Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors;
Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
(b) On May 29, 2009, Commercial Metals Company (the "Company") issued a press
release stating that David M. Sudbury, Senior Vice President, Secretary, and
General Counsel of the Company announced his intent to retire at the end of the
Company's 2009 fiscal year on August 31, 2009 (the "Effective Time"). A copy of
the press release is attached to this Form 8-K as Exhibit 99.1 and is
incorporated herein by reference.
So that the Company will continue to have access to Mr. Sudbury's expertise
and experience, it has entered into a Retirement and Consulting Agreement with
him, dated as of May 28, 2009 (the "Consulting Agreement"), a copy of which is
filed as Exhibit 10.1 to this current report on Form 8-K and is incorporated
herein by reference, and the description of the material terms of the Consulting
Agreement is qualified in its entirety by reference to such exhibit.
Pursuant to the Consulting Agreement, the Company will continue to employ
Mr. Sudbury in his current capacity until the Effective Time, and all salary,
benefits, terms and conditions of Mr. Sudbury's employment will remain unchanged
until the Effective Time. In accordance with the Consulting Agreement,
Mr. Sudbury has agreed to provide consulting services as a non-employee
consultant to the Company from September 1, 2009 through August 31, 2011 (the
"Consulting Period").
As a consultant, Mr. Sudbury will perform such consulting services during the
Consulting Period as are reasonably requested of him by the Chief Executive
Officer of the Company and will assist in the orderly transition of his former
duties and responsibilities. In partial consideration for Mr. Sudbury's
agreement to remain available to the Company on a consulting basis, and for
Mr. Sudbury's release and waiver of claims, the Company has agreed to pay
Mr. Sudbury the gross amount of one million dollars ($1,000,000.00) on or before
the Effective Date. Also, during the Consulting Period, the Company has agreed
to pay Mr. Sudbury a consulting fee of $600,000 to be paid quarterly in eight
equal installments of Seventy Five Thousand Dollars ($75,000.00) each commencing
on or before September 10, 2009 and continuing every three months thereafter
with the final payment due on or before June 10, 2011. In addition to the
consulting fee, the Company has agreed to reimburse Mr. Sudbury for all
reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in the course of providing consulting
services.
Additional consideration to Mr. Sudbury pursuant to the Consulting Agreement
includes: (a) the Company funding Mr. Sudbury's continued participation (with
coverage of dependents) in the Company's medical and dental benefit plans in
accordance with terms of the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act
(COBRA) of 1986, and comparable benefit coverage thereafter for a maximum of
twelve months; (b) payment to Mr. Sudbury for all of his accrued but unused
vacation; (c) title to the leased automobile currently furnished by the Company
to Mr. Sudbury; and (d) the provision of a computer, printer/scanner and PDA
comparable to that utilized by Mr. Sudbury when employed by the Company to
facilitate Mr. Sudbury's performance of his consulting services.
The Consulting Agreement prohibits Mr. Sudbury during the Consulting Period
Agreement from:
(a) accepting employment, performing legal services, consulting with, or
serving in any capacity for or with any business entity that is a competitor of
the Company or investment firm or financier, which Mr. Sudbury may know, after
reasonably inquiry, is considering or pursuing the acquisition of the Company or
an investment in the Company of more than $250,000; or
(b) directly or indirectly, from May 28, 2009 through August 31, 2011,
(i) soliciting, hiring, attempting to hire, retain, or compensate any individual
who as of August 31, 2009 or during the Consulting Period, is an employee,
officer or director of the Company or any affiliate of the Company or
(ii) competing with, or participating in any business or venture that engages in
steel manufacturing, steel fabrication, steel sales or metals recycling.