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 1, 2018

 

PRECISION OPTICS CORPORATION, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Massachusetts   001-10647   04-2795294
(State or other jurisdiction   (Commission   (IRS Employer
of incorporation)   File Number)   Identification No.)

 

22 East Broadway, Gardner, Massachusetts   01440
(Address of principal executive offices)   (Zip Code)

 

(978) 630-1800

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

 

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 ( see  General Instruction A.2. below):

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

☐            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 (17 CFR §230.405) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (17 CFR §240.12b-2). Emerging growth company ☐

 

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. ☐

 

 

 

 

 

     
 

   

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

 

On July 27, 2018, our Board of Directors approved a new compensation agreement with our Chief Executive Officer, Joe Forkey effective August 2, 2018. Pursuant to the agreement, we will pay Mr. Forkey a base salary of $200,000 per year beginning retroactively on July 1, 2018. On August 2, 2018, we also granted Mr. Forkey stock options to purchase up to 350,000 shares of our common stock at an exercise price of $0.73 per share. The options vest as follows: (i) one–half of the options vest if we achieve revenues of $1.5 million or higher for two consecutive fiscal quarters, based on the reported revenues in our Form 10-Ks or 10-Qs; and (ii) one-half of the options vest if our common stock is trading at $1.00 per share or higher for fifteen consecutive trading days. In the event of a change of control all unvested options will vest. We will also grant Mr. Forkey 300,000 shares of common stock at a rate of 50,000 shares per fiscal quarter retroactively starting January 1, 2017 and through the quarter ended June 30, 2018. Such shares will be issued in three tranches of 100,000 shares each, on the date of signing the compensation agreement, on January 1, 2019, and on January 1, 2020.

 

Effective on August 1, 2018, we also entered into a new employment agreement with our Chief Financial Officer, Donald Major. We will pay Mr. Major a base salary of $175,000 per year. Our Board of Directors also approved a grant of stock options to purchase up to 100,000 shares of our common stock at an exercise price of $0.70 per share, or the closing price of our common stock on August 2, 2018. The options vest as follows: 33,000 options vest three months following the grant date; 33,000 options vest three months following the end of the second consecutive quarter with Company quarterly revenues of $1,500,000 or greater, as announced in our Form 10-Q and / or 10-K filings; 34,000 options vest three months following the end of a second consecutive quarter with a Company gross margin percentage of 30% or greater, as announced in our Form 10-Q or 10-K filings. All options vest and become exercisable upon the effective date of an involuntary termination of Mr. Major as Chief Financial Officer for a reason other than cause or upon the effective date of a change in control of the Company.

 

The description of the foregoing agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the complete text of the compensation agreement by and among us and Joseph Forkey which is filed as Exhibit 10.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

This report contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements that express our intentions, beliefs, expectations, strategies, predictions or any other statements related to our future activities or future events or conditions. These statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about our business based, in part, on assumptions made by our management. These statements are not guarantees of future performances and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in the forward-looking statements due to numerous factors, including those risks discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and in other documents that we file from time to time with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and we do not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this report, except as required by law.

 

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

10.1   Compensation Agreement, by and among Precision Optics Corporation, Inc. and Joseph N. Forkey, dated August 2, 2018.
     

  

 

 

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.

 

    Precision Optics Corporation, Inc.
    (Registrant)
     
Date August 3, 2018    
     
    /s/ Joseph N. Forkey
   

Name: Joseph N. Forkey

Title: Chief Executive Officer

       
           

Exhibit 10.1

 

COMPENSATION AGREEMENT

 

This Compensation Arrangement (this “ Agreement ”) is made and entered into as of this 2nd day of August, 2018, by and between Precision Optics Corporation, Inc., a Massachusetts corporation (together with its successors and assigns, the “ Company ”), and Joseph N. Forkey (the “ Executive ”).

