UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A

 

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities

Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No.         )

 

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Filed by a Party other than the Registrant     

  

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Preliminary Proxy Statement

Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2))

Definitive Proxy Statement

Definitive Additional Materials

Soliciting Material Pursuant to Rule §240.14a-12§240.14a-12

 

J & J SNACK FOODS CORP.


(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

  


(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)

 

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SEC 1913 (04-05) 

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NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

To Be Held On February 9, 201816, 2022

 

TO OUR SHAREHOLDERS:

 

The2018 Annual Meeting of Shareholders of J & J SNACK FOODS CORP. will be held virtually on Friday,Wednesday, February 9, 201816, 2022, at 10:00 A.M., E.S.T., at the Crowne Plaza, 2349 West Marlton Pike (Route 70), Cherry Hill, New Jersey 08002, for the following purpose:

 

1.    To elect one director;

 

2.    To approve, onhave an advisory basis,vote on the approval of compensation of ourthe Company’s named executive officers; and

 

3.     To approve the 2017 Stock Option Plan; and

4.    To consider and act upon such other matters as may properly come before the meetingmeeting and any adjournments thereof.

 

The Board ofof Directors has fixed December 13, 2017,20, 2021, as the record date for the determination of shareholders entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting. Only holdersshareholders of record of the Company’s common stock at the close of business on that date will be entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting.

Due to the continuing public health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and to support the health and well-being of our employees and shareholders, we are pleased to provide shareholders with the opportunity to participate in the Annual Meeting online via the Internet in a virtual-only meeting format to facilitate shareholder attendance and provide a consistent experience to all shareholders regardless of location. We will provide a live webcast of the Annual Meeting at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/JJSF2022, where you will also be able to submit questions and vote online. You will not be able to attend the meeting at a physical location. Closed captioning will be provided for the virtual meeting.

 

YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO ATTEND THE ANNUAL MEETING IN PERSON.ONLINE. WHETHER OR NOT YOU EXPECT TO ATTEND THE ANNUAL MEETING IN PERSON, YOU ARE URGED TOCOMPLETE, SIGN, DATE AND PROMPTLY RETURN THE ENCLOSED PROXY. A SELF-ADDRESSED, STAMPED ENVELOPE IS ENCLOSED FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE. NO POSTAGE IS REQUIRED IF MAILED IN THE UNITED STATES.

 

 

 

By Order of the Board of Directors,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ Marjorie S. Roshkoff

 

 

 

Marjorie S. Roshkoff, Esquire

 

 

 

Secretary

 

 

December 22, 2017

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

Page

 

Page

ABOUT THE MEETINGPROXY STATEMENT

1

PROPOSAL 1 – INFORMATION CONCERNING NOMINEE FOR ELECTION TO BOARD

45

INFORMATION CONCERNING CONTINUING DIRECTORS AND NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

45

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

68

BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SHARES

1014

COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

1115

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE

1422

OUTSTANDING EQUITY AWARDS AT FISCAL YEAR-END

1523

GRANTS OF PLAN-BASED AWARDS IN FISCAL 20172021         

1624

OPTION EXERCISES

1625

TRANSACTIONS WITH RELATED PERSONS

1625

CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS

1726

POTENTIAL PAYMENT UPON TERMINATION OR CHANGE IN CONTROL

1726

REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE

1726

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS

1827

PROPOSAL 2  AN ADVISORY VOTE ON APPROVAL OF EXECUTIVETHE COMPENSATION OF EXECUTIVES         

19

PROPOSAL 3 – PROPOSAL TO APPROVE THE COMPANY’S 2017 STOCK OPTION PLAN

1929

OTHER MATTERS

2229

ANNUAL REPORT TO SHAREHOLDERS AND FORM 10-K

23

EXHIBIT “A” – 2017 STOCK OPTION PLAN

2430

 


 

ABOUT THE MEETINGPROXY STATEMENT

 

 

Why did you send me this proxy statement?

 

WeJ & J SNACK FOODS CORP. (“J & J”, the “Company” or “we”) sent this proxy statement and the enclosed proxy card to you because our Board of Directors (“Board”) is soliciting your proxy to vote at the 2018virtual 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.Shareholders (the “Annual Meeting”). This proxy statement summarizes information concerning the matters to be presented at the meeting and related information that will help you make an informed vote at the meeting. This proxy statement and the accompanying proxy card are first being mailed to shareholders on or about December 22, 2017.27, 2021.

 

When is the annual meeting?Annual Meeting?

 

The Annual Meeting will be held on Friday,Wednesday, February 9, 201816, 2022, at 10:00 A.M., E.S.T., at The Annual Meeting will be held via a live webcast, and there will not be a physical meeting location. You will be able to attend the Crowne Plaza, 2349 West Marlton Pike (Route 70), Cherry Hill,Annual Meeting online and to vote your shares electronically on the virtual meeting platform by visiting www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/JJSF2022 and entering the 16-digit control number included on your proxy card or in the instructions that accompanied your proxy materials. We have decided to have the shareholder meeting remotely due to the continuing global COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, New Jersey 08002.law has amended the New Jersey Business Corporation Act of New Jersey (“NJBCA”) to permanently allow remote shareholder meetings, as long as the Board of Directors approve such and follows the required guidelines, which it has done.

We encourage you to access the Annual Meeting before it begins. Online check-in will start approximately 15 minutes before the Annual Meeting on February 16, 2022. If you have difficulty accessing the meeting, please call the technical support number that will be posted on the Annual Meeting login page. We will have technicians available to assist you.

 

What am I voting on?

 

At the Annual Meeting, you will be voting:

 

 

To elect one director for a five-year term;

 

 

To approve, onOn an advisory basis, thevote on approval of the compensation of our executive officers;

To approve the 2017 Stock Option Plan; executives; and

 

 

On anyany other matter, if any, as may properly come before the meeting orand any adjournment or postponement thereof.of the annual meeting.

 

How do you recommend that I vote on these items?

 

The Board of Directors recommends that you vote:

 

 

FOR the director nominee.

 

 

APPROVE on the advisory vote to approveapproving executive compensation.

APPROVE on the approval of the 2017 Stock Option Plan.

 


Who is entitled to vote?

 

You may vote if you owned our common stock, no par value (“Common Stock”),share(s) as of the close of business on December 13, 2017,20, 2021, the record date for the Annual Meeting.annual meeting. On the record date, there were 18,667,23519,088,832 shares of J & J common stock, no par value (“Common StockStock”) outstanding. Each share of Common Stock is entitled to one (1) vote on matters submitted to the Company’s shareholders for a vote.

 

Who pays expenses related to the proxy solicitation?

 

The expenses of the proxy solicitation will be borne by J & J Snack Foods Corp. (“J & J” or the “Company”).J. In addition to solicitation by mail, proxies may be solicited in person or by telephone by directors, officers or employees of J & J and its subsidiaries without additional compensation. J & J may engage the services of a proxy-soliciting firm. J & J is also required to pay the reasonable expenses incurred by record holders of J & J Common Stock, who are brokers, dealers, banks or voting trustees, and certain other record holders of our Common Stockor their nominees, for forwardingmailing proxy materialsmaterial and annual shareholder reports to the beneficial owners of such Common Stock they hold of record, upon request of such recordholders.


 

How many votes are needed to elect a director?

 

Pursuant to the New Jersey Business Corporation Act (the “NJBCA”),NJBCA, the election of directors will be determined by a plurality vote and the one (1) nominee receiving the most “FOR” votes will be elected. If any nominee for director in an uncontested election receives a greater number of votes “withheld” than votes “for” such election, our Director Resignation Policy requires that such nominee must promptly tender his or her resignation to the Board following certification of the vote, which the Board shall accept or reject within 90 days of the shareholder vote.

Approval of any other proposal will require the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast on the proposal.

 

What constitutes a quorum?

 

The holders of a majority of the aggregate outstanding shares of Common Stock, present either in person or by proxy, will constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at the Annual Meeting and at any postponement or adjournment of the Annual Meeting. Pursuant to the NJBCA, abstentions and broker non-votes (described below) will be counted for the purpose of determining whether a quorum is present.

 

What is the effect of abstentions and broker non-votes?

 

Under the NJBCA, abstentions, (or a withholding of authority) andauthority, or broker non-votes, are not counted as votes cast and, therefore, will have no effect on any proposal at the Annual Meeting. Brokers who hold shares for the accounts of their clients may vote such shares either as directed by their clients or in their own discretion if permitted by the applicable stock exchange or other organization of which they are members. Members of the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) are permitted to vote their clients’ shares in their own discretion as to certain “routine” matters if the clients have not timely furnished voting instructions prior to the Annual Meeting. The election of directors is not considered a routine matter. When a broker votes a client’s shares on some, but not all, of the proposals at a meeting, the omitted votes are referred to as “broker non-votes.”

2

 

How do I vote my shares?

 

If you are a registered shareholder (that is, if your stock is registered in your name on the books of the Company)name), you may attend the Annual Meeting and vote in persononline or vote by proxy. To vote by mail - mark, sign and date your proxy card and return such card in the postage-paid envelope J & J has provided you.

 

If you hold your shares in street name (that is, if you hold your shares through a broker, bank or other holder of record), you will receive a voting instruction form from your broker, bank or other holder of record. This form will explain which voting options are available to you. If you want to vote in person at the Annual Meeting,annual meeting, you must obtain an additional proxy card from your broker, bank or other holder of record authorizing you to vote. You must bring this proxy card to the meeting.

 

J & J encourages you to vote your shares for matters to be covered at the Annual Meeting.

 

What if I do not specify how I want my shares voted?

 

If you submit a signed proxy card but do not indicate how you want your shares voted, the persons named in the enclosed proxy will vote your shares of Common Stock:

 

 

“for” the election of the nominee for director named in this proxy statement;director;

 

approve” the Company’sadvisory vote approving executive compensation on an advisory basis;

approve” the 2017 Stock Option Plan;compensation; and

 

with respect to any other matter that properly comes before the Annual Meeting, the proxy holders will vote the proxies in their discretion in accordance with their best judgment and in the manner, they believe to be in the best interest of J & J.

 

Can I change my vote after submitting my proxy?

 

Yes. You can change your vote at any time before your proxy is voted at the Annual Meeting. If you are a shareholder of record, you may revoke your proxy by:

 

 

submitting a later-dated proxy by mail; or

 

 

attending the Annual Meeting via the webcast and voting in person.electronically on the virtual meeting platform. Your attendance alone will not revoke your proxy. You must also vote in personelectronically at the Annual Meeting.


 

If you hold your shares in street name, you must contact your broker, bank or other nominee regarding how to change your vote.

3

 

Can shareholders speak or ask questions at the Annual Meeting?

 

Yes. J & J encourages shareholders to ask questions or to voice their views. J & J also wishes to assure order and efficiency for all attending shareholders. Accordingly, the Chairman of the Annual Meeting will have sole authority to make any determinations on the conduct of the Annual Meeting, including time allotted for each shareholder inquiry or similar rules to maintain order. Such determination by the Chairman of the Annual Meeting will be final, conclusive and binding. Anyone who is disruptive or refuses to comply with such rules of order will be removedexcused from the Annual Meeting.

 

Can I attendAttendance at the Annual Meeting?

 

Yes. The Company encourages youDue to personally attendthe continued public health impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic and to support the health and well-being of our employees and shareholders, we are pleased to provide shareholders with the opportunity to participate in the Annual Meeting whetheronline via the Internet in a virtual-only meeting format to facilitate shareholder attendance and provide a consistent experience to all shareholders regardless of location. We will provide a live webcast of the Annual Meeting at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/JJSF2022, where you will also be able to submit questions and vote online. You will need your 16-digit control number included on your proxy card or in the instructions that accompanied your proxy materials. You will not you utilize proxy voting. be able to attend the meeting at a physical location. Closed captioning will be provided.

If your shares are registered in street name, your method of voting is described above.

Methods of Voting

Shareholders can vote via the Internet during the Annual Meeting webcast or by proxy. There are three ways to vote by proxy:

By Telephone – You can vote by calling 1-800-690-6903;

By Internet – You can vote over the Internet at www.proxyvote.com and following the instructions on the proxy card; or

By Mail – If you received proxy materials by mail you can vote by signing, dating and mailing the enclosed proxy card.

Telephone and Internet voting facilities for stockholders of record will be available 24 hours a day and will close at 11:59 P.M. E.S.T. on February 15, 2022.

 


4

 

PROPOSAL 1

 

INFORMATION CONCERNING NOMINEE FOR ELECTION TO BOARD

 

One (1) director is expected to be elected at the Annual Meeting to serve on the Board of Directors of J & J until the expiration of his or her term as indicated below and until his or her successor is elected and has qualified.

 

The following table sets forth information concerning J & J’sJ’s nominee for election to the Board of Directors. If the nominee becomes unable or for good cause will not serve, the persons named in the enclosed form of proxy will vote in accordance with their best judgment for the election of such substitute nominee as shall be designated by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors of J & J expects the nominee to be willing and able to serve.

      

Year of

 
      

Expiration of

 

Name

 

Age

 

Position

 

Term as Director

 
        

Marjorie S. Roshkoff, Esquire

 53 

Director

 2027 

Marjorie S. Roshkoff became a Director in 2020. Since February 2016, she has been In-House Counsel with J & J Snack Foods Corp. and was made a Vice President in 2017 and General Counsel in 2021. She joined the Company in February 2016 with more than 15 years of legal experience. As General Counsel, Ms. Roshkoff oversees outside counsel and is responsible for all of the Company’s legal matters. In addition to her litigation and employment related expertise, she has extensive knowledge of the Company’s history, organization and culture and adds the perspective of a long-term highly committed director, shareholder and employee regarding Board decisions and matters. Ms. Roshkoff is a daughter of Gerald B. Shreiber, the founder of the Company and current Chairman of the Board.

 

The Board recommends that you vote FOR the election of the nominee

 

 

  

Year of

 

   

Expiration of

Name

Age

 

Position

Term as Director

     

Sidney R. Brown

60

 

Director

2023

 

INFORMATION CONCERNING CONTINUING

DIRECTORS AND NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

 

 

  

Year of Expiration of

 

 

   Year of Expiration of 

Name

Age

 

Position

Term as Director

 

Age

 

Position

 

Term as Director

 

Gerald B. Shreiber

 80 

Chairman of the Board

 2025 
       

Sidney R. Brown

 64 

Director

 2023 
       

Vincent Melchiorre

57

 

Director

2019

 61 

Director

 2024 
           

Gerald B. Shreiber

76

 

Chairman of the Board

2020

  Chief Executive Officer 

  Director 
    

Peter G. Stanley

75

 

Director

2021

    

Dennis G. Moore

62

 Senior Vice-President, Chief 2022

  Financial Officer, 

  Treasurer and Director 

Peter Stanley

 79 

Director

 2026 
           

Daniel Fachner

57

 

President, The ICEE Company

--   

 61 

President, Chief Executive Officer

 
           

Robert M. Radano

68

 

Senior Vice President, Chief

--   

Ken A. Plunk

 58 Senior Vice President,   

  Operating Officer    Chief Financial Officer   
           

Gerard G. Law

44

 

Senior Vice President,

--   

Robert M. Radano (1)

 72 Senior Vice President,   

  Assistant to the President    Chief Operating Officer   
       

Robert Pape

 64 Senior Vice President, Sales   
       

Lynwood Mallard

 53 

Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer

   
       

Stephen Every

 59 Chief Operating Officer, the ICEE Company   
       

Dennis G. Moore (2)

 66 Former Senior Vice President,   
   Former Chief Financial Officer and former Director   

(1) Mr. Radano retired in March 2021.

(2) Mr. Moore retired as Chief Financial Officer in September 2020. Mr. Moore continued to work for the Company until December 2020, and then served in a consulting role until July 2021.

5

Gerald B. Shreiber is the founder of the Company and serves as the Chairman of the Board. Mr. Shreiber also served as the Company’s President, and Chief Executive Officer since its inception in 1971. In May 2020, Mr. Shreiber stepped down as President of J & J Snack Foods Corp. and in May 2021, he stepped down as the Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Shreiber is the father of Marjorie S. Roshkoff, Esquire, Vice-President, General Counsel and Secretary of the Company, who has been nominated for re-election to the Board pursuant to Proposal 1.

