UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C.  20549

SCHEDULE 14A

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Check the appropriate box:

DXP Enterprises, Inc.

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(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

N/A

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(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement if other than the Registrant)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

 

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DXP ENTERPRISES, INC.

7272 Pinemont

Houston, Texas 77040

(713) 996-4700

April 30, 2018

Dear Shareholder:

You are cordially invited to attend the Annual Meeting of Shareholders of DXP Enterprises, Inc. to be held at 10:00 a.m., Central Time, on Tuesday, June 19, 2018 at our offices, 7272 Pinemont, Houston, Texas 77040.

This year you will be asked to consider proposals concerning the election of directors.  Shareholders will also be asked to consider and act upon an advisory non-binding resolution approving the Company’s named executive compensation and the ratification of the appointment of Moss Adams, LLP, as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Company for 2018. These matters are explained more fully in the attached proxy statement, which you are encouraged to read.

The Board of Directors recommends that you approve the proposals and urges you to vote at your earliest convenience, whether or not you plan to attend the Annual Meeting.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

/s/ David R. Little

David R. Little

Chairman of the Board,

President and Chief Executive Officer

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DXP ENTERPRISES, INC.

7272 Pinemont

Houston, Texas 77040

Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be Held June 19, 2018

The Annual Meeting of the Shareholders of DXP Enterprises, Inc., a Texas corporation, will be held on Tuesday, June 19, 2018, at 10:00 a.m., Central Time, at the DXP Enterprises, Inc. offices at 7272 Pinemont, Houston, Texas 77040, for the following purposes:

The holders of record of Common Stock, Series A Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred Stock at the close of business on April 24, 2018, will be entitled to vote at the meeting. Please note that there are separate forms of proxy cards for each class of stock.

By Order of the Board of Directors,

/s/ David R. Little

David R. Little

Chairman of the Board,

President and Chief Executive Officer

April 30, 2018

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING THE AVAILABILITY OF

PROXY MATERIALS FOR

THE ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS TO BE HELD ON

JUNE 19, 2018

Pursuant to rules promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) related to the Internet availability of proxy materials, DXP Enterprises, Inc., is providing access to its proxy materials by notifying you of the availability of its proxy materials on the internet. DXP’s Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting to be held on June 19, 2018 and Annual Report on Form 10-K are available at http://materials.proxyvote.com/233377, which does not have “cookies” that identify visitors to  the site. This website is not a form for voting and presents only an overview of the more complete proxy materials. Shareholders are encouraged to access and review the proxy materials before voting. This site will also have directions to attend the meeting and vote in person.

DXP ENTERPRISES, INC.

Proxy Statement

For Annual Meeting of Shareholders

to be Held June 19, 2018

This Proxy Statement is furnished to the shareholders of DXP Enterprises, Inc. (the “Company” or “DXP”), 7272 Pinemont, Houston, Texas 77040 (Tel. No. 713 996-4700), in connection with the solicitation by the Board of Directors of DXP (the “Board”) of proxies to be voted at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the “Annual Meeting”) to be held on Tuesday, June 19, 2018, at 10:00 a.m., Central Time, at DXP’s principal executive offices, 7272 Pinemont, Houston, Texas 77040, or any adjournment thereof.

Proxies, appointing David R. Little and Kent Yee to serve as proxies, in the form enclosed, properly executed by shareholders and received in time for the meeting, will be voted as specified therein, unless revoked in the manner provided below. The Board recommends a vote “FOR” the nominees for director listed in the proxy statement and the accompanying proxy card, “FOR” approval, on a non-binding, advisory basis, the compensation of the named executive officers and “FOR” ratification of the appointment of Moss Adams, LLP, as the independent registered public accounting firm of the Company for the year ended December 31, 2018. If a shareholder does not specify otherwise in the proxy, the shares represented by his or her proxy will be voted as recommended by the Board.

The giving of a proxy does not preclude the right to vote in person should the person giving the proxy so desire.  The proxy of a record holder may be revoked at any time before it is exercised by written notice delivered to the Corporate Secretary at 7272 Pinemont, Houston, Texas 77040 at or prior to the meeting. We are mailing to shareholders of record a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials and will make this proxy statement and our annual report, which contains audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2017, available to our shareholders of record on or about May 8, 2018. If your shares of common stock are held in “street name,” your ability to vote over the Internet depends on your broker’s voting process. You should follow the instructions on your broker’s or intermediary’s voting instruction card. To vote the shares that you hold in “street name” in person at the annual meeting, you must bring a legal proxy from your broker, bank or other nominee.

At the close of business on April 24, 2018 (the “Record Date”) there were outstanding and entitled to vote 17,373,651 shares of Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Common Stock”), 1,122 shares of Series A Preferred Stock, par value $1.00 per share (the “Series A Preferred Stock”), and 15,000 shares of Series B Preferred Stock, par value $1.00 per share (the “Series B Preferred Stock”), and only the holders of record on the Record Date are entitled to vote at the meeting.

The holders of record of Common Stock on the Record Date will be entitled to one vote per share on each matter presented to such holders at the meeting. The holders of record of Series A Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred Stock on the Record Date will be entitled to one-tenth of one vote per share on each matter presented to such holders at the meeting voting together with the holders of Common Stock as a single class. The presence at the meeting, in person or by proxy, of the holders of a majority of the aggregate outstanding shares of Common Stock, Series A Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred Stock is necessary to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at the meeting.

Shares of Common Stock, Series A Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred Stock voting together as a class, held by shareholders present in person or represented by proxy, including shares held by shareholders that abstain or do not vote with respect to one or more of the matters presented for shareholder approval, will be counted for purposes of determining whether a quorum is present at the meeting.

If a broker does not have discretionary voting authority to vote shares for which it is the holder of record with respect to a particular matter at the meeting, the broker cannot vote the shares, they will return a broker non-vote as to that matter, and the broker non-votes will not be counted as present in determining whether a quorum is present.  Broker non-votes will have no effect on matters that require approval by the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares present and entitled to vote on the matter.  Abstentions will be counted as votes against a proposal for matters that require approval by the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares present and entitled to vote on the matter.  Broker non-votes and any abstentions would not be treated as, and would have no effect on, a vote for or against a matter that requires the affirmative vote of a certain percentage of the votes cast on that matter. Broker non-votes and any withhold votes will have no effect on the plurality vote on the election of directors.

The affirmative vote of the holders of shares representing a plurality of the votes cast by the holders of our Common Stock, Series A Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred Stock voting together as a single class and entitled to vote at the meeting is required for the election of directors. The affirmative vote of the holders of shares representing at least a majority of the shares of our Common Stock, Series A Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred Stock, voting together as a single class, that are entitled to vote at the meeting and that are represented at the meeting, by person or proxy, is required for approval of the non-binding, advisory vote on executive compensation and the ratification of the appointment of Moss Adams, LLP, as the independent registered public accounting firm of the Company for the year ended December 31, 2018.

 

MATTERS TO COME BEFORE THE MEETING

PROPOSAL 1: ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

The holders of Common Stock, Series A Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred Stock, voting together as a single class, are entitled to vote with respect to each of the four nominees for election to the Board. All directors hold office until the next Annual Meeting of Shareholders or until their respective successors are duly elected and qualified or their earlier resignation or removal.

It is the intention of the persons named in the proxies for the holders of Common Stock, Series A Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred Stock to vote the proxies “FOR” the election of each of the nominees named below, unless otherwise specified in any particular proxy. Management of DXP does not contemplate that any of the nominees will become unavailable for any reason, but if that should occur before the meeting, proxies will be voted for another nominee, or other nominees, to be selected by the Board. In accordance with DXP’s Bylaws and Texas law, a shareholder entitled to vote for the election of directors may withhold authority to vote for certain nominees for directors or may withhold authority to vote for all nominees for directors. The director nominees receiving a plurality of the votes of the holders of shares of Common Stock, Series A Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred Stock, voting together as a single class, present in person or by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote on the election of directors will be elected directors.

