EXHIBIT 10.6
CENTENNIAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
1999 EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN
The purpose of this Plan is to provide eligible employees of Centennial
Technologies, Inc. (the "Company") and certain of its subsidiaries with
opportunities to purchase shares of the Company's common stock, $.01 par value
(the "Common Stock"), commencing on December 27, 1998. Two hundred thousand
(200,000) shares of Common Stock in the aggregate have been approved for this
purpose. This Plan is not intended to qualify as an "employee stock purchase
plan" as defined in Section 423 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended
(the "Code"), and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
1. ADMINISTRATION. The Plan will be administered by the Company's Board
of Directors (the "Board") or by a Committee appointed by the Board (the
"Committee"). The Board or the Committee has authority to make rules and
regulations for the administration of the Plan and its interpretation and
decisions with regard thereto shall be final and conclusive.
2. ELIGIBILITY. All employees of the Company, including Directors who
are employees, and all employees of any subsidiary of the Company (as defined in
Section 424(f) of the Code) designated by the Board or the Committee from time
to time (a "Designated Subsidiary"), are eligible to participate in any one or
more of the offerings of Options (as defined in Section 9) to purchase Common
Stock under the Plan provided that:
(a) they are customarily employed by the Company or a
Designated Subsidiary for more than 20 hours a week and for more than
five months in a calendar year; and
(b) they have been employed by the Company or a Designated
Subsidiary for at least three (3) full months prior to enrolling in the
Plan; and
(c) they are employees of the Company or a Designated
Subsidiary on the first day of the applicable Plan Period (as defined
below).
No employee may be granted an option hereunder if such employee,
immediately after the option is granted, owns 5% or more of the total combined
voting power or value of the stock of the Company or any subsidiary. For
purposes of the preceding sentence, the attribution rules of Section 424(d) of
the Code shall apply in determining the stock ownership of an employee, and all
stock which the employee has a contractual right to purchase shall be treated as
stock owned by the employee.
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3. OFFERINGS. The Company will make one or more offerings ("Offerings")
to employees to purchase stock under this Plan. The first Offering shall
commence on December 27, 1998. Subsequent offerings will begin on the beginning
of each fiscal quarter of the Company or the first business day thereafter if
such day is not a business day (together with the December 27, 1998 Offering
commencement date, the "Offering Commencement Dates"). The Company's fiscal year
begins April 1 and each fiscal quarter ends on the Saturday of the thirteenth
week following the beginning of the quarter except for the fourth quarter, which
ends on March 31. Each Offering Commencement Date will begin a fiscal quarter
period (a "Plan Period") during which payroll deductions will be made and held
for the purchase of Common Stock at the end of the Plan Period. The Board or the
Committee may, at its discretion, choose a different Plan Period of twelve (12)
months or less for subsequent Offerings.
4. PARTICIPATION. An employee eligible on the Offering Commencement
Date of any Offering may participate in such Offering by completing and
forwarding a payroll deduction authorization form to the employee's appropriate
payroll office at least seven (7) days prior to the applicable Offering
Commencement Date. The form will authorize a regular payroll deduction from the
Compensation received by the employee during the Plan Period. Unless an employee
files a new form or withdraws from the Plan, his deductions and purchases will
continue at the same rate for future Offerings under the Plan as long as the
Plan remains in effect. The term "Compensation" means the amount of money
reportable on the employee's Federal Income Tax Withholding Statement, excluding
overtime, shift premium, incentive or bonus awards, allowances and
reimbursements for expenses such as relocation allowances for travel expenses,
income or gains on the exercise of Company stock options or stock appreciation
rights, and similar items, whether or not shown on the employee's Federal Income
Tax Withholding Statement, but including, in the case of salespersons, sales
commissions to the extent determined by the Board or the Committee to be part of
such salesperson's regular compensation.
5. DEDUCTIONS. The Company will maintain payroll deduction accounts for
all participating employees. With respect to any Offering made under this Plan,
an employee may authorize a payroll deduction in any dollar amount up to a
maximum of 15% of the Compensation he or she receives during the Plan Period or
such shorter period during which deductions from payroll are made. Any change in
compensation during the Plan Period will result in an automatic corresponding
change in the dollar amount withheld. The minimum payroll deduction is such
percentage of compensation as may be established from time to time by the Board
or the Committee.
No employee may be permitted to withhold more than an aggregate of
$25,000 per calendar year under this Plan and any other stock-based compensation
plan of the Company permitting withholding.
