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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. )
Filed by the Registrant þ | |
Filed by a Party other than the Registrant o | |
Check the appropriate box: |
o Preliminary Proxy Statement | |
o Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2)) | |
þ Definitive Proxy Statement | |
o Definitive Additional Materials | |
o Soliciting Material Pursuant to §240.14a-12 |
ElkCorp
(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)
(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)
Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):
þ No fee required. | |
o Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11. |
1) Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies: |
2) Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies: |
3) Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which the filing fee is calculated and state how it was determined): |
4) Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction: |
5) Total fee paid: |
o Fee paid previously with preliminary materials. |
o Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing. |
1) Amount Previously Paid: |
2) Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.: |
3) Filing Party: |
4) Date Filed: |
SEC 1913 (11-01) | Persons who are to respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB control number. |
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ElkCorp
14911 Quorum Drive, Suite 600
Dallas, Texas 75254-1491
NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
ElkCorp will hold its 2006 Annual Meeting of Shareholders at its corporate headquarters at 14911 Quorum Drive, Suite 600, Dallas, Texas 75254-1491 onTuesday, October 31, 2006, at 10:00 a.m. local time. The purpose of the meeting will be to vote on the following proposals and any other business that is properly presented at the meeting or any adjournment of the meeting:
Proposal 1. To elect two directors for a three-year term; and
Proposal 2. To ratify the appointment of independent auditors for fiscal 2007.
The record date for the Annual Meeting is Tuesday, September 5, 2006. Only shareholders of record at the close of business on that date can vote at the meeting.
For at least ten days prior to the meeting, ElkCorp will maintain, at its address above, an alphabetical list of the names and addresses of shareholders eligible to vote at the meeting. The list will also contain the number of shares registered in the names of those shareholders.
Please review the attached proxy statement for further information relevant to the Annual Meeting.
David G. Sisler | |
Senior Vice President, | |
General Counsel and Secretary |
Dated: September 22, 2006
IMPORTANT
PLEASE VOTE. YOU MAY VOTE BY:
• | SIGNING AND RETURNING THE ACCOMPANYING PROXY CARD. | |
• | VOTING BY TELEPHONE OR BY INTERNET. See the proxy card for instructions. |
OR
• | VOTING IN PERSON AT THE MEETING (if you are a shareholder of record). |
Any shareholder having a disability requiring special assistance who would like to attend the Annual Meeting may call ElkCorp at (972) 851-0519.
ElkCorp
PROXY STATEMENT — 2006 ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
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ElkCorp
14911 Quorum Drive, Suite 600
Dallas, Texas 75254-1491
PROXY STATEMENT
ABOUT THE MEETING
• | Who Can Vote | |
• | How You Can Vote | |
• | Revoking Your Proxy | |
• | Required Votes | |
• | Other Matters to be Acted Upon at the Annual Meeting | |
• | Expenses of Solicitation |
With this proxy statement, the Board of Directors of ElkCorp is soliciting your proxy for our 2006 Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on Tuesday, October 31, 2006. The proxy will also apply to any adjournment of that meeting. We are mailing this proxy statement and the proxy card to our shareholders beginning September 22, 2006. At this year’s Annual Meeting, our shareholders will vote on a proposal to elect two directors for a three-year term, and a proposal to ratify the appointment of independent auditors for fiscal 2007.
Who Can Vote
If you are a record holder of ElkCorp Common Stock at the close of business on September 5, 2006, you may vote at the Annual Meeting. On that record date, 20,497,311 shares of Common Stock were outstanding and entitled to vote. Each share is entitled to cast one vote on each proposal.
How You Can Vote
If you return your signed proxy card or vote by telephone or internet before the Annual Meeting, we will vote your shares as you direct. You may specify whether your shares should be voted for all, any one or more, or none of the nominees for director. You may also specify whether you vote for, against, or abstain from our proposal to ratify independent auditors. If you vote by telephone or internet, you are granting a proxy to vote all shares corresponding to your control number to the persons listed on the proxy card, and you are authorizing our tabulation agent to confirm your telephonic or internet vote to those persons. If you vote via the internet, you should understand that there may be costs associated with electronic access, such as usage charges from internet access providers and telephone companies, which you must bear.
If you participate in the ElkCorp Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), your proxy card will serve as voting direction for the ESOP trustee, who is the record owner of all ESOP shares. If an ESOP participant votes by telephone or internet, the participant is authorizing the Company’s tabulation agent to confirm the participant’s telephonic or internet voting direction to the ESOP trustee. The ESOP trustee or its nominee may impose a participant deadline several days in advance of the meeting in order for its timely voting to be administratively feasible. This year, ESOP participants must submit their proxy card or internet or telephonic vote for receipt no later than 12:00 p.m., Central Daylight Time, on October 25, 2006. Under the terms of the ESOP, the ESOP trustee will vote all unvoted ESOP shares, whether or not allocated to participants’ accounts, in proportion to voting of shares for which votes are directed by ESOP participants.
IF YOU SIGN AND RETURN YOUR PROXY, BUT DO NOT SPECIFY HOW YOU
WANT TO VOTE YOUR SHARES, WE WILL VOTE THEM “FOR” ALL DIRECTOR
NOMINEES AND “FOR” THE OTHER PROPOSAL.
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Revoking Your Proxy
If you are an ElkCorp shareholder of record, you may revoke your proxy at any time before it is exercised in any of the following three ways:
• by submitting written notice of revocation to the Secretary of ElkCorp; | ||
• by submitting another proxy that is properly signed and dated after your previously submitted proxy; |
or | • by voting in person at the Annual Meeting. |
Required Votes
Shareholders of 51% of our outstanding Common Stock must be present in person or represented by proxy at the Annual Meeting to be a quorum for the transaction of business. The affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast at the Annual Meeting is required for a proposal to pass, including election of directors.
An abstention, vote to withhold authority, or broker non-vote with respect to any proposal will not be voted, although it will be counted for purposes of determining whether there is a quorum for that proposal. Accordingly, an abstention, a vote to withhold authority, and a broker non-vote each will have no effect on the outcome of the election of directors or the vote on the other proposal. A broker non-vote occurs when a broker holds shares in nominee form, or “street name,” and is unable to vote the shares on a matter because it is “nondiscretionary” under New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) rules or the broker’s agreement with the beneficial owner of the shares.
For this year’s Annual Meeting, under NYSE rules, if you hold your shares in “street name” through a broker or other nominee, your broker or nominee may be permitted to exercise voting discretion with respect to Proposals 1 and 2.
Other Matters to be Acted Upon at the Annual Meeting
We do not know of any other matters to be presented or acted upon at the Annual Meeting. Under our Bylaws and Delaware law, no substantive business for this year’s Annual Meeting was proposed on a timely basis other than election of directors and ratification of independent auditors for fiscal 2007. If any other matter (e.g., a procedural matter) is presented at the Annual Meeting on which a vote may properly be taken, the shares represented by proxies will be voted in accordance with the judgment of the proxies listed on the proxy card.
Expenses of Solicitation
Our Board of Directors is soliciting proxies with this proxy statement. ElkCorp will pay the costs of this solicitation. Our officers and employees may solicit proxies by further mailings or personal conversations, or by telephone, facsimile ore-mail. If they do so, ElkCorp will not pay them extra compensation for their solicitation efforts (other than their ordinary salary and other ordinary compensation). We will, upon request, reimburse brokerage firms and others at rates prescribed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for forwarding proxy materials to beneficial owners of our Common Stock.
The Company may retain the services of a proxy solicitor to solicit proxies by mail, telephone, facsimile or personal contact. The Company would pay the costs of the proxy solicitor.
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ELKCORP STOCK OWNERSHIP
The following table contains certain information about the beneficial ownership of our Common Stock, as of September 5, 2006, by each of our directors and nominees for director, and our executive officers named in the Summary Compensation Table in this proxy statement, and all of our current directors, director nominees and executive officers as a group. Each of the individuals marked with an asterisk below is the owner of less than one percent of the Company’s outstanding Common Stock.
Amount and Nature of | Percent of | |||||||
Name | Beneficial Ownership(1) | Class | ||||||
Steven J. Demetriou | 5,235 | (2) | * | |||||
James E. Hall | 316,510 | (3) | 1.54 | |||||
Thomas D. Karol | 280,067 | (4) | 1.35 | |||||
Dale V. Kesler | 41,665 | (5) | * | |||||
Shauna R. King | 9,665 | (6) | * | |||||
Michael L. McMahan | 22,680 | (7) | * | |||||
Richard A. Nowak | 317,499 | (8) | 1.53 | |||||
Gregory J. Fisher | 94,872 | (9) | * | |||||
Matti Kiik | 70,771 | (10) | * | |||||
David G. Sisler | 98,676 | (11) | * | |||||
All directors, director nominees, and executive officers as a group (14 persons) | 1,262,039 | (12) | 5.95 |
(1) | The listed persons have direct ownership and sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares in the table, except for (i) option shares as shown in notes (2) through (12); (ii) shares allocated to such persons’ accounts in the ESOP, as to which voting and investment power is shared; (iii) unvested restricted stock, as to which such persons have sole voting power but no investment power until vested; and (iv) certain shares that are treated as beneficially owned by such persons for purposes of this table, such as, but not limited to, shares which are held in the names of their spouses, minor or resident children, family partnerships, or by such persons as trustee or custodian. | |
(2) | Includes options currently exercisable for 2,945 shares. | |
(3) | Includes options currently exercisable for 41,895 shares. | |
(4) | Includes options currently exercisable or exercisable within sixty days for 173,636 shares. | |
(5) | Includes options currently exercisable for 37,395 shares. | |
(6) | Includes options currently exercisable for 5,895 shares. | |
(7) | Includes options currently exercisable for 19,395 shares. | |
(8) | Includes options currently exercisable or exercisable within sixty days for 237,118 shares. | |
(9) | Includes options currently exercisable or exercisable within sixty days for 59,788 shares. |
(10) | Includes options currently exercisable or exercisable within sixty days for 43,594 shares. |
(11) | Includes options currently exercisable or exercisable within sixty days for 82,039 shares. |
(12) | Includes options currently exercisable or exercisable within sixty days for 708,099 shares. |
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The following table contains certain information as of the record date, or such other date indicated below, about beneficial owners who are known to own more than 5 percent of the outstanding shares of our Common Stock. The information in the table may not be current due to time lags inherent in the reporting process.
