UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 8-K

 

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of

the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

Date of Report (Date of Earliest Event Reported): August 4, 2017

 

HOUSTON WIRE & CABLE COMPANY

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

     
Delaware 000-52046 36-4151663
(State of Incorporation) (Commission File Number) (IRS employer identification no.)

 

 

10201 North Loop East    
Houston, TX   77029
(Address of principal executive offices)   (Zip code)

 

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code:   (713) 609-2100

 

Not Applicable

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

 

o     Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

o     Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

o     Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

o     Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule  405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§ 230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§ 240.12b–2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company o

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. o

 

 
 

 

Item 5.02. Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

 

Appointment of Roy W. Haley to Board of Directors

 

On August 4, 2017, I. Stewart Farwell resigned as a director of Houston Wire & Cable Company (the “Company”), in accordance with his previously reported intention. Also on August 4, 2017, upon the recommendation of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Houston Wire & Cable Company (the “Company”), the Board elected Roy W. Haley as a new director to fill the vacancy created by Mr. Farwell’s resignation and to serve until the Company’s 2018 annual meeting of stockholders. Mr. Haley will be a member of the Audit and Compensation Committees of the Board.

 

In accordance with the Company’s compensation policy for non-employee directors, on August 4, 2017, the Company granted to Mr. Haley restricted stock units (the “Restricted Stock Units”) under the Company’s 2017 Stock Plan having a fair market value of $45,000, based on the price of the Company’s common stock as reported on The Nasdaq Global Market on the date of grant. The Restricted Stock Units will vest on the date of the Company’s 2018 annual meeting of stockholders. The Restricted Stock Units will be settled in shares of common stock at such time as Mr. Haley’s service on the Board terminates for any reason, provided if at such time the 2017 Stock Plan has not been approved by the Company’s stockholders, the Restricted Stock Units will be settled in cash. The Company and Mr. Haley also will enter into the Company’s standard Indemnification Agreement for directors.

 

Mr. Haley, age 70, served as the Chairman of the Board of WESCO International, Inc. (“WESCO”) from 1998 until his retirement in 2011 and as Chief Executive Officer of WESCO from 1994 to 2009. WESCO is a leading North American-based distributor of products and provider of advanced supply chain management and logistics services used primarily in industrial, construction, utility, and commercial, institutional and government markets. From 1988 to 1993, Mr. Haley served as Chief Operating Officer, President and a director of American General Corporation, a diversified financial services company. Mr. Haley is a director of Essendant Inc. (formerly United Stationers, Inc.), a national wholesale distributor of workplace items, where he served as the chair of the Audit Committee from May 1998 until May 2017, and was a director of BlueLinx Holdings Inc., a wholesale supplier of building materials, from 2013 (and Non-Executive Chairman of the Board from January 2014) until May 2016.

 

Approval of 2017 Stock Incentive Plan

 

On August 4, 2017, the Board approved the 2017 Stock Plan (the “Plan”), subject to the approval of the stockholders.

 

The Plan provides for discretionary awards of stock options, stock, stock units and stock appreciation rights (“SARs”) to selected employees and non-employee directors.

 

The material terms of the Plan are as follows: The Plan is administered by the Compensation Committee of the Board (the “Committee”). The number of shares of common stock that may be issued under the Plan is 1,000,000.

 

Of the shares available for issuance: (i) the maximum number shares of stock as to which an employee may receive stock options or SARs in any calendar year is 500,000; (ii) the maximum number of shares that may be subject to incentive stock options is 1,000,000; (iii) the maximum number of shares that may be used for stock awards or stock units is 1,000,000, and (iv) the maximum aggregate number of shares of stock that an employee may receive upon settlement of performance-based stock awards and stock units granted in any calendar year is 150,000.

 

 
 

 

Until the Plan has been approved by the Company’s stockholders, the Committee may grant only stock units and SARs, and such awards must be settled in cash.

 

The Plan is filed herewith as Exhibit 10.1. Forms of (1) Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement for Non-Employee Directors, (2) Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement for Key Employees, and (3) Stock Appreciation Right Agreement are filed herewith as Exhibits 10.2, 10.3 and 10.4, respectively.

 

 

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

(d)       Exhibits

 

  Exhibit
Number
Description
     
10.1 Houston Wire & Cable Company 2017 Stock Plan.

 

10.2 Form of Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement for Non-Employee Directors

 

10.3 Form of Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement for Key Employees

 

10.4 Form of Stock Appreciation Right Agreement

 

99.1 Press release dated August 7, 2017, announcing the election of Roy Haley to the Board of Directors of Houston Wire & Cable Company.

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

  HOUSTON WIRE & CABLE COMPANY
       
Date:  August 8, 2017 By: /s/ Nicol G. Graham  
    Name:  Nicol G. Graham  
    Title:  Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
       

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

 

  Exhibit
Number
Description
     
10.1 Houston Wire & Cable Company 2017 Stock Plan.

 

10.2 Form of Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement for Non-Employee Directors

 

10.3 Form of Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement for Key Employees

 

10.4 Form of Stock Appreciation Right Agreement

 

99.1 Press release dated August 7, 2017, announcing the election of Roy Haley to the Board of Directors of Houston Wire & Cable Company.

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.1

 

HOUSTON WIRE & CABLE COMPANY

 

2017 STOCK PLAN

 

Section 1. Purpose.

 

The purpose of the Houston Wire & Cable Company 2017 Stock Plan (the “Plan”) is to attract and retain outstanding individuals as Key Employees and Directors of Houston Wire & Cable Company (“HWC”) and its Subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”), and to provide such Key Employees and Directors with additional incentive to expand and improve the Company’s profits by giving them the opportunity to acquire or increase their proprietary interest in the Company.

 

Section 2. Definitions.

 

As used in the Plan, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth below:

 

2.1               Award ” means any award or benefit granted under the Plan, which shall be a Stock Option, a Stock Award, a Stock Unit Award or an SAR Award.

 

2.2               Award Agreement ” means, as applicable, a Stock Option Agreement, a Stock Award Agreement, a Stock Unit Agreement or an SAR Award Agreement evidencing an Award granted under the Plan.

 

2.3               Board ” means HWC’s Board of Directors.

 

2.4               Change in Control ” has the meaning set forth in Section 9.2 hereof.

 

2.5               Code ” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time.

 

2.6               Committee ” means the Compensation Committee of the Board or such other committee as may be designated by the Board from time to time to administer the Plan.

 

2.7               Common Stock ” means the Common Stock, par value $.001 per share, of HWC.

 

2.8               Director ” means a director of HWC.

 

2.9               Exchange Act ” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time.

 

2.10           Fair Market Value ” means, as of any date, the closing price of the Common Stock on the Nasdaq National Market (as reported in The Wall Street Journal , Midwest Edition) on such date or, if no trading occurred on such date, the trading day immediately preceding such date.

 

 
 

 

2.11           Incentive Stock Option ” or “ ISO ” means a Stock Option granted under Section 5 hereof that meets the requirements of Code Section 422(b) or any successor provision.

 

2.12           Key Employee ” means an employee of the Company selected to participate in the Plan in accordance with Section 3.

 

2.13           Non-Qualified Stock Option ” or “ NSO ” means a Stock Option granted under Section 5 that is not an Incentive Stock Option.

 

2.14           Participant ” means a Key Employee or Director selected to receive an Award under the Plan.

 

2.15           Plan ” means the Houston Wire & Cable Company 2017 Stock Plan.

 

2.16           Stock Appreciation Right ” or “ SAR ” means a grant of a right to receive shares of Common Stock or cash under Section 8 of the Plan.

 

2.17           Stock Award ” means a grant of shares of Common Stock under Section 6 hereof.

 

2.18           Stock Option ” means an Incentive Stock Option or a Non-Qualified Stock Option granted under Section 5.

 

2.19           Stock Unit ” means a right to receive shares of Common Stock or cash under Section 7 of the Plan.

 

2.20           Subsidiary ” means an entity of which HWC is the direct or indirect beneficial owner of not less than 50% of all issued and outstanding equity interest of such entity.

 

Section 3. Administration.

 

3.1               Committee .

 

The Plan shall be administered by the Committee, provided that the Committee must be comprised of at least two members of the Board who satisfy the “non-employee director” definition set forth in Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act and the “outside director” definition under Code Section 162(m) and the regulations thereunder, and provided further that the Board shall administer the Plan until such time as the Board has two members who are both such non-employee directors and outside directors.

