EXHIBIT 10.20
EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
AGREEMENT made as of this 22nd day of June, 1998, by and between XXXXX SYSTEMS,
INC., a Texas corporation with its principal office at 000 Xxxxxx X Xxxxx, X.X.
Xxx 0000, Xxx Xxxx, Xxxxx 00000 (the "Corporation"), and XXXXXXX X. XXX,
residing at 0000 Xxxxxxx Xxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxx 00000 ("Executive").
W I T N E S S E T H :
WHEREAS, the Corporation desires to appoint the Executive as the
Executive Vice President, as of April 16, 1998;
WHEREAS, Executive and the Corporation desire to enter into a new
employment agreement June 22, 1998;
WHEREAS, the Corporation desires to employ Executive, and Executive is
willing to undertake such employment, upon the terms and subject to the
conditions hereinafter set forth;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual covenants
hereinafter set forth, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1. EMPLOYMENT OF EXECUTIVE. The Corporation hereby employs Executive as its
Executive Vice President, to perform the duties and responsibilities incident to
such offices, subject at all times to the control and direction of the Board of
Directors of the Corporation (the "Board of Directors").
2. ACCEPTANCE OF EMPLOYMENT; TIME AND ATTENTION. Executive hereby accepts such
employment and agrees that throughout the Term (as hereinafter defined), he will
devote his full time, attention, knowledge and skills, faithfully, diligently
and to the best of his ability, in furtherance of the business of the
Corporation, and will perform the duties assigned to him pursuant to Section 1
hereof, subject, at all times, to the direction and control of the Board of
Directors. As the Executive Vice President, Executive shall perform such
specific duties and shall exercise such specific authority as may be assigned to
Executive from time to time by the Board of Directors. Executive shall at all
times be subject to, observe and carry out such rules, regulations, policies,
directions and restrictions as the Corporation shall from time to time
establish. During the Term, Executive shall not, without the written approval of
the Board of Directors first had and obtained in each instance, directly or
indirectly, accept employment or compensation from, or perform services of any
nature for, any business enterprise other than the Corporation and its
subsidiaries. During the Term, Executive shall not be entitled to additional
compensation for rendering employment services to subsidiaries of the Company or
for serving in any office of the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries to which
he is elected or appointed.
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3. TERM. Except as otherwise provided herein, Executive's employment hereunder
shall be for a term commencing as of April 16, 1998 and shall continue through
April 15, 2000 (the "Initial Term"), which may be renewed for such one (1) year
periods as the Corporation and Executive may mutually agree during the ninety
(90) day period immediately prior to the expiration of the Initial Term or any
renewal thereof (the Initial Term and any such renewal thereof are hereinafter
collectively referred to as the "Term").
4. COMPENSATION. Commencing as of April 16, 1998, the Corporation shall pay to
Executive and the Employee shall accept as his entire compensation for his
services hereunder the following, which shall be subject to withholding and
other employment taxes imposed by applicable law:
(a) The Corporation shall pay Executive a base salary ("Base Salary") at
the rate of one hundred eight thousand ($108,000) dollars per year for the first
year of his employment. For each year thereafter while this Agreement remains in
effect, the Base Salary will be increased by such higher amount as shall be
determined by the Board of Directors. The Base Salary shall be payable in equal
monthly installments.
5. STOCK OPTIONS. The Corporation is granting to Executive on the date hereof,
the following options: (i) a five-year option (the "Firm Option") to purchase
35,000 shares of Common Stock of the Corporation, $.01 par value (the "Common
Stock") at an exercise price of $1.25 per share, which shall be exercisable as
to 35,000 Common Shares which will vest one year from July 1, 1998, contingent
upon Xxxxx Systems, Inc.'s obtaining a $0.10 per share profit in each of the
four quarters prior to July 1, 1999. Value means the closing price of the shares
of Common Stock on the U.S. national securities exchange on which the shares of
Common Stock are listed (if the shares are so listed) or on the NASDAQ National
Market or Small Cap Market (if the Common Shares are regularly quoted on the
NASDAQ National Market or Small Cap Market), or, if not so listed or regularly
quoted or if there is no such closing price, the mean between the closing bid
and asked prices of the shares of Common Stock in the over-the-counter market or
on such exchange or on NASDAQ, or, if such bid and asked prices shall not be
available, as reported by any nationally recognized quotation service selected
by the Corporation. On the date hereof, the shares of Common Stock are listed
and traded on the NASDAQ National Market. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the
exercise of the Firm Option is contingent upon the Corporation filing an S-8
Registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission and approval of the
registration in accordance with the NASDAQ marketplace rules.