Name and Address of | Shares of | Percent | |||||||
Beneficial Owner | Common Stock | of Class | |||||||
T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. | 1,069,580 | (1) | 5.22 | ||||||
100 E. Pratt Street 9th Floor Baltimore, MD 21202-1009 | |||||||||
Trustee for the ElkCorp Employee Stock Ownership Plan | 1,094,868 | (2) | 5.34 | ||||||
c/o ElkCorp 14911 Quorum Drive, Suite 600 Dallas, TX 75254-1491 |
(1) | Based solely on information provided by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. (“T. Rowe Price”) to the Company on September 6, 2006. T. Rowe Price has sole investment power with respect to all of such shares, sole voting authority with respect to 325,000 shares, shared voting power over none of the shares and shared investment power over none of the shares. |
(2) | Has shared voting and investment power as to all such shares. |
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
• | Committees Established by the Board | |
• | Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation | |
• | Compensation of Directors | |
• | Audit Committee Report |
Our Board of Directors provides guidance and strategic oversight to our management with the objective of optimizing shareholders’ returns on their investment in ElkCorp. The Board intends to ensure that there is independent review and oversight of management, as well as approval of significant strategic and management decisions affecting the Company.
To this end, for many years a majority of our Board has consisted of non-employee directors. Currently, five of seven directors have been determined by our Board to be independent under NYSE rules and the ElkCorp Corporate Governance Guidelines. No less than annually, our Board of Directors makes an affirmative determination as to each director’s independence, based on directors’ responses to detailed questionnaires and director self reporting. The Board determines whether each director is free of a material relationship with ElkCorp, its subsidiaries, affiliates or officers, other than his/her relationship as a director or Board committee member, and is otherwise independent. The Board confirms whether a director is disqualified from independence under applicable SEC or NYSE standards, and any other applicable laws, regulations, and rules. In addition, our Board makes a more subjective judgment whether the director is free of any other direct or indirect relationship with ElkCorp or its subsidiaries that is reasonably likely to interfere with the director’s exercise of his or her independent judgment based on the corporate merits of a subject before the Board rather than extraneous considerations or influences.
In fiscal 2006, our Board determined that Directors Demetriou, Hall, Kesler, King and McMahan do not have any relationships with the Company other than their service as directors or Board committee members and are independent, and that Directors Karol and Nowak do not qualify as independent under applicable rules. Our independent directors have the opportunity to meet in closed session as part of each Board meeting.
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Independent directors who serve on our Executive Committee act as facilitators for these closed sessions and rotate as the presiding director at these sessions.
Furthermore, the Board of Directors, as recommended by the Corporate Governance Committee, has adopted the ElkCorp Corporate Governance Guidelines published on our website at www.elkcorp.com. The Guidelines are intended to formalize certain elements of the Company’s commitment to sound corporate governance. Among other things, the Guidelines provide that directors are precluded from standing for election to the Board after their 70th birthdays and are required to retire from the Board at the end of the term during which such birthday falls.
Regular meetings of the Board are scheduled throughout the year, and special meetings are held when required. The Board held eight meetings in fiscal 2006. In fiscal 2006, all directors then serving attended all Board meetings and more than seventy-five percent of the meetings of committees on which they served, in person or by conference telephone. Although we do not have a formal policy for director attendance at our annual meeting of shareholders, we encourage them to attend, and the meeting is scheduled in tandem with a regular Board meeting. For the past several years, all directors have attended our annual meeting of shareholders, except that Mr. Hall was prevented from attending the 2003 Annual Meeting of Shareholders in person because he was recovering from a recent surgery.
Committees Established by the Board
Our Board of Directors has established the committees described below to assist it in discharging its responsibilities. Each of the committees, other than the Executive Committee, on which Mr. Karol and Mr. Nowak serve, is composed entirely of directors the Board has determined to be independent and “financially literate” under NYSE rules and the ElkCorp Corporate Governance Guidelines.
Audit Committee. The Audit Committee, which met seven times in fiscal 2006, is composed of Dale V. Kesler (Chairman), Steven J. Demetriou, James E. Hall, Shauna R. King, and Michael L. McMahan. The Board believes that Messrs. Demetriou and Kesler and Ms. King qualify as “financial experts” under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Mr. Kesler serves as a member of three other public company audit committees. In fiscal 2006, the Board considered Mr. Kesler’s board and committee service for other companies, and determined based on his time commitments, work ethic, experience and qualifications, including his financial expertise, that such service would not impair his ability to effectively serve on our Audit Committee and that he was an appropriate member of the Audit Committee, Board and the other committees on which he serves.
The Audit Committee was established in accordance with Section 3(a)(58)(A) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Our Board of Directors chartered the Audit Committee to assist the Board in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities as to auditing, accounting and financial information ElkCorp provides to any governmental body or the public. The Audit Committee’s responsibilities are described in detail in the Audit Committee Charter, which is published on our website at www.elkcorp.com. The Board has determined that the committee ordinarily will meet at least five times per year. The Audit Committee’s Report is found at page 7.
Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee, which met four times in fiscal 2006, is composed of Ms. King (Chairperson) and Messrs. Demetriou, Hall, Kesler and McMahan. The committee reviews and recommends to the Board the compensation of the Company’s executive officers and, subject to ratification by the Board, makes grants of stock options, restricted stock or other awards under the Company’s Equity Incentive Compensation Plan. The committee’s duties are described in the Compensation Committee Charter, which is published on our website at www.elkcorp.com. This committee describes its philosophy and determinations for fiscal 2006 in the Compensation Committee Report beginning on page 12.
Corporate Governance Committee. The Corporate Governance Committee met six times in fiscal 2006. The Corporate Governance Committee consists of Messrs. McMahan (Chairman), Demetriou, Hall, Kesler and Ms. King. The purpose of the Corporate Governance Committee is to consider, report periodically and submit recommendations to the Board on all matters relating to the corporate governance of ElkCorp, including without limitation the selection, qualification and nomination of director candidates. The Corporate
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Governance Committee’s responsibilities are described in detail in its charter, which is published on our website at www.elkcorp.com.
Executive Committee. The Board established the Executive Committee primarily to act upon urgent matters when our Board is not in session. As set forth in the ElkCorp Corporate Governance Guidelines, the Executive Committee will consist of the Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and President of the Company, if they serve on the Board, and an equal or greater number of independent directors. Through the quorum and unanimous vote requirements for Executive Committee action, the Board has ensured that each independent director on the Executive Committee in effect may veto any Executive Committee action or require that it be voted on by the full Board. There were no meetings of the Executive Committee in fiscal 2006. The Executive Committee consists of Messrs. Karol (Chairman), Kesler, McMahan and Nowak.
Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
During fiscal 2006, no member of our Compensation Committee was an officer (or former officer) or employee of the Company or its subsidiaries. No ElkCorp director or executive officer had a relationship with ElkCorp or any other company during fiscal 2006 that the SEC defines as a compensation committee interlock that should be disclosed to shareholders.
Compensation of Directors
The Compensation Committee of our Board of Directors sets director compensation. As it did for executive compensation, the Committee engaged an independent third party compensation consultant to perform a marketplace compensation analysis. Similar to its approach with executive officers, the Committee sought to establish annual outside director fees at levels approximating the market 50th percentile, and the value of equity incentive compensation at a level benchmarked to the market 62nd percentile.
At current rates, each of our non-employee directors receives annual cash compensation of $45,000, a $5,000 annual retainer for service as the chair of either the Compensation or Corporate Governance Committees and $7,500 for service as the chair of the Audit Committee. Under the Company’s Deferred Compensation Plan, a director is able to elect annually to defer all or a portion of his or her director’s fees and to have such deferred fees earn returns tied to certain investment alternatives.
In addition, each non-employee director currently receives, on an annual basis, equity awards under our Equity Incentive Compensation Plan. In October 2005, the Company awarded each non-employee director options to purchase 2,945 shares of Common Stock at an exercise price equal to the fair market value of the shares at the date of grant and 1,290 shares of restricted stock. The options are immediately exercisable, have a ten-year term, and will be exercisable for a five-year period after termination of a director’s service due to death, disability or retirement after age 70, but are exercisable only for three months after termination of their service for any other reason; however, the options may never be exercised after their original expiration date. The restricted stock vests 100 percent three years after issuance with continued service as a director.
A director who is also an employee of ElkCorp is not entitled to any additional compensation for serving as a director.
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AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT
The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors, which is governed by a formal charter, is responsible for assisting the Board of Directors in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities for the Company’s financial reporting process and the quality of its financial reporting. In performing our responsibilities, the Committee relies on the work and assurances of the Company’s management, which has primary responsibility for financial statements and reports. We have reviewed the audited financial statements and the annual report with management and the Company’s independent auditors, including a discussion of the quality of applicable accounting principles, the reasonableness of significant judgments, and the clarity of disclosures in the financial statements.
In addition, the Committee oversees the Company’s internal audit function. The internal audit function has historically been carried out by individuals that have additional financial reporting responsibilities for which they report directly to management. However, subsequent to June 30, 2004, the Committee and management established an independent internal audit capability that reports directly and independently to the Committee. During fiscal 2006, ElkCorp developed in-house staffing dedicated solely to performing the internal audit function and reporting directly and independently to the Committee. In the interim from June 30, 2004 until the in-house independent internal audit function was staffed, the Committee engaged Deloitte & Touche LLP to perform the internal audit function. Deloitte & Touche LLP has continued to perform services in support of the in-house staff during the transition of internal audit in house.