 

3.2               Authority of the Committee .

 

(a)                 The Committee, in its sole discretion, shall determine the Key Employees and Directors to whom, and the time or times at which Awards will be granted, the form and amount of each Award, the expiration date of each Award, the time or times within which the Awards may be exercised, the cancellation of the Awards and the other limitations, restrictions, terms and conditions applicable to the grant of the Awards. The terms and conditions of the Awards need not be the same with respect to each Participant or with respect to each Award.

 

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(b)                The Committee may delegate its authority to grant Awards to Key Employees and to determine the terms and conditions thereof to such officers of HWC as it may determine in its discretion, on such terms and conditions as it may impose, except with respect to Awards to officers subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act or officers who are or may be “covered employees” as defined in Code Section 162(m), or to the extent prohibited by applicable law, regulation or rule of a stock exchange on which the Common Stock is listed.

 

(c)                 The Committee may, subject to the provisions of the Plan, establish such rules and regulations as it deems necessary or advisable for the proper administration of the Plan, and may make determinations and may take such other action in connection with or in relation to the Plan as it deems necessary or advisable. Each determination or other action made or taken pursuant to the Plan, including interpretation of the Plan and the specific terms and conditions of the Awards granted hereunder, shall be final and conclusive for all purposes and upon all persons.

 

(d)                No member of the Committee shall be liable for any action taken or determination made hereunder in good faith. Service on the Committee shall constitute service as a Director so that the members of the Committee shall be entitled to indemnification and reimbursement as Directors of HWC pursuant to HWC’s Certificate of Incorporation and By-Laws.

 

3.3               Performance Goals .

 

(a)                 The Committee may, in its discretion, provide that any Award granted under the Plan shall be subject to performance goals, including those that qualify the Award as “performance-based compensation” within the meaning of Code Section 162(m).

 

(b)                Performance goals may be based on one or more business criteria, including, but not limited to: (i) return on equity; (ii) earnings or earnings per share; (iii) Common Stock price; (iv) return on assets; (v) return on investment; (vi) cash flow; (vii) net income; (viii) expense management; or (ix) revenue growth. Performance goals may be absolute in their terms or measured against or in relationship to the performance of other companies or indices selected by the Committee. In addition, performance goals may be adjusted for any events or occurrences (including acquisition expenses, extraordinary charges, losses from discontinued operations, restatements and accounting charges, restructuring expenses, asset write-downs, administrative costs associated with debt and equity refinancing, litigation or claims, judgments or settlements, effects of changes in tax laws and foreign exchange gains and losses), as may be determined by the Committee. Performance goals may be particular to one or more lines of business or Subsidiaries or may be based on the performance of the Company as a whole.

 

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(c)                 With respect to each performance period, the Committee shall establish such performance goals relating to one or more of the business criteria identified above, and shall establish targets for Participants for achievement of performance goals. Following the completion of each performance period, the Committee shall determine the extent to which performance goals for that performance period have been achieved and the related performance-based restrictions shall lapse in accordance with the terms of the applicable Stock Award Agreement.

 

3.4               Award Agreements .

 

(a)                 Each Award shall be evidenced by a written Award Agreement specifying the terms and conditions of the Award. In the sole discretion of the Committee, the Award Agreement may condition the grant of an Award upon the Participant’s entering into one or more of the following agreements with HWC: (a) an agreement not to compete with the Company which shall become effective as of the date of the grant of the Award and remain in effect for a specified period of time following termination of the Participant’s employment with the Company; (b) an agreement to cancel any employment agreement, fringe benefit or compensation arrangement in effect between the Company and the Participant; and (c) an agreement to retain the confidentiality of certain information. Such agreements may contain such other terms and conditions as the Committee shall determine. If the Participant shall fail to enter into any such agreement at the request of the Committee, then the Award granted or to be granted to such Participant shall be forfeited and cancelled.

 

(b)                An Award Agreement shall contain a vesting schedule as determined in the sole discretion of the Committee; provided that Options and SARs shall not become exercisable until at least one year following the date of grant, and the restrictions on Stock Awards and Stock Units shall not lapse for at least one year following the date of grant; and provided further that notwithstanding the foregoing, no minimum vesting schedule shall apply to Awards that result in the issuance of up to an aggregate of 5% of the shares of Common Stock reserved for issuance under Section 4 (50,000 shares).

 

Section 4. Shares of Common Stock Subject to Plan.

 

4.1               Total Number of Shares .

 

(a)                 The total number of shares of Common Stock that may be issued under the Plan shall be 1,000,000. Such shares may be either authorized but unissued shares or treasury shares and shall be adjusted in accordance with the provisions of Section 4.3 below.

 

(b)                The number of shares of Common Stock delivered by a Participant or withheld by HWC on behalf of any such Participant as full or partial payment of the exercise price of a Stock Option or any withholding taxes on any Award shall not again be available for issuance pursuant to subsequent Awards and shall count towards the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock that may be issued under the Plan. Any shares of Common Stock purchased by the Company with proceeds from a Stock Option exercise shall not again be available for issuance pursuant to subsequent Awards, shall count against the aggregate number of shares that may be issued under the Plan and shall not increase the number of shares available under the Plan.

 

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(c)                 If there is a lapse, forfeiture, expiration, termination or cancellation of any Award for any reason, or if shares of Common Stock are issued under such Award and thereafter are reacquired by HWC pursuant to rights reserved by HWC upon issuance thereof, the shares of Common Stock subject to such Award or reacquired by the Company may thereafter be available for issuance pursuant to subsequent Awards, and shall not count towards the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock that may be issued under the Plan.

 

4.2               Shares Under Awards .

 

Of the 1,000,000 shares of Common Stock authorized for issuance under the Plan pursuant to Section 4.1:

 

(a)                 The maximum number of shares of Common Stock as to which a Key Employee may receive Stock Options or SARs in any calendar year is 500,000.

 

(b)                The maximum number of shares of Common Stock that may be subject to Incentive Stock Options is 1,000,000.

 

(c)                 The maximum number of shares of Common Stock that may be used for Stock Awards or Stock Units is 1,000,000.

 

(d)                The maximum aggregate number of shares of Common Stock that a Key Employee may receive upon settlement of performance-based Stock Awards and Stock Units granted in any calendar year is 150,000, or in the event a Stock Unit Award is settled in cash, an amount equal to the Fair Market Value of such number of shares. For purposes of this provision, “performance-based” means Stock Awards and Stock Units intended to qualify as performance-based compensation within the meaning of Code Section 162(m).

 

The numbers of shares described herein shall be as adjusted in accordance with Section 4.3.

 

4.3               Adjustment .

 

In the event of any reorganization, recapitalization, stock split, stock distribution, special or extraordinary dividend, merger, consolidation, split-up, spin-off, combination, subdivision, consolidation or exchange of shares, any change in the capital structure of HWC or any similar corporate transaction, the Committee shall make such adjustments as it deems appropriate, in its sole discretion, to preserve the benefits or intended benefits of the Plan and Awards granted under the Plan. Such adjustments may include: (a) adjustment in the number and kind of shares reserved for issuance under the Plan; (b) adjustment in the number and kind of shares covered by outstanding Awards; (c) adjustment in the exercise price of outstanding Stock Options or SARs or the price of other Awards under the Plan; (d) adjustments to any of the shares limitations set forth in Section 4.1 or 4.2; and (e) any other changes that the Committee determines to be equitable under the circumstances.

 

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Section 5. Grants of Stock Options.

 

5.1               Grant .

 

Subject to the terms of the Plan, the Committee may from time to time grant Stock Options to Participants, provided that only NSOs may be granted to Directors who are not employees of the Company.

 

5.2               Stock Option Agreement .

 

The grant of each Stock Option shall be evidenced by a written Stock Option Agreement specifying the type of Stock Option granted, the exercise period, the exercise price, the terms for payment of the exercise price, the expiration date of the Stock Option, the number of shares of Common Stock to be subject to each Stock Option and such other terms and conditions established by the Committee, in its sole discretion, not inconsistent with the Plan.

 

5.3               Exercise Price and Exercise Period .

 

With respect to each Stock Option granted to a Participant:

 

(a)                 The per share exercise price of each Stock Option shall not be less than the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock on the date on which the Stock Option is granted.