 

Sidney R. Brown is the Chief Executive Officer of NFI Industries, Inc., a comprehensive provider of freight transportation, warehousing, third party logistics, contract manufacturing and real estate development. In December of 2016 Mr. Brown stepped down as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sun Bancorp, Inc., a national bank operating in New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania.  He remains a director of Sun Bancorp, Inc.global integrated supply chain solutions provider.  Mr. Brown is also on the Board of Directors of FS Investments Energy and Power Fund, a specialty finance company that invests primarily in income-oriented securities of private energy-related companies.  In addition, he is a member of the Board of TrusteeTrustees of Cooper Health Systems, a non-profit provider of health services in Southern New Jersey.  Mr. Brown has management experience in running a private company and experience in executing strategic acquisitions.  He has broad and vast experience in freight transportation.transportation and supply chain solutions.  He also has a strong background in sales, marketing and finance.  He became a director of the Company in 2003. 


Gerald B. Shreiber is the founder of the Company and has served as its Chairman of the Board, President, and Chief Executive Officer since its inception in 1971. In addition to his leadership skills as Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Shreiber has a broad range of experience in production, marketing and finance. He also has a deep understanding of J & J’s business and its industry.

Dennis G. Moore joined the Company in 1984, and has served in various capacities since that time. He was named Chief Financial Officer in 1992 and was elected to the Board of Directors in 1995. His term will expire in 2022.

Peter G. Stanley became a director in 1983. Since November 1999 he has been the Chairman of the Board of Emerging Growth Equities, Ltd., an investment banking firm. Mr. Stanley is also a director of FSIC III, which is a specialty finance company that invests primarily in the debt securities of private U.S. middle-market companies. Mr. Stanley brings to the Board experience as a commercial and investment banker, with knowledge of strategic acquisitions and corporate finance. He provides the Board with strong financial skills and chairs our Audit Committee.

 

Vincent Melchiorre has been is Senior Vice President of Bimbo Bakeries USA since September 2010. From June 2007 to August 2010, Mr. Melchiorre was employed by J & J Snack Foods Corp. as Senior Vice President – Food Group. From May 2006 to June 2007, he was Senior Vice President, Bread and Roll business, George Weston Foods, fromFoods. From January 2003 to April 2006, he was Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing at Tasty Baking Company and from June 1982 to December 2002 he was employed by Campbell Soup Company in various capacities, most recently as Vice President of Marketing of Pepperidge Farm. These experiences provide Mr. Melchiorre with an extensive knowledge of the food business including relevant experience in the fresh, frozen and shelf stable segments. In addition, he has had leadership roles in finance, information technology, operations, sales and marketing. Mr. Melchiorre became a director of the Company in August 2013.

 

Peter Stanley became a director of the Company in 1983. Since November 1999, he has been the Chairman of the Board of Emerging Growth Equities, Ltd., an investment banking firm. Mr. Stanley brings to the Board experience as a commercial and investment banker, with knowledge of strategic acquisitions and corporate finance. He provides the Board with strong financial skills and chairs our Audit Committee.

6

Daniel Fachner has been an employee of the Company’s subsidiary The ICEE Company since 1979 and became its President in August 1997. In May 2020, Mr. Fachner was named President of J & J Snack Foods Corp. and in May 2021 Mr. Fachner was appointed Chief Executive Officer of J & J Snack Foods Corp.

Ken A. Plunk was appointed Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer onSeptember 21, 2020. Prior to joining J & J, Mr. Plunk spent 12 years at Walmart Inc. most recently as Senior Vice President of International Finance. Prior to Walmart, he worked at The Home Depot for four years, holding leadership positions in merchandise finance and internal audit. 

 

Robert M. Radano joined the Company in 1972 and in May 1996 was named Chief Operating Officer of the Company. Mr. Radano retired as Chief Operating Officer in March 2021.

 

Gerard G. LawRobert Pape joined the Company in 1992.March 1998 as Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Prior to joining the Company Mr. Pape worked for Campbell Soup Company as its National Sales Director. Mr. Pape is retiring from the Company in January 2022.

Lynwood Mallard joined the Company as Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer in March 2021. Prior to joining J & J, Mr. Mallard worked at the Coca-Cola Company since 1998 where he held various ascending roles in areas of brand marketing, strategy, commercialization, and innovation.

Stephen Every was named Chief Operating Officer of the ICEE Company in August 2021. Mr. Every joined the ICEE Company as Director, Special Projects in 2009. In 2012, Mr. Every was promoted to Vice President of Sales with responsibility for the management and development of relationships with many of  ICEE’s largest brand and service customers in the USA.

Dennis G. Moore joined the Company in 1984.  He served in various manufacturing and sales management capacitiescontrollership functions prior to becoming Senior Vice President, Western Operationsthe Chief Financial Officer in 2009. He was namedJune 1992.  Mr. Plunk replaced Mr. Moore as Chief Financial Officer in September 2020. Mr. Moore continued to his present positionwork for the Company until December 2020, and then served in 2011, in which he has responsibility for marketing, research and development and overseeing a number of the manufacturing facilities of J & J.

The Board recommends that you vote “FOR” the election of the nominee.consulting role until July 2021.

 


7

 

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

 

Corporate Governance Guidelines

 

J & J is incorporated under the laws of the State of New Jersey. In accordance with New Jersey law and J & J’s Bylaws,By-laws, the Board of Directors has responsibility for overseeing the conduct of J & J’s business. J & J has established a Code of Business, Conduct and Ethics which is applicable to all directors, officers and employees of the Company. In addition, the Company has adopted a Code of Ethics for Chief Executive and Senior Financial Officers. Copies of these codes are available on the Company’s website.

Director Independence

The rules of NASDAQ require that a majority of the Company’s Board of Directors and the members of the Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and the Nominating/ Governance Committee meet its independence criteria. No director qualifies as independent unless the Board determines that the director has no direct or indirect material relationship with the Company. The Board considers all relevant facts and circumstances of which it is aware in making an independence determination.

Based on the NASDAQ guidelines the Board of Directors has determined that each of the following directors is independent: Sidney R. Brown, Vincent Melchiorre and Peter G. Stanley. Neither Mr. Stanley nor Mr. Melchiorre has a business, financial, family or other type of relationship with J & J. With respect to Mr. Brown, his company, NFI Industries, provided transportation and supply chain solutions services to the Company totaling $540,000 in 2019, $274,980 in 2020 and $633,056 in fiscal year 2021. The Board of Directors determined that Mr. Brown is independent irrespective of the services provided due to the relative levels of revenue of J & J and NFI. As an employee of the Company, the Board of Directors has determined that Ms. Roshkoff is not independent.

Board Meetings

During the fiscal year, the Board of Directors held four regularly scheduled meetings. Each Director attended at least 75% of the total meetings of the Board of Directors and the Committees on which he or she served.

8

Annual Meeting Attendance

It has been longstanding practice of the Company for all Directors to attend the Annual Meeting of Shareholders. All Directors virtually attended the Annual Meeting held in February 2021.

Executive Sessions of Independent Directors

The Independent Directors meet in executive sessions without management present before or after regularly scheduled Board meetings.

Director Stock Ownership Guidelines

The Board has established stock ownership guidelines for the non-employee directors. Within two years of election as a director, the director must attain and hold 3,000 shares of J & J’s Common Stock. All current non-employee directors meet this guideline.

Board Leadership

The Board of Directors has reviewed and discussed the leadership structure at the Company and during fiscal 2021 determined that it would be in the best interests of the Company for the Board of Directors to separate the roles of Chairman of the Board and President and Chief Executive Officer. As of the date of this proxy statement, the offices of Chairman and President and Chief Executive Officer are held by two separate individuals. Mr. Shreiber, the founder of the Company and significant shareholder, serves as Chairman and Mr. Fachner serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company. The Board believes the separation of the roles is the most appropriate structure at this time as it allows the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer to focus primarily on establishing and implementing the Company’s strategic plan and on day-to-day operations.

Board Committees

In order to fulfill its responsibilities, the Board has delegated certain authority to its Committees. There are three standing committees: (i) Audit Committee, (ii) Compensation Committee and (iii) Nominating/Governance Committee. Each Committee has its own Charter which is reviewed annually by each Committee to assure ongoing compliance with applicable law and sound governance practices. Committee charters may be found on our website at www.jjsnack.com under the “Investor Relations”“Investors” tab and then under “Corporate Governance”. Paper copies are available at no cost by written request to Marjorie S. Roshkoff, Corporate Secretary, J & J Snack Foods Corp., 6000 Central Highway, Pennsauken, New Jersey 08109.

Director Independence

NASDAQ rules require that Shareholders may also call Joe Jaffoni, Norberto Aja or Jennifer Neuman at our investor relations firm, JCIR. The telephone number is 212-835-8500 or contact jjsf@jcir.com for a majority of the members of the Company’s Board, and all of the members of the Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of the Board, meet NASDAQ’s independence criteria. Among other requirements, no director qualifies as independent unless the Board of Directors determines that the director has no direct or indirect material relationship with the Company. The Board considers all relevant facts and circumstances of which it is aware in making an independence determination.

Based on the NASDAQ rules, the Board has determined that each of the following directors is independent: Sidney R. Brown, Vincent Melchiorre and Peter G. Stanley (the “Independent Directors”). Neither Mr. Stanley nor Mr. Melchiorre has a business, financial, family or other type of relationship with J & J. Mr. Brown’s company, NFI Industries, Inc. provided transportation services to the Company totaling approximately $38,000 in fiscal 2015, $0 in 2016 and approximately $167,000 in fiscal 2017.

Board Meetings

During the 2017 fiscal year the Board of Directors held four regularly scheduled meetings. Each Director attended at least 75% of the total meetings of the Board of Directors and the Committees on which he served.

Annual Meeting Attendance

It has been longstanding practice of the Company for all directors to attend the Annual Meeting of Shareholders. All directors attended the Annual Meeting held in February 2017.

Executive Sessions of Independent Directors

The Independent Directors meet in executive sessions without management present before or after regularly scheduled Board meetings. In addition, the Independent Directors meet at least once annually with the Chief Executive Officer at which time succession issues are discussed. 

Director Stock Ownership Guidelines

The Board has established stock ownership guidelines for the non-employee directors. Within two years of election as a director, the director must attain and hold 3,000 shares of J & J’s Common Stock. All current non-employee directors meet this guideline.

Board Leadership

The Board has reviewed and discussed the leadership structure. Mr. Shreiber serves as both principal executive officer and chairman of the Board. Mr. Shreiber is the founder of the Company and has been its Chief Executive Officer and Chairman since its inception. He currently beneficially owns 20% of the Company’s Common Stock. It is Mr. Shreiber’s view, which is shared by the Board, that as a significant shareholder who is active in the business, as Mr. Shreiber has been for over the last 46 years, he should hold both offices. The Board does not have a lead independent director.


Board Committees

In order to fulfill its responsibilities, the Board has delegated certain authority to its committees. There are three standing committees: (i) Audit Committee, (ii) Compensation Committee and (iii) Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Each Committee has its own Charter which is reviewed annually by the Committee to assure ongoing compliance with applicable law and sound governance practices. Committee Charters may be found on our website at www.jjsnack.com under the “Investor Relations” tab and then under “Corporate Governance”. Paper copies are available at no cost by written request to Marjorie S. Roshkoff, Corporate Secretary, J & J Snack Foods Corp., 6000 Central Highway, Pennsauken, New Jersey 08109.paper copy.

 

The Audit Committee

 

The Audit Committee is comprised of directors Mr. Stanley (Chairman), Mr. Brown and Mr. Melchiorre, each of whom qualifies as an independent director and meets the other requirements to serve on the Audit Committee under rules of the NASDAQ rules.Stock Market. The principal functions of the Audit Committee include, but are not limited to, (i) the oversight of the accounting and financial reporting processes of the Company and its internal control over financial reporting; (ii) the oversight of the quality and integrity of the Company’s financial statements and the independent audit thereof; (iii) oversight over the Company’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements; and (iv) the approval, prior to their engagement, of the Company’s independent auditors and, in connection therewith, the evaluation of the qualifications, independence and performance of the Company’s independent auditors. The Audit Committee convened six (6) times during the 2017 fiscal year.to:

The oversight of the accounting and financial reporting processes of the Company and its internal control over financial reporting.

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The oversight of the quality and integrity of the Company’s financial statements and the independent audit thereof.

Discussion of the audited financials with the Company’s management.

Recommend to the Company’s Board, as appropriate, that the Company’s audited financial statement be included in the Company’s annual report on Form 10‑K.

The approval, prior to the engagement of, the Company’s independent auditors and, in connection therewith, to review and evaluate the qualifications, independence and performance of the Company’s independent auditors.

 

The Audit Committee currently does not have an Audit Committee Financial Expert, as such term is defined in Section 407 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. The Audit Committee believes that the background and experience of its members allow them to perform their duties as members of the Audit Committee. This background and experience includesinclude a former banker and currentretired investment banker who regularly reviews financial statements of companies, a Chief Executive Officer of a substantial private company who haswith financial oversight responsibilities and who also is thea former Chairman of the Board of Directors of a national bank,National Bank, and a businessman who has had substantial financial oversight responsibilities with food companies.

The Audit Committee held six (6) meetings during the 2021 fiscal year.

 

The Compensation Committee

 

The Compensation Committee is comprised of directors Mr. Brown (Chairman)(Chairman) and Mr. Stanley, each of whom qualifies as an independent director under the rules of the NASDAQ rules,Stock Market, as non-employee directors under Rule 16b-3 issued underof the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and as outside directors under Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”).Service. The Committee has responsibility for the following:

 

 

Annually review and determine the compensation of the CEOChief Executive Officer and other officers without the CEOChief Executive Officer being present during the voting or deliberations of the Committeecompensation committee with respect to his or her compensation.

 

 

Review and approve compensation paid to family members of officers and directors.

 

 

Determine the Company’sCompany’s policy with respect to the application of Internal Revenue Code Section 162(m).

10

 

 

Approve the form of employment contracts, severance arrangements, change in control provisions and other compensatory arrangements with officers.

 

 

Approve cash incentives and deferred compensation plans for officers (including any modification to such plans) and oversee the performance objectives and funding for executive incentive plans.

 

 

Approve compensation programs and grants involving the use of the Company’sCompany’s stock and other equity securities, including the administration of the Company’s stock option plan.J & J Snack Foods Corp. Amended and Restated Long-Term Incentive Plan

 

 

Prepare an annual report on executive compensation for inclusion in the Company’sCompany’s proxy statement for each annual meeting of shareholders in accordance with applicable rules and regulations.

 

 

Retain or obtain the advice of a compensation consultant, legal counsel or other advisor.


 

 

Have direct responsibility for the appointment, compensation and oversight of the work of any compensation consultant, legal counsel and other advisor retained by the Compensation Committee.

 

 

Monitor compliance with legal prohibitions on loans to directors and officers of the Company.

 

 

Review the Committee’sCommittee’s performance annually.

 

 

Review and reassess the adequacy of the Committee’sCommittee’s Charter annually and recommend to the Board any appropriate changes.

 

 

Perform such other duties and responsibilities as may be assigned to the Committee, from time to time, by the Board.

 

The Compensation CommitteeCommittee held one (1) meetingfour (4) meeting(s) during the fiscal 2017.

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation2021 year.

 

The CompensationNominating Committee is comprised of directors Brown (Chairman) and Stanley. Director Melchiorre resigned from the Compensation Committee on approximately November 27, 2017. Melchiorre is a former officer of the Company. He was employed as the Company’s Senior Vice President – Food Group from June 2007 to August 2010. No member of the Compensation Committee was an officer or an employee of J & J during the 2017 fiscal year.

No interlocking relationships existed between any member of J & J’s Board or Compensation Committee and any member of the board of directors or compensation committee of any other company during the 2017 fiscal year.

Please refer to the “Transactions with Related Persons” and “Certain Transactionssectionsbelow for information regarding certain transactions between the Company and certain related persons.

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

 

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is comprised of directors Mr. Melchiorre (Chairman), Mr. Brown and Mr. Stanley, each of whom qualifies as an independent director under rules of the NASDAQ rules.Stock Market. This Committee’s primary responsibilities are to (1) maketo:

Make recommendations to the Board of Directors regarding composition of the Board and committees of the Board.

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Identify individuals qualified to become Board members and recommend to the Board qualified individuals to be nominated for election or appointed to the Board.

Conduct background and qualifications checks of persons it wishes to recommend to the Board as candidates or to fill vacancies.