The persons listed below have been nominated for election to fill the four director positions to be elected by the holders of the Common Stock, Series A Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred Stock, voting together as a single class.

Information Regarding Nominees and Directors

Background of Nominees for Director

David R. Little. Mr. Little has served as Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of DXP since its organization in 1996 and also has held these positions with SEPCO Industries, Inc., predecessor to the Company (“SEPCO”), since he acquired a controlling interest in SEPCO in 1986. Mr. Little has been employed by SEPCO since 1975 in various capacities, including Staff Accountant, Controller, Vice President/Finance and President. Mr. Little gives our Board insight and in-depth knowledge of our industry and our specific operations and strategies. He also provides leadership skills and knowledge of our local community and business environment, which he has gained through his long career with DXP and its predecessor companies.

Cletus Davis. Mr. Davis has served as a Director of DXP since 1996. Mr. Davis is an attorney, Board Certified as a Commercial Real Estate attorney, Texas Board of Specialization, practicing in the areas of commercial real estate, banking, corporate, estate planning and general litigation and is also a trained mediator. Since March 1992, Mr. Davis has practiced law with the law firm of Cletus Davis, P.C. Mr. Davis brings to our Board a diverse business background, financial experience, and experience analyzing risk.

Timothy P. Halter.  Mr. Halter has served as a Director of DXP since July 2001. Mr. Halter is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Halter Financial Group, Inc., a position he has held since 1995. Halter Financial Group is a Dallas, Texas based consulting firm specializing in the areas of mergers, acquisitions and corporate finance.

Mr. Halter brings to our Board extensive experience in the area of corporate finance.

 

David Patton.  Mr. Patton has served as a Director of DXP since July 2016.  Mr. Patton is a partner at Locke Lord LLP and Co-Chair of the Locke Lord LLP’s Energy Practice Group.  He has over 39 years of experience in various legal aspects of the oil and gas industry, including acquisitions and sales of assets or equity interests, drafting and negotiating leases, contracts, and agreements related to field operations.  David has represented clients in connection with surface use conflicts, day to day exploration and development activities, and the resolution of oil and gas disputes.  He is a frequent speaker on oil and gas issues and is active in the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation and the State Bar of Texas.  Mr. Patton brings to our Board a diverse business background, experience with acquisitions and experience with publicly held companies.

Corporate Governance and Other Board Matters

DXP is committed to having sound corporate governance principles. Having such principles is essential to running DXP’s business efficiently and maintaining DXP’s integrity in the marketplace.

Code of Conduct and Code of Ethics for Senior Financial Officers

DXP has adopted a code of conduct for directors, officers (including DXP’s principal executive officer, principal financial officer and controller) and employees. Also, DXP has adopted a code of ethics for senior financial officers (including DXP’s principal executive officer, principal financial officer and controller). The Code of Conduct and Code of Ethics for Senior Financial Officers are available on DXP’s website at http://www.DXPE.com. DXP intends to post amendments to or waivers (to the extent applicable to DXP’s principal executive officer, principal financial officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions), if any, from its Code of Ethics for Senior Financial Officers at the same location on the DXP website.

 

Policy Regarding Restricted Transactions

 

Our directors and executive officers are prohibited from engaging in speculative transactions in Company securities, such as trading in puts and calls, or selling securities short. We have adopted a pledging limitation policy for our directors and executive officers restricting directors and executive officers from pledging shares of the Company and holding shares of the Company in margin accounts. Directors and executive officers of the Company may pledge shares or hold shares in margin accounts so long as all of the following policy requirements are met: (i) prior to pledging shares or holding shares in a margin account such director or executive officer shall obtain approval from the Chief Financial Officer and General Counsel, and (ii) in no event shall the total number of shares collectively pledged by our directors and executive officers exceed 10% of the Company’s total outstanding Common Stock.

Board Independence

The Board has determined that each of the current directors standing for re-election, except David R. Little, the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, has no material relationship with DXP (either directly or as a partner, shareholder or officer of an organization that has a relationship with DXP) and is “independent” within the requirements of the NASDAQ listing standards. Furthermore, the Board has determined that each of the members of each of the committees of the Board of Directors has no material relationship with DXP (directly or as a partner, shareholder or officer of an organization that has a relationship with DXP) and is “independent” within the requirements of the NASDAQ listing standards.

Board Structure and Committee Composition

The Board does not have a policy on whether or not the roles of Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer should be separate or combined and, if they are to be separate, whether the Chairman of the Board should be selected from the non-employee directors or be an employee. The directors serving on the Board possess considerable professional and industry experience and a unique knowledge of the challenges and opportunities that DXP faces. As such, the Board believes that it is in the best position to evaluate the needs of DXP and to determine how best to organize DXP’s leadership structure to meet those needs. The Board believes that the most effective leadership structure for DXP at the present time is for Mr. Little to serve as both Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer.

This model has succeeded because it makes clear that the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer is responsible for managing our business, under the oversight and review of our Board. This structure also enables our Chief Executive Officer to act as a bridge between management and the Board, helping both to act together in pursuing the best interests of shareholders. Mr. Little has been our Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer since DXP’s organization in 1996 and has been with DXP and its predecessor companies for over 40 years.

There is no specific lead independent director. The Board believes that there is already substantial independent oversight of DXP’s management and a strong counterbalancing governance structure in place, as demonstrated by the following:

The Board has established an Audit Committee, a Nominating and Governance Committee and a Compensation Committee. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, the Board met four times, the Compensation Committee met four times, the Nominating and Governance Committee met four times and the Audit Committee met four times. Each director attended (whether in person or telephonically) all of the meetings of the Board and committees of which he was a member. DXP does not have a policy regarding director attendance at Annual Meetings of Shareholders. One director attended the last Annual Meeting of Shareholders.

Messrs. Davis, Halter, and Patton are the members of the Audit, Compensation and Nominating and Governance Committees.

Audit Committee

DXP has an Audit Committee, which assists the Board in fulfilling its responsibilities for general oversight of the integrity of DXP’s financial statements, DXP’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, the independent auditors’ qualifications and independence and the performance of DXP’s independent auditors. Among other things, the Audit Committee prepares the Audit Committee report for inclusion in the annual proxy statement; annually reviews the Audit Committee charter; appoints, evaluates and determines the compensation of DXP’s independent auditors; reviews and approves the financial statements, the audit fee and the scope of the annual audit; reviews DXP’s disclosure controls and procedures, internal controls and corporate policies with respect to financial information; oversees investigations into complaints concerning financial matters; and reviews other risks that may have a significant impact on DXP’s financial statements. The Audit Committee works closely with management as well as DXP’s independent auditors. Furthermore, the Audit Committee has the responsibility of overseeing DXP’s Business Ethics Policy. The Audit Committee has the authority to obtain advice and assistance from, and receive appropriate funding from DXP for outside legal, accounting or other advisors as the Audit Committee deems necessary to carry out its duties.

The Board has determined that Audit Committee Chairman Tim Halter is an audit committee financial expert as defined by Item 407(d)(5)(ii) of Regulation S-K, as adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, and was independent within the meaning of the NASDAQ listing standards. The report of the Audit Committee is included herein. A current copy of the charter of the Audit Committee is available on DXP’s website at http://www.DXPE.com.

