SMG » Topics » PAYMENTS ON TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT AND CHANGE IN CONTROL

This excerpt taken from the SMG DEF 14A filed Dec 19, 2008.
PAYMENTS ON TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT AND CHANGE IN CONTROL
 
The Company and Scotts LLC have entered into certain agreements and maintain certain plans that may provide compensation to the NEOs in the event of a termination of employment or a change in control of the Company.
 
Employment Agreements:  Scotts LLC has entered into employment agreements with Mr. Hagedorn, Mr. Evans, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Lopez and Ms. Stump, the Company’s NEOs, and Mr. Baker, the Company’s President and Chief Operating Officer. Under the terms of these employment agreements, described above in the section captioned “EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENTS AND TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT AND CHANGE-IN-CONTROL ARRANGEMENTS — Employment Agreements,” each NEO and Mr. Baker may be eligible for severance and continued compensation and benefit eligibility as summarized in the table below. For purposes of this disclosure, the employment agreement for Mr. Baker is treated as if it was in effect on the last day of the 2008 fiscal year.
 
             
Termination Due to:
 
Base Salary*
 
Annual Incentive
 
Welfare Benefits
 
Death
  No additional payments   Prorated Target Annual Bonus Award   Per terms of applicable plans and programs
Disability
  No additional payments   Prorated Target Annual Bonus Award   Per terms of applicable plans and programs
Voluntary by Executive
  No additional payments   No payment (per terms of plan)   Per terms of applicable plans and programs
Without Cause or by Executive with Good Reason   Lump sum equal to two years base salary**   One times Target Annual Bonus Award**   Lump sum equivalent to 12 months of health care premiums. Other benefits per terms of applicable plans and programs
For Cause
  No additional payments   No payment (per terms of plan)   Per terms of applicable plans and programs
Within Two Years Subsequent to Change in Control without Cause or by Executive with Good Reason   Lump sum equal to two times base salary   (a) Lump sum equal to two times Target Annual Bonus Award; plus (b) Prorated Target Annual Bonus for the year of termination   Lump sum equivalent to 24 months of health care premiums.*** Other benefits per terms of applicable plans and programs
 
 
* In each circumstance surrounding a separation of employment from Scotts LLC, base salary payments discontinue after the effective date of termination.
 
** Mr. Baker is entitled to a lump-sum payment equal to three times the sum of (i) his then current base salary and (ii) his average annual bonus award over the preceding three completed fiscal years.
 
*** Mr. Baker is entitled to a lump sum equivalent to 18 months of health care premiums. Mr. Hagedorn is entitled to continuation of his then-current health and welfare benefits for a period of three years following the date of termination.


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Table of Contents

 
The specific obligations to each of the NEOs and Mr. Baker are detailed in separate tables that follow.
 
Equity-Based Compensation Plans:  As previously mentioned, grants of NSOs/SARs and restricted stock are typically subject to three-year, time-based vesting. However, our equity-based compensation plans generally provide for accelerated vesting or forfeiture in certain situations, as indicated in the following table. These acceleration and forfeiture provisions apply to all participants under the equity-based compensation plans.
 
             
Termination Due to:
 
Unvested NSOs/SARs
 
Unvested Restricted Stock
 
Unvested Performance Shares
 
Retirement
  Vest on date of termination   Forfeited on date of termination   Forfeited on date of termination
Death or Disability
  Vest on date of termination   Forfeited on date of termination   Forfeited on date of termination
For Cause
  All unvested and unexercised NSOs/SARs are forfeited on date of termination   Forfeited on date of termination   Forfeited on date of termination
Any Other Reason
  Forfeited on date of termination   Forfeited on date of termination   Forfeited on date of termination
Subsequent to Change in Control   Generally vest   Generally vest   Generally vest
 
Retirement:  A voluntary termination after a participant reaches age 62, or reaches age 55 with 10 years of service.
 
Disability:  A participant’s inability to perform his or her normal duties for a period of at least six months due to a physical or mental infirmity.
 
Upon a change in control of the Company, outstanding options and SARs will be cancelled and the applicable NEO will receive cash in the amount of, or Common Shares having a fair market value equal to, the difference between the change in control price per Common Share and the exercise price per share associated with the cancelled option or SAR; provided, however, such cancellation may not take affect if either (a) the Compensation Committee determines prior to the change in control that immediately after the change in control, the options and SARs will be honored or assumed, or new awards with substantially equivalent value substituted, or (b) the NEO exercises, with the permission of the Compensation Committee, the NEO’s outstanding options and SARs within 15 days of the date of the change in control.


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Table of Contents

PAYMENTS ON TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT AND CHANGE IN CONTROL
 
The Company and Scotts LLC have entered into certain agreements and maintain certain plans that may provide compensation to the NEOs in the event of a termination of employment or a change in control of the Company.
 