Recommend to the Board the slate of nominees of directors to be proposed for election by the stockholders and individuals to be considered by the Board to fill vacancies. Approvals should follow a review by the Committee of the performance and contribution of fellow directors as well as the qualifications of proposed new directors.

Establish policies regarding the consideration of director candidates recommended by security holders.

Develop a succession plan for the Company’s Chief Executive Officer.

Develop corporate governance guidelines applicable to the Company.

The Nominating and committees of the Board, (2) identify individuals qualified to become Board members and recommend to the Board qualified individuals to be nominated for election or appointment to the Board, (3) develop a succession plan for the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and (4) develop corporate governance guidelines applicable to the Company. TheCorporate Governance Committee will consider nominees for directors recommended by shareholders.stockholders. Any shareholderstockholder may recommend a prospective nominee for thesuch Committee’s consideration by submitting in writing to the Company’s Secretary (at the Company’s address set forth above)below) the prospective nominee’s name and qualifications (subject to certain additional requirements discussed below). qualifications.

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee held one (l) meetingthree (3) meetings during the fiscal 2017. The Committee has not adopted a policy with regard to the consideration of diversity in identifying director nominees.2021 year.

 

While the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee has not established specific minimum qualifications that it believes nominees to the Board must possess, when identifying and considering nominees the Committee generally looks for individuals who (i) have strong business backgrounds with significant leadership experience, (ii) have significant experience in or knowledge of the Company’s business and industry, (iii) have strong reputations for integrity and a commitment to the highest standards of business ethics, (iv) meet applicable legal and other requirements for service on our Board (or certain Committees of our Board), such as complying with applicable independence standards, and (v) possess such other skills and backgrounds as the Committee may consider from time to time in order to ensure that the Company has an experienced and qualified Board with the requisite expertise and qualifications to help drive long-term shareholder value.

Shareholder Proposals and Nominations

 

Any shareholderstockholder who wishes to submit a proposal to be voted on or to nominate a person for election to the Board of Directors at the Company’s annual meetingAnnual Meeting of shareholders for fiscal year 2018Stockholders in 2023 must notify the Company’s Secretary (at the Company’s address set forth above) no earlier than August 24, 201829, 2022 and no later than September 23, 201828, 2022 (unless the date of such 2019the 2023 annual meeting is more than 30 days before or more than 60 days after February 9, 2019,16, 2023, in which case the notice of proposal must be received (a) not more than 90 days prior to the annual anniversary of the date on which the Company first mailed proxy materials for the 20182022 annual meeting to shareholders, and (b) not earlier than the later of (i) 60 days prior to the annual anniversary of the date on which the Company first mailed proxy materials for the 20182022 annual meeting to shareholders, and (ii) the 10th day following the date on which the Company first publicly announces the date of the 20192023 annual meeting). The notice of a proposal or nomination must also include certain information about the proposal or nominee and about the shareholderstockholder submitting the proposal or nomination, as required by the Company’s Bylaws,By-Laws, and must also meet the requirements of applicable securities laws. Proposals or nominations not meeting these requirements will not be presented at the annual meeting.

 


12

 

For more information regarding shareholderstockholder proposals or nominations, you may request a copy of the Bylaws from the Company’s Secretary at the Company’s address set forth below.

 

Communication with theThe Board

 

Shareholders, employees and others may contact any of the Company’s directorsCompany’s Directors by writing to them c/o J & J Snack Foods Corp., 6000 Central Highway, Pennsauken, New Jersey 08109.

 

Compliance withDelinquent Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 193416(a) Reports

 

Section 16(a)16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 requires that the Company’s directors and executive officers, and persons who beneficially own more than ten percent (10%) of the Company’s Common Stock, file with the Securities and Exchange Commission reports of ownership and changes in ownership of Common Stock and other equity securities of the Company. To the Company’s knowledge, based solely on a review of the copies of such reports furnished to the Company and written representations received by it from such directors and executive officers, all Section 16(a) filing requirements applicable to the Company’s officers, directors and suchgreater than ten percent (10%) beneficial owners were complied with during fiscal 2017.2021, except a Form 4 for the grant of awards to Mr. Brown which was filed late.

 

The Role of the Board in Risk Oversight

 

It is the responsibility of the Board to understand and oversee the Company’s strategic plans, and the steps that senior management is taking to manage and mitigate those risks. In the normal course of its business, the Company is exposed to a variety of risks, including marketing and sales, financial reporting and control, information technology, employee matters and legal issues. The identification and understanding of thesethe risks isare important in the successful management of the Company. The Company’sKey management is responsible for the day to day management of the business and other risks of the Company. The Board of Directors is responsible for oversight of the Company’s overall risks and risk management policies and procedures.risks.

 

Director Compensation

 

Each non-employee director then serving received on January 1, 2017 2021a payment of $91,000$150,000 (in Company stock or cash at the election of the director) as well as $750 per quarter as a retainer and $1,000 for attendance at each of the Company’s four quarterly Board meetings.. In addition, the Chairman of the Audit Committee receives an annual fee of $10,000.

 

Non-Employee Director Compensation Table for Fiscal2017 2021

 

 Fees Paid  

Fees Paid

  

Fees Paid

  

Fees Paid

 
 

in Cash

  in Stock  

in Cash

  

in Stock

 

Directors at September 30, 2017

        

Directors

        

Sidney R. Brown

 $10,500  $87,500  $89,263  $60,737 

Peter G. Stanley

 $108,000      $160,000     

Vincent Melchiorre

 $98,000      $150,000     

 


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BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SHARES

 

The following table sets forth information as of December 13, 2017 20, 2021 concerning (i) each person or group known to J & J to be the beneficial owner of more than 5%five percent (5%) of the Company’s outstanding Common Stock, (ii) each director of the Company, (iii) the Company’s ChiefNamed Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and three other most highly compensated executive officers (the “Named Executive Officers”)Officers for the 2017 fiscal year 2021, and (iv) the beneficial ownership of Common Stock by the Company’s directors and all executive officersExecutive Officers as a group. Except as otherwise noted, each beneficial owner of the Common Stock listed below has sole investment and voting power.

 

 Shares of      
 Common      
 Stock      
 

Shares Owned

      Owned      

Name and Address of Beneficial Owner

 

Beneficially

  

Percent of Class (1)

  

Beneficially

   Percent of Class (1) 
                 

Directors, Nominees and Named Executive Officers

                 
         

Gerald B. Shreiber

  3,665,960(2)  20%  3,602,814  (2)(6)  19%

6000 Central Highway

               

Pennsauken, NJ 08109

               

Sidney R. Brown

  16,528   *   14,684  (7)  * 

Vincent Melchiorre

  3,000(3)  *   3,000  (3)  * 

Peter G. Stanley

  10,000  (3)  * 

Marjorie S. Roshkoff

  75,334  (4)(8)  * 

Daniel Fachner

  19,786  (4)  * 

Ken A. Plunk

  1,579  (9)   * 

Robert M. Radano

  95,353  (4)(10)  * 

Robert Pape

  6,479  (4)   * 

Steve Every

  2,663  (4)   * 

Lynwood Mallard

  --      

Dennis G. Moore

  88,377(4)  *   63,106  (11)  * 

Robert M. Radano

  107,372(4)  * 

Peter G. Stanley

  10,000(3)  * 

Daniel Fachner

  32,494(4)  * 

Gerard G. Law

  33,390(4)  * 

All executive officers and directors as a group (9 persons)

  3,973,973(5)  21%
         

All executive officers and directors as a group (10 persons)

  3,736,339  (5)  20%
         

Five percent Shareholders

                 
                 

Black Rock Fund Advisors

        

Black Rock Fund Advisors (12)

         

400 Howard Street

                 

San Francisco, CA 94105

      10%       13%
                 

The Vanguard Group, Inc.

        

The Vanguard Group, Inc. (13)

         

100 Vanguard Blvd.

                 

Malvern, PA 19355-2331

      8%       9%
         

Wells Fargo & Company (14)

         
420 Montgomery Street         
San Francisco, CA 94163       6%
         

Macquarie Investment Management (15)

         
100 Independence         
610 Market Street         
Philadelphia, PA 19106-2354       5%

 

* Less than 1 %

(1)         The securities “beneficially owned” by a person are determined in accordance with the definition of “beneficial ownership” set forth in the regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and, accordingly, include securities owned by or for the spouse, children or certain other relatives of such person as well as other securities as to which the person has or shares voting or investment power or has the right to acquire within 60 days of Record Date. The same shares may be beneficially owned by more than one person. Beneficial ownership may be disclaimed as to certain of the securities.

(1)

(2)         Includes 140,000 shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of options exercisable within 60 days from the date of this Proxy Statement.

(3)         Owned jointly with spouse with shared voting.

(4)         Includes 32,336 shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of options granted to executive officers of J & J and exercisable within 60 days from the date of this Proxy Statement.

(5)         Includes 172,336 shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of options exercisable within 60 days from the date of this Proxy Statement, and excludes shares owned by Mr. Moore and Mr. Radano.

(6)         Includes 3,552,892 shares held in the 2021 Irrevocable Trust for Gerald B. Shreiber. Does not include 289,755 number of shares held in a Foundation of which Mr. Shreiber is a Trustee and who has disclaimed beneficial ownership of such shares.

(7)         Does not include 2,600 number of shares held in a Foundation of which Mr. Brown is a Trustee and who has disclaimed ownership of such shares.

(8)         Does not include 3,552,892 shares held in The 2021 Irrevocable Trust for Gerald B. Shreiber, for which the Ms. Roshkoff is Trustee, 217,642 shares held in a trust for Ms. Roshkoff and her siblings, IDGT, for which Ms. Roshkoff serves as the Trustee, nor 22,764 shares held by Ms. Roshkoff’s children individually, held in trust or custodian accounts, for each of which Ms. Roshkoff serves as the Trustee or Custodian. Ms. Roshkoff disclaims beneficial ownership of these securities except to the extent of her pecuniary interest therein, and the inclusion of these shares in this report shall not be deemed an admission of beneficial ownership of all of the reported shares for purposes of Section 16 or for any other purpose.

The securities “beneficially owned” by a person are determined in accordance with the definition of “beneficial ownership” set forth in the regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and, accordingly, include securities owned by or for the spouse, children or certain other relatives of such person as well as other securities as to which the person has or shares voting or investment power or has the right to acquire within 60 days of the record date. The same shares may be beneficially owned by more than one person. Beneficial ownership may be disclaimed as to certain of the securities.

(2)

Includes 120,000 shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of options exercisable within 60 days from the date of this Proxy Statement.

(3)

Owned jointly with spouse with shared voting.

(4)

Includes 12,750 shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of options granted to executive officers of J & J and exercisable within 60 days from the date of this Proxy Statement.

(5)

Includes 175,600 shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of options exercisable within 60 days from the date of this Proxy Statement.

 


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(9)         Includes 1,579 granted to Mr. Plunk thirty days after his appointment as Chief Financial Officer, which vest equally over three years.

(10)       Mr. Radano retired in March 2021.

(11)       Mr. Moore retired as Chief Financial Officer in September 2020. As of November 24, 2020, he owned 63,106 shares.

(12)       As reported in Amendment No. 13 to its Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on January 27, 2021. Includes shares beneficially owned by BlackRock Life Limited, BlackRock Advisors, LLC, BlackRock (Netherlands) B.V., BlackRock Fund Advisors, BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, National Association, BlackRock Asset Management Ireland Limited, BlackRock Financial Management, Inc., BlackRock Japan Co., Ltd., BlackRock Asset Management Schweiz AG, BlackRock Investment Management, LLC, BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited, BlackRock Asset Management Canada Limited, BlackRock Investment Management (Australia) Limited and BlackRock Fund Managers Ltd.

(13)       As reported in Amendment No. 7 to its Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on February 10, 2021. Includes shares beneficially owned by Vanguard Asset Management, Limited, Vanguard Fiduciary Trust Company, Vanguard Global Advisors, LLC, Vanguard Group (Ireland) Limited, Vanguard Investments Australia Ltd, Vanguard Investments Canada Inc., Vanguard Investments Hong Kong Limited and Vanguard Investments UK, Limited.

(14)       As reported in its Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on February 11, 2021. Includes shares beneficially owned by Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Wells Fargo Funds Management, LLC, Wells Fargo Delaware Trust Company, National Association, Wells Capital Management Incorporated.

(15)       As reported in its Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on February 12, 2021. Includes shares beneficially owned by Macquarie Group Limited, Macquarie Bank Limited, Macquarie Affiliated Managers (USA) Inc., Macquarie Affiliated Managers Holdings (USA) Inc., Macquarie Americas Holdings Pty Ltd., Macquarie B.H. Pty Limited, Macquarie FG Holdings Inc., Macquarie Funding Holdings Inc., Macquarie Investment Management Limited, Macquarie Investment Management Global Limited, Macquarie Investment Management Australia Limited, Macquarie Investment Management Austria Kapitalanlage AG, ValueInvest LUX.

 

COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

 

Introduction:

J & J Snack Foods Corp. manufactures snack foods and frozen beverages which it markets nationally to the food service and retail supermarket industries. Our compensation programs are designed to support our business goals and promote both short-term and long-term growth. This section of the proxy statement explains how our compensation programs are designed and operate in practice with respect to our Named Executive Officers. Ourofficers. For fiscal year 2021, our Named Executive Officers are the CEO, CFOChief Executive Officer, the former Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, the formerChief Financial Officer and the three most highly compensated executive officers, in a particular year.as well as an officer who retired during fiscal year 2021. The “Executive Compensation” section presents compensation earned by the Named Executive Officers.

 

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Executive Compensation Objectives

 

Our executive compensation programs reflect our results-oriented corporate culture that rewards achievement of aggressive goals. Our compensation program for executive officers is designed to attract, retain, motivate and reward talented executives who will advance our strategic, operational and financial objectives and thereby enhance shareholderstockholder value.

 

The following principles are considered in setting compensation programs and pay levels:

 

 

Compensation and benefit programs offered by J & J should appropriately reflect the size and financial resources of our Company in order to maintain long-term viability. These programs should be increasingly market-based (rather than legacy) and competitive, without limiting our ability to adequately invest in our business. This approach supports our efforts to maintain a viable and sustainable enterprise for the future.

 

Compensation should reward Company and individual performanceperformance. . Our programs should strive to deliver competitive compensation for exceptional individual and Company performance that is competitive to that of companies with whom we compete for executive talent. The Compensation Committee reviews reports of compensation of 100 local Philadelphia companies.

 

 

Compensation of executive officers should be predominately performance-based. At higher levels in the Company, a greater proportion of an executive’s compensation should be linked to Company performance and shareholderstockholder returns. As discussed below, our performance is measured against financial and operational goals and objectives. We also place emphasis on relative performance with our competitor peer group.

 

 

The objectives of rewarding performance and retention should be balanced.balanced. In periods of temporary downturns in Company performance, particularly when driven by unanticipated industry events or customer decisions, our compensation programs should continue to ensure that high-achieving, marketable executives remain motivated and committed to J & J. This principle is essential to our effort to encourage our leaders to remain with J & J for long and productive careers.

 

 

Executive officers should be J & J stockholdersshareholders.. Stock ownership aligns our executive officers’ interest with those of our shareholders.stockholders. They should be required to maintain ownership of J & J stock at a level appropriate for their position in the company. J & J’s long-term equity-based compensation program should facilitate stock ownership and link a portion of compensation to stock price appreciation.

 

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Determining Compensation

 

The Compensation Committee’sCommittee’s process for determining compensation levels for executive officers differs depending upon the compensation element and the position of the individual being considered. For each executive officer, other than the CEO,Chief Executive Officer, the Compensation Committee annually reviews each element of compensation described below in consultation with the CEO.Chief Executive Officer. With respect to the Chief Executive Officer, the Compensation Committee assesses the annual Company and individual performance. A number of factors are considered in determining individual compensation level, including performance of the individual and the business unit or function under his or her leadership, the Company’s performance, and economic and business conditions affecting J & J at the time of the review. Management and external sources provide relevant information and analyses as the Compensation Committee deems appropriate. Competitive market data (compensation of 100 local Philadelphia companies) is considered from time to time, but we need not set compensation levels at a targeted percentile or rely solely on such data to make compensation decisions. While substantially guided by the applicable performance metrics of our programs, the Compensation Committee retains authority to exercise its judgment when approving individual awards. The Committee does not engage in the benchmarking of total compensation or any material component thereof.