Compensation Committee

The Compensation Committee discharges the Board’s responsibilities relating to compensation of DXP’s executive officers and directors; produces an annual report on executive compensation for inclusion in DXP’s proxy statement; provides general oversight of equity compensation plans; and retains and approves the terms of the retention of any compensation consultants and other compensation experts. Other specific duties and responsibilities of the Compensation Committee include: reviewing and approving objectives relevant to executive officer compensation, evaluating performance and determining the compensation of executive officers in accordance with those objectives; approving employment agreements for executive officers; approving and amending DXP’s incentive compensation for executive officers and stock compensation programs (subject to shareholder approval if required); recommending director compensation to the Board; monitoring director and executive stock ownership; and annually evaluating its charter.

The Compensation Committee charter provides that the Compensation Committee may delegate any of its duties and responsibilities to a subcommittee of the Compensation Committee consisting of not less than two members of the Compensation Committee. No such delegation of duties and responsibilities occurred in 2017. In addition, the Compensation Committee may delegate to one or more individuals the administration of equity incentive or employee benefit plans, unless otherwise prohibited by law or applicable stock exchange rules. Any such delegation may be revoked by the Compensation Committee at any time.

A current copy of the charter for the Compensation Committee is available on DXP’s website at http://www.DXPE.com.

Nominating and Governance Committee

The Nominating and Governance Committee identifies individuals qualified to become Board members, consistent with criteria approved by the Board; oversees the organization of the Board to discharge the Board’s duties and responsibilities properly and efficiently; and identifies best practices and recommends corporate governance principles, including giving proper attention and making effective responses to shareholder concerns regarding corporate governance. Other specific duties and responsibilities of the Nominating and Governance Committee include: annually assessing the size and composition of the Board; developing membership qualifications for Board committees; defining specific criteria for director independence; monitoring compliance with Board and Board committee membership criteria; coordinating and assisting management and the Board in recruiting new members to the Board; annually, and together with the Chairman of the Compensation Committee, evaluating the performance of the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer and presenting the results of the review to the Board and to the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer; reviewing and recommending proposed changes to DXP’s charter or bylaws and Board committee charters; recommending Board committee assignments; reviewing governance-related shareholder proposals and recommending Board responses; and conducting a preliminary review of director independence and the financial literacy and expertise of Audit Committee members.

A current copy of the charter for the Nominating and Governance Committee is available on DXP’s website at http://www.DXPE.com.

Board’s Role in Risk Oversight

Our Board administers its risk oversight function primarily by receiving regular reports from Mr. Little, our Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, and other members of our senior management who supervise various aspects of our business, including operations, finance, compliance, investor relations and safety and environmental matters, on risk management. The Audit Committee and the Compensation Committee review risks related to the Company’s financial and compensation practices, respectively. By having these committees engaged in aspects of risk oversight, the Board intends to have a focus on financial, enterprise and compensation risks. The Board believes that its administration of risk management oversight has not affected the Board’s leadership structure, as described above.

Consideration of Shareholder Recommendations

The policy of the Nominating and Governance Committee is to consider properly submitted shareholder recommendations for candidates for membership on the Board as described below under “Identifying and Evaluating Nominees for Directors.” In evaluating such recommendations, the Nominating and Governance Committee seeks to achieve a balance of knowledge, experience and capability on the Board and to address the membership criteria set forth below under “Director Qualifications.” Any shareholder recommendations proposed for consideration by the Nominating and Governance Committee should include the nominee’s name and qualifications for board membership and should be addressed to:

Corporate Secretary

DXP Enterprises, Inc.

7272 Pinemont

Houston, Texas 77040

Director Qualifications

Members of the Board should have the highest professional and personal ethics and values, consistent with longstanding DXP values and standards. They should have broad experience at the policy-making level in business, government, education or public interest. They should be committed to enhancing shareholder value and should have sufficient time to carry out their duties and to provide insight and practical wisdom based on experience. Their service on other boards of public companies should be limited to a number that permits them, given their individual circumstances, to perform all director duties responsibly. The Nominating and Governance Committee does not have a specific policy regarding diversity and believes that the backgrounds and qualifications of the directors, considered as a group, should provide a diverse mix of experiences, knowledge, attributes and abilities that will allow the Board to fulfill its responsibilities.

Identifying and Evaluating Nominees for Directors

The Nominating and Governance Committee uses a variety of methods for identifying and evaluating nominees for director. The Nominating and Governance Committee regularly assesses the appropriate size of the Board, and whether any vacancies on the Board are expected due to retirement or otherwise. In the event that vacancies are anticipated, or otherwise arise, the Nominating and Governance Committee will consider various potential candidates for director. Candidates may come to the attention of the Nominating and Governance Committee through current board members, professional search firms, shareholders or other persons. These candidates will be evaluated at regular or special meetings of the Nominating and Governance Committee and may be considered at any point during the year. The Nominating and Governance Committee will consider properly submitted shareholder nominations for candidates for the Board as set forth in the Company’s bylaws, and the procedures described in the section entitled “Proposals for Next Annual Meeting” in this proxy statement. Following verification of the shareholder status of persons proposing candidates, recommendations will be aggregated and considered by the Nominating and Governance Committee at a regularly scheduled meeting prior to the issuance of the proxy statement for DXP’s Annual Meeting. If any materials are provided by a shareholder in connection with the nomination of a director candidate, such materials will be forwarded to the Nominating and Governance Committee. In evaluating such nominations, the Nominating and Governance Committee will seek to achieve a balance of knowledge, experience and capability on the Board.

Executive Sessions

Executive sessions of non-management directors are held at least four times a year. The sessions are scheduled and chaired by the Chair of the Audit Committee. Any non-management director may request that an additional executive session be scheduled.

Communications with the Board

Shareholders may communicate with the Board by submitting an e-mail to the attention of the Board at hrgrp@dxpe.com or by mailing correspondence to the Board of Directors c/o Human Resources, 7272 Pinemont, Houston, Texas 77040. All such correspondence will be forwarded to the Board. Communications that are intended specifically for non-management directors should be sent to the attention of the Audit Committee. All such correspondence will be forwarded to the Chairman of the Audit Committee, or if unavailable, to the other members of the Audit Committee.

 

 

SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT

The following table sets forth information as of April 16, 2018 with respect to (i) persons known to DXP to be beneficial holders of five percent or more of the outstanding shares of either Common Stock, Series A Preferred Stock or Series B Preferred Stock, (ii) named executive officers, directors and director nominees of DXP and (iii) all executive officers and directors of DXP as a group. Unless otherwise indicated, the beneficial owners have sole voting and investment power, as applicable, over the shares of Common Stock, Series A Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred Stock listed below. We calculated the percentage of shares outstanding based on 17,373,034 shares of Common Stock, 1,122 shares of Series A Preferred Stock, and 15,000 shares of Series B Preferred Stock outstanding as of April 16, 2018. In accordance with SEC regulations, we also include shares issuable upon settlement of restricted stock units (“RSUs”) or other derivative securities that are vested or exercisable, or will become vested or exercisable, within 60 days of April 16, 2018 (the “table date”). None of the beneficial owners in the following table own any RSUs or other derivative securities that will vest or become exercisable within 60 days of the table date. Those shares are deemed to be outstanding and beneficially owned by the person holding such RSU or other derivative security for the purpose of computing the percentage ownership of that person, but they are not treated as outstanding for the purpose of computing the percentage ownership of any other person.

*Less than 1%

 

 

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

The following section sets forth the names and background of the executive officers.

Background of Executive Officers

David R. Little. Mr. Little has served as Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of DXP since its organization in 1996 and also has held these positions with SEPCO Industries, Inc., predecessor to the Company (“SEPCO”), since he acquired a controlling interest in SEPCO in 1986. Mr. Little has been employed by SEPCO since 1975 in various capacities, including Staff Accountant, Controller, Vice President/Finance and President. Mr. Little gives our Board insight and in-depth knowledge of our industry and our specific operations and strategies. He also provides leadership skills and knowledge of our local community and business environment, which he has gained through his long career with DXP and its predecessor companies.