The Committee has been composed entirely of non-employee directors for many years. The Board has determined that each member of the Committee meets the independence and “financial literacy” requirements of New York Stock Exchange rules. We believe that three members of the Committee, Mr. Kesler, Ms. King, and Mr. Demetriou, meet the definition of “financial expert” under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. A copy of the Committee’s charter, as amended to date, is published on the Company’s website.
We have discussed with the Company’s independent auditors, Grant Thornton LLP, the matters required to be discussed by Statement on Auditing Standards No. 61,Communication with Audit Committees,as amended by Statement on Auditing Standards No. 90,Audit Committee Communications,by the Auditing Standards Board of the American Institute of Auditors.
We have received and reviewed the written independence disclosures and letter from Grant Thornton LLP required by Independence Standard No. 1,Independence Discussions with Audit Committees,as amended by the Independence Standards Board, and have discussed with the auditors the auditors’ independence.
Based upon these reviews and discussions, we recommended to the Board of Directors that the audited financial statements be included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2006 which was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 6, 2006.
September 7, 2006
ElkCorp Audit Committee | |
Dale V. Kesler, Chairman | |
Stephen J. Demetriou | |
James E. Hall | |
Shauna R. King | |
Michael L. McMahan |
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PROPOSALS
Proposal 1: Election of Two Directors for a Three-year Term
• | Election of Directors — General | |
• | Nomination of Directors | |
• | Directors Nominated for Election this Year for a Term Expiring in 2009 | |
• | Directors Continuing in Office |
Election of Directors — General
Our certificate of incorporation provides for three classes of directors as equal in number as possible. Each class serves for a three-year term, with one class elected each year. Currently, the Board of Directors is composed of seven members. Our Corporate Governance Guidelines express a preference for a supermajority of independent directors, and the Corporate Governance Committee intends to continue to search for qualified candidates for one or more additional independent director positions. Under our bylaws, the Board will consist of from five to nine directors, as established by the Board. To establish a Board of less than five or more than nine directors would require a bylaw amendment approved by shareholders.
The two directors whose terms expire at this year’s Annual Meeting are Thomas D. Karol and Dale V. Kesler. The Board of Directors, upon recommendation of the Corporate Governance Committee, nominated Mr. Karol and Mr. Kesler for election at the Annual Meeting as directors. If elected, each will serve until the 2009 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, or if earlier, when he resigns, is removed or is succeeded by another qualified director who has been elected. Each other director will continue in office until the expiration of the term of their class at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders in 2007 or 2008, as applicable, or their earlier death, disability, resignation, removal, or succession by another qualified director who has been elected.
Nomination of Directors
Our Corporate Governance Committee, made up entirely of independent directors, is charged with the responsibility to determine and recommend to the Board the size and composition of the Board, and to find, interview and recommend the nomination of individuals for election to the Board. At a minimum, our Corporate Governance Committee believes that any nominee it recommends should be financially literate and otherwise qualified by education or experience and, in the case of non-management nominees, independent. Beyond that, late in fiscal 2003, the Committee developed a matrix of desired business experience, qualifications, and characteristics that we should seek on our Board, with emphasis on dimensions that would be important in overseeing ElkCorp’s specific strategies and operations. Current directors’ attributes were analyzed in this matrix, and from that the Committee developed the desired strengths and attributes of additional directors who would add synergies and diversity to the existing Board.
In developing recommended nominees, the Corporate Governance Committee also has access to the information developed by each Board committee in its annual performance self-assessment, and information developed by the Compensation Committee in assessing the performance of the full Board in conjunction with its annual determination of outside director compensation. Formal annual Board performance assessments commenced in fiscal 2005. Currently, the Board and each Committee performs its self-evaluation without evaluating individual members.
If a nominee becomes unavailable for election due to unforeseen circumstances (such as death or disability), our Board may either reduce the number of directors or substitute another person for the nominee, in which event the shares voted for the unavailable nominee will be voted for the substitute nominee.
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The following information about the nominees for director and each current director continuing in office is as of September 1, 2006.
Directors Nominated for Election this Year for a Term Expiring in 2009
Thomas D. Karol,48 — | Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of ElkCorp |
Thomas D. Karol was elected as the Company’s Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer on March 31, 2002, upon Harold K. Work’s retirement from that position. Mr. Karol served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company beginning March 26, 2001. He also serves as a director and officer of all but one of ElkCorp’s subsidiaries. Mr. Karol served as President of the Brinkman Hard Surfaces Division of Beaulieu of America from December 1999 until February 2001. He had served as Chief Executive Officer of Pro Group Holdings, Inc. for more than five years prior to December 1999, when Pro Group Holdings was purchased by Beaulieu. The Brinkman Hard Surfaces Division of Beaulieu manufactured and distributed various flooring products. Mr. Karol is a director of Information Retrieval Methods, Inc., a private concern. He has served on the Company’s Board since 1998. He chairs the Executive Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors.
Dale V. Kesler,67 — | Retired former Managing Partner, Arthur Andersen LLP, Dallas/ Fort Worth |
Dale V. Kesler retired in 1996 from Arthur Andersen LLP, where he was Managing Partner of the Dallas/ Fort Worth office from 1983 to 1994. He began employment with Arthur Andersen in 1962 and became head of the Audit Practice at the Dallas office in 1973. In 1982, he moved to Arthur Andersen’s headquarters where he was responsible for strategic planning worldwide for the Audit and Business Advisory practice of Arthur Andersen. From August through November 2000, Mr. Kesler served as interim President and Chief Executive Officer of American Homestar Corporation during its search for a new CEO. He currently serves on the boards of directors of New Millennium Homes, Triad Hospitals, Inc., Cellstar Corporation and Aleris International, Inc., and serves on several committees and boards of various charitable and civic organizations. Mr. Kesler has served on the Board since 1998. He serves on the Company’s Audit Committee (Chairman), Compensation Committee, Corporate Governance Committee, and Executive Committee.
The Board of Directors recommends a vote FOR each of the nominees for director.
Directors Continuing in Office
Term Expiring in 2007
James E. Hall,71 — | Officer and Director of Chaparral Cars, Inc. and Partner of Condor Operating Company |
For more than five years, Mr. Hall has been President and a director of Chaparral Cars, Inc., which has built and operated cars for major national and international racing events, and Partner of Condor Operating Company, independent oil and gas operators. Mr. Hall is also a director and officer of Hall Racing, Inc. and Condor Aviation Company, Inc. Mr. Hall serves on the Audit Committee, Compensation Committee, and the Corporate Governance Committee. He has served as a director since 1974.
Shauna R. King,49 — | Vice President of Finance and Administration of Yale University |
Shauna R. King was appointed Vice President of Finance and Administration of Yale University effective June 1, 2006. Previously, she served as an independent consultant after serving in various management positions at PepsiCo for the previous seventeen years. From May 2000 to March 2003, she served as President and Global CIO of PepsiCo Shared Services, and in 2003 served in a special capacity as Chief Transformation Officer in which she was responsible for transforming PepsiCo into a more cohesive, unified company that would share similar business processes and common IT systems. Ms. King chairs the Company’s Compensation Committee and serves on its Audit Committee and Corporate Governance Committee. She has served as a director since 2004.
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Term Expiring in 2008
Steven J. Demetriou,48 — | Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Aleris International, Inc. |
Steven J. Demetriou became Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Aleris International, Inc. on December 9, 2004 following the merger of Commonwealth Industries, Inc. and IMCO Recycling Inc. He was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Commonwealth in June 2004 after serving as a member of that company’s board of directors since 2002. Before joining Commonwealth in 2004, Mr. Demetriou was President and Chief Executive Officer of Noveon, Inc. since 2001. From 1999 to 2001 he was Executive Vice President of IMC Global Inc. and also served as President, IMC Crop Nutrients. Mr. Demetriou also currently serves on the boards of directors of OM Group, Inc. and the United Way of Northeastern Ohio. Mr. Demetriou is a member of the Company’s Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and Corporate Governance Committee. He has served as a director since 2005.
Michael L. McMahan,59 — | Independent Consultant |
Michael L. McMahan retired from Texas Instruments in May 2001 and is currently serving as an independent consultant to the wireless industry. During his last five years at Texas Instruments, Mr. McMahan served as the worldwide research & development director for TI’s Wireless Business Unit. He was elected as a TI Fellow in 1990. Mr. McMahan served on the President’s Export Council Subcommittee on Encryption, to which he was appointed in 2001. He was appointed and served on the Technical Advisory Board of SyChip until 2006 and currently is a member of the Board of Directors of the First Tee of Greater Austin, a central Texas non-profit. Mr. McMahan has served on the Board since 2001. He serves on the Company’s Corporate Governance Committee (Chairman), Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and Executive Committee.
Richard A. Nowak,65 — | President and Chief Operating Officer of ElkCorp |
Richard A. Nowak was elected by the Board as President and Chief Operating Officer of the Company on March 31, 2002. From September 24, 2001 until his election as President and Chief Operating Officer, he served as Executive Vice President of the Company. Mr. Nowak also serves as President and Chief Operating Officer of each of the Elk Building Products subsidiaries and is a director and officer of all but one of the Company’s other subsidiaries. From December 1998 until December 2001, he also served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Elk Corporation of Dallas (now known as Elk Premium Building Products, Inc.) and each of its subsidiaries. Mr. Nowak serves as a director and as Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association and as a director for the Association of Graduates of the United States Military Academy, West Point, N.Y. He has served on the Board of Directors of ElkCorp since 2001, and as a member of the Executive Committee.
