to Sections 8.5 and 10.1, upon a Participant's termination of employment (in
either case, as determined under criteria established by the Committee) during
the applicable restriction period, all Shares of Restricted Stock and all
Restricted Stock Units held by the Participant at such time shall be forfeited
and reacquired by the Corporation.
(c) Issuance and Delivery of
Shares. Any Restricted Stock granted under the Plan shall be
issued at the time the Restricted Stock Award is granted and may be evidenced in
such manner as the Committee may deem appropriate, including book-entry
registration or issuance of a stock certificate or certificates, which
certificate or
certificates
shall be held by the Corporation. Such certificate or certificates
shall be registered in the name of the Participant and shall bear an appropriate
legend referring to the restrictions applicable to such Restricted
Stock. Shares representing Restricted Stock that are no longer
subject to restrictions shall be delivered to the Participant promptly after the
applicable restrictions lapse or are waived.
No Shares shall be issued at the time an Award of Restricted Stock Units is
granted. Rather, the Shares shall be issued and delivered to the
holder of the Restricted Stock Units upon the lapse or waiver of the
restrictions applicable to the Restricted Stock Units.
7.2 Deferred
Share Units. The Committee may
grant Awards of Deferred Share Units subject to such terms and conditions not
inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan as the Committee shall
determine. All Deferred Share Units shall be subject to a deferral
period of not less than one year, and may, in addition, be subject to such
restrictions as the Committee may impose (including, without limitation,
satisfaction of Performance Measures or a performance period), which
restrictions may lapse separately or in combination at such time or times, in
such installments or otherwise, as the Committee may deem
appropriate. Deferred Share Units may be granted without additional
consideration or in consideration of a payment by the Participant that is less
than the Fair Market Value per Share at the date of grant. No Shares
shall be issued at the time Deferred Share Units are granted. Rather,
the Shares (or cash, as the case may be) shall be issued and delivered upon
expiration of the deferral period relating to the Deferred Share Units (subject
to the satisfaction of any applicable restrictions). Any Deferred
Share Unit Award that is subject to Code Section 409A shall satisfy the
requirements of Code Section 409A. The minimum vesting period of such
Awards subject to satisfaction of a Performance Measure shall be one year from
the date of grant. The minimum vesting period of such Awards subject
solely to satisfaction of a performance period shall be three years from the
date of grant.
7.3 Performance
Share Awards. The Committee may
grant Performance Share Awards denominated in Shares that may be settled or
payable in Shares (including, without limitation, Restricted Stock or Restricted
Stock Units) or cash. Performance Share Awards shall be conditioned
solely on the achievement of one or more Performance Measures specified by the
Committee during such performance period as the Committee shall specify, but in
no event shall the performance period be less than one year from the date of
grant. Settlement or payment of a Performance Share Award shall be
made upon satisfaction of the specified Performance Measures during the
specified performance period.
7.4 Stock
Grant Awards. The Committee may
grant Shares without restrictions thereon. Subject to the terms of the Plan,
Stock Grant Awards may have such terms and conditions as the Committee shall
determine.
7.5 Dividend
Equivalents. The Committee may
grant Dividend Equivalents under which a Participant granted a Restricted Stock,
Restricted Stock Unit, Performance Share, Deferred Share Unit or Stock Grant
Award under this Article 7 shall be entitled to receive payment (in cash,
Shares, other securities, other Awards or other property as determined in the
discretion
of the Committee) equivalent to the amount of any cash dividends paid by the
Corporation to holders of Shares with respect to a number of Shares determined
by the Committee. Subject to the terms of the Plan, such Dividend
Equivalents may have such terms and conditions as the Committee shall
determine. Notwithstanding the foregoing, with respect to Dividend
Equivalents on Performance Share Awards, such Dividend Equivalents shall only be
settled or paid when the underlying Performance Share Award is settled or paid
pursuant to Section 7.3.
VIII. GENERAL PROVISIONS GOVERNING
AWARDS
8.1 Consideration
for Awards. Awards may be
granted for no cash consideration or for any cash or other consideration as may
be determined by the Committee or required by applicable law.
8.2 Awards
Subject to Performance Measures. The Committee
may, in its discretion, establish Performance Measures which shall be satisfied
or met as a condition to the grant or exercisability of an Award or portion
thereof. Subject to the terms of the Plan and any applicable Award
Agreement, the Performance Measures to be achieved during any performance
period, the length of any performance period, the amount of any Award granted,
the amount of any payment or transfer to be made pursuant to any such Award, and
any other terms and conditions applicable thereto shall be determined by the
Committee.
Notwithstanding
anything in the Plan to the contrary, in the case of a Participant who is a
162(m) Employee, a Performance Measure must be pre-established by the Committee,
must be objective, and must state, in terms of an objective formula or standard,
the method for computing the amount of compensation payable if the Performance
Measure is attained. A Performance Measure is considered
"pre-established" for purposes of this paragraph if it is established in writing
by the Committee no later than 90 days after the commencement of a Performance
Period, provided that the outcome is substantially uncertain at the time the
Committee actually establishes the Performance Measure. However, in
no event will a Performance Measure be considered to be pre-established if it is
established after 25 percent of a Performance Period has elapsed. A
Performance Measure is considered "objective" if a third party having knowledge
of the relevant facts could determine whether the Performance Measure is
met. A formula or standard is considered "objective" if a third party
having knowledge of the relevant performance results could calculate the amount
to be paid to the Participant. No Award to a 162(m) Employee based on
the satisfaction of Performance Measures shall be paid unless and until the
Committee has certified that the Performance Measures for the Performance Period
have been satisfied.
8.3 Awards
May Be Granted Separately or Together. Awards may, in the
discretion of the Committee, be granted either alone or in addition to, in
tandem with or in substitution for any other Award or any award granted under
any other plan of the Corporation or any Subsidiary. Awards granted
in addition to or in tandem with other Awards or in addition to or in tandem
with awards granted under any other plan of the Corporation or any Subsidiary
may be granted either at the same time as, or at a different time from, the
grant of such other Awards or awards.
8.4 Forms of
Payment under Awards. Subject to the
terms of the Plan and of any applicable Award Agreement, payments or transfers
to be made by the Corporation or a Subsidiary upon the grant, exercise or
payment of an Award may be made in such form or forms as the Committee shall
determine (including, without limitation, cash, Shares, other securities, other
Awards or other property, or any combination thereof), and may be made in a
single payment or transfer, in installments or on a deferred basis, in each case
in accordance with rules and procedures established by the
Committee. Such rules and procedures may include, without limitation,
provisions for the payment or crediting of reasonable interest on installment or
deferred payments or the grant or crediting of Dividend Equivalents with respect
to installment or deferred payments.
8.5 Termination
of Employment. Except as
otherwise provided in this Section 8.5 and Section 10.1, all of the terms
relating to the exercise, cancellation, forfeiture or other disposition of an
Award granted under the Plan upon a termination of employment with the
Corporation of the holder of an Award shall be determined by the
Committee. Such determination shall be made at the time of the grant
of such Award and shall be specified in the Award Agreement relating to the
Award. Notwithstanding the foregoing, each Award granted under the
Plan shall become fully exercisable and vested upon the Participant's death or
Disability provided such Award had not then otherwise expired and the
Participant is employed by the Corporation on the date of death or
Disability. In addition thereto, in the case of an Award of an Option
or Stock Appreciation Right, each such Award shall become fully exercisable and
vested upon the Participant's Retirement Eligible Date, provided such Award had
not then otherwise expired and the Participant is employed by the Corporation on
the Retirement Eligible Date.
The Chief
Executive Officer shall have discretion to accelerate the vesting of any Award
not subject to Section 409A of the Code. Notwithstanding the
preceding sentence, in the event the Chief Executive Officer is a Participant,
for any Award granted to the Chief Executive Officer not Subject to Section 409A
of the Code, only the Committee shall have discretion to accelerate the vesting
of any such Award.
8.6 Limits on
Transfer of Awards. Except as
otherwise provided by the Committee or the terms of the Plan, no Award and no
right under any Award shall be transferable by a Participant other than by will
or by the laws of descent and distribution. The Committee may
establish procedures as it deems appropriate for a Participant to designate an
individual, trust or other entity as beneficiary or beneficiaries to exercise
the rights of the Participant and receive any property distributable with
respect to any Award in the event of the Participant's death. The
Committee, in its discretion and subject to such additional terms and conditions
as it determines, may permit a Participant to transfer an Option to any "family
member" (as such term is defined in the General Instructions to Form S-8 (or any
successor to such Instructions or such Form) under the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended) at
any time
that such Participant holds such Option, provided that: (a) such
transfer may not be for value (i.e., the transferor may not
receive any consideration therefor) and the family member may not make any
subsequent transfer other than by will or by the laws of descent and
distribution; (b) no such transfer shall be effective unless reasonable prior
notice thereof has been delivered to the Corporation and such transfer is
thereafter effected subject to the specific authorization of, and in accordance
with any terms and conditions made applicable to by, the Committee or the Board;
and (c) the transferee is subject to the same terms and conditions hereunder as
the Participant. Each Award or right under an Award shall be
exercisable during the Participant's lifetime only by the Participant (except as
provided herein or in an Award Agreement or amendment thereto) or, if
permissible under applicable law, by the Participant's guardian or legal
representative. No Award or right under any Award may be pledged,
alienated, attached or otherwise encumbered, and any purported pledge,
alienation, attachment or encumbrance thereof shall be void and unenforceable
against the Corporation or any Subsidiary.
8.7 Restrictions;
Securities Exchange Listing. All Shares or
other securities delivered under the Plan pursuant to any Award or the exercise
thereof shall be subject to such restrictions as the Committee may deem
advisable under the Plan, applicable federal or state securities laws and
regulatory requirements, and the Committee may cause appropriate entries to be
made or legends to be placed on the certificates for such Shares or other
securities to reflect such restrictions. If the Shares or other
securities are traded on a securities exchange, the Corporation shall not be
required to deliver any Shares or other securities covered by an Award unless
and until such Shares or other securities have been admitted for trading on such
securities exchange.
8.8 Tax
Withholding. The Corporation
may take such action as it deems appropriate to withhold or collect from a
Participant the applicable federal, state, local or foreign payroll,
withholding, income or other taxes that are required to be withheld or collected
by the Corporation upon the grant, exercise, vesting or payment of an
Award. The Committee may require the Corporation to withhold Shares
having a Fair Market Value equal to the amount necessary to satisfy the
Corporation's minimum statutory withholding requirements upon the grant,
exercise, vesting or payment of an Award from Shares that otherwise would have
been delivered to a Participant. The Committee may, subject to any
terms and conditions that the Committee may adopt, permit a Participant to elect
to pay all or a portion of the minimum statutory withholding taxes
by: (a) having the Corporation withhold Shares otherwise to be
delivered upon the grant, exercise, vesting (other than on vesting of Restricted
Stock Units and Deferred Stock Units) or payment of an Award with a Fair Market
Value equal to the amount of such taxes; (b) delivering to the Corporation
Shares other than Shares issuable upon the grant, exercise, vesting or payment
of an Award with a Fair Market Value equal to the amount of such taxes; or (c)
paying cash. Any such election must be made on or before the date
that the amount of tax to be withheld is determined.