Kent Yee. Mr. Yee was appointed Senior Vice President/Chief Financial Officer in June 2017.  Currently, Mr. Yee is responsible for acquisitions, finance, accounting and human resources of DXP. From March 2011 to June 2017, Mr. Yee served as Senior Vice President Corporate Development and led DXP's mergers and acquisitions, business integration and internal strategic project activities. During March 2011, Mr. Yee joined DXP from Stephens Inc.'s Industrial Distribution and Services team where he served in various positions and most recently as Vice President from August 2005 to February 2011. Prior to Stephens, Mr. Yee was a member of The Home Depot’s Strategic Business Development Group with a primary focus on acquisition activity for HD Supply.  Mr. Yee was also an Associate in the Global Syndicated Finance Group at JPMorgan Chase. He has executed over 43 transactions including more than $1.4 billion in M&A and $3.4 billion in financing transactions primarily for change of control deals and numerous industrial and distribution acquisition and sale assignments. He holds a Bachelors of Arts in Urban Planning from Morehouse College and an MBA from Harvard University Graduate School of Business.

David C. Vinson. Mr. Vinson was elected Senior Vice President/Innovative Pumping Solutions in January 2006. He served as Senior Vice President/Operations of DXP from October 2000 to December 2005. From 1996 until October 2000, Mr. Vinson served as Vice President/Traffic, Logistics and Inventory. Mr. Vinson has served in various capacities with DXP since his employment in 1981.

John J. Jeffery. Mr. Jeffery serves as Senior Vice President of Supply Chain Services, Marketing and Information Technology and has served as an officer of the Company since 2006. He oversees the strategic direction for the Supply Chain Services business unit while leveraging both Marketing and Information Technology to drive innovative business development initiatives for organizational growth and visibility. He began his career with T.L. Walker, which was later acquired by DXP in 1991. During his tenure with DXP, Mr. Jeffery has served in various significant capacities including branch, area, regional and national sales management as well as sales, marketing and Service Center vice president roles. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Distribution from Texas A&M University and is also a graduate of the Executive Business Program at Rice University.

Todd Hamlin. Mr. Hamlin was elected Senior Vice President of DXP Sales in June of 2017. Previously, he held the position of Senior Vice President of DXP Service Centers since June of 2010. Mr. Hamlin joined the Company in 1995. From February 2006 until June 2010 he served as Regional Vice President of the Gulf Coast Region. Prior to serving as Regional Vice President of the Gulf Coast Region he served in various capacities, including application engineer, product specialist and sales representative. From April 2005 through February 2006, Mr. Hamlin worked as a sales manager for the UPS Supply Chain Services division of United Parcel Service, Inc. He holds a Bachelors of Science in Industrial Distribution from Texas A&M University and a Master in Distribution from Texas A&M University. Mr. Hamlin serves on the Advisory Board for Texas A&M’s Master in Distribution degree program. In 2014, Mr. Hamlin was elected to the Bearing Specialists Association’s Board of Directors.

Chris Gregory. Mr. Gregory was elected Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer in March of 2018. Mr. Gregory joined the Company in August 2006. From December 2014 until January 2018 he served as Vice President of IT Strategic Solutions. Prior to serving as Vice President of IT Strategic Solutions he served in various roles, including application developer, database manager as well as leading the business intelligence and application development departments. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration and Computer Information Systems from the University of Houston and an MBA from The University of Texas at Austin, McCombs School of Business.

All officers of DXP hold office until the regular meeting of the board of directors following the Annual Meeting or until their respective successors are duly elected and qualified or their earlier resignation or removal.

 

Compensation Discussion and Analysis

The Compensation Committee is composed of Cletus Davis, Timothy Halter and David Patton. The purpose of the Compensation Committee is to review, approve and make recommendations to the Board on matters regarding the compensation of officers, directors, employees, consultants and agents of DXP and act as the administrative committee for any stock plans of DXP. The Compensation Committee makes its compensation decisions based upon its own research and analysis, with input from the principal executive officer or chief executive officer other than with respect to his own compensation. The Compensation Committee has the authority to obtain advice and assistance from, and receive appropriate funding from DXP for, compensation consultants, legal, accounting and other advisors as the Compensation Committee deems necessary to carry out its duties. No compensation consultants were retained and no formal compensation studies were performed in connection with determining the 2017 compensation of our executive officers.

We have adopted a basic philosophy and practice of offering market competitive compensation that is designed to attract, retain and motivate a highly-qualified executive management team. With respect to our principal executive officer, principal financial officer and the other three most highly-compensated executive officers (collectively referred to as the “Named Executives”), this discussion describes our compensation philosophy and objectives, the methodologies used for establishing the compensation programs for the Named Executives and the policies and practices to administer such programs.

Compensation Philosophy and Objectives

The Compensation Committee is comprised entirely of non-employee directors. In addition to offering market competitive compensation programs, we place significant emphasis on pay for results where the primary goal is to motivate executive management to achieve the business and strategic objectives that drive shareholder value. Our executive compensation programs have been designed to achieve the following objectives:

In pursuit of these objectives, the Compensation Committee believes that the compensation packages provided to the Named Executives should include both base salary and incentive compensation, with an emphasis on pay that is based on DXP’s performance.

Methodologies for Establishing Compensation

In determining the appropriate compensation levels for our Chief Executive Officer, the Compensation Committee meets outside the presence of all of our executive officers. With respect to the compensation levels of all other Named Executives, the Compensation Committee meets with our Chief Executive Officer who makes recommendations to the committee regarding the compensation of the other Named Executives.

The Compensation Committee carefully considers the recommendations of the Chief Executive Officer when making decisions on setting base salary and granting awards under the incentive cash bonus plan to other Named Executives. The Compensation Committee determines equity incentive awards for each Named Executive on a case by case basis. In making compensation determinations, the Compensation Committee acts on the recommendations of the Chief Executive Officer, with modifications as deemed appropriate by the Compensation Committee, for Named Executives other than the Chief Executive Officer. The Compensation Committee determines each element of compensation for the Chief Executive officer and the other Named Executives.

The allocation between cash and non-cash compensation for Named Executives is based on the Compensation Committee’s determination of the appropriate mix among base pay, annual cash incentives and long-term equity incentives to encourage retention and performance. For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, the elements of the compensation mix included:

Base Salary

The Compensation Committee establishes the base salary of each Named Executive based on consideration of the individual’s performance and experience, company performance and internal equitable considerations to support teamwork. The Compensation Committee considers the recommendations of our Chief Executive Officer in determining the appropriate base salary levels for the Named Executives, other than the Chief Executive Officer. The Compensation Committee considers the compensation of the Chief Executive Officers of other comparable publicly-held companies in determining the appropriate base salary for our Chief Executive Officer. Although the Compensation Committee believes that competitive base salaries are necessary to attract and retain a highly-qualified executive team, it believes that a significant portion of executive compensation should be based on a pay-for-results model.

Effective on January 4, 2016, the Compensation Committee approved increasing the base salary of Todd Hamlin, John Jeffery, David C. Vinson, and Kent Yee, along with other executive officers, to $170,000 from $150,000.  Effective on March 14, 2016, the base salary for each Named Executive was reduced by 10% due to economic conditions. Effective March 27, 2017, 50% of the 10% reduction was restored.  Effective July 31, 2017, the remaining 50% of the 10% reduction was restored. The base salary for all named executive officers other than Mr. Little is currently $170,000.