In the event of a Change of Control (as such term is hereinafter defined),
the Firm Option shall become exercisable in full (without regard to the terms
under which they were originally granted; provided that stockholder approval of
such option has been previously obtained). In the case of a Change of Control in
which the shares of Common Stock are not valued, E.G., the replacement of a
majority of the Board of Directors, the Trading Price Option shall become
exercisable in full.
6. ADDITIONAL BENEFITS. (a) In addition to such Base Salary, Executive (and his
family) shall be entitled to participate, to the extent he is (and they are)
eligible under the terms and conditions thereof, in any profit-sharing, pension,
retirement, hospitalization, insurance, disability, medical
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service, stock option, bonus or other employee benefit plan generally available
to the executive officers of the Corporation that may be in effect from time to
time during the Term, as well as any discretionary bonus pool of the
Corporation. The Corporation shall be under no obligation to institute or
continue the existence of any such employee benefit plan.
7. REIMBURSEMENT OF EXPENSES. The Corporation shall reimburse Executive in
accordance with applicable policies of the Corporation for all expenses
reasonably incurred by him in connection with the performance of his duties
hereunder and the business of the Corporation, upon the submission to the
Corporation of appropriate receipts or vouchers.
8. FACILITIES AND PERSONNEL. Executive shall be provided a private office,
secretarial services and such other facilities, supplies, personnel and services
as shall be required or reasonably requested for the performance of his duties
hereunder.
9. VACATION. Executive shall be entitled to two (2) weeks' paid vacation in
respect of each twelve (12) month period during the Term, such vacation to be
taken at times mutually agreeable to Executive and the Board of Directors.
Unused vacation shall be carried over to the subsequent twelve (12) month period
and may not be carried over beyond the next twelve (12) month period.
10. D & O INSURANCE COVERAGE. The Corporation shall use its best efforts to
obtain and maintain, at the Corporation's cost and expense, directors' and
officers' liability insurance coverage for the directors and officers of the
Corporation, including Executive. Nothing herein shall be deemed to require the
Corporation to provide such coverage for Executive if it is not then providing
such coverage generally to its directors and officers.
11. RESTRICTIVE COVENANT. In consideration of the Corporation's entering into
this Agreement, Executive agrees that during the period of his employment
hereunder, he will not (i) directly or indirectly own, manage, operate, join,
control, participate in, invest in, or otherwise be connected with, in any
manner, whether as an officer, director, employee, partner, investor or
otherwise, any business entity that is engaged in the business of operating
convenience stores, marketing and distributing petroleum products, or providing
environmental remediation services or any other business which the Corporation
is then engaged during such period, (ii) for himself or on behalf of any other
person, partnership, corporation or entity, call on any customer of the
Corporation for the purpose of soliciting, diverting or taking away any customer
from the Corporation, or (iii) induce, influence, or seek to induce or
influence, any person engaged as an employee, representative, agent, independent
contractor or otherwise by the Corporation, to terminate his or her relationship
with the Corporation. Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to prohibit
Executive from investing his funds in securities of an issuer if the securities
of such issuer are listed for trading on a national securities exchange or are
traded in the over-the-counter market and Executive's holdings therein represent
less than 2% of the total number of shares or principal amount of the securities
of such issuer outstanding. (a) The following business entities shall be
excluded from the applicability of this paragraph: Express Oil Services, L.
L. C. and Petroleum Consolidators, Inc.
Executive acknowledges that the provisions of this Section 11 are
reasonable and necessary for the protection of the Corporation, and that each
provision, and the period or periods of time,
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geographic areas and types and scope of restrictions on the activities specified
herein are, and are intended to be, divisible. If any provision of this Section
11, including any sentence, clause or part hereof, shall be deemed contrary to
law or invalid or unenforceable in any respect by a court of competent
jurisdiction, the remaining provisions shall not be affected, but shall, subject
to the discretion of such court, remain in full force and effect and any invalid
and unenforceable provisions shall be deemed, without further action on the part
of the parties hereto, modified, amended and limited to the extent necessary to
render the same valid and enforceable.
12. CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION. Executive shall hold in a fiduciary capacity for
the benefit of the Corporation all information, knowledge and data relating to
or concerned with its operations, sales, business and affairs, and he shall not,
at any time for a period of two (2) years after termination of his employment
hereunder, use, disclose or divulge any such information, knowledge or data to
any person, firm or corporation (unless the Corporation no longer treats such
information as confidential) other than to the Corporation or its designees and
employees or except as may otherwise be required in connection with the business
and affairs of the Corporation; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that Executive may disclose
or divulge such information, knowledge or data that (i) was known to Executive
at the commencement of his employment with the Corporation; (ii) is or becomes
generally available to the public through no wrongful act on Executive's part;
or (iii) becomes available to Executive from a person or entity other than the
Corporation; and PROVIDED, FURTHER, that the provisions of this Section 12 shall
not apply to Executive's know-how to the extent utilized by him in subsequent
employment otherwise than in breach of this Agreement.