 


With respect to the CEO,In fiscal year 2021, the Compensation Committee, meetswith the approval of the Board engaged a compensation consultant, Pearl Meyer, to assessprovide competitive market information around executive and non-employee director compensation for select positions. Pearl Meyer benchmarked compensation in several executive positions including market data for base salary, annual incentives long term incentives and target total Director compensation. Pearl Meyer used a peer group of 15 publicly traded consumer staple goods (soft drinks, packaged foods, food distributors) companies with revenues between $500 million and $2.4 billion.

In determining to engage Pearl Meyer, the Compensation Committee considered the independence of Pearl Meyer, taking into consideration relevant factors, including the absence of other services provided to the Company by Pearl Meyer, the amount of fees the Company paid to Pearl Meyer as a percentage of Pearl Meyer’s total revenue, the policies and procedures of Pearl Meyer that are designed to prevent conflicts of interest, any business or personal relationship of the individual performance.compensation advisors employed by Pearl Meyer with any executive officer of the Company, any business or personal relationship the individual compensation advisors employed by Pearl Meyer have with any member of the Compensation Committee, and any stock of the Company owned by Pearl Meyer or the individual compensation advisors employed by Pearl Meyer. The Compensation Committee determines Mr. Shreiber’s base salaryhas determined, based on its analysis and in light of all relevant factors, including the factors listed above, that the work of Pearl Meyer and the individual compensation advisor employed by Pearl Meyer as a  compensation consultant to the Compensation Committee in its discretion, considers relevanthas not created any conflicts of interest, and inthat Pearl Meyer is independent pursuant to the best interest of J & J. Mr. Shreiber’s bonus was determined by a formula approved by J & J’s shareholders. The Compensation Committee granted Mr. Shreiber stock options in accordance with a formulaindependence standards set forth in Nasdaq’s continued listing requirements promulgated pursuant to Section 10C of the Stock Option Plan approved by the shareholders. The Compensation Committee is responsible for certifying the satisfaction of performance objectives in accordance with performance-based compensation arrangements.Exchange Act.

 

J & J’s policy isJ’s policies are generally not to have employment contracts or change in control agreementsprovisions for its executive officers. Its five named executive officers have an average of over 35 years’ service with the Company. None of these officers have employment contracts or change-in-control agreements.provisions. This substantial long-term commitment is also demonstrated in this group’s significant ownership of Company stock.

 

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Annual Cash Incentive

 

The annual cash incentiveAnnual Cash Incentive or bonusBonus for each Named Executive Officer is handled in a variety of ways. Certain executives are governed by various formula described below which have been developed over the years. The Compensation Committee reviews the formula annuallydetermines bonuses based on Company and has determined that it is producing results that it considers fair and appropriate.individual performance.

 

Gerald B. Shreiber - CEO.Shreiber. At our 2004 Annual Meeting, the Shareholdersshareholders approved a bonus formula for Mr. Shreiber whereby he receives annually a bonus equal to two and one-half2.5 percent (2.5%) of the Company’s Net Earnings. ThisThe Compensation Committee did not follow this formula producedfor fiscal year 2019 due to the benefits of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. In 2019, Mr. Shreiber’s bonus was $2,270,469, which was again less than the pre-approved formula. Mr. Shreiber gave up his remaining salary for the year 2020 beginning in April 2020 in light of the global COVID-19 pandemic. He received a bonus of $1,754,571$457,604 in accordance with the formula set forth above for fiscal year 2020. For fiscal year 2021, Mr. Shreiber did not receive any salary, but did receive a grant of options.

Prior to assuming the role of Chief Executive Officer , Mr. Fachner’s annual bonus was aligned with his prior role and responsibilities.  Upon promotion to the role of Chief Executive Officer, in recognition of Mr. Fachner’s increased duties and role as Chief Executive Officer of J & J, the Compensation Committee approved a bonus of $900,000 for Mr. Fachner.

Ken A. Plunk was appointed Senior Vice President, CFO on September 21, 2020. Based on Company performance, as well as his own performance, for fiscal 2021, the Compensation Committee approved a bonus of $375,000 for Mr. Plunk.

Robert Pape, Senior Vice President Sales, received a bonus that was  discretionary based on Company and individual performance.

Stephen J. Every was appointed Chief Operating Officer of the ICEE Company in August 2021. He is entitled to a quarterly bonus which is dependent upon meeting certain income goals and can be adjusted as determined by the President. Mr. Every received a bonus of $42,000 in fiscal year 2015, $1,899,387 in fiscal year 2016 and $1,979,342 in fiscal year 2017.2021.

 

The annual bonus of Dennis G. Moore, ourLynwood Mallard was appointed Senior Vice President and CFO, is not determined by formula.Chief Marketing Officer in March 2021. In determiningfiscal year 2021, he was entitled to a bonus equal to 40% of his annual salary, prorated based on his hire date. Mr. Mallard received a bonus the Compensation Committee periodically reviews the pay for Chief Financial Officers includedof $58,000 in the Philadelphia Business Journal report on the 100 largest public companies in the region. The Committee did not use this information to create any specific comparison groups or as a benchmarking tool when determining any specific individual’s compensation, including Mr. Moore. The Committee also considers the recommendation of the CEO and the annual results of the Company.fiscal year 2021.

 

Robert M. Radano,, our the former Senior Vice President and COO, hasChief Operating Officer who retired in March 2021, did not receive a target bonus of 50% to 70% of his base compensation. His bonus is subjective and based upon his performance of the varying duties to which he is assigned from time to time.in fiscal year 2021.

 

The annual bonus of Daniel Fachner, the President of the Company’s subsidiary The ICEE Company, is equal to two percent (2%) of the earnings before taxes and foreign currency adjustments for the ICEE Company.

The annual bonus of GerardDennis G. Law, ourMoore, former Senior Vice President and Assistant to President, is subjective and based upon his performance of the varying duties to which he is assigned from time to time.former Chief Financial Officer did not receive a bonus in fiscal year 2021.

 

18

Long-Term Incentives

 

Long-term incentive compensation is designed to:

 

align executive officer and shareholderstockholder interests;

 

facilitate stock ownership among executive officers;

 

reward achievement of long-term performance goals; and

 

provide incentives for executive retention.retention;

 

TheHistorically, the Compensation Committee’s decision to limit has limited the use of long termlong-term compensation to the stock options described below is because the Named Executive Officers have already accumulated substantial stock ownership over their long periods of service. Asoptions. During fiscal 2021, as a result compensationof approval of the Named Executive Officers is primarily current compensation. TheCompany’s Amended and Restated Long Term Incentive Plan, the Compensation Committee did nothas begun to consider anythe grant of other formstypes of incentive awards including performance stock units and restricted stock.

In the first quarter of fiscal year 2022, the Compensation Committee made changes to our executive long-term compensation plan to grant half of our long-term incentives in the form of performance-based equity. Beginning in fiscal year 2022, the Compensation Committee has granted a mix of long-term incentives, since its opinion is that50% in the form of restricted stock option grantsunits (“RSUs”) and 50% in the form of performance share units (“PSUs”). The restricted stock awards generally vest in equal annual installments, subject to continued employment, over three years. The PSUs are sufficient long-term incentives.earned based on continued employment and financial performance. PSUs may be earned between 50% of the target level for threshold performance and up to 200% of the target level for maximum or above performance, based on the Company’s financial performance. The PSUs are forfeited in the case of performance below the threshold amount.


 

The terms of the long-term incentive awards granted to Named Executive Officers are described in the narrative to Summary Compensation Table and Grants of Plan-Based Awards table. In accordance with the Stock Option Plan, Mr. Shreiber’s options are granted at the end of the Company’s fiscal year. With the exception of options granted to recently hired employees at time of hire or to employees hired in connection with an acquisition, stock options have usually been granted annually. On February 15, 2017 the Company issued options to various employees exercisable at that date’s closing price for the Common Stock.

 

Benefits

 

Our Named Executive Officers participate in the full range of benefit and retirement plans provided to all salaried employees. These include health and welfare benefits, our 401(k)401(K) plan and our Stock Purchase Plan.

 

19

Perquisites

 

J & J provides a limited number of perquisites to its Named Executive Officers. The most significant of these perquisites to the Named Executive Officers is the use of a Company automobile. Mr. Fachner is provided withreceives an allowance to defray the cost of his country clubCountry Club membership.

 

Tax and Accounting Considerations

DeductibilityPursuant to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of Executive Compensation. In general, the2017 compensation awardedover $1 million to our Named Executive Officers will be taxable to the executive and will give rise to a corresponding corporate deduction at the time the compensation is paid. Section 162(m) of the Code generally denies a federal income tax deduction for certain compensation in excess of $1 million per year paid to the Chief Executive officer or the other named executive officers. During 2017, any compensation to Named Executive Officers in excess of $1 million was performance-based compensation pursuant to a plan approved by the shareholders and therefore outside the Section 162(m) limitations on deductibility.

Although deductibility of compensation is preferred, tax deductibilityexecutives is not a primary objective of our compensation programs. We believe that achieving our compensation objectives set forth above is more important than the benefit of tax deductibility. We reserve the right to maintain flexibility in how we compensate our executive officers, which may result in limiting the deductibility of amounts of compensation from time to time.

Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation.deductible. Stock-based compensation expense for all share-based payment awards is based on the grant date fair value (as computed in accordance with FASB ASC 718).value.

 

CEO Pay Ratio

Under rules adopted pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010, the Company is required to calculate and disclose the total compensation paid to its median paid employee, as well as the ratio of the total compensation paid to the median employee as compared to the total compensation paid to the Company’s Chief Executive Officer.

We identified the median employee using our employee population on June 2021 and total year-to-date compensation for all employees, excluding the Company’s Chief Executive Officer.

Median annual total compensation of all employees (excluding Mr. Fachner)

 $39,852 
     

Annual total compensation of Mr. Fachner, CEO

 $1,493,218 
     

Ratio of Mr. Fachner’s annual total compensation to the median of all employees

  37:1 

Policy on Claw Backs

 

The Company doeshas a policy on Claw Backs. Under such policy a Claw Back review may be initiated as a result of any suspected non-compliance, which includes, but is not havelimited to:

• fraud, money laundering, bribery, corruption or other form of misconduct;

 any restatement of financial reports as a result of any misconduct;

• any act causing reputational harm to the Company or its business activities;

• any other grossly negligent acts or omissions of executives, including a failure to supervise in appropriate circumstances;

• failure to identify, raise or assess in a timely manner any risks or concerns material to the Company, its business activities or its reputation; and

• any other violation of the Company's General Code of Ethics.

20

Policy Against Hedging

The Board of Directors also unanimously adopted an Anti-Hedging Policy in 2020. Under such policy providing forExecutive Officers and Directors of the recoveryCompany and its subsidiaries shall not, unless previously approved by the Nominating and Governance Committee of awardsthe Board, directly or payments ifindirectly:

• Purchase any financial instrument, or enter into any transaction, that is designed to hedge or offset a decrease in the relevant performance measures upon which they are based are restatedmarket value of Company stock (including, but not limited to, prepaid variable forward contracts, equity swaps, collars or exchange funds); or

• Hypothecate, or otherwise adjustedencumber shares of Company stock as collateral for indebtedness. This prohibition includes, but is not limited to, holding such shares in a manner that would reduce the size of an award or payment. The Securities and Exchange Commission has proposed a rule on claw backs, which has not been finalized. This proposed rule would require final action by NASDAQ. If and when the SEC and NASDAQ adopt final rules requiring such a policy, the Company intends to comply.margin account.

 

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

No member of our Compensation Committee has served as one of our officers or employees at any time. None of our executive officers serves as a member of the compensation committee of any other company that has an executive officer serving as a member of the Board. None of our executive officers serves as a member of the board of directors of any other company that has an executive officer serving as a member of our Compensation Committee.

Report of the Compensation Committee

 

The Compensation Committee has reviewed and discussed the Compensation Discussion and Analysis required by Item 402(b) of Regulation S-K with management and, based on such review and discussions, the Compensation Committee recommended to the Board that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in this Proxy Statement.

 

Compensation Committee of the Board of DirectorsDirectors:

Sidney R. Brown, Chairman

Peter G. Stanley

Vincent Melchiorre

 


21

 

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

 

SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE

 

The following table summarizes compensation paid or earned for the three fiscal years ended September 30, 201725, 2021 for the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and other Named Executive Officers.

 

 

Name and Principal Position

 

 

Year

 

 

Salary

$

  

 

Bonus

$

  

Option

Awards

($) (1)

  

All Other

Compensation

$ (2)

  

 

Total

$

 

Gerald B. Shreiber

 

2017

  917,308   1,979,342   734,400   11,264   3,642,314 
Chairman of the Board 2016  875,000   1,899,387   631,800   11,911   3,418,098 
Chief Executive Officer 2015  850,000   1,754,571   672,200   10,206   3,286,977 

Director

                      
                       

Robert M. Radano

 

2017

  408,003   216,300   150,720   16,079   791,102 
Senior Vice President 2016  393,439   210,000   111,520   14,894   729,853 
Chief Operating Officer 2015  381,927   200,000   114,225   9,300   705,452 
                       

Dennis G. Moore

 

2017

  439,687   286,400   150,720   12,596   889,403 
Senior Vice President 2016  418,640   278,100   111,520   16,646   824,906 

Chief Financial Officer

 2015  403,468   270,000   114,225   16,543   804,236 

Treasurer

                      
Director                      
                       

Daniel Fachner

 

2017

  409,428   548,440   150,720   23,799   1,132,387 
President 2016  388,851   547,749   111,520   24,941   1,073,061 
The ICEE Company 2015  375,195   501,726   114,225   23,722   1,014,868 
                       

Gerard Law

 

2017

  353,269   250,000   150,720   12,966   766,955 
Senior Vice President, 2016  317,693   210,000   111,520   13,777   652,990 
Assistant to the President 2015  298,077   200,000   114,225   10,760   623,062 

Name and Principal

          

Stock

  

Option

  

All other

     

Position

Year

 

Salary ($)

  

Bonus ($)

  

awards $

  

awards ($) (1)

  

compensation ($) (2)

  

Total ($)

 

Gerald B. Shreiber

2021

  -   -   -   560,600   699   561,299 
 

2020

  498,077   457,604   -   -   8,434   964,115 
 

2019

  950,000   2,270,469   -   977,600   9,770   4,207,839 

Daniel Fachner

2021

  575,692   900,000   -   -   17,526   1,493,218 
 

2020

  408,308   643,119   -   171,840   16,517   1,239,784 
 

2019

  400,000   643,119   -   210,320   24,565   1,278,004 

Ken Plunk

2021

  455,000   375,000   207,749 (3)  -   2,412   1,040,161 
 

2020

  8,750   -   -   -   -   8,750 

Robert Pape

2021

  282,753   54,438   -   -   11,646   348,837 
 

2020

  279,528   44,300   -   38,664   11,907   374,399 

Stephen Every (7)

2021

  245,785   42,000   -   -   10,183   297,968 

Lynwood Mallard (6)

2021

  139,423   58,000   -   -   663   198,086 

Robert Radano (4)

2021

  253,928   -   -   -   9,529   263,457 
 

2020

  400,305   173,040   -   114,560   11,904   699,809 
 

2019

  400,383   216,300   -   210,320   15,625   842,628 

Dennis Moore (5)

2021

  155,911   -   -   -   58,735   214,646 
 

2020

  465,940   229,120   -   -   10,759   705,819 
 

2019

  465,820   286,400   -   210,320   9,850   972,390 

----------------------------------


(1) The value of the option awards equals their grant date fair value as computed in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718. For a discussion of the assumptions made in the valuation of the option awards in this column, please refer to Note A.13 to the financial statements included as part of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 25, 2021.

(2) Includes use of Company automobiles, 401(k) match, group term life insurance, membership fees at a local country club for Mr. Fachner, and consulting fees paid to Mr. Moore.

(3) In October 2020, Mr. Plunk received 1,579 shares issued pursuant to an Inducement Restricted Stock Award Agreement with such shares vesting over three (3) years in equal installments.

(4) Mr. Radano retired March 2021.

(5) Mr. Moore retired as Chief Financial Officer in September 2020. Mr. Moore continued to work for the Company until December 2020, and then served in a consulting role until July 2021.

(6) Mr. Mallard was appointed Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer in March 2021.

(7) Mr. Every was promoted to Chief Operating Officer of the ICEE Company in July 2021.