 

(b)                Each Stock Option shall become exercisable as provided in the Stock Option Agreement; provided that subject to Section 3.4(b), the Committee shall have the discretion to accelerate the date as of which any Stock Option shall become exercisable in the event of the Participant’s termination of employment with the Company, or service on the Board, without cause (as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion).

 

(c)                 Each Stock Option shall expire, and all rights to purchase shares of Common Stock thereunder shall expire, on the date fixed by the Committee in the Stock Award Agreement, which shall not be later than ten years after the grant date; provided however, if a Participant is unable to exercise a Stock Option because trading in the Common Stock is prohibited by law or HWC’s insider-trading policy, the Stock Option exercise date shall be extended to the date that is 30 days after the expiration of the trading prohibition.

 

5.4               Required Terms and Conditions of ISOs .

 

In addition to the foregoing, each ISO granted to a Key Employee shall be subject to the following specific rules:

 

(a)                 The aggregate exercise price of a Key Employee’s ISOs that become exercisable for the first time during a particular calendar year shall not exceed $100,000. If this dollar limit is exceeded, the portion of the ISO that does not exceed the applicable limit shall be an ISO and the remainder shall be a NSO; but in all other respects, the original Stock Option Agreement shall remain in full force and effect.

 

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(b)                Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if an ISO is granted to a Key Employee who owns more than 10% of the Common Stock (or stock possessing more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of HWC and its Subsidiaries): (i) the exercise price of the ISO shall be not less than 110% of the Fair Market Value on the ISO’s grant date; and (ii) the ISO shall expire, and all rights to purchase Common Stock thereunder shall expire, no later than the fifth anniversary of the ISO’s grant date.

 

(c)                 No ISOs shall be granted under the Plan after ten years from the earlier of the date the Plan is adopted or approved by stockholders of HWC.

 

5.5               Exercise of Stock Options .

 

(a)                 A Participant entitled to exercise a Stock Option may do so by delivering written notice in accordance with procedures established by the Committee specifying the number of shares of Common Stock with respect to which the Stock Option is being exercised and any other information the Committee may prescribe. All notices or requests provided for herein shall be delivered to the Secretary of HWC.

 

(b)                The Committee in its sole discretion may make available one or more of the following alternatives for the payment of the Stock Option exercise price:

 

(i)                  in cash;

 

(ii)                in cash received from a broker-dealer to whom the Participant has submitted an exercise notice together with irrevocable instructions to deliver promptly to HWC the amount of sales proceeds from the sale of the shares subject to the Stock Option to pay the exercise price;

 

(iii)              by directing HWC to withhold such number of shares of Common Stock otherwise issuable in connection with the Award having an aggregate Fair Market Value equal to the Stock Option exercise price; or

 

(iv)              by delivering previously acquired shares of Common Stock that have an aggregate Fair Market Value on the date of exercise equal to the Stock Option exercise price.

 

The Committee shall have the sole discretion to establish the terms and conditions applicable to any alternative made available for payment of the Stock Option exercise price.

 

(c)                 As soon as reasonably practicable after such exercise, HWC shall issue, in the name of the Participant, the total number of full shares of Common Stock issuable pursuant to the exercise of any Stock Option and cash in an amount equal to the Fair Market Value as of the date of exercise of any resulting fractional share.

 

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(d)                HWC shall issue, in the name of the Participant, the total number of shares of Common Stock granted or sold to the Participant, as soon as may be reasonably practicable after such grant or sale. If a grant of a Stock Award is represented by stock certificates, such certificates shall be held by the Secretary of HWC until such time as the Common Stock is forfeited, resold to HWC, or the restrictions lapse.

 

Section 6. Stock Awards.

 

6.1               Grant .

 

The Committee may, in its discretion, (a) grant shares of Common Stock under the Plan to any Participant without consideration from such Participant or (b) sell shares of Common Stock under the Plan to any Participant for such amount of cash, Common Stock or other consideration as the Committee deems appropriate.

 

6.2               Stock Award Agreement .

 

Each share of Common Stock granted or sold hereunder shall be subject to such restrictions, conditions and other terms as the Committee may determine at the time of grant or sale, the general provisions of the Plan, the restrictions, terms and conditions of the related Stock Award Agreement, and the following specific rules:

 

(a)                 Shares of Common Stock issued to a Participant under the Plan shall be evidenced by a Stock Award Agreement, which shall specify whether the shares of Common Stock are granted or sold to the Participant and such other provisions, not inconsistent with the terms and conditions of the Plan, as the Committee shall determine.

 

(b)                The restrictions to which the shares of Common Stock awarded hereunder are subject shall lapse as provided in Stock Award Agreement; provided that subject to Section 3.4(b), the Committee shall have the discretion to accelerate the date as of which the restrictions lapse with respect to any Award held by a Participant in the event of the Participant’s termination of employment with the Company, or service on the Board, without cause (as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion).

 

(c)                 Subject to the provisions of subsection (b) hereof and the restrictions set forth in the related Stock Award Agreement, the Participant receiving a grant of or purchasing Common Stock shall thereupon be a stockholder with respect to all of such shares and shall have the rights of a stockholder with respect to such shares, including the right to vote such shares and to receive dividends and other distributions paid with respect to such shares. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, in the case of a Stock Award that provides for the right to receive dividends or distributions, HWC shall accumulate and hold such dividends or distributions, and the accumulated dividends or other distributions shall be paid to the Participant only upon the lapse of the restrictions to which the Stock Award is subject, and any such dividends or distributions attributable to the portion of a Stock Award for which the restrictions do not lapse shall be forfeited.

 

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Section 7. Stock Units.

 

7.1               Grant .

 

The Committee may, in its discretion, grant Stock Units to any Participant. Each Stock Unit shall entitle the Participant to receive, on the date or upon the occurrence of an event (including the attainment of performance goals) as described in the Stock Unit Agreement, one share of Common Stock or cash equal to the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock on the date of such event, as provided in the Stock Unit Agreement; provided that until stockholders of HWC approve the Plan, the settlement of any Stock Units shall be made in cash.

 

7.2               Stock Unit Agreement .

 

Each grant of Stock Units to a Participant under this Section 7 shall be evidenced by a Stock Unit Agreement, which shall specify the restrictions, if any, terms and conditions established by the Board in its sole discretion, not inconsistent with the Plan and the following provisions:

 

(a)                 The restrictions to which the Stock Units awarded hereunder may be subject shall lapse as set forth in the Stock Unit Agreement; provided that subject to Section 3.4(b), the Committee shall have the discretion to accelerate the date as of which the restrictions lapse with respect to any Stock Units held by a Participant in the event of a such Participant’s termination of employment with the Company, or service on the Board, without cause (as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion).

 

(b)                Except as provided in this subsection (b), and unless otherwise provided in the Stock Unit Agreement, a Participant shall have no rights of a stockholder, including voting or dividend or other distribution rights, with respect to any Stock Units prior to the date they are settled in shares of Common Stock. A Stock Unit Agreement may provide that, until the Stock Units are settled in shares of Common Stock or cash, the Participant shall receive, on each dividend or distribution payment date applicable to the Common Stock, an amount equal to the dividends or distributions that the Participant would have received had the Stock Units held by the Participant as of the related record date been actual shares of Common Stock. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, in the case of a Stock Unit Award that provides for the right to receive amounts related to dividends or distributions, HWC shall accumulate and hold such amounts, and the accumulated amounts shall be paid to the Participant only upon the lapse of the restrictions to which the Stock Unit Award is subject, and any such amounts attributable to the portion of a Stock Unit Award for which the restrictions do not lapse shall be forfeited.

 

(c)                 Upon settlement of Stock Units in Common Stock, HWC shall issue, in the name of the Participant, a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the number of Stock Units being settled.

 

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Section 8. SARs.

 

8.1               Grant .

 

The Committee may grant SARs to Participants. Upon exercise, an SAR entitles the Participant to receive from HWC the number of shares of Common Stock having an aggregate Fair Market Value equal to the excess of the Fair Market Value of one share as of the date on which the SAR is exercised over the exercise price, multiplied by the number of shares with respect to which the SAR is being exercised. The Committee, in its discretion, shall be entitled to cause HWC to elect to settle any part or all of its obligations arising out of the exercise of an SAR by the payment of cash in lieu of all or part of the shares it would otherwise be obligated to deliver in an amount equal to the Fair Market Value of such shares on the date of exercise. Cash shall be delivered in lieu of any fractional shares. The terms and conditions of any such Award shall be determined at the time of grant.