Proposal 2: Ratification of Appointment of Auditors for Fiscal 2007
The Audit Committee approved, effective August 17, 2006, the engagement of Grant Thornton LLP as the Company’s independent auditors for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2007. Grant Thornton has served as independent auditors for the Company since the dismissal of the Company’s former auditors, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, effective as of September 13, 2004.
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP’s audit reports on the Company’s financial statements as of and for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2003 and June 20, 2004 did not contain an adverse opinion or a disclaimer of opinion, nor were they qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope, or accounting principles. During the fiscal years ending June 30, 2003 and June 30, 2004, and the subsequent interim period through September 13, 2004: (i) there were no disagreements between the Company and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure, or auditing scope or procedure, which disagreements, if not resolved to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP’s satisfaction, would have caused PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP to make reference to the subject matter of the disagreement in
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connection with its reports; and (ii) none of the Regulation S-K Item 304 reportable events occurred. The dismissal of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP was recommended by the Audit Committee.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm Fee Information
The following table sets forth approximate aggregate fees billed to us for the fiscal years 2006 and 2005 by our independent auditors, Grant Thornton LLP:
FY2006 | FY2005 | |||||||
Audit Fees(1) | $ | 760,218 | $ | 740,612 | ||||
Audit-Related Fees(2) | 135,528 | 31,821 | ||||||
Tax Fees(3) | 0 | 0 | ||||||
All Other Fees(3) | 0 | 0 | ||||||
TOTAL FEES | $ | 895,746 | $ | 772,433 |
(1) | Audit fees include fees and expenses billed for the audit of the Company’s annual financial statements and review of financial statements included in the Company’s quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. For fiscal 2006 and 2005, respectively, the amounts include $417,861 and $360,971 related to the financial statement audit and $342,357 and $379,641 for work related to compliance with Section 404 of Sarbanes-Oxley. |
(2) | Audit-related fees include fees and expenses related to benefit plan audits of $33,600 and $31,821 for 2006 and 2005, respectively. For fiscal 2006, the amount includes $101,928 in fees and expenses billed for procedures related to the acquisition of RGM Products, Inc. |
(3) | During the reported periods, the Company did not utilize Grant Thornton LLP for any services other than audit services and audit-related services. |
The Audit Committee has expressly required management to provide it with the opportunity to review and approve, in advance, any services, whether audit or non-audit services, to be provided by outside auditors. This pre-approval is considered on the basis of a description of services, budget for expected fees, and determination by the Committee that any non-audit services do not compromise the auditors’ independence. The Audit Committee, from time to time, may delegate pre-approval authority to one or more of its members. Any member or members to whom such authority is delegated would be required to report any exercise of such authority to the Committee at its next scheduled meeting. In fiscal 2006, the Audit Committee delegated limited pre-approval authority to its Chairman and the Chairman is required to report any exercise of such authority to the Committee at its next scheduled meeting.
Although not required to do so, the Board of Directors is submitting the appointment of auditors for ratification at the meeting. In the past, our shareholders have ratified the appointment of independent auditors each year by an overwhelming majority. If shareholders do not ratify the appointment for fiscal 2007, however, the Board of Directors will reconsider the appointment. A representative of Grant Thornton LLP is expected to be present at the 2006 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, and should be available to respond to questions and have the opportunity to make a statement.
The Board of Directors recommends a vote FOR the ratification of the appointment of Grant Thornton LLP as independent auditors for fiscal 2007.
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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
• | Compensation Committee Report |
• | Our Philosophy | |
• | Key Elements of Executive Compensation | |
• | Other Compensation | |
• | Summary of Factors Influencing Compensation for Fiscal 2006 | |
• | CEO Compensation | |
• | Tax Deductibility of Executive Compensation |
• | Performance Graphs | |
• | Summary Compensation Table | |
• | Option Grants in Fiscal 2006 | |
• | Aggregated Option Exercises During Fiscal 2006 and Values at June 30, 2006 | |
• | Stock/ Loan Balances | |
• | Equity Compensation Plan Information | |
• | Change-in-Control (Severance) Agreements |
COMPENSATION COMMITTEE REPORT
The Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors, which is governed by a charter that is published on the Company’s website, is responsible for providing advice and recommendations to the Board and establishing the policies which govern executive compensation programs of the Company. The Committee also establishes compensation for officers of the Company and makes grants of awards under the 2004 Amended and Restated ElkCorp Equity Incentive Compensation Plan (the “2004 Plan”). The Committee consists entirely of directors determined by the Board to be independent and free from interlocks with other companies’ boards of directors and compensation committees that could create conflicts of interest. In fiscal 2006, as in other recent years, the Committee utilized the services of an independent third-party compensation consultant to assist it in performing its responsibilities.
Our Philosophy |
Our philosophy, and the Board’s philosophy, is to offer key executive officers a competitive compensation package that is tied to the performance and contribution of the executive, as well as the overall success of the Company. The Company directly links executive and shareholder interests through equity-based plans and plans that reward the executive when the Company achieves specific operating results. We intend to motivate and reward executives for performance that enhances shareholder value, and to retain executives who are critical to the long-term success of the Company. The Committee and Board seek an appropriate balance between short- and long-term incentives in reviewing and approving compensation programs and individual compensation awards.
Key Elements of Executive Compensation |
In fiscal 2006, the key elements of compensation the Company paid to its executives were base salary, cash profit-sharing awards made in the form of dollar-denominated performance units, restricted stock grants, performance stock awards, stock options, and, as to executives who were not ElkCorp executive officers, stock loans under the Company’s Stock/ Loan Plan. The Company intends for each element of compensation to provide a distinct set of incentives to the executive.
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• | Base Salary |
The Committee approves and recommends ratification to the Board of base salaries of the Company’s executive officers. We base our determination on our subjective evaluation of whether the proposed base salary is appropriate in relation to salaries in the Company’s compensation peer group for the equivalent position and to the executive’s individual performance.
Prior to approving salaries for fiscal 2006 and recommending ratification to the Board, we reviewed a survey of competitive salaries paid by other companies in the Company’s compensation peer group. Our independent consulting firm developed the survey. Our independent compensation consultants selected our peer group from their database of companies with revenues comparable to the Company’s. The Company used the survey data to establish the range of compensation for each executive, with the mid-point in that range being close to the median salary for the executive’s position within the compensation peer group. The executive’s progress in the applicable salary rate range generally depends upon their individual skills, abilities and performance.
We also reviewed the Company’s annual performance evaluations for its executive officers. The executive officer’s immediate superior completed this annual performance review based on their evaluation of the executive’s achievement of individual strategic and operational goals, and fulfillment of established position requirements and expectations. The Committee conducted the evaluation of the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer and of the President and Chief Operating Officer by obtaining a performance review from their direct reports in addition to the Committee’s and Board’s own evaluations. None of the evaluations contained specific weighting of factors for determining overall job performance, but did contain numerical grading of the executive’s performance as to each “quality requirement,” a goal established for that executive at the beginning of the fiscal year as part of the Company’s strategic planning.
• | Cash Profit-Sharing |
We believe that a significant portion of annual compensation for each executive officer should be linked solely to the Company’s short-term financial performance. Accordingly, in fiscal 2006 the Company made profit-sharing payments structured as dollar-denominated performance unit awards under the 2004 Plan. These awards resulted in payouts of quarterly cash profit-sharing bonuses when the Company achieved operating income that brought its return on equity within a specified percentile range of returns generated by other NYSE companies. Management, the Committee and the full Board each certifies the Company’s actual quarterly performance versus the threshold, target and maximum levels established at the beginning of the fiscal year for profit-sharing purposes.
Under the Company’s profit-sharing plan, each officer and eligible employee is assigned a “profit-sharing percentage” that is recommended by the Company and approved by the Committee based on a subjective evaluation of the executive’s position with the Company and potential to impact Company performance. The Compensation Committee also approves, subject to Board ratification, return on equity (ROE) bands equal to specific percentiles of the ROE of other NYSE companies over the previous three years. For fiscal 2006, it approved three performance bands: a minimum threshold ROE (ROE(Min)) equal to the 32nd percentile of NYSE companies, a target ROE (ROE(Target)) equal to the 68th percentile of NYSE companies, and a maximum ROE (ROE(Max)) equal to the 84th percentile of NYSE companies. The ROE was converted to equivalent operating income before profit-sharing payments for purposes of profit-sharing calculations for ElkCorp and each operating subsidiary. We generally exclude asset write-downs and gains and losses from extraordinary transactions from the calculation of operating income for profit-sharing purposes, but not operating income or losses from discontinued operations, based on what results are within the reasonable control of the Company’s management.
If ROE(Min) for the fiscal year is not met, no cash profit-sharing will be paid. If ROE(Target) is met for the fiscal year, the annual cash profit sharing amount is equal to the executive’s annual salary multiplied by his or her profit sharing percentage. If ROE(Max) is met or exceeded, the annual cash profit sharing amount is equal to the executive’s annual salary multiplied by twice his or her profit-sharing percentage. Payments are prorated for performance between ROE(Min) and ROE(Max), according to the percentage beyond
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ROE(Min) of ROE(Target) achieved, or percentage beyond ROE(Target) of ROE(Max) achieved, as applicable. The annual cash profit-sharing amount is paid in quarterly “progress” installments, but payments for performance above target are not paid until after the end of the fiscal year.
For fiscal 2006, in accordance with its ROE performance of 16.8 percent, the Company made cash profit-sharing payments to its executive officers at 131.05 percent of target.
• Long-term Incentive Compensation
In fiscal 2006 the Committee engaged an independent third party compensation consultant to perform a marketplace compensation analysis and issue recommendations. The consultant recommended and the Committee determined that it would be in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders to continue its long-term compensation program first established in fiscal 2004 and 2005. The Committee decided to continue to maintain annual salary and bonus opportunity at levels approximating the market 50th percentile, and levels of long-term incentive compensation benchmarked to the market 62nd percentile, with the same mix of vehicles utilized in fiscal 2005 to provide that long-term compensation to executive officers. Further, our Compensation Committee maintained its existing stock ownership retention guidelines for our directors and officers, which provides that each individual director and officer is expected to retain no less than fifty percent, on an after-tax basis, of the Common Stock they acquire by way of equity incentive compensation awards. This guideline applies to all awards made from and after fiscal 2005, and will be enforced through the Committee’s potential reduction of future awards if an officer is out of compliance with the retention requirement.