IX. AMENDMENT AND TERMINATION;
CORRECTIONS
9.1 Amendments
to the Plan. The Board may
amend, alter, suspend, discontinue or terminate the Plan; provided, however,
that, notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan or any Award
Agreement, prior approval of the stockholders of the Corporation shall be
required for any amendment to the Plan that:
(a) requires
stockholder approval under the rules or regulations of the Securities and
Exchange Commission, the New York Stock Exchange, any other securities exchange
or the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. that are applicable to
the Corporation;
(b) increases
the number of Shares authorized under the Plan as specified in Section 5.1 the
Plan;
(c) increases
the number of Shares subject to the limitations contained in Section 5.4 of the
Plan;
(d) permits
repricing of Options or Stock Appreciation Rights which is prohibited by Section
3.1(e) of the Plan;
(e) permits
the award of Options or Stock Appreciation Rights at a price less than 100% of
the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of grant of such Option or Stock
Appreciation Right, contrary to the provisions of Sections 6.1(a) and 6.2 of the
Plan; or
(f) would
cause an exemption to Section 162(m) of the Code to become inapplicable with
respect to the Plan.
9.2 Amendments
to Awards. Subject to the
provisions of the Plan, the Committee may waive any conditions of or rights of
the Corporation under any outstanding Award, prospectively or
retroactively. Except as otherwise provided in the Plan, the
Committee may amend, alter, suspend, discontinue or terminate any outstanding
Award, prospectively or retroactively, but no such action may adversely affect
the rights of the holder of such Award without the consent of the
holder.
9.3 Correction
of Defects, Omissions and Inconsistencies. The Committee may
correct any defect, supply any omission or reconcile any inconsistency in the
Plan or in any Award or Award Agreement in the manner and to the extent it shall
deem desirable to implement or maintain the effectiveness of the
Plan.
X. CHANGE IN
CONTROL
10.1 Consequences
of Change in Control. Notwithstanding
any provision in the Plan or any Award Agreement to the contrary:
(a) In
the event of a Change in Control described in Section 10.2(c) or the approval by
the holders of Shares of a plan of complete liquidation or dissolution of the
Corporation, in connection with which the holders of Shares receive shares of
common stock that are registered under Section 12 of the Exchange
Act: (i) all outstanding Awards shall become immediately
vested and all Options and Stock Appreciation Rights exercisable in full, with
any applicable Performance Measures deemed satisfied at the maximum level; and
(ii) there shall be substituted for each Share available under the Plan, whether
or not then subject to an outstanding Award, the number and class of shares into
which each outstanding Share shall be converted pursuant to such Change in
Control. In the event of any such substitution, the purchase price
per share in the case of an Option and the base price in the case of a Stock
Appreciation Right shall be appropriately adjusted by the Committee, such
adjustments to be made in the case of outstanding Options and Stock Appreciation
Rights without an increase in the aggregate purchase price or base
price.
(b) In
the event of a Change in Control described in Section 10.2(a) or (b), or in the
event of a Change in Control pursuant to Section 10.2(c) or the approval by the
holders of Shares of a plan of complete liquidation or dissolution of the
Corporation, in connection with which the holders of Shares receive
consideration other than shares of common stock that are registered under
Section 12 of the Exchange Act, the Committee in its discretion may require that
each outstanding Award shall be surrendered to the Corporation by the holder
thereof, and each such Award shall immediately be cancelled by the Corporation,
and the holder shall receive, within ten days of the occurrence of a Change in
Control pursuant to Section 10.2(a) or (b), below, or within ten days of the
approval of the holders of Shares contemplated by Section 10.2(c) or complete
liquidation or dissolution of the Corporation, a cash payment from the
Corporation in an amount equal to: (i) in the case of an Option, the
number of Shares subject to the Option, multiplied by the excess, if any, of the
Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of the Change in Control, over the
purchase price per Share subject to the Option; (ii) in the case of a Stock
Appreciation Right, the number of Shares then subject to the Stock Appreciation
Right, multiplied by the excess, if any, of the Fair Market Value of a Share on
the date of the Change in Control, over the base price of the Stock Appreciation
Right; (iii) in the case of a Restricted Stock Award, Restricted Stock Unit
Award, Performance Share Award or Deferred Share Unit Award, the number of
Shares then subject to such Award, multiplied by the Fair Market Value of a
Share on the date of the Change in Control. In the event of a Change
in Control, each tandem Stock Appreciation Right shall be surrendered by the
holder thereof and shall be cancelled simultaneously with the cancellation of
the related Option. The Corporation may, but is not required to,
cooperate with any person who is subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act to
assure that any cash payment in accordance with the foregoing to such person is
made in compliance with Section 16 and the rules and regulations
thereunder.
(c) Notwithstanding
anything in Section 10.1(b), if an amount becomes payable with respect to an
Award upon a Change in Control pursuant to Section 10.1(b), the amount is
subject to Section 409A of the Code, and the Change in Control does not
constitute a "change in the ownership or effective control" or a "change in the
ownership of a substantial portion of the assets" of the Corporation within the
meaning of Section 409(a)(2)(A)(iv) of the Code (applying the minimum standards
set forth in the accompanying Treasury Regulations for a change in control
to occur), then the amount shall not be paid upon the Change in Control, but
shall instead be paid at the earliest to occur of: (i) the
Participant's "separation from service" with the Corporation, provided, that if
the Participant is a "specified employee," the payment date shall be the date
that is six months after the date of the Participant's separation from service
with the Corporation; (ii) when payment otherwise would have been made (absent
Section 10.1(b)), provided the payment is made at a "time" or
according to a "fixed schedule" consistent with Treas. Reg. §1.409A-3(a)(4); or
(iii) the Participant's death. For purposes hereof, "separation from
service" shall mean the Participant's separation from service with the
Corporation and all of its affiliates, within the meaning of Section
409A(a)(2)(A)(i) of the Code and the regulations thereunder; and "specified
employee" shall have the meaning set forth in the HNI Corporation Executive
Deferred Compensation Plan.
10.2 Definition
of Change in Control. "Change in
Control" shall mean:
(a) the
acquisition by any individual, entity or group (with the meaning of Section
13(d)(3) or 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act (a "Person") of beneficial ownership
(within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act) of 20% or
more of either: (i) the then outstanding Shares (the "Outstanding
Corporation Common Stock"); or (ii) the combined voting power of the then
outstanding voting securities of the Corporation entitled to vote generally in
the election of directors (the "Outstanding Corporation Voting Securities");
provided, however, that for purposes of this subsection (a), the following
acquisitions shall not constitute a Change in Control: (A) any
acquisition directly from the Corporation, (B) any acquisition by the
Corporation, (C) any acquisition by any employee benefit plan (or related trust)
sponsored or maintained by the Corporation or any corporation controlled by the
Corporation, or (D) any acquisition by any corporation pursuant to a transaction
which complies with clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) of subsection (c) of this
Section 10.2; or
(b) individuals
who, as of the date hereof, constitute the Board (the "Incumbent Board") cease
for any reason to constitute a majority of the Board; provided, however, that
any individual becoming a director subsequent to the date hereof whose election,
or nomination for election by the Corporation's shareholders, was approved by a
vote of a majority of the directors then comprising the Incumbent Board shall be
considered as though such individual were a member of the Incumbent Board, but
excluding, for this purpose, any such individual whose initial assumption of
office occurs as a result of an actual or threatened election contest with
respect to the election or removal of directors or other actual or threatened
solicitation of proxies or consents by or on behalf of a Person other than the
Board; or
(c) consummation
of a reorganization, merger or consolidation or sale or other disposition of all
or substantially all of the assets of the Corporation (a "Business
Combination"), in each case, unless following such Business
Combination: (i) all or substantially all of the individuals and
entities who were the beneficial owners, respectively, of the Outstanding
Corporation Common Stock and Outstanding Corporation Voting Securities
immediately prior to such Business Combination beneficially own, directly or
indirectly, 50% or more of, respectively, the then outstanding shares of common
stock and the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities
entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, as the case may be, of
the corporation resulting from such Business Combination (including, without
limitation, a corporation which as a result of such transaction owns the
Corporation or all or substantially all of the Corporation's assets either
directly or through one or more subsidiaries) in substantially the same
proportions as their ownership immediately prior to such Business Combination of
the Outstanding Corporation Common Stock and Outstanding Corporation Voting
Securities, as the case may be; (ii) no Person (excluding any corporation
resulting from such Business Combination or any employee benefit plan (or
related
trust) of the Corporation or such corporation resulting from such Business
Combination) beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, 20% or more of,
respectively, the then outstanding shares of common stock of the corporation
resulting from such Business Combination or the combined voting power of the
then outstanding voting securities of such corporation except to the extent that
such ownership existed prior to the Business Combination; and (iii) at least a
majority of the members of the board of directors of the corporation resulting
from such Business combination were members of the Incumbent Board at the time
of the execution of the initial agreement, or of the action of the Board,
providing for such Business Combination.
XI. GENERAL PROVISIONS GOVERNING
PLAN
11.1 No Rights
to Awards. No Eligible
Employee, Participant or other person shall have any claim to be granted any
Award under the Plan, and there is no obligation for uniformity of treatment of
Eligible Employees, Participants or holders or beneficiaries of Awards under the
Plan. The terms and conditions of Awards need not be the same with
respect to any Participant or with respect to different
Participants.
11.2 Rights as
Stockholder. No person shall
have any right as a stockholder of the Corporation with respect to any Shares or
other equity security of the Corporation which is subject to an Award hereunder
unless and until such person becomes a stockholder of record with respect to
such Shares or equity security.
11.3 Governing
Law. The Plan, each
Award hereunder and the related Award Agreement, and all determinations made and
actions taken pursuant thereto, to the extent not otherwise governed by the Code
or the laws of the United States, shall be governed by the laws of the State of
Iowa and construed in accordance therewith without giving effect to principles
of conflicts of laws.
11.4 Award
Agreements. No Participant
shall have rights under an Award granted to such Participant unless and until an
Award Agreement shall have been duly executed on behalf of the Corporation and,
if requested by the Corporation, signed by the Participant.
11.5 No Limit
on Other Compensation Plans or Arrangements. Nothing contained
in the Plan shall prevent the Corporation or any Subsidiary from adopting or
continuing in effect other or additional compensation plans or
arrangements.
11.6 No Right
to Employment. The grant of an
Award shall not be construed as giving a Participant the right to be retained as
an employee of the Corporation or any Subsidiary, nor will it affect in any way
the right of the Corporation or a Subsidiary to terminate a Participant's
employment at any time, with or without cause. In addition, the
Corporation or a Subsidiary may at any time dismiss a Participant from
employment free from any liability or any claim under the Plan or any Award,
unless otherwise expressly provided in the Plan or in any Award
Agreement.
11.7 Severability. If any provision
of the Plan or any Award is or becomes or is deemed to be invalid, illegal or
unenforceable in any jurisdiction or would disqualify the Plan or any Award
under any law deemed applicable by the Committee, such provision shall be
construed or deemed amended to conform to applicable laws, or if it cannot be so
construed or deemed amended without, in the determination of the Committee,
materially altering the purpose or intent of the Plan or the Award, such
provision shall be stricken as to such jurisdiction or Award, and the remainder
of the Plan or any such Award shall remain in full force and
effect.
11.8 No Trust
or Fund Created. Neither the Plan
nor any Award shall create or be construed to create a trust or separate fund of
any kind or a fiduciary relationship between the Corporation or any Subsidiary
and a Participant or any other person. To the extent that any person
acquires a right to receive payments from the Corporation or a Subsidiary
pursuant to an Award, such right shall be no greater than the right of any
unsecured general creditor of the Corporation or the Subsidiary.
11.9 Securities
Matters. The Corporation
shall not be required to deliver any Shares until the requirements of any
federal or state securities or other laws, rules or regulations (including the
rules of any securities exchange) as may be determined by the Corporation to be
applicable are satisfied.
