KAYDON CORPORATION CHANGE IN CONTROL COMPENSATION AGREEMENT
EXHIBIT 10.18
AGREEMENT made and executed December 3, 2007 between KAYDON CORPORATION, a Delaware
corporation, 000 Xxxx Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx 000, Xxx Xxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000 (Kaydon), and
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx (the Executive). This Agreement is effective on the date provided above.
The Board of Directors of Kaydon has recommended and approved that Kaydon enter into
agreements providing for compensation under certain circumstances involving a change in control of
Kaydon. Executive is a key executive of Kaydon or one or more of its Subsidiaries and has been
selected by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors to enter into this Agreement.
The Board of Directors believes it is imperative that Kaydon and the Board be able to rely
upon Executive to continue in his position should Kaydon become subject to a proposed or threatened
Change in Control. The Board also believes it is critical that Kaydon and the Board be able to
receive and rely upon Executive’s advice, if requested, as to the best interests of Kaydon and its
stockholders, without concern that Executive might be distracted by the personal uncertainties and
risks created by such a proposal or threat. The parties anticipate that this may require actions
above and beyond Executive’s regular duties as the Board determines to be appropriate.
To assure Kaydon that it will have the continued dedication of Executive and the availability
of Executive’s advice and counsel notwithstanding the possibility, threat or occurrence of an
effort to take over control of Kaydon, and to induce Executive to remain in the employ of Kaydon
and its Subsidiaries and for other good and valuable consideration, Kaydon and Executive agree as
follows:
this Agreement ceases to apply to Executive (the Protected Period), Kaydon will provide to Executive the
rights and benefits described in Subsection (b), except as provided in Subsection (c).
i. By Kaydon. By Kaydon (or the Subsidiary employing Executive) for reasons other
than For Cause and other than as a consequence of Executive’s death, permanent disability or
attainment of the normal retirement date under the Kaydon Corporation Retirement Plan (the
Retirement Plan) or other Kaydon retirement plan applicable to Executive, as in effect immediately
preceding that date; or
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• | The average bonus payable to Executive over the most recent three-year fiscal period (or the period during which the Executive has been employed by Kaydon (or any of its Subsidiaries) if less than three years); or | ||
• | Executive’s target bonus for the calendar year in which the termination of employment occurs. |
• | The projected incentive compensation plan awards for the year in which termination of employment occurs; or | ||
• | The incentive compensation plan awards to the Executive for the most recently ended plan year, |
for each full or partial month in the current plan year prior to the month of Executive’s
termination of employment.
iii. Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan Benefits. In the event a Change in
Control occurs, payment of the Actuarial Equivalent (except as limited below) of the Executive’s
vested Accrued Benefit under the Kaydon Corporation Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan (the
SERP), if any, adjusted as provided in this subsection iii to the extent applicable to the
Executive.
• | Is age 55 or older at the time of the Change in Control; and |
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• | Is fully vested in the Retirement Plan (or would be fully vested if Executive was a participant in that Plan) at the time of the Change in Control. |
• | Has been (and remains) identified in the SERP as an individual eligible for that Additional or Discretionary Credit or was removed as an individual eligible for that Credit in anticipation of the Change in Control; and | ||
• | Is vested in the Executive’s Accrued Benefit under the SERP under the terms of the SERP or subsection A, above. |
• | An amendment of the SERP with respect to Executive to effect these provisions; | ||
• | Agreement by Executive to the terms of, and consent in accordance with Section 6.1(a) of the SERP to, the amended and restated SERP adopted by the Board of Directors on May 17, 2007 and to the amendments to the SERP provided in this Agreement; | ||
• | Agreement by Kaydon and Executive that Executive may not be removed from the Additional Credit provisions of the SERP once steps to effect a Change in Control have commenced; and | ||
• | Agreement by Kaydon and Executive that Executive’s employment with any successor to Kaydon shall not cause forfeiture of Executive’s benefits under the SERP under Section 3.6(a) of the SERP. |
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Payment of the SERP benefit as provided by this Agreement satisfies Kaydon’s obligations to
Executive, if any, under the SERP. If Executive’s employment is terminated in anticipation of a
Change in Control but a Change in Control does not occur, subsections A., B. and D. shall operate
but payment of the SERP benefit will occur under the terms of the SERP without acceleration under
this Agreement.