Since shareholder approval of the 2004 Plan, the Committee has made and the Board has ratified awards to executive officers of a combination of options vesting over three years and performance stock on a three-year performance cycle. No payouts will occur for those performance stock awards until the end of the respective three-year performance cycles, and then only if performance warrants the payout by exceeding the minimum “threshold” performance measures we approved as part of the awards, as described below under “Performance Stock.” New performance cycles have been established so that the ends of such cycles will be “laddered” going forward.
° Stock Loans/ Restricted Stock
During fiscal 2006, the Company continued to maintain its Stock/ Loan Plan for more limited purposes than it was used historically. Under the Stock/ Loan Plan, the Company granted to certain key employees other than executive officers of ElkCorp the right to obtain a loan from the Company, the proceeds of which must be used to purchase the Company’s Common Stock or applied to recent Company stock purchases. Since April 2002, the Company has not made stock loans to ElkCorp’s executive officers. As a result of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, which contained broad personal loan prohibitions, the Stock/ Loan Plan is no longer a viable benefit program for these executive officers. In fiscal 2006, the Committee continued its modified practice of awarding restricted stock grants, under the 2004 Plan and its predecessor plan, in place of stock loans to ElkCorp executive officers. These awards had a value substantially equivalent to the value of the stock loans they would have received but for the prohibition. Accordingly, at the end of each fiscal quarter in which profit-sharing occurs, an ElkCorp officer will be entitled to a restricted stock award with a value equal to a specific percentage of the cash profit-sharing payment he or she receives for the same quarter. The value of the restricted stock award is divided by the then market price of the stock (with no discount for restrictions) to derive the number of shares of restricted stock awarded for the quarter. Fiscal 2006 restricted stock awards will vest ratably over five years with continued service to the Company or its subsidiaries.
Like cash profit-sharing bonuses, restricted stock grants depend upon the Company’s achievement of short-term earnings targets. By operation of its formula, the Company makes larger restricted stock grants the better its short-term operating earnings. As with profit-sharing, restricted stock awards are not made if short-term operating earnings do not attain the threshold level. Unlike the case with cash profit-sharing bonuses, however, the executive will realize a benefit that also varies according to long-term factors — continued
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service to the Company, which is necessary for vesting to occur, and increases in shareholder value over the period the executive holds Company restricted stock.
° Stock Options
In fiscal 2006, we made awards of incentive and nonqualified stock options to Company executives under the predecessor plan to the 2004 Plan. These awards were ratified by the Board. The value of restricted stock awards that will be made for the fiscal year if the Company achieves target performance is deducted from an officer’s total long-term incentive compensation award value, and the remainder of the long-term incentive compensation award value is split 25/75 between stock options and performance stock. As a result, Company officers received 25 percent of their fiscal 2006 long-term incentive compensation award value (net of restricted stock opportunity assuming target performance, as described above) in the form of stock options. We use the Black-Scholes option pricing model as part of a calculation of the number of option shares with the intended value. Stock options we awarded to executives in fiscal 2006 will have a ten-year term and become exercisable ratably over three years of continued service to the Company or its subsidiaries, with an option price equal to the market value on date of grant.
° Performance Stock
Performance stock consists of shares of Common Stock issued to executive officers only if and when the Company achieves pre-defined performance for the defined performance cycle. Company officers received 75 percent of their fiscal 2006 long-term incentive compensation award value (net of restricted stock opportunity assuming target performance, as described above) in the form of performance stock award agreements. The performance stock award agreements issued in fiscal 2006 contained a three-year performance cycle ending June 30, 2008. Payouts of Common Stock pursuant to those awards will range from none to 150 percent of the target number of shares, depending on the performance of the Company. If the Company achieves less than the defined “threshold” performance for that performance cycle, there will be no stock distributed to the executive under that award. If we achieve the defined “target” level of performance, we would make payouts equal to the target number of shares. If the Company exceeded the target level of performance, payouts would exceed the target number of shares, up to a maximum payout of 150 percent of the target number of shares, depending on the increment beyond target performance achieved.
Although the Committee has the flexibility under the 2004 Plan to adjust performance measures in the future, its fiscal 2006 awards were performance stock in the form of shares of Common Stock earned 70 percent based on the Company’s return on beginning equity (ROE) relative to the NYSE and 30 percent based on the Company’s total shareholder return (TSR), or stock price appreciation plus dividends, relative to the NYSE. The Committee utilized historical NYSE ROE performance for the three-year period preceding the beginning of the performance cycle in establishing standards of ROE performance for that cycle. TSR of the Company will be measured relative to the NYSE over the performance cycle. For ROE and TSR awards both, the threshold for payout is the 50th percentile of NYSE companies for the measurement period, the target payout will be earned at performance equal to the 62nd percentile and the maximum payout will be earned if the Company achieves the 84th percentile or greater. Performance and payouts based on ROE will be independent of performance and payouts based on TSR.
Other Compensation |
We also believe that to retain high quality executive talent, the Company must maintain a competitive package of compensatory employee benefit and welfare plans. The Company’s executives currently are eligible to participate in the Company’s 401(k) plan, employee stock ownership plan, a deferred compensation plan and other employee benefit and welfare programs that are generally available to employees. The Company establishes these programs based primarily on its subjective evaluation of competitive practices at similar companies who compete with the Company for personnel.
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Summary of Factors Influencing Compensation for Fiscal 2006 |
The table below summarizes the performance and other factors directly influencing the amounts of the Company’s executive compensation for fiscal 2006:
Factors Directly Influencing Amounts of Executive Compensation | ||||||||||||||||||||
Short-Term | ||||||||||||||||||||
Performance | ||||||||||||||||||||
Competitive | Continued Service | Long-term Increases | ||||||||||||||||||
Practices | Individual | Company | to Company | in Shareholder Value | ||||||||||||||||
Base Salary | X | X | ||||||||||||||||||
Profit-sharing Bonuses | X | X | ||||||||||||||||||
Stock Loans/ Restricted Stock | X | X | X | X | ||||||||||||||||
Stock Options | X | X | X | |||||||||||||||||
Performance Stock | X | X | X | X | ||||||||||||||||
Other | X | X | X |
Although base salary and cash profit-sharing bonuses are directly linked to short-term individual and Company performance, respectively, rather than long-term increases in shareholder value, many short-term performance goals are part of the Company’s long-term strategic plan, which is designed to result in long-term increases in shareholder value.
CEO Compensation |
We approve and recommend the CEO’s compensation to the Board, with each component determined according to the criteria described above. In fiscal 2006, the Committee evaluated Mr. Karol’s performance utilizing a review by the Board and Mr. Karol’s direct reports. The Committee also evaluated competitive compensation data developed by its independent compensation consultant.
We believe that Mr. Karol’s salary is competitive in relation to salaries of chief executive officers within the Company’s compensation peer group.
Mr. Karol’s cash profit-sharing bonus and restricted stock awards in fiscal 2006 were calculated using the application of a formula to a target amount as described above in the Cash Profit-Sharing section of this report. His cash profit-sharing percentage in fiscal 2006 was 70 percent of salary and his restricted stock percentage was 60 percent of cash profit-sharing.
In fiscal 2006, we applied the ordinary methodology in determining Mr. Karol’s long-term incentive compensation, which was made 75 percent in the form of performance stock and 25 percent in the form of stock option awards, after deducting his target opportunity to earn restricted stock in fiscal 2006 from the total dollar value of fiscal 2006 long-term incentive compensation approved for Mr. Karol.
Tax Deductibility of Executive Compensation |
Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code limits the deductibility of compensation paid to the named executive officers to $1 million per officer in any one year. Compensation which qualifies as performance-based compensation is not taken into account for purposes of this limitation. The Company intends to take the position that all compensation paid during fiscal year 2006, including amounts associated with the Company’s Equity Incentive Compensation Plan, is deductible for federal income tax purposes. Should the compensation level of any named executive officer exceed $1 million for purposes of Internal Revenue Code Section 162(m), the Committee and Board will determine whether such compensation is appropriate, but may be influenced by factors other than full tax deductibility.
September 7, 2006 |
ElkCorp Compensation Committee | |
Shauna R. King, Chair | |
Stephen J. Demetriou | |
James E. Hall | |
Dale V. Kesler | |
Michael L. McMahan |
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Performance Graphs
The graphs below compare the cumulative total shareholder return on our Common Stock, including reinvestment of dividends, for the last five and ten fiscal years with the cumulative total return of the Russell 2000 Stock Index and the Dow Jones Building Materials Index over the same periods.