13. EQUITABLE RELIEF. The parties hereto acknowledge that Executive's services
are unique and that, in the event of a breach or a threatened breach by
Executive of Section 11 or 12 hereof, the Corporation shall not have an adequate
remedy at law. Accordingly, in the event of any such breach or threatened breach
by Executive, the Corporation shall be entitled to such equitable and injunctive
relief as may be available to restrain Executive and any business, firm,
partnership, individual, corporation or entity participating in such breach or
threatened breach from the violation of the provisions hereof. Nothing herein
shall be construed as prohibiting the Corporation from pursuing any other
remedies available at law or in equity for such breach or threatened breach,
including the recovery of damages and the immediate termination of the
employment of Executive hereunder.
14. TERMINATION FOR CAUSE. The Corporation may at any time upon written notice
to Executive terminate Executive's employment for Cause. For purposes of this
Agreement, the following shall constitute Cause: (i) the willful and repeated
failure of Executive to perform any material duties hereunder or gross
negligence of Executive in the performance of such duties, and if such failure
or gross negligence is susceptible of cure by Executive, the failure to effect
such cure within 20 days after written notice of such failure or gross
negligence is given to Executive; (ii) excessive use of alcohol or illegal drugs
interfering with the performance of Executive's duties hereunder; (iii) theft,
embezzlement, fraud, misappropriation of funds, other acts of dishonesty or the
violation of any law or ethical rule relating to Executive's employment by the
Corporation; (iv) the conviction of a felony or other crime involving moral
turpitude by Executive; or (v) the breach by Executive of any other material
provision of this Agreement, and if such breach is susceptible of cure by
Executive, the failure to effect such cure within 30 days after written notice
of such breach is given to
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Executive. For purposes of this Agreement, an action shall be considered
"willful" if it is done intentionally, purposely or knowingly, distinguished
from an act done carelessly, thoughtlessly or inadvertently. In any such event,
Executive shall be entitled to receive his Base Salary to and including the date
of termination.
If the Executive willfully breaches or habitually neglects the duties
which he is required to perform under the terms of this agreement, the Board of
Directors may at it option terminate this agreement by giving written notice of
termination to the Executive without prejudice to any other remedy to which
Corporation may be entitled either at law, in equity, or under this agreement.
15. TERMINATION FOR EMPLOYER BREACH. Executive may upon written notice to the
Corporation terminate this Agreement (a termination for "Employer Breach") in
the event of the breach by the Corporation of any material provision of this
Agreement, including, without limitation, a breach the Corporation of Section 1
or 4 hereof, and if such breach is susceptible of cure, the failure to effect
such cure within 30 days after written notice of such breach is given to the
Corporation. The termination of this Agreement by Executive by reason of
Employer Breach shall not constitute a waiver by Executive of any of his rights
to compensation of any kind hereunder.
16. CHANGE OF CONTROL.
(a) If prior to termination of this Agreement, there should be a "Change
of Control," as defined in Section 16(b) below, and thereafter (i) Executive's
services should be terminated for any reason other than Executive's voluntary
withdrawal or Cause, or (ii) Executive is placed in any position of lesser
stature than that of Executive Vice President of the Corporation; is assigned
duties inconsistent with Executive Vice-President or duties which, if performed,
would result in a significant change in the nature or scope of powers,
authority, functions or duties inherent in such positions on the date hereof; is
assigned performance requirements or working conditions which are at variance
with the performance requirements and working conditions in effect immediately
prior to the Change of Control; or is accorded treatment on a general basis that
is in derogation of his status as a senior executive officer; (iii) any breach
of Sections 4 through 9, inclusive, of this Agreement; or (iv) any requirement
of the Corporation that the location at which Executive performs his principal
duties for the Corporation be outside a radius of 30 miles from the location at
which Executive performed such duties immediately prior to the Change of
Control, then the Executive may terminate his employment and this Agreement and
upon such termination, the Corporation will pay to Executive, the remaining term
of his contract.
