June 11, 2003
Robert Spannuth
520 Third Avenue South
Escanaba, MI 49829
Dear Robert:
It is with great pleasure that I confirm with you our offer of employment with
Badger Paper Mills, Inc.
The employment offer is as follows:
1. Your position with the Company will be Vice President Operations, and you
will report to Ronald E. Swanson, President and Chief Executive Officer.
2. Your starting exempt salary as a permanent employee will be at the rate of
$12,083.33 per month. A permanent classification does not affect your
at-will status. Enclosed is a copy of our Salaried "At-Will" Policy.
3. You will participate in the Executive Incentive Compensation Plan, under
which your target award will be 30% of base salary.
4. You will participate in the Executive Management Stock Option Plan. The
initial options granted will be 2,000 shares. Details of the plan will be
provided for you in a separate letter.
5. Badger maintains a comprehensive major medical and dental plan. The plan
provides coverage effective on the first day following 60 calendar days of
continuous active employment. Enclosed is a copy of our current salaried
premiums. Summary Plan Descriptions are available upon request, but
normally are handed out on the first day following 60 calendar days of
continuous active employment. Badger will reimburse you any premiums for
medical and/or dental insurance coverage that you have made to your
previous employer under COBRA to ensure continuous coverage (if
applicable).
6. PROFIT SHARING AND 401(k) PLAN:
The Company has a profit sharing plan which provides a minimum of 4% (but
up to a maximum of 10%, based on profits) of your W-2 earnings to be placed
in a trust for your retirement. To become eligible, you generally must have
1000 hours of service in a year and be employed on December 31, for a
profit sharing contribution.
On the first day following 60 calendar days of continuous employment, you
may also participate in the 401(k) plan. (If you do not work 60 calendar
days of continuous active employment, but work at least 1000 hours in 12
months of employment, you also may participate in the 401(k) plan). All
details of this plan are contained in the Summary Plan Description. Summary
Plan Descriptions are available upon request, but normally are handed out
on the first day following 60 calendar days of continuous active
employment. This plan allows you to elect to invest from 1% to 65% of your
earnings in the 401(k) plan, which is invested in the same investment funds
as the profit sharing plan. The Company does not provide any matching funds
to the 401(k) plan. Please keep in mind that the IRS limits you to the
amount of 401(k) deductions in a year across all qualified plans.
7. We grant you three (3) weeks vacation for the remainder of 2003, and 5
weeks starting January 2004. In addition, we will credit you for seventeen
(17) years of prior service to determine eligibility for weeks of vacation.
If your employment terminates prior to one year of employment, refer to the
salaried vacation policy. Enclosed is a copy of our current salaried
vacation policy.
8. Holidays: The Company recognizes the following as 2003 holidays:
New Year's Day
1/2 day for Good Friday
Memorial Day
July 4 (plus the day before or
the day after the 4th of July)
Labor Day
Thanksgiving Day
Day after Thanksgiving
December 24 and 25
December 31
Two (2) personal holidays *
Enclosed is a copy of our current salaried holiday schedule. * Personal
holidays are granted in the following manner: Employees hired before
January 1 of any year are granted two (2) personal holidays for the year.
Employees hired prior to July 1 are granted one (1) personal holiday for
the year.
Employees hired after July 1 are not granted personal holidays for that
year. Based on this policy, you will receive one (1) personal holiday(s)
for 2003, and two (2) personal holidays in subsequent years. Employees who
voluntarily or involuntarily terminate employment must take personal
holiday time off prior to their last day worked or lose it.
9. Group term life insurance will be provided at two (2) times base salary and
group term accidental death and dismemberment insurance at two (2) times
base salary to become effective on the first day following 60 calendar days
of continuous active employment. The monthly cost is $1.00. Summary Plan
Descriptions are available upon request, but normally are handed out at
enrollment.
10. You would have the option to purchase up to $10,000 of additional life
insurance for yourself, spouse or dependent children. The monthly cost for
each $1,000 of this additional coverage is $.43 per thousand for the
employee, $.26 per thousand for the spouse, and $.12 per thousand for
dependent children as a unit.
Additional accidental death and dismemberment insurance may be purchased by
you in $1,000 increments up to $10,000 at a monthly rate of $.04 per
thousand.
We do have an open enrollment period for the Optional Life and AD&D each
April for a June 1 effective date.
11. Short-term disability is available to you as a salaried employee if you
become ill and or have a non-work related injury and are unable to work.
The Company provides 100% salary continuation for a period not to exceed
six (6) months in any given 12 month period of time for all illnesses and
or non-work related injuries.
12. Long term disability insurance will be provided the first of the month
following one year of employment. The Long-Term Disability benefit
commences at the conclusion of the Short-Term Disability period. The
maximum monthly benefits are listed in the Summary Plan Description. The
Summary Plan Description will also provide details on limitations,
exclusions, and specific benefits provided by the Long-Term Disability
Plan. Summary Plan Descriptions are available upon request, but normally
are handed out at enrollment.
13. The Company maintains an educational expense reimbursement policy, which
will reimburse you for the cost of tuition and books incurred for
pre-approved classes, which have been successfully completed.
14. Effective on the first day following 60 calendar days of continuous active
employment you will be eligible to participate in our safety shoe and
safety glass prescription programs.
15. The Company has a Flexible Spending Account to help you save tax dollars by
designating part of your income as pre-tax to pay your and your family's
out-of- pocket health care and/or dependent day care expenses. The plan
provides coverage effective on the first day following 60 calendar days of
continuous active employment. Each year you will be given the opportunity
to enroll in the Flexible Spending Accounts, or choose not to participate.
Your current election will not automatically renew. You must make a new
election each year during the open enrollment period. Participation is
optional.
16. The Company will pay for moving expenses associated with the moving of
household goods. Kindly contact Alan Steffen, Traffic Manager at Badger
Paper Mills to make the necessary arrangements. Temporary living expenses
will be provided for 120 days.
17. The company will provide you with an automobile, per the Automobile Lease
Program.
18. TERMINATION:
A. At any time during your employment, either party may terminate your
employment by providing 30 days' written notice.
B. Employer may terminate your employment for cause, defined as:
i. conviction or guilty plea to an offense involving fraud,
embezzlement, theft, dishonesty, or other criminal misconduct
against Employer;
ii. willful, wanton, or grossly negligent misconduct in the course of
his employment.
If Employer terminates you for cause, you shall not be entitled to any
severance pay.
C. After 1 year of continuous active employment, if Badger terminates you
without cause, you shall be entitled to severance pay equivalent to
six (6) months base salary as of date of termination.
In addition to the above payment, the company would provide medical
coverage at no cost to you for a period not exceeding six months
following the last day worked, or until coverage is provided by a
subsequent employer. All other Company benefits would terminate as of
your last day of employment.
This offer of employment assumes an at-will employment relationship that may be
terminated by you or the Company during the course of employment.
The above offer letter of employment is contingent on satisfactorily passing a
health screening and a reference check prior to the start date of your
employment. Health screening must occur within three weeks before the start date
of your employment.
We feel confident in your ability to fulfill all the requirements associated
with this position and look forward to you joining the Badger organization. In
anticipation of your acceptance, we have enclosed a copy of this offer letter
for you to sign (please confirm your start date) and return to us for our files.
A self-addressed envelope is enclosed.
Sincerely,
BADGER PAPER MILLS, INC
Ronald E. Swanson,
President and Chief Executive Officer
_____________________________________
Robert Spannuth
______________________________________
DATE
______________________________________
START DATE
Enclosures