COMPARISON OF 5 YEAR CUMULATIVE TOTAL RETURN*
AMONG ELKCORP, THE RUSSELL 2000 INDEX
AND THE DOW JONES US BUILDING MATERIALS & FIXTURES INDEX
Cumulative Total Return | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
6/01 | 6/02 | 6/03 | 6/04 | 6/05 | 6/06 | |||||||||||||||||||
ElkCorp | 100.00 | 136.28 | 113.35 | 121.53 | 145.97 | 142.85 | ||||||||||||||||||
Russell 2000 | 100.00 | 91.33 | 89.83 | 119.80 | 131.12 | 150.23 | ||||||||||||||||||
Dow Jones US Building Materials & Fixtures | 100.00 | 107.69 | 98.71 | 137.00 | 168.18 | 183.93 |
* | $100 INVESTED ON 6/30/01 IN STOCK OR INDEX — INCLUDING REINVESTMENT OF DIVIDENDS. FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30. |
COMPARISON OF 10 YEAR CUMULATIVE TOTAL RETURN*
AMONG ELKCORP, THE RUSSELL 2000 INDEX | ||
AND THE DOW JONES US BUILDING MATERIALS & FIXTURES INDEX | ||
Cumulative Total Return | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
6/96 | 6/97 | 6/98 | 6/99 | 6/00 | 6/01 | 6/02 | 6/03 | 6/04 | 6/05 | 6/06 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ElkCorp | 100.00 | 154.76 | 212.36 | 371.12 | 295.16 | 262.86 | 358.21 | 297.94 | 319.45 | 383.69 | 375.49 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Russell 2000 | 100.00 | 116.33 | 135.53 | 137.56 | 157.27 | 158.30 | 144.57 | 142.20 | 189.64 | 207.56 | 237.81 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dow Jones US Building Materials & Fixtures | 100.00 | 129.72 | 163.67 | 162.57 | 114.80 | 134.47 | 144.81 | 132.74 | 184.23 | 226.15 | 247.34 |
* | $100 INVESTED ON 6/30/96 IN STOCK OR INDEX — INCLUDING REINVESTMENT OF DIVIDENDS. FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30. |
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The preceding graphs are presented in accordance with SEC requirements. You are cautioned against drawing any conclusions from this information, as past results do not necessarily indicate future performance. The graphs in no way reflect a forecast of future financial performance.
Despite any statement in any of our filings with the SEC that might incorporate part or all of any future filings with the SEC by reference, the Compensation Committee Report and performance graphs included with this proxy statement are not incorporated by reference into any such filings.
Summary Compensation Table
The following table contains information about the compensation for the last three fiscal years of each person who served as chief executive officer during fiscal 2006 and each of the four other most highly compensated executive officers of ElkCorp (referred to below as the named executive officers), based on salary and bonus for fiscal 2006.
Long-term Compensation | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Awards | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Securities | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Annual Compensation | Underlying Stock | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Name and | Fiscal | Restricted | Options | All Other | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Principal Position(a) | Year | Salary | Bonus(b) | Stock ($)(c) | (# of Shares)(d) | Payouts(e) | Compensation(f) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Thomas D. Karol | 2006 | $ | 627,000 | $ | 575,178 | $ | 345,074 | 35,550 | — | $ | 119,030 | |||||||||||||||||||
2005 | 615,000 | 674,163 | 1,435,578 | 31,803 | — | 87,661 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
2004 | 565,000 | 379,782 | 189,858 | 135,500 | — | 68,955 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Richard A. Nowak | 2006 | $ | 464,000 | $ | 364,843 | $ | 182,490 | 21,447 | — | $ | 79,749 | |||||||||||||||||||
2005 | 435,000 | 408,276 | 792,530 | 17,028 | — | 71,026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
2004 | 400,000 | 224,060 | 112,190 | 94,185 | — | 61,914 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Gregory J. Fisher | 2006 | $ | 264,922 | $ | 138,873 | $ | 55,558 | 4,674 | — | $ | 37,850 | |||||||||||||||||||
2005 | 236,640 | 148,231 | 186,051 | 3,672 | — | 32,100 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
2004 | 208,104 | 86,261 | 34,646 | 16,000 | — | 29,757 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Matti Kiik | 2006 | $ | 233,398 | $ | 116,229 | $ | 46,422 | 4,044 | — | $ | 34,052 | |||||||||||||||||||
2005 | 226,600 | 134,845 | 200,329 | 4,239 | — | 34,185 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
2004 | 220,000 | 93,657 | 37,437 | 16,000 | — | 33,947 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
David G. Sisler | 2006 | $ | 261,389 | $ | 130,169 | $ | 50,744 | 4,350 | — | $ | 37,733 | |||||||||||||||||||
2005 | 226,022 | 130,962 | 200,235 | 4,278 | — | 31,680 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
2004 | 221,048 | 91,627 | 36,766 | 16,000 | — | 31,102 |
(a) | Capacities in which each named executive officer served during the last fiscal year: |
Thomas D. Karol | Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer | |
Richard A. Nowak | President and Chief Operating Officer | |
Gregory J. Fisher | Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Controller | |
Matti Kiik | Senior Vice President, Research and Development | |
David G. Sisler | Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary |
(b) | Bonus amounts in the summary compensation table were paid under the 2004 Amended and Restated ElkCorp Equity Incentive Compensation Plan (2004 Plan). | |
(c) | Number of shares multiplied by closing market price on date of grant. Restricted stock awards are shown above in the fiscal year they were earned, but some of the above grants were made in the quarter following that in which they were earned. The awards shown in the summary compensation table were made under the 2004 Plan for fiscal 2006. Portions of the grants shown for fiscal 2005 are “bridge cycle” grants made to transition from the Company’s former long-term incentive compensation program to the current program, by providing incentive pay over the three-year period from the commencement date of the new program to the end of the first three-year performance cycle of performance stock awards. Other grants were made in substitution for new loans to named executive officers under the Stock/ Loan Plan, which were discontinued during fiscal 2003. Restricted stock grants made in lieu of stock loans under the |
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Company’s Stock/ Loan Plan vest in 20 percent increments over five years, and “bridge cycle” restricted stock grants vest in 331/3 percent increments over three years, with continued service to the Company. All restricted stock grants are thus subject to a risk of forfeiture. Any dividends payable on our Common Stock will be paid on all shares of restricted stock reflected in the table, and all shares of restricted stock may be voted by the grantee, whether the shares are vested or unvested. As of June 30, 2006, the aggregate number of shares of unvested restricted stock held by the named executive officers, and the dollar value of such shares, was as follows: Mr. Karol, 31,851 shares ($884,502); Mr. Nowak, 22,993 shares ($638,516); Mr. Fisher, 6,430 shares ($178,561); Mr. Kiik, 6,633 shares ($184,198); and Mr. Sisler, 6,445 shares ($178,978). | ||
(d) | See the table below entitled “Option Grants in Fiscal 2006” for further information concerning fiscal 2006 option grants. | |
(e) | In fiscal 2006, the Company made performance stock awards for which payouts cannot occur before fiscal 2009, and then only if the Company achieves definedreturn-on-equity or total shareholder returns for a three-year performance cycle beginning July 1, 2005 and ending June 30, 2008. See “Long-term Incentive Plans — Awards in Fiscal 2006” below. | |
(f) | Amounts in this column represent contributions by the Company to the ElkCorp Employees’ 401(k) Savings Plan and Employee Stock Ownership Plan, prior years’ loans forgiven under the Stock/ Loan Plan (discontinued for executive officers in fiscal 2003) and supplemental retirement benefits summarized as follows: |
Company Contributions to Employees’ 401(k) Savings Plan and Employee Stock Ownership Plan:
Year Ended June 30, | ||||||||||||
Name | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | |||||||||
Thomas D. Karol | $ | 14,700 | $ | 14,350 | $ | 14,000 | ||||||
Richard A. Nowak | 14,700 | 14,350 | 14,000 | |||||||||
Gregory J. Fisher | 14,700 | 14,350 | 14,000 | |||||||||
Matti Kiik | 14,700 | 14,350 | 14,000 | |||||||||
David G. Sisler | 14,700 | 14,350 | 14,000 |
Loans Forgiven Under the Stock/ Loan Plan:
Year Ended June 30, | ||||||||||||
Name | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | |||||||||
Thomas D. Karol | $ | 14,108 | $ | 14,108 | $ | 14,108 | ||||||
Richard A. Nowak | 9,541 | 20,944 | 24,514 | |||||||||
Gregory J. Fisher | 4,415 | 8,255 | 10,995 | |||||||||
Matti Kiik | 4,993 | 10,384 | 13,952 | |||||||||
David G. Sisler | 4,635 | 8,203 | 11,099 |
Supplemental Retirement Benefits Contributed:
Year Ended June 30, | ||||||||||||
Name | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | |||||||||
Thomas D. Karol | $ | 90,222 | $ | 59,203 | $ | 40,847 | ||||||
Richard A. Nowak | 55,508 | 35,732 | 23,400 | |||||||||
Gregory J. Fisher | 18,735 | 9,495 | 4,762 | |||||||||
Matti Kiik | 14,359 | 9,451 | 5,995 | |||||||||
David G. Sisler | 18,398 | 9,127 | 6,003 |
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Long-term Incentive Plans — Awards in Fiscal 2006
Estimated Future Payouts | ||||||||||||||||||||
under Non-Stock Price-Based Plans | ||||||||||||||||||||
Number of Shares, | ||||||||||||||||||||
Units or Other | Performance or Other Period | Threshold | Target | Maximum | ||||||||||||||||
Name | Rights (#)(1) | Until Maturation or Payout | (# of Shares) (2) | (# of Shares) (2) | (# of Shares) (2) | |||||||||||||||
Thomas D. Karol | TSR | 7/1/2005 — 6/30/2008 | 0 | 33,830 | 50,745 | |||||||||||||||
ROE | 7/1/2005 — 6/30/2008 | 0 | 14,500 | 21,750 | ||||||||||||||||
Richard A. Nowak | TSR | 7/1/2005 — 6/30/2008 | 0 | 20,410 | 30,615 | |||||||||||||||
ROE | 7/1/2005 — 6/30/2008 | 0 | 8,750 | 13,125 | ||||||||||||||||
Gregory J. Fisher | TSR | 7/1/2005 — 6/30/2008 | 0 | 4,450 | 6,675 | |||||||||||||||
ROE | 7/1/2005 — 6/30/2008 | 0 | 1,900 | 2,850 | ||||||||||||||||
Matti Kiik | TSR | 7/1/2005 — 6/30/2008 | 0 | 3,850 | 5,775 | |||||||||||||||
ROE | 7/1/2005 — 6/30/2008 | 0 | 1,650 | 2,475 | ||||||||||||||||
David G. Sisler | TSR | 7/1/2005 — 6/30/2008 | 0 | 4,140 | 6,210 | |||||||||||||||
ROE | 7/1/2005 — 6/30/2008 | 0 | 1,770 | 2,655 |
(1) | Number of shares is variable as described in footnote 2 below. |