Employment Agreements:  As of the end of the 2007 fiscal year, Mr. Hagedorn was the only NEO party to an employment agreement. However, Scotts LLC entered into employment agreements with Mr. Evans, Mr. Sanders and Ms. Stump effective as of October 1, 2007. Mr. Sanders had a prior agreement that expired on September 30, 2007. The terms of the employment agreements with Mr. Hagedorn, Mr. Evans, Mr. Sanders and Ms. Stump are described below under the caption “Employment Agreements and Termination of Employment and Change-in-Control Arrangements.” Under the terms of their respective employment agreements, each NEO may be eligible for severance and continued compensation and benefit eligibility as summarized in the table below. For purposes of this disclosure, the employment agreements for Mr. Evans, Mr. Sanders and Ms. Stump are treated as if they were in effect on the last day of the 2007 fiscal year.
 
             
Reason
 
Base Salary
 
Annual Incentive
 
Welfare Benefits
 
 
Termination Due to Death
  No payment after effective date of termination   Prorated Target Annual Bonus   Per terms of plan
 
Termination Due to Disability   No payment after effective date of termination
  Prorated Target Annual Bonus   Per terms of plan
 
Voluntary Termination by Executive   No payment after
effective date of termination
  No payment (per terms of plan)   Per terms of plan
 
Termination by Company Without Cause or by Executive with Good Reason  
a) No payment after effective date of termination
b) Lump sum equal to two years base salary
  One times Target Annual Bonus   12 month Continuation Period. COBRA continuation period runs coincident with beginning of Continuation Period.
 
Termination for Cause
  No payment after effective date of termination   No payment (per terms of plan)   Per terms of plan
 
Termination Subsequent to Change in Control  
a) No payment after effective date of termination
b) Lump sum equal to two times base salary
  Lump sum equal to two times Target Annual Bonus   24 month Continuation Period. COBRA continuation period runs coincident with beginning of Continuation Period.
 
The specific obligations to each of Mr. Hagedorn, Mr. Evans, Mr. Sanders and Ms. Stump are detailed in separate tables.


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Equity-Based Compensation Plans:  As previously mentioned, grants of NSOs and restricted stock are typically subject to three-year, time-based vesting. However, our equity-based compensation plans generally provide for accelerated vesting or forfeiture in certain situations, as indicated in the following table. These acceleration and forfeiture provisions apply to all participants under the equity-based compensation plans.
 
         
Termination Due to:
 
NSOs
 
Restricted Stock
 
Retirement
  Unvested NSOs become vested on date of termination   All unvested shares are forfeited on date of termination
 
Death or Disability
  Unvested NSOs become vested on date of termination   All unvested shares are forfeited on date of termination
 
For Cause
  All unvested and unexercised NSOs are forfeited on date of termination   All unvested shares are forfeited on date of termination
 
Any Other Reason
  All unvested NSOs are forfeited   All unvested shares are forfeited on date of termination
 
Subsequent to Change in Control
  Generally vesting may be accelerated   Generally all unvested shares become vested
 
Retirement:  A voluntary termination after a participant reaches age 62, or reaches age 55 with 10 years of service.
 
Disability:  A participant’s inability to perform his or her normal duties for a period of 6 months due to a physical or mental infirmity.
 
Upon a change in control of the Company, outstanding options and SARs will be cancelled, unless (a) the Compensation and Organization Committee determines prior to the change in control that immediately after the change in control, the options and SARs will be honored or assumed, or new awards with substantially equivalent value substituted or (b) the NEO exercises, with the permission of the Compensation and Organization Committee, the NEO’s outstanding options and SARs within 15 days of the date of the change in control. For each cancelled option or SAR, an NEO will receive cash in the amount of, or common shares having a fair market value equal to, the difference between the change in control price per common share and the exercise price per share associated with the cancelled option or SAR.


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The following table describes the approximate payments that would be made to Mr. Hagedorn pursuant to his employment agreement or other plans or individual award agreements in the event of his termination of employment under the circumstances described below or in the event of a change in control of the Company, assuming such termination of employment or change in control took place on September 30, 2007, the last day of the 2007 fiscal year. Please see the Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End Table on page 40 for further information concerning the outstanding NSOs, SARs and shares of restricted stock held by Mr. Hagedorn as of September 30, 2007. Mr. Hagedorn’s employment agreement is described below under the caption “Employment Agreements and Termination of Employment and Change-in-Control Arrangements.” In the event of voluntary termination of employment, early retirement, normal retirement or a termination for cause, Mr. Hagedorn would receive the value of his accrued benefits under each of the Associates’ Pension Plan, the Excess Pension Plan, the RSP and the ERP (the amounts of which would be the same as those reflected below in the applicable line items within “Benefits and Perquisites”), but not additional severance payments. Unless noted otherwise, the agreements and plans that give rise to the termination of employment and change in control obligations of the Company are as discussed above.
 
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