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6. DEDUCTION CHANGES. An employee may decrease or discontinue his
payroll deduction once during any Plan Period by filing a new payroll deduction
authorization form. However, an employee may not increase his payroll deduction
during a Plan Period. If an employee elects to discontinue his payroll
deductions during a Plan Period, but does not elect to withdraw his funds
pursuant to Section 8 hereof, funds deducted prior to his election to
discontinue will be applied to the purchase of Common Stock on the Exercise Date
(as defined below).
7. INTEREST. Interest will not be paid on any employee accounts, except
to the extent that the Board or the Committee, in its sole discretion, elects to
credit employee accounts with interest at such per annum rate as it may from
time to time determine.
8. WITHDRAWAL OF FUNDS. An employee may at any time prior to the close
of business on the last business day in a Plan Period and for any reason
permanently draw out the balance accumulated in the employee's account and
thereby withdraw from participation in an Offering. Partial withdrawals are not
permitted. The employee may not begin participation again during the remainder
of the Plan Period. The employee may participate in any subsequent Offering in
accordance with terms and conditions established by the Board or the Committee.
9. PURCHASE OF SHARES. On the Offering Commencement Date of each Plan
Period, the Company will grant to each eligible employee who is then a
participant in the Plan an option ("Option") to purchase on the last business
day of such Plan Period (the "Exercise Date"), at the Option Price hereinafter
provided for, such number of whole shares of Common Stock of the Company
determined by dividing (i) the amount in the eligible employee's payroll
deduction account by (ii) the purchase price per share set forth in the
following paragraph plus the taxes required to be withheld with respect to each
such share as described in Section 23 hereof.
The purchase price for each share purchased will be 85% of the closing
price of the Common Stock on the Exercise Date. Such closing price shall be (a)
the closing price on any national securities exchange on which the Common Stock
is listed, (b) the closing price of the Common Stock on the Nasdaq National
Market or (c) the average of the closing bid and asked prices in the over the
counter market, whichever is applicable, as published in The Wall Street Journal
or, in the case of (c), an internet-based bulletin board service. If no sales of
Common Stock were made on such a day, the price of the Common Stock for purposes
of clauses (a) and (b) above shall be the reported price for the next preceding
day on which sales were made.
Each employee who continues to be a participant in the Plan on the
Exercise Date shall be deemed to have exercised his Option at the Option Price
on such date and shall be deemed to have purchased from the Company the number
of full shares
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of Common Stock reserved for the purpose of the Plan that his accumulated
payroll deductions on such date will pay for pursuant to the formula set forth
above.
Any balance remaining in an employee's payroll deduction account at the
end of a Plan Period will be automatically refunded to the employee, except that
any balance which is less than the purchase price of one share of Common Stock
will be carried forward into the employee's payroll deduction account for the
following Offering, unless the employee elects not to participate in the
following Offering under the Plan, in which case the balance in the employee's
account shall be refunded.
10. ISSUANCE OF CERTIFICATES. Certificates representing shares of
Common Stock purchased under the Plan may be issued only in the name of the
employee, in the name of the employee and another person of legal age as joint
tenants with rights of survivorship, or (in the Company's sole discretion) in
the street name of a brokerage firm, bank or other nominee holder designated by
the employee. The Company may, in its sole discretion and in compliance with
applicable laws, authorize the use of book entry registration of shares in lieu
of issuing stock certificates.
11. RIGHTS ON RETIREMENT, DEATH OR TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT. In the
event of a participating employee's termination of employment prior to the last
business day of a Plan Period, no payroll deduction shall be taken from any pay
due and owing to an employee and the balance in the employee's account shall be
paid to the employee (less amounts owed by the employee to the Company) or, in
the event of the employee's death, (a) to a beneficiary previously designated in
a revocable notice signed by the employee (with any spousal consent required
under state law) or (b) in the absence of such a designated beneficiary, to the
executor or administrator of the employee's estate or (c) if no such executor or
administrator has been appointed to the knowledge of the Company, to such other
person(s) as the Company may, in its discretion, designate. If, prior to the
last business day of the Plan Period, the Designated Subsidiary by which an
employee is employed shall cease to be a subsidiary of the Company, or if the
employee is transferred to a subsidiary of the Company that is not a Designated
Subsidiary, the employee shall be deemed to have terminated employment for the
purposes of this Plan.