(2) | Fiscal 2006 awards were performance stock in the form of agreements for contingent issuance of shares of Common Stock, earned 70 percent based on the Company’s return on beginning equity (ROE) relative to the NYSE and 30 percent based on the Company’s total shareholder return (TSR), or stock price appreciation plus dividends, relative to the NYSE. The Compensation Committee utilized historical NYSE ROE performance for the three-year period preceding the beginning of the performance cycle in establishing standards of ROE performance for that cycle. TSR of the Company will be measured relative to the NYSE over the performance cycle. For ROE and TSR awards both, the threshold for payout is the 50th percentile of NYSE companies for the measurement period, the target payout will be earned at performance equal to the 62nd percentile and the maximum payout will be earned if the Company achieves the 84th percentile or greater. Payouts for performance between threshold and target, or between target and maximum, will be a prorated number of shares between the applicable levels in the above table. No payouts will be made for performance less than or equal to threshold. Performance and payouts based on ROE will be independent of performance and payouts based on TSR. |
Option Grants in Fiscal 2006
Individual Grants | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Number of | % of Total | Potential Realizable Value at Assumed | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Securities | Options | Annual Rates of Stock Price | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Underlying | Granted to | Exercise or | Appreciation for Option Terms(c)(d) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Options | Employees in | Base Price Per | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Name | Granted(a) | Fiscal 2006 | Share(b) | Expiration Date | 5% | 10% | ||||||||||||||||||
Thomas D. Karol | 35,550 | 45.3% | $ | 28.39 | 06/30/2015 | $ | 634,721 | $ | 1,608,508 | |||||||||||||||
Richard A. Nowak | 21,447 | 27.3% | 28.39 | 06/30/2015 | $ | 382,922 | $ | 970,398 | ||||||||||||||||
Gregory J. Fisher | 4,674 | 6.0% | 28.39 | 06/30/2015 | $ | 83,451 | $ | 211,481 | ||||||||||||||||
Matti Kiik | 4,044 | 5.1% | 28.39 | 06/30/2015 | $ | 72,203 | $ | 182,976 | ||||||||||||||||
David G. Sisler | 4,350 | 5.5% | 28.39 | 06/30/2015 | $ | 77,666 | $ | 196,822 | ||||||||||||||||
All Shareholders | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | $ | 365,297,411 | $ | 925,735,357 |
(a) | Options become exercisable 331/3 percent per year on the first through the third anniversary dates of the grant. Options granted were for a term of ten years, subject to earlier termination upon certain terminations of employment. Upon the optionee’s death, permanent and total disability, retirement after age 62 or a change in control of the Company, all options reflected in this table would become immediately exercisable. |
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(b) | All options reflected in this table were granted at market value at date of grant. The exercise price may be paid in cash, delivery of already owned shares or a combination of cash and shares. | |
(c) | Gains are reported net of the option exercise price, but before any taxes associated with the exercise. These gains are calculated based on the stated assumed compounded rates of appreciation as set by the SEC for disclosure purposes. Actual gains, if any, on stock option exercises are dependent on the future performance of the Common Stock and overall stock market conditions, as well as the option holder’s continued employment through the period over which options become exercisable in increments. The amounts reflected in this table may not be achieved. | |
(d) | The potential realizable value for all shareholders on Common Stock is calculated over a period of ten years, based on (i) a beginning stock price of $28.39, the exercise price of the option grants reflected in this table, and (ii) the number of outstanding shares on June 30, 2006. These gains may not be achieved. |
Aggregated Option Exercises During Fiscal 2006 and Values at June 30, 2006
The following table contains information about ElkCorp stock options that the named executive officers exercised during fiscal 2006, and the number and aggregate dollar value of stock options that named executive officers held at the end of fiscal 2006. In accordance with SEC rules, values are calculated by subtracting the total exercise price from the fair market value of the underlying Common Stock, which is deemed to be $27.77 per share, the closing price of the Common Stock on the NYSE on June 30, 2006.
Number of Securities | Value of Unexercised | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Underlying Unexercised | In-the-Money Options | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Shares | Options at Fiscal Year-End | at Fiscal Year-End | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Acquired on | Value | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Name | Exercise | Realized* | Exercisable | Unexercisable | Exercisable | Unexercisable | ||||||||||||||||||
Thomas D. Karol | — | — | 121,949 | 104,283 | $ | 610,521 | $ | 310,935 | ||||||||||||||||
Richard A. Nowak | 11,340 | $ | 245,586 | 159,409 | 115,145 | 780,641 | 400,427 | |||||||||||||||||
Gregory J. Fisher | 1,500 | 22,345 | 43,296 | 23,033 | 222,186 | 75,414 | ||||||||||||||||||
Matti Kiik | 15,220 | 220,475 | 26,633 | 23,470 | 51,229 | 79,363 | ||||||||||||||||||
David G. Sisler | — | — | 63,953 | 25,105 | 323,872 | 85,002 |
* | Market value of underlying securities at exercise date minus the exercise price, not reduced for taxes, if any, payable upon exercise. |
Stock/Loan Balances
The named executive officers have outstanding loans from the Company under the Stock/ Loan Plan described in the Compensation Committee Report included with this proxy statement. Participation in the Stock/ Loan Plan was discontinued for all ElkCorp executive officers effective July 30, 2002, but then existing loans remained outstanding in accordance with their terms. Stock/ Loans bear interest at a rate equal to the applicable mid-term federal rate established by the Internal Revenue Service. Such loans, including interest, are forgiven in increments with employees’ continued service to the Company or its subsidiaries. No named executive officer had a loan balance of $60,000 or more at any time in fiscal 2006, or thereafter.
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Equity Compensation Plan Information
The following table presents information as of June 30, 2006 with respect to compensation plans under which equity securities were authorized for issuance by the Company.
Number of securities | |||||||||||||
Number of securities | remaining available for | ||||||||||||
to be issued | Weighted-average | future issuance under equity | |||||||||||
upon exercise of | exercise price of | compensation plans | |||||||||||
outstanding options, | outstanding options, | (excluding securities | |||||||||||
Plan category | warrants and rights | warrants and rights | reflected in column(a)) | ||||||||||
(a) | (b) | (c) | |||||||||||
Equity compensation plans approved by security holders: | |||||||||||||
Incentive Stock Option Plan(1) | 887,486 | $ | 23.19 | 0 | |||||||||
Equity Incentive Compensation Plan(2) | 535,872 | $ | 23.79 | 359,053 | |||||||||
Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders | N/A | N/A | N/A | ||||||||||
Total | 1,423,358 | $ | 23.41 | 359,053 |
(1) | Represents the 1998 Elcor Corporation Incentive Stock Option Plan and the incentive stock option plan it restated. |
(2) | Represents the 2004 Plan and the equity incentive compensation plan it restated. |
Change-in-Control (Severance) Agreements
ElkCorp has entered into severance agreements with certain officers and employees, including each of the named executive officers. ElkCorp intends for the agreements to protect the Company and its shareholders, as well as these officers and employees, in the event of a threatened or actual change in control of the Company. The agreements are designed to reinforce these officers’ and employees’ dedication to the Company’s best interests before and after such a transaction, and would reduce the likelihood that these officers and employees would leave the Company prematurely. In structuring and deciding upon the level of benefits, the Compensation Committee and Board utilized, among other things, a survey prepared by the Company’s outside counsel of competitive practices within the Company’s peer group based on public filings.
The agreements provide for severance benefits upon certain terminations of employment within three years after a change in control of the Company. Change in control events under the employment agreements include:
• | the acquisition of 40% or more of the Company’s outstanding voting securities; | |
• | certain mergers or consolidations; | |
• | the approval by the Company’s shareholders of a plan of dissolution or liquidation; |
or
• | certain sales or transfers of 67% or more of the fair value of the Company’s operating assets or earning power. |
Under the agreements, if the officer’s or employee’s employment with the Company or its subsidiary is terminated within three years of a change in control under certain circumstances, the officer or employee will be entitled to receive a lump-sum severance payment equal to two times (except for Messrs. Karol and Nowak who would receive 2.99 times) the highest annual cash compensation they received in any calendar year during the three-year period immediately preceding termination, plus all outstanding loans under the Company’s Stock/ Loan Plan would be forgiven in full. In addition, under the agreements, for a period of two years following a change in control (three years for Messrs. Karol and Nowak), the officers and employees would be entitled to medical, disability and life insurance coverage at a cost to the officer or employee of no more than 120% of the amount the officer or employee paid for such benefits immediately prior to the change in control.
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In addition, upon a change in control, under the 2004 Plan and predecessor plans, all options and shares of restricted stock held by officers and employees under the plans, including the named executive officers, would become immediately vested, and the maximum payout of shares of Common Stock would be paid on any outstanding performance stock award agreements.
OTHER MATTERS
• | Code of Conduct | |
• | Ethics in Financial Reporting | |
• | Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance | |
• | Communications with the Company | |
• | Corporate Governance Guidelines and Committee Charters | |
• | Next Year’s Annual Meeting |
Code of Conduct
Since May 1979, we have maintained General Policy D-2, a code of conduct requiring directors, officers and employees to comply with laws, conduct themselves ethically and avoid improper conflicts of interest, gifts, corporate loans and political contributions. Annually, we require our employees to report to our internal auditor on their compliance with the code of conduct. The current version of the code of conduct, which have Board and Audit Committee approval, is published on our website at www.elkcorp.com.