(b) For the purposes of this Agreement, (a) a Change of Control means (1)
the direct or indirect sale, lease, exchange or other transfer of all or
substantially all (50% or more) of the assets of the Corporation to any person
or entity or group of persons or entities acting in concert as a partnership or
other group (a "Group of Persons"), (2) the merger, consolidation or other
business combination of the Corporation with or into another corporation with
the effect that the shareholders of the Corporation immediately following the
merger, consolidation or other business combination, hold 50% or less of the
combined voting power of the then outstanding securities of the surviving
corporation of such merger, consolidation or other business combination
ordinarily (and apart from rights accruing under special circumstances) having
the right to vote in the election of directors of such surviving entity, (3) the
replacement of a majority of the Board of Directors in
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any given year as compared to the directors who constituted the Board of
Directors at the beginning of such year, and such replacement shall not have
been approved by the Board of Directors, as constituted at the beginning of such
year, or (4) a person or Group of Persons shall, as a result of a tender or
exchange offer, open market purchases, privately negotiated purchases or
otherwise, have become the beneficial owner (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended,) of securities of the
Corporation representing 50% or more of the combined voting power of the then
outstanding securities of the Corporation ordinarily (and apart from rights
accruing under special circumstances) having the right to vote in the election
of directors.
17. CUTBACK OF PARACHUTE PAYMENT. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary
herein, if it shall be determined that in the event of a change of control any
payment or distribution by the Corporation to or for the benefit of Executive (a
"Parachute Payment") would be subject to the excise tax (the "Excise Tax")
imposed by Section 4999 of the Code, then the Parachute Payment shall be reduced
to the largest amount as will result in such payments being deductible to the
Corporation and not subject to the Excise Tax.
18. INSURANCE POLICIES. The Corporation shall have the right from time to time
to purchase, increase, modify or terminate insurance policies on the life of
Executive for the benefit of the Corporation, in such amounts as the Corporation
shall determine in its sole discretion. In connection therewith, Executive
shall, at such time or times and at such place or places as the Corporation may
reasonably direct, submit himself to such physical examinations and execute and
deliver such documents as the Corporation may deem necessary or desirable.
19. SURVIVAL OF PROVISIONS. Neither the termination of this Agreement, nor of
Executive's employment hereunder, shall terminate or affect in any manner any
provision of this Agreement that is intended by its terms to survive such
termination.
20. ENTIRE AGREEMENT; AMENDMENT. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement
of the parties hereto, and the Prior Agreement between the Corporation and
Executive is hereby superseded and terminated effective immediately and shall be
without further force or effect. No amendment or modification shall be valid or
binding unless made in writing and signed by the party against whom enforcement
thereof is sought.
21. NOTICES. Any notice required, permitted or desired to be given pursuant to
any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed to have been
sufficiently given or served for all purposes if delivered in person or by
responsible overnight delivery service or sent by certified mail, return receipt
requested, postage and fees prepaid as follows:
If to the Corporation, at its address:
Xxxxx Systems, Inc.
000 Xxxxxx X Xxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000
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If to the Executive, at his address:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxx
0000 Xxxxxxx Xxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxx 00000
Either of the parties hereto may at any time and from time to time change the
address to which notice shall be sent hereunder by notice to the other party
given under this Section 23. The date of the giving of any notice hand delivered
or delivered by responsible overnight carrier shall be the date of its delivery
and of any notice sent by mail shall be the date five days after the date of the
posting of the mail.
22. NO ASSIGNMENT; BINDING EFFECT. Neither this Agreement, nor the right to
receive any payments hereunder, may be assigned by Executive. This Agreement
shall be binding upon Executive, his heirs, executors and administrators and
upon the Corporation, its successors and assigns.
23. WAIVERS. No course of dealing nor any delay on the part of the Corporation
in exercising any rights hereunder shall operate as a waiver of any such rights.
No waiver of any default or breach of this Agreement shall be deemed a
continuing waiver or a waiver of any other breach or default.
24. GOVERNING LAW. This Agreement shall be governed, interpreted and construed
in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas, without regard to the effects
of the principles of conflicts of laws thereof. Jurisdiction of disputes with
regard to this Agreement or any aspect of the employment of Executive by the
Company shall be exclusively in the courts of the State of Texas and venue
relating to any such litigation shall be set in the court of proper jurisdiction
in Matagorda County, Texas.
25. INVALIDITY. If any clause, paragraph, section or part of this Agreement
shall be held or declared to be void, invalid or illegal, for any reason, by any
court of competent jurisdiction, such provision shall be ineffective but shall
not in any way invalidate or affect any other clause, paragraph, section or part
of this Agreement.
26. FURTHER ASSURANCES. Each of the parties shall execute such documents and
take such other actions as may be reasonably requested by the other party to
carry out the provisions and purposes of this Agreement in accordance with its
terms.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Employment
Agreement to be duly executed as of the day and year first above written.
XXXXX SYSTEMS, INC.
By: /S/ X.X. XXXXX, XX.
Name: X.X. Xxxxx, Xx.
Title: Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer
/S/ XXXXXXX X. XXX
XXXXXXX X. XXX
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