Incentive Cash and Stock Bonuses

Under the terms of the employment agreement with our Chief Executive Officer, he is entitled to receive a bonus of 5% of our profit before income tax, which is determined and paid on a quarterly basis. The Compensation Committee can decide to pay all or a portion of this bonus in the form of restricted stock. The determination of whether the bonus is to be paid in cash or shares of restricted stock is to be made prior to the date on which the amount of the bonus is determined. If shares of restricted stock will be issued, the number of shares is determined by dividing the portion of the bonus to be paid in restricted stock by the closing price of a share of our Common Stock on the last day of the period for which the bonus was earned, rounded up to the nearest whole share. For 2017, the Compensation Committee decided to pay the bonus in cash and shares of restricted stock. For 2016, the Compensation Committee decided to pay the entire bonus in shares of restricted stock.  For 2015, all incentive cash bonuses were paid in cash. For 2017, the maximum incentive bonus for Mr. Little was $1,200,000, of which he earned $397,186 in cash and $240,521 in  restricted stock (comprising 6,475 shares of restricted stock).

At the beginning of each year, our Chief Executive Officer makes a recommendation to the Compensation Committee, which the Committee reviews and approves, regarding whether our other Named Executives will receive an incentive cash bonus and, if so, how the incentive cash bonus will be calculated. For 2017, the Named Executives were eligible for a cash bonus. The cash bonus was calculated by multiplying our profit before income tax by two percentages. Profit before income tax, up to a maintenance amount (which was $9,674,000 for 2017), was multiplied by a percentage referred to as the Maintenance Incentive Factor (which ranged on a sliding scale from 0% to a maximum of 1.14%). Profit before income tax above the maintenance amount was multiplied by a higher percentage referred to as the Growth Incentive Factor (which ranged on a sliding scale from 0% to a maximum of 3.43%).

Additionally, each of the other Named Executives would receive shares of restricted stock if DXP sales grew in excess of 10% and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”) exceeded $68 million for 2017.  The number of shares each of the other Named Executives could receive would be determined by dividing $50,000 by the average daily closing price of our common stock during 2017.  No shares were awarded under this incentive program since the EBITDA target was not met. See the “Summary Compensation Table” under the heading “Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation” for the incentive equity bonus amounts paid to our Named Executives in 2017.

Other Equity-Based Compensation

The Compensation Committee awards equity-based compensation to reward past performance and to retain our Named Executives by granting awards that vest over time. On May 4, 2011, the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of DXP Enterprises, Inc. established an equity incentive program under which David R. Little could earn an annual award of up to $500,000 of Common Stock. On May 11, 2012, the Compensation Committee amended the program, increasing the maximum annual award from $500,000 to $700,000. On May 13, 2013, the Compensation Committee further amended this program replacing the monetary thresholds into share amounts.  The amount of shares of each award will be determined based upon the increase of sales and net income for the preceding fiscal year. If both sales and net income increase by 20% or more for the preceding fiscal year, the value of the award will be 15,000 shares.  An increase of less than 10% in sales and net income will result in an award of zero shares. Growth of between 10% and 20% will result in an award between zero and 15,000 shares as determined on a straight line basis by a matrix of sales growth and net income growth. Mr. Little was not granted any shares under this program for 2017 results as a result of both sales and net income declining from the prior year. The restricted stock awards  granted under the equity incentive program are awarded under the 2016 Omnibus Incentive Plan. Each restricted stock award vests in one-third increments over three years.

The Compensation Committee also determines whether grants of equity-based compensation will be given to the other Named Executives each year based on the performance of the Company as a whole, the performance of the business unit for which the Named Executive is responsible and the contribution that the Named Executive made to the Company, together with a recommendation of our Chief Executive Officer. The equity-based compensation awarded to the Named Executives is determined by the Compensation Committee on a case-by-case basis and granted under the Company’s 2016 Omnibus Incentive Plan. David Little received an award of 19,992 shares of restricted stock during 2017. Each of our other Named Executives received an award of 6,980 shares of restricted stock during 2017. There were no other equity awards given to the Named Executives during 2017.

Broad-Based Benefits Programs

Broad-based benefits, which are available to all employees, include health, dental, disability and life insurance, paid vacation time and company contributions to a 401(k) profit-sharing retirement plan. These benefits are provided in accordance with practices within the marketplace and, we believe, are a necessary element of compensation in attracting and retaining employees.

Executive Employment Agreements

DXP entered into an employment agreement effective January 1, 2004, as amended, with Mr. Little. The agreement is for an initial term of three years, renewable annually for a term to extend three years from such renewal date. The agreement provides for compensation of a minimum amount of $448,000 per year, to be reviewed at least annually for possible increases, monthly bonuses equal to 5% of the profit before tax of DXP as shown on the books and records of DXP at the end of each month and other perquisites in accordance with DXP policy. The aggregate of the monthly bonuses in any calendar year must not exceed twice his annual base salary. In the event Mr. Little terminates his employment for “Good Reason” (as defined in the employment agreement), or is terminated by the Company for other than “Good Cause” (as defined in the employment agreement), Mr. Little would receive a cash lump-sum payment equal to the sum of (i) the base salary for the remainder of the employment period under the agreement, (ii) an amount equal to the sum of the most recent 12 months of bonus paid to him, (iii) two times the sum of his current annual base salary plus the total of the most recent 12 months of bonuses, (iv) all compensation previously deferred and any accrued interest thereon, and any accrued vacation pay not yet paid by the Company, and (v) continuation of benefits under the Company’s benefit plans for the current employment period. Mr. Little is also entitled under the agreement to certain gross-up payments if an excise tax is imposed pursuant to Section 4999 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, which imposes an excise tax on certain severance payments in excess of three times an annualized compensation amount following certain changes in control or any payment of distribution made to him. In the event of Mr. Little’s death while employed by DXP, his estate will receive Mr. Little’s base salary in equal bi-weekly installments for a period of twenty-four months after the month of his death. In 2012, the Compensation Committee increased Mr. Little’s base salary from $448,000 to $600,000.

Internal Revenue Code Limits on Deduction of Executive Compensation

Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code generally disallowed a tax deduction to public corporations for compensation paid in excess of $1,000,000 for any fiscal year to the corporation’s chief executive officer and three other most highly compensated executive officers as of the end of any fiscal year (other than the Chief Financial Officer).  However, qualifying "performance-based compensation" was exempted from the $1,000,000 deduction limit if certain requirements were met.

Historically, the Compensation Committee designed certain components of executive compensation to qualify as "performance-based compensation" to ensure full deductibility.  However, the Compensation Committee reserved the right to pay compensation that did not meet the "performance-based compensation" requirements because the Compensation Committee believes that shareholder interests are best served by not restricting the Compensation Committee’s discretion and flexibility in crafting compensation programs, even though such programs might have resulted in certain non-deductible compensation expenses.  Accordingly, the Compensation Committee has from time to time approved elements of compensation for certain officers that are not fully deductible and reserved the right to do so in the future in appropriate circumstances.

On December 22, 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 was enacted, which, among other things, generally repealed the qualifying "performance-based compensation" exception described above for years beginning after December 31, 2017, and, in addition, expanded the group of executive officers covered by including the Chief Financial Officer and certain former executive officers.  Following enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, we generally expect that compensation paid to our applicable named executives in excess of $1 million will not be deductible, subject to an exception for compensation provided pursuant to a binding written contract in effect as of November 2, 2017.  However, given the uncertain scope of the binding written contract transition relief and the absence of rulemaking at this time, the impact of the elimination of the performance-based compensation exemption from Section 162(m) with respect to outstanding performance awards and other pre-2018 performance incentives paid after 2017 is not yet known.  The Compensation Committee expects that Section 162(m) will become less of a factor in designing  executive compensation with the repeal of the performance-based compensation exemption.

Administrative Policies and Practices

In administering the compensation programs of the Named Executives, the Compensation Committee meets at least four times a year in conjunction with regularly scheduled Board meetings. The Compensation Committee also meets telephonically to discuss special items (such as the payment of special bonuses). The Compensation Committee members regularly confer with our chief executive officer on matters regarding the compensation of the Named Executives, other than the chief executive officer, and other executive officers.