Ethics in Financial Reporting
To supplement the code of conduct that binds each of our directors, officers and employees, we have obtained a formal written commitment from each ElkCorp financial officer and its chief executive officer to abide by a code of ethics setting forth standards of ethical conduct for the preparation and review of the Company’s financial statements and reports. This code is published on our website at www.elkcorp.com, and has received the review and approval of our Board and Audit Committee.
We also have retained an independent third party to maintain a toll-free confidential “hot-line” for employees to report any accounting or auditing concerns they may have. Any such concerns are reported by the third-party agency directly to the Company’s General Counsel, without identifying the reporting employee and without screening any accounting or auditing concerns. In turn, the General Counsel is required to report any such concerns directly to the Chairman of the Audit Committee.
Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance
Our directors, executive officers and 10 percent shareholders are required to file with the SEC and the NYSE reports of ownership and changes in ownership in their holdings of Common Stock. Based on an examination of these reports and on written representations provided to ElkCorp, we believe that such persons filed all such reports on time in fiscal 2006.
Communications with the Company
Shareholders and other interested parties may communicate directly with our Board of Directors, any Board committee, all independent directors, or any one director serving on the Board by sending written correspondence to the desired person or entity attention of the Company’s Secretary at ElkCorp, 14911 Quorum Drive, Suite 600, Dallas, Texas 75254.
Our Corporate Governance Committee will consider shareholder-recommended candidates for potential nomination to the Board if such candidates are independent, financially literate, and otherwise qualified to serve by education and experience. To obtain consideration by the Committee, any such candidate must be submitted in writing as described in the previous paragraph, along with complete background information, at a
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date not less than 270 days before the date of the scheduled annual meeting of shareholders. Information about the candidate that must be contained in the notice suggesting a potential candidate to the Corporate Governance Committee includes without limitation his/her name, age, business and residence addresses, principal occupation or employment, number of shares of the Company’s Common Stock owned as of the date of the notice, and any information that would be required to be disclosed under Regulations 13D and 13G under the Exchange Act. Information about the shareholder suggesting the potential candidate that must be contained in the notice includes without limitation his/her/its name and address as they appear in our stock transfer and registration records, and like information for each other shareholder known by the suggesting shareholder to be supporting the candidate. Although we can give no assurance that any such candidate will be recommended for nomination by the Committee or nominated by the Board of Directors, the Committee prefers that shareholders use this opportunity, rather than direct nominations, to enable it to apply the same review process as is applied to Committee-generated candidates.
Corporate Governance Guidelines and Committee Charters
We maintain an internet website athttp://www.elkcorp.com. In the Investor Relations section of the website, we post among other things our key committee charters, corporate governance guidelines and code of business conduct and ethics, which are available to be viewed on our website and are available in print to any shareholder upon request to the Company’s Secretary at ElkCorp, 14911 Quorum Drive, Suite 600, Dallas, Texas 75254.
Next Year’s Annual Meeting
We currently expect that the 2007 Annual Meeting of Shareholders will be held on Tuesday, October 30, 2007. If the meeting is held on that date, advance notice of any shareholder proposals for business to be conducted at that meeting must be given by a proposing shareholder by August 1, 2007. Any such shareholder proposals intended to be presented at the 2007 Annual Meeting and included in our proxy materials for that meeting must be received by the Company no later than May 25, 2007, and must comply with the Bylaws and applicable SEC rules. Copies of the Bylaws are publicly available at the SEC.
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UNLESS OTHERWISE INSTRUCTED HEREON, IT IS INTENDED THAT THE PROXIES WILL VOTE THE SHARES FOR ITEMS 1 AND 2.
Please Mark Here for Address Change or Comments | o | |
SEE REVERSE SIDE |
1. | ELECTION OF DIRECTORS | |
Nominees: Messrs. 01 Thomas D. Karol, and 02 Dale V. Kesler |
FOR all Nominees (except any Nominees noted below) o | WITHHOLD AUTHORITY for all Nominees o |
To vote against any individual Nominee, write that Nominee’s name on the line below.
2. | RATIFICATION OF GRANT THORNTON LLP AS AUDITORS FOR FISCAL 2007 | FOR o | AGAINST o | ABSTAIN o |
Signature | Signature | Date | ||||||||
Please date and sign exactly as name appears on this proxy. Joint owners should each sign. If held by a corporation, please sign full corporate name by duly authorized officer. Executors, administrators, trustees, etc. should give full title as such.
Vote by Internet or Telephone or Mail
24 Hours a Day, 7 Days a Week
24 Hours a Day, 7 Days a Week
Internet and telephone voting is available through 12:00 P.M. Central Time on October 25, 2006.
Your Internet or telephone vote authorizes the named proxies to vote your shares in the same manner
as if you marked, signed and returned your proxy card.
as if you marked, signed and returned your proxy card.
Internet
http://www.proxyvoting.com/elk-ep
http://www.proxyvoting.com/elk-ep
Use the Internet to vote your proxy. Have your proxy card in hand when you access the web site.
OR
Telephone
1-866-540-5760
1-866-540-5760
Use any touch-tone telephone to vote your proxy. Have your proxy card in hand when you call.
OR
Mail
Mark, sign and date your proxy card and return it in the enclosed postage-paid envelope.
If you vote your proxy by Internet or by telephone,
you do NOT need to mail back your proxy card.
you do NOT need to mail back your proxy card.
Table of Contents
ElkCorp
PROXY SOLICITED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
FOR THE ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
OCTOBER 31, 2006, 10:00 A.M., CENTRAL TIME
ElkCorp Corporate Headquarters
14911 Quorum Drive, Suite 600, Dallas, Texas 75254-1491
FOR THE ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
OCTOBER 31, 2006, 10:00 A.M., CENTRAL TIME
ElkCorp Corporate Headquarters
14911 Quorum Drive, Suite 600, Dallas, Texas 75254-1491
The undersigned, revoking all prior proxies, hereby appoints Thomas D. Karol, Richard A. Nowak and David G. Sisler, or any one of them, with full power of substitution, as proxies to represent and vote as designated hereon all shares of common stock which the undersigned would be entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders of ElkCorp dated October 31, 2006 and at any adjournment(s) thereof (collectively, the “Meeting”), with all the powers the undersigned would possess if personally present and voting thereat, (a) as instructed on the reverse side with respect to the matters more fully described in the Proxy Statement dated September 22, 2006, and (b) in their discretion upon other matters which properly come before the Meeting.
PLEASE SEE REVERSE SIDE
Address Change/Comments (Mark the corresponding box on the reverse side)
5 FOLD AND DETACH HERE 5
Table of Contents
UNLESS OTHERWISE INSTRUCTED HEREON, IT IS INTENDED THAT THE PROXIES WILL VOTE THE SHARES FOR ITEMS 1 AND 2.
Pleaseo
Mark Here
for Address
Change or
Comments
SEE REVERSE SIDE
Mark Here
for Address
Change or
Comments
SEE REVERSE SIDE
1. | ELECTION OF DIRECTORS | |
Nominees: Messrs. 01 Thomas D. Karol and 02 Dale V. Kesler |
FOR all Nominees | WITHHOLD | |
(except any Nominees | AUTHORITY | |
noted below) | for all Nominees | |
o | o |
To vote against any individual Nominee, write that Nominee’s
name on the line below.
name on the line below.
FOR | AGAINST | ABSTAIN | ||||||
2. | RATIFICATION OF GRANT THORNTON LLP AS AUDITORS FOR FISCAL 2007 | o | o | o |
Signature | Signature | Date | ||||||||
Please date and sign exactly as name appears on this proxy. Joint owners should each sign. If held by a corporation, please sign full corporate name by duly authorized officer. Executors, administrators, trustees, etc. should give full title as such.
5FOLD AND DETACH HERE5
Vote by Internet or Telephone or Mail
24 Hours a Day, 7 Days a Week
24 Hours a Day, 7 Days a Week
Internet and telephone voting is available through 11:59 P.M. Eastern Time
the day prior to annual meeting day.
the day prior to annual meeting day.
Your Internet or telephone vote authorizes the named proxies to vote your shares in the same
manner as if you marked, signed and returned your proxy card.
manner as if you marked, signed and returned your proxy card.
Internet http://www.proxyvoting.com/elk | Telephone 1-866-540-5760 | Mail | ||||||||||||
Use the Internet to vote your proxy. Have your proxy card in hand when you access the web site. | OR | Use any touch-tone telephone to vote your proxy. Have your proxy card in hand when you call. | OR | Mark, sign and date your proxy card and return it in the enclosed postage-paid envelope. | ||||||||||
If you vote your proxy by Internet or by telephone,
you do NOT need to mail back your proxy card.
you do NOT need to mail back your proxy card.
Table of Contents
ElkCorp
PROXY SOLICITED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
FOR THE ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
OCTOBER 31, 2006, 10:00 A.M., CENTRAL TIME
ElkCorp Corporate Headquarters
14911 Quorum Drive, Suite 600, Dallas, Texas 75254-1491
FOR THE ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
OCTOBER 31, 2006, 10:00 A.M., CENTRAL TIME
ElkCorp Corporate Headquarters
14911 Quorum Drive, Suite 600, Dallas, Texas 75254-1491
The undersigned, revoking all prior proxies, hereby appoints Thomas D. Karol, Richard A. Nowak and David G. Sisler, or any one of them, with full power of substitution, as proxies to represent and vote as designated hereon all shares of common stock which the undersigned would be entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders of ElkCorp dated October 31, 2006 and at any adjournment(s) thereof (collectively, the “Meeting”), with all the powers the undersigned would possess if personally present and voting thereat, (a) as instructed on the reverse side with respect to the matters more fully described in the Proxy Statement dated September 22, 2006, and (b) in their discretion upon other matters which properly come before the Meeting.
PLEASE SEE REVERSE SIDE
Address Change/Comments(Mark the corresponding box on the reverse side)
5FOLD AND DETACH HERE5