AGREEMENT OF EMPLOYMENT, CONFIDENTIALITY AND NON-COMPETITION
EXHIBIT
10.3
AGREEMENT
OF EMPLOYMENT,
CONFIDENTIALITY
AND NON-COMPETITION
THIS
AGREEMENT OF EMPLOYMENT, CONFIDENTIALITY AND
NON-COMPETITION
(the
"Agreement") is made and entered into as of this 14th
day of
August 2006, by and between HAWK
PRECISION COMPONENTS GROUP, INC.,
an Ohio
corporation with its principal place of business at 000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx
0000, Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxx 00000 (hereinafter referred to as "Employer"), and
XXXXXX X.
XXXXXXXX,
an
individual who resides at 000 Xxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxx 00000 (hereinafter
referred to as "Employee").
R
E C I T A L S :
A. Employer,
both directly and indirectly through its subsidiary companies, is engaged in
the
business of manufacturing and distributing (i) powder metal and metal injection
molded precision components for industrial, consumer and other applications,
and
(ii) high quality custom-engineered metal components made from composite metal
alloys in powder form (the "Company Business"). Employer is a subsidiary of
Hawk
Corporation (‘Hawk”).
B. Prior
to
the date of this Agreement, Employee was employed by Friction Products Co.
(“Friction”) as its President, pursuant to the terms of an Agreement of
Employment, Confidentiality and Non-Competition dated January 27, 2000, as
amended by a First Amendment to Agreement of Employment, Confidentiality and
Non-Competition dated October 5, 2004 (collectively, the “Friction Agreement”).
Friction is also a subsidiary of Hawk. Pursuant to the Friction Agreement,
Employee also served as the President of Tex Racing Enterprises, Inc.
C. Employer
now desires to hire Employee to work for Employer, and Employee desires to
become an employee of Employer.
D. It
is
expected that the work of Employee for Employer will bring Employee into close
contact with many confidential affairs of Employer not readily available to
the
public.
ACCORDINGLY,
in
consideration of the promises hereinafter set forth and in consideration of
the
employment of Employee by Employer, the parties agree as follows:
1. Employment
Relationship.
Employer
hereby hires Employee to work at the position of President of Employer, and
Employee agrees to begin working at that position, effective as of the date
of
this Agreement. Employee shall report to the president of Hawk. The employment
relationship between Employer and Employee shall be "at will", terminable by
either party at any time for any reason or no reason.
2. Compensation.
For
services rendered pursuant to this Agreement, and for the covenants and
agreements of Employee set forth herein, Employee shall receive the following:
(i) a base salary at the rate of $23,750 per month (annual rate: $285,000),
(ii) an opportunity to earn a target bonus of $114,000 (40% of base
salary), with the possibility of a greater or lesser bonus depending upon
achieving objectives, with respect to each full year of employment completed
by
Employee hereunder, to be computed at the end of the year in accordance with
mutually agreed objectives and standards for such year, which will be
established on an annual basis, (iii) four weeks of vacation per year,
(iv) the right to participate in the standard benefits which Employer
provides to all of its employees, and (v) the right to participate in the
Hawk Corporation 1997 Stock Option Plan and the 2000
Long
Term Incentive Plan
(collectively, the “Plans”) in accordance with and subject to all of the terms
and conditions contained in the Plans, subject to the execution of such
documents as may be required by the Committee appointed pursuant to the
Plans.
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3. Severance.
In the
event of the termination of Employee's employment by Employer other than for
"cause" (as hereinafter defined), Employer will continue to pay to Employee
the
base salary, and will continue to provide medical insurance benefits on the
same
basis as such benefits had been provided immediately prior to the termination,
for a period of fourteen (14) months following the date of termination. For
purposes hereof, a termination for "cause" shall include but not be limited
to
the following: (i) Employee engaging in fraud, misappropriation of funds,
embezzlement or like conduct committed against Employer or a customer or
supplier of Employer, (ii) Employee being convicted of a felony or other
crime involving dishonesty or moral turpitude, (iii) Employee engaging in
any act of sexual misconduct at or in connection with work, including sexual
harassment, (iv) Employee violating, in a material respect, a published or
otherwise generally recognized policy of Employer, (v) Employee failing to
fulfill the duties and responsibilities of his job, including, without
limitation, failing to meet established performance objectives, and
(vi) Employee violating, in a material respect, any provision of this
Agreement. In the event of such a termination for cause, Employer shall have
no
further obligation to Employee pursuant to this Agreement after the date of
termination.
