EX-10.15: 2005 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN

EX-10.15 16 y19115exv10w15.htm EX-10.15: 2005 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN EX-10.15
 

 

Exhibit 10.15
CHART INDUSTRIES, INC.
2005 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN
1. Purpose of the Plan
          The purpose of the Plan is to aid the Company and its Affiliates in recruiting and retaining key employees, directors or consultants of outstanding ability and to motivate such employees, directors or consultants to exert their best efforts on behalf of the Company and its Affiliates by providing incentives through the granting of Awards. The Company expects that it will benefit from the added interest which such key employees, directors or consultants will have in the welfare of the Company as a result of their proprietary interest in the Company’s success.
2. Definitions
          The following capitalized terms used in the Plan have the respective meanings set forth in this Section:
  (a)   Act: The Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or any successor thereto.
 
  (b)   Affiliate: With respect to any entity, any entity directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with, such entity.
 
  (c)   Award: An Option, Stock Appreciation Right or Other Stock-Based Award granted pursuant to the Plan.
 
  (d)   Beneficial Owner: A “beneficial owner”, as such term is defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Act (or any successor rule thereto).
 
  (e)   Board: The Board of Directors of the Company.
 
  (f)   Change in Control: The occurrence of either of the following events, (i) the sale or disposition, in one or a series of related transactions, of all or substantially all, of the assets of the Company to any Person or “group” (as such term is defined in Section 13(d)(3) or 14(d)(2) of the Act) other than the Permitted Holders, or (ii) any person or group, other than the Permitted Holders, is or becomes the Beneficial Owner, directly or indirectly, of more than 50% of the total voting power of the voting stock of the Company (or any entity which controls the Company or which is a successor to all or substantially all of the assets of the Company), including by way of merger, consolidation, tender or exchange offer or otherwise and the representatives of the Permitted Holders (individually or in the aggregate) cease to comprise a majority of the Board.
 
  (g)   Code: The Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or any successor thereto.
 
  (h)   Committee: The Board or any person or persons designated by the Board to administer the Plan.
 
  (i)   Company: Chart Industries, Inc., a Delaware corporation.


 

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  (j)   Disability: Inability of a Participant to perform in all material respects his duties and responsibilities to the Company, or any Subsidiary of the Company, by reason of a physical or mental disability or infirmity which inability is reasonably expected to be permanent and has continued for a period of six consecutive months or for an aggregate of nine (9) months in any twenty-four (24) consecutive month period. Any question as to the existence of the Disability of a Participant as to which the Participant and the Company cannot agree shall be determined in writing by a qualified independent physician mutually acceptable to the Participant and the Company. If the Participant and the Company cannot agree as to a qualified independent physician, each shall appoint such a physician and those two physicians shall select a third who shall make such determination in writing. The determination of Disability made in writing to the Company and the Participant shall be final and conclusive for all purposes of the Plan and any Award agreement.
 
  (k)   Effective Date: The date the Board approves the Plan, or such later date as is designated by the Board.
 
  (l)   Employment: The term “Employment” as used herein shall be deemed to refer to (i) a Participant’s employment if the Participant is an employee of the Company or any of its Affiliates, (ii) a Participant’s services as a consultant, if the Participant is a consultant to the Company or its Affiliates and (iii) a Participant’s services as a non-employee director, if the Participant is a non-employee member of the Board.
 
  (m)   Fair Market Value: On a given date, (i) if there is a public market for the Shares on such date, the arithmetic mean of the high and low prices of the Shares as reported on such date on the Composite Tape of the principal national securities exchange on which such Shares are listed or admitted to trading, or, if the Shares are not listed or admitted on any national securities exchange, the arithmetic mean of the per Share closing bid price and the per Share closing asked price on such date as quoted on the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation System (or such market in which such prices are regularly quoted) (the “NASDAQ”), or if no sale of Shares shall have been reported on the Composite Tape of any national securities exchange or quoted on NASDAQ on such date, then the immediately preceding date on which sales of the Shares have been so reported or quoted shall be used, and (ii) if there is no public market for the Shares on such date, the Fair Market Value shall be the fair market value of the Shares as determined in good faith by the Board assuming a hypothetical liquidation of the Company or the sale of the Company to a third party; provided that if the Participant disagrees with the Board’s determination, he may require the Company to retain an independent investment banker to determine the fair market value. The Company will bear the cost of such appraisal, unless the appraised value is 110% or less of the Board’s determination of the fair


 

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      market value, in which case the Participant will bear the cost of such appraisal.
 