 

8.2               SAR Agreement .

 

(a)                 Each SAR shall be evidenced by a written SAR Agreement specifying the terms and conditions of the SAR as the Committee may determine, including the SAR exercise price, expiration date of the SAR, the number of shares of Common Stock to which the SAR pertains, the form of settlement and such other terms and conditions established by the Committee, in its sole discretion, not inconsistent with the Plan; provided, however, that no SAR shall be credited with any amounts equal to dividends and other distributions that a Participant would have received had the Participant held the shares of Common Stock subject to an unexercised SAR.

 

(b)                The per Share exercise price of each SAR shall not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock on the date the SAR is granted.

 

(c)                 Each SAR shall expire and all rights thereunder shall cease on the date fixed by the Committee in the SAR Agreement, which shall not be later than ten years after the date of grant; provided however, if a Participant is unable to exercise an SAR because trading in the Common Stock is prohibited by law or HWC’s insider-trading policy, the SAR exercise date shall be extended to the date that is 30 days after the expiration of the trading prohibition.

 

(d)                Each SAR shall become exercisable as provided in the SAR Agreement; provided that subject to Section 3.4(b), the Committee shall have the discretion to accelerate the date as of which any SAR shall become exercisable in the event of the Participant’s termination of employment with the Company, or service on the Board, without cause (as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion).

 

(e)                 A person entitled to exercise an SAR may do so by delivery of a written notice in accordance with procedures established by the Committee specifying the number of shares of Common Stock with respect to which the SAR is being exercised and any other information the Committee may prescribe. As soon as reasonably practicable after the exercise of an SAR, HWC shall (i) issue, in the name of the Participant, the total number of full shares of Common Stock to which the Participant is entitled and cash in an amount equal to the Fair Market Value, as of the date of exercise, of any resulting fractional share, and (ii) if the Committee causes HWC to elect to settle all or part of its obligations arising out of the exercise of the SAR in cash, deliver to the Participant an amount in cash equal to the Fair Market Value, as of the date of exercise, of the shares it would otherwise be obligated to deliver.

 

  10  
 

 

Section 9. Change in Control.

 

9.1               Effect of a Change in Control .

 

Notwithstanding any provisions in the Plan or Award Agreement, upon a Change in Control of HWC, the Committee is authorized, and has sole discretion, as to any Award, either at the time such Award is granted hereunder or any time thereafter, to (a) provide that (i) all outstanding Awards shall become fully vested and exercisable, (ii) all restrictions applicable to all Awards shall terminate or lapse; and (iii) performance goals applicable to any Awards shall be deemed settled at the target level (or actual level, if higher); (b) provide for the purchase of any outstanding Stock Option, for an amount of cash equal to the difference between the exercise price and the then Fair Market Value of the Common Stock covered thereby had such Stock Option been currently exercisable; (c) make such adjustment to any such Award then outstanding as the Committee deems appropriate to reflect such Change in Control; and (d) cause any such Award then outstanding to be assumed by the acquiring or surviving corporation after such Change in Control. If any Award is assumed or continued after the Change in Control, the vesting and restriction provisions shall be continued, provided that the Committee may in the Award Agreement provide for accelerated vesting and lapse of restrictions if the Participant’s employment terminates following the Change in Control.

 

9.2               Definition of Change in Control .

 

“Change in Control” shall mean the occurrence, at any time during the specified term of an Award granted under the Plan, of any of the following events:

 

(a)                 Any individual, partnership, firm, corporation, limited liability company, association, trust, unincorporated organization or other entity (other than HWC or a trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan of the Company), or any syndicate or group deemed to be a person under Section 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act, becomes the "beneficial owner" (as defined in Rule 13d-3 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of securities of HWC representing 25% or more of the combined voting power of HWC's then outstanding securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors;

 

(b)                HWC is party to a merger, consolidation, reorganization or other similar transaction with another corporation or other legal person unless, following such transaction, more than 50% of the combined voting power of the outstanding securities of the surviving, resulting or acquiring corporation or person or its parent entity entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (or persons performing similar functions) is then beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by all or substantially all of the individuals and entities who were the beneficial owners of HWC’s outstanding securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors immediately prior to such transaction, in substantially the same proportions as their ownership, immediately prior to such transaction, of HWC’s outstanding securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors;

 

  11  
 

 

(c)                 HWC sells all or substantially all of its business and/or assets to another corporation or other legal person unless, following such sale, more than 50% of the combined voting power of the outstanding securities of the acquiring corporation or person or its parent entity entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (or persons performing similar functions) is then beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by all or substantially all of the individuals and entities who were the beneficial owners of HWC’s outstanding securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors immediately prior to such sale, in substantially the same proportions as their ownership, immediately prior to such sale, of HWC’s outstanding securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors; or

 

(d)                During any period of two consecutive years or less (not including any period prior to the approval of the Plan by the Board), individuals who at the beginning of such period constituted the Board (and any new Directors, whose appointment or election by the Board or nomination for election by HWC's stockholders was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds of the Directors then still in office who either were Directors at the beginning of the period or whose appointment, election or nomination for election was so approved) cease for any reason to constitute a majority of the Board.

 

Section 10. Payment of Taxes.

 

In connection with any Award, and as a condition to the issuance or delivery of any shares of Common Stock to the Participant in connection therewith, HWC shall require the Participant to pay HWC the minimum amount of the tax required to be withheld, and in HWC’s sole discretion, HWC may permit the Participant to pay up to the maximum individual statutory rate of applicable withholding. The Committee in its sole discretion may make available one or more of the following alternatives for the payment of such taxes:

 

(a)                 in cash;

 

(b)                in cash received from a broker-dealer to whom the Participant has submitted notice together with irrevocable instructions to deliver promptly to HWC the amount of sales proceeds from the sale of the shares subject to the Award to pay the withholding taxes;

 

(c)                 by directing HWC to withhold such number of shares of Common Stock otherwise issuable in connection with the Award having an aggregate Fair Market Value equal to the amount of tax to be withheld; or

 

(d)                by delivering previously acquired shares of Common Stock that have an aggregate Fair Market Value equal to the amount to be withheld.

 

The Committee shall have the sole discretion to establish the terms and conditions applicable to any alternative made available for payment of the withholding taxes.

 

  12  
 

 

Section 11. Postponement.

 

The Committee may postpone any grant or settlement of an Award or exercise of a Stock Option for such time as the Committee in its sole discretion may deem necessary in order to permit HWC:

 

(a)                 to effect, amend or maintain any necessary registration of the Plan or the shares of Common Stock issuable pursuant to an Award, including upon the exercise of an Option, under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the securities laws of any applicable jurisdiction;

 

(b)                to permit any action to be taken in order to (i) list such shares of Common Stock on a stock exchange if shares of Common Stock are then listed on such exchange or (ii) comply with restrictions or regulations incident to the maintenance of a public market for its shares of Common Stock, including any rules or regulations of any stock exchange on which the shares of Common Stock are listed; or

 

(c)                 to determine that such shares of Common Stock and the Plan are exempt from such registration or that no action of the kind referred to in (b)(ii) above needs to be taken; and HWC shall not be obligated by virtue of any terms and conditions of any Award or any provision of the Plan to sell or issue shares of Common Stock in violation of the Securities Act of 1933 or the law of any government having jurisdiction thereof.

 

Any such postponement shall not extend the term of an Award and neither HWC nor its Directors or officers shall have any obligation or liability to a Participant, the Participant’s successor or any other person with respect to any shares of Common Stock as to which the Award shall lapse because of such postponement.

 

Section 12. Nontransferability.

 

Awards granted under the Plan, and any rights and privileges pertaining thereto, may not be transferred, assigned, pledged or hypothecated in any manner, or be subject to execution, attachment or similar process, by operation of law or otherwise, other than:

 

(a)                 by will or by the laws of descent and distribution;

 

(b)                pursuant to the terms of a qualified domestic relations order to which the Participant is a party that meets the requirements of any relevant provisions of the Code; or

 

(c)                 as permitted by the Committee with respect to a NSO transferable by the Participant during his lifetime.

 

In each case, the terms and conditions applicable to the transferability of the Award shall be established by the Committee.

 

  13  
 

 

Section 13. Stock Certificates; Uncertificated Shares.