Influence of Say-on-Pay Results on Executive Compensation Decisions

The Compensation Committee is attentive to the outcome of the shareholder “Say on Pay” vote. At the Company’s 2017 annual shareholder meeting, the holders of 12,511,918 shares of common stock cast votes for approval of the proposal and the holders of 936,016 shares of common stock cast votes against approval of the proposal, with 107,898 abstaining. In addition, all shares of Series A Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred Stock that cast votes at the 2017 annual shareholder meeting cast votes for approval of the proposal. As the Company already holds annual “Say on Pay” votes, the Compensation Committee did not change any practices or programs as a result of the 2017 meeting’s “Say on Pay” vote outcome.

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

No member of the Compensation Committee was an officer or employee of the Company during 2017, and no member of the Compensation Committee was an officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries during the prior three years. In addition, during 2017, none of our executive officers served as a member of a compensation committee or board of directors of any other entity, an executive officer of which served as a member of our Board.

ANNUAL COMPENSATION COMMITTEE REPORT

The Compensation Committee of the Company has reviewed and discussed the Compensation Discussion and Analysis required by Item 402(b) of Regulation S-K with management and, based on such review and discussions, the Compensation Committee recommended to the Board that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in this Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A.

Members of the Compensation Committee:

Cletus Davis (Chairman)

Timothy P. Halter

David Patton

2017 SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE

The following table shows the compensation earned by the Company and its subsidiaries for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015 to the Named Executives.

 

CEO PAY RATIO

Pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Act, the Securities and Exchange Commission adopted a rule requiring annual disclosure of the ratio of the total annual compensation of the principal executive officer (“PEO”), Mr. Little, to the median employee’s annual total compensation. Our methodology, material assumptions and estimates for the calculation of this ratio is described below.

·	The median employee was identified as of December 31, 2017 by calculating the median for total cash compensation for 2017 for all full-time, part-time, seasonal, or temporary employees (excluding our CEO), whether located in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, or the United Arab Emirates.

·

Total cash compensation for each employee is used as our consistently applied compensation measure, and this number is derived from amounts reported in our payroll records. The Company believes that total cash compensation is an appropriate measure to identify the median employee, since the use of long-term equity compensation is not widespread at the Company.

·	If a full-time or part-time employee was not employed by the Company for the entirety of the year, an annualized total compensation was calculated for that employee; however, part-time employees were not converted to full-time as part of this annualization.

·

After we identified the median employee based on total cash compensation, we calculated the annual total compensation for both Mr. Little and the median employee using the methodology for calculating the total compensation set forth in the Summary Compensation Table (“SCT”) of this proxy statement. Our annual total compensation in 2017 was determined to be $54,875 for our median employee and $1,646,106 for Mr. Little.

·

The CEO pay ratio was then calculated by dividing the annual total compensation for Mr. Little by the annual total compensation for the median employee, which yielded the ratio of 30:1. Thus, we estimate that Mr. Little’s 2017 annual total compensation was approximately 30 times that of our median employee.

 

OUTSTANDING EQUITY AWARDS

The following table sets forth certain information with respect to outstanding equity awards to the Named Executives as of December 31, 2017:

* The market value of shares of stock is computed by multiplying the closing market price of our stock at the end of the last completed fiscal year by the number of shares of stock set forth to the left of such figure.

(1) These RSUs vested on March 31, 2018.

(2) These RSUs vest in two equal installments commencing on August 9, 2018 and ending on August 9, 2019.

(3) These RSUs vest in three equal installments commencing on March 31, 2019 and ending on March 21, 2021.

(4) These restricted stock awards vested on March 28, 2018.

(5) These RSUs vest in two equal installments commencing on February 19, 2018 and ending on February 19, 2019.

(6) These RSUs vested on February 25, 2018.

OPTION EXERCISES AND STOCK VESTED

 

The following table sets forth certain information with respect to option exercises and stock awards acquired on vesting during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017 to the Named Executives.

GRANTS OF PLAN-BASED AWARDS

 

The following table sets forth certain information with respect to grants of plan-based awards for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017 to the Named Executives.

 

 

	(1)	For 2017, the Named Executives were eligible for a cash bonus based on the Company’s performance for that year. The cash bonus was
		calculated by multiplying our profit before income tax by two percentages. Profit before income tax, up to a maintenance amount (which was
		$9.674 million for 2017), was multiplied by a percentage referred to as the Maintenance Incentive Factor (ranging from 0.00% to 1.14%).
		Profit before income tax above the maintenance amount was multiplied by a higher percentage referred to as the Growth Incentive Factor
		(ranging from 0.00% to 3.43%). The Maintenance Incentive Factor and Growth Incentive Factor vary on a sliding scale based on the
		amount of the income before taxes relative to sales for that year. Thus, there are no threshold or maximum payouts under this plan.
	(2)	Under the terms of the employment agreement with Mr. Little, he could receive a bonus of 5% of our profit before income tax, which is
		determined and paid on a quarterly basis. The Compensation Committee can decide to pay all or a portion of this bonus in the form of
		restricted stock. For 2017, the Compensation Committee decided to pay this bonus in cash and shares of restricted stock. In 2017, the
		maximum incentive bonus for Mr. Little was $1,200,000, of which he earned $397,186 in cash and 6,475 shares of restricted stock worth
		$240,521. In addition, Mr. Little could also earn an additional 15,000 shares restricted stock if certain sales and net income targets were met,
		as described further above. Mr. Little was not granted any shares under this program for 2017 as a result of both sales and net income
		declining from the prior year.
	(3)	Each of the Named Executives except for Mr. Little could receive shares of restricted stock if DXP sales grew in excess of 10% and earnings
		before EBITDA exceed $68 million for 2017. The number of shares each of the other Named Executives could receive would be determined
		by dividing $50,000 by the average daily closing price of our common stock during 2017. No shares were awarded under this incentive
		program since the EBITDA target was not met.
	(4)	Represents the full grant date fair value of each award computed in accordance with applicable accounting guidance, as required by
		Securities and Exchange Commission regulations. See also Note 11, Share-based Compensation, to our audited financial statements
		included in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017.

 

 

POTENTIAL PAYMENTS UPON TERMINATION

 

None of our Named Executives, other than Mr. Little and Mr. McConnell, is entitled to any payments from the Company in the event his employment by the Company terminates as a result of death or disability, or as the result of the voluntary or involuntary termination of his employment.

 

Mr. Little is not entitled to any payments from the Company in the event his employment by the Company terminates as a result of his voluntary termination other than for “Good Reason” (as defined in his employment agreement) or his involuntary termination by the Company for “Good Cause” (as defined in his employment agreement). In the event that the Company had terminated Mr. Little’s employment without “Good Cause” or he had voluntarily terminated with “Good Reason” on December 31, 2017, Mr. Little would have been entitled to a lump-sum severance payment of $4,613,121 and continuation of healthcare benefits and social club dues having a value of $171,599 for a total value of $4,784,720. In the event of Mr. Little’s death, his estate will receive Mr. Little’s base salary in equal bi-weekly installments for a period of twenty-four months after the month of his death. In the event Mr. Little had died on December 31, 2017, his family would have been entitled to payments totaling $1,200,000.

 

On March 6, 2018, Mac McConnell notified the Company of his intention to retire from his role with the Company effective March 31, 2018. In connection with Mr. McConnell’s departure, he received $65,000 related to completion of his responsibilities for the 2017 Form 10-K filing and financial audit.

COMPENSATION OF DIRECTORS

 

Director’s Fees. During 2017, each of our independent directors received a fee of $3,000 for each quarterly board meeting. Our directors who are our employees or otherwise are not independent do not receive any compensation for attending board or committee meetings.