11.10 No
Fractional Shares. No fractional
shares of Stock shall be issued or delivered pursuant to the
Plan. Any fractional share otherwise payable under the Plan shall be
settled in the form of cash.
11.11 Headings. Headings are
given to the Articles, Sections and Subsections of the Plan solely as a
convenience to facilitate reference. Such headings shall not be
deemed in any way material or relevant to the construction or interpretation of
the Plan or any provision thereof.
11.12 Nontransferability. Except as set
forth in Section 8.6, no Award or other benefit payable at any time under the
Plan will be subject in any manner to alienation, sale, transfer, assignment,
pledge, levy, attachment, or encumbrance of any kind.
11.13 No Other
Agreements. The terms and
conditions set forth herein constitute the entire understanding of the
Corporation, the Subsidiaries and the Participants with respect to the matters
addressed herein.
11.14 Incapacity. In the event that
any Participant is unable to care for his or her affairs because of illness or
accident, any payment due may be paid to the Participant's spouse, parent,
brother, sister, adult child or other person deemed by the Corporation to have
incurred expenses for the care of the Participant, unless a duly qualified
guardian or other legal representative has been appointed.
11.15 Release. Any payment of
benefits to or for the benefit of a Participant that is made in good faith by
the Corporation in accordance with the Corporation's interpretation of its
obligations hereunder, shall be in full satisfaction of all claims against the
Corporation and all Subsidiaries for benefits under the Plan to the extent of
such payment.
11.16 Notices. Any notice
permitted or required under the Plan shall be in writing and shall be
hand-delivered or sent, postage prepaid, by first class mail, or by certified or
registered mail with return receipt requested, to the Committee, if to the
Corporation, or to the address last shown on the records of the Corporation, if
to a Participant. Any such notice shall be effective as of the date
of hand-delivery or mailing.
11.17 Successors. All obligations
of the Corporation under the Plan shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit
of any successor to the Corporation, whether the existence of such successor is
the result of a direct or indirect purchase, merger, consolidation, or
otherwise, of all or substantially all of the business and or assets of the
Corporation.
XII. EFFECTIVE DATE AND TERM OF
PLAN
The Plan
originally became effective on May 8, 2007, the date it was approved by the
shareholders of the Corporation at the Corporation's annual meeting of
shareholders. Except as described below, the Plan, as amended and
restated herein, shall become effective on February 17, 2010. The
terms of the Plan, as amended and restated herein, apply to Awards granted on or
after this date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, certain changes made
to the Plan by this restatement are subject to, and dependent upon, shareholder
approval. These changes are those made to the definition of
"Performance Measures," set forth in Article 2, Section (s) and to the Share
limits set forth in Section 5.4. The changes to the definition of
"Performance Measures" shall not apply until the shareholders of the Corporation
approve these changes at their first annual meeting that occurs after February
17, 2010. Prior to that date, or if the shareholders do not to
approve the changes, the terms of the Plan defining Performance Measures, as in
effect prior to February 17, 2010, shall continue to apply. If the
shareholders of the Corporation do not approve the increase in the Share limits,
then the Share limits as in effect prior to February 17, 2010 shall continue to
apply.
The Plan
shall terminate at midnight on May 7, 2017, unless terminated before then by the
Board. Awards may be granted under the Plan until the Plan terminates
or until all Shares available for Awards under the Plan have been purchased or
acquired. Notwithstanding the preceding
sentence, the Plan shall remain in effect for purposes of administering
outstanding Awards as long as the Awards are outstanding.
HNI
CORPORATION
ANNUAL
INCENTIVE PLAN
As
Amended and Restated Effective February 17, 2010
(subject
to shareholder approval for certain provisions)
HNI
CORPORATION
ANNUAL INCENTIVE
PLAN
I. AMENDMENT AND
RESTATEMENT
1.1 Amendment
and Restatement. HNI Corporation, an Iowa corporation (the
"Corporation"), established this HNI Corporation Annual Incentive Plan
(previously called the "HNI Corporation Executive Bonus Plan") (the "Plan),
effective May 1, 1974. The Corporation has amended and restated the
Plan from time to time, most recently effective January 1, 2005. The
Corporation hereby again amends and restates the Plan, effective February 17,
2010 (the "Restatement Date"), to accomplish certain changes in its form and
operation. Certain changes made to the Plan pursuant to this
restatement are subject to shareholder approval, as described in Section
1.3.
1.2 Purpose. The
purpose of the Plan is to encourage a consistently high standard of excellence
and continued employment by certain designated key executives and employees of
the Corporation and its Subsidiaries.
1.3 Application
of the Plan. The terms of the Plan, as amended and restated
herein, apply to Performance Awards for Performance Periods beginning on or
after the Restatement Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, certain
changes made to the Plan by this restatement are subject to, and dependent upon,
shareholder approval. These changes are those made to the definition
of "Performance Measures," as described in Section 2.1(m) (termed "Qualifying
Factors" and "Profit Achievement Factors" in the version of the Plan in effect
prior to the Restatement Date) and to the dollar limit set forth in Section 4.1
(from $2,000,000 to $3,000,000). The changes to the definition of
"Performance Measures" shall not apply until the shareholders of the Corporation
approve these changes at their first annual meeting that occurs after the
Restatement Date. Prior to that date, or if the shareholders do not
approve the changes, the terms of the Plan defining "Qualifying Factors" and
"Profit Achievement Factors," as in effect prior to the Restatement Date, shall
continue to apply. If the shareholders of the Corporation do not
approve the restated Plan on the date of their first annual meeting that occurs
after the Restatement Date, then the $2,000,000 dollar limit shall continue to
apply.
II. DEFINITIONS, GENDER AND
NUMBER
2.1 Definitions. Whenever
used in the Plan, the following terms shall have the meaning set forth below
and, when the defined meaning is intended, the term is capitalized:
(a) "Award" means an incentive
award granted under the Plan pursuant to Article 4.
(b) "Board" means the Board of
Directors of the Corporation.
(c) "Change in Control"
means:
(i) the
acquisition by any individual, entity or group (with the meaning of Section
13(d)(3) or 14(d)(2) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the
"Exchange Act")) (a "Person") of beneficial ownership (within the meaning of
Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act) of 35% or more of the combined
voting power of the then outstanding voting securities of the Corporation
entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (the "Outstanding
Corporation Voting Securities"); provided, however, that for purposes of this
subsection (i), the following acquisitions shall not constitute a Change in
Control: (I) any acquisition directly from the Corporation; (II) any
acquisition by the Corporation; (III) any acquisition by any employee benefit
plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by the Corporation or any
corporation controlled by the Corporation; or (IV) any acquisition by any
corporation pursuant to a transaction which complies with clauses (A), (B) and
(C) of subsection (iii) of this paragraph; or
(ii) individuals
who, as of the date hereof, constitute the Board (the "Incumbent Board") cease
during a 12-month period for any reason to constitute a majority of the Board;
provided, however, that any individual becoming a director subsequent to the
date hereof whose election, or nomination for election by the Corporation's
shareholders, was approved by a vote of a majority of the directors then
comprising the Incumbent Board shall be considered as though such individual
were a member of the Incumbent Board, but excluding, for this purpose, any such
individual whose initial assumption of office occurs as a result of an actual or
threatened election contest with respect to the election or removal of directors
or other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or consents by or on
behalf of a Person other than the Board; or
(iii) consummation
of a reorganization, merger or consolidation or sale or other disposition of all
or substantially all of the assets of the Corporation (a "Business
Combination"), in each case, unless, following such Business
Combination: (A) all or substantially all of the individuals and
entities who were the beneficial owners, respectively, of the Outstanding
Corporation Voting Securities immediately prior to such Business Combination
beneficially own, directly or indirectly, 50% or more of, respectively, the then
outstanding shares of common stock and the combined voting power of the then
outstanding voting securities entitled to vote generally in the election of
Directors, as the case may be, of the corporation resulting from such Business
Combination (including, without limitation, a corporation which as a result of
such transaction owns the Corporation or all or substantially all of the
Corporation's assets either directly or through one or more subsidiaries) in
substantially the same proportions as their ownership, immediately prior to such
Business Combination of the Outstanding Corporation Voting Securities; (B) no
Person (excluding any corporation resulting from such Business Combination or
any employee benefit plan (or related trust) of the Corporation or such
corporation resulting from such Business Combination) beneficially owns,
directly
or indirectly, 35% or more of the combined voting power of the then outstanding
voting securities of such corporation except to the extent that such ownership
existed prior to the Business Combination; and (C) at least a majority of the
members of the board of directors of the corporation resulting from such
Business Combination were members of the Incumbent Board at the time of the
execution of the initial agreement, or of the action of the Board, providing for
such Business Combination, if such change in the members of the Board was not
indorsed by a majority of the members of the Incumbent Board.
(d) "Chief Executive Officer"
means the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation.
(e) "Chief Financial Officer"
means the Chief Financial Officer of the Corporation.
(f) "Code" means the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and any regulations promulgated
thereunder.
(g) "Committee" means the
Committee designated by the Board, consisting of two or more members of the
Board, each of whom shall be: (i) a "non-employee director" within
the meaning of Rule 16b-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and (ii) an
"outside director" within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the
Code.
(h) "Corporation" means HNI
Corporation, an Iowa corporation.
(i) "Disability or Disabled," with
respect to a Participant, means that the Participant satisfies the requirements
to receive long-term disability benefits under the Corporation-sponsored group
long-term disability plan in which the Participant participates without regard
to any waiting periods, or that the Participant has been determined by the
Social Security Administration to be eligible to receive Social Security
disability benefits. A Participant shall not be considered to be
Disabled unless the Participant furnishes proof of the Disability to the
Corporation in such form and manner as the Corporation may require.
(j) "Earned Performance Award"
means the Award, if any, payable to a Participant at the end of the Performance
Period.
(k) "162(m) Employee," for a
Performance Period, means a "covered employee" of the Corporation within the
meaning of Section 162(m)(3), or any subsequent authority, for the Performance
Period, or any individual whom the Committee in its judgment determines is
likely to be a "covered employee" for the Performance Period.
(l) "Fiscal Year" means the
Corporation's fiscal year.
(m) "Operating Unit" means either:
(i) the Corporation as a whole; (ii) an individual Subsidiary, division, store,
or other business unit of the Corporation; or (iii) a grouping of business units
that employs the individuals that have been approved to participate in the Plan
by the Board.
(n) "Participant," for any
Performance Period, means a person who is designated by the Board to receive
benefits under the Plan for such Performance Period who is at the time an
officer, executive, or other employee of the Corporation or any one or more of
its Subsidiaries, or who has agreed to commence serving in any such
capacity.
(o) "Performance Measure" means
performance goals or goals established for the Operating Unit, division or other
business unit of an Operating Unit, or any of them, for each Performance Period,
in each case as established pursuant to Section 5. A Performance
Measure may take into account such criteria as the Board determines to be
appropriate.