22

 OUTSTANDING EQUITY AWARDS AT FISCAL YEAR-END   
 

Option Awards

 

Stock Awards

 

Name

Grant

Date

 

Number of

Securities

Underlying

Unexercised

Options

(#)

Exercisable

  

Number of

Securities

Underlying

Unexercised

Options

(#)

Unexercisable

  

Option

Exercise

Price

$

 

Option

Expiration

Date

 

Number of

Shares or

Units That

Have Not

Vested (#)

  

Market

Value of

Shares or

Units of

Stock That

Have Not

Vested ($)

  

Equity in

Entire Plan

Awards:

Number of

Unearned

Shares, Units

or Other

Rights that

Have Not

Vested (#)

  

Equity

Incentive Plan

Awards:

Market or

Payment

Value of

Unearned

Shares, Units

or Other

Rights That

Have Not

Vested ($)

 

Gerald B. Shreiber

9/29/2012

  20,000       57.33 

9/28/2022

                
 

9/27/2013

  20,000       80.79 

9/26/2023

                
 

9/26/2014

  20,000       94.24 

9/25/2024

                
 

9/26/2015

  20,000       117.85 

9/27/2025

                
 

9/23/2016

  20,000       119.44 

9/22/2026

                
 

9/29/2017

  20,000       131.30 

9/28/2027

                
 

9/28/2018

  20,000       150.89 

9/27/2028

                
 

9/27/2019

      20,000   191.40 

9/27/2029

                
 

9/24/2021

      20,000   153.65 

9/23/2031

                

Daniel Fachner

3/13/2018

  8,000       141.01 

3/12/2023

                
 

5/14/2019

      8,000   163.29 

5/13/2024

                
 

5/21/2020

      12,000   125.83 

5/20/2025

                

Ken Plunk

10/20/2020

               1,579(1)  242,613         

Robert M. Radano

2/15/2017

  8,000       129.26 

2/14/2022

                
 

3/13/2018

  8,000       141.01 

3/12/2023

                
 

5/14/2019

      8,000   163.29 

5/13/2024

                
 

5/21/2020

      8,000   125.83 

5/20/2025

                

Robert Pape

2/15/2017

  2,700       129.26 

2/14/2022

                
 

3/13/2018

  2,700       141.01 

3/12/2023

                
 

5/14/2019

      2,700   163.29 

5/13/2024

                
 

5/21/2020

      2,700   125.83 

5/20/2025

                

Stephen Every

2/15/2017

  727       129.26 

2/14/2022

                
 

3/13/2018

  1,500       141.01 

3/12/2023

                
 

5/14/2019

      1,500   163.29 

5/13/2024

                
 

5/20/2020

      2,000   125.83 

5/19/2025

                

Lynwood Mallard

   -   -                      


 

(1)

The value of the option awards equals their grant date fair value as computedIn October 2020, Mr. Plunk received 1,579 shares issued pursuant to an Inducement Restricted Stock Award Agreement with such shares vesting over three (3) years in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718. For a discussion of the assumptions made in the valuation of the option awards in this column, please refer to Note A.13 to the financial statements included as part of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2017.

(2)

Includes use of Company automobiles, 401(k) match, and membership fees at a local country club for Mr. Fachner.equal installments.

 


23

 

OUTSTANDING EQUITY AWARDS AT FISCAL YEAR-END

  

Option Awards


 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grant

Date

 

 

Number of

Securities

Underlying

Unexercised

Options

(#)

Exercisable

  

 

Number of

Securities

Underlying

Unexercised

Options

(#)

Unexercisable

  

 

 

 

 

Option

Exercise

Price

$

 

 

Option

Expiration

Date

Name               
                

Gerald B. Shreiber

 

09/29/08

  20,000       34.17 

09/28/18

  09/27/10  20,000       41.75 

09/26/20

  09/24/11  20,000       47.59 

09/23/21

  09/29/12  20,000       57.33 

09/28/22

  09/27/13  20,000       80.79 

09/26/23

  09/26/14  20,000       94.24 

09/25/24

  09/26/15      20,000   117.85 

09/27/25

  09/23/16      20,000   119.44 

09/22/26

  09/29/17      20,000   131.30 

09/28/27

                

Robert M. Radano

 

11/19/13

  5,250       81.67 

11/18/18

  02/17/15      7,500   100.76 

02/16/20

  02/16/16      8,000   108.69 

02/15/21

  02/15/17      8,000   129.26 

02/14/22

                

Dennis G. Moore

 

11/19/13

  5,250       81.67 

11/18/18

  02/17/15      7,500   100.76 

02/16/20

  02/16/16      8,000   108.69 

02/15/21

  02/15/17      8,000   129.26 

02/14/22

                

Daniel Fachner

 

11/19/13

  5,250       81.67 

11/18/18

  02/17/15      7,500   100.76 

02/16/20

  02/16/16      8,000   108.69 

02/15/21

  02/15/17      8,000   129.26 

02/14/22

                

Gerard Law

 

11/19/13

  5,250       81.67 

11/18/18

  02/17/15      7,500   100.76 

02/16/20

  02/16/16      8,000   108.69 

02/15/21

  02/15/17      8,000   129.26 

02/14/22


GRANTS OF PLAN-BASED AWARDS IN FISCAL 20172021

 

Long term awards granted in fiscal 20172021 to the Named Executive officers are shown in the following table.

 

 

Name

 

 

Grant Date

 

Number of

Securities

Underlying

Options (1)

#

  

Exercise or

Base Price

of Option

Awards (2)

$

  

Grant Date

Fair Value

of Option

Awards (3)

$

 
               

Gerald B. Shreiber

 

09/29/17

  20,000   131.30   734,400 

Robert Radano

 

02/15/17

  8,000   129.26   150,720 

Gerard Law

 

02/15/17

  8,000   129.26   150,720 

Dennis Moore

 

02/15/17

  8,000   129.26   150,720 

Daniel Fachner

 

02/15/17

  8,000   129.26   150,720 

Name

Grant Date

 

Number of

Securities

Underlying

Options (1)

#

  

Exercise or

Base Price

of Option

Awards (2)

$

  

Grant Date

Fair Value

of Option

Awards (3)

$

  

All other

stock awards:

Number of

shares of

stock or units

 
                  

Gerald B. Shreiber

9/24/2021

  20,000   153.65   560,600     
                  

Ken A. Plunk

10/20/2020

              1,579(4)

___________

(1)

This column shows the number of stock options granted in fiscal 2017 to each Named Executive Officer. These options are not exercisable until three years after the date of grant.

(2)

This column shows the exercise price for options granted in fiscal 2017 to each Named Executive Officer, which was the closing price of J & J’s Common Stock on the date the options were granted.

(3)

The value of the option awards equals their grant date fair value as computed in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718. For a discussion of the assumptions made in the valuation of the option awards in this column, please refer to Note A.13 to the financial statements included as part of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2017.


(1)         This column shows the number of stock options granted in fiscal 2021 to each Named Executive Officer. These options are not exercisable until three years after the date of grant.

(2)         This column shows the exercise price for options granted in fiscal 2021 to each Named Executive Officer, which was the closing price of J & J’s common Stock on the date the options were granted.

(3)         The value of the option awards equals their grant date fair value as computed in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718. For a discussion of the assumptions made in the valuation of the option awards in this column, please refer to Note A.13 to the financial statements included as part of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 25, 2021.

(4)         In October 2020, Mr. Plunk received 1,579 shares issued pursuant to an Inducement Restricted Stock Award Agreement with such shares vesting over three (3) years in equal installments.

24

 

OPTION EXERCISES

 

The following table provides information on stock options exercised by the Named Executive Officers during fiscal year 2017.2021.

 

  

Option Awards

 

 

 

 

Name

 

Number of Shares

Acquired on

Exercise

(#)

  

 

Value Realized

On Exercise

($)

 

Gerald B. Shreiber

  40,000   3,627,000 

Robert Radano

  7,500   513,759 

Daniel Fachner

  7,500   569,735 

Dennis Moore

  7,500   556,813 
  

Option Awards

 

Name

 

Number of Shares

Acquired on

Exercise

(#)

  

Value Realized

On Exercise

($)

 
         

Dan Fachner

  16,000   631,604 
Robert M. Radano  8,000   397,578 
Dennis Moore  24,000   725,062 
Robert Pape  2,700   131,210 
Stephen Every  2,273   83,425 

 

TRANSACTIONS WITH RELATED PERSONS

 

The Compensation Committee is required to approve the compensation payable to officers and directors and to family membersmembers of officers and directors. The Company’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics applies to all officers, directors and employees of the Company. This code requires that if any director or executive officer or their family members or friends seek to provide goods or services to the Company or ishas or will be a party tohave any transaction with the Company that is expected to exceed $120,000, they must notify the Company’s Chief Financial Officer, who reviews the proposed transaction and notifies the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee for review and action as it sees fit.

 

The Charter of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee provides that the Committee shall review the material terms of the transaction, including the approximate dollar amount, and otherthe material terms of the transaction,facts and the related person’spersons direct or indirect interest in, or relationship to, the transaction. In determining whether to approve or ratify a transaction, the Committee is directed to consider, among other factors it may deem appropriate, whether the transaction was or will be on terms no less favorable that those generally available to an unaffiliated third party under the same or similar circumstances. No director may participate in the discussion or approval of a transaction in which he or she, or a member of his or her immediate family, has a direct or indirect interest.


 

TheNominating and Corporate Governance Committee’s Charter provides that it is deemed to have approved any transaction, even if exceeding $120,000, in which a related person’s only interest is as a holder of the Company’s stock, and all holders received or will receive proportional benefits (such as the payment of regular quarterly dividends).

25

 

The directors and executive officers annually complete a proxy questionnaire in which they are asked to describe any transactions they or their immediate family have with the Companycompany in an amount that exceeds $120,000.

 

CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS

 

Robyn Shreiber, daughter of Gerald B. Shreiber, is Vice President, National Account Sales of J & J Snack Foods Sales Corp., a subsidiary of J & J. During fiscal 20172021 she received $262,669$279,754 in total compensation. Frank Shreiber, brother of Gerald B. Shreiber, is Director of Purchasing. During fiscal 2017,2021, he received $172,193$183,345 in total compensation. Marjorie Shreiber Roshkoff, daughter of Gerald B. Shreiber, is a member of the Board, Vice President In-Houseand General Counsel of J & J Snack Foods Corp. During fiscal 2017,2021, she received $151,515$293,998 in total compensation.

Mr. Brown’scompensation for her role as Vice President and General Counsel. Ms. Roshkoff’s husband, Ken Roshkoff, is the owner of a global marketing research company, NFI Industries,AMC Global. In fiscal year 2021 AMC Global provided transportationattitudinal and research services to the Company totaling approximately $38,000 in the amount of $307,000. Aaron Winkelman, son-in- law of Daniel Fachner, is Senior Director of Managed Service for the ICEE Company. During fiscal 2015, $0 in 2016 and approximately $167,000 inyear 2021, he received total compensation of $201,941. Tyler Every, son of Steve Every, is Director of Business Development for the ICEE Company. During fiscal 2017.year 2021, he received total compensation of $127,268.

 

POTENTIAL PAYMENT UPON TERMINATION OR CHANGE IN CONTROL

 

The Company does not have any agreementsagreements to provide payment or benefits to any Named Executive Officer upon termination or change-in-control.

 

REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE

 

The primary purpose of the Audit Committee is to oversee the Company’sCompany’s accounting and financial reporting process and the audits of the Company’s financial statements, as further detailed in the Committee’s Charter.Charter attached as Exhibit B to the Proxy Statement for the 2005 Annual Meeting.

 

The Company’sCompany’s management is responsible for the integrity of the Company’s financial statements, as well as its accounting and financial reporting process and internal controls for compliance with applicable accounting standards, laws and regulations. The Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, Grant Thornton LLP (“Grant Thornton”), is responsible for performing an independent audit of the Company’s financial statements in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards and expressing an opinion in its report on those financial statements.

26

 

The Audit Committee is responsible for monitoring and reviewing these processes, as well as the independence and performance of the Company’sCompany’s independent registered public accounting firm. The Audit Committee does not conduct auditing or accounting reviews or procedures. The Audit Committee has relied on management’s representation that the financial statements have been prepared with integrity and in conformity with generally accepted accounting procedures in the U.S., and on the independent registered public accounting firm’sfirm representations included in its report on the Company’s financial statements. The Company’s independent registered public accounting firm also audited and discussed with the Audit Committee the Company’s internal controlscontrol over financial reporting.

 

The Audit Committee reviewed and discussed with management the Company’sCompany’s audited financial statements for fiscal year 2017.2021. The Committee discussed with the Company’s registered public accounting firm, Grant Thornton, the matters required to be discussed pursuant to Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”)by the Codification of Statements on Auditing Standard No. 16, CommunicationsStandards 61, Communication with Audit Committees (as modified or supplemented). In addition, the Audit Committee discussed with Grant Thornton its independence from the Company and considered whether the provisionproviding of non-audit services to the Company by Grant Thornton is compatible with maintaining Grant Thornton’s independence. The Company also received the written disclosures and letter from Grant Thornton required by applicable requirements of PCAOB Auditing Standards regarding Grant Thornton’s communications with the Audit Committee concerning independence.

 

Based on these reviews and discussions and in reliance thereon, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board of Directors that the audited financial statements offor the Company be included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2017.25, 2021.

 

Audit Committee of the Board of Directors:

Peter G. Stanley, (Chairman)Chairman

Sidney R. Brown

Vincent Melchiorre


 

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS

 

It is contemplated that Grant Thornton will be selected to serve as the Company’sCompany’s independent registered public accountants for fiscal year 2018.2022. Grant Thornton also served as the Company’s independent accountants for fiscal year 2017.2021. A representative of Grant Thornton is expected to attend the virtual Annual Meeting, will have an opportunity to make a statement if he or she so desires and will be available to respond to appropriate questions from shareholders.stockholders.

27

 

Audit Fees

 

The following aggregate fees were billed to the Company in each of the last two fiscal years for professional services rendered by Grant Thornton for the audit of the Company’sCompany’s annual financial statements and services that are normally provided by Grant Thornton in connection with statutory and regulatory filings or engagements for those fiscal years:

 

Fiscal Year 2017 $996,000 
Fiscal Year 2016 $956,000 
Fiscal Year 2021 $1,094,000 
Fiscal Year 2020 $1,097,000 

         

Audit-Related Fees

 

The following aggregate fees were billed to the Company in each of the last two fiscal years for (1) financial accounting and reporting services, and (2) acquisition-related services, in each case rendered by Grant Thornton and that were reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of the Company’sCompany’s financial statements but are not included in the audit fees reported above:

 

Fiscal Year 2017 $46,000 
Fiscal Year 2016 $30,000 
Fiscal Year 2021 $133,000 
Fiscal Year 2020 $35,000 

 

Tax Fees

 

The following aggregate fees were billed to the Company in each of the last two fiscal years for U.S. Federal, state and local tax planning, advice and compliance services, and international tax planning, advice and compliance services:

 

Fiscal Year 2017 $333,000 
Fiscal Year 2016 $269,000 
Fiscal Year 2021 $378,000 
Fiscal Year 2020 $323,000 

 

All Other Fees

 

Fiscal Year 2017 $0 
Fiscal Year 2016 $0 
Fiscal Year 2021 $0 
Fiscal Year 2020 $0 

 

Audit Committee Policies and Procedures on Pre-Approval of Audit and Permissible Non-Audit Services

 

The Audit Committee has adopted policies and procedures requiring that the Company obtain the Committee’sCommittee’s pre-approval of all audit and permissible non-audit services to be provided by Grant Thornton as the Company’s independent accountants. Pre-approval is generally granted on a fiscal year basis, is detailed as to the particular service or category of services to be provided and is granted after consideration of the estimated fees for each service or category of service. Actual fees and any changes to estimated fees for preapproved services are regularly reported to the Committee.Committee on a quarterly basis.

28

 

Other Matters

 

The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors has considered whether the provision of tax services described above is compatible with maintaining the independence of the Company’sCompany’s principal accountant. The Audit Committee has approved Grant Thornton’s performing these services.