 

Shares of Common Stock issued pursuant to the settlement of an Award shall be represented by stock certificates or issued on an uncertificated basis, with the ownership of such shares by the Participant evidenced solely by book entry in the records of HWC’s transfer agent; provided, however, that upon the written request of the Participant, HWC shall issue, in the name of the Participant, stock certificates representing such shares of Common Stock.

 

Section 14. Termination or Amendment of Plan and Award Agreements.

 

14.1           Termination or Amendment of Plan .

 

(a)                 Subject to Section 14.3, the Board may terminate, suspend, or amend the Plan, in whole or in part, from time to time, without the approval of the stockholders of HWC, unless such approval is required by applicable law, regulation or rule of any stock exchange on which the shares of Common Stock are listed. No amendment or termination of the Plan shall adversely affect the right of any Participant under any outstanding Award in any material way without the written consent of the Participant, unless such amendment or termination is required by applicable law, regulation or rule of any stock exchange on which the shares of Common Stock are listed. Subject to the foregoing, the Board may correct any defect or supply an omission or reconcile any inconsistency in the Plan or in any Award granted hereunder in the manner and to the extent it shall deem desirable, in its sole discretion, to effectuate the Plan.

 

(b)                The Board shall have the authority to amend the Plan to the extent necessary or appropriate to comply with applicable law, regulation or accounting rules in order to permit Participants who are located outside of the United States to participate in the Plan.

 

14.2           Amendment of Award Agreements .

 

The Committee shall have the authority to amend any Award Agreement at any time; provided however, that no such amendment shall adversely affect the right of any Participant under any outstanding Award Agreement in any material way without the written consent of the Participant, unless such amendment is required by applicable law, regulation or rule of any stock exchange on which the shares of Common Stock are listed.

 

14.3           No Repricing of Stock Options or SARs .

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing and except as described in Section 4.3, there shall be no amendment to the Plan or any outstanding Stock Option Agreement or SAR Agreement that results in the repricing of Stock Options or SARs without stockholder approval. For this purpose, repricing includes a reduction in the exercise price of a Stock Option or SAR or the cancellation of a Stock Option or SAR in exchange for cash, Stock Options or SARs with an exercise price less than the exercise price of the cancelled Stock Options or SARs, other Awards or any other consideration provided by the Company.

 

Section 15. No Contract of Employment.

 

Neither the adoption of the Plan nor the grant of any Award under the Plan shall be deemed to obligate the Company to continue the employment of any Participant for any particular period, nor shall the granting of an Award constitute a request or consent to postpone the retirement date of any Participant.

 

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Section 16. Applicable Law.

 

All questions pertaining to the validity, construction and administration of the Plan and all Awards granted under the Plan shall be determined in conformity with the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to the conflict of law provisions of any state, and, in the case of Incentive Stock Options, Code Section 422 and regulations issued thereunder.

 

Section 17. Effective Date and Term of Plan.

 

17.1           Effective Date .

 

The Plan has been adopted by the Board, and is effective, as of August 4, 2017; provided that until the Plan is approved by the stockholders of HWC at HWC’s annual meeting of stockholders to be held on May 8, 2018 and any adjournment or postponement thereof, only Stock Unit Awards and SARs may be granted and such Awards must be settled in cash. If the Plan is not so approved by the stockholders, the provisions of the Plan as they pertain to all other Awards shall have no effect. Upon stockholder approval of the Plan, any outstanding Stock Unit Awards and SARs shall be settled in shares of Common Stock.

 

17.2           Term of Plan .

 

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, no Awards shall be granted on or after the 10 th anniversary of the Plan’s effective date as determined in Section 17.1 above.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

15

 

 

Exhibit 10.2

 

 

HOUSTON WIRE & CABLE COMPANY
2017 STOCK PLAN

 

RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AWARD AGREEMENT
FOR NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTORS

 

A Restricted Stock Unit (“RSU”) Award (the “Award”) is hereby granted by Houston Wire & Cable Company, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), to the non-employee Director named below (the “Grantee”), relating to the Common Stock of the Company:

 

Director:

Date of Award:

Number of RSUs Subject to Award:

End of Vesting Period:

 

The Award shall be subject to the following terms and conditions and the provisions of the Houston Wire & Cable Company 2017 Stock Plan (the “Plan”), a copy of which is attached hereto and the terms of which are hereby incorporated by reference:

 

1.                   Grant of Award . The Company hereby grants to the Grantee the Award of RSUs. An RSU is the right, subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan and this Agreement, to receive a distribution of one share of Common Stock or cash equal to the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock for each RSU as described in Section 7 of this Agreement.

 

2.                   Acceptance by Grantee . The receipt of the Award is conditioned upon its acceptance by the Grantee in the space provided therefor at the end of this Agreement and the return of an executed copy of this Agreement to the Secretary of the Company no later than _______________. If the Grantee shall fail to return this executed Agreement by the due date, the Grantee’s Award shall be forfeited to the Company.

 

3.                   RSU Account . The Company shall maintain an account (the “RSU Account”) on its books in the name of the Grantee which shall reflect the number of RSUs awarded to the Grantee and any dividend equivalents paid to the Grantee as described in Section 4.

 

4.                   Dividend Equivalents . Upon the payment of any dividends on Common Stock occurring during the period beginning on the date of the Award and ending on the date the RSUs are settled in Common Stock or cash and distributed to the Grantee as described in Section 7 (or if earlier, the date the RSUs are forfeited), the Company shall credit the Grantee’s RSU Account with an amount equal in value to the dividends that the Grantee would have received had the Grantee been the actual owner of the number of shares of Common Stock represented by the RSUs in the Grantee’s RSU Account on that date. Such amounts shall be paid to the Grantee in cash at the time and to the extent the RSU Account is distributed to the Grantee. Any dividend equivalents relating to RSUs that are forfeited shall also be forfeited.

 

5.                   Nontransferability . Except as set forth in Section 12 of the Plan, neither the Award nor any of the RSUs subject to the Award may be sold, assigned, pledged, encumbered or otherwise transferred, voluntarily or involuntarily. Any attempted sale, assignment, pledge, encumbrance or transfer of the Award, other than in accordance with its terms, shall be void and of no effect.

 

 
 

 

6.                   Vesting .

 

(a)                 Except as set forth in (b), (c) and (d) below, the Grantee shall become vested in the Award on the date of the Company’s ____ Annual Meeting of Stockholders if the Grantee remains in continuous service on the Board until such date.

 

(b)                If the Grantee’s service on the Board terminates prior to the date of the Company’s ____ Annual Meeting of Stockholders due to death, disability or retirement in accordance with the Company’s director retirement policy, the Award shall become vested on the date of such death, disability or retirement. For this purpose “disability” means (as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion) the inability of the Grantee to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which is expected to result in death or disability or which has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months.

 

(c)                 If the Grantee’s service on the Board terminates prior to the date of the Company’s ____ Annual Meeting of Stockholders for any reason other than the Grantee’s death, disability or retirement as described in Section 6(b) above or following a Change in Control as described in Section 6(d)(ii) below, unvested RSUs subject to the Award shall be forfeited to the Company, and the Grantee’s rights, title and interest with respect to such forfeited RSUs shall automatically lapse and be of no further force or effect. The Grantee hereby irrevocably designates and appoints the Secretary of the Company as the Grantee’s agent and attorney in fact, to act for or on behalf of the Grantee and in his or her name and stead, for the limited purpose of executing any documents and instruments to further evidence the forfeiture of the unvested RSUs.

 

(d)                If there is a Change in Control of the Company and the Grantee has remained in continuous service on the Board until such date:

 

(i)                  unless the Award is continued or assumed by a public company in an equitable manner, all of the RSUs subject to the Award shall vest as of the date of the Change in Control, and the Company shall immediately distribute to the Grantee his RSU Account as described in Section 7; provided, however, that if the Change in Control does not constitute a “change in control” as described in Treas. Reg. §1.409A-3(i)(5), then distribution of the RSU Account shall be deferred until the date of the Grantee’s termination of service on the Board; and

 

(ii)                if the Award is continued or assumed by a public company in an equitable manner, the RSUs subject to the Award shall continue to vest as provided in this Section 6; provided that if the Grantee’s service on the Board terminates on or after the Change in Control, the unvested RSUs shall fully vest and the Company shall immediately distribute to the Grantee his RSU Account as described in Section 7.

