UFP Industries, Inc. Deferred Compensation Plan (as conformed through 2023-1 Amendment effective January 1, 2024)
Exhibit 10(c)
UFP INDUSTRIES, INC.
DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN
Amended and Restated effective as of January 1, 2020
(Conformed to reflect 2021-1 Amendment and 2023-1 Amendment)
Table of Contents
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16483168_1
UFP INDUSTRIES, INC.
DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN
Establishment and Purpose
UFP Industries, Inc. (the “Company”) established the UFP Industries, Inc. Deferred Compensation Plan (the “Plan”) as of December 27, 1995. Prior to April 22, 2020, the Company was known as Universal Forest Products, Inc., and prior to this restatement, the Plan was named the Universal Forest Products, Inc. Deferred Compensation Plan. The Plan has periodically been amended, and was most recently amended and restated effective June 1, 2011.
By this document, the Company is amending and restating the Plan effective as of January 1, 2020.
The Company desires to retain the services of a select group of executives who contribute to the profitability and success of the Company. The Company maintains the Plan to provide the executives who participate in the Plan with the opportunity to defer a portion of their Compensation and have additional retirement income.
The Plan is intended to be unfunded and maintained primarily for the purpose of providing deferred compensation for a select group of management or highly compensated employees for purposes of ERISA. Accordingly, the Plan is not intended to be covered by Parts 2 through 4 of Subtitle B of Title I of ERISA. The existence of any Trust Fund is not intended to change this characterization of the Plan.
To the extent the Plan provides deferred compensation under Section 409A of the Code, the Plan is intended to comply with Section 409A. The Plan is intended to be interpreted consistent with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code.
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Definitions
The following terms shall have the meanings described in this Article unless the context clearly indicates another meaning is intended. All references in the Plan to specific articles or sections shall refer to Articles or Sections of the Plan unless otherwise stated.
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For purposes of the Plan, the Company is “affiliated with” another person or entity if that person or entity has an ownership interest in the Company.
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The Plan Administrator shall determine the Key Employee status of each Participant in accordance with Sections 409A and 416(i)(1) of the Code and the applicable regulations and guidance.
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(1)willful misconduct, usurpation of business opportunity or gross negligence related to the Company;
(2)engagement in dishonesty, illegal conduct, or gross misconduct, which is, in each case, materially injurious to the Company;
(3)embezzlement, misappropriation, or fraud, whether or not related to the Participant’s employment with the Company; or
(4)conviction of or plea of guilty or nolo contendere to a crime that constitutes a felony (or state law equivalent), if such felony is work-related or results in material reputational or financial harm to the Company.
For purposes of determining whether an action constitutes Substantial Cause, no act or failure to act on the part of a Participant shall be considered “willful” unless it is done, or omitted to be done, by the Participant in bad faith or without reasonable belief that the Participant’s action or omission was in the best interests of the Company. Any act, or failure to act, based on authority given pursuant to a resolution duly adopted by the Board or on the advice of counsel for the Company shall be conclusively presumed to be done, or
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omitted to be done, by the Participant in good faith and in the best interests of the Company.1
Participation
The Administrative Committee, with the approval of the Board, shall determine the Employees who are eligible to participate in the Plan. If the Administrative Committee selects an Employee to participate, the Employee will become a Participant on the effective date of
1 Subsection (w) added by 2021-1 Amendment, effective June 1, 2021.
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participation designated by the Administrative Committee, but only if the Employee signs a participation agreement agreeing to the terms of the Plan.
It is intended that participation be limited to Employees who will qualify as members of a “select group of management or other highly compensated employees” under Title I of ERISA. In general, the Employees who are eligible to participate are the officers, general managers of operations, operations managers, managing directors, regional sales managers, plant managers, Executive Account Managers, and past and present members of the President’s Club (as such group is now or hereafter named and constituted) of the Company as well as select corporate directors, purchasing managers and senior managers of the Company.
The Employee shall acknowledge in the participation agreement that he is an unsecured creditor of the Company with regard to any benefits under the Plan and waive any right to a priority claim with regard to the benefits. The Employee may also be required to complete other forms as a condition for participation.
The Administrative Committee may remove an Employee from further active participation in the Plan at any time. If this occurs, the Employee shall not have any additional amounts credited to his Account under Section 4.2, but amounts shall continue to be credited to a Participant’s Account under Section 4.3 until Participant’s Account is distributed pursuant to Article 5.