 

PROPOSAL 2

ADVISORY VOTE ON APPROVAL OF
EXECUTIVETHE COMPENSATION OF EXECUTIVES

 

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act mandates that as part of their annual proxy vote companies conduct a separate vote to approve the compensation of executives named in the Executive Compensation Summary Compensation Table. Information about the Company’sCompany’s current compensation of its executive officers is contained in the sections of this proxy entitled Compensation Discussion and Analysis and Executive Compensation Summary Compensation Table. UnderAccording to the Dodd-Frank Act, this vote by the shareholders on approval of executive compensation is non-binding on the Company’s Board of Directors. At the 20172021 Annual Meeting, the Company’s shareholders, in an advisory vote,votes, approved the 20172020 compensation of executives and voted to hold an advisory votethat this approval be held on executive compensation on an annuala yearly basis. Based on this vote, the Board of Directors decided to submit to the shareholders on a yearly basis, the advisory vote on the compensation of executives.Executives.

 

The Board of Directors recommends that you voteAPPROVE on the following advisory (non-binding) shareholder resolution approving executive compensation.

 

“RESOLVED, that the compensation paid to the Company’sCompany’s named executive officers, as disclosed pursuant to Item 402 of Regulation S-K, including the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, compensation tables and narrative discussion in the Company’s Proxy Statement is hereby APPROVED.”

 

PROPOSAL 3

PROPOSAL TO APPROVE THE

COMPANY’S 2017 STOCK OPTION PLAN

The Board of Directors has approved the 2017 Stock Option Plan (the “Stock Option Plan”) subject to the approval of the shareholders. The Stock Option Plan is attached hereto as Exhibit “A”.

Authorized Shares under Stock Option Plan

Options for a total of 800,000 shares may be issued under the Stock Option Plan. No options have been issued to date from said shares. No optionee shall be granted options to acquire more than 30,000 shares of Common Stock during any calendar year under the Stock Option Plan.

The purpose of the Stock Option Plan is to provide additional incentive to officers, directors, other key employees and important consultants of the Company, and each present or future parent or subsidiary of the Company, by encouraging them to invest in shares of the Company’s Common Stock, and thereby acquire a proprietary interest in the Company and an increased personal interest in the Company’s continued success and progress. The Board of Directors believes that the Company and its shareholders significantly benefit from having the Company’s key management employees receive options to purchase the Company’s Common Stock and that the opportunity thus afforded these employees to acquire Common Stock is an essential element of an effective management incentive program. The Board of Directors also believes that stock options are very valuable in attracting and retaining highly qualified management personnel and in providing additional motivation to management to use their best efforts on behalf of the Company. Further, the Board of Directors believes that the issuance of stock options can be an important inducement for key consultants agreeing to provide services to the Company.

Set forth below is a summary of certain significant portions of the Stock Option Plan.

Eligibility and Administration. All officers, directors, key employees, and important consultants of the Company or of any current or future subsidiary (“Subsidiary”) are eligible to receive options under the Stock Option Plan. The Stock Option Plan currently is administered by the Compensation Committee. The Committee determines, among other things, which officers, directors, key employees and important consultants of the Company and any Subsidiary will be granted options under the Stock Option Plan, whether options granted will be Incentive Options or Non-Qualified Options, the number of shares subject to an option, the time at which an option is granted, the duration of an option and the exercise price of an option. The Committee has the exclusive right to adopt or rescind rules for the administration of the Stock Option Plan, correct defects and omissions in, reconcile inconsistencies in, and construe the Stock Option Plan.


Number of Shares and Adjustment. The aggregate number of shares which may presently be issued upon the exercise of options granted under the Stock Option Plan is 800,000 shares of Common Stock. The aggregate number and kind of shares issuable under the Stock Option Plan is subject to appropriate adjustment to reflect changes in the capitalization of the Company, such as by stock dividend, stock split or other circumstances deemed by the Committee to be similar. Any shares of Common Stock subject to options that terminate unexercised will be available for future options granted under the Stock Option Plan.

Exercise Price and Terms. The exercise price for options granted under the Stock Option Plan shall be equal to at least the fair market value of the Common Stock as of the date of the grant of the option – generally, the closing price of the Common Stock as reported by NASDAQ on the date of the grant, except that the option exercise price of Incentive Options granted to an individual owning shares of the Company possessing more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company must not be less than 110% of the fair market value as of the date of the grant of the option. The market value of a share of Common Stock at the close of business on November 24, 2017 was $146.00.

The aggregate fair market value of the stock determined on the date of grant with respect to which Incentive Options are exercisable for the first time by an optionee during any calendar year cannot exceed $100,000.

Unless terminated earlier by the option’s terms, options granted under the Stock Option Plan will expire ten years after the date they are granted except that if Incentive Options are granted to an individual owning shares of the Company possessing more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company on the date of the Grant, Section 422 of the Code requires that such options expire five years after the date they are granted.

Payment of Exercise Price. Payment of the option price on exercise of Incentive Options and Non-Qualified Options may be made in cash, shares of Common Stock of the Company or a combination of both. Under the terms of the Stock Option Plan, the Committee could interpret the provision of the Stock Option Plan which allows payment of the option price in shares of Common Stock to permit the “pyramiding” of shares in successive, simultaneous exercises. As a result, an optionee could initially exercise an option in part, acquiring a small number of shares of Common Stock and immediately thereafter effect further exercises of the option, using the shares of Common Stock acquired upon earlier exercised to pay for an increasingly greater number of shares received on each successive exercise. This procedure could permit an optionee to pay the option price by using a single share of Common Stock or a small number of shares of Common Stock to acquire a number of shares of Common Stock.

Non-Qualified Options to the Chief Executive Officer. The Stock Option Plan provides that the Company, subject to the approval of the Compensation Committee, shall issue annually on the last day of the Company’s fiscal year to the Chief Executive Officer an option to acquire 20,000 shares of Common Stock. The number of shares to be issued to the Chief Executive Officer shall be changed in the event of any change in the capitalization of J & J, such as a stock dividend, stock split, or what the Compensation Committee deems in its sole discretion to be similar circumstances. The exercise price for these options shall be the fair market value, as determined by the Compensation Committee of the Company’s Common Stock on the date of grant of such options. The option will be for ten years. This automatic award is in addition to any other option grant that may be awarded under the Stock Option Plan.

Termination of Service; Death; Transferability. All unexercised options will terminate such number of days (not to exceed 90) as determined by the Compensation Committee after the date either (i) other than an optionee who retires at his normal retirement age with at least 10 years of service, the optionee ceases to perform services for the Company or a Subsidiary, or (ii) the Company or a Subsidiary delivers or receives notice of an intention to terminate the employment relationship, regardless of whether or not a different effective date of termination is provided in such notice, but this termination date shall not apply in the cases of disability or death of the optionee (but in no event later than the expiration date). An optionee who ceases to be an employee because of a disability must exercise the option within one year after he or she ceases to be an employee (but in no event later than the expiration date). The heirs or personal representative of a deceased employee who could have exercised an option while alive may exercise such option within one year following the employee’s death (but in no event later than the expiration date). The Committee can provide that the options may be transferred to descendants or trusts for the benefits of such descendants. Otherwise, no Incentive Option granted under the Stock Option Plan is transferable except in the event of death by will or the laws of descent and distribution. An employee who retires at normal retirement age with at least 10 years of service may exercise options after retirement according to the terms of such options. The Committee may provide that a Non-Qualified Option is transferable to any family member of the optionee by gift or qualified domestic relations order.


Federal Income Tax Consequences of the Stock Option Plan. Set forth below is a description of the federal income tax consequences to the recipient of options and the Company under the Code of the grant and exercise of options awarded under the Stock Option Plan. This summary is not intended to be exhaustive and does not address all matters that may be relevant to a particular optionee based on his or her specific circumstances. This summary does not discuss the income tax laws of any state, municipality, or non-U.S. taxing jurisdiction, or the gift, estate, excise (including the rules applicable to deferred compensation under Code sections 409A or 280G), or other tax laws other than U.S. federal income tax law. This discussion does not fully discuss the U.S. federal income tax consequences of transfers of options granted under the Stock Option Plan, and assumes that each option granted pursuant to the Stock Option Plan will have exercise prices that are not less than the fair market value of the Company’s Common Stock on the date of grant. Because individual circumstances may vary, the Company advises all optionees to consult their own tax advisors concerning the tax implications of options granted under the Stock Option Plan. The following is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for purposes of avoiding taxpayer penalties.

Incentive Stock Options Under the Stock Option Plan. Generally, under the Code, an optionee will not realize taxable income by reason of the grant or the exercise of an Incentive Option (see however, discussion of Alternative Minimum Tax below). If an optionee exercises an Incentive Option and does not dispose of the shares until the later of (i) two years from the date the option was granted and (ii) one year from the date of exercise, the entire gain, if any, realized upon disposition of such shares will be taxable to the optionee as long-term capital gain, and the Company will not be entitled to any deduction. If an optionee disposes of the shares within the period of two years from the date of grant or one year from the date of exercise, including through the delivery of any shares in payment of all or part of the exercise price of an incentive stock option (a “disqualifying disposition”) both the optionee generally will realize ordinary income in the year of disposition and the Company will receive a corresponding deduction, in an amount equal to the excess of (1) the lesser of (a) the amount, if any, realized on the disposition and (b) the fair market value of the shares on the date the option was exercised over (2) the option price. If the selling price of the shares exceeds the fair market value on the exercise date, the excess will be taxable to the optionee as long term or short term capital gain, depending on whether the optionee held the shares for more than one year. The optionee will be considered to have disposed of a share if he sells, exchanges, makes a gift of or transfers legal title to the share (except for certain transfers such as by pledge, on death or to spouses). If the disposition is by sale or exchange, the optionee’s tax basis will equal the amount paid for the share plus any ordinary income realized as a result of the disqualifying disposition.

The exercise of an Incentive Option may subject the optionee to the Alternative Minimum Tax. The amount by which the fair market value of the shares purchased at the time of the exercise exceeds the option exercise price is an adjustment for purposes of computing the so-called Alternative Minimum Tax. In the event of a disqualifying disposition of the shares in the same taxable year as exercise of the Incentive Option, no adjustment is then required for purposes of the Alternative Minimum Tax, but regular income tax, as described above, may result from such disqualifying disposition.

Whether an optionee who surrenders shares as payment of the exercise price of his Incentive Option will recognize gain or loss on his surrender of such shares depends on the type of shares surrendered and their holding period. The surrender of shares previously acquired upon exercise of an Incentive Option in payment of the exercise price of another Incentive Option is a “disposition” of such stock. Consequently, if the incentive stock option holding period requirements described above have not been satisfied with respect to such stock, such disposition will be a disqualifying disposition that may cause the optionee to recognize ordinary income as discussed above.

Under the Code, all of the shares received by an optionee upon exercise of an Incentive Option by surrendering shares will be subject to the incentive stock option holding period requirements. Of those shares, a number of shares equal to the number of shares surrendered by the optionee will have the same tax basis for capital gains purposes (increased by an ordinary income recognized as a result of any disqualifying disposition of the surrendered shares if they were incentive stock option shares) and the same capital gains holding period as the shares surrendered. The balance of the shares received by the optionee will have a tax basis (and a deemed purchase price) of zero and a capital gains holding period beginning on the date of exercise. The Incentive Stock Option holding period for all shares will be the same as if the option had been exercised for cash.

Non-Qualified Options. Upon the grant of a non-qualified stock option, generally an optionee will not recognize taxable income, and the Company will not be entitled to a deduction. On the exercise of a Non-Qualified Option, the optionee has taxable ordinary income equal to the excess of the fair market value of the shares acquired on the exercise date over the option price of the shares. In the case of employee optionees, that income will be subject to wage and employment tax withholding. The Company will be entitled to a federal income tax deduction (subject to the limitations contained in Section 162 of the Code and satisfaction of certain reporting requirements) in an amount equal to such excess.


Upon the sale of stock acquired by exercise of a Non-Qualified Option, optionees will realize gain or loss equal to the difference between the selling price of the shares and fair market value on the date of exercise, which will be long-term or short-term capital gain or loss depending upon their holding period for such stock. Capital losses are deductible only to the extent of capital gains for the year plus $3,000 ($1,500 for married taxpayers filing separate returns). The Company will not be entitled to a deduction with respect to any capital gain recognized by the optionee.

An optionee who surrenders shares in payment of the exercise price of a Non-Qualified Option will not recognize gain or loss with respect to the shares so delivered unless such shares were acquired pursuant to the exercise of an Incentive Option and the delivery of such shares is a disqualifying disposition. The optionee will recognize ordinary income on the exercise of the Non-Qualified Option as described above. Of the shares received in such an exchange, that number of shares equal to the number of shares surrendered will have the same tax basis and capital gains holding period as the shares surrendered. The balance of the shares received will have a tax basis equal to their fair market value on the date of exercise and the capital gains holding period will begin on the date of exercise.

Amendment and Termination. Options may not be granted pursuant to the Stock Option Plan after November 28, 2027. The Board of Directors reserves the right at any time, and from time to time, to modify or amend the Stock Option Plan in any way, or to suspend or terminate it, effective as of such date, which date may be either before or after the taking of such action, as may be specified by the Board of Directors; provided, however, that such action shall not affect options granted under the Stock Option Plan prior to the actual date on which such action occurred. If a modification or amendment of the Stock Option Plan is required by the Code or the regulations thereunder to be approved by the shareholders of the Company in order to permit the granting of “Incentive Stock Options” (as that term is defined in Section 422 of the Code and regulations thereunder) pursuant to the modified or amended Stock Option Plan, such modification or amendment shall also be submitted for the approval of the shareholders of the Company in such manner as is prescribed by the Code and the regulations thereunder. If the Board of Directors voluntarily submits a proposed modification, amendment, suspension or termination for shareholder approval, such submission shall not require any future modification, amendments (whether or not relating to the same provision or subject matter), suspensions or terminations to be similarly submitted for shareholder approval.

Limitation on Company’s Deduction. Section 162(m) of the Code will generally limit to $1,000,000 million the Company’s federal income tax deduction for compensation paid in any year to its chief executive officer and its four highest paid executive officers, to the extent that such compensation is not “performance based.” Under Treasury regulations, and subject to certain transition rules, a stock option will, in general, qualify as “performance based” compensation if it (i) has an exercise price of not less than the fair market value of the underlying stock on the date of grant, (ii) is granted under a plan that limits the number of shares for which options may be granted to an employee during a specified period, which plan is approved by a majority of the shareholders entitled to vote thereon, and (iii) is granted by a compensation committee consisting solely of at least two outside directors. If a stock option to an executive referred to above is not “performance based”, the amount that would otherwise be deductible by the Company in respect of such stock option will be disallowed to the extent that the executive’s aggregate non-performance based compensation paid in the relevant year exceeds $1,000,000 million. The Company intends to act in a manner that will allow options granted under the Stock Option Plan not to be subject to the $1,000,000 deduction limit.

New Plan Benefits Table. The amount, if any, of stock options to be awarded to key employees is determined on an annual basis by the Committee and is not presently determinable. Information regarding awards to the Named Executive Officers in 2017 is provided elsewhere in this Proxy Statement. See “EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION.”

The Board of Directors recommends that you APPROVEthe Company’s 2017 Stock Option Plan.

 

OTHER MATTERS

 

The Company is not presently aware of any matters (other than procedural matters) which will be brought before the Annual Meeting which are not reflected in the attached Notice of the Annual Meeting. If any such other matters should properly come before the 2018 Annual Meeting, theThe enclosed proxy confers discretionary authority to vote with respect to any and all of the following matters that may come before the Annual Meeting: (i) matters which the Company does not know, a reasonable time before the proxy solicitation, are to be presented at the Annual Meeting; (ii) approval of the minutes of a prior meeting of shareholders, if such other matters.approval does not amount to ratification of the action taken at the meeting; (iii) the election of any person to any office for which a bona fide nominee named in this Proxy Statement is unable to serve or for good cause will not serve; (iv) any proposal omitted from this Proxy Statement and the form of proxy pursuant to Rules l4a 8 or l4a 9 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and (v) matters incident to the conduct of the Annual Meeting. In conjunction with such matters, the persons named in the enclosed proxy will vote in accordance with their best judgment.

 


29

 

ANNUAL REPORT TO SHAREHOLDERS AND FORM 10-K

 

This Proxy Statement is accompanied by the Company’sCompany’s Annual Report to Shareholders for fiscal 2017.year 2021.

 

EACH PERSON SOLICITED HEREUNDER CAN OBTAIN A COPY OF J & J’SJ’S ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K FOR FISCAL 20172021 AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION FOR THE YEAR ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2017,25, 2021, WITHOUT CHARGE, BY SENDING A WRITTEN REQUEST TO J & J SNACK FOODS CORP., 6000 CENTRAL HIGHWAY, PENNSAUKEN, NEW JERSEY 08109, ATTENTION: DENNIS G. MOORE.KEN A. PLUNK.

