As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 17, 2000 Registration No. 333-_____ ====================================================================== SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 -------------------------- FORM S-8 REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 -------------------------- FRANKLIN ELECTRIC CO., INC. (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) Indiana 35-0827455 (State or other jurisdiction (I.R.S. Employer ofincorporation or organization) Identification No.) 400 East Spring Street Bluffton, Indiana 46714 (Address of principal executive offices) FRANKLIN ELECTRIC CO., INC. AMENDED AND RESTATED 1996 NONEMPLOYEE DIRECTOR STOCK OPTION PLAN (Full title of the plan) Gregg C. Sengstack Vice President, Chief Financial Officer Franklin Electric Co., Inc. 400 East Spring Street Bluffton, Indiana 46714 (Name and address of agent for service) (219) 824-2900 (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service) With a copy to: Robert J. Regan Schiff Hardin & Waite 6600 Sears Tower Chicago, Illinois 60606-6473 (312) 258-5606 -------------------------- CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE PROPOSED MAXIMUM PROPOSED AMOUNT OFFERING MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF TITLE OF SECURITIES TO BE TO BE PRICE PER AGGREGATE REGISTRATION REGISTERED REGISTERED SHARE(1) OFFERING PRICE(1) FEE Common Stock, par value $.10 per 210,000 $66.75 $14,017,500 $3,700.62 share, (including related Common Stock Purchase Rights) (1) Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(h) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, based on the average of the high and low sales prices of the Common Stock reported on the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation System on April 11, 2000. 2 STATEMENT PURSUANT TO GENERAL INSTRUCTION E OF FORM S-8 "REGISTRATION OF ADDITIONAL SECURITIES" The contents of the Registration Statement on Form S-8 (File No. 333-01957), filed by the Registrant with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 26, 1996, registering shares of its Common Stock, par value $0.10 per share, issuable pursuant to the Franklin Electric Co., Inc. 1996 Nonemployee Director Stock Option Plan, are hereby incorporated by reference. SIGNATURES Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Bluffton, State of Indiana on this 14th day of April, 2000. FRANKLIN ELECTRIC CO., INC. By: /s/ William H. Lawson ------------------------- William H. Lawson Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer Each person whose signature appears below appoints each of William H. Lawson and Gregg C. Sengstack as such person's true and lawful attorney to execute in the name of each such person, and to file, any amendments to this registration statement that such attorney deems necessary or desirable to enable the Registrant to comply with the Securities Act of 1933, and any rules, regulations, and requirements of the Commission with respect thereto, in connection with the registration of the shares of Common Stock (and the related Stock Purchase Rights attached thereto) that are subject to this registration statement, which amendments may make such changes in such registration statement as the above-named attorneys deem appropriate, and to comply with the undertakings of the Registrant made in connection with this registration statement, and each of the undersigned hereby ratifies all that said attorneys will do or cause to be done by virtue hereof. Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated. 3 SIGNATURE TITLE DATE --------- ----- ---- /s/ William H. Lawson Chairman of the Board and April 14, 2000 --------------------- Chief Executive Officer William H. Lawson (Principal Executive Officer) /s/ John B. Lindsay Vice Chairman of April 14, 2000 --------------------- the Board and Director John B. Lindsay /s/ Gregg C. Sengstack Vice President and Chief April 14, 2000 ---------------------- Financial Officer (Principal Gregg C. Sengstack Financial and Accounting Officer) /s/ Jerome D. Brady Director April 14, 2000 ---------------------- Jerome D. Brady /s/ Robert H. Little Director April 14, 2000 ---------------------- Robert H. Little /s/ Patricia Schaefer Director April 14, 2000 ---------------------- Patricia Schaefer /s/ Donald J. Schneider Director April 14, 2000 ---------------------- Donald J. Schneider /s/ R. Scott Trumbull Director April 14, 2000 ---------------------- R. Scott Trumbull /s/ Juris Vikmanis Director April 14, 2000 ---------------------- Juris Vikmanis /s/ Howard B. Witt Director April 14, 2000 ---------------------- Howard B. Witt 4 EXHIBIT INDEX Exhibit Number Exhibit ------- ------- 4.1 Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation of Franklin Electric Co., Inc. (incorporated herein by reference to the Company's Form 10-Q for the quarter ended April 3, 1999) 4.2 By-laws of Franklin Electric Co., Inc. as amended to date (incorporated herein by reference to the Company's Form 10-Q for the quarter ended April 3, 1999) 4.3 Rights Agreement dated as of October 15, 1999 between Franklin Electric Co., Inc. and Illinois Stock Transfer Company (incorporated herein by reference to the Company's registration statement on Form 8-A dated October 15, 1999) 5 Opinion of Schiff Hardin & Waite 23.1 Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP 23.2 Consent of Schiff Hardin & Waite (contained in its opinion filed herein as Exhibit 5) 24 Powers of Attorney (as set forth on the signature pages hereto) 5