 

Restricted Stock. In addition to the compensation set forth above, each non-employee director receives restricted stock granted under the 2016 Omnibus Incentive Plan. The number of whole shares granted each July 1 is calculated by dividing $75,000 by the closing price of the Common Stock on such July 1. The fair value of restricted stock awards is measured based upon the closing prices of DXP’s Common Stock on the grant dates and is recognized as compensation expense over the vesting period of the awards.

 

On July 1, 2017, Messrs. Davis and Halter each received 2,174 shares of restricted stock. Mr. Patton received 2,229 shares of restricted stock on July 8, 2017.  The shares of restricted stock vest on the anniversary of the date of grant.

 

The table below summarizes the compensation paid by the Company to our Directors, other than Mr. Little, for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017.

 

2017 Director Compensation

CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS

During 2012 and 2013, the Company entered into multiple lease agreements for office space for a corporate location in a building owned by an entity controlled by Mr. Little. Charges incurred during 2017 for these leases amounted to $671,704. The Company will enter into more leases as DXP employees currently located at our current primary corporate location continue to migrate to the new office building owned by an entity controlled by Mr. Little.

During 2014, the Company entered into a lease agreement for warehouse and office space for a Service Center location in a building owned by an entity controlled by Mr. Little. Rent incurred by DXP during 2017 for this lease amounted to $680,000.  During the first quarter of 2016, DXP invested $4.0 million in the entity which owns this building.  During the third and fourth quarters of 2016, the investment was reduced by $4.0 million of distributions received from the entity.

The Company employs six people who work for David Little maintaining real estate owned by Mr. Little. Mr. Little reimburses the Company for the cost of these employees including salaries, payroll taxes, 401(k) matching, health insurance at the COBRA rate, vehicles, fuel and supplies. The cost to Mr. Little of these employees during 2017 was $0.4 million.

During 2015, the Company entered into a lease agreement for warehouse and office space for a Service Center location in a building owned by an entity in which Jay Randle, a retired senior vice president, Nick Little, son of David Little, Kasey Maestas, daughter of David Little, and Andrea Gentle, daughter of David Little, hold a controlling interest. Charges incurred during 2017 for the lease amounted to $267,212. In February 2016, Jay Randle retired from the Company.

During 2014, the Company entered into multiple lease agreements for warehouse and office space for Service Center locations in buildings owned by an entity in which Jay Randle holds an interest. Charges incurred during 2017 for these leases amounted to $1.2 million.

During 2015, DXP entered into an agreement to form an entity for which DXP is the primary beneficiary and owns 47.5% of the equity. The remaining 52.5% of the equity ownership includes Jay Randle. At December 31, 2017, the total assets of the entity were $5.2 million, and consolidated losses for the year ended December 31, 2017 were $1.1 million.

Nicholas Little, Regional Vice President, son of David Little, earned $382,949 during 2017. Mr. Paz Maestas, Vice President/Operations Support, son-in-law of David Little, earned $563,984 during 2017. Mr. Matt Gentle, Vice President, Metal Works Division, son-in-law of David Little, earned $246,150 during 2017.

Suhail Gregory, Director of Integrations, wife of Chris Gregory, earned $141,006 during 2017.

The Board has adopted written policies and procedures, to be applied by the Audit Committee of the Board, for review, approval or ratification of any transactions with related persons. Those policies and procedures apply to any proposed transactions in which DXP is a participant, the amount involved exceeds $120,000 and any director, executive officer or significant shareholder or any immediate family member of such a person has a direct or material indirect interest. The policy requires that any such proposed transaction be reviewed by the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors to determine, among other things, the benefits of the transaction to DXP, the availability of other sources of comparable products or services and whether the terms of the proposed transaction are comparable to those provided to unrelated third parties.

 

AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT

The Audit Committee works closely with management, as well as with DXP’s independent auditors. The Audit Committee has reviewed and discussed our audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2017 with management and the independent auditors. The Audit Committee also has discussed with the Company’s independent auditors the matters required to be discussed by the statement on Auditing Standards No. 16 Communications with Audit Committees as established by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. The Audit Committee has received the written disclosures and the letter from the independent accountant required by applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding the independent accountant’s communication with the audit committee concerning independence, and has discussed with the independent accountant the independent accountant’s independence. Based on its discussions with management and with the Company’s independent auditors and on its own review of the Company’s financial statements, the Audit Committee has recommended to the board of directors that the audited financial statements be included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017.

Members of the Audit Committee

Timothy P. Halter (Chairman)

Cletus Davis

David Patton

PRINCIPAL AUDITOR FEES AND SERVICES

Moss Adams LLP (“Moss Adams”) served as independent auditors for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017.  Hein & Associates LLP (“Hein”) served as independent auditors for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016. Representatives of Moss Adams are expected to be present at the Annual Meeting, to have the opportunity to make a statement if they so desire and be available to respond to appropriate questions.

As previously reported, on November 16, 2017, Hein combined with Moss Adams effective November 16, 2017, as a result of which Hein resigned as the independent registered accounting firm for the Company and Moss Adams was appointed as the new independent registered public accounting firm for the Company. The change in accountants was approved by the Company’s Audit Committee and did not result from any dissatisfaction with the quality of professional services rendered by Hein.

 

The audit reports of Hein on the consolidated financial statements of the Company as of and for the year ended December 31, 2016 did not contain any adverse opinion or disclaimer of opinion, and was not qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope, or accounting principles.

During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016 and through the subsequent interim period preceding Hein's resignation, there were no reportable events within the meaning set forth in Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K, except Hein’s report dated March 31, 2017, expressed an opinion that the Company had not maintained effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2016, because of the effect of material weaknesses on the achievement of the control objectives of the control criteria.

During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016 and through the subsequent interim period preceding Moss Adam’s engagement, the Company did not consult with Moss Adams on either (1) the application of accounting principles to a specified transaction, either completed or proposed; or the type of audit opinion that may be rendered on the Company's financial statements, and Moss Adams did not provide either a written report or oral advise to the Company that Moss Adams concluded was an important factor considered by the Company in reaching a decision as to the accounting, auditing or financial reporting issue; or (2) any matter that was either the subject of a disagreement, as defined in Item 304(a)(1)(iv) of Regulation S-K, or a reportable event, as defined in Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K.

The following table shows the fees incurred by DXP for the audit and other services provided by Moss Adams for 2017 and Hein for 2016.

 

The Audit Committee considers the provision of services by Moss Adams and Hein, if any, not related to the audit of DXP’s financial statements and the review of DXP’s interim financial statements when evaluating Moss Adams and Hein’s independence.

The Audit Committee pre-approves all audit and permissible non-audit services by its independent registered public accountant prior to the receipt of such services. All services for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 set forth in the table above were pre-approved by the Audit Committee.

SECTION 16(a) BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REPORTING COMPLIANCE

Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“Section 16(a)”), requires DXP’s officers, directors and persons who own more than 10% of a registered class of DXP equity securities to file statements on Form 3, Form 4 and Form 5 with the Securities and Exchange Commission regarding ownership. Officers, directors and greater than 10% shareholders are required by Section 16(a) to furnish us, with copies of all Section 16(a) reports which they file. Based solely on a review of copies of such reports furnished to us all Section 16(a) filing requirements were met during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017.

Equity Compensation Plan Information

The table below sets forth the following information as of the end of December 31, 2017 for (i) all compensation plans previously approved by our shareholders and (ii) all compensation plans not previously approved by our shareholders:

PROPOSAL 2: ADVISORY VOTE ON COMPENSATION OF NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

At the Meeting, the shareholders will vote on a non-binding, advisory resolution regarding the compensation of our named executive officers.