• | One year from the date of termination of Executive’s employment; | ||
• | The Executive’s Normal Retirement Date (as defined in the Retirement Plan) (and, in the case of medical insurance, until Executive is eligible for Parts A and B of Medicare or their equivalent, if later); or |
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• | The date Executive obtains reasonably comparable life insurance, medical insurance, dental insurance, accident insurance, or disability insurance, as the case may be, at no greater cost to Executive than was the case at Kaydon. |
The one year limitation provided above will not apply if Executive:
• | Is age 55 or older at the time of the Change in Control; and | ||
• | Is fully vested in the Retirement Plan (or would be fully vested if Executive was a participant in that Plan) at the time of the Change in Control. |
• | The in kind benefits and the amount eligible for reimbursement during a taxable year of Executive may not affect the in kind benefits to be provided or reimbursement in any other taxable year, except that the lifetime and other benefit limits of the medical, dental and prescription drug plans continue to apply. | ||
• | The reimbursement of an eligible amount must be made on or before the last day of Executive’s taxable year next following the taxable year in which the expense being reimbursed was incurred. | ||
• | The right to this in kind benefit or reimbursement is not subject to liquidation or exchange for any other benefit. |
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other plan or program of Kaydon or any of its subsidiaries or any successor plan or program to which Executive is entitled
under the terms of such plan or program.
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The specific arrangements referred to in this Subsection (b) are not intended to exclude
Executive’s participation in other benefit plans in which Executive currently participates or which
are or may become available to executive personnel generally in the class or category of Executive
or to preclude other compensation or benefits as may be authorized by the Board of Directors from
time to time.
In all other events, Kaydon’s obligation to pay or cause to be paid to Executive the benefits
and to make the arrangements provided below is absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected
by any circumstances, including, without limitation, any set off, counterclaim, recoupment, defense
or other right which Kaydon may have against Executive or anyone else. Except as provided in
Section 2(b)(v), Executive’s
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entitlement to benefits under this Agreement is not subject to any duty to mitigate damages by seeking further employment nor offset by any compensation which
Executive may receive from future employment.
The parties agree that damages in the event of breach of this Section 3 by Executive would be
difficult, if not impossible, to ascertain. The parties therefore agree that Kaydon, in addition
to and without limitation of any other remedy or right it may have, shall have the right to an
injunction or other equitable relief in any court of competent jurisdiction enjoining any such
breach. Executive waives any and all defenses Executive may have to such an action on the ground
of lack of jurisdiction or other equitable relief. The existence of this right shall not preclude
Kaydon from pursuing any other rights and remedies at law or in equity which Kaydon may have.
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(i) 50% Stock. The acquisition, by a person or Persons Acting as a Group, of stock of
Kaydon that together with stock held by such person or group constitutes more than 50% of the total
fair market value or total voting power of the stock of Kaydon;
(ii) 35% Stock. The acquisition, by a person or Persons Acting as a Group, of
ownership of stock of Kaydon that constitutes 35% or more of the total voting power of Kaydon’s
stock in a single transaction or within a twelve month period ending with the most recent
acquisition;
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stock, or similar business transaction with the corporation. If a person, including an entity, owns stock in both corporations
that enter into a merger, consolidation, purchase or acquisition of stock, or similar transaction,
such shareholder is considered to be acting as a group with other shareholders in a corporation
prior to the transaction giving rise to the change and not with respect to the ownership interest
in the other corporation. Persons will not be considered to be acting as a group solely because
they purchase or own stock of the same corporation at the same time or as a result of the same
public offering, or purchase assets of the same corporation at the same time.
Notice of non-renewal or termination shall not be given, and if given shall have no effect,
and Board action to terminate the Agreement will not be effective, however, within three years after a Change in Control or during any period of time when Kaydon has
reason to believe that any third person has begun a tender or exchange offer, circulated a proxy to
stockholders, or taken other steps or formulated plans to effect a Change in Control. That period
of time ends when, in the opinion of the Board of Directors, the third person has abandoned or
terminated the efforts or plans to effect a Change in Control.
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and any successor organization or organizations which shall succeed to substantially all of the business and property
of Kaydon whether by means of merger, consolidation, acquisition of substantially all of the assets
of Kaydon or otherwise, including by operation of law. References here to duties and obligations
of Kaydon following a Change in Control are binding upon and shall be the joint and several
liability of Kaydon and any successor of it and all Subsidiaries of Kaydon and any successors of
any of them.
Such an employee is a Specified Employee for the 12-month
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period beginning the first April 1 following the Identification Date and ending on March 31 of the following year.
KAYDON CORPORATION | EXECUTIVE | |||||||
By: | /s/ Xxxxx X’Xxxxx | /s/ Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx | ||||||
Xxxxx X’Xxxxx | ||||||||
Its: | President & CEO |
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