Exhibit 4.3
FLEXSTEEL INDUSTRIES, INC.
1995 STOCK OPTION PLAN
SECTION 1
Definitions: As used herein, the following terms have the meaning
indicated:
"Agreement" means the Stock Option Agreement entered into between the
Company and an Optionee.
"Board of Directors" means the Board of Directors of the Company.
"Committee" means the members of the Board of Directors appointed to
administer the Plan.
"Company" means Flexsteel Industries, Inc.
"Date of Adoption" means December 5, 1995.
"Date Plan Approved by Shareholders" means December 5, 1995.
"Option" means an Optionee's right to purchase shares of Common Stock of
the Company, subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan and Agreement.
Options are either Incentive Stock Options or Nonqualified Stock Options.
"Optionee" means an eligible employee who has been designated for
participation under the Plan as defined in Section 5(a) or a non-employee
director granted options pursuant to Section 5(e).
"Option Period" means the ten-year or lesser period of time during which
the Stock Option Agreement allows the Option to be exercised commencing with the
Date the Option is Granted. No Option shall be granted after December 1, 2005.
"Non-employee director" means a director of the Company who has not been an
employee of the Company for three years.
"Plan" means the Company's 1995 Stock Option Plan. Its name is Flexsteel
Industries, Inc. 1995 Stock Option Plan.
SECTION 2
AGGREGATE SHARES UNDER THE PLAN AND PURPOSE:
(a) The aggregate number of shares which may be issued pursuant to this
Plan under Options is 400,000 Common Shares of the Company, subject to
adjustments provided for hereafter in Section 4(b).
(b) The purpose of this Plan is to encourage the growth and success of the
Company by providing incentives to motivate, attract and retain employees of
competent training, experience and ability to encourage such people to invest in
the Common Stock of the Company, thereby increasing their proprietary interest
in the business and their personal interest in the Company's continued success
and progress. The purpose also is to attract and retain outstanding non-employee
directors by enabling them to participate in company growth through automatic
non-discretionary grants of options.
(c) The Plan shall be deemed to have been adopted December 5, 1995, subject
to the ratification and approval by shareholders of the Company at the December
5, 1995 Annual Meeting. Options may be granted after the Plan is adopted and
before the Plan is approved by shareholders but the Company shall have no
obligations of any nature whatsoever to any employee or other person arising out
of either this Plan or any Options granted hereunder unless shareholder approval
is obtained.
(d) The Plan will not confer upon any Optionee any right with respect to
continuance of employment by the Company, nor a continuing directorship, nor
will it interfere in any way with the Company's right to terminate the
Optionee's employment at any time with or without cause.
(e) No Option shall be granted pursuant the Plan after December 1, 2005.
(f) The Committee, in its discretion, shall set the length of the time
during which each Option may be exercised, except for non-employee director
grants, but in no event shall it be longer than ten years after the Date of
Grant.
SECTION 3
ADMINISTRATION:
(a) Subject to such orders and resolutions not inconsistent with the
provisions of the Plan as may from time to time be issued or adopted by the
Board, the Plan shall be administered by, or only in accordance with the
recommendation of, a Committee of two or more persons having full authority to
act in the matter, all of the members of which Committee are disinterested
persons within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as amended.
1. The Committee shall administer the Plan and accordingly, it shall
have full power to grant stock options, construe and interpret the Plan,
amend and adjust terms of then existing options subject to restrictions of
this Plan, establish rules and regulations and perform all other acts,
including the delegation of administrative responsibilities, it believes
reasonable and proper.
2. The determination of those eligible to receive stock options, and
the amount, type and timing of each stock option and the terms and
conditions of the respective stock option agreements shall rest in the sole
discretion of the Committee, subject to the provisions of the Plan.
3. The Committee may cancel any stock options awarded under the Plan
if an Optionee conducts himself in a manner which the Committee determines
to be inimical to the best interests of the Company and/or accepts
employment with a competitor. This provision does not apply to non-employee
director options.
4. The Board, or the Committee, may correct any defect, supply any
omission or reconcile any inconsistency in the Plan, or in any granted
stock option, in the manner and to the extent it shall deem necessary to
carry it into effect.
None of the Committee members are eligible to receive Options under the
Plan while a member of the Committee except pursuant to Section 5(e).
(b) All determinations by the Committee shall be made by the affirmative
vote of a majority of its members by written consent or by a majority vote, in
person or otherwise, of its members at a meeting called for that purpose.
(c) Each Option shall be evidenced by an Agreement which shall contain the
terms and conditions and shall be signed by an Officer of the Company and the
Optionee. As a minimum, the Agreement shall state the number of shares of stock
under Option, the Option Price and the Duration of the Option.
(d) All decisions made by the Committee pursuant to provisions of the Plan
or related orders or resolutions of the Board shall be final, conclusive and
binding on all parties, including the Company, shareholders, employees and
Optionees.
SECTION 4
SHARES SUBJECT TO THE PLAN:
(a) Shares to be delivered upon exercise of an Option under the Plan shall
be made available at the discretion of the Board of Directors either from
authorized but unissued shares of the Company's Common Stock or shares acquired
by the Company, including shares purchased in the open market.