 

Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials

for the Shareholder Meeting to Be Held on February 9, 2018. 16, 2022.

The proxy statement and annual report to security holders are available at www.jjsfannualreport.com.

 

The proxy statement and annual report to security holders are available at www.jjsfannualreport.com.

 

By Order of the Board of Directors,

 

/s/ Marjorie S. Roshkoff-

Marjorie S. Roshkoff, Esquire

Secretary


EXHIBIT A

J & J SNACK FOODS CORP.

2017 STOCK OPTION PLAN

1.

Purpose of Plan

The purpose of the Stock Option Plan (the “Plan”) contained herein is to provide additional incentive to officers, directors, key employees and important consultants of J & J Snack Foods Corp. (the “Corporation”) and each present or future parent or subsidiary corporation of the Corporation by encouraging them to invest in shares of the Corporation's common stock, no par value per share (the “Common Stock”) and thereby acquire a proprietary interest in the Corporation along with an increased personal interest in the Corporation's continued success and progress, to the mutual benefit of directors, employees and shareholders.

2.

Aggregate Number of Shares

800,000 shares of Common Stock shall be the aggregate number of shares which may be issued under this Plan. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event of any change in the outstanding shares of Common Stock by reason of a stock dividend, stock split, combination of shares, recapitalization, merger, consolidation, transfer of assets, reorganization, conversion or what the Committee, as defined in Section 4 below, deems in its sole discretion to be similar circumstances, the aggregate number and kind of shares which may be issued under this Plan shall be appropriately adjusted in a manner determined in the sole discretion of the Committee. Reacquired shares of Common Stock, as well as unissued shares, may be used for the purpose of this Plan. Common Stock subject to options which have terminated unexercised, either in whole or in part, shall be available for future options granted under this Plan. No optionee shall be granted options to acquire more than 30,000 shares of Common Stock during any calendar year under the Plan.

3.

Class of Persons Eligible to Receive Options

All officers, directors and key employees of the Corporation and of any present or future parent or subsidiary corporation of the Corporation are eligible to receive an option or options under this Plan. All important consultants to the Corporation are also eligible to receive an option or options under the Plan. The individuals who shall, in fact, receive an option or options shall be selected by the Committee, as defined in Section 4 below, in its sole discretion, except as otherwise specified in Sections 4 and 5 of this Plan.

4.

Administration of Plan

(a) This Plan shall be administered by a Committee appointed by the Board of Directors (the “Committee”). The Committee shall consist of a minimum of two and a maximum of five members of the Board of Directors, each of whom shall be a “disinterested person” as defined in Rule 16b-3(d)(3) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (hereafter the “SEC”) or any future corresponding rule. The Committee shall, in addition to its other authority and subject to the provisions of this Plan, determine which individuals shall in fact be granted an option or options, whether the option shall be an incentive stock option or a non-qualified stock option, the number of shares to be subject to each of the options, the time or times at which the options shall be granted, the rate of option exercisability (provided, however, that no option shall be exercisable within one (1) year from the date of its grant), and, subject to Section 5 of this Plan, the price at which each of the options is exercisable and the duration of the option.

(b) The Committee shall adopt such rules for the conduct of its business and administration of this Plan as it considers desirable. A majority of the members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum for all purposes. The vote or written consent of a majority of the members of the Committee on a particular matter shall constitute the act of the Committee on such matter. The Committee shall have the right to construe the Plan and the options issued pursuant to it, to correct defects and omissions and to reconcile inconsistencies to the extent necessary to effectuate the Plan and the options issued pursuant to it, and such action shall be final, binding and conclusive upon all parties concerned. No member of the Committee or the Board of Directors shall be liable for any act or omission (whether or not negligent) taken or omitted in good faith, or for the exercise of an authority or discretion granted in connection with the Plan to the Committee or the Board of Directors, or for the acts or omissions of any other member(s) of the Committee or the Board of Directors. Subject to the numerical limitations on Committee membership set forth in Section 4(a) hereof, the Board of Directors may at any time appoint additional members of the Committee and may at any time remove any member of the Committee with or without cause. Vacancies on the Committee, however caused, may be filled by the Board of Directors, if it so desires.


5.

Incentive Stock Options and Non-Qualified Stock Options

(a) Options issued pursuant to this Plan may be either Incentive Stock Options granted pursuant to Section 5(b) of this Plan or Non-Qualified Stock Options granted pursuant to Section 5(c) of this Plan, as determined by the Committee. An “Incentive Stock Option” is an option which satisfies all of the requirements of Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and the regulations thereunder, and a Non-Qualified Stock Option is an option which either does not satisfy all of these requirements or the option by its terms specifies at the time of grant that it will not be treated as an Incentive Stock Option. The Committee may grant both an Incentive Stock Option and a Non-Qualified Stock Option to the same person, or more than one of each type of option to the same person. The option price for Incentive Stock Options and Non-Qualified Stock Options issued under this Plan shall be equal to at least the "fair market value" of the Common Stock on the date of the grant of the option. The "fair market value" of the Common Stock on any particular date shall mean the last reported sale price of a share of the Common Stock on the NASDAQ National Market System, as reported by NASDAQ, or on any stock exchange on which such stock is then listed or admitted to trading, on such date, or if no sale took place on such day, the last such date on which a sale took place, or if the Common Stock is not then quoted on the NASDAQ National Market System or listed or admitted to trading on any stock exchange, the average of the bid and asked prices in the over-the-counter market on such date, or if none of the foregoing, a price determined by the Committee.

(b) Subject to the authority of the Committee set forth in Section 4(a) of this Plan, Incentive Stock Options issued pursuant to this Plan shall be issued substantially in the form set forth in Appendix “I” attached to this Plan, which form is hereby incorporated by reference and made a part hereof, and shall contain substantially the terms and conditions set forth therein. Incentive Stock Options shall be exercisable for a period determined by the Committee, but not to exceed the expiration of ten years from the date such options are granted, unless terminated earlier under the terms of the option. At the time of the grant of an Incentive Stock Option hereunder, the Committee may, in its discretion, modify or amend any of the option terms contained in Appendix "I" for any particular optionee, provided that the option as modified or amended satisfies the requirements of Section 422 of the Code and the regulations thereunder. Each of the options granted pursuant to this Section 5(b) is intended, if possible, to be an "Incentive Stock Option" as that term is defined in Section 422 of the Code and the regulations thereunder. In the event this Plan or any option granted pursuant to this Section 5(b) is in any way inconsistent with the applicable legal requirements of the Code or the regulations thereunder for an Incentive Stock Option, this Plan and such option shall be deemed automatically amended as of the date hereof to conform to such legal requirements, if such conformity may be achieved by amendment.

(c) Subject to the authority of the Committee set forth in Section 4(a) of this Plan, Non-Qualified Stock Options issued pursuant to this Plan shall be issued substantially in the form set forth in Appendix “II” attached to this Plan, which form is hereby incorporated by reference and made a part hereof, and shall contain substantially the terms and conditions set forth therein. Non-Qualified Stock Options shall expire as determined by the Committee, but such period shall not exceed ten years after the date they are granted, unless terminated earlier under the option terms. At the time of granting a Non-Qualified Stock Option hereunder, the Committee may in its discretion, modify or amend any of the option terms contained in Appendix “II” for any particular optionee, provided that the option as modified or amended does not expire more than ten years from the date of its grant. Subject to the authority of the Committee set forth in Section 4(a) hereof, Non-Qualified Stock Options issued to directors and important consultants pursuant to this Plan shall be issued in the form determined by the Committee from time to time.

(d) Neither the Corporation nor any of its current or future parents, subsidiaries or affiliates, nor their officers, directors, shareholders, stock option plan committees, employees or agents shall have any liability to any optionee in the event (i) an option granted pursuant to Section 5(b) of this Plan does not qualify as an "Incentive Stock Option" as that term is used in Section 422 of the Code and the regulations thereunder; (ii) any optionee does not obtain the tax benefits of such an Incentive Stock Option; or (iii) any option granted pursuant to Section 5(c) of this Plan is an "Incentive Stock Option".

(e) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan, and without limiting the ability to receive additional options under this Plan, on the last day of the Corporation's fiscal year the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation shall, subject to the approval of the Compensation Committee of the Corporation’s Board of Directors (the “Compensation Committee”), be granted an option to purchase 20,000 shares of the Corporation's Common Stock. Such option shall be for a period of ten (10) years and shall be issued at the fair market value, as determined by the Compensation Committee, of the Corporation's Common Stock on the date of grant of such options. In the event of any change in the capitalization of the Corporation, such as by stock dividend, stock split or what the Board of Directors of the Corporation deems in its sole discretion to be similar circumstances, the number and kind of shares which may be issued under this paragraph shall be automatically adjusted by the Board of Directors of the Corporation.


(f) Except as otherwise provided in Section 422 of the Code and regulations thereunder or any successor provision, no Incentive Stock Option granted pursuant to this Plan shall be transferable other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution. Except as otherwise provided by the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Committee may provide that a Non-Qualified Stock Options is transferable to any “family member” of the optionee by gift or qualified domestic relations order. For purposes of this Section, a family member includes any child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, step-parent, grandparent, spouse, former spouse, sibling, niece, nephew, mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law, including adoptive relationships, any person sharing the grantee’s household (other than a tenant or employee), trust in which these persons have more than 50% of the beneficial interest, a foundation in which these persons (or the grantee) controls the management of assets, and any other entity in which these persons or the grantee own more than 50% of the voting interests.

6.

Modification, Amendment, Suspension and Termination

Options shall not be granted pursuant to this Plan after the expiration of ten years from the date the Plan is adopted by the Board of Directors of the Corporation, but options granted within said ten year period may extend beyond the termination date of this Plan. The Board of Directors reserves the right at any time, and from time to time, to modify or amend this Plan in any way, or to suspend or terminate it, effective as of such date, which date may be either before or after the taking of such action, as may be specified by the Board of Directors; provided, however, that such action shall not affect options granted under the Plan prior to the actual date on which such action occurred. If a modification or amendment of this Plan is required by the Code or the regulations thereunder to be approved by the shareholders of the Corporation in order to permit the granting of "Incentive Stock Options" (as that term is defined in Section 422 of the Code and regulations thereunder) pursuant to the modified or amended Plan, such modification or amendment shall also be approved by the shareholders of the Corporation in such manner as is prescribed by the Code and the regulations thereunder. If the Board of Directors voluntarily submits a proposed modification, amendment, suspension or termination for shareholder approval, such submission shall not require any future modifications, amendments (whether or not relating to the same provision or subject matter), suspensions or terminations to be similarly submitted for shareholder approval.

7.

Effectiveness of Plan

This Plan shall become effective on the date of its adoption by the Corporation's Board of Directors, subject however to approval by the shareholders of the Corporation in the manner as prescribed in the Code and the regulations thereunder. Options may be granted under this Plan prior to obtaining shareholder approval, provided such options shall not be exercisable until shareholder approval is obtained.

8.

General Conditions

(a) Nothing contained in this Plan or any option granted pursuant to this Plan shall confer upon any employee the right to continue in the employ of the Corporation or any affiliated or subsidiary corporation or interfere in any way with the rights of the Corporation or any affiliated or subsidiary corporation of the Corporation to terminate his employment in any way.

(b) Action by the Corporation constituting an offer of stock for sale to any employee under the terms of the options to be granted hereunder shall be deemed complete as of the date when the Committee authorizes the grant of the option to the employee, regardless of when the option is actually delivered to the employee or acknowledged or agreed to by him.

(c) The term “parent corporation” and “subsidiary corporation” as used throughout this Plan, and the options granted pursuant to this Plan, shall (except as otherwise provided in the option form) have the meaning that is ascribed to that term in Section 422(b) of the Code and the regulations thereunder, and the Corporation shall be deemed to be the grantor corporation for purposes of applying such meaning.

(d) References in this Plan to the Code shall be deemed to also refer to the corresponding provisions of any future United States revenue law.

(e) The use of the masculine pronoun shall include the feminine gender whenever appropriate.


APPENDIX “I”

INCENTIVE STOCK OPTION

TO:
NAME
ADDRESS

DATE:

You are hereby granted an option, effective as of the date hereof, to purchase____shares of common stock, no par value per share (the “Common Stock”), of  J & J Snack Foods Corp. (the “Corporation”) at a price of $________ per share pursuant to the Corporation’s Stock Option Plan, as amended (the “Plan”). Your option price is intended to equal at least the fair market value of the Common Stock as of the date hereof. Your option may first be exercised on and after three years from the date of this option, but not before that time. No fractional shares shall be issued or delivered.

This option shall terminate and is not exercisable after ______________ (the “Scheduled Termination Date”), except if terminated earlier as hereafter provided.

You may exercise your option by giving written notice to the Secretary of the Corporation on forms supplied by the Corporation at its then principal executive office, accompanied by payment of the option price for the total number of shares you specify that you wish to purchase. The payment may be in any of the following forms: (a) cash, which may be evidenced by a check; (b) certificates representing shares of Common Stock, which will be valued by the Secretary of the Corporation at the fair market value per share of the Common Stock (as determined in accordance with the Plan) on the last trading day immediately preceding the delivery of such certificates to the Corporation, accompanied by an assignment of the stock to the Corporation; or (c) any combinations of cash and Common Stock valued as provided in clause (b). Any assignment of stock shall be in a form and substance satisfactory to the Secretary of the Corporation, including guarantees of signature(s) and payment of all transfer taxes if he deems such guarantees necessary or desirable. Your option may be exercised under the so-called “cashless” exercise provisions set forth in 12 CFR § 220.3(e)(4) (or any successor provision) if arrangements, satisfactory in all respects to the Corporation and approved in writing by the Corporation, are made in advance of the option exercise. The Corporation reserves the right to limit the number of shares of the Common Stock used for purposes of the option exercise.

Your option will, to the extent not previously exercised by you, terminate on the date either (i) except in the case of your being employed by the Corporation for a period of in excess of ten (10) years and you retire at your normal retirement age, you cease to perform services for the Corporation or a subsidiary, or (ii) the Corporation or a subsidiary corporation of the Corporation delivers or receives notice of an intention to terminate the employment relationship, regardless of whether or not a different effective date of termination is provided in such notice, whether such termination is voluntary or not, but not if your termination is due to disability as defined in Section 22(e)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), or death (but in no event shall the option terminate later than the Scheduled Termination Date). After the date your service or employment is terminated, as aforesaid, you may not exercise this option. If you are employed by a subsidiary corporation of the Corporation, your employment shall be deemed to have terminated on the date your employer ceases to be a subsidiary corporation of the Corporation, unless you are on that date transferred to the Corporation or another subsidiary corporation of the Corporation. Your employment shall not be deemed to have terminated if you are transferred from the Corporation to a subsidiary corporation of the Corporation, or vice versa, or from one subsidiary corporation of the Corporation to another subsidiary corporation of the Corporation.

If (1) you die while employed by the Corporation or a subsidiary corporation of the Corporation, or (2) if you die and were a retiree who retired at normal retirement age after being employed for a period in excess of ten (10) years, then your legatee(s), distributee(s), executor or administrator, as the case may be, may, at any time within one year after the date of your death (but in no event later than the Scheduled Termination Date), exercise the option as to any shares which you had a right to purchase and did not purchase during your lifetime. If your employment by the Corporation or a subsidiary corporation of the Corporation is terminated by reason of your becoming disabled (within the meaning of Section 22(e)(3) of the Code and the regulations thereunder), you or your legal guardian or custodian may at any time within one year after the date of such termination (but in no event later than the Scheduled Terminated Date) exercise the option as to any shares which you had a right to purchase and did not purchase prior to such termination. Your executor, administrator, guardian or custodian must present proof of his authority satisfactory to the Corporation prior to being allowed to exercise this option.


In the event of any change in the outstanding shares of the Common Stock by reason of a stock dividend, stock split, combination of shares, recapitalization, merger, consolidation, transfer of assets, reorganization, conversion or what the Committee (as such term is defined in the Plan) deems in its sole discretion to be similar circumstances, the number and kind of shares subject to this option and the option price of such shares will be appropriately adjusted in a manner to be determined in the sole discretion of the Committee.