 

7.                   Settlement of Award . Subject to the next following sentence, if the Grantee becomes vested in the Award in accordance with Section 6, within 30 days following the date of the Grantee’s termination of service on the Board, the Company shall distribute to the Grantee, or his or her personal representative, beneficiary or estate, as applicable, (a) a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the number of vested RSUs subject to the Award and (b) a cash payment equal to the dividend equivalents that are payable pursuant to Section 4. If, at the time the Grantee becomes vested in the Award the Plan has not been approved by the Company’s stockholders, then in lieu of delivering shares pursuant to clause (a) above, the Company shall distribute cash equal to the Fair Market Value of the number of vested RSUs subject to the Award.

 

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8.                   Share Delivery . If the Award is settled in shares of Common Stock, delivery of such shares will be by book-entry credit to an account in the Grantee’s name established by the Company with the Company’s transfer agent; provided that the Company shall, upon written request from the Grantee (or his or her estate or personal representative, as the case may be), issue certificates in the name of the Grantee (or his or her estate or personal representative) representing such Award shares.

 

9.                   Rights as Stockholder . The Grantee shall not be entitled to any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company with respect to the Award, including the right to vote and to receive dividends and other distributions, until and to the extent the Award is settled in shares of Common Stock.

 

10.               Administration . The Award shall be administered in accordance with such regulations as the Committee shall from time to time adopt.

 

11.               Plan Governs . If there is any inconsistency between the terms of this Agreement and the terms of the Plan, the Plan’s terms shall govern. All capitalized terms shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Plan, unless specifically set forth otherwise herein.

 

12.               Governing Law . This Agreement, and the Award, shall be construed, administered and governed in all respects under and by the laws of the State of Delaware.

 

[signature page follows]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


  3  
 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Agreement is executed by the Company this __th day of ________, _____, effective as of the ___day of ________, _____.

 

 

  HOUSTON WIRE & CABLE COMPANY
       
       
       
  By:    

 

 

AGREED AND ACCEPTED :

 

I acknowledge receipt of the Houston Wire & Cable Company 2017 Stock Plan and hereby accept this Restricted Stock Unit Award subject to all the terms and conditions thereof. I agree to accept as binding, conclusive and final all decisions and interpretations of the Committee regarding any questions arising under the Plan or this Award Agreement.

 

GRANTEE

 

 

Print Name:    
     
Signature:    
     
Date:    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4

 

 

Exhibit 10.3

 

 

HOUSTON WIRE & CABLE COMPANY
2017 STOCK PLAN

 

RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AWARD AGREEMENT
FOR KEY EMPLOYEES

 

A Restricted Stock Unit (“RSU”) Award (the “Award”) is hereby granted by Houston Wire & Cable Company, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), to the Key Employee named below (the “Grantee”), relating to the Common Stock of the Company:

 

Key Employee :
Date of Award:
Number of RSUs Subject to Award:
End of Vesting Period:

 

The Award shall be subject to the following terms and conditions and the provisions of the Houston Wire & Cable Company 2017 Stock Plan (the “Plan”), a copy of which is attached hereto and the terms of which are hereby incorporated by reference:

 

1.                   Grant of Award . The Company hereby grants to the Grantee the Award of RSUs. An RSU is the right, subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan and this Agreement, to receive a distribution of one share of Common Stock or cash equal to the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock for each RSU as described in Section 7 of this Agreement.

 

2.                   Acceptance by Grantee . The receipt of the Award is conditioned upon its acceptance by the Grantee in the space provided therefor at the end of this Agreement and the return of an executed copy of this Agreement to the Secretary of the Company no later than ________________. If the Grantee shall fail to return this executed Agreement by the due date, the Grantee’s Award shall be forfeited to the Company.

 

3.                   RSU Account . The Company shall maintain an account (the “RSU Account”) on its books in the name of the Grantee which shall reflect the number of RSUs awarded to the Grantee and any dividend equivalents paid to the Grantee as described in Section 4.

 

4.                   Dividend Equivalents . Upon the payment of any dividends on Common Stock occurring during the period beginning on the date of the Award and ending on the date the RSUs are settled in Common Stock or cash and distributed to the Grantee as described in Section 7 (or the date the RSUs are forfeited), the Company shall credit the Grantee’s RSU Account with an amount equal in value to the dividends that the Grantee would have received had the Grantee been the actual owner of the number of shares of Common Stock represented by the RSUs in the Grantee’s RSU Account on that date. Such amounts shall be paid to the Grantee in cash at the time and to the extent the RSU Account is distributed to the Grantee. Any dividend equivalents relating to RSUs that are forfeited shall also be forfeited.

 

5.                   Nontransferability . Except as set forth in Section 12 of the Plan, neither the Award nor any of the RSUs subject to the Award may be sold, assigned, pledged, encumbered or otherwise transferred, voluntarily or involuntarily. Any attempted sale, assignment, pledge, encumbrance or transfer of the Award, other than in accordance with its terms, shall be void and of no effect.

 

 
 

 

6.                   Vesting .

 

(a)                 Except as set forth in (b), (c), (d) and (e) below, the Grantee shall become vested in the Award as follows:

 

(i)                  ___% of the RSUs subject to the Award shall vest on __________________;

 

(ii)                ___% of the RSUs subject to the Award shall vest on __________________; and

 

(iii)              ___% of the RSUs subject to the Award shall vest on __________________.

 

(b)                If the Grantee’s employment with the Company and all subsidiaries terminates due to the Grantee’s death or disability, a prorata number of unvested shares of Common Stock subject to the Award shall vest, such number to be determined by multiplying the number of unvested shares by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of full months that have elapsed from the Date of Award to the termination of employment and the denominator of which is the number of full months in the vesting period. Award shares that do not vest shall be forfeited. For this purpose “disability” has the meaning, and will be determined, as set forth in the Company’s long term disability program in which the Grantee participates.

 

(c)                 If the Grantee’s employment with the Company and all Subsidiaries terminates for any reason other than death or disability as described in Section 6(b) above or following a Change in Control as described in Section 6(d)(ii) below, unvested RSUs subject to the Award shall be forfeited to the Company, and the Grantee’s rights, title and interest with respect to such forfeited RSUs shall automatically lapse and be of no further force or effect. The Grantee hereby irrevocably designates and appoints the Secretary of the Company as the Grantee’s agent and attorney in fact, to act for or on behalf of the Grantee and in his or her name and stead, for the limited purpose of executing any documents and instruments to further evidence the forfeiture of the unvested RSUs.

 

(d)                If there is a Change in Control of the Company, and the Grantee has remained in continuous employment with the Company or a Subsidiary until such date:

 

(i)                  unless the Award is continued or assumed by a public company in an equitable manner, all of the RSUs subject to the Award shall vest as of the date of the Change in Control, and the Company shall immediately distribute to the Grantee his RSU Account as described in Section 7; provided, however, that if the Change in Control does not constitute a “change in control” as described in Treas. Reg. §1.409A-3(i)(5), then distribution of the RSU Account shall be deferred until the date of the Grantee’s termination of employment with the Company and all Subsidiaries; and

 

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(ii)                if the Award is continued or assumed by a public company in an equitable manner, the RSUs subject to the Award shall continue to vest as provided in this Section 6; provided that if within two years following the Change in Control the Company terminates the Grantee’s employment without cause (as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion, unless otherwise defined in the Grantee's employment agreement with the Company), the unvested RSUs shall fully vest and the Company shall immediately distribute to the Grantee his RSU Account as described in Section 7.

 

(e)                 The foregoing provisions of this Section 6 shall be subject to the provisions of any written employment or severance agreement that has been or may be executed by the Grantee and the Company, and the provisions in such employment or severance agreement concerning the vesting of an Award shall supersede any inconsistent or contrary provision of this Section 6.

 

7.                   Settlement of Award . Subject to the next following sentence, if the Grantee becomes vested in the Award in accordance with Section 6, within 30 days following the date of vesting, the Company shall distribute to the Grantee, or his or her personal representative, beneficiary or estate, as applicable, (a) a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the number of vested RSUs subject to the Award and (b) a cash payment equal to the dividend equivalents that are payable pursuant to Section 4. If, at the time the Grantee becomes vested in the Award the Plan has not been approved by the Company’s stockholders, then in lieu of delivering shares pursuant to clause (a) above, the Company shall distribute cash equal to the Fair Market Value of the number of vested RSUs subject to the Award.