Notwithstanding the preceding sentence,
in the case of a 162(m) Employee, the Performance Measure shall be based
exclusively on one or more of the following corporate-wide or Subsidiary,
division, or Operating Unit financial measures: (1) pre-tax profit or
after-tax gross profit, (2) operating income, (3) operating profit, (4) earnings
before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, (5) income before taxes,
(6) net income, (7) revenue, (8) cash flow, (9) return on invested capital, (10)
return on net assets, (11) pre-tax or after tax profit margin, (12)
pre-tax or after-tax profit growth, (13) revenue growth, (14) stock price, and
(15) economic profit. In the sole discretion of the Committee, the
Committee may amend or adjust the Performance Measures or other terms and
conditions of an outstanding Award in recognition of unusual or nonrecurring
events affecting the Corporation or its financial statements or changes in law
or accounting principles. Each goal described above may be expressed
on an absolute or relative basis, may be based on or otherwise employ
comparisons based on current internal targets, the past performance of the
Corporation (including the performance of one or more Subsidiaries, divisions,
or Operating Units) or the past or current performance of other companies, and
in the case of earnings-based measures, may use or employ comparisons relating
to capital (including, but limited to, the cost of capital), shareholders'
equity and/or shares outstanding, or to assets or net assets.
In addition to the above, performance
goals may be established for Participants on an individual basis to take into
account such criteria as the Board determines to be appropriate; provided,
however, that in the case of a 162(m) Employee, the individual Performance
Measure shall be based exclusively on one or more of the
following: (1) increasing customer or member satisfaction;
(2) reducing member turnover; (3) improving safety record; (4) integrating
and/or managing acquisitions; (5) increasing inventory turns; (6) increasing
productivity of members, materials, manufacturing and/or logistics; (7)
strengthening market position (market share); (8) enhancing culture and
capabilities; (9) reducing operating costs; (10) building a best-cost lean
enterprise; (11) improving cash flow and/or cash management; (12) developing a
succession
plan for key positions; (13) improving collaboration among corporate functions
and operating units; (14) developing new products and product extensions; (15)
improving the customer buying experience; (16) expanding distribution; (17)
enhancing brand and image; (18) developing new market opportunities; (19)
managing risk; and (20) enhancing corporate compliance. In the sole
discretion of the Committee, the Committee may amend or adjust the Performance
Measures or other terms and conditions of an outstanding Award in recognition of
unusual or nonrecurring events affecting the Corporation or its financial
statements or changes in law or accounting principles. Each goal
described above may be expressed on an absolute or relative basis, may be based
on or otherwise employ comparisons based on current internal targets, the past
performance of the Corporation (including the performance of one or more
Subsidiaries, divisions or Operating Units) or the past or current performance
of other companies, and in the case of earnings-based measures, may use or
employ comparisons relating to capital (including, but limited to, the cost of
capital), stockholders' equity and/or shares outstanding, or to assets or net
assets.
(p) "Performance Period" means a
Fiscal Year or such other period as may be determined by the Board or the
Committee from time to time.
(q) "Restatement Date" means
February 17, 2010.
(r) "Retirement" means the
Participant's termination of employment with the Corporation and its
Subsidiaries after the attainment of age 65, or age 55 with ten years of
service with the Corporation or a Subsidiary, provided, however, that the Chief
Executive Officer, in his or her discretion, may waive or reduce the ten-year
service requirement with respect to a Participant. Notwithstanding
the preceding sentence, only the Committee has discretion to waive or reduce the
ten-year service requirement with respect to the Chief Executive
Officer.
(s) "Stock Plan" means the HNI
Corporation 2007 Stock-Based Compensation Plan.
(t) "Target Performance Award"
means the dollar Award established for a Participant if the Performance Measure
applicable to the Participant is achieved.
(u) "Subsidiary" means any
corporation, joint venture, partnership, limited liability company,
unincorporated association or other entity in which the Corporation has a direct
or indirect ownership or other equity interest and directly or indirectly owns
or controls 50 percent or more of the total combined voting or other
decision-making power.
2.2 Gender
and Number. Except as otherwise indicated by context,
masculine terminology used herein also includes the feminine and neuter, and
terms used in the singular may also include the plural.
III. ELIGIBILITY AND
PARTICIPATION
3.1 Eligibility. Except
as otherwise provided in this Section 3, an employee of the Corporation or one
of its Subsidiaries will become a Participant for a particular Performance
Period to the extent designated by the Board, or by the Chief Executive Officer
if the Board delegates such authority to the Chief Executive
Officer.
3.2 Participation. The
Corporation will: (i) notify each eligible employee who has been
selected to participate in the Plan for a Performance Period that he or she is a
Participant in the Plan for such Performance Period; and (ii) communicate in
writing to each Participant the Target Performance Award granted to the
Participant pursuant to Article 4 and the Performance Measure applicable to such
Participant for such Performance Period pursuant to Article 5.
3.3 Participation
After Commencement of Performance Period. An employee who
first becomes eligible to participate after the beginning of a particular
Performance Period will become a Participant for such Performance Period only in
accordance with this Section 3.2. The Board, or the Chief Executive
Officer if the Board delegates such authority to the Chief Executive Officer,
may allow participation for a portion of such Performance Period for such
employee on such terms and conditions as the Board (or the Chief Executive
Officer) may determine.
3.4 Missing
Persons. Each Participant eligible to receive an Award shall
be obligated to keep the Corporation informed of his or her current address
until the Award has been paid to him or her. If, after having made
reasonable efforts to do so, the Corporation is unable to locate the Participant
for purposes of making a distribution, the Award will be
forfeited. If the missing Participant is located after the date of
the forfeiture, the Award will not be reinstated.
IV. AWARDS
4.1 Earned
Performance Award. Each eligible Participant may earn an
Earned Performance Award as hereinafter provided. The performance of
the Operating Unit, or the Participant in the case of individual Performance
Measures, during a particular Performance Period will be measured using the
Performance Measures established for that Performance Period by the Board in
accordance with Section 5. In the event the performance for the
Performance Period is below the minimum Performance Measure established
therefore, no Earned Performance Award will be paid to the Participant in
respect thereof. In no event shall an Earned Performance Award exceed
$3,000,000 for any Fiscal Year.
4.2 Target
Performance Award. Each Participant shall be assigned a Target
Performance Award at the beginning of the Performance Period for the achievement
of organizational or individual Performance Measures, or a combination of the
two, as determined by the Board, during the Performance Period. The
Target Performance Award will be expressed as a percentage of the Participant's
base pay at the time the Target Performance Award is assigned. The
actual Award payable to a Participant at the end of the Performance Period will
be determined by applying the percentage achievement of the Performance
Measure(s) and multiplying
that result against the Target Performance Award to determine the Earned
Performance Award.
V. PERFORMANCE
MEASURES
5.1 Performance
Measures. The Board will approve for each Performance Period
the applicable Performance Measures. Such Performance Measures may be
adjusted during a Performance Period to prevent dilution or enlargement of an
Award as a result of extraordinary events or circumstances as determined by the
Board or to exclude the effects of extraordinary, unusual or nonrecurring
events, changes in accounting principles, discontinued operations, acquisitions,
divestitures and material restructuring charges.
5.2 162(m)
Employees. Notwithstanding anything in the Plan to the
contrary, in the case of a Participant who is a 162(m) Employee, a Performance
Measure must be pre-established by the Committee, must be objective, and must
state, in terms of an objective formula or standard, the method for computing
the amount of compensation payable if the Performance Measure is
attained. A Performance Measure is considered "pre-established" for
purposes of this paragraph if it is established in writing by the Committee no
later than 90 days after the commencement of a Performance Period, provided that
the outcome is substantially uncertain at the time the Committee actually
establishes the Performance Measure. However, in no event will a
Performance Measure be considered to be pre-established if it is established
after 25 percent of a Performance Period has elapsed. A Performance
Measure is considered "objective" if a third party having knowledge of the
relevant facts could determine whether the Performance Measure is
met. A formula or standard is considered "objective" if a third party
having knowledge of the relevant performance results could calculate the amount
to be paid to the Participant. No Award to a 162(m) Employee shall be
paid unless and until the Committee has certified that the Performance Measures
for the Performance Period have been satisfied.
VI. PAYMENT OF
AWARDS
6.1 Time and
Form of Payment. Subject to Sections 8 and 9, the value of the
Earned Performance Award with respect to a Performance Period will be paid on
the first day of the Corporation's March fiscal month following the end of the
Performance Period, provided the Participant is employed by the Operating Unit
as of the last day of such Performance Period. Payment of the Earned
Performance Award shall be made in the form of cash. However, the
Board (or to the extent such authority is delegated to the Committee, by the
Committee) may require that an Award (or portion thereof) be paid in the form of
shares as a stock grant award under the Stock Plan: (i) at the
Participant's request, in the amount indicated by the Participant, subject to
the Board (or Committee's) approval; or (ii) in the amount of up to 50 percent
of the Award in the event that the Board (or Committee) determines, in its sole
discretion, that the Participant's respective stock ownership level under the
Corporation's Executive Stock Ownership Guideline does not reflect
appropriate progress toward such Participant's five-year goal
thereunder. The number of shares of stock to be paid shall be
determined by dividing the cash amount of the Award (or, portion thereof) by the
Fair Market Value (as determined pursuant to the Stock Plan) of a share of the
Corporation's common stock on the date the Award is paid.
The Board
may reduce the amount of, or completely eliminate, an Earned Performance Award
otherwise payable to a Participant for a Performance Period if the Board
determines that due to the Participant's performance or behavior during or
immediately following such Performance Period the Participant should not be
entitled to the Earned Performance Award.
6.2 Special
Rules for Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial
Officer. All Earned Performance Awards payable to the Chief
Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer under the Plan are subject to
forfeiture as provided in Section 304 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, and the
implementing rules and regulations.
VII. TERMINATION OF
EMPLOYMENT
7.1 Termination
Due to Death, Disability or Retirement. If a Participant
terminates employment with the Corporation and its Subsidiaries due to death,
Disability, or Retirement occurring before the last day of a Performance Period,
the Participant's Earned Performance Award, if any, will be paid on the first
day the Corporation's March fiscal month following the end of the Performance
Period, and the value of such Award shall be equal to the product
of: (i) the Earned Performance Award the Participant would have
received had the Participant remained employed through the end of the
Performance Period; multiplied by (ii) a fraction, the numerator of which is the
number of months in the Performance Period that occurred prior to such
termination of employment, and the denominator of which is the total number of
months in such Performance Period. For these purposes, a Participant
will be credited with a month during a Performance Period only if he or she is
employed for at least 15 days during the month.
7.2 Termination
Other than Due to Death, Disability or Retirement. Except as
provided in Section 8, if a Participant's employment with the Corporation and
its Subsidiaries terminates for any reason other than death, Disability or
Retirement before the last day of a Performance Period, the Participant will not
be entitled to any payment or Award under the Plan unless otherwise determined
by the Board.
VIII. CHANGE IN
CONTROL
In
connection with a Change in Control, the value of each Target Performance Award
shall be determined by the Board prior to the effective date of the Change in
Control, and each Participant's Target Performance Award will become payable
without proration within 30 days after such date.
IX. SALE OF OPERATING
UNIT
9.1 Sale of
Subsidiary. Except as provided in Article 8, in the event of a
Change in Control of a Subsidiary (determined by applying the "Change in
Control" definition set forth in Section 2.1(c) substituting the Subsidiary for
the Corporation) with respect to each Participant employed by such Subsidiary on
the date of the Change in Control, the value
of each
Award shall be determined as of the date of the Change in Control by the Board
based on the percentage of the Performance Measure completed as of the date of
the Change in Control, the number of months of the Performance Period completed
at the date of the Change in Control, the actual purchase price of the
Subsidiary and such other factors as the Board deems relevant in light of the
circumstances of the sale. Payments pursuant to this Section 9 shall
be made 60 days after the date of the Change in Control. For these
purposes, a month will be considered to have been completed at the time of the
Change in Control only if the Change in Control occurs later than the 14th day
of the month.