4. Non-Compete.
During
the period which includes the entire term of Employee's employment with Employer
and six (6) months following the termination of such employment, however caused,
(the "Restricted Period"), Employee shall not, directly or indirectly, within
any state in which Employer has actively engaged in the Company Business during
any part of the term of Employee's employment with Employer, or with respect
to
any customer (wherever located) with whom Employee has had material dealings
during any part of the term of Employee's employment with Employer, compete
with
Employer in any manner, on behalf of Employee or any other person, firm,
business, corporation or other entity (each such other person, firm, business,
corporation or other entity being referred to hereinafter as a "Person"),
including, without limitation, that Employee shall not (i) engage in the
Company Business for his own account; (ii) enter the employ of, or render
any services to, any Person engaged in the Company Business; (iii) request
or instigate any account or customer of Employer to withdraw, diminish, curtail
or cancel any of its business with Employer; or (iv) become interested in
any Person engaged in the Company Business as an owner, partner, shareholder,
officer, director, licensor, licensee, principal, agent, employee, trustee,
consultant or in any other relationship or capacity. In the event of Employee's
breach of any provision of this section, the running of the Restricted Period
shall be automatically tolled (i.e., no part of the Restricted Period shall
expire)
from
and
after the date of the first such breach.
5. Confidential
Information.
(a) Belonging
To Prior Employer.
Employee is specifically directed, and hereby agrees, that he shall not disclose
to Employer any trade secrets or confidential information which belongs to
any
prior employer of Employee.
(b) Belonging
to Employer.
Employee recognizes and acknowledges that confidential information, including,
without limitation, information, knowledge or data (i) of a technical
nature such as but not limited to methods, know-how, formulae, compositions,
processes, machinery (including computer hardware), discoveries, inventions,
products, product specifications, computer programs and similar items or
research projects; (ii) of a business nature such as but not limited to
information about products, cost, purchasing or suppliers, profits, market,
sales or customers, including lists of customers, and the financial condition
of
Employer; (iii) pertaining to future developments such as but not limited
to strategic planning, research and development or future marketing or
merchandising, and trade secrets of Employer; and (iv) all other matters
which Employer treats as confidential (the items of Employer described above
being referred to collectively hereinafter as "Confidential Information"),
are
valuable, special and unique assets of Employer. During and after the Restricted
Period, Employee shall keep secret and retain in strictest confidence, and
shall
not use for the benefit of himself or others except in connection with the
business and affairs of Employer, any and all Confidential Information learned
by Employee before or after the date of this Agreement, and shall not disclose
such Confidential Information to anyone outside of Employer either during or
after employment by Employer, except as required in the course of performing
duties of his employment with Employer, without the express written consent
of
Employer or as required by law.
6. Property
of Employer.
Employee
agrees to deliver promptly to Employer all drawings, blueprints, manuals,
letters, notes, notebooks, reports, sketches, formulae, computer programs and
files, memoranda, customer lists and all other materials relating in any way
to
the Company Business and in any way obtained by Employee during the period
of
his employment with Employer which are in his possession or under his control,
and all copies thereof, (i) upon termination of Employee's employment with
Employer, or (ii) at any other time at Employer's request. Employee further
agrees he will not make or retain any copies of any of the foregoing and will
so
represent to Employer upon termination of his employment.
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7. Employees
and Consultants of Employer.