12. OPTIONEES NOT STOCKHOLDERS. Neither the granting of an Option to an
employee nor the deductions from his pay shall constitute such employee a
stockholder of the shares of Common Stock covered by an Option under this Plan
until such shares have been purchased by and issued to him.
13. RIGHTS NOT TRANSFERABLE. Rights under this Plan are not
transferable by a participating employee other than by will or the laws of
descent and distribution, and are exercisable during the employee's lifetime
only by the employee.
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14. APPLICATION OF FUNDS. All funds received or held by the Company
under this Plan may be combined with other corporate funds and may be used for
any corporate purpose.
15. ADJUSTMENT IN CASE OF CHANGES AFFECTING COMMON STOCK. In the event
of a subdivision of outstanding shares of Common Stock, or the payment of a
dividend in Common Stock, the number of shares approved for this Plan shall be
increased proportionately, and such other adjustment shall be made as may be
deemed equitable by the Board or the Committee. In the event of any other change
affecting the Common Stock, including but not limited to a reverse stock split,
such adjustment shall be made as may be deemed equitable by the Board or the
Committee to give proper effect to such event.
16. MERGER. If the Company shall at any time merge or consolidate with
another corporation and the holders of the capital stock of the Company
immediately prior to such merger or consolidation continue to hold at least 80%
by voting power of the capital stock of the surviving corporation ("Continuity
of Control"), the holder of each Option then outstanding will thereafter be
entitled to receive at the next Exercise Date upon the exercise of such Option
for each share as to which such Option shall be exercised the securities or
property which a holder of one share of the Common Stock was entitled to upon
and at the time of such merger or consolidation, and the Committee shall take
such steps in connection with such merger or consolidation as the Committee
shall deem necessary to assure that the provisions of Paragraph 15 shall
thereafter be applicable, as nearly as reasonably may be, in relation to the
said securities or property as to which such holder of such Option might
thereafter be entitled to receive thereunder.
In the event of a merger or consolidation of the Company with or into
another corporation which does not involve Continuity of Control, or of a sale
of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company while unexercised
Options remain outstanding under the Plan, (a) subject to the provisions of
clauses (b) and (c), after the effective date of such transaction, each holder
of an outstanding Option shall be entitled, upon exercise of such Option, to
receive in lieu of shares of Common Stock, shares of such stock or other
securities as the holders of shares of Common Stock received pursuant to the
terms of such transaction; or (b) all outstanding Options may be cancelled by
the Board or the Committee as of a date prior to the effective date of any such
transaction and all payroll deductions shall be paid out to the participating
employees; or (c) all outstanding Options may be cancelled by the Board or the
Committee as of the effective date of any such transaction, provided that notice
of such cancellation shall be given to each holder of an Option, and each holder
of an Option shall have the right to exercise such Option in full based on
payroll deductions then credited to his account as of a date determined by the
Board or the Committee, which date shall not be less than ten (10) days
preceding the effective date of such transaction.
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17. AMENDMENT OF THE PLAN. The Board may at any time, and from time to
time, amend this Plan in any respect.
18. INSUFFICIENT SHARES. In the event that the total number of shares
of Common Stock specified in elections to be purchased under any Offering plus
the number of shares purchased under previous Offerings under this Plan exceeds
the maximum number of shares issuable under this Plan, the Board or the
Committee will allot the shares then available on a pro rata basis.
19. TERMINATION OF THE PLAN. This Plan may be terminated at any time by
the Board. Upon termination of this Plan all amounts in the accounts of
participating employees shall be promptly refunded.
20. GOVERNMENTAL REGULATIONS. The Company's obligation to sell and
deliver Common Stock under this Plan is subject to the approval of all
governmental authorities required in connection with the authorization, issuance
or sale of such stock.
21. GOVERNING LAW. The Plan shall be governed by Delaware law except to
the extent that such law is preempted by federal law.
22. ISSUANCE OF SHARES. Shares may be issued upon exercise of an Option
from authorized but unissued Common Stock, from shares held in the treasury of
the Company, or from any other proper source.
23. WITHHOLDING. Each employee shall pay to the Company out of such
employees' payroll deduction account any taxes required by law to be withheld in
connection with the grants or exercise of Options no later than the date of the
event creating the tax liability. If the employee's payroll deduction account is
not sufficient to pay any such taxes, the Company may, to the extent permitted
by law, deduct any such tax obligations from any payment of any kind otherwise
due to a participant.
24. EFFECTIVE DATE. The Plan shall take effect as of December 27, 1998.
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