  (n)   Other Stock-Based Awards: Awards granted pursuant to Section 8 of the Plan.
 
  (o)   Option: A stock option granted pursuant to Section 6 of the Plan.
 
  (p)   Option Price: The purchase price per Share of an Option, as determined pursuant to Section 6(a) of the Plan.
 
  (q)   Participant: An employee, director or consultant of the Company or its Affiliates who is selected by the Committee to participate in the Plan.
 
  (r)   Permitted Holder: As of the date of determination, any and all of (i) an employee benefit plan (or trust forming a part thereof) maintained by (A) the Company or its Affiliates or (B) any corporation or other Person of which a majority of its voting power of its voting equity securities or equity interest is owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company and (ii) First Reserve Fund X, L.P. or any of its Affiliates.
 
  (s)   Person: A “person”, as such term is used for purposes of Section 13(d) or 14(d) of the Act (or any successor section thereto).
 
  (t)   Plan: The Chart Industries, Inc. 2005 Stock Incentive Plan.
 
  (u)   Shares: Shares of common stock of the Company.
 
  (v)   Stock Appreciation Right: A stock appreciation right granted pursuant to Section 7 of the Plan.
 
  (w)   Subsidiary: A subsidiary corporation, as defined in Section 424(f) of the Code (or any successor section thereto).
3. Shares Subject to the Plan
          The total number of Shares which may be issued under the Plan is 225,157, which total is reserved for issuance to employees of the Company or its Affiliates. The Shares may consist, in whole or in part, of unissued Shares or treasury Shares. The issuance of Shares or the payment of cash upon the exercise of an Award or in consideration of the cancellation or termination of an Award shall reduce the total number of Shares available under the Plan, as applicable. Shares which are subject to Awards or portions of Awards which terminate or lapse without issuance of Shares may be granted again under the Plan.
4. Administration
          The Plan shall be administered by the Committee, which may delegate its duties and powers in whole or in part to any subcommittee thereof. Awards may, in the discretion of the Committee, be made under the Plan in assumption of, or in substitution for, outstanding


 

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awards previously granted by the Company or its Affiliates or a company acquired by the Company or with which the Company combines. The number of Shares underlying such substitute awards shall be counted against the aggregate number of Shares available for Awards under the Plan. Subject to Section 15 of the Plan, the Committee is authorized to interpret the Plan, to establish, amend and rescind any rules and regulations relating to the Plan, and to make any other determinations that it deems necessary or desirable for the administration of the Plan. The Committee may correct any defect or supply any omission or reconcile any inconsistency in the Plan in the manner and to the extent the Committee deems necessary or desirable. Any decision of the Committee in the interpretation and administration of the Plan, as described herein, shall lie within its sole and absolute discretion and shall be final, conclusive and binding on all parties concerned (including, but not limited to, Participants and their beneficiaries or successors). The Committee shall have the full power and authority to establish the terms and conditions of any Award consistent with the provisions of the Plan and to waive any such terms and conditions at any time (including, without limitation, accelerating or waiving any vesting conditions). The Committee shall require payment of any amount it may determine to be necessary to withhold for federal, state, local or other taxes as a result of the exercise, grant or vesting of an Award and the Company or its Affiliates shall have the right and is authorized to withhold any applicable withholding taxes in respect to the Award, its exercise or any payment or transfer under or with respect to the Award and to take such other action as may be necessary in the opinion of the Committee to satisfy all obligations for the payment of such withholding taxes. Unless the Committee specifies otherwise, the Participant may elect to pay a portion or all of such withholding taxes by (a) delivery in Shares, provided that such shares have been held by the Participant for more than six (6) months (or such other period as established by the Committee from time to time in order to avoid adverse accounting treatment applying generally accepted accounting principles) or (b) with respect to minimum withholding amounts only, having Shares with a Fair Market Value equal to the amount withheld by the Company from any Shares that would have otherwise been received by the Participant.
5. Limitations
          No Award may be granted under the Plan after the tenth anniversary of the Effective Date, but Awards theretofore granted may extend beyond that date.
6. Terms and Conditions of Options
          Options granted under the Plan shall be non-qualified stock options for federal income tax purposes which are not intended to be treated as options that comply with Section 422 of the Code, as evidenced by the related Award agreements, and shall be subject to the foregoing and the following terms and conditions and to such other terms and conditions, not inconsistent therewith, as the Committee shall determine:
  (a)   Option Price. The Option Price per Share shall be equal to the Fair Market Value on the applicable date of grant.
 