Amounts Credited to Accounts
The Plan Administrator shall maintain an Account for each Participant to record the Participant’s benefits under the terms of the Plan. A Participant’s Account is for bookkeeping purposes only. The Company is not required to make contributions to the Trust Fund to fund the amounts credited to a Participant’s Account. A Participant’s Elective Deferrals shall be credited to his Account as soon as administratively feasible after the amounts otherwise would have been paid to the Participant.
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The Plan Administrator may also periodically establish additional rules relating to a Participant’s Elective Deferrals (for example, a minimum amount permitted).
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If the Participant does not remain employed by the Company or a Related Employer under the elected payment date, the Participant's right to the portion of the Bonus for which the Participant elected to receive an in-service distribution shall be forfeited and cancelled. In the event the Participant is eligible to receive an in-service distribution pursuant to the terms of this subsection (f), the amount distributed will be the lesser of the amount of the Bonus the Participant elected to be paid as of the date it was deferred and the value of the Bonus on the date of distribution. To the extent a Participant’s Bonus deferral for a year is treated as invested in UFP Stock, the Participant’s Elective Deferrals from his or her Bonus will only be distributed in whole shares of UFP Stock, and any fractional shares shall not be distributed, but shall be retained in the Plan until the Participant’s Separation from Service. Except as provided in subsection (e), a Participant’s election to receive an in-service distribution pursuant to this subsection (f) is irrevocable effective after June 30 of the calendar year.
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(x ÷ .85)
z
where x equals the amount the Participant defers and z equals the closing market price of UFP Stock on the day the amount would have been paid to the Participant if he had not elected to defer it. Elective Deferrals that are treated as being invested in UFP Stock shall continue to be treated as invested in UFP Stock until the Elective Deferrals are distributed to the Participant.
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For purposes of this subsection, if a Participant’s box 1 W-2 compensation for any calendar year is for work performed for less than a 12-month period, the Participant’s box 1 W-2 compensation for the calendar year shall be annualized by multiplying his box 1 W-2 compensation by 12 and dividing it by the number of full and partial months he worked during the year.
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For purposes of this subsection, if a Participant’s box 1 W-2 compensation for any calendar year is for work performed for less than a 12-month period, the Participant’s box 1 W-2 compensation for the calendar year shall be annualized by multiplying his box 1 W-2 compensation by 12 and dividing it by the number of full and partial months he worked during the year.
Except as provided in Sections 4.6 and 5.3, all amounts credited to a Participant’s Account are always 100% vested.2
If a Participant’s employment is terminated by the Company in connection with Substantial Cause, or if the Company determines that Substantial Cause exists with respect to a Participant at any time prior to payment of the Participant’s benefits from the Plan pursuant to Section 5.3, then the Participant’s Account balance under the Plan shall be reduced by the lesser of (i) the amount of material harm or damages incurred by the Company as a result of the Substantial Cause, including but not limited to any costs related to investigation or prosecution of the Substantial Cause, all as determined in the sole discretion of the Administrative Committee, or (ii) the full balance of the Participant’s Account at the time of the Substantial Cause.3
2 Section 4.5 restated by 2021-1 Amendment, effective June 1, 2021.
3 Section 4.6 added by 2021-1 Amendment, effective June 1, 2021.
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Distribution of Benefits
A Participant shall have a Distributable Event for purposes of the Plan on the date the first of the following events occurs:
A Participant’s benefits under the Plan shall be equal to the amount credited to the Participant’s Account on a date determined by the Company that is no more than one month prior to the date the amount is distributed to the Participant.
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A Participant’s benefits from the Plan shall be distributed in cash, except all amounts treated as invested in UFP Stock shall be distributed in the form of certificates for whole shares of UFP Stock and any fractional shares shall be withheld to cover taxes. In addition, no fractional shares shall be paid pursuant to any in-service distribution election made under Section 4.2(f).
“Beneficiary” means the beneficiary designated in writing by the Participant to receive benefits from the Plan in the event of the Participant’s death. The Beneficiary shall be designated on a form provided by the Plan Administrator, and the Participant may change the Beneficiary designation at any time by signing and delivering a new form to the Plan Administrator. A beneficiary designation will become effective upon receipt by the Plan Administrator, but only if received before the Participant’s death.
