UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 14A
(Rule 14a-101)
Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934
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Thor Industries, Inc.
(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)
(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if Other Than the Registrant)
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Letter from the Board of Directors
Dear Fellow Shareholders of
Thor Industries:
Thor Industries, Inc. | Notice of 2018 Annual Meeting & Proxy Statement 1
2
Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders
Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Thor Industries, Inc. Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be Held on December 14, 2018
Dear Fellow Shareholders,
It is our pleasure to invite you to our Annual Meeting of Shareholders (our Meeting or Annual Meeting) that will be held on December 14, 2018, at 1:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, at the Grand Hyatt New York, 109 East 42nd Street, New York, NY 10017 in the Park Avenue Room. At the meeting, our Shareholders will be asked to:
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● | Elect the Class C Directors named in the Proxy Statement; |
FOR
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● | Ratify the appointment of the independent registered public accounting firm; |
FOR
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● | Vote, on an advisory basis, to approve the Named Executive Officer compensation; |
FOR
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● | Vote to approve declassification of the Board; and |
FOR
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● | Transact such other business as may properly come before the Meeting. |
REVIEW THE PROXY STATEMENT AND VOTE IN ONE OF FOUR WAYS |
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Via The Internet | By Telephone | |||||
You may vote by internet 24 hours a day through 11:59 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, on December 13, 2018, by following the instructions listed on the Notice Card. | You may vote by telephone 24 hours a day through 11:59 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, on December 13, 2018, by following the instructions listed on the Notice Card. | |||||
By Mail | In Person | |||||
You can only vote by mail if you request and receive a paper copy of the proxy materials and proxy card. You may request proxy materials by following the instructions listed on the Notice Card. You may then vote by completing, signing, dating, and returning a proxy card. | Attend the Meeting in person. If you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, you will be required to present photo identification and verification of the amount of shares held as of October 15, 2018, to gain access to the meeting. | |||||
Notice to Shareholders: Our 2018 Proxy Statement and Annual Report on Form 10-K are available free of charge on our website at www.thorindustries.com. | ||||||
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Proxy Summary
This summary highlights certain information contained in our Fiscal Year 2018 Proxy Statement. While it does not contain all of the information in this Proxy Statement, it provides an overview of the information discussed herein. You should carefully review the entire Proxy Statement before voting.
Voting Matters
Proposal 1: | Election of Directors | |||||||
Board | ||||||||
Andrew Graves | Recommendations | |||||||
Mr. Graves joined our Board in 2010. He is currently the chair of our Compensation and Development Committee and a member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Mr. Graves is a consultant with Motorsport Aftermarket Group, a leading manufacturer, distributor, and online retailer of aftermarket products in the powersports industry. His extensive management experience in related consumer businesses makes him an asset to our Board.
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FOR
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Christopher Klein
Mr. Klein joined our Board in 2017. He is the Chief Executive Officer of Fortune Brands Home & Security, Inc., a leading manufacturer of home and security products. Mr. Klein is a member of the Audit Committee and the Compensation and Development Committee. His extensive management experience and treasury and consulting background make him an asset to our Board.
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FOR
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Proposal 2:
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Ratification of Appointment of Independent Registered Accounting Firm for Fiscal Year 2019
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FOR
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Proposal 3:
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Advisory Vote to Approve the Compensation of our Named Executive Officers (NEOs)
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FOR
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Proposal 4:
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Declassification of our Board Of Directors
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FOR
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Thor Industries, Inc. | Notice of 2018 Annual Meeting & Proxy Statement 5
Business Highlights
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Thor Industries, Inc. | Notice of 2018 Annual Meeting & Proxy Statement 7
Business Highlights
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Compensation Highlights
Thor Industries, Inc. | Notice of 2018 Annual Meeting & Proxy Statement 9
Corporate Governance Highlights
Good corporate governance is essential to the continued long-term success of our business. The following list identifies important governance actions and practices at Thor in Fiscal Year 2018:
Director Independence | | Six (6) of our eight (8) Directors are independent | ||||
| Independent Lead Director | |||||
| Board committees comprised entirely of independent members of the Board | |||||
| Independent Directors meet without management present | |||||
Board Refreshment | | Balance of new and experienced Directors | ||||
| Followed a mandatory retirement policy requiring all Directors who are 72 years of age or older to submit a resignation to the Board for consideration each year | |||||
| Guided by a newly adopted diversity policy | |||||
Board Accountability | | Implemented a majority voting standard for Directors requiring Directors in uncontested elections to be elected by a majority of the votes cast and requiring submission of resignation in the event that the required majority vote is not received | ||||
| Developed a proposal to amend our Certificate of Incorporation to declassify our Board and require each Director to stand for election each year, which is presented to the Shareholders for vote at our 2018 Annual Meeting via this Proxy | |||||
Board Evaluation & Effectiveness | | Annual Board Self-Assessment | ||||
| Bifurcated Chairman and CEO roles | |||||
Director Engagement | | All current Directors attended 98% of Board and Committee meetings in Fiscal Year 2018 | ||||
| No Directors serve on an excessive number of outside boards | |||||
| Board committees possess the right to hire advisors | |||||
| Executives do not sit on outside for-profit boards | |||||
Clawback and Anti-Hedging Policies | | No Fault Clawback Policy: Return of incentive compensation when financial restatement is required | ||||
| Anti-hedging, short sale, and pledging policies | |||||
| Double trigger change in control provisions added to 2010 Equity Plan and made part of our 2016 Equity Plan requiring either a corresponding change in employment status or the failure of an acquirer to assume the award before any change in control would result in the accelerated vesting of such award | |||||
Share Ownership | | Share ownership and retention guidelines for Directors and Officers | ||||
Proxy Access | | Allow for Proxy Access for up to twenty (20) Shareholders who, in the aggregate, hold at least 3% of Thors outstanding stock for a period of at least three (3) years | ||||
Board Engagement | | Continued Shareholder and advisory firm engagement | ||||
| Disclosure of Company Governance Guidelines |
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Thor Industries, Inc. | Notice of 2018 Annual Meeting & Proxy Statement 13
Our Board of Directors Director Nominees
Andrew Graves
Age: 59
Director Since: 2010
Mr. Graves, who became a Director in December of 2010, is a consultant for Motorsport Aftermarket Group, a leading manufacturer, distributor, and on-line retailer of aftermarket products for the powersports industry. He joined this privately-held group in January of 2015. Previously, Mr. Graves served as the President of Brunswick Boat Group, a division of the Brunswick Corporation, an NYSE company. He was with Brunswick from 2005-2014. Prior to his time with Brunswick, Mr. Graves was President of Dresser Flow Solutions, a maker of flow control products, measurement systems, and power systems, from 2003 to 2005, and before that he was President and Chief Operating Officer of Federal Signal Corporation. Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and Board believe that his extensive management experience in a related consumer durable business whose products are distributed through a dealer network makes him an asset to our Board.