  (b)   Exercisability. Options granted under the Plan shall be exercisable at such time and upon such terms and conditions as may be determined by the Committee, but in no event shall an Option be exercisable more than ten years after the date it is granted.


 

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  (c)   Exercise of Options. Except as otherwise provided in the Plan or in an Award agreement, an Option may be exercised for all, or from time to time any part, of the Shares for which it is then exercisable. For purposes of Section 6 of the Plan, the exercise date of an Option shall be the later of the date a notice of exercise is received by the Company and, if applicable, the date payment is received by the Company pursuant to clauses (i), (ii), (iii) or (iv) in the following sentence. The purchase price for the Shares as to which an Option is exercised shall be paid to the Company in full at the time of exercise at the election of the Participant (i) in cash or its equivalent (e.g., by check), (ii) to the extent permitted by the Committee, in Shares having a Fair Market Value equal to the aggregate Option Price for the Shares being purchased and satisfying such other requirements as may be imposed by the Committee; provided, that such Shares have been held by the Participant for more than six months (or such other period as established from time to time by the Committee in order to avoid adverse accounting treatment applying generally accepted accounting principles), (iii) partly in cash and, to the extent permitted by the Committee, partly in such Shares, (iv) if there is a public market for the Shares at such time, to the extent permitted by, and subject to such rules as may be established by the Committee, through the delivery of irrevocable instructions to a broker to sell Shares obtained upon the exercise of the Option and to deliver promptly to the Company an amount out of the proceeds of such sale equal to the aggregate Option Price for the Shares being purchased, or (v) through such cashless exercise procedures (including surrender of a portion of the Option in payment of the Option Price) as the Committee may permit. Except with respect to an adjustment pursuant to Section 9 of the Plan, no Participant shall have any rights to dividends or other rights of a stockholder with respect to Shares subject to an Option until the Participant has given written notice of exercise of the Option, paid in full for such Shares and, if applicable, has satisfied any other conditions imposed by the Committee pursuant to the Plan.
 
  (d)   Attestation. Wherever in this Plan or any agreement evidencing an Award a Participant is permitted to pay the Option Price of an Option or taxes relating to the exercise of an Option by delivering Shares, the Participant may, subject to procedures satisfactory to the Committee, satisfy such delivery requirement by presenting proof of beneficial ownership of such Shares, in which case the Company shall treat the Option as exercised without further payment and shall withhold such number of Shares from the Shares acquired by the exercise of the Option.
7. Terms and Conditions of Stock Appreciation Rights
  (a)   Grants. The Committee also may grant (i) a Stock Appreciation Right independent of an Option or (ii) a Stock Appreciation Right in connection with an Option, or a portion thereof. A Stock Appreciation Right granted pursuant to clause (ii) of the preceding sentence (A) may be granted at the


 

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      time the related Option is granted or at any time prior to the exercise or cancellation of the related Option, (B) shall cover the same number of Shares covered by an Option (or such lesser number of Shares as the Committee may determine) and (C) shall be subject to the same terms and conditions as such Option except for such additional limitations as are contemplated by this Section 7 (or such additional limitations as may be included in an Award agreement).
 