A trust may be designated as a Beneficiary. If this occurs, the Plan Administrator will determine the rights of any trustee designated as a Beneficiary without responsibility for determining the validity, existence or provisions of that trust, and will have no responsibility for the use of amounts paid to that trustee or for the discharge of the trust.
If a Participant designates the Participant’s Spouse as Beneficiary and the Participant and Spouse are subsequently divorced, the judgment of divorce will be considered to revoke the prior Beneficiary designation of the Spouse.
The rules of this paragraph apply unless provided otherwise in a Participant’s Beneficiary designation form. If a Participant designates one primary Beneficiary and the Beneficiary dies after the Participant but before benefit payments are completed, any remaining benefits will be payable to the secondary Beneficiary. If a Participant fails to designate a secondary Beneficiary, or if no secondary Beneficiary survives the primary Beneficiary, any remaining benefits will be payable to the deceased primary Beneficiary’s heirs in the manner described in the next paragraph. If a Participant designates more than one primary Beneficiary or more than one secondary Beneficiary and a Beneficiary dies before benefit payments are made, the share payable to the deceased Beneficiary will be paid to the deceased Beneficiary’s heirs in the manner described in the next paragraph as if the Beneficiary was the Participant.
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If a Participant fails to designate a Beneficiary, or if no designated Beneficiary survives a Participant, distribution will be made in equal shares to the members of the first of the classes listed below having a living member on the date the distribution is payable. The classes, in order of priority, are as follows:
A Beneficiary is permitted to disclaim the Beneficiary’s rights to a death benefit under the Plan to the extent permitted by applicable law. If this occurs, the Beneficiary will be treated as predeceasing the Participant for purposes of this Section.
The records of the Plan Administrator will be conclusive as to the proper payee and the amount payable. A distribution made based upon these facts will be treated as a complete discharge of all obligations under the Plan.4
If a Participant incurs an unforeseeable emergency within the meaning of Treasury Regulation §1.409A-3(i)(3)(i), the Committee may pay the Participant some or all of the remaining balance of the Award in a lump sum in lieu of following the payment timing set forth in Section 5.3. The Committee will evaluate requests for payment due to unforeseeable emergency under the facts and circumstances of the situation. The amount of any payment made on account of an unforeseeable emergency shall not exceed the amount reasonably necessary to satisfy the financial hardship, including amounts necessary to pay any federal, state or local income taxes or penalties reasonably anticipated to result from the payment, as determined by the Committee. No early payment will be made to extent that the financial hardship can be relieved (i) through reimbursement or compensation by insurance or otherwise or (ii) by liquidation of the Participant’s assets without such liquidation itself causing a severe financial hardship.
Any applicable federal, state, or local taxes shall be withheld from the benefits paid to a Participant or the Participant’s Beneficiary to the extent required by law or elected by the Participant or Beneficiary.
4 Section 5.5 restated by 2023-1 Amendment, effective January 1, 2024.
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Funding
The Plan does not create any trust or other fiduciary relationship of any kind with respect to the deferred compensation or any asset of the Company. The Company has complete legal and beneficial ownership of all assets attributable to deferred compensation. The right to deferred compensation under the Plan is merely an unsecured promise of the Company to pay the deferred compensation from the Company’s general assets. The Plan does not require the Company or the Committee to establish any fund or segregate any assets for the benefit of any Participant.
The Company may enter into a trust agreement with an unrelated financial institution, as Trustee, to establish a Trust Fund to accumulate reserve of assets for the payment of benefits under the Plan, but Participants will have no interest in any such reserve (or any other assets of the Company) other than their interests as creditors with unsecured claims for payment of deferred compensation according to the terms of the Plan. If a Trust Fund is established, the Company may, but is not required to, make contributions to the Trust Fund. However, if a Change in Control
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occurs, the Company shall establish a Trust Fund and shall contribute to the Trust Fund an amount, if any, necessary so that the assets of the Trust Fund are sufficient to pay all amounts credited to Participants’ Accounts.
Administration
The Company shall have the sole responsibility for the administration of the Plan and is designated as named fiduciary and Plan Administrator. The Plan Administrator shall have the power and duties which are described in this Article. The Administrative Committee shall carry out the functions of the Plan Administrator with respect to the day-to-day operations of the Plan. If a member of the Administrative Committee is a Participant, the member shall abstain from voting on any matter relating to the member’s benefits under the Plan.