 

8.                   Withholding Taxes . The Grantee shall pay to the Company an amount sufficient to satisfy all minimum Federal, state and local withholding tax requirements prior to the delivery of any shares of Common Stock or cash upon settlement of any vested RSUs covered by the Award. The Company in its sole discretion may permit the payment of additional withholding taxes up to the maximum statutory rate. Payment of such taxes may be made by one or more of the following methods: (a) in cash, (b) in cash received from a broker-dealer to whom the Grantee has submitted a notice and irrevocable instructions to deliver to the Company proceeds from the sale of a portion of the shares deliverable upon settlement of the Award, (c) by delivery to the Company of other Common Stock owned by the Grantee that is acceptable to the Company, valued at its then Fair Market Value, and/or (d) by directing the Company to withhold such number of shares of Common Stock otherwise deliverable upon settlement of the Award with a Fair Market Value equal to the amount of tax to be withheld. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if at the time the Award is settled the Plan has not been approved by the Company’s stockholders, such taxes shall be withheld from the amount of the cash settlement.

 

9.                   Share Delivery . If the Award is settled in shares of Common Stock, delivery of such shares will be by book-entry credit to an account in the Grantee’s name established by the Company with the Company’s transfer agent; provided that the Company shall, upon written request from the Grantee (or his or her estate or personal representative, as the case may be), issue certificates in the name of the Grantee (or his or her estate or personal representative) representing such Award shares.

 

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10.               Rights as Stockholder . The Grantee shall not be entitled to any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company with respect to the Award, including the right to vote and to receive dividends and other distributions, until and to the extent the Award is settled in shares of Common Stock.

 

11.               Insider Trading Policy . The sale or transfer of any shares of Common Stock delivered upon settlement of the Award is subject to the provisions of the Company’s Insider Trading Policy, as in effect from time to time.

 

12.               Recoupment . Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, to the extent required by applicable law, including the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, or pursuant to the Company’s Incentive Recoupment Policy or any similar policy as may be in effect, the Company shall have the right to seek recoupment of all or any portion of an Award (including by forfeiture of any outstanding Award or by the Grantee’s remittance to the Company of vested Award shares or of a cash payment equal to the vested Award shares). The value with respect to which such recoupment is sought shall be determined by the Committee. The Committee shall be entitled, as permitted by applicable law, to deduct the amount of such payment from any amounts the Company may owe to the Grantee.

 

13.               Employment Status . This Agreement does not give the Grantee the right to be retained as an employee of the Company.

 

14.               Administration . The Award shall be administered in accordance with such regulations as the Committee shall from time to time adopt.

 

15.               Plan Governs . If there is any inconsistency between the terms of this Agreement and the terms of the Plan, the Plan’s terms shall govern. All capitalized terms shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Plan, unless specifically set forth otherwise herein.

 

16.               Governing Law . This Agreement, and the Award, shall be construed, administered and governed in all respects under and by the laws of the State of Delaware.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Agreement is executed by the Company this __th day of ________, ____, effective as of the ____ day of _________, ____.

 

  HOUSTON WIRE & CABLE COMPANY
       
       
       
  By:    

 

  4  
 

 

AGREED AND ACCEPTED :

 

I acknowledge receipt of the Houston Wire & Cable Company 2017 Stock Plan and hereby accept this Restricted Stock Unit Award subject to all the terms and conditions thereof. I agree to accept as binding, conclusive and final all decisions and interpretations of the Committee regarding any questions arising under the Plan or this Award Agreement.

 

GRANTEE

 

 

Print Name:    
     
Signature:    
     
Date:    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5

 

 

Exhibit 10.4

 

 

HOUSTON WIRE & CABLE COMPANY
2017 STOCK PLAN


STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHT AWARD AGREEMENT
FOR KEY EMPLOYEES

A Stock Appreciation Right (“SAR”) Award (the “Award”) is hereby granted by Houston Wire & Cable Company, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), to the Key Employee named below (the “Grantee”) relating to the Common Stock of the Company.

 

Key Employee:

Date of Award:

Number of Shares subject to SAR:

Exercise Price per Share:

End of Vesting Period:

 

The Award shall be subject to the following terms and conditions and the provisions of the Houston Wire & Cable Company 2017 Stock Plan (the “Plan”), a copy of which is attached hereto and the terms of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

 

1.                   Grant of Award . The Company hereby grants to the Grantee the Award of an SAR. An SAR is the right, subject to the terms and conditions of this SAR Agreement and the Plan, to receive upon exercise the number of Shares (or cash equal to the Fair Market Value of such number of Shares) having an aggregate Fair Market Value equal to (a) the excess of the Fair Market Value of one Share as of the date on which the SAR is exercised over the exercise price (the “Spread”), multiplied by (b) the number of Shares with respect to which the SAR is being exercised. The number of Shares and the exercise price per Share are subject to adjustment, as provided in the Plan.

 

2.                   Acceptance by Grantee . The receipt of the Award is conditioned upon its acceptance by the Grantee in the space provided therefor at the end of this Agreement and the return of an executed copy of this Agreement to the Secretary of the Company no later than ______________. If the Grantee shall fail to return this executed Agreement by the due date, the Grantee’s Award shall be forfeited to the Company.

 

3.                   Term . The term of the SAR shall be for a period of ten years from the Date of Award and shall expire at the close of regular business hours at the Company’s principal office, Houston Wire & Cable Company, 10201 North Loop East, Houston, Texas 77029 on the last day of the term of the SAR, unless the SAR terminates earlier as herein provided. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (a) if the Grantee’s employment with the Company and all Subsidiaries terminates for any reason other than death or disability, the then vested portion of the SAR shall continue to be exercisable until the earlier of (i) the 60 th day after the date of such termination or (ii) ten years after the Date of Award, and (b) if the Grantee’s employment with the Company and all Subsidiaries terminates due to the Grantee’s death or disability, the then vested portion of the SAR shall continue to be exercisable until the earlier of (i) 12 months after the date of such termination or (ii) ten years after the Date of Award. In any event, any portion of the SAR that is not vested as of the date of termination of the Grantee’s employment shall expire as of such date and shall not be exercisable. For this purpose, “disability” has the meaning, and will be determined, as set forth in the Company’s long term disability program in which you participate.

 

 
 

 

4.                   Nontransferability . Except as set forth in Section 12 of the Plan, neither the Award nor the SAR subject to the Award may be sold, assigned, pledged, encumbered or otherwise transferred, voluntarily or involuntarily. Any attempted sale, assignment, pledge, encumbrance or transfer of the Award, other than in accordance with its terms, shall be void and of no effect.

 

5.                   Vesting .

 

(a)                 Except as set forth in (b), (c) and (d) below, the Grantee shall become vested in the Award as follows:

 

(i)                  the SAR shall vest and become exercisable as to __________ Shares on ______________;

 

(ii)                the SAR shall vest and become exercisable as to __________ Shares on ______________; and

 

(iii)              the SAR shall vest and become exercisable as to __________ Shares on ______________.

 

(b)                If the Grantee’s employment with the Company and all subsidiaries terminates due to the Grantee’s death or disability, the Award shall vest as to a prorata number of unvested shares of Common Stock subject to the Award shall vest, such number to be determined by multiplying the number of unvested shares by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of full months that have elapsed from the Date of Award to the termination of employment and the denominator of which is the number of full months in the vesting period. Award shares that do not vest shall be forfeited.

 

(c)                 If the Grantee’s employment with the Company and all Subsidiaries terminates for any reason other than death or disability as described in Section 5(b) above or following a Change in Control as described in Section 5(d)(ii) below, the unvested portion of the Award shall be forfeited to the Company, and the Grantee’s rights, title and interest with respect to such forfeited SAR shall automatically lapse and be of no further force or effect. The Grantee hereby irrevocably designates and appoints the Secretary of the Company as the Grantee’s agent and attorney in fact, to act for or on behalf of the Grantee and in his or her name and stead, for the limited purpose of executing any documents and instruments to further evidence the forfeiture of the unvested Award.