9.2 Sale of
Other Operating Unit. Except as provided in Article 8, in the
event of the sale of all or substantially all of the assets of an Operating Unit
that is not a Subsidiary, with respect to each Participant employed by such
Operating Unit on the date of the sale and who has a separation from service
with the Corporation due to such sale, the value of each Award shall be
determined as of the date of the sale by the Board based on the percentage of
the Performance Measure completed as of the date of the sale, the number of
months of the Performance Period completed at the date of the sale, the actual
purchase price of the Operating Unit and such other factors as the Board deems
relevant in light of the circumstances of the sale. Payments pursuant
to this Section 9.2 shall be made 60 days after the date of the separation from
service. For these purposes, a month will be considered to have been
completed at the time of the sale only if the sale occurs later than the 14th day
of the month.
X. TRANSFERS AND CHANGE IN
RESPONSIBILITIES
If a
Participant's responsibilities materially change or the Participant is
transferred during a Performance Period to another Operating Unit or to a
position that is not designated or eligible to participate in the Plan, the
Corporation may, as determined by the Board,
either: (a) continue the Participant's participation in the Plan
and establish a new Target Performance Award and Performance Measure for the
Participant with respect to his or her new position; or (b) terminate the
Participant's participation in the Plan and, as of the date of such change or
transfer, prorate the Participant's Target Performance Award on the basis of the
ratio of the number of months of the Participant's participation during the
Performance Period to which such Target Performance Award relates to the
aggregate number of months in such Performance Period. For these
purposes, a Participant will be considered to have participated for a month
during a Performance Period only if he or she participated for at least 15 days
during the month. If the Participant's participation in the Plan is
not terminated pursuant to (b), above, then the Participant's Earned Performance
Award will be prorated on the basis of the number of months of service by the
Participant at each Operating Unit during the Performance Period. For
these purposes, a Participant will be credited with a month of service at an
Operating Unit only if he or she was employed by the Operating Unit for at least
15 days during the month. Notwithstanding any provision of the
Plan to the contrary, no such change or transfer shall change the time or form
of payment of the Earned Performance Award.
XI. ADMINISTRATION
11.1 Administration. The
Plan shall be administered by the Board. In addition to the other
powers granted under the Plan, the Board shall have all powers necessary to
administer the Plan, including, without limitation, powers:
(a) to
interpret the provisions of the Plan; and
(b) to
establish rules for the administration of the Plan and to prescribe any forms
required to administer the Plan.
11.2 Actions
of the Board. The Board has total and complete discretionary
authority to determine conclusively for all parties all questions arising in the
administration of the Plan, to interpret and construe the terms of the Plan, and
to determine all questions of eligibility and status of employees and
Participants under the Plan and their interests. All determinations,
interpretations, rules and decisions of the Board including those made or
established by any person or entity to whom the Board has delegated duties,
responsibilities or authority (if made or established pursuant to such
delegation), are conclusive and binding upon all persons having or claiming to
have any interest or right under the Plan.
11.3 Delegation. The
Board or any officer or other employee of the Corporation designated by the
Board, shall have the power to delegate specific duties and responsibilities to
officers or other employees of the Corporation or other individuals or
entities. Any delegation may be rescinded by the Board at any
time. Each person or entity to whom a duty or responsibility has been
delegated shall be responsible for the exercise of such duty or responsibility
and shall not be responsible for any act or failure to act of any other person
or entity.
11.4 Expenses. Each
Operating Unit shall reimburse the Corporation for the amount of the Award that
is awarded and paid to Participants for services to such Operating Unit, as
determined by the Board.
11.5 Indemnification
and Exculpation. The agents, officers, directors, and
employees of the Corporation and its Subsidiaries shall be indemnified and held
harmless by the Corporation against and from any and all loss, cost, liability,
or expense that may be imposed upon or reasonably incurred by them in connection
with or resulting from any claim, action, suit, or proceeding to which they may
be a party or in which they may be involved by reason of any action taken or
failure to act under the Plan and against and from any and all amounts paid by
them in settlement (with the Corporation's written approval) or paid by them in
satisfaction of a judgment in any such action, suit or
proceeding. The foregoing provision shall not be applicable to any
person if the loss, cost, liability, or expense is due to such person's gross
negligence or willful misconduct.
11.6 Powers of
Committee. The Board may delegate all or any part of its power
and authority under the Plan to the Committee. Notwithstanding
anything in the Plan to the contrary, however, in the case of a 162(m) Employee,
the Committee shall have sole and exclusive authority to: (a)
establish the Performance Measures for such employee;
(b)
determine and certify the achievement of the Performance Measures for such
employee, and (iii) make any other discretionary decision affecting such
employee. The administration of all aspects of the Plan applicable to
Awards to 162(m) Employees is intended to comply with the exception under
Section 162(m) of Code, as amended, for qualified performance-based compensation
and shall be construed, applied and administered accordingly.
XII. AMENDMENT AND
TERMINATION
The Plan
may be amended or terminated from time to time by the Board. In the
event the Plan is terminated before the last day of a Performance Period, the
Earned Performance Award otherwise payable for such Performance Period will be
prorated on the basis of the ratio of the number of months in such Performance
Period prior to such termination to the aggregate number of months in such
Performance Period and will be paid only after the end of such Performance
Period, which will be deemed to continue until the expiration thereof as if the
Plan had not been terminated. For these purposes, a month will be
considered to have been completed at the time of the amendment or termination
only if the amendment or termination is effective later than the 14th day
of the month.
The Plan will be terminated in the
event the shareholders of the Corporation approve a complete liquidation or
dissolution of the Corporation that will be taxed under Section 331 of the
Code. In such case, the value of each Target Performance Award shall
be determined by the Board prior to the effective date of the dissolution, and
each Participant's Target Performance Award will become payable upon such
dissolution.
XIII. WITHHOLDING
The Corporation may take such action as
it deems appropriate to withhold or collect from a Participant the applicable
federal, state, local or foreign payroll, withholding, income or other taxes
that are required to be withheld or collected by the Corporation or Subsidiary
upon the payment of an Award. The Corporation may withhold shares of
stock paid pursuant to Article 6 having a Fair Market Value equal to the amount
necessary to satisfy the Corporation's or Subsidiary's minimum statutory
withholding requirements upon the payment of an Award in the form of a stock
grant award that otherwise would have been delivered to a
Participant. The Corporation may, subject to any terms and
conditions that the Board or Committee may adopt, permit a Participant to elect
to pay all or a portion of the minimum statutory income withholding taxes
by: (a) having the Corporation withhold shares of stock otherwise to
be delivered upon the payment of an Award with a Fair Market Value equal to the
amount of such taxes, or (b) paying cash. Any such election must be
made on or before the date that the amount of tax to be withheld is
determined. For purposes hereof, "Fair Market Value" shall have the
same meaning as in the Stock Plan.
XIV. MISCELLANEOUS
14.1 No Rights
to Awards. No employee, Participant or other person shall have
any claim to be granted any Award under the Plan, and there is no obligation for
uniformity of treatment
of employees, Participants or holders or beneficiaries of Awards under the
Plan. The terms and conditions of Awards need not be the same with
respect to any Participant or with respect to different
Participants.
14.2 Rights as
Stockholder. No person shall have any right as a stockholder
of the Corporation with respect to any shares or other equity security of the
Corporation which is granted pursuant to an Award hereunder unless and until
such person becomes a stockholder of record with respect to such shares or
equity security.
14.3 Governing
Law. The Plan, each Award hereunder, and all determinations
made and actions taken pursuant thereto, to the extent not otherwise governed by
the Code or the laws of the United States, shall be governed by the laws of the
State of Iowa and construed in accordance therewith without giving effect to
principles of conflicts of laws.
14.4 No Limit
on Compensation Plans or Arrangements. Nothing contained in
the Plan shall prevent the Corporation or a Subsidiary from adopting or
continuing in effect other or additional compensation plans or
arrangements.
14.5 No Rights
to Employment. The grant of an Award shall not be construed as
giving a Participant the right to be retained as an employee of the Corporation
or any Subsidiary, nor will it affect in any way the right of the Corporation or
a Subsidiary to terminate a Participant's employment at any time, with or
without cause. In addition, the Corporation or a Subsidiary may at
any time dismiss a Participant from employment free from any liability or any
claim under the Plan, unless otherwise expressly provided in the
Plan.
14.6 Severability. If
any provision of the Plan or any Award is or becomes or is deemed to be invalid,
illegal or unenforceable in any jurisdiction or would disqualify the Plan or any
Award under any law deemed applicable by the Board, such provision shall be
construed or deemed amended to conform to applicable laws, or if it cannot be so
construed or deemed amended without, in the determination of the Board,
materially altering the purpose or intent of the Plan or the Award, such
provision shall be stricken as to such jurisdiction or Award, and the remainder
of the Plan or any such Award shall remain in full force and
effect.
14.7 No Trust
or Fund Created. Neither the Plan
nor any Award shall create or be construed to create a trust or separate fund of
any kind or a fiduciary relationship between the Corporation or any Subsidiary
and a Participant or any other person. To the extent that any person
acquires a right to receive payments from the Corporation or a Subsidiary
pursuant to an Award, such right shall be no greater than the right of any
unsecured general creditor of the Corporation or the Subsidiary.
14.8 Securities
Matters. The Corporation shall not be required to deliver any
stock grant awards until the requirements of any federal or state securities or
other laws, rules or regulations (including the rules of any securities
exchange) as may be determined by the Corporation to be applicable are
satisfied.
14.9 No
Fractional Shares. No fractional shares of Stock shall be
issued or delivered pursuant to the Plan. Any fractional share
otherwise payable under the Plan shall be settled in the form of
cash.
14.10 Headings. Headings
are given to the Articles, Sections and Subsections of the Plan solely as a
convenience to facilitate reference. Such headings shall not be
deemed in any way material or relevant to the construction or interpretation of
the Plan or any provision thereof.
14.11 Nontransferability. No
Award or other benefit payable at any time under the Plan will be subject in any
manner to alienation, sale, transfer, assignment, pledge, levy, attachment, or
encumbrance of any kind.
14.12 No Other
Agreements. The terms and conditions set forth herein
constitute the entire understanding of the Corporation, the Subsidiaries and the
Participants with respect to the matters addressed herein.
14.13 Incapacity. In
the event that any Participant is unable to care for his or her affairs because
of illness or accident, any payment due may be paid to the Participant's spouse,
parent, brother, sister, adult child, or other person deemed by the Corporation
to have incurred expenses for the care of the Participant, unless a duly
qualified guardian or other legal representative has been
appointed.
14.14 Release. Any
payment of benefits to or for the benefit of a Participant that is made in good
faith by the Corporation in accordance with the Corporation's interpretation of
its obligations hereunder, shall be in full satisfaction of all claims against
the Corporation and all Subsidiaries for benefits under the Plan to the extent
of such payment.
14.15 Notices. Any
notice permitted or required under the Plan shall be in writing and shall be
hand-delivered or sent, postage prepaid, by first class mail, or by certified or
registered mail with return receipt requested, to the Board, if to the
Corporation, or to the address last shown on the records of the Corporation, if
to a Participant. Any such notice shall be effective as of the date
of hand-delivery or mailing.
14.16 Successors. All
obligations of the Corporation under the Plan shall be binding upon and inure to
the benefit of any successor to the Corporation, whether the existence of such
successor is the result of a direct or indirect purchase, merger, consolidation,
or otherwise, of all or substantially all of the business or assets of the
Corporation.