The Administrative Committee may adopt such policies and procedures as it deems necessary, desirable, or appropriate. All policies, procedures, and decisions of the Administrative Committee will be uniformly applied to all Participants in similar circumstances. When making a determination or calculation, the Administrative Committee will be entitled to rely upon information furnished by a Participant, Beneficiary, or alternate payee, the Company, or the Company’s legal counsel.
The Plan Administrator has discretionary authority over the administration of the Plan, including the discretionary authority to—
The Plan Adminstrator’s exercise of discretion under the Plan is absolute, need not be uniform among Participants, and may vary from one Participant to another.
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The Committee shall maintain records as necessary or appropriate to comply with the recordkeeping, reporting, and disclosure requirements of ERISA. The Committee shall also maintain records as necessary or appropriate to satisfy the recordkeeping requirements of the Code, including records sufficient to demonstrate compliance with the requirements Code §409A.
Any Participant whose application for benefits under the Plan has been denied, in whole or in part, shall be given written notice of the denial of benefits by the Plan Administrator. The notice shall be in easily understood language and shall indicate the reasons for denial and the specific provisions of the Plan on which the denial is based. The notice shall explain that the Participant may request a review of the denial and the procedure for requesting review. The notice shall describe any additional information necessary to approve the Participant’s claim and explain why such information is necessary.
A Participant may make a written request to the Plan Administrator for a review of any denial of benefits under the Plan. The request for review must be in writing and must be made within 60 days after the mailing date of the notice of denial. The request shall refer to the provisions of the Plan on which it is based and shall set forth the facts relied upon as justifying a reversal or modification of the determination being appealed.
A Participant who requests a review of a denial of benefits in accordance with this appeal procedure may examine pertinent documents and submit pertinent issues and comments in writing. A Participant may have a duly authorized representative act on his behalf in exercising his right to request a review and any other rights granted by this appeal procedure. The Plan Administrator shall provide a review of the decision denying the claim for benefit within 60 days after receiving the written request for review (or 45 days, if the claim involves a determination of Disability).
A Participant shall not be permitted to commence any legal action against the Company regarding benefits under the Plan before exhausting the appeal procedure contained in this Section.
The Company shall indemnify and hold harmless the members of the Administrative Committee and their duly appointed agents against any and all claims, loss, damage, expense or liability arising from any action or failure to act with respect to the Plan, except in the case of gross negligence or willful misconduct by any such member or agent of the Administrative Committee.
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Miscellaneous
The Plan does not create any right to employment or restrict the Company’s right to terminate any Employee’s employment.
The Company may amend the Plan at any time, in the Company’s discretion, with or without advance notice to Employees, Participants or Beneficiaries, but no amendment will be effective unless it is set forth in writing and signed by the Chairman of the Board, by the Chief Executive Officer, Corporate Secretary or by any other person specifically authorized by the Board or the bylaws of the Company. However, no amendment shall reduce the amount credited to a Participant’s Account without the written consent of the affected Participant.
The Company may terminate the Plan at any time, in the Company’s discretion, with or without advance notice to Employees, Participants or Beneficiaries. If the Plan is terminated, no additional amounts shall be credited to a Participant’s Account under Section 4.2, but the Participant’s Account shall be adjusted for the results of hypothetical investments under Section 4.3 until the Participant’s benefits are distributed to the Participant.
The Participant shall be entitled to receive the amounts credited to his Account upon satisfying the requirements for payment of benefits under the Plan. However, the Company may pay the Participant the amount credited to the Participant’s Account at any time after the Plan is terminated if the payment is permitted by Section 409A of the Code.
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Words used in the masculine shall apply to the feminine where applicable. Wherever the context of the Plan dictates, the plural shall be read as the singular and the singular as the plural.
The Plan is governed by the law of the State of Michigan, even if principles of Michigan law regarding conflict of laws or choice of law would otherwise require or permit a court to apply the law of another jurisdiction, except to the extent that Michigan law is preempted by the laws of the United States of America (including any common law developed by federal courts under the applicable laws of the United States).
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Signature
The Company has signed the amended and restated UFP Industries, Inc. Deferred Compensation Plan effective as of January 1, 2020.
UFP INDUSTRIES, INC.
By
Its
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