(b) In the event of merger, reorganization, consolidation,
recapitalization, stock dividend, stock split, or other change in corporation
structure affecting the Company's Common Stock the number of shares of Common
Stock available for Options and subject to outstanding stock options shall be
adjusted proportionately. Similarly, the Option Price per share of outstanding
stock options shall be appropriately adjusted. However, fractional shares may be
rounded to the nearest whole share.
SECTION 5
ELIGIBILITY AND PARTICIPATION:
(a) The persons eligible for participation in the Plan shall be full-time
managerial, administrative or professional employees of the Company,
non-employee directors and those other employees who are key to the
corporation's success. This includes officers, whether or not Directors of the
Company. Participation in the Plan shall not be automatic except for
non-employee directors who shall be granted options in amounts and pursuant to
the terms only as provided by Section 5(e) herein and not otherwise.
(b) Subject to the limitations of the Plan, the Committee shall select the
persons to participate in the Plan, determine the number and option price of
shares subject to each Option, and determine the date when each Option shall be
granted and the date when each Option shall expire. The Date the employee
becomes an Optionee is the date of his Agreement with the Company. More than one
Option may be granted to the same Optionee and an Optionee may enter into more
than one Agreement with the Company.
(c) No Incentive Stock Option shall be granted to anyone who, immediately
after such Option would otherwise be granted, would own stock representing more
than ten percent (10%) of the total combined voting power of all classes of
stock of the Company.
(d) An Option granted to an Optionee under this Plan shall in all events
lapse upon expiration of the Option Period, if not exercised, lapsed, canceled
or otherwise terminated prior thereto. If an Option granted hereunder is not
exercised but is canceled, terminated or lapsed, the shares covered by such
Option shall become again available for grant by the Committee under this Plan.
(e) Each person who becomes for the first time a non-employee member of the
Board, including by reason of election, appointment or lapse of three (3) years
since employment by the Company (whether or not that person is standing for
re-election that year), will receive an immediate one-time grant for 2,000
shares. Each duly elected non-employee director will receive a grant for 1,000
shares on the first business day following each annual meeting. The following
terms and conditions are applicable to each option. The option price per share
will be equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the fair market value on the date
of grant. The options will have terms of ten years measured from the date of
grant. In the event the optionee ceases to serve as a director the option may be
exercised for a period of ninety days after the date of cessation or if by
reason of disability or death twelve months. In the case of death the option may
be exercised within such period by the estate or heirs of the optionee.
SECTION 6
TERM OF THE PLAN AND OPTION PERIOD:
(a) The Plan shall automatically terminate on December 1, 2005, which is
within ten years from the Date of the Adoption. No Options shall be granted
after the date of such termination. However, the Plan shall remain in effect as
to all outstanding Options until the outstanding Options are exercised,
canceled, terminated or lapsed.
(b) Such termination shall not adversely affect Options previously granted.
(c) Subject to the provisions of the Plan with respect to death,
disability, retirement, termination of employment, or otherwise, the maximum
period during which each Option shall be exercised shall be fixed by the
Committee, except for non-employee directors, at the time each such Option is
granted, but in no event shall it exceed ten years from the date of such grant.
SECTION 7
The Committee may grant either Incentive Stock Options or Nonqualified
Stock Options to employees. Where an Incentive Stock Option and a Nonqualified
Stock Option are awarded by the Committee, such Options shall constitute
separate grants and shall clearly be identified as such. In no event will the
exercise of one such Option affect the right to exercise the other such Option.
If an Incentive Stock Option is awarded, absolutely all terms and conditions
making it so must be complied with by the Company and the Optionee.
(a) Option Price: The option price for shares of Common Stock of the
Company shall be one hundred percent (100%) of the Fair Market Value of
such Common Stock on the date the Option is granted. For the purposes of
this Plan, such Fair Market Value shall be determined (i) in case the
Common Stock shall not then be listed and traded upon a recognized
securities exchange, upon the basis of the mean between the bid and asked
quotations for such stock on the Date of Grant (as reported by a recognized
stock quotation service) or, in the event that there shall be no bid or
asked quotations on the Date of Grant, then upon the basis of the mean
between the bid and asked quotations on the date nearest preceding the Date
of Grant, or (ii) in the case the Common Stock shall then be listed and
traded upon a recognized securities exchange, upon the basis of the mean
between the highest and lowest selling prices at which shares of the Common
Stock were traded on such recognized securities exchange on the Date of
Grant or, if the Common Stock was not traded on said Date, upon the basis
of the mean of such prices on the date nearest preceding the Date of Grant,
and upon any other factors which the Committee shall deem appropriate.
(b) Maximum Option Grants: The aggregate Fair Market Value (determined
at the time the option is granted) of the stock with respect to which
Incentive Stock Options are exercisable for the first time by such
individual during any calendar year (under all such plans of the Company
and its parent and subsidiary corporations, if any) shall not exceed
$100,000. Options granted in excess of the applicable statutory limit shall
be treated as Nonqualified Stock Options.
