EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
Exhibit 99.2
This Employment Agreement (this “Agreement”) is entered into as of June 9 2022, by and between Calavo Growers, Inc., a California corporation (the “Employer”), and Xxxxx Xxxxxxx (the “Employee”).
RECITAL
The Employer desires to employ the Employee as the Employer’s Chief Financial Officer and Secretary, and the Employee desires to accept such employment, upon the terms set forth in this Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which hereby are acknowledged, the Employer and the Employee hereby agree as follows:
1. | EMPLOYMENT. |
2. | POSITION, DUTIES, AUTHORITY AND EXCLUSIVITY OF SERVICES. |
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Chairman of the Board of Directors, and the Board of Directors in general.
3. | COMPENSATION. |
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Employer shall pay the Employee an annual salary base salary of $415,000, payable in regular installments in accordance with the Employer’s customary payroll practices for employees. If the Employee is entitled to receive Base Salary for any period that is less than one calendar month, the Base Salary for such period shall be computed by prorating the annual Base Salary over such period based upon the actual number of days therein. The Employer’s Compensation Committee, in its sole authority, shall determine on an annual basis whether an increase in the Employee’s Base Salary is justified.
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may award Annual Bonuses and discretionary bonuses to him in cash, Employer common stock, or rights to acquire Employer common stock, and that such equity-based awards may be subject to vesting conditions and requirements. Equity-based awards made by the Employer to the Employee under this Agreement or otherwise shall be subject to the terms and conditions of the Employer’s 2020 Equity Incentive Plan, as it may be amended from time to time and including any successor plan adopted by the Employer.
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4. | EMPLOYEE BENEFITS, EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT AND INDEMNIFICATION; 409(A) COMPLIANCE. |
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and car rentals for six months beginning on the Commencement Date. The Employee’s rights under this paragraph shall terminate as of the date that his Employment terminates for any reason, provided that the Employer shall remain obligated to reimburse the Employee for any such expenses that were properly incurred by him during the Term of Employment.
5. | POST-EMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION. |
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Annual Bonuses; and (4) the Signing Bonus will become fully vested as of the date of such termination of Employment. The Employee will be treated as an in-service employee for purposes of benefits continuation during any benefits continuation period. The payments and benefits described in this paragraph shall be subject to the Employer’s right to make customary and applicable deductions and withholdings, including, without limitation, for federal and state taxes, FICA, Medicaid and other customary payroll activities. Such payments described above in clause (2) will include medical, dental, and vision insurance coverage, and all other Calavo provided benefits. Under such circumstances, Calavo will also provide the Employee the option, for a period of eighteen (18) months thereafter, at the Employee’s own expense to continue his medical, dental, and vision benefits at the equivalent of his COBRA continuation cost, if and to the extent the continuation of such benefits is permitted under COBRA and other applicable law and the terms of the insurance policies. The Employee shall not be entitled to receive the payments and benefits described in this paragraph if the Employer terminates the Employee’s Employment for Cause or if he terminates his Employment other than for Good Reason.
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notice is given by the Employee to the Employer; (2) any reduction in base salary below $415,000 per year; (3) any material reduction in the Employee’s title, duties, responsibilities or authority, including, without limitation, any adverse change in reporting relationship or assignment to Employee of duties inconsistent with the position of Chief Financial Officer, including in a successor entity in the event of a Change in Control, which is not cured within thirty (30) days after written notice from the Employee to Employer; (4) any breach by the Employer of any material provision of this Agreement (whether or not described above), which breach is not cured by the Employer within thirty (30) days after written notice of such breach is given by the Employee to the Employer; or (5) the failure of any successor to the Employer (whether direct or indirect or whether by merger, acquisition of assets, consolidation or otherwise) to assume in a writing delivered to the Employee the obligations of the Employer under this Agreement, if such assumption agreement is not delivered to the Employee within ten (10) days after he provides the successor to the Employer with written notice of his desire to receive such agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Employee shall be deemed to have terminated his Employment for Good Reason for purposes of this Agreement only if he terminates his Employment within sixty (60) days after the occurrence of the event described in this paragraph (including expiration of the applicable notice and cure period) that permits him to terminate his Employment for Good Reason. In the event that the Employee elects to terminate his Employment for Good Reason pursuant to subsection (3) above following a Change in Control, the Employee shall provide the Employer with at least six (6) month’s notice of his intention to terminate his employment for Good reason and the Employer shall retain the option to shorten such notice period.
6. | CONFIDENTIALITY/UNFAIR COMPETITION. |
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Employment, the Employee shall not, directly or indirectly (as owner, principal, agent, partner, officer, employee, independent contractor, consultant, shareholder or otherwise), (1) hire (or solicit for the purpose of hiring) or cause any other person to hire (or solicit for the purpose of hiring) any employee or officer of the Employer or (2) compete in any manner with the business then being conducted by the Employer. The prohibition that is set forth in the preceding sentence shall not be construed as prohibiting the Employee from acquiring and owning up to one percent (1%) of the outstanding common stock of any corporation whose common stock is traded on a national securities exchange.
7. | INVENTIONS/WORK PRODUCT |
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by reason of being employed by the Employer at the relevant times, to the extent permitted by law, all of the Work Product consisting of copyrightable subject matter is “work made for hire” ac; defined in 17 U.S.C. § 101 and such copyrights are therefore owned by the Employer. To the extent that the foregoing does not apply, the Employee hereby irrevocably assigns to the Employer, for no additional consideration, the Employee’s entire right, title and interest in and to all Work Product and Intellectual Property Rights therein, including the right to xxx, counterclaim and recover for all past, present and future infringement, misappropriation or dilution thereof, and all rights corresponding thereto throughout the world. Nothing contained in this Agreement shall be construed to reduce or limit the Employer’s rights, title or interest in any Work Product or Intellectual Property Rights so as to be less in any respect than that the Employer would have had in the absence of this Agreement.
8. | GENERAL PROVISIONS. |
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mail or one day after delivery to an overnight delivery service.
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remedy or of any subsequent right or remedy of the same kind.
9. | ARBITRATION. |
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VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; California Government Code Section 12960 et seq.; and any other federal, state or local anti-discrimination laws relating to discrimination, including, but not limited to, those based on the following protected categories: genetic information or characteristics; sex and gender; race; religion; national origin; mental or physical disability (including claims under the Americans With Disabilities Act); medical condition; veteran or military status; marital status; sexual orientation or preference; age; pregnancy; and retaliation or wrongful termination in violation of public policy for alleging or filing or participating in any grievance or otherwise complaining of any wrong relating to the aforementioned categories or any public policy.
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cost which he would not have to bear in court beyond any amount which would have to be paid as a filing fee in a superior court. The arbitrator may award attorneys’ fees and costs to the prevailing party to the extent allowed by law.
[signature page follows]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Employer and the Employee have executed and delivered this Agreement as of the date first written above.
| CALAVO GROWERS, INC. |
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| Name: Xxxxx Xxxxxx |
| Title: Chief Executive Officer |
| Current Address: |
| 0000X Xxxxxxxx Xxxx Xxxxx Xxxxx, XX 00000 |
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| Xxxxx Xxxxxxx |
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