This option is not transferable otherwise than by will or the laws of descent and distribution, and is exercisable during your lifetime only by you. Until the option price has been paid in full pursuant to due exercise of this option and the purchased shares are delivered to you, you do not have any rights as a shareholder of the Corporation. The Corporation reserves the right not to deliver to you the shares purchased by virtue of the exercise of this option during any period of time in which the Corporation deems, in its sole discretion, that such delivery would violate a federal, state, local or securities exchange rule, regulation or law.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, this option is not exercisable if the following event occurs and during the following periods of time:

During any period of time in which the Corporation deems that the exercisability of this option, the offer to sell the shares optioned hereunder, or the sale hereof, may violate a federal, state, local or securities exchange rule, regulation or law, or may cause the Corporation to be legally obligated to issue or sell more shares than the Corporation is legally entitled to issue or sell.

At the time of issuance of securities pursuant to this Plan, the Corporation may require such restrictions, legends or other provisions as it deems necessary to comply with any federal or state securities law.

It is the intention of the Corporation and you that this option shall, if possible, be an “incentive stock option” as that term is used in Section 422 of the Code and the regulations thereunder. In the event this option is in any way inconsistent with the legal requirements of the Code or the regulations thereunder for an “incentive stock option,” this option shall be deemed automatically amended as of the date hereof to conform to such legal requirements, if such conformity may be achieved by amendment.

This option shall be subject to the terms of the Plan in effect on the date this option is granted, which terms are hereby incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof. In the event of any conflict between the terms of this option and the terms of the Plan in effect on the date of this option, the terms of the Plan shall govern. This option constitutes the entire understanding between the Corporation and you with respect to the subject matter hereof and no amendment, modification or waiver of this option, in whole or in part, shall be binding upon the Corporation unless in writing or signed by the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation. This option and the performances of the parties hereunder shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the laws of the State of New Jersey.

This option is void unless a signed copy of the option together with a signed copy of a “Mutual Agreement to Arbitrate Claims” is returnedto the Corporation no later than

__________________.

Agreements by the Recipient

In addition to such other conditions as may be established by the Committee, in consideration of the granting of stock options under the terms of this Plan, the recipient agrees as follows:

(a) The right to exercise any stock option shall be conditional upon certification by the recipient at the time of exercise that the recipient intends to remain in the employ of the Corporation or one of its subsidiaries (except in cases of retirement or disability) for at least one (l) year following the date of the exercise of the stock option, and

(b) In order to better protect the goodwill of the Corporation and its subsidiaries and to prevent the disclosure of the Corporation’s or its subsidiaries’ trade secrets and confidential information and thereby help insure the long-term success of the business, the recipient, for a period of three (3) years following the later of (i) the date of the granting or (ii) the date of the exercise of this stock option, without prior written consent of the Corporation, will not engage in any activity or provide any services, whether as a director, manager, supervisor, employee, adviser, consultant or otherwise in connection with the manufacture, development, advertising, promotion, or sale of any product which is the same as or similar to or competitive with any products of the Corporation or its subsidiaries (including both existing products as well as products known to the recipient, as a consequence of the recipient’s employment with the Corporation or one of its subsidiaries, to be in development):


(1) with respect to which the recipient’s work has been directly concerned at any time during the two (2) years preceding termination of employment with the Corporation or one of its subsidiaries; or

(2) with respect to which during that period of time the recipient, as a consequence of the recipient’s job performance and duties, acquired knowledge of trade secrets or other confidential information of the Corporation or its subsidiaries.

For purposes of this section, it shall be conclusively presumed that recipients have knowledge of information they were directly exposed to through actual receipt or review of memos or documents containing such information, or through actual attendance at meetings at which such information was discussed or disclosed.

(c) The provisions of this agreement falling under the heading “Agreements by Recipient” are not in lieu of, but are in addition to the continuing obligation of the recipient (which recipient hereby acknowledges) to not use or disclose the Corporation’s or its subsidiaries’ trade secrets and confidential information known to the recipient until any particular trade secret or confidential information become generally known (through no fault of the recipient), whereupon the restriction on use and disclosure shall cease as to that item. Information regarding products in development, in test marketing or being marketed or promoted in a discrete geographic region, which information the Corporation or one of its subsidiaries is considering the broader use, shall not be deemed generally known until such broader use is actually commercially implemented. As used in this agreement, “generally known” means known throughout the domestic U.S. industry or, in the case of recipient who have job responsibilities outside of the United States, the appropriate foreign country or countries’ industry.

(d) By acceptance of any offered stock option granted under the terms of this Plan, the recipient acknowledges that if the recipient were, without authority, to use or disclose the Corporation’s or any of its subsidiaries’ trade secrets or confidential information or threaten to do so, the Corporation or one of its subsidiaries would be entitled to injunctive and other appropriate relief to prevent the recipient from doing so. The recipient acknowledges that the harm caused to the Corporation by the breach or anticipated breach of the Agreements by Recipient is by its nature irreparable because, among other things, it is not readily susceptible of proof as to the monetary harm that would ensue. The recipient consents that any interim or final equitable relief entered by a court of competent jurisdiction shall, at the request of the Corporation or one of its subsidiaries, be entered on consent and enforced by any court having jurisdiction over the recipient, without prejudice to any rights either party may have to appeal from the proceedings which resulted in any grant of such relief.

(e) If any of the provisions contained in the Agreements by Recipient shall for any reason, whether by application of existing law or law which may develop after the recipient’s acceptance of an offer of the granting of stock appreciation rights or stock options, be determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to be overly broad as to scope of activity, duration, or territory, the recipient agrees to join the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries in requesting such court to construe such provision by limiting or reducing it so as to be enforceable to the extent compatible with then applicable law. If any one or more of the terms, provisions, covenants, or restrictions of the Agreements by Recipient shall be determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, void or unenforceable, then the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants, and restrictions of the Agreements by Recipient shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated.


Please sign the copy of this option and return it to the Corporation’s Secretary, thereby indicating your understanding of and agreement with its terms and conditions.

J & J SNACK FOODS CORP.

(SEAL)

BY:

NAME:

            Gerald B. Shreiber

TITLE:

            President

I hereby acknowledge receipt of a copy of the foregoing stock option and, having read it hereby signify my understanding of, and my agreement with, its terms and conditions.

(Signature) (Date)
   
   


ADDENDIX “II”

NON-QUALIFIED STOCK OPTION

TO:
NAME
 
ADDRESS

DATE:

You are hereby granted an option, effective as of the date hereof, to purchase _____ Shares of common stock, no par value per share (the “Common Stock”), of J & J Snack Foods Corp. (the “Corporation”) at the price of $_______ per share pursuant to the Corporation’s Stock Option Plan, as amended (the “Plan”). Your option price is intended to equal at least the fair market value of the Common Stock as of the date hereof. Your option may first be exercised on and after three years from the date of this option, but not before that time. No fractional shares shall be issued or delivered.

This option shall terminate and is not exercisable after ________________ (the “Scheduled Termination Date”), except if terminated earlier as hereafter provided.

You may exercise your option by giving written notice to the Secretary of the Corporation on forms supplied by the Corporation at its then principal executive office, accompanied by payment of the option price for the total number of shares you specify that you wish to purchase. The payment may be in any of the following forms: (a) cash, which may be evidenced by a check; (b) certificates representing shares of Common Stock, which will be valued by the Secretary of the Corporation at the fair market value per share of the Common Stock (as determined in accordance with the Plan) on the last trading day immediately preceding the delivery of such certificates to the Corporation, accompanied by an assignment of the stock to the Corporation; or (c) any combination of cash and Common Stock valued as provided in clause (b). Any assignment of stock shall be in a form and substance satisfactory to the Secretary of the Corporation, including guarantees of signature(s) and payment of all transfer taxes if he deems such guarantees necessary or desirable. Your option may be exercised under the so called “cashless” exercise provisions set forth in 12 CFR § 220.3(e)(4) (or any successor provision) if arrangements, satisfactory in all respects to the Corporation and approved in writing by the Corporation, are made in advance of the option exercise. The Corporation reserves the right to limit the number of shares of the Common Stock used for purposes of the option exercise.

Your option will, to the extent not previously exercised by you, terminate on the date either (i) except in the case of your being employed by the Corporation for a period of in excess of ten (10) years and you retire at your normal retirement age, you cease to perform services for the Corporation or a subsidiary, or (ii) the Corporation or a subsidiary corporation of the corporation delivers or receives notice of an intention to terminate the employment relationship, regardless of whether or not a different effective date of termination in provided in such notice, whether such termination is voluntary or not, but not if your termination is due to disability as defined in Section 22(e)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), or death (but in no event shall the option terminate later that the Scheduled Termination Date). After the date your service or employment is terminated, as aforesaid, you may not exercise this option. If you are employed by a subsidiary corporation of the Corporation, your employment shall be deemed to have terminated on the date your employer ceases to be a subsidiary corporation of the Corporation, unless you are on that date transferred to the Corporation or another subsidiary corporation of the Corporation. Your employment shall not be deemed to have terminated if you are transferred from the Corporation to a subsidiary corporation of the Corporation, or vice versa, or from one subsidiary corporation of the Corporation to another subsidiary corporation of the Corporation.

If (1) you die while employed by the Corporation or a subsidiary corporation of the Corporation, or (2) if you die and were a retiree who retired at normal retirement age after being employed for a period in excess of ten (10) years, then your legatee(s), distributee(s), executor or administrator, as the case may be, may, at any time within one year after the date of your death (but in no event later than the Scheduled Termination Date), exercise the option as to any shares which you had a right to purchase and did not purchase during your lifetime. If your employment by the Corporation or a subsidiary corporation of the Corporation is terminated by reason of your becoming disabled (within the meaning of Section 22(e)(3) of the Code and the regulations thereunder), you or your legal guardian or custodian may at any time within one year after the date of such termination (but in no event later than the Scheduled Terminated Date), exercise the option as to any shares which you had a right to purchase and did not purchase prior to such termination. Your executor, administrator, guardian or custodian must present proof of his authority satisfactory to the Corporation prior to being allowed to exercise this option.


In the event of any change in the outstanding shares of the Common Stock by reason of a stock dividend, stock split, combination of shares, recapitalization, merger, consolidation, transfer of assets, reorganization, conversion or what the Committee (as defined in the Plan) deems in its sole discretion to be similar circumstances, the number and kind of shares subject to this option and the option prove of such shares will be appropriately adjusted in a manner to be determined in the sole discretion of the Committee.

This option is not transferable otherwise than by will or the laws of descent and distribution, and is exercisable during your lifetime only by you. Until the option price has been paid in full pursuant to due exercise of this option and the purchased shares are delivered to you, you do not have any rights as a shareholder of the Corporation. The Corporation reserves the right not to deliver to you the shares purchased by virtue of the exercise of this option during any period of time in which the Corporation deems, in its sole discretion, that such delivery would violate a federal, state, local or securities exchange rule, regulation or law.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, this option is not exercisable if the following event occurs and during the following periods of time:

During any period of time in which the Corporation deems that the exercisability of this option, the offer to sell the shares optioned hereunder, or the sale hereof, may violate a federal, state, local or securities exchange rule, regulation or law, or may cause the Corporation to be legally obligated to issue or sell more shares than the Corporation is legally entitled to issue or sell.

At the time of issuance of securities pursuant to this Plan, the Corporation may require such restrictions, legends or other provisions as it deems necessary to comply with any federal or state securities law.

It is the intention of the Corporation and you that this option shall not be an “incentive stock option” as that is used in Section 422 of the Code and the regulation thereunder.

This option shall be subject to the terms of the Plan in effect on the date this option is granted, which terms are hereby incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof. In the event of any conflict between the terms of this option and the terms of the Plan in effect on the date of this option, the terms of the Plan shall govern. This option constitutes the entire understanding between the Corporation and you with respect to the subject matter hereof and no amendment, modification or waiver of this option, in whole or in part, shall be binding upon the Corporation unless in writing or signed by the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation. Whit option and the performances of the parties hereunder shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the laws of the State of New Jersey.

This option is void unless a signed copy of the option together with a signed copy of a “Mutual Agreement to Arbitrate Claims” is returnedto the Corporation no later than __________________.

Agreements by the Recipient

In addition to such other conditions as may be established by the Committee, in consideration of the granting of stock options under the terms of this Plan, the recipient agrees as follows:

(a) The right to exercise any stock option shall be conditional upon certification by the recipient at time of exercise that the recipient intends to remain in the employ of the Corporation or one of its subsidiaries (except in cases of retirement or disability) for at least one (l) year following the date of the exercise of the stock option, and

(b) In order to better protect the goodwill of the Corporation and its subsidiaries and to prevent the disclosure of the Corporation’s or its subsidiaries’ trade secrets and confidential information and thereby help insure the long-term success of the business, the recipient, for a period of three (3) years following the later of (i) the date of the granting or (ii) the date of the exercise of this stock option, without prior written consent of the Corporation, will not engage in any activity or provide any services, whether as a director, manager, supervisor, employee, adviser, consultant or otherwise in connection with the manufacture, development, advertising, promotion, or sale of any product which is the same as or similar to or competitive with any products of the Corporation or its subsidiaries (including both existing products as well as products known to the recipient, as a consequence of the recipient’s employment with the Corporation or one of its subsidiaries, to be in development):


(1) with respect to which the recipient’s work has been directly concerned at any time during the two (2) years preceding termination of employment with the Corporation or one of its subsidiaries; or

(2) with respect to which during that period of time the recipient, as a consequence of the recipient’s job performance and duties, acquired knowledge of trade secrets or other confidential information of the Corporation or its subsidiaries.

For purposes of this section, it shall be conclusively presumed that recipients have knowledge of information they were directly exposed to through actual receipt or review of memos or documents containing such information, or through actual attendance at meetings at which such information was discussed or disclosed.

(c) The provisions of this agreement falling under the heading “Agreements by Recipient” are not in lieu of, but are in addition to the continuing obligation of the recipient (which recipient hereby acknowledges) to not use or disclose the Corporation’s or its subsidiaries’ trade secrets and confidential information known to the recipient until any particular trade secret or confidential information become generally known (through no fault of the recipient), whereupon the restriction on use and disclosure shall cease as to that item. Information regarding products in development, in test marketing or being marketed or promoted in a discrete geographic region, which information the Corporation or one of its subsidiaries is considering the broader use, shall not be deemed generally known until such broader use is actually commercially implemented. As used in the Agreements by Recipient, “generally known” means known throughout the domestic U.S. industry or, in the case of recipient who have job responsibilities outside of the United States, the appropriate foreign country or countries’ industry.

(d) By acceptance of any offered stock option granted under the terms of this Plan, the recipient acknowledges that if the recipient were, without authority, to use or disclose the Corporation’s or any of its subsidiaries’ trade secrets or confidential information or threaten to do so, the Corporation or one of its subsidiaries would be entitled to injunctive and other appropriate relief to prevent the recipient from doing so. The recipient acknowledges that the harm caused to the Corporation by the breach or anticipated breach of this Article is by its nature irreparable because, among other things, it is not readily susceptible of proof as to the monetary harm that would ensue. The recipient consents that any interim or final equitable relief entered by a court of competent jurisdiction shall, at the request of the Corporation or one of its subsidiaries, be entered on consent and enforced by any court having jurisdiction over the recipient, without prejudice to any rights either party may have to appeal from the proceedings which resulted in any grant of such relief.

(e) If any of the provisions contained in the Agreements by Recipient shall for any reason, whether by application of existing law or law which may develop after the recipient’s acceptance of an offer of the granting of stock appreciation rights or stock options, be determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to be overly broad as to scope of activity, duration, or territory, the recipient agrees to join the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries in requesting such court to construe such provision by limiting or reducing it so as to be enforceable to the extent compatible with then applicable law. If any one or more of the terms, provisions, covenants, or restrictions of the Agreements by Recipient shall be determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, void or unenforceable, then the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants, and restrictions of the Agreements by Recipient shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated.


Please sign the copy of this option and return it to the Corporation’s Secretary, thereby indicating your understanding of and agreement with its terms and conditions.

J & J SNACK FOODS CORP.

/s/ Marjorie S. Roshkoff 

 

Marjorie S. Roshkoff, Esquire

(SEAL) 

BY:

NAME:

            Gerald B. Shreiber

TITLE:

            PresidentSecretary

 

 

I hereby acknowledge receipt of a copy of the foregoing stock option and, having read it here signify my understanding of, and my agreement with, its terms and conditions.

(Signature)(Date)


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