 

(d)                If there is a Change in Control of the Company, and the Grantee has remained in continuous employment with the Company or a Subsidiary until such date:

 

(i)                  unless the Award is continued or assumed by a public company in an equitable manner, the SAR shall vest as to all of the Shares as of the date of the Change in Control; and

 

  - 2 -  
 

 

(ii)                if the Award is continued or assumed by a public company in an equitable manner, the Award shall continue to vest as provided in this Section 5; provided that if within two years following the Change in Control the Company terminates the Grantee’s employment without cause (as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion, unless otherwise defined in the Grantee's employment agreement with the Company), the unvested portion of the Award shall fully vest.

 

(e)                 The foregoing provisions of this Section 5 shall be subject to the provisions of any written employment or severance agreement that has been or may be executed by the Grantee and the Company, and the provisions in such employment or severance agreement concerning the vesting of an Award shall supersede any inconsistent or contrary provision of this Section 5.

 

6.                   Exercise . The SAR may be exercised only during the term, as provided in Section 3, and only to the extent, if any, that it is then vested. The SAR may not be exercised more than once in any calendar year without the Company’s prior written consent. The SAR may be exercised by giving written notice (in a form substantially similar to Appendix A attached hereto) to the Secretary of the Company at its principal office, stating the number of Shares with respect to which the vested SAR is being exercised. Subject to the next following sentence, upon exercise of the SAR, the Company shall issue to the Grantee, or his or her personal representative, beneficiary or estate, as applicable, a number of shares of Common Stock having a Fair Market Value equal to the product of (a) the Spread times (b) the number of shares as to which the SAR is being exercised. If, at the time the Grantee exercises the SAR the Plan has not been approved by the Company’s stockholders, then in lieu of delivering Shares, the Company shall distribute cash equal to the Fair Market Value of such number of Shares.

 

2.                   Withholding Taxes . The Grantee shall pay to the Company an amount sufficient to satisfy all minimum Federal, state and local withholding tax requirements prior to the delivery of any shares of Common Stock or cash upon exercise of any vested portion of the SAR. The Company in its sole discretion may permit the payment of additional withholding taxes up to the maximum statutory rate. Payment of such taxes may be made by one or more of the following methods: (a) in cash, (b) in cash received from a broker-dealer to whom the Grantee has submitted a notice and irrevocable instructions to deliver to the Company proceeds from the sale of a portion of the shares deliverable upon exercise of the SAR, (c) by delivery to the Company of other Common Stock owned by the Grantee that is acceptable to the Company, valued at its then Fair Market Value, and/or (d) by directing the Company to withhold such number of shares of Common Stock otherwise deliverable upon exercise of the SAR with a Fair Market Value equal to the amount of tax to be withheld. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if at the time the SAR is exercised the Plan has not been approved by the Company’s stockholders, such taxes shall be withheld from the amount of the cash settlement.

 

3.                   Share Delivery . If the Company issues Shares upon exercise of the Award, delivery of such shares will be by book-entry credit to an account in the Grantee’s name established by the Company with the Company’s transfer agent; provided that the Company shall, upon written request from the Grantee (or his or her estate or personal representative, as the case may be), issue certificates in the name of the Grantee (or his or her estate or personal representative) representing such Shares.

 

  - 3 -  
 

 

4.                   Rights as Stockholder . The Grantee shall not be entitled to any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company with respect to the Award, including the right to vote and to receive dividends and other distributions, until and to the extent the SAR is exercised and shares of Common Stock are delivered.

 

7.                   Insider Trading Policy . The exercise of the SAR and any sale of the Shares issuable upon such exercise are subject to the provisions of the Company’s Insider Trading Policy, as in effect from time to time.

 

8.                   Recoupment . Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, to the extent required by applicable law, including the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, or pursuant to the Company’s Incentive Recoupment Policy or any similar policy as may be in effect, the Company shall have the right to seek recoupment of all or any portion of the Award (including by forfeiture of any outstanding Award or by the Grantee’s remittance to the Company of Shares or of a cash payment equal to the Shares acquired upon exercise of the SAR). The value with respect to which such recoupment is sought shall be determined by the Committee. The Committee shall be entitled, as permitted by applicable law, to deduct the amount of such payment from any amounts the Company may owe to the Grantee.

 

9.                   Employment Status . The Award does not give the Grantee the right to be retained as an employee of the Company.

 

10.               Administration. The Award shall be administered in accordance with such regulations as the Committee shall from time to time adopt.

 

11.               Plan Governs. If there is any inconsistency between the terms of this Agreement and the terms of the Plan, the Plan’s terms shall govern. All capitalized terms shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Plan, unless specifically set forth otherwise herein.

 

12.               Governing Law. This Agreement, and the Award, shall be construed, administered and governed in all respects under and by the laws of the State of Delaware.

 

[signature page follows]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  - 4 -  
 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Agreement is executed by the Company this __th day of ________, ____, effective as of the ____ day of _________, ____.

 

 

  HOUSTON WIRE & CABLE COMPANY
       
       
  By:    
       
  Its:    

 

 

AGREED AND ACCEPTED

 

I acknowledge receipt of the Houston Wire & Cable Company 2006 Stock Plan, as amended and restated effective March 1, 2015 (the “ Plan ”) and hereby accept this Nonqualified Stock Option subject to all the terms and conditions thereof. I agree to accept as binding, conclusive and final all decisions and interpretations of the Committee regarding any questions arising under the Plan or this Stock Option Agreement.

 

Dated:          
      Print Name:    
           
      Signature:    

 

 

 

 

  - 5 -  
 

 

APPENDIX A

 

Houston Wire & Cable Company

10201 North Loop East

Houston, Texas 77029

Attn: Treasurer

 

NOTICE OF EXERCISE OF STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHT

 

I hereby give notice of my election to exercise, to the extent stated below, the stock appreciation right (“SAR”) granted to me on _____________ with respect to __________ shares of Common Stock of Houston Wire & Cable Company at a price of $____ per share, pursuant to the Houston Wire & Cable Company 2017 Stock Plan. I hereby elect to exercise such SAR to the extent of ________________ shares.

 

 

Dated:           
        (signature)  
           
           
        (printed name)  
           
           
        (address)  
           
           
        (city, state, zip code)  
           
           
        (Social Security Number)  

 

 

THIS DOCUMENT IS TO BE USED TO EXERCISE YOUR SAR.

 

 

EXHIBIT 99.1

Houston Wire & Cable Company Elects Roy Haley to Board of Directors

HOUSTON, Aug. 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Houston Wire & Cable Company (NASDAQ:HWCC) announces the election of Roy Haley to its Board of Directors. Mr. Haley will also serve as a member of the Audit and Compensation Committees.

Mr. Haley, age 70, served as the Chairman of the Board of WESCO International, Inc. (“WESCO”) from 1998 until his retirement in 2011 and as Chief Executive Officer of WESCO from 1994 to 2009.  WESCO is a leading North American-based distributor of products and provider of advanced supply chain management and logistics services used primarily in industrial, construction, utility, and commercial, institutional and government markets.  From 1988 to 1993, Mr. Haley served as Chief Operating Officer, President and a director of American General Corporation, a diversified financial services company.  Mr. Haley is a director of Essendant Inc. (formerly United Stationers, Inc.), a national wholesale distributor of workplace items, where he serves as the chair of the Audit Committee, and was a director of BlueLinx Holdings Inc., a wholesale supplier of building materials, from 2013 (and Non-Executive Chairman of the Board from January 2014) until May 2016.

"We are very excited to welcome Roy to our Board of Directors. Roy’s extensive experience in industry and electrical distribution make him a great addition to our Board," commented James Pokluda, President & CEO of Houston Wire & Cable Company.

About the Company
With over 40 years’ experience in the industry, Houston Wire & Cable Company, an industrial distributor, is a large provider of industrial products in the U.S. market. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, the Company has sales and distribution facilities strategically located throughout the United States.

Standard stock items available for immediate delivery include continuous and interlocked armor cable; instrumentation cable; medium voltage cable; high temperature wire; portable cord; power cable; primary and secondary aluminum distribution cable; private branded products, including LifeGuard™, a low-smoke, zero-halogen cable; mechanical wire and cable and related hardware, including wire rope, lifting products and synthetic rope and slings; corrosion resistant fasteners, hose clamps, and rivets.

Comprehensive value-added services include same-day shipping, knowledgeable sales staff, inventory management programs, just-in-time delivery, logistics support, customized online ordering capabilities and 24/7/365 service.

 

CONTACT:
Kayla Draper
Investor Relations Coordinator & Assistant to the CEO
Direct:  713.609.2227
Fax:  713.609.2168
kdraper@houwire.com