HNI
CORPORATION
LONG-TERM
PERFORMANCE PLAN
As
Amended and Restated Effective February 17, 2010
(subject
to shareholder approval for certain provisions)
HNI
CORPORATION
LONG-TERM
PERFORMANCE PLAN
I. AMENDMENT AND
RESTATEMENT
1.1 Amendment
and Restatement. HNI Corporation, an Iowa corporation (the
"Corporation"), established this HNI Corporation Long-Term Performance Plan (the
"Plan) effective February 14, 2000. The Corporation has amended and
restated the Plan from time to time, most recently effective January 1,
2005. The Corporation hereby again amends and restates the Plan,
effective February 17, 2010 (the "Restatement Date"), to accomplish certain
changes in its form and operation. Certain changes made to the Plan
pursuant to this restatement are subject to shareholder approval, as described
in Section 1.3.
1.2 Purpose. The
purpose of the Plan is to promote the attainment of the Corporation's
performance goals by providing incentive compensation for certain designated key
executives and employees of the Corporation and its Subsidiaries.
1.3 Application
of the Plan. The terms of the Plan, as amended and
restated herein, apply to Performance Awards for Performance Periods beginning
on or after the Restatement Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing,
certain changes made to the Plan by this restatement are subject to, and
dependent upon, shareholder approval. These changes are those made to
the definition of "Performance Measures," as described in Section 2.1(m) and to
the dollar limit set forth in Section 4.1 (from $3,000,000 to
$5,000,000). The changes to the definition of "Performance Measures"
shall not apply until the shareholders of the Corporation approve these changes
at their first annual meeting that occurs after the Restatement
Date. Prior to that date, or if the shareholders do not to approve
the changes, the terms of the Plan defining Performance Measures, as in effect
prior to the Restatement Date, shall continue to apply. If the
shareholders of the Corporation do not approve the increase in the dollar limit,
then the $3,000,000 dollar limit shall continue to apply.
II. DEFINITIONS, GENDER AND
NUMBER
2.1 Definitions. Whenever
used in the Plan, the following terms shall have the meaning set forth below
and, when the defined meaning is intended, the term is capitalized:
(a) "Award" means an incentive
award granted under the Plan pursuant to Article 4.
(b) "Board" means the Board of
Directors of the Corporation.
(c) "Change in Control"
means:
(i) the
acquisition by any individual, entity or group (with the meaning of Section
13(d)(3) or 14(d)(2) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the
"Exchange Act")) (a "Person") of beneficial ownership (within the meaning of
Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act) of 35% or more of
the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities of the
Corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (the
"Outstanding Corporation Voting Securities"); provided, however, that for
purposes of this subsection (i), the following acquisitions shall not constitute
a Change in Control: (I) any acquisition directly from the
Corporation; (II) any acquisition by the Corporation; (III) any acquisition by
any employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by the
Corporation or any corporation controlled by the Corporation; or (IV) any
acquisition by any corporation pursuant to a transaction which complies with
clauses (A), (B) and (C) of subsection (iii) of this paragraph; or
(ii) individuals
who, as of the date hereof, constitute the Board (the "Incumbent Board") cease
during a 12-month period for any reason to constitute a majority of the Board;
provided, however, that any individual becoming a director subsequent to the
date hereof whose election, or nomination for election by the Corporation's
shareholders, was approved by a vote of a majority of the directors then
comprising the Incumbent Board shall be considered as though such individual
were a member of the Incumbent Board, but excluding, for this purpose, any such
individual whose initial assumption of office occurs as a result of an actual or
threatened election contest with respect to the election or removal of directors
or other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or consents by or on
behalf of a Person other than the Board; or
(iii) consummation
of a reorganization, merger or consolidation or sale or other disposition of all
or substantially all of the assets of the Corporation (a "Business
Combination"), in each case, unless, following such Business
Combination: (A) all or substantially all of the individuals and
entities who were the beneficial owners, respectively, of the Outstanding
Corporation Voting Securities immediately prior to such Business Combination
beneficially own, directly or indirectly, 50% or more of, respectively, the then
outstanding shares of common stock and the combined voting power of the then
outstanding voting securities entitled to vote generally in the election of
directors, as the case may be, of the corporation resulting from such Business
Combination (including, without limitation, a corporation which as a result of
such transaction owns the Corporation or all or substantially all of the
Corporation's assets either directly or through one or more subsidiaries) in
substantially the same proportions as their ownership, immediately prior to such
Business Combination of the Outstanding Corporation Voting Securities; (B) no
Person (excluding any corporation resulting from such Business Combination or
any employee benefit plan (or related trust) of the Corporation or such
corporation resulting from such Business Combination) beneficially owns,
directly or indirectly, 35% or more of the combined voting power of the then
outstanding voting securities of such corporation except to the extent that such
ownership existed prior to the Business Combination; and (C) at least a majority
of the members of the board of directors of the corporation resulting from such
Business Combination were members of the Incumbent Board at the time of the
execution
of the
initial agreement, or of the action of the Board, providing for such Business
Combination, if such change in the members of the Board was not indorsed by a
majority of the members of the Incumbent Board.
(d) "Chief Executive Officer"
means the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation.
(e) "Chief Financial Officer"
means the Chief Financial Officer of the Corporation.
(f) "Code" means the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and any regulations promulgated
thereunder.
(g) "Committee" means the
Committee designated by the Board, consisting of two or more members of the
Board, each of whom shall be: (i) a "non-employee director" within
the meaning of Rule 16b-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and (ii) an
"outside director" within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the
Code.
(h) "Corporation" means HNI
Corporation, an Iowa corporation.
(i) "Disability or Disabled," with
respect to a Participant, means that the Participant satisfies the requirements
to receive long-term disability benefits under the Corporation-sponsored group
long-term disability plan in which the Participant participates without regard
to any waiting periods, or that the Participant has been determined by the
Social Security Administration to be eligible to receive Social Security
disability benefits. A Participant shall not be considered to be
Disabled unless the Participant furnishes proof of the Disability to the
Corporation in such form and manner as the Corporation may require.
(j) "Earned Performance Award"
means the Award, if any, payable to a Participant at the end of the Performance
Period.
(k) "162(m)
Employee," for a Performance Period, means a "covered
employee" of the Corporation within the meaning of Section 162(m)(3), or any
subsequent authority, for the Performance Period, or any individual whom the
Committee in its judgment determines is likely to be a "covered employee" for
the Performance Period.
(l) "Fiscal Year" means the
Corporation's fiscal year.
(m) "Operating Unit" means
either: (i) the Corporation as a whole; (ii) an individual Subsidiary, division,
store, or other business unit of the Corporation; or (iii) a grouping of
business units that employs the individuals that have been approved to
participate in the Plan by the Board.
(n) "Participant," for any
Performance Period, means a person who is designated by the Board to receive
benefits under the Plan for such Performance Period who is at
the time
an officer, executive, or other employee of the Corporation or any one or more
of its Subsidiaries, or who has agreed to commence serving in any such
capacity.
(o) "Performance Measure" "Performance Measure" means
performance goals or goals established for the Operating Unit, division or other
business unit of an Operating Unit, or any of them, for each Performance Period,
in each case as established pursuant to Section 5. A Performance
Measure may take into account such criteria as the Board determines to be
appropriate.
Notwithstanding the preceding sentence,
in the case of a 162(m) Employee, the Performance Measure shall be based
exclusively on one or more of the following corporate-wide or Subsidiary,
division, or Operating Unit financial measures: (1) pre-tax profit or
after-tax gross profit; (2) operating income; (3) operating profit; (4) earnings
before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization; (5) income before taxes;
(6) net income; (7) revenue; (8) cash flow; (9) return on invested capital; (10)
return on net assets; (11) pre-tax or after tax profit margin; (12)
pre-tax or after-tax profit growth; (13) revenue growth; (14) stock price; and
(15) economic profit. In the sole discretion of the Committee, the
Committee may amend or adjust the Performance Measures or other terms and
conditions of an outstanding Award in recognition of unusual or nonrecurring
events affecting the Corporation or its financial statements or changes in law
or accounting principles. Each goal described above may be expressed
on an absolute or relative basis, may be based on or otherwise employ
comparisons based on current internal targets, the past performance of the
Corporation (including the performance of one or more Subsidiaries, divisions,
or Operating Units) or the past or current performance of other companies, and
in the case of earnings-based measures, may use or employ comparisons relating
to capital (including, but limited to, the cost of capital), shareholders'
equity and/or shares outstanding, or to assets or net assets.
(p) "Performance Period" means a
period of two or more consecutive Fiscal Years, as determined by the Board,
commencing on the first day of a Fiscal Year or other period as selected by the
Board.
(q) "Restatement Date" means
February 17, 2010.
(r) "Retirement" means the
Participant's termination of employment with the Corporation and its
Subsidiaries after the attainment of age 65, or age 55 with ten years of
service with the Corporation or a Subsidiary, provided, however, that the Chief
Executive Officer, in his or her discretion, may waive or reduce the ten-year
service requirement with respect to a Participant. Notwithstanding
the preceding sentence, only the Committee has discretion to waive or reduce the
ten-year service requirement with respect to the Chief Executive
Officer.
(s) "Stock Plan" means the HNI
Corporation 2007 Stock-Based Compensation Plan.
(t) "Target Performance Award"
means the dollar Award established for a
Participant if the Performance Measure applicable to the Participant is
achieved.
(u) "Subsidiary" means any
corporation, joint venture, partnership, limited liability company,
unincorporated association or other entity in which the Corporation has a direct
or indirect ownership or other equity interest and directly or indirectly owns
or controls 50 percent or more of the total combined voting or other
decision-making power.
2.2 Gender
and Number. Except as otherwise indicated by context,
masculine terminology used herein also includes the feminine and neuter, and
terms used in the singular may also include the plural.
III. ELIGIBILITY AND
PARTICIPATION
3.1 Eligibility. Except
as otherwise provided in this Section 3, an employee of the Corporation or one
of its Subsidiaries will become a Participant for a particular Performance
Period to the extent designated by the Board, or by the Chief Executive Officer
if the Board delegates such authority to the Chief Executive
Officer.
3.2 Participation. The
Corporation will: (i) notify each eligible employee who has been
selected to participate in the Plan that he or she is a Participant under the
Plan for such Performance Period; and (ii) communicate in writing to each
Participant the Target Performance Award granted to the Participant pursuant to
Article 4 and the Performance Measure applicable to such Participant for such
Performance Period pursuant to Article 5.
3.3 Participation
After Commencement of Performance Period. An employee who
first becomes eligible to participate after the beginning of a particular
Performance Period will become a Participant for such Performance Period only in
accordance with this Section 3.2. The Board, or the Chief Executive
Officer if the Board delegates such authority to the Chief Executive Officer,
may allow participation for a portion of such Performance Period for such
employee on such terms and conditions as the Board (or the Chief Executive
Officer) may determine.
3.4 Missing
Persons. Each Participant eligible to receive an Award shall
be obligated to keep the Corporation informed of his or her current address
until the Award has been paid to him or her. If, after having made
reasonable efforts to do so, the Corporation is unable to locate the Participant
for purposes of making a distribution, the Award will be
forfeited. If the missing Participant is located after the date of
the forfeiture, the Award will not be reinstated.
IV. AWARDS
4.1 Earned
Performance Award. Each eligible Participant may earn an
Earned Performance Award as hereinafter provided. The performance of
the Operating Unit during a particular Performance Period will be measured using
the Performance Measure established for that Performance Period by the Board in
accordance with Section 5. In the event such
performance
for such Performance Period is below the minimum Performance Measure established
therefore, no Earned Performance Award will be paid to Participants in respect
thereof. In no event shall an Earned Performance Award exceed
$5,000,000.