Thor Committees:
Compensation and Development (Chair)
Nominating and Corporate Governance
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Skills and Qualifications:
Management
Business Operations
Finance/Capital Allocation
Financial Expertise/Literacy
Financial Services Industry
International
Marketing/Sales
Talent Management
Mergers & Acquisitions
Strategy | |||||
Christopher Klein
Age: 55
Director Since: 2017
Mr. Klein, who became a Director in December 2017, is the Chief Executive Officer and a director of Fortune Brands Home & Security, Inc., a leading manufacturer of home and security products. Mr. Klein joined Fortune Brands, Inc. in 2003 and held corporate strategy, business development and operational positions until he became CEO of Fortune Brands Home & Security in 2010. Previously, Mr. Klein held key strategy and operating positions at Bank One Corporation and also served as a partner at McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting firm. Mr. Klein spent his early career in commercial banking, at both ABN AMRO and First Chicago. Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and Board believe that his management experience as chief executive officer of a public company, as well as his treasury and consulting background make him an asset to our Board. |
Skills and Qualifications:
Business Head/Administration
Financial Expertise/Literacy
Mergers & Acquisitions
Corporate Governance
Financial Services Industry
Risk Management
Finance
International
Strategic Alliances
Finance/Capital Allocation
Management
Strategy
Talent Management
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Thor Committees: |
Outside Directorships |
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Audit |
Fortune Brands Home & Security, Inc. |
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Compensation and Development |
Ravinia Festival |
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Thor Industries, Inc. | Notice of 2018 Annual Meeting & Proxy Statement 15
Our Board of Directors Current Directors Not up for Re-Election
Skills and Qualifications:
Financial Expertise/Literacy
Mergers & Acquisitions
Strategy
Management
Business Operations
Financial/Capital Allocation |
Peter B. Orthwein
Age: 73
Director Since: 1980
Executive Chairman of the Board
Mr. Orthwein, a co-founder of our Company, currently serves as Executive Chairman of the Board, having been appointed to this position in August of 2013 and having previously served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer from November of 2009 to July of 2013. Mr. Orthwein has served as a Director of our Company since its founding in 1980, Chairman of our Company from 1980 to 1986, Vice Chairman of our Company from 1986 to November of 2009, and Treasurer of our Company from 1980 to November of 2009. Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and Board believe that his extensive experience with our Company and the industry make him an asset to our Board.
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Skills and Qualifications:
Business Ethics
Management
Business Operations
Corporate Governance
Financial/Capital Allocation
Government/Public Policy
International
Marketing/Sales
Risk Management
Talent Management
Technology/Systems
Mergers & Acquisitions
Strategy |
Wilson Jones
Age: 57
Director Since: 2014
Mr. Jones, who became a Director in August of 2014, is the President and Chief Executive Officer and a director of Oshkosh Corporation, a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of a broad range of specialty vehicles and vehicle bodies. Mr. Jones joined Oshkosh Corporation in 2005 and held senior leadership positions in the Fire & Emergency Segment until July of 2007 when he became President of Pierce Manufacturing, Inc. From September of 2008 to September of 2010, Mr. Jones held the position of Executive Vice President and President of the Fire & Emergency segment. From September of 2010 to August of 2012, Mr. Jones led the Access Equipment Segment as Executive Vice President and President, the largest business segment of the company, until his appointment to President and Chief Operating Officer. He was named President and Chief Executive Officer in January of 2016. Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee believe his experience in specialty vehicles and management experience make him an asset to our Board. | |||
Thor Committees: |
Outside Directorships | |||
Compensation and Development
Nominating and Corporate Governance
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Association of
Equipment |
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J. Allen Kosowsky
Age: 70
Director Since: 2010
Mr. Kosowsky, who became a Director in March of 2010, is a certified public accountant who since 1985 has conducted business through his own advisory firm. The firm provides services that include business and intellectual property valuations, forensic accounting and financial analysis, and alternative dispute resolutions. From January of 2003 to February of 2010, Mr. Kosowsky served as the Chairman of the board of directors and Chairman of the audit committee for ON2 Technologies Inc., a U.S. based video compression software company, which was acquired by Google, Inc. On September 17, 2016, Mr. Kosowsky became a National Association of Corporate Directors fellow. In June of 2017, Mr. Kosowsky joined the board of BlackRidge Technology International, Inc., a cyber security software company and serves as the Lead Director, Chair of the audit committee, and a member of the compensation and nominating and governance committees. Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and Board believe that his extensive accounting experience and his financial expertise and training, which qualify him as an audit committee financial expert, make him an asset to our Board.
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Skills and Qualifications: | |||||||
Business Ethics |
Real Estate | |||||||
Management |
Strategy | |||||||
International |
Taxation | |||||||
Finance |
Litigation | |||||||
Cyber Security |
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Risk Management | ||||||||
Business Operations | ||||||||
Technology/Systems | ||||||||
Mergers & Acquisitions | ||||||||
Thor Committees: |
Outside Directorships |
Corporate Governance | ||||||
Audit
Nominating and Corporate Governance (Chair) |
BlackRidge Technology International, Inc. (2017 present)
Naugatuck Valley Corporation (2014 2015) |
Financial/Capital Allocation | ||||||
Financial Expertise/Literacy | ||||||||
Financial Services Industry | ||||||||
Robert W. Martin
Age: 49
Director Since: 2013
President and Chief Executive Officer
Mr. Martin has been with our Company since 2001 when we acquired Keystone RV, where he worked since July of 1998. Mr. Martin currently serves as our President and Chief Executive Officer. From August of 2012 to July of 2013, Mr. Martin served as the Companys President and Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Martin previously served as President of our RV Group from January of 2012 to August of 2012. Prior to becoming President of our RV Group, Mr. Martin was President of Keystone RV from January of 2010 to January of 2012 and Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Keystone RV from January of 2007 to January of 2010. Mr. Martin has held various positions with Keystone RV, including Vice President of Sales and General Manager of Sales. Prior to joining Keystone RV, Mr. Martin held positions at Coachmen Industries, Inc., a former recreational vehicle and manufactured housing company. Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and Board believe that his extensive experience with our Company and the industry make him an asset to our Board.