 

WHEREAS, the Company is currently employing the Executive as the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer;

 

WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Company (the “ Board ”) has determined that it is in the best interest of the Company and its stockholders for the Executive to continue in such position and to compensate Executive appropriately pursuant to the terms and conditions set forth herein;

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and mutual covenants contained herein and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which mutually is acknowledged, the Company and the Executive (each individually, a “ Party ”, and together, the “ Parties ”) agree as follows:

 

1.        COMPENSATION.

 

(a) Base Salary . Beginning July 1, 2018, the Company shall pay to the Executive a base salary of not less than $200,000 per year in accordance with the Company’s regular payroll practices in effect from time to time, but no less frequently than monthly. The Executive may receive raises at the discretion of the Board of Directors. The Executive may also receive a bonus at the discretion of the Board of Directors.

 

(b) Option Grant . As soon as practical after the execution of this Agreement the Executive will be granted an equity award consisting of 350,000 stock options, taken from the Company’s 2011 Equity Incentive Plan, to purchase 350,000 shares of Company common stock (the “ Options ”). The exercise price for such Options shall be the closing stock price of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant, or $0.73 per share, whichever is higher. The Options shall vest and be exercisable and non-forfeitable as follows: (i) one–half of the Options shall vest if the Company achieves revenues of $1.5 million or higher for two consecutive fiscal quarters; and (ii) one-half of the Options shall vest if the Company’s common stock is trading at $1.00 or higher for fifteen consecutive trading days. For vesting criterion (i), revenues will be those reported on the Company’s 10Q and 10K financial statements, and vesting will occur on the filing date of the first 10Q or 10K for which the criterion is satisfied. If the Company undergoes a Change in Control Transaction, any remaining unvested Options shall vest immediately prior to the Change in Control. The life of the options will be ten years from the date of the grant. The exercise price and number of shares issuable under the Options shall be adjusted to reflect stock splits and similar transactions.

 

(c) Deferred Equity Compensation . With a retroactive start date of January 1, 2017, Executive shall earn 50,000 shares of the Company’s common stock per fiscal quarter, until the quarter ending June 30, 2018. Executive must be employed at the Company on the last day of each quarter in order to earn such stock. Stock earned by Executive will be issued to Executive from the Company’s 2011 Equity Incentive Plan in three installments of 100,000 shares each. The first issuance will occur on the date this Agreement is signed; the second will occur on January 1, 2019; the third will occur on January 1, 2020. For purposes of clarity, the Executive remains entitled to receive any shares previously earned, even if Executive is not employed at the Company at the time of issuance. However, the Executive will not be eligible to receive earned stock before the scheduled issuance dates defined above, except in the event that the Company is sold. In the event that the Company is sold, all outstanding stock earned by Executive prior to the sale of the Company, but not yet issued, will be issued to Executive immediately prior to the close of the sale of the Company. Company shall pay and bear sole responsibility for the employer’s portion of payroll taxes when the shares are issued.

 

 

 

 

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2.        SEVERABILITY.

 

If any provision or portion of this Agreement shall be determined to be invalid or unenforceable for any reason, in whole or in part, the remaining provisions of this Agreement shall be unaffected thereby and shall remain in full force and effect to the fullest extent permitted by law.

 

3.        GOVERNING LAW/JURISDICTION.

 

This Agreement shall be governed by and construed and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts without reference to principles of conflict of laws.

 

4.        COUNTERPARTS.

 

This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original as against any party whose signature appears thereon, and all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. This Agreement shall become binding when one or more counterparts hereof, individually or taken together, shall bear the signatures of all of the parties reflected hereon as the signatories. Photographic copies of such signed counterparts may be used in lieu of the originals for any purpose.

 

5.        SECTION 409A COMPLIANCE.

 

It is the intention of the Company and the Executive that this Agreement and the payments provided for herein meet the requirements of Section 409A of the Code, to the extent applicable to this Agreement and such payments. The Company and the Executive agree to cooperate in good faith in preparing and executing, at such time as sufficient guidance is available under Section 409A and from time to time thereafter, such amendments to this Agreement, if any, as the Executive may reasonably request solely for the purpose of assuring that this Agreement and the payments provided hereunder meet the requirements of Section 409A. Nothing in this Agreement shall require the Company to increase the Executive’s compensation or make the Executive whole for any requested changes.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have executed this Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

 

  Precision Optics Corporation, Inc.
   
  /s/ Peter Woodward                             
  Peter Woodward
  Chairman of the Board of Directors
   
   
  Executive
   
  /s/ Joseph N. Forkey                           
  Joseph N. Forkey
   

 

 

 

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