SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURE DATED APRIL 11, 2018
REGARDING COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
On March 30, 2018, Lawson Products, Inc. (the “Company”) filed a definitive proxy statement (the “Proxy Statement”) with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Included in the Proxy Statement is a Compensation Discussion and Analysis. The Company is furnishing this supplement to provide additional disclosures regarding the Company’s Amended and Restated 2009 Equity Compensation Plan and certain grants that were made to Michael G. DeCata, the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer, during 2017.
Accordingly, the following disclosure is added to the Proxy Statement under the caption “Compensation Discussion and Analysis – Elements of Total Compensation – Actions Taken After Close of 2017 Year End.”
On August 14, 2017, Lawson Products, Inc., an Illinois corporation (“Lawson Illinois”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, entered into an Employment Agreement (the “Employment Agreement”) with Mr. DeCata. Also on August 14, 2017, and in accordance with the Employment Agreement, the Company entered into an Award Agreement (the “2017 Award Agreement”) with Mr. DeCata pursuant to which the Company awarded Mr. DeCata (i) 41,000 stock performance rights (the “2017 SPRs”) under the Company’s Amended Stock Performance Plan (as Amended and Restated Effective January 24, 2017) (the “SPR Plan”), (ii) 40,000 nonqualified stock options (the “2017 Options”) under the Company’s 2009 Equity Compensation Plan (as Amended and Restated Effective May 13, 2014) (the “Equity Plan”), (iii) a target award of 57,934 market stock units ( the “2017 MSUs”) under the Equity Plan and (iv) a restricted award of 29,083 stock units (the “2017 RSAs”) under the Equity Plan. The 2017 Award Agreement contemplated that the number of 2017 MSUs that would vest would be based upon share price attainment determined by the trailing 60 trading day weighted average closing price of the Company’s common stock on December 31, 2019 (the “Average Closing Stock Price”), with Mr. DeCata vesting in (x) 50% of the 2017 MSUs if the Average Closing Stock Price is $24.50, (y) 100% of the 2017 MSUs if the Average Closing Stock Price is $27.50 and (z) 150% of the 2017 MSUs if the Average Closing Stock Price is $32.00. Mr. DeCata would be entitled to receive one share of the Company’s common stock for each vested 2017 MSU. The 2017 Award Agreement contemplated that the 2017 RSAs would vest in full on the third anniversary of the grant date, or August 14, 2020, with one share of the Company’s common stock to be issued for each vested 2017 RSA. On January 13, 2017, unrelated to the Employment Agreement, the Company granted Mr. DeCata a restricted stock award pursuant to the Equity Plan of 2,000 shares of common stock that would vest in full on December 31, 2019 (the “2017 Restricted Stock Award”).
Section 8.0 of the Equity Plan as in effect at the time of the 2017 awards placed an annual limitation of 40,000 shares of common stock with respect to equity awards to participants other than nonemployee directors and an annual limitation of 20,000 shares of common stock with respect to equity awards to nonemployee directors. The aggregate number of shares of common stock associated with the 2017 Options, the 2017 MSUs, the 2017 RSAs and the 2017 Restricted Stock Award exceeded the 40,000 share limitation applicable to Mr. DeCata.
On April 9, 2018, the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) approved an amendment of the Equity Plan (the “Equity Plan Amendment”) pursuant to which the annual grant limitation applicable to participants other than nonemployee directors was raised from 40,000 shares to 125,000 shares. No other provision of the Equity Plan was amended.
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