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Skills and Qualifications:
Management
Business Operations
Marketing/Sales
Risk Management
Talent Management
Mergers & Acquisitions
Strategy Business Ethics |
Thor Industries, Inc. | Notice of 2018 Annual Meeting & Proxy Statement 17
Our Board of Directors Current Directors Not up for Re-Election
Skills and Qualifications:
Academia/Education
Business Ethics
Management
Business Operations
Corporate Governance
Finance/Capital Allocation
Risk Management
Talent Management
Strategy
International
Strategic Alliances |
Jan H. Suwinski
Age: 77
Director Since: 1999
Mr. Suwinski, who became a Director in July of 1999, joined the faculty of the Samuel-Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management, Cornell University in July of 1996 and served as its Clinical Professor of Management and Operations, where he co-taught the Strategic Operations Immersion course, as well as courses in Business Strategy and Strategic Alliances. Mr. Suwinski retired from the faculty in June of 2016. Starting in 1965, Mr. Suwinski served in a variety of managerial roles at Corning, Incorporated, a global manufacturing company. From 1990 to 1996, Mr. Suwinski was Executive Vice President, Opto Electronics Group at Corning, Incorporated and, from 1992 to 1996, Mr. Suwinski was Chairman of Siecor, a Siemens/ Corning joint venture. Mr. Suwinski was formerly a director of ACI Worldwide, Inc. and Tellabs, Inc. Mr. Suwinski served on the board of directors of Ohio Casualty Group, Inc. from 2002 to 2007. Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and Board believe that his management experience and his significant public company board experience make him an asset to our Board. | |||
Thor Committees: |
Outside Directorships | |||
Audit
Compensation and Development
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ACI Worldwide, Inc (2007 2018)
Tellabs, Inc. (1997 2013) | |||
Skills and Qualifications:
Management
Business Operations
Corporate Governance
Finance/Capital Allocation
Financial Expertise/Literacy
International
Finance
Marketing/Sales
Risk Management
Strategy
Business Ethics |
James L. Ziemer
Age: 68
Director Since: 2010
Mr. Ziemer, who became a Director in December of 2010, was the President and Chief Executive Officer at Harley Davidson, Inc. from 2005-2009 and served as a director for that company from 2004-2009. Mr. Ziemer joined Harley-Davidson in 1969 and held a series of positions in manufacturing, engineering, accounting, parts and accessories, and finance. From 1991 until his election as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Harley-Davidson in 2005, he served as the Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Ziemer also served as President of The Harley-Davidson Foundation, Inc. from 1993 to 2006. Mr. Ziemer is currently a director of Textron, Inc. Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and Board believe that Mr. Ziemers substantial management experience, including as a chief executive officer of a public company, and his financial expertise and training, which qualify him as an audit committee financial expert, make him an asset. | |||
Thor Committees: |
Outside Directorships | |||
Audit (Chair)
Nominating and Corporate Governance
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Textron, Inc. (2007 Present)
Harley-Davidson, Inc. (2004 2009) |
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Thor Industries, Inc. | Notice of 2018 Annual Meeting & Proxy Statement 19
Board of Directors:
Structure, Committees and Corporate Governance
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Name
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Board
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Audit
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Compensation and
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Nominating
and
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Andrew Graves | ü | Chair | ü | |||||||||||
Wilson Jones | ü | ü | ü | |||||||||||
Christopher Klein | ü | ü | ü | |||||||||||
J. Allen Kosowsky* | ü | ü | Chair | |||||||||||
Robert W. Martin | ü | |||||||||||||
Peter B. Orthwein | ü | |||||||||||||
Jan Suwinski | Lead | ü | ü | |||||||||||
James Ziemer* | ü | Chair | ü | |||||||||||
Total Fiscal Year 2018 Meetings
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7
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8
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9
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4
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*Our Board has determined that Mr. Kosowsky and Mr. Ziemer are audit committee financial experts as defined in Section 407 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
Each member of each Committee is independent in accordance with the rules of the NYSE and our Director Independence Standards which are available on our website, www.thorindustries.com.
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Thor Industries, Inc. | Notice of 2018 Annual Meeting & Proxy Statement 21
Board of Directors:
Structure, Committees and Corporate Governance
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Thor Industries, Inc. | Notice of 2018 Annual Meeting & Proxy Statement 23
Board of Directors:
Structure, Committees and Corporate Governance
Director Compensation
There were no changes to our Director compensation in Fiscal Year 2018. Each of our non-employee Directors receives an annual cash retainer of $170,000, payable quarterly, plus expenses. Our Lead Director, the Chair of our Audit Committee and the Chair of our Compensation and Development Committee each receive an additional annual cash retainer of $20,000, payable quarterly and the Chair of our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee receives an additional annual retainer of $10,000, also payable quarterly. The following table summarizes the compensation paid to our non-employee Directors in Fiscal Year 2018:
Name
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Fees Earned in Cash ($)1
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Option
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Stock
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Total
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Andrew Graves | $ 180,000 | | $ 128,360 | $ 308,360 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wilson Jones | $ 170,000 | | $ 128,360 | $ 298,360 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Christopher Klein (3) | $ 85,000 | | | $ 85,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||
J. Allen Kosowsky | $ 180,000 | | $ 128,360 | $ 308,360 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Alan Siegel (4) | $ 85,000 | | $ 128,360 | $ 213,360 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Jan H. Suwinski | $ 200,000 | | $ 128,360 | $ 328,360 | ||||||||||||||||||||
James L. Ziemer
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$ 190,000
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$ 128,360
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$ 318,360
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(1) Fees consist of an annual cash retainer for Board and Committee service and an additional annual cash retainer paid to the Lead Director and the Committee Chairs.
(2) Stock Awards consist of a restricted stock unit award of 1,000 units each on October 10, 2017, under our 2016 Plan, which award vests on the anniversary date of the date of grant.
(3) Mr. Klein joined the Board in December 2017
(4) Mr. Siegel retired from the Board in December 2017
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Executive Officers Who Are Not Directors
The following is a list of the names, ages, titles, and certain biographical information of our current Executive Officers who are not Directors as of October 31, 2018. Executive Officers serve at the discretion of our Board of Directors.
Colleen Zuhl
Age: 52
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Ms. Zuhl, a Certified Public Accountant, joined our Company in June of 2011, currently serving as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Prior to accepting her role as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in October of 2013, Ms. Zuhl served the Company as Vice President and Controller from February of 2013 to October of 2013, Interim Chief Financial Officer from October of 2012 to February of 2013, and Director of Finance from June of 2011 to October of 2012. Prior to joining our Company, Ms. Zuhl served as Chief Financial Officer of All American Group, Inc. (formerly known as Coachmen Industries, Inc.), then a recreational vehicle and manufactured housing company listed on the NYSE, from August of 2006 to June of 2011.
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Todd Woelfer
Age: 51
Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary
Mr. Woelfer joined our Company in August of 2012, serving as Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary. Prior to joining our Company, Mr. Woelfer served as managing partner of May Oberfell Lorber where his practice focused on advising corporate clients. From May of 2007 through May of 2010, Mr. Woelfer served as General Counsel to All American Group, Inc. (formerly known as Coachmen Industries, Inc.), then a recreational vehicle and manufactured housing company listed on the NYSE.
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Kenneth D. Julian
Age: 51
Senior Vice President of Administration and Human Resources
Mr. Julian has been with our Company since March of 2004, currently serving as Senior Vice President of Administration and Human Resources. Mr. Julian served as Vice President, Human Resources from July of 2009 until August of 2014. Mr. Julian previously served as Vice President of Administration of Keystone RV from March of 2004 to June of 2009. Prior to joining our Company, Mr. Julian served as the Director of Operations and Human Resources, as well as Corporate Secretary, for Ascot Enterprises, Inc. from February of 1989 to March of 2004. |
Thor Industries, Inc. | Notice of 2018 Annual Meeting & Proxy Statement 25
Ratification of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
The Audit Committee of the Board has selected Deloitte & Touche LLP (Deloitte) as our independent registered public accounting firm to perform the audits of our financial statements and our internal control over financial reporting for the Fiscal Year ending July 31, 2019. Deloitte was our independent registered public accounting firm for the Fiscal Year ended July 31, 2018. Unless a Shareholder directs otherwise, proxies will be voted FOR the approval of the selection of Deloitte as our independent registered public accounting firm for the Fiscal Year ending July 31, 2019.
Representatives of Deloitte will be present at the Meeting, will have the opportunity to make a statement if they desire to do so, and will be available to respond to any Shareholder questions that may be asked.
We are asking our Shareholders to ratify the selection of Deloitte as our independent registered public accounting firm. Although ratification is not required, the Board is submitting the selection of Deloitte to our Shareholders for ratification as a matter of good corporate practice. Even if the selection is ratified, the Audit Committee, in its discretion, may select a different independent registered public accounting firm at any time during the year if it determines that such a change would be in the best interest of the Company and our Shareholders.