During
the Restricted Period, Employee shall not, directly or indirectly (i) hire,
solicit, or encourage to either leave the employment of or cease working with
Employer, any person who is then an employee of Employer, or any consultant
who
is then engaged by Employer, or (ii) hire any employee or consultant who
had left the employment of or had ceased consulting with Employer but who had
not yet been a former employee or former consultant of Employer for two full
years.
8. Rights
and Remedies Upon Breach.
Both
parties recognize that the rights and obligations set forth in this Agreement
are special, unique and of extraordinary character. If Employee breaches, or
threatens to commit a breach of, any of the provisions of paragraphs 4 through
7
of this Agreement (the "Restrictive Covenants"), then Employer shall have,
in
addition to, and not in lieu of, any other rights and remedies available to
Employer under law or in equity, the right to specific performance and/or
injunctive relief, it being acknowledged and agreed that any such breach or
threatened breach will cause irreparable injury to Employer and that money
damages will not provide an adequate remedy to Employer. If any court determines
that any one or more of the Restrictive Covenants, or any part thereof, shall
be
unenforceable because of the scope, duration and/or geographical area covered
by
such provision, such court shall have the power to reduce the scope, duration
or
area of such provision and, in its reduced form, such provision shall then
be
enforceable and shall be enforced.
9. Disclosure.
Employer
may notify anyone employing Employee or evidencing an intention to employ
Employee as to the existence and provisions of this Agreement.
10. Governing
Law and Jurisdiction.
The
parties intend that the validity, performance and enforcement of this Agreement
shall be governed by the laws of the State of Ohio. In the event of any claim
arising out of or related to this Agreement, or the breach thereof, the parties
intend to and hereby confer jurisdiction to enforce the terms of this Agreement
upon the courts of any jurisdiction within the State of Ohio, and hereby waive
any objections to venue in said courts.
11. Binding
Effect.
This
Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto,
their heirs, representatives and successors.
12. Severability.
In case
any one or more of the provisions contained in this Agreement shall, for any
reason, be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect by a
court of competent jurisdiction, such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability
shall not affect any other provision of this Agreement, but this Agreement
shall
be construed as if such invalid, illegal, or unenforceable provision had never
been contained herein.
13. Notices.
All
notices, requests, demands or other communications hereunder shall be sent
by
registered or certified mail to the parties at the addresses set forth on the
first page of this Agreement, or to such other address as a party may designate
by notice given pursuant to this paragraph.
14. Acknowledgment.
Employee
acknowledges that: (i) he has carefully read all of the terms of this
Agreement, and that such terms have been fully explained to him; (ii) he
understands the consequences of each and every term of this Agreement;
(iii) he had other employment opportunities at the time he entered into
this Agreement; (iv) he specifically understands that by signing this
Agreement he is giving up certain rights he may have otherwise had, and that
he
is agreeing to limit his freedom to engage in certain employment during and
after the termination of this Agreement, and (v) the limitations to his
right to compete contained in this Agreement represent reasonable limitations
as
to scope, duration and geographical area, and that such limitations are
reasonably related to protection which Employer reasonably
requires.
15. Termination
of Friction Employment Relationship.
The
parties understand and agree that the employment relationship between Employee
and Friction shall be deemed to be terminated as of the date of this Agreement;
provided, however, that the terms of paragraphs 4 through 15 of the Friction
Agreement shall remain in full force and effect in accordance with their
respective terms; provided, however, that the performance of Employee’s duties
for Employer pursuant to this Agreement shall not constitute a violation of
Employee’s duties to Friction pursuant to paragraph 4 of the Friction
Agreement.
16. Entire
Agreement.
This
Agreement embodies the entire agreement and understanding between Employer
and
Employee and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings relating to
the
subject matter hereof.
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IN
WITNESS WHEREOF,
the
undersigned have hereunto set their hands on the date first hereinabove
mentioned.
HAWK
PRECISION COMPONENTS
GROUP,
INC. ("Employer")
By: /s/
Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
Its: Chairman
and Chief Executive Officer
/s/
Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
XXXXXX
X. XXXXXXXX
("Employee")
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