4.2 Target
Performance Award. Each Participant shall be
assigned a Target Performance Award at the beginning of the Performance Period,
as determined by the Board. The Target Performance Award will be
expressed as a percentage of the Participant's base pay at the time the Target
Performance Award is assigned. The actual award payable to a
Participant at the end of the Performance Period will be determined by applying
the percentage achievement of the Performance Measure and multiplying that
result against the Target Performance Award to determine the Earned Performance
Award.
4.3 Other
Awards. In addition to Awards conditioned on satisfaction of
the Performance Measures described in Section 2(o), the Committee may from time
to time in its discretion grant Awards under the Plan conditioned on
satisfaction of other criteria, such as remaining employed by the Corporation on
a continuous basis through the end of a Performance Period. With
respect to these Awards (and only with respect to these Awards), the term
"Performance Measure" shall include such criteria, notwithstanding anything in
Section 2(o) to the contrary. Any such Award shall be governed by the
terms of the Plan (as modified herein) and any agreement provided to the
Participant in connection with the Award.
V. PERFORMANCE
MEASURES
5.1 Performance
Measures. The Board will approve for each Performance Period
the applicable Performance Measure. Such Performance Measure may be
adjusted during a Performance Period to prevent dilution or enlargement of an
Award as a result of extraordinary events or circumstances as determined by the
Board or to exclude the effects of extraordinary, unusual or nonrecurring
events, changes in accounting principles, discontinued operations, acquisitions,
divestitures and material restructuring charges.
5.2 162(m)
Employees. Notwithstanding anything in the Plan to the
contrary, except for Awards granted pursuant to Section 4.3, in the case of a
Participant who is a 162(m) Employee, a Performance Measure must be
pre-established by the Committee, must be objective, and must state, in terms of
an objective formula or standard, the method for computing the amount of
compensation payable if the Performance Measure is attained. A
Performance Measure is considered "pre-established" for purposes of this
paragraph if it is established in writing by the Committee no later than 90 days
after the commencement of a Performance Period, provided that the outcome is
substantially uncertain at the time the Committee actually establishes the
Performance Measure. However, in no event will a Performance Measure
be considered to be pre-established if it is established after 25 percent of a
Performance Period has elapsed. A Performance Measure is considered
"objective" if a third party having knowledge of the relevant facts could
determine whether the Performance Measure is met. A formula or
standard is considered "objective" if a third party having knowledge of the
relevant performance results could calculate the amount to be paid to the
Participant. No Award to a 162(m) Employee shall be paid unless and
until the Committee has certified that the Performance Measures for the Performance
Period have been satisfied.
VI. PAYMENT OF
AWARDS
6.1 Time and
Form of Payment. Subject to Sections 8 and 9, the value of the
Earned Performance Award with respect to a Performance Period will be paid on
the first day of the Corporation's March fiscal month following the end of the
Performance Period, provided the Participant is employed by the Operating Unit
as of the last day of such Performance Period. Payment of the Earned
Performance Award shall be made in cash or as a stock
grant award under the Stock Plan, as determined by the Board in its
discretion. The number of shares of stock to be paid shall be
determined by dividing the cash amount of the Award (or, portion thereof) by the
Fair Market Value (as determined pursuant to the Stock Plan) of a share of the
Corporation's common stock on the date the Award is paid.
The Board
may reduce the amount of, or completely eliminate, an Earned Performance Award
otherwise payable to a Participant for a Performance Period if the Board
determines that due to the Participant's performance or behavior during or
immediately following such Performance Period the Participant should not be
entitled to the Earned Performance Award.
6.2 Special
Rules for Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial
Officer. All Earned Performance Awards payable to the Chief
Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer under the Plan are subject to
forfeiture as provided in Section 304 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, and the
implementing rules and regulations.
VII. TERMINATION OF
EMPLOYMENT
7.1 Termination
Due to Death, Disability or Retirement. If a Participant
terminates employment with the Corporation and its Subsidiaries due to death,
Disability or Retirement occurring before the last day of a Performance Period,
the Participant's Earned Performance Award, if any, will be paid on the first
day the Corporation's March fiscal month following the end of the Performance
Period, and the value of such Award shall be equal to the product
of: (i) the Earned Performance Award the Participant would have
received had the Participant remained employed through the end of the
Performance Period; multiplied by (ii) a fraction, the numerator of which is the
number of months in the Performance Period that occurred prior to such
termination of employment, and the denominator of which is the total number of
months in such Performance Period. For these purposes, a Participant
will be credited with a month during a Performance Period only if he or she is
employed for at least 15 days during the month.
7.2 Termination
Other than Due to Death, Disability or Retirement. Except as
provided in Section 8, if a Participant's employment with the Corporation and
its Subsidiaries terminates for any reason other than death, Disability or
Retirement before the last day of a Performance Period, the Participant will not
be entitled to any payment or Award under the Plan unless otherwise determined
by the Board.
VIII. CHANGE IN
CONTROL
In
connection with a Change in Control, the value of each Target Performance Award
shall be determined by the Board prior to the effective date of the Change in
Control, and each Participant's Target Performance Award will become payable
without proration within 30 days after such date.
IX. SALE OF OPERATING
UNIT
9.1 Sale of
Subsidiary. Except as provided in Article 8, in the event of a
Change in Control of a Subsidiary (determined by applying the "Change in
Control" definition set forth in Section 2.1(c) substituting the Subsidiary for
the Corporation) with respect to each Participant employed by such Subsidiary on
the date of the Change in Control, the value of each Award shall be determined
as of the date of the Change in Control by the Board based on the percentage of
the Performance Measure completed as of the date of the Change in Control, the
number of months of the Performance Period completed at the date of the Change
in Control, the actual purchase price of the Subsidiary and such other factors
as the Board deems relevant in light of the circumstances of the
sale. Payments pursuant to this Section 9 shall be made 60 days after
the date of the Change in Control. For these purposes, a month will
be considered to have been completed at the time of the Change in Control only
if the Change in Control occurs later than the 14th day
of the month.
9.2 Sale of
Other Operating Unit. Except as provided in Article 8, in the
event of the sale of all or substantially all of the assets of an Operating Unit
that is not a Subsidiary, with respect to each Participant employed by such
Operating Unit on the date of the sale and who has a "separation from service"
with the Corporation due to such sale, the value of each Award shall be
determined as of the date of the sale by the Board based on the percentage of
the Performance Measure completed as of the date of the sale, the number of
months of the Performance Period completed at the date of the sale, the actual
purchase price of the Operating Unit and such other factors as the Board deems
relevant in light of the circumstances of the sale. Payments pursuant
to this Section 9.2 shall be made 60 days after the date of the separation from
service, except if the Participant is a specified employee, in which case
distribution will be made on the date immediately following the six-month
anniversary of the separation from service. For these purposes, a
month will be considered to have been completed at the time of the sale only if
the sale occurs later than the 14th day
of the month; "separation from service" shall mean the Participant's separation
from service with the Corporation and all of its affiliates, within the meaning
of Section 409A(a)(2)(A)(i) of the Code and the regulations thereunder; and
"specified employee" shall have the meaning set forth in the HNI Corporation
Executive Deferred Compensation Plan.
X. TRANSFERS AND CHANGE IN
RESPONSIBILITIES
If a
Participant's responsibilities materially change or the Participant is
transferred during a Performance Period to another Operating Unit or to a
position that is not designated or eligible to participate in the Plan, the
Corporation may, as determined by the Board,
either: (a) continue the Participant's participation in the Plan
and establish a new Target
Performance
Award and Performance Measure for the Participant with respect to his or her new
position; or (b) terminate the Participant's participation in the Plan and,
as of the date of such change or transfer, prorate the Participant's Target
Performance Award on the basis of the ratio of the number of months of the
Participant's participation during the Performance Period to which such Target
Performance Award relates to the aggregate number of months in such Performance
Period. For these purposes, a Participant will be considered to have
participated for a month during a Performance Period only if he or she
participated for at least 15 days during the month. If the
Participant's participation in the Plan is not terminated pursuant to (b),
above, then the Participant's Earned Performance Award will be prorated on the
basis of the number of months of service by the Participant at each Operating
Unit during the Performance Period. For these purposes, a Participant
will be credited with a month of service at an Operating Unit only if he or she
was employed by the Operating Unit for at least 15 days during the
month. Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the
contrary, no such change or transfer shall change the time or form of payment of
the Earned Performance Award.
XI. ADMINISTRATION
11.1 Administration. The
Plan shall be administered by the Board. In addition to the other
powers granted under the Plan, the Board shall have all powers necessary to
administer the Plan, including, without limitation, powers:
(a) to
interpret the provisions of the Plan; and
(b) to
establish rules for the administration of the Plan and to prescribe any forms
required to administer the Plan.
11.2 Actions
of the Board. The Board has total and complete discretionary
authority to determine conclusively for all parties all questions arising in the
administration of the Plan, to interpret and construe the terms of the Plan, and
to determine all questions of eligibility and status of employees and
Participants under the Plan and their interests. All determinations,
interpretations, rules and decisions of the Board including those made or
established by any person or entity to whom the Board has delegated duties,
responsibilities or authority (if made or established pursuant to such
delegation), are conclusive and binding upon all persons having or claiming to
have any interest or right under the Plan.
11.3 Delegation. The
Board or any officer or other employee of the Corporation designated by the
Board, shall have the power to delegate specific duties and responsibilities to
officers or other employees of the Corporation or other individuals or
entities. Any delegation may be rescinded by the Board at any
time. Each person or entity to whom a duty or responsibility has been
delegated shall be responsible for the exercise of such duty or responsibility
and shall not be responsible for any act or failure to act of any other person
or entity.
11.4 Expenses. Each
Operating Unit shall reimburse the Corporation for the amount of the Award that
is awarded and paid to Participants for services to such Operating Unit, as
determined
by the Board.
11.5 Indemnification
and Exculpation. The agents, officers, directors, and
employees of the Corporation and its Subsidiaries shall be
indemnified and held harmless by the Corporation against and from any and all
loss, cost, liability, or expense that may be imposed upon or reasonably
incurred by them in connection with or resulting from any claim, action, suit,
or proceeding to which they may be a party or in which they may be involved by
reason of any action taken or failure to act under the Plan and against and from
any and all amounts paid by them in settlement (with the Corporation's written
approval) or paid by them in satisfaction of a judgment in any such action, suit
or proceeding. The foregoing provision shall not be applicable to any
person if the loss, cost, liability, or expense is due to such person's gross
negligence or willful misconduct.
11.6 Powers of
Committee. The Board may delegate all or any part of its power
and authority under the Plan to the Committee. Notwithstanding
anything in the Plan to the contrary, however, except for Awards granted
pursuant to Section 4.3, in the case of any 162(m) Employee, the Committee shall
have sole and exclusive authority to: (a) establish the Performance
Measures for such employee; (b) determine and certify the achievement of the
Performance Measures for such employee, and (iii) make any other discretionary
decision affecting such employee. Except for Awards granted pursuant
to Section 4.3, the administration of all aspects of the Plan applicable to
Awards to 162(m) Employees is intended to comply with the exception under
Section 162(m) of Code, as amended, for qualified performance-based compensation
and shall be construed, applied and administered accordingly.