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Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm Fees (Paid To Deloitte & Touche LLP)
The following table represents the aggregate fees billed to us for Fiscal Years 2018 and 2017 by Deloitte:
Fiscal Year 2018
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Fiscal Year 2017
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Audit Fees |
$1,777,840 | $1,812,108 | ||||||||||
Audit-Related Fees |
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Subtotal |
$1,777,840 | $1,812,108 | ||||||||||
Tax Fees |
$ 421,439 | $ 378,300 | ||||||||||
All Other Fees |
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Total Fees
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$2,199,279
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$2,190,408
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Thor Industries, Inc. | Notice of 2018 Annual Meeting & Proxy Statement 27
The Audit Committee serves as the representative of the Companys Board of Directors for general oversight of the Companys financial accounting and reporting, systems of internal control and audit process, monitoring compliance with laws, regulations, and standards of business conduct. The Audit Committee operates under a written charter, a copy of which is available on our Companys website at www.thorindustries.com and is available in print to any Shareholder who requests it.
Management of the Company has the primary responsibility for the financial reporting process, including the system of internal control. In Fiscal Year 2018, the Companys internal audit department performed extensive diligence and intensive review of the Companys internal control processes. Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm acting as the Companys independent auditor, is responsible for performing an independent audit of the Companys consolidated financial statements and an assessment of the Companys internal control over financial reporting in accordance with the standards of the United States Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) and issuing reports thereon.
In carrying out its duties, the Audit Committee has reviewed and discussed the Companys audited consolidated financial statements for the Fiscal Year ended July 31, 2018 with the Companys management and Deloitte. The Audit Committee has also discussed with Deloitte the matters required to be discussed by Auditing Standard No. 16, Communications with Audit Committees, as amended, as adopted by the PCAOB. In addition, the Audit Committee has received the disclosures from Deloitte required by the applicable requirements of the PCAOB regarding Deloittes communications with the Audit Committee concerning independence and has discussed with Deloitte its independence from the Company. Based on the foregoing reports and discussions and subject to the limitations on the role and responsibilities of the Audit Committee referred to above and in the Charter of the Audit Committee, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board of Directors, and the Board of Directors has approved, that the audited consolidated financial statements be included in the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the Fiscal Year ended July 31, 2018.
The Board of Directors has affirmatively determined that each of the members of the Audit Committee is independent as defined under the rules of the NYSE.
The Audit Committee
James L. Ziemer, Chair
Christopher Klein
J. Allen Kosowsky
Jan H. Suwinski
The foregoing report of our Audit Committee shall not be deemed to be incorporated by reference in any previous or future documents filed by our Company with the SEC under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, except to the extent that we incorporate the report by reference in any such document.
28
Compensation Discussion & Analysis
Named Executive Officers for Fiscal 2018
In our Compensation Discussion and Analysis, we describe the compensation plan for our Named Executive Officers for Fiscal Year 2018. These NEOs include:
Peter B. Orthwein, our Executive Chairman
Robert W. Martin, our President and Chief Executive Officer
Colleen Zuhl, our Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Todd Woelfer, our Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary
Ken Julian, our Senior Vice President of Administration and Human Resources
In addition to telling you what our compensation plan is, we explain why the Compensation and Development Committee of our Board of Directors believes our plan to be in the best interest of each of you, our Shareholders.
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32
Executive Summary
Our Business
Thor owns operating subsidiaries that, combined, form the largest manufacturer of recreational vehicles in the world. In addition, Thor owns one of the largest suppliers of aluminum extrusions to the recreational vehicle industry. For more information about our business, please see Business and Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on September 20, 2018.
2018 Business Highlights
In Fiscal Year 2018, managements continued implementation of its strategic plan once again led to record levels of sales and earnings. Net sales increased 14.9% to a record $8.33 billion, and net income increased 14.9% to a record $430 million, or $8.14 per diluted share. As discussed in our shareholder letter, our stock faced headwinds in Fiscal Year 2018, resulting in a negative TSR in the one-year view. However, our three-year annualized Total Shareholder Return (TSR) of over 21% placed us 2nd in our peer group and is more than over 12.5% per year the peer group mean of 8.48%. The horizontal line depicts the mean annualized TSR for our peer group. |
Thor Industries, Inc. | Notice of 2018 Annual Meeting & Proxy Statement 33
Compensation Discussion and Analysis
Key Accomplishments from this Past Fiscal Year Include
Record total sales of $8.33 billion, up 14.9% from our prior record year in Fiscal Year 2017;
Towable RV and Motorized RV sales increased 17.2 and 8.9%, respectively compared to Fiscal Year 2017;
Net income from continuing operations of $430 million, up 14.9% from Fiscal Year 2017s prior record level;
Diluted EPS of $8.14, up 14.8% from Fiscal Year 2017;
We fully paid down our long-term debt associated with the Jayco acquisition during Fiscal Year 2018, beating by approximately one year our three-year payoff target;
Invested heavily in our future, as we added plants and capacity with total capital expenditures of over $138 million; and
Significantly increased our manufacturing capacity, adding nearly 864,000 square feet of production space. |
|
34
Thor Industries, Inc. | Notice of 2018 Annual Meeting & Proxy Statement 35
Compensation Discussion and Analysis
Executive Compensation Hightlights
Highlights of our compensation practices for Fiscal Year 2018 included:
No upward adjustment in the base compensation or incentive cash compensation formula for our NEOs;
Continued input and advice from our compensation consultant;
Continued analysis of, and reliance upon, benchmarking data;
Continued implementation of a comprehensive no fault clawback policy;
No discretionary awards paid to our NEOs;
Maintenance of our Stock Ownership and Retention Guidelines;
No awards of stock options;
No perquisites awarded to our NEOs other than an annual physical exam;
No written employment contracts, severance agreements, or golden parachutes with our NEOs; and
Continued dedication to our transparent and true pay for performance philosophy based on profit before tax.
CEO Compensation for Mr. Martin
Compensation | FY 2018 | Metric | FY 2017 | Metric | % Change | |||||||||||||||
Base Salary(1) |
$ 750,000(1) | $ 750,000 | 0.0% | |||||||||||||||||
Annual Incentive Award |
$ 9,495,435 | 1.5% (2) | $ 8,147,650 | 1.75% | 16.5% | |||||||||||||||
Long Term Incentive |
$ 4,747,718 | |
0.75% (3) |
|
$ 4,371,035 | 0.50% | 8.6% | |||||||||||||
Total Compensation
|
$ 14,993,153
|
$ 13,268,685
|
13.0%
|
|||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||
(1) Mr. Martins base salary remained unchanged for Fiscal Year 2018. (2) Mr. Martins Fiscal Year 2018 Annual Incentive Award was 1.5% of the Companys NBT. (3) Mr. Martins Fiscal Year 2018 Long Term Incentive was 0.75% of the Companys NBT.
|
|
36
Thor Industries, Inc. | Notice of 2018 Annual Meeting & Proxy Statement 37
Compensation Discussion and Analysis
38
Thor Industries, Inc. | Notice of 2018 Annual Meeting & Proxy Statement 39
Compensation Discussion and Analysis
Our Neo Compensation For Fiscal Year 2018
Base Salary
Base salaries are part of the compensation package paid to our executives and are determined according to various factors, including benchmarking, experience, talent, contribution, industry standards, expectations, and performance.