  (b)   Terms. The exercise price per Share of a Stock Appreciation Right shall be an amount determined by the Committee but in no event shall such amount be less than the greater of (i) the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date the Stock Appreciation Right is granted or, in the case of a Stock Appreciation Right granted in conjunction with an Option, or a portion thereof, the Option Price of the related Option and (ii) the minimum amount permitted by applicable laws, rules, by-laws or policies of regulatory authorities or stock exchanges. Each Stock Appreciation Right granted independent of an Option shall entitle a Participant upon exercise to an amount equal to (i) the excess of (A) the Fair Market Value on the exercise date of one Share over (B) the exercise price per Share, times (ii) the number of Shares covered by the Stock Appreciation Right. Each Stock Appreciation Right granted in conjunction with an Option, or a portion thereof, shall entitle a Participant to surrender to the Company the unexercised Option, or any portion thereof, and to receive from the Company in exchange therefor an amount equal to (i) the excess of (A) the Fair Market Value on the exercise date of one Share over (B) the Option Price per Share, times (ii) the number of Shares covered by the Option, or portion thereof, which is surrendered. The date a notice of exercise is received by the Company shall be the exercise date. Payment shall be made in Shares or in cash, or partly in Shares and partly in cash (any such Shares valued at such Fair Market Value), all as shall be determined by the Committee. Stock Appreciation Rights may be exercised from time to time upon actual receipt by the Company of written notice of exercise stating the number of Shares with respect to which the Stock Appreciation Right is being exercised. No fractional Shares will be issued in payment for Stock Appreciation Rights, but instead cash will be paid for a fraction or, if the Committee should so determine, the number of Shares will be rounded downward to the next whole Share.
 
  (c)   Limitations. The Committee may impose, in its discretion, such conditions upon the exercisability or transferability of Stock Appreciation Rights as it may deem fit.
8. Other Stock-Based Awards
  (a)   Generally. The Committee, in its sole discretion, may grant or sell Awards of Shares, Awards of restricted Shares and Awards that are valued in whole or in part by reference to, or are otherwise based on the Fair Market Value of, Shares (“Other Stock-Based Awards”). Such Other


 

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      Stock-Based Awards shall be in such form, and dependent on such conditions, as the Committee shall determine, including, without limitation, the right to receive, or vest with respect to, one or more Shares (or the equivalent cash value of such Shares) upon the completion of a specified period of service, the occurrence of an event and/or the attainment of performance objectives. Other Stock-Based Awards may be granted alone or in addition to any other Awards granted under the Plan. Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Committee shall determine to whom and when Other Stock-Based Awards will be made, the number of Shares to be awarded under (or otherwise related to) such Other Stock-Based Awards; whether such Other Stock-Based Awards shall be settled in cash, Shares or a combination of cash and Shares; and all other terms and conditions of such Awards (including, without limitation, the vesting provisions thereof and provisions ensuring that all Shares so awarded and issued shall be fully paid and non-assessable).
9. Adjustments Upon Certain Events
          Notwithstanding any other provisions in the Plan to the contrary, the following provisions shall apply to all Awards granted under the Plan:
  (a)   Generally. In the event of any change in the outstanding Shares after the Effective Date by reason of any Share dividend or split, reorganization, recapitalization, merger, consolidation, spin-off, combination, combination or transaction or exchange of Shares or other corporate exchange, or any distribution to shareholders other than regular cash dividends or any transaction similar to the foregoing, the Committee, in its sole discretion and without liability to any person, may make such substitution or adjustment, if any, as it deems to be equitable, as to (i) the number or kind of Shares or other securities issued or reserved for issuance pursuant to the Plan or pursuant to outstanding Awards, (ii) the maximum number of Shares for which Options or Stock Appreciation Rights may be granted during a calendar year to any Participant (iii) the Option Price or exercise price of any Award and/or (iv) any other affected terms of such Awards.
 
  (b)   Change in Control. In the event of a Change in Control after the Effective Date, (i) if determined by the Committee in the applicable Award agreement or otherwise, any outstanding Awards then held by Participants which are unexercisable or otherwise unvested or subject to lapse restrictions may automatically be deemed exercisable or otherwise vested or no longer subject to lapse restrictions, as the case may be, as of immediately prior to such Change in Control and (ii) the Committee may, but shall not be obligated to, (A) cancel such Awards for fair value, to the extent permitted under Section 409A of the Code, which, in the case of Options and Stock Appreciation Rights, may equal the excess, if any, of value of the consideration to be paid in the Change in Control transaction to holders of the same number of Shares subject to such Options or Stock


 