We believe that our compensation policies and procedures are competitive, focused on pay-for-performance and strongly aligned with the long-term interests of our shareholders. This advisory shareholder vote, commonly known as “Say-on-Pay,” gives you as a shareholder the opportunity to express approval or withhold approval of the compensation we pay our named executive officers through voting for or against the following resolution:

“Resolved, that the shareholders approve the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers as disclosed in DXP’s 2018 proxy statement, which includes the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, the Summary Compensation Table and the other executive compensation tables and related discussion.”

The Company and the Compensation Committee remain committed to the compensation philosophy, policies and objectives outlined under the heading “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” in this proxy statement. As always, the Compensation Committee will continue to review all elements of the executive compensation program and take any steps it deems necessary to continue to fulfill the objectives of the program.

Shareholders are encouraged to carefully review the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” section of this proxy statement for a detailed discussion of our executive compensation program.

Because your vote is advisory, it will not be binding upon DXP or our Board of Directors. However, our Compensation Committee will take into account the outcome of the vote when considering future executive compensation arrangements.

This proposal must be approved by the affirmative vote of the holders of shares representing at least a majority of the shares entitled to vote at the meeting and represented at the meeting, by person or proxy, by the holders of our Common Stock, Series A Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred Stock voting together as a single class. Abstentions  with respect to the approval of this proposal will have the effect of a vote against this proposal.  Broker non-votes will not be treated as shares that are represented at the meeting and will have no effect on this proposal.

Board Recommendation

Our Board recommends that you vote “FOR” the resolution to approve, on an advisory basis, the compensation of DXP’s named executive officers.

PROPOSAL 3: RATIFICATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

Pursuant to the recommendation of the Audit Committee, the board has appointed Moss Adams LLP as the independent registered public accounting firm of the Company for the year ending December 31, 2018. The board is seeking ratification of the appointment of Moss Adams LLP for the 2018 fiscal year. Shareholder ratification of the selection of Moss Adams LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the 2018 fiscal year is not required by our bylaws, state law or otherwise. However, the board is submitting the selection of Moss Adams LLP to our shareholders for ratification as a matter of good corporate governance. If the shareholders fail to ratify the selection, the Audit Committee will consider this information when determining whether to retain Moss Adams LLP for future services.

At the annual meeting, shareholders will be asked to consider and act upon a proposal to ratify the appointment of Moss Adams LLP. This proposal must be approved by the affirmative vote of the holders of shares representing at least a majority of the shares entitled to vote at the meeting and represented at the meeting, by person or proxy, by the holders of our Common Stock, Series A Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred Stock voting together as a single class. Abstentions with respect to the approval of this proposal will have the effect of a vote against this proposal.  Ratification of the appointment of Moss Adams LLP is a ‘routine’ matter and therefore brokers may vote shares on behalf of shareholders in their own discretion if no instructions are provided on how to vote on this matter.  Representatives of Moss Adams LLP are expected to be in attendance at the annual meeting and will be afforded the opportunity to make a statement. The representatives will also be available to respond to questions.

Board Recommendation

Our Board recommends that you vote “FOR” the ratification of Moss Adams LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for 2018.

PROPOSALS FOR NEXT ANNUAL MEETING

Any proposals of shareholders intended to be included in DXP’s proxy statement for the 2019 Annual Meeting of Shareholders must be received by DXP at its principal executive offices, 7272 Pinemont Drive, Houston, Texas 77040, no later than January 8, 2019, in order to be included in the proxy statement and form of proxy relating to that meeting.

Any shareholder who wishes to bring a proposal or nominate a person for election to our Board of Directors at the 2019 Annual Meeting of Shareholders must provide written notice of the proposal or nomination to our Corporate Secretary, at our principal executive offices, between February 19, 2019 and March 21, 2019, which is 90 to 120 days prior to the one year anniversary of the upcoming Annual Meeting. In addition, our shareholders must comply with the requirements of the SEC related to nominations and shareholder proposals and the procedural requirements in our bylaws, which shareholders can obtain from us upon request and which are also on file with the SEC. These requirements are separate and apart from and in addition to the requirements of federal securities laws with which a shareholder must comply to have a shareholder proposal included in DXP’s Proxy Statement under Rule 14a-8 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

Our bylaws provide that if a shareholder wishes to nominate a person for election as director (which is separate from simply recommending someone to be considered by our Nominating and Governance Committee for inclusion on the Company’s slate of directors) or to propose other business to be considered at one of our annual meetings of shareholders, that shareholder must follow the procedures contained in our bylaws and satisfy the requirements of Regulation 14A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The shareholder proposing such business or making such nomination must be a shareholder of record of our Company on the date the nomination is delivered to our Corporate Secretary and at the time of our annual meeting and be entitled to vote at the annual meeting. The proposal or nomination must be received by our Corporate Secretary at our principal executive offices not less than 90 nor more than 120 days prior to the first anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting, except that if the date of the annual meeting is more than 30 days before or more than 60 days after such anniversary date, notice by the shareholder must be delivered not earlier than the close of business 120 days prior to the annual meeting and no later than 90 days prior to such annual meeting or 10 days following our first public announcement of the date of the annual meeting. In addition, if the number of directors to be elected to our Board of Directors at an annual meeting is increased and there is no public announcement by us naming all of the nominees for director or specifying the size of the increased Board of Directors at least 100 days prior to the first anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting, a shareholder’s nomination shall also be considered timely, but only with respect to nominees for any new positions created by such increase, if it is delivered to our Corporate Secretary at our principal executive offices not later than the close of business on the 10th day following the day on which we first make such public announcement. These time periods are designed to allow us time to adequately consider all proposals and nominees.

 

To be considered, each nomination must include the following information:

 

To be considered, proposals for business to be considered by our shareholders at an annual meeting, other than the nomination of persons for election as directors, must include the following information:

 

Such information must include any such interests held by members of such shareholder’s or such beneficial owner’s immediate family sharing the same household. All such information must be supplemented by such shareholder and such beneficial owner, if any, not later than 10 days after the record date for the annual meeting to disclose such ownership as of the record date, 10 days before the annual meeting date, and immediately prior to the commencement of the annual meeting, by delivery of such supplemented information to our Corporate Secretary. Such information shall also include any other information relating to such shareholder and beneficial owner, if any, that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings required to be made in connection with solicitation of proxies for election of directors in a contested election pursuant to Section 14 of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, a representation that the shareholder is a holder of record of our stock entitled to vote at such meeting and intends to appear in person or by proxy at the meeting to propose such business or nomination, and a representation whether the shareholder or the beneficial owner, if any, intends or is part of a group that intends to deliver a proxy statement and/or form of proxy to holders of at least the percentage of our outstanding capital stock required to approve or adopt the proposal or elect the nominee or otherwise to solicit proxies from shareholders in support of such proposal or nomination.

The proposing shareholder must also include such other information as we may reasonably require or that is otherwise reasonably necessary to determine the eligibility of such proposed nominee to serve as a director of our Company, to determine whether such nominee qualifies as an “independent director” or “audit committee financial expert” under applicable law, securities exchange rule or regulation, or any of our publicly-disclosed corporate governance guidelines or committee charters; including our policy governing director qualifications and nominations, and that could be material to a reasonable shareholder’s understanding of the independence and qualifications, or lack thereof, of such nominee.

OTHER MATTERS

We know of no other matters that may come before the Annual Meeting. However, if any matters other than those referred to above should properly come before the Annual Meeting, it is the intention of the persons named in the enclosed proxy to vote such proxy in accordance with their best judgment.

The cost of solicitation of proxies in the accompanying form will be paid by DXP. In addition to solicitation by use of the mails, certain directors, officers or employees, who will not receive any additional compensation for the solicitation of proxies, may solicit the return of proxies by telephone, facsimile or personal interview.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Signature of Shareholder(s):		Date:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Signature of Shareholder(s):		Date:

 

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