On an annual basis, all employees base salaries are reviewed for possible adjustments. Adjustments, though, are not automatic. Instead, they are determined in conjunction with available benchmarking data and/or merit-based factors, driven either by exceptional performance or promotion that often is rooted in experience with our Company. For our executives, the Compensation and Development Committee considers the market practices of our peer group as a guide for recognized ranges of compensation.
For Fiscal Year 2018, no adjustment to base salaries were made.
Variable Incentive Compensation
The variable, performance-based elements comprise the vast majority of our NEOs compensation. The elements, our MIP and LTI, are determined based on our NBT. For Fiscal Year 2018, our NEOs compensation was approximately 89% incentive-based pay. Our philosophy promotes heavy reliance on variable performance-based pay. For Fiscal Year 2018, performance metrics were changed to increase the LTI and decrease the MIP with no net increase in total compensation to align compensation with long-term incentives.
CASH INCENTIVE AWARDS
Cash incentive compensation consists of our MIP. We do not adjust or otherwise manipulate earnings in any way. Instead, we report and pay on GAAP earnings. The financial metrics for the performance-based cash incentive compensation for our NEOs are determined prior to our Fiscal Year or within the first portion thereof. The amount of cash incentive compensation for our NEOs is generally calculated and paid on a quarterly basis.
In Fiscal Year 2018, we lowered our percentage of NBT paid to our NEOs and increased the amount of compensation paid under our LTI, seeking to keep total compensation equal. The result was a decrease in cash compensation offset by an approximately equal amount of equity compensation.
For Fiscal Year 2018, the incentive formulas for our MIP and cash payouts for our NEOs were as follows:
Name
|
Performance Metric
|
Award
|
||||||||
Peter B. Orthwein |
0.25% of Company Pre-Tax Profit | $ | 1,582,573 | |||||||
Robert W. Martin |
1.50% of Company Pre-Tax Profit | $ | 9,495,435 | |||||||
Colleen Zuhl |
0.21% of Company Pre-Tax Profit | $ | 1,329,361 | |||||||
Todd Woelfer |
0.17% of Company Pre-Tax Profit | $ | 1,076,149 | |||||||
Kenneth D. Julian |
0.10% of Company Pre-Tax Profit | $ | 633,065 | |||||||
The receipt of the cash incentive compensation is contingent upon the executive being employed with the Company or an operating subsidiary at the time of payment and certification by our Compensation and Development Committee that the amount proposed to be paid under the Plan is consistent with pre-determined formulas and that there is no cause to consider payment of a lesser amount.
40
LONG-TERM EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
Like the MIP, the LTI used Fiscal Year 2018 NBT as the metric to determine the awards earned under the plan.
The LTI awards RSUs instead of cash. The RSUs earned, based on the metrics below, vest in three (3) equal annual installments beginning on the anniversary date of the grant. Participants must remain employees of our Company or one of its subsidiaries through the vesting period to be entitled to receive the stock that is issued upon vesting of the RSUs. An important tool for talent retention, our LTI program provides that any employee who leaves our Company before the vesting date immediately forfeits their right to receive any and all outstanding unvested RSUs.
For Fiscal Year 2018, our percentages under the LTI were increased in an amount intended to offset the decrease in the amount of incentive cash compensation paid under our MIP.
For Fiscal Year 2018, the amount of LTI awards earned for our NEOs were as follows:
Name
|
FY 2018 Metric
|
Amount
|
||||||||||||||
Peter B. Orthwein (1) |
N/A | | ||||||||||||||
Robert W. Martin |
0.75% of Company Pre-Tax Profit | $ | 4,747,718 | |||||||||||||
Colleen Zuhl |
0.29% of Company Pre-Tax Profit | $ | 1,835,784 | |||||||||||||
Todd Woelfer |
0.23% of Company Pre-Tax Profit | $ | 1,455,967 | |||||||||||||
Kenneth D. Julian
|
0.195% of Company Pre-Tax Profit
|
$
|
1,234,407
|
|
||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
(1) Mr. Orthwein was not granted an equity award under our LTI due to his significant equity holdings as a founder of our Company
|
|
Additional Compensation Elements
Benefits and Perquisites
Unlike most of our peers, we offer no benefits or perquisites to our NEOs that are not available to our broader employee population with the singular exception of a requested annual physical exam to track the health of our NEOs.
Retirement Plans
Our Company does not offer retirement plans to our NEOs. Furthermore, our NEOs are excluded from eligibility in our company-sponsored 401(k) plan, but may participate in our Deferred Compensation Program that is available to all full-time employees who are precluded from participating in our 401(k) program.
Thor Industries, Inc. | Notice of 2018 Annual Meeting & Proxy Statement 41
Compensation Discussion and Analysis
42
Thor Industries, Inc. | Notice of 2018 Annual Meeting & Proxy Statement 43
Compensation Discussion and Analysis
44
Measuring the Alignment: Evaluating the Relationship Between Our Fiscal Year 2018 Performance and Our Compensation
As noted above, our founders developed a pay strategy that was specifically intended to align pay with Company performance, which, in turn and assuming a rational marketplace over time, aligns the pay with our earnings. In application, we believe this philosophy has worked exceedingly well. Last year was no exception. Fiscal Year 2018 posed a great test for our compensation plan as it was a year of record profit, yet because of several factors that primarily affected the second half of our year, our stock price ended the year lower than where it began. Our Fiscal Year 2018 results include:
| Company record total sales of $8.33 billion, up 14.9% from Fiscal Year 2017s prior record level; |
| Record high net income of $430 million, up 14.9% from Fiscal Year 2017s prior record level; |
| Towable RV sales up 17.2% over Fiscal Year 2017; |
| Motorized RV sales up 8.9% over Fiscal Year 2017; |
| Three-year TSR of xx%; and |
| Record diluted earnings per share of $8.14, up 14.8% from Fiscal Year 2017s prior record level. |
The success of our philosophy is demonstrated by the relationship between Company performance and NEO compensation. The chart below compares the percentage growth of our CEOs compensation to the percentage growth of our net income before taxes and our growth in EPS for Fiscal Year 2018. In Fiscal Year 2018, earnings before tax increased by 14.9%, and EPS grew by 14.8%. While our CEOs compensation increased by 13.0%.
|
While Fiscal Year 2018s TSR was disappointing to us, the year offered a great test to our compensation plan. Despite the negative TSR for the year, our strong performance over the broader term comfortably supports the total compensation paid to our CEO. As we have indicated in the past, our evaluation of our plan is ongoing and we provide periodic stress testing of our plan to ensure that it will pass the proxy advisory firms metric testing. Fiscal Year 2018 posed a great stress test for the plan, and it passed.
