ARTICLE IX
PERFORMANCE STOCK AWARDS AND PERFORMANCE UNIT AWARDS
9.1Authority to Grant Performance Stock Awards and Performance Unit Awards. Subject to the terms and provisions of the Plan, the Committee, at any time, and from time to time, may grant Performance Stock Awards and Performance Unit Awards under the Plan to eligible persons in such amounts and upon such terms as the Committee shall determine. The amount of, the vesting, forfeiture and the transferability restrictions applicable to any Performance Stock Award or Performance Unit Award shall be based upon the attainment of such Performance Goals as the Committee may determine; provided, however, that (a) the performance period for any Performance Stock Award or Performance Unit Award shall not be less than one (1) year, and (b) the Performance Goals must be established in writing by the Committee not later than ninety (90) days after the beginning of the performance period (but in no event after the outcome is substantially certain). If the Committee imposes vesting or transferability restrictions on a Holder’s rights with respect to Performance Stock Award or Performance Unit Awards, the Committee may issue such instructions to the Company’s share transfer agent in connection therewith as it deems appropriate. The Committee may also cause the certificate for shares of Stock issued pursuant to a Performance Stock Award or Performance Unit Award to be imprinted with any legend which counsel for the Company considers advisable with respect to the restrictions or, should the shares of Stock be represented by book or electronic entry rather than a certificate, the Company may take such steps to restrict transfer of the shares of Stock as counsel for the Company considers necessary or advisable to comply with applicable law.
9.2Performance Goals. The Performance Goals upon which the payment or vesting of an Award may be based on one or more of the following business criteria that apply to the Holder, one or more business units or subsidiaries of the Company, or the Company as a whole: earnings, earnings before interest and taxes, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, earnings before any one of, or combination of two or more of, interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and/or any other financial adjustment to earnings set forth in the Company’s audited financial statements that is allowed under generally accepted accounting principles, adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, net earnings, earnings per share, earnings per share growth, economic value added, economic value, operating profits, net operating profit, net profits, profit return, gross margin, profit margins, profit before tax, operating margin, cash return on capitalization, operating expense, operating expense as a percentage of revenue, revenue, increase in revenue, revenue ratios (including per employee or per customer), net revenue, billings, net income, stock price, market share, return on equity, return on assets, return on capital, return on capital compared to cost of capital, return on capital employed, return on invested capital, debt to capital ratio, total stockholder return, stockholder return, stockholder value, growth in stockholder value relative to apre-determined index, financial return ratio, operating income, cash flow, net cash flow, cash flow from operations, free cash flow, cash value added performance, cost reductions, cost ratios (per employee or per customer), proceeds from dispositions, project completion time and budget goals, net cash flow before financing activities, customer growth, total market value, or people value added. The Committee may select one criterion or multiple criteria for measuring performance. Goals may be based on subjective performance criteria, provided the subjective criteria are bona fide and relate to the performance of the Holder or of the group that includes the Holder. Goals may also be based on performance relative to a peer group of companies. Unless otherwise stated, such a Performance Goal need not be based upon an increase or positive result under a particular business criterion and could include, for example, maintaining the status quo or limiting economic losses (measured, in each case, by reference to specific business criteria). Prior to the payment of any compensation based on the achievement of Performance Goals, the Committee must certify in writing that applicable Performance Goals and any of the material terms thereof were, in fact, satisfied. Subject to the foregoing provisions, the terms, conditions and limitations applicable to any Performance Stock or Performance Unit Awards made pursuant to the Plan shall be determined by the Committee.
9.3Written Agreement. Each Performance Stock Award or Performance Unit Award shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement that contains any vesting, transferability restrictions and other provisions not inconsistent with the Plan as the Committee may specify.
9.4Form of PaymentUnder Performance Unit Award. Payment under a Performance Unit Award shall be made in cash, shares of Stock or any combination thereof, as specified in the applicable Award Agreement.
9.5Time of PaymentUnder Performance Unit Award.A Holder’s payment under a Performance Unit Award shall be made at such time as is specified in the applicable Award Agreement. The Award Agreement shall specify that the payment will be made (a) by a date that is no later than the date that is two andone-half (2 1/2) months after the end of the calendar year in which the Performance Unit Award payment is no longer subject to a Substantial Risk of Forfeiture, or (b) as otherwise designated by the Committee.