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      Appreciation Rights (or, if no consideration is paid in any such transaction, the Fair Market Value of the Shares subject to such Options or Stock Appreciation Rights) over the aggregate Option Price or exercise price of such Options or Stock Appreciation Rights or (B) provide for the issuance of substitute Awards that will substantially preserve the otherwise applicable terms and value of any affected Awards previously granted hereunder as determined by the Committee or (C) provide that for a period of at least 15 days prior to the Change in Control, such Awards shall be exercisable, to the extent applicable, as to all Shares subject thereto and the Committee may further provide that upon the occurrence of the Change in Control, such Awards shall terminate and be of no further force and effect.
10. No Right to Employment or Awards
          The granting of an Award under the Plan shall impose no obligation on the Company or any Affiliate to continue the Employment of a Participant and shall not lessen or affect the Company’s or Affiliate’s right to terminate the Employment of such Participant. No Participant or other Person shall have any claim to be granted any Award, and there is no obligation for uniformity of treatment of Participants, or holders or beneficiaries of Awards. The terms and conditions of Awards and the Committee’s determinations and interpretations with respect thereto need not be the same with respect to each Participant (whether or not such Participants are similarly situated).
11. Certificates
          All certificates, if any, evidencing Shares or other securities of the Company delivered under the Plan pursuant to any Award or the exercise thereof shall be subject to such stop transfer orders and other restrictions as the Committee may deem advisable under the Plan or the rules, regulations, and other requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission or other applicable governmental authority, any stock exchange or market upon which such securities are then listed, admitted or quoted, as applicable, and any applicable Federal, state or any other applicable laws, and the Committee may cause a legend or legends to be put on any such certificates to make appropriate reference to such restrictions.
12. Other Laws
          The Committee may refuse to issue or transfer any Shares or other consideration under an Award if, acting in its sole discretion, it determines that the issuance or transfer of such Shares or such other consideration might violate any applicable law or regulation and any payment tendered to the Company by a Participant, other holder or beneficiary in connection with the exercise of such Award shall be promptly refunded to the relevant Participant, holder or beneficiary. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, no Award granted hereunder shall be construed as an offer to sell securities of the Company, and no such offer shall be outstanding, unless and until the Committee in its sole discretion has determined that any such offer, if made, would be in compliance with all applicable requirements of applicable securities laws, including, without limitation, laws of the United States (and any state thereof), Germany, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic or the People’s Republic of China.


 

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13. Successors and Assigns
          The Plan shall be binding on all successors and assigns of the Company and a Participant, including without limitation, the estate of such Participant and the executor, administrator or trustee of such estate, or any receiver or trustee in bankruptcy or representative of the Participant’s creditors.
14. Nontransferability of Awards
     Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, an Award shall not be transferable or assignable by the Participant otherwise than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution. An Award exercisable after the death of a Participant may be exercised by the legatees, personal representatives or distributees of the Participant.
15. Amendments or Termination
          The Board may amend, alter or discontinue the Plan, but no amendment, alteration or discontinuation shall be made, (a) without the approval of the shareholders of the Company, if such action would (except as is provided in Section 9 of the Plan), increase the total number of Shares reserved for the purposes of the Plan or (b) without the consent of a Participant, if such action would diminish any of the rights of the Participant under any Award theretofore granted to such Participant under the Plan; provided, however, that the Committee may amend the Plan in such manner as it deems necessary to permit the granting of Awards meeting the requirements of the Code or other applicable laws.
          Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, to the extent applicable, notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, this Plan and Awards issued hereunder shall be interpreted in accordance with Section 409A of the Code and Department of Treasury regulations and other interpretative guidance issued thereunder, including without limitation any such regulations or other guidance that may be issued after the Effective Date. Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary, in the event that the Committee determines that any amounts payable hereunder will be taxable to a Participant under Section 409A of the Code and related Department of Treasury guidance prior to payment to such Participant of such amount, the Company may (a) adopt such amendments to the Plan and Awards and appropriate policies and procedures, including amendments and policies with retroactive effect, that the Committee determines necessary or appropriate to preserve the intended tax treatment of the benefits provided by the Plan and Awards hereunder and/or (b) take such other actions as the Committee determines necessary or appropriate to comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code.
16. International Participants
          With respect to Participants who reside or work outside the United States of America, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, amend the terms of the Plan or Awards with respect to such Participants in order to conform such terms with the requirements of local law.


 

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17. Choice of Law
          The Plan shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware without regard to conflicts of laws.
18. Effectiveness of the Plan
          The Plan shall be effective as of the Effective Date.