Application of our compensation philosophy results in NEO compensation that is heavily determined by variable incentive-based pay. The graphs below depict the relative breakdown between base salary and variable incentive pay as reported in the Summary Compensation Table on page 49. |
Thor Industries, Inc. | Notice of 2018 Annual Meeting & Proxy Statement 45
Compensation Discussion and Analysis
As demonstrated in the charts, implementation of our philosophy resulted in approximately 95% of our CEO compensation and approximately 89% of our NEO compensation being variable performance-based compensation for Fiscal Year 2018. Keeping in mind that our founder, Peter Orthwein, receives no incentive-based LTI award given his large share position in Thor, the charts above still reveal a heavy dependency of the pay program on variable, performance-based compensation. While our Compensation and Development Committee maintains discretion to issue appropriate and necessary bonuses to our NEOs to ensure retention of key talent and also to ensure that formulaic bonuses are earned in the context of good governance, ethics, and business practices, the performance-based incentive compensation portion of the NEO compensation generally increases and decreases based upon the profitability of the Company. |
46
Report of the Compensation and Development Committee
We, the Compensation and Development Committee of the Board of Directors of Thor Industries, Inc., have reviewed and discussed the Compensation Discussion and Analysis contained in this Proxy Statement with management. After our review and discussion, we have recommended to the Board of Directors that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in the Proxy Statement and incorporated by reference into the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the Fiscal Year ended July 31, 2018
The Compensation and Development Committee
Andrew E. Graves, Chair
Wilson Jones
Christopher Klein
Jan H. Suwinski
Thor Industries, Inc. | Notice of 2018 Annual Meeting & Proxy Statement 47
2018 CEO Pay Ratio
In accordance with SEC rules, for Fiscal Year 2018, we determined the annual total compensation of our median compensated employee and present a comparison of that annual total compensation to the annual total compensation of our President and CEO, Robert W. Martin.
The Fiscal Year 2018 annual total compensation of Mr. Martin was $14,993,153.
The Fiscal Year 2018 annual total compensation of our median compensated employee was $64,092
Accordingly, the ratio of Mr. Martins annual total compensation to the annual total compensation of our median compensated employee for 2018 was 234 to 1*.
*This ratio is a reasonable estimate calculated in a manner consistent with Item 402(u) of the SECs Regulation S-K.
|
Identification of Median Employee
We selected June 30, 2018 as the date on which to determine our median employee. As of that date, the Company had approximately 14,600 employees. For purposes of identifying the median employee, we used taxable (W-2) fiscal year-to-date compensation. Using this methodology, we determined that our median employee was a full-time, hourly direct labor employee. In determining the annual total compensation of the median employee for Fiscal Year 2018, we calculated the employees compensation in accordance with Item 402(c)(2) (x) of Regulation S-K as required by the SECs executive compensation disclosure rules, which calculation included the median employees base and overtime pay, bonus compensation, and matching contributions made on behalf of the median employee to the Companys 401(k) plan. We performed this calculation in the same manner used to determine Mr. Martins total compensation, as reported in the Summary Compensation Table.
The pay ratio reported by other companies may not be comparable to the pay ratio reported by us, as the method, assumptions, adjustments or estimates used to calculate the median employee may be different from the method used by us. In addition, other companies may have different employment and compensation practices than we do.
2018 CEO Pay Ratio
2018 Total Compensation | CEO Pay Ratio | |||||||||||||
Robert Martin |
$14,993,153 | 234.1 | ||||||||||||
Median Employee |
$ 64,092 |
48
Executive Compensation
The following tables, narrative, and footnotes disclose the compensation paid to the Named Executive Officers of the Company. The Named Executive Officers include the: Executive Chairman; Chief Executive Officer; Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer; Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary; and Senior Vice President of Administration and Human Resources.
The following Summary Compensation Table summarizes the total compensation awarded to our Named Executive Officers in Fiscal Years 2018, 2017, and 2016.
50
Name and Principal Position
|
Year
|
Salary
|
Bonus
|
Share
|
Option
|
Non-Equity
|
Change in
|
All Other
|
Total ($)
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Peter B. Orthwein |
2018 | 500,000 | | | | 1,582,573 | (4) | | | 2,082,573 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Executive Chairman |
2017 | 500,000 | | | | 1,390,965 | | | 1,890,965 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2016 | 750,000 | | | | 952,241 | | | 1,452,241 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Robert W. Martin |
2018 | 750,000 | | 4,747,718 | (5) | | 9,495,435 | (6) | | | 14,993,163 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
President and Chief |
2017 | 750,000 | | 4,371,035 | | 8,147,650 | | | 13,268,685 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Executive Officer |
2016 | 750,000 | | 1,904,480 | | 6,665,681 | | | 9,320,161 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Colleen Zuhl |
2018 | 600,000 | | 1,835,784 | (7) | | 1,329,361 | (8) | | | 3,765,145 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Senior Vice President and |
2017 | 600,000 | | 1,617,980 | | 1,163,950 | | | 3,381,930 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Chief Financial Officer |
2016 | 500,000 | 75,000 | 761,792 | | 761,792 | | | 2,198,584 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Todd Woelfer |
2018 | 600,000 | | 1,455,967 | (9) | | 1,076,149 | (10) | | | 3,132,116 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Senior Vice President |
2017 | 500,000 | | 1,294,384 | | 931,160 | | | 2,825,544 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
General Counsel, and |
2016 | 500,000 | 75,000 | 666,568 | | 666,568 | | | 1,908,136 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Corporate Secretary |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kenneth D. Julian |
2018 | 500,000 | | 1,234,407 | (11) | | 633,065 | (12) | | | 2,367,472 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Senior Vice President of |
2017 | 500,000 | | 1,082,643 | | 558,696 | | | 2,141,339 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Administration and |
2016 | 400,000 | | 666,568 | | 457,076 | | | 1,623,644 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Human Resources
|
(1) | All compensation figures in this table are rounded to the nearest dollar amount. |
(2) | The amounts in this column reflect the payment of discretionary bonuses. |
(3) | Share awards were determined in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718. |
(4) | This amount consists of a non-equity incentive plan award paid to Mr. Orthwein for Fiscal Year 2018 equal to 0.25% of our pre-tax profits for each fiscal quarter during the Fiscal Year. |
(5) | This amount consists of an equity incentive plan award paid to Mr. Martin for Fiscal Year 2018 which was based on a formula equal to 0.75% of our pre-tax profits. |
(6) | This amount consists of a non-equity incentive plan award to Mr. Martin in Fiscal Year 2018 which was based on a formula equal to 1.5% of our pre-tax profits for each fiscal quarter during the Fiscal Year. |
(7) | This amount consists of an equity incentive plan award to Ms. Zuhl for Fiscal Year 2018 which was based on a formula equal to 0.29% of our pre-tax profits. |
(8) | This amount consists of a non-equity incentive plan award to Ms. Zuhl for Fiscal Year 2018 which was based on a formula equal to 0.21% of our pre-tax profits for each fiscal quarter during the Fiscal Year. |
(9) | This amount consists of an equity incentive plan award to Mr. Woelfer for Fiscal Year 2018 which was based on a formula equal to 0.23% of our pre-tax profits. |
(10) | This amount consists of a non-equity incentive plan award to Mr. Woelfer for Fiscal Year 2018 which was based on a formula equal to 0.17% of our pre-tax profits for each fiscal quarter during the Fiscal Year. |