XII. AMENDMENT AND
TERMINATION
The Plan
may be amended or terminated from time to time by the Board. In
the event the Plan is terminated before the last day of a Performance Period,
the Earned Performance Award otherwise payable for such Performance Period will
be prorated on the basis of the ratio of the number of months in such
Performance Period prior to such termination to the aggregate number of months
in such Performance Period and will be paid only after the end of such
Performance Period, which will be deemed to continue until the expiration
thereof as if the Plan had not been terminated. For these purposes, a
month will be considered to have been completed at the time of the amendment or
termination only if the amendment or termination is effective later than the
14th day
of the month.
The Plan will be terminated in the
event the shareholders of the Corporation approve a complete liquidation or
dissolution of the Corporation that will be taxed under Section 331 of the
Code. In such case, the value of each Target Performance Award shall
be determined by the Board prior to the effective date of the dissolution, and
each Participant's Target Performance Award will become payable upon such
dissolution.
XIII. WITHHOLDING
The
Corporation may take such action as it deems appropriate to withhold or collect
from a Participant the applicable federal, state, local or foreign payroll,
withholding, income
or other
taxes that are required to be withheld or collected by the Corporation or
Subsidiary upon the payment of an Award. The Corporation may withhold
shares of stock paid pursuant to Article 6 having a Fair Market Value equal to
the amount necessary to satisfy the Corporation's or Subsidiary's minimum
statutory withholding requirements upon the payment of an Award in the form of a
stock grant award that otherwise would have been delivered to a
Participant. The Corporation may, subject to any terms and conditions
that the Board or Committee may adopt, permit a Participant to elect to pay all
or a portion of the minimum statutory income withholding taxes
by: (a) having the Corporation withhold shares of stock
otherwise to be delivered upon the payment of an Award with a Fair Market Value
equal to the amount of such taxes, or (b) paying cash. Any such
election must be made on or before the date that the amount of tax to be
withheld is determined. For purposes hereof, "Fair Market Value"
shall have the same meaning as in the Stock Plan.
XIV. MISCELLANEOUS
14.1 No Rights
to Awards. No employee, Participant or other person shall have
any claim to be granted any Award under the Plan, and there is no obligation for
uniformity of treatment of employees, Participants or holders or beneficiaries
of Awards under the Plan. The terms and conditions of Awards need not
be the same with respect to any Participant or with respect to different
Participants.
14.2 Rights as
Stockholder. No person shall have any right as a stockholder
of the Corporation with respect to any Shares or other equity security of the
Corporation which is granted pursuant to an Award hereunder unless and until
such person becomes a stockholder of record with respect to such shares or
equity security.
14.3 Governing
Law. The Plan, each Award hereunder, and all determinations
made and actions taken pursuant thereto, to the extent not otherwise governed by
the Code or the laws of the United States, shall be governed by the laws of the
State of Iowa and construed in accordance therewith without giving effect to
principles of conflicts of laws. Notwithstanding anything in the Plan
to the contrary, the Plan is intended to comply with, or to fit within an
exception under, Sections 409A of the Code and the regulations and other
guidance of general applicability thereunder, and shall at all times be
interpreted in accordance with such intent. Any provision of the Plan
to the contrary herein is without effect.
14.4 No Limit
on Compensation Plans or Arrangements. Nothing contained in
the Plan shall prevent the Corporation of a Subsidiary from adopting or
continuing in effect other or additional compensation plans or
arrangements.
14.5 No Right
to Employment. The grant of an Award shall not be construed as
giving a Participant the right to be retained as an employee of the Corporation
or any Subsidiary, nor will it affect in any way the right of the Corporation or
a Subsidiary to terminate a Participant's employment at any time, with or
without cause. In addition, the Corporation or a Subsidiary may at
any time dismiss a Participant from employment free from any liability or any
claim under the Plan, unless otherwise expressly provided in the
Plan.
14.6 Severability. If
any provision of the Plan or any Award is or becomes or is deemed to be invalid,
illegal or unenforceable in any jurisdiction or would disqualify the Plan or any
Award under any law deemed applicable by the Board, such provision shall be
construed or deemed amended to conform to applicable laws, or if it cannot be so
construed or deemed amended without, in the determination of the Board,
materially altering the purpose or intent of the Plan or the Award, such
provision shall be stricken as to such jurisdiction or Award, and the remainder
of the Plan or any such Award shall remain in full force and
effect.
14.7 No Trust
or Fund Created. Neither the Plan
nor any Award shall create or be construed to create a trust or separate fund of
any kind or a fiduciary relationship between the Corporation or any Subsidiary
and a Participant or any other person. To the extent that any person
acquires a right to receive payments from the Corporation or a Subsidiary
pursuant to an Award, such right shall be no greater than the right of any
unsecured general creditor of the Corporation or the Subsidiary.
14.8 Securities
Matters. The Corporation shall not be required to deliver any
stock grant awards until the requirements of any federal or state securities or
other laws, rules or regulations (including the rules of any securities
exchange) as may be determined by the Corporation to be applicable are
satisfied.
14.9 No
Fractional Shares. No fractional shares of Stock shall be
issued or delivered pursuant to the Plan. Any fractional share
otherwise payable under the Plan shall be settled in the form of
cash.
14.10 Headings. Headings
are given to the Articles, Sections and Subsections of the Plan solely as a
convenience to facilitate reference. Such headings shall not be
deemed in any way material or relevant to the construction or interpretation of
the Plan or any provision thereof.
14.11 Nontransferability. No
Award or other benefit payable at any time under the Plan will be subject in any
manner to alienation, sale, transfer, assignment, pledge, levy, attachment, or
encumbrance of any kind.
14.12 No Other
Agreements. The terms and conditions set forth herein
constitute the entire understanding of the Corporation, the Subsidiaries and the
Participants with respect to the matters addressed herein.
14.13 Incapacity. In
the event that any Participant is unable to care for his or her affairs because
of illness or accident, any payment due may be paid to the Participant's spouse,
parent, brother, sister, adult child or other person deemed by the Corporation
to have incurred expenses for the care of the Participant, unless a duly
qualified guardian or other legal representative has been
appointed.
14.14 Release. Any
payment of benefits to or for the benefit of a Participant that is made in good
faith by the Corporation in accordance with the Corporation's interpretation of
its obligations hereunder, shall be in full satisfaction of all claims against
the Corporation and all Subsidiaries for benefits under the Plan to the extent
of such payment.
14.15 Notices. Any
notice permitted or required under the Plan shall be in writing and shall be
hand-delivered or sent, postage prepaid, by first class mail, or by certified or
registered mail with return receipt requested, to the Committee, if to the
Corporation, or to the address last shown on the records of the Corporation, if
to a Participant. Any such notice shall be effective as of the date
of hand-delivery or mailing.
14.16 Successors. All
obligations of the Corporation under the Plan shall be binding upon and inure to
the benefit of any successor to the Corporation, whether the existence of such
successor is the result of a direct or indirect purchase, merger, consolidation,
or otherwise, of all or substantially all of the business and or assets of the
Corporation.
To
Our Shareholders:
IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING
DELIVERY OF SECURITY HOLDER DOCUMENTS
We
provide our annual reports, notices to shareholders of annual meetings and proxy
statements over the internet for shareholders who consent. To consent
to access these documents over the internet, please check the CONSENT box on the
reverse side of this proxy card. These documents will be available on
or about March 26, 2010 on our website at www.hnicorp.com,
under "Investor Information –
Annual & Quarterly Reports" and "Investor Information – Proxy
Report." Once you give your consent, it will remain in effect
until you notify the Corporation's transfer agent, Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.,
Attention: Wells Fargo Shareowner Services, 160 N. Concord Exchange,
South St. Paul, Minnesota 55075-1139, you wish to resume mail
delivery. Even though you give your consent, you still have the right
at any time to request copies of these documents by writing to the Corporate
Secretary at HNI Corporation, 408 East Second Street, Muscatine, Iowa 52761 or
calling the Corporation's Assistant Corporate Secretary at
563/272-7590.
WE
ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONSENT TO RECEIVE DOCMENTS ELECTRONICALLY. THIS
WILL HELP HNI CORPORATION REDUCE PRINTING AND POSTAGE COSTS.
Thank
you.
HNI
Corporation
408
East Second Street
Muscatine, IA
52761 proxy
Notice
of 2010 Annual Meeting of Shareholders
Common
Stock Proxy Solicited by Board of Directors for Annual Meeting of Shareholders
on May 11, 2010.
The
undersigned acknowledges receipt of a Notice of Annual Meeting and Proxy
Statement dated March 26, 2010 and appoints Steven M. Bradford and Kurt A.
Tjaden, or either of them, with full power of substitution, as the proxies and
attorneys of the undersigned, to vote all shares of common stock, par value
$1.00 per share, of HNI Corporation, which the undersigned is entitled to vote
at the annual meeting of shareholders of HNI Corporation to be held at the
Holiday Inn, 2915 N. Highway 61, Muscatine, Iowa on May 11, 2010 at 10:30 a.m.
and any adjournment thereof. The proxies are directed to vote as
checked on the reverse side on the proposed matters or in the absence of an
instruction to the contrary, this proxy will be voted "FOR" all
proposals.
This
proxy card also provides for shares of common stock, if any, held for the
account of the undersigned by Fidelity Management Trust Company as Trustee of
the HNI Corporation Profit-Sharing Retirement Plan. You may instruct
the Trustee how to vote your shares as indicated on this proxy
card. If you fail to give voting instructions to the Trustee, your
shares will be voted by the Trustee in the same proportion as the shares for
which valid instructions have been received.
The Board
of Directors knows of no other matters that may properly be, or that are likely
to be, brought before the meeting. However, if any other matters are
properly brought before the meeting or any adjournment thereof, the proxies will
vote on such matter in their discretion.
You
are encouraged to specify your choices by marking the appropriate boxes, SEE
REVERSE SIDE. The proxies cannot vote your shares unless you sign and
return this proxy card.
(Items to
be voted appear on reverse side.)
TO
VOTE BY MAIL AS THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS ON ALL ITEMS
BELOW,
SIMPLY
SIGN, DATE AND RETURN THIS PROXY CARD.
Ä Please detach
here Ä
The
Board of Directors Recommends a Vote FOR Items 1, 2, 3, 4 and
5.
1. Election
of Directors: 01 Mary H. Bell
03 Dennis
J. Martin o Vote FOR o Vote
AGAINST
02 James R.
Jenkins
04 Abbie J.
Smith
all nominees
all nominees
(except as marked)
(Instructions:
To vote against any indicated nominee, write the
number(s)
of the nominee(s) in the box provided to the right.)
|
|
as
amended and restated.
3. Approval of the HNI Corporation Annual Incentive Plan (f/k/a
HNI
Corporation
o For o
Against o Abstain
Executive Bonus Plan, as amended and
restated.
4. Approval of the HNI Corporation Long-Term Performance Plan, as
amended
and
o For o
Against
o A
bstain
restated.
Corporation's
independent registered public accountant for Fiscal
2010.
I consent
to access all future annual reports, notices of annual meetings and proxy
statements issued
by the
Corporation over the internet, unless contrary notice is given to the
Corporation's transfer agent. o
CONSENT
THIS
PROXY WHEN PROPERLY EXECUTED WILL BE VOTED AS DIRECTED OR, IF NO DIRECTION IS
GIVEN, WILL BE VOTED FOR EACH
PROPOSAL.
Address
Change? Mark Box, sign and indicate changes below: o
Date___________________________________
Signature(s) in Box
Please sign exactly as your
name(s) appears on the Proxy. If held in joint
tenancy, all persons should sign. Trustees,
administrators, etc., should
include title and authority. Corporations should provide full name of
corporation and title of authorized officer signing the
Proxy.