(c) Exercise of Options: Each Option granted under the Plan shall be
exercisable at the Option Price set forth in the Agreement, on such date or
dates during such Option Period (not exceeding ten years from the date of
such grant) and for such number of shares as determined by the Committee
and as is set forth in the Agreement with respect to such Option. However,
no Option granted hereunder to any employee may be exercised except in the
case of death, disability or retirement pursuant to any pension plan of the
Company, until two years of continued employment with the Company has
elapsed. Any Optionee desiring to exercise any Option hereunder shall give
written Notice to the designated financial officer of the Company and
include therein full payment for the shares supporting such Option. Full
payment of the exercise price including any tax due is to be made in cash
or with the consent of the Committee with the stock of the Company or with
a combination of both. Notice is only valid when full payment is included
therewith.
(d) Transferability of Options: An Option granted under the Plan may
not be transferred except by will or the laws of descent and distribution,
and during the lifetime of the Optionee shall only be exercisable by the
Optionee. The Optionee shall have no interest in the stock subject to
Options and shall have no rights until the shares are fully paid for and
certificates for such stock are issued to the Optionee.
(e) Payment for Shares: No shares shall be issued to any Optionee
until Notice, as defined in Section 7(c) has been given to the Company.
Within 45 days after the receipt of said Notice to exercise the Option, the
Company shall deliver to the Optionee certificates representing all stock
purchased thereunder.
(f) Restriction on Sale of Shares: Any stock received pursuant to the
exercise of an Incentive Stock Option which is sold within either: 1) two
years from the effective date of the grant, or 2) within one year of the
effective date of exercise, shall not be afforded the tax treatment of
Incentive Stock Options. However, if any Optionee disposes of shares of
Common Stock of the Company acquired on the exercise of an Incentive Stock
Option by sale or exchange, either: 1) within two years after the date of
grant of the Incentive Stock Option under which the stock was acquired, or
2) within one year after the acquisition of such shares, he shall notify
the Company of such disposition and of the amount realized upon such
disposition.
(g) If any Option is not granted, exercised or held pursuant to the
provisions of this Section, it will be considered to be a Nonqualified
Stock Option to the extent that any or all of the grant or exercise is in
conflict with the above restrictions.
SECTION 8
DEATH, RETIREMENT AND TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT:
Any Option granted to an employee, the period of which has not lapsed or
expired, shall terminate at the time of the death of the Optionee to whom the
Option was granted or on the retirement or termination for any reason of such
Optionee's employment with the Company, and no shares may thereafter be
delivered pursuant to such Option, except that:
(a) within one year after the date of the Optionee's death, during
which one year period the Option may be exercised by the Optionee's estate,
legal representative, or legatee or such other person designated by an
appropriate court as the person entitled to exercise such Option but only
to the extent the Optionee was entitled to exercise it at the time of his
or her death. The Option must be exercised in the manner provided for in
Section 7(c). This Section is subject to Section 2(f).
(b) within one year after termination of employment by reason of
retirement pursuant to any pension plan of the Company and to the extent
the Optionee would have been able to exercise it at the time of such
termination. The Option must be exercised in the manner provided for in
Section 7(c). This Section is subject to Section 2(f).
(c) within one year after termination of employment by reason of
disability to the extent the Optionee would have been able to exercise it
at the time of such termination. The Option must be exercised in the manner
provided for in Section 7(c). This Section is subject to Section 2(f).
SECTION 9
AMENDMENT OF THE PLAN:
The Board of Directors may amend, suspend or discontinue the Plan, but may
not, without the approval of the Company's shareholders, make any amendment
which would:
(a) abolish the Committee, change the qualifications of its members,
or withdraw the administration of the Plan from its supervision, or permit
any person while a member of the Committee to become eligible to
participate in the Plan subject to Section 5(e);
(b) make any material change in the class of eligible employees as
defined in the Plan;
(c) increase the aggregate number of shares for which Options may be
granted under the Plan;
(d) extend the term of the Plan or the maximum Option Period; or
(e) change the right of any non-employee director to receive automatic
non-discretionary grants of options under this plan. The Plan provisions
relating to grants to non-employee directors shall not be amended more than
once every six months, other than to comport with changes in the Internal
Revenue Code, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, or the rules
thereunder.
REQUIREMENTS OF LAW:
(a) Withholding Taxes: The Company shall have the right to deduct from all
payments under this Plan, in cash, or deduct from payroll wages, an amount
necessary to satisfy any federal, state or local withholding tax requirements or
otherwise.
(b) Governing Law: The Plan, and all agreements hereunder, shall be
construed in accordance with and governed by the laws of the State of Minnesota.
(c) Agreement to Comply with Securities Laws and the Internal Revenue Code:
Before the Company delivers any stock purchased, the following written statement
may be required from the Optionee:
"I agree not to dispose of the shares purchased by me pursuant to the
Flexsteel Industries, Inc. 1995 Stock Option Plan, otherwise than in
compliance with the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and rules and
regulations promulgated thereunder and all other laws, rules and
regulations applicable."
(d) If any term in this Plan pertaining to Incentive Stock Options does not
conform to Section 422A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, those
terms will be invalid and taken out of the Plan. However, removal of any invalid
terms will not affect the remaining terms of the Plan.