(11) | This amount consists of an equity incentive plan award to Mr. Julian for Fiscal Year 2018 which was based on a formula equal to 0.195% of our pre-tax profits. |
(12) | This amount consists of a non-equity incentive plan award to Mr. Julian for Fiscal Year 2018 which was based on a formula equal to 0.10% of our pre-tax profits for each fiscal quarter during the Fiscal Year. |
Thor Industries, Inc. | Notice of 2018 Annual Meeting & Proxy Statement 51
Executive Compensation
Grants of Plan-Based Awards for Fiscal Year 2018
The following table summarizes the grants made to each of our NEOs for Fiscal Year 2018 under our 2016 Plan or other plans or arrangements:
Estimated Possible Payouts Under Non-Equity Incentive Plan Awards |
Estimated Possible Payouts Plan Awards |
Grant Date Fair Value Of Share And
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Name
|
Grant Date
|
Threshold
|
Target ($) 1
|
Max
|
|
Threshold
|
Target (#) 1
|
Max
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Peter B. Orthwein |
8/11/2017 | $ 0 | $ 1,390,965 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
8/11/2017 | (4) | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Robert W. Martin |
8/11/2017 | $ 0 | $ 8,345,790 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
8/11/2017 | $ 0 | $ 4,172,895 | $ 4,822,590 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Colleen Zuhl |
8/11/2017 | $ 0 | $ 1,168,411 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
8/11/2017 | $ 0 | $ 1,613,519 | $ 1,864,735 | (6) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Todd Woelfer |
8/11/2017 | $ 0 | $ 945,856 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
8/11/2017 | $ 0 | $ 1,279,688 | $ 1,478,928 | (7) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kenneth D. Julian |
8/11/2017 | $ 0 | $ 556,386 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
8/11/2017 | $ 0 | $ 1,084,953 | $ 1,253,873 | (8) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
(1) | Under our Plan, we do not set targets or goals. We compensate on a percentage of our NBT. Due to the lack of identified targets and pursuant to SEC guidance, the targets listed here are representative targets equal to amounts that would be earned in Fiscal Year 2018 under our non-equity incentive plan and under our equity incentive plan based on our Fiscal year 2017 results. With respect to our LTI, NBT is denominated in dollars, but the relevant percentage of NBT earned will be paid out in restricted stock units in the form of whatever number of shares of the Company on a 1-to-1 basis that amount translates into at the time of the payout. |
(2) | Our 2016 Plan limits total award at $20,000,000. |
(3) | Represents the fair value per share of awards as of the grant date pursuant to FASB ASC Topic 718. |
(4) | Mr. Orthwein was not granted an equity award under our LTI due to his significant equity holdings as a founder of our Company. |
(5) | As shown under the column Share Awards in the Summary Compensation Table and as described in Compensation Discussion and Analysis, Mr. Martin was granted a performance-based equity incentive award under the 2016 Plan payable in restricted stock units equal to 0.75% of our pre-tax profits during Fiscal Year 2018 (the actual grant date fair value of this award was $4,747,718). The restricted stock units vest in three equal annual installments beginning on the first anniversary of the date of issuance of such stock units. Because this award is based on a percentage of our pre-tax profits, it is impossible to calculate targets and meaningful maximum amounts for such awards. Refer to footnotes 1 and 2. |
(6) | As shown under the column Share Awards in the Summary Compensation Table and as described in Compensation Discussion and Analysis, Ms. Zuhl was granted a performance-based equity incentive award under the 2016 Plan payable in restricted stock units equal to 0.29% of our pre-tax profits during Fiscal Year 2018 (the actual grant date fair value of this award was $1,835,784). The restricted stock units vest in three equal annual installments beginning on the first anniversary of the date of issuance of such stock units. Because this award is based on a percentage of our pre-tax profits, it is impossible to calculate targets and meaningful maximum amounts for such awards. Refer to footnotes 1 and 2. |
(7) | As shown under the column Share Awards in the Summary Compensation Table and as described in Compensation Discussion and Analysis, Mr. Woelfer was granted a performance-based equity incentive award under the 2016 Plan payable in restricted stock units equal to 0.23% of our pre-tax profits during Fiscal Year 2018 (the actual grant date fair value of this award was $1,455,967). The restricted stock units vest in three equal annual installments beginning on the first anniversary of the date of issuance of such stock units. Because this award is based on a percentage of our pre-tax profits, it is impossible to calculate targets and meaningful maximum amounts for such awards. Refer to footnotes 1 and 2. |
(8) | As shown under the column Share Awards in the Summary Compensation Table and as described in Compensation Discussion and Analysis, Mr. Julian was granted a performance-based equity incentive award under the 2016 Plan payable in restricted stock units equal to 0.195% of our pre-tax profits during Fiscal Year 2018 (the actual grant date fair value of this award was $1,234,407). The restricted stock units vest in three equal annual installments beginning on the first anniversary of the date of issuance of such stock units. Because this award is based on a percentage of our pre-tax profits, it is impossible to calculate targets and meaningful maximum amounts for such awards. Refer to footnotes 1 and 2. |
52
Thor Industries, Inc. | Notice of 2018 Annual Meeting & Proxy Statement 53
Executive Compensation
54
Thor Industries, Inc. | Notice of 2018 Annual Meeting & Proxy Statement 55
Executive Compensation
Outstanding Equity Awards at 2018 Fiscal Year-End
The following table sets forth information concerning option awards and share awards held by our NEOs as of July 31, 2018:
Stock Awards | ||||||||||||
Name | Number of Shares or Units (#) |
Market Value of Shares or Units ($) |
||||||||||
Peter B. Orthwein |
| | ||||||||||
Robert W. Martin |
57,718 | (1) | $ 5,474,552 | |||||||||
Colleen Zuhl |
21,204 | (2) | $ 2,011,199 | |||||||||
Todd Woelfer |
17,933 | (3) | $ 1,700,945 | |||||||||
Kenneth D. Julian |
16,283 | (4) | $ 1,544,443 | |||||||||
|
(1) | Mr. Martin received a restricted stock unit award of 26,016 units on October 9, 2015; 22,487 units on October 10, 2016; and 34,052 units on October 10, 2017. These units vest in three equal annual installments commencing on the one year anniversary date of each of the awards respectively. |
(2) | Ms. Zuhl received a restricted stock unit award of 7,804 units on October 9, 2015; 8,995 units on October 10, 2016; and 12,605 units on October 10, 2017. These units vest in three equal annual installments commencing on the one year anniversary date of each of the awards respectively. |
(3) | Mr. Woelfer received a restricted stock unit award of 7,804 units on October 9, 2015; 7,870 units on October 10, 2016; and 10,084 units on October 10, 2017. These units vest in three equal annual installments commencing on the one year anniversary date of each of the awards respectively. |
(4) | Mr. Julian received a restricted stock unit award of 7,804 units on October 9, 2015; 7,870 units on October 10, 2016; and 8,434 units on October 10, 2017. These units vest in three equal annual installments commencing on the one year anniversary date of each of the awards respectively. |
Option Exercises and Shares Vested in Fiscal Year 2018
There were no options exercised by our NEOs in Fiscal Year 2018. None of our NEOs own options, and none were awarded in Fiscal Year 2018. The following table summarizes information regarding the vesting of share awards for each NEO in Fiscal Year 2018:
Stock Awards | ||||||||||||
Name | Number of Shares or Units (#) |
Market Value of Shares or Units ($) |
||||||||||
Peter B. Orthwein |
| | ||||||||||
Robert W. Martin |
26,172 | $ 3,337,659 | ||||||||||
Colleen Zuhl |
7,222 | $ 930,564 | ||||||||||
Todd Woelfer |
6,847 | $ 882,429 | ||||||||||
Kenneth D. Julian |
6,847 | $ 882,429 | ||||||||||
|
56
Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation for Fiscal Year 2018
The following table shows the contributions, earnings, and account balances for Fiscal Year 2018 for the NEOs participating in our Deferred Compensation Plan:
Name
|
Executive
|
Registrant
|
Aggregate
|
Aggregate
|
Aggregate
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||
Colleen Zuhl |
$ 66,650 | | $ 15,342 | | $ 244,665 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Todd Woelfer |
$ 150,748 | | $ 46,943 | | $ 513,440 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Kenneth D. Julian |
$ 46,280 | | $ 20,741 | | $ 234,107 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|
(1) | The amounts shown as contributions are also included in the amounts shown as Fiscal Year 2018 salary column of the Summary Compensation Table on page 49. |
Thor Industries, Inc. | Notice of 2018 Annual Meeting & Proxy Statement 57
Executive Compensation
58
The following table sets forth information as of October 15, 2018, with respect to the beneficial ownership, as defined in Rule 13(d) under the Exchange Act, of our Common Stock by: (i) each person known by the Company to beneficially own, as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act, 5% or more of the outstanding Common Stock; (ii) each Director of the Company; (iii) each Executive Officer of the Company named in the Summary Compensation Table on page 51; and (iv) all Executive Officers and Directors of the Company as a group. As of October 15, 2018, there were XX,XXX,XXX shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding:
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner
|
Beneficial Ownership Number of Shares
|
Percent
|
||||
Peter B. Orthwein | 2,020,630 (3) | XX% | ||||
Robert W. Martin | XX | * | ||||
Colleen Zuhl | XX | * | ||||
Todd Woelfer | XX | * | ||||
Kenneth D. Julian | XX | * | ||||
Andrew Graves | 11,039 | * | ||||
Wilson Jones | 4,000 | * | ||||
Christopher Klein | | * | ||||
J. Allen Kosowsky | 11,000 | * | ||||
Jan H. Suwinski | 16,000 | * | ||||
James L. Ziemer | 9,000 | * | ||||
[ xxxx ] | XX (4) | XX% | ||||
[ xxxx ] | XX (5) | XX% | ||||
All Directors and Executive Officers as a group (eleven persons) | XX | XX% | ||||
(1) | Except as otherwise indicated, the address of each beneficial owner is c/o Thor Industries, Inc., 601 East Beardsley Avenue, Elkhart, Indiana 46514. |
(2) | Except as otherwise indicated, the persons in the table have sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares of our Common Stock shown as beneficially owned by them and such shares include restricted stock and restricted stock units which are currently exercisable or will become exercisable or vested within sixty (60) days from October 15, 2018. |
(3) | Includes 887,452 shares held directly; 67,440 shares owned by Mr. Orthweins wife; 30,000 shares owned of record by a trust for the benefit of Mr. Orthweins half-brother, of which Mr. Orthwein is a trustee; 74,783 shares owned of record by the Trust FBO Peter B. Orthwein, of which Mr. Orthwein is the trustee and beneficiary; 37,255 shares held by a charitable annuity trust of which Mr. Orthwein and his wife are trustees and Mr. Orthweins three youngest children are beneficiaries; 124,000 shares owned of record by a trust for the benefit of Mr. Orthweins children for which Mr. Orthwein acts as a trustee; 500,000 shares held in a grantor retained annuity trust of which Mr. Orthwein is the beneficiary and trustee; and 299,700 shares held in a trust of which Mr. Orthwein is sole trustee for his three youngest children as beneficiaries. |
(4) | XXXX |
(5) | XXXX |
Thor Industries, Inc. | Notice of 2018 Annual Meeting & Proxy Statement 59
Appendix A
Thor Industries, Inc. | Notice of 2018 Annual Meeting & Proxy Statement 61
THOR INDUSTRIES, INC. ATTN: W. TODD WOELFER 601 EAST BEARDSLEY AVENUE ELKHART, IN 46514 |
VOTE BY INTERNET - www.proxyvote.com Use the Internet to transmit your voting instructions and for electronic delivery of information up until 11:59 P.M. Eastern Time the day before the cut-off date or meeting date. Have your proxy card in hand when you access the web site and follow the instructions to obtain your records and to create an electronic voting instruction form.
ELECTRONIC DELIVERY OF FUTURE PROXY MATERIALS If you would like to reduce the costs incurred by our company in mailing proxy materials, you can consent to receiving all future proxy statements, proxy cards and annual reports electronically via e-mail or the Internet. To sign up for electronic delivery, please follow the instructions above to vote using the Internet and, when prompted, indicate that you agree to receive or access proxy materials electronically in future years.
VOTE BY PHONE - 1-800-690-6903 Use any touch-tone telephone to transmit your voting instructions up until 11:59 P.M. Eastern Time the day before the cut-off date or meeting date. Have your proxy card in hand when you call and then follow the instructions.
VOTE BY MAIL Mark, sign and date your proxy card and return it in the postage-paid envelope we have provided or return it to Vote Processing, c/o Broadridge, 51 Mercedes Way, Edgewood, NY 11717. |
TO VOTE, MARK BLOCKS BELOW IN BLUE OR BLACK INK AS FOLLOWS: |
KEEP THIS PORTION FOR YOUR RECORDS
DETACH AND RETURN THIS PORTION ONLY
THIS PROXY CARD IS VALID ONLY WHEN SIGNED AND DATED. |
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For All |
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Withhold All |
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For All Except |
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To withhold authority to vote for any individual nominee(s), mark For All Except and write the number(s) of the nominee(s) on the line below. |
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The Board of Directors recommends you vote FOR the following: |
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1. Election of Directors |
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Nominees |
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01 Andrew Graves 02 Christopher Klein |
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The Board of Directors recommends you vote FOR the following proposal(s): |
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For | Against | Abstain | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2. Ratification of appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for our Fiscal Year 2019. |
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3. Non-binding advisory vote to approve the compensation of our named executive officers (NEOs). |
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4. Vote to declassify the Board of Directors. |
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NOTE: Such other business as may properly come before the meeting or any adjournment thereof. |
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Please sign exactly as your name(s) appear(s) hereon. When signing as attorney, executor, administrator, or other fiduciary, please give full title as such. Joint owners should each sign personally. All holders must sign. If a corporation or partnership, please sign in full corporate or partnership name by authorized officer.
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Signature [PLEASE SIGN WITHIN BOX] |
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Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Annual Meeting: The Notice & Proxy Statement and Annual Report are available at www.proxyvote.com
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THOR INDUSTRIES, INC. Annual Meeting of Shareholders December 14, 2018 1:00 PM EST This proxy is solicited by the Board of Directors
The undersigned shareholder of Thor Industries, Inc. hereby appoints Peter B. Orthwein and W. Todd Woelfer, and each of them, as proxies, each with the power to appoint his substitute, and hereby authorizes them to represent and to vote, as designated on the reverse side of this proxy, all of the shares of Common Stock of THOR INDUSTRIES, INC. that the shareholder(s) is/are entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting of Shareholder(s) to be held at 1:00 PM, EST on December 14, 2018, at Grand Hyatt New York, 109 East 42nd Street, New York, NY 10017, and any adjournment or postponement thereof. In their discretion, the proxies are authorized to vote upon such other business as may properly come before the meeting or any adjournments or postponements thereof.
This proxy, when properly executed, will be voted in the manner directed herein. If no such direction is made, this proxy will be voted in accordance with the Board of Directors recommendations.
Continued and to be signed on reverse side
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