|
RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
|
12 Months Ended |
|---|---|
|
Dec. 31, 2013
|
|
| RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS [Abstract] | |
| RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS |
NOTE 15
RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Mr. Robert Schreiber, Jr.
During March 2011, we entered into a lease with Lawrence Properties LLC, a company jointly owned by Robert Schreiber, Jr., the President of Schreiber, Yonley and Associates, and Mr. Schreiber’s spouse. Mr. Schreiber is a member of our executive management team. The lease is for a term of five years starting June 1, 2011. Under the lease, we pay monthly rent of approximately $11,400, which we believe is lower than costs charged by unrelated third party landlords. Additional rent will be assessed for any increases over the new lease commencement year for property taxes or assessments and property and casualty insurance premiums.
Mr. David Centofanti
Mr. David Centofanti serves as our Director of Information Services. For such services, he received total compensation in 2013 of approximately $163,000. Mr. David Centofanti is the son of our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of our Board, Dr. Louis F. Centofanti. We believe the compensation received by Mr. Centofanti for his technical expertise which he provides to the Company is competitive and comparable to compensation we would have to pay to an unaffiliated third party with the same technical expertise.
Christopher Leichtweis
The Company is obligated to make lease payments of approximately $29,000 per month through June 2018, pursuant to a Lease Agreement, dated June 1, 2008 (the “Lease”), between Leichtweis Enterprises, LLC, as lessor, and Safety and Ecology Holdings Corporation (“SEHC”), as lessee. Leichtweis Enterprises, LLC, is owned by Mr. Christopher Leichtweis (“Leichtweis”), who was a Senior Vice President of the Company and President of SEC, prior to his voluntary termination and retirement from the Company effective May 24, 2013. The Lease covers SEC’s principal offices in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Under an agreement of indemnity (“Indemnification Agreement”), SEC, Leichtweis and his spouse (“Leichtweis Parties”), jointly and severally, agreed to indemnify the individual surety with respect to contingent liabilities that may be incurred by the individual surety under certain of SEC’s bonded projects. In addition, SEC agreed to indemnify Leichtweis Parties against judgments, penalties, fines, and expense associated with those SEC performance bonds that Leichtweis Parties have agreed to indemnify in the event SEC cannot perform, which has an aggregate bonded amount of approximately $10,900,000 (which has been released/expired). The Indemnification Agreement provided by SEC to the Leichtweis Parties also provides for compensating the Leichtweis Parties at a rate of 0.75% of the value of bonds (60% having been paid previously and the balance at substantial completion of the contract). On February 14, 2013, the Company entered into a Settlement and Release Agreement and Amendment to Employment Agreement (the “Leichtweis Settlement”), in final settlement of certain claims made by us against Leichtweis in connection with the certain claims asserted by the Company against TNC subsequent to our acquisition of SEC on October 31, 2011. The Leichtweis Settlement terminated our obligation to pay the Leichtweis Parties a fee under the Indemnification Agreement.
Employment Agreements
We have an employment agreement with each of Dr. Centofanti (our President and Chief Executive Officer or “CEO”), Ben Naccarato (our Chief Financial Officer or “CFO”), and James Blankenhorn (our Chief Operating Officer or “COO”). Each employment agreement provides for annual base salaries, bonuses, and other benefits commonly found in such agreements. In addition, each employment agreement provides that in the event of termination of such officer without cause or termination by the officer for good reason (as such terms are defined in the employment agreement), the terminated officer shall receive payments of an amount equal to benefits that have accrued as of the termination but not yet paid, plus an amount equal to one year’s base salary at the time of termination. In addition, the employment agreements provide that in the event of a change in control (as defined in the employment agreements), all outstanding stock options to purchase our Common Stock granted to, and held by, the officer covered by the employment agreement to be immediately vested and exercisable. See “Note 18 – Subsequent Events – Resignation of Chief Operating Officer” for information regarding resignation of COO in March 2014 and the termination of his employment agreement.
The Company also had an employment agreement with Christopher Leichtweis (the “Leichtweis Employment Agreement”), containing substantially the terms described above with respect to the employment agreements of Messrs. Centofanti, Naccarato and Blankenhorn. On May 14, 2013, the Company entered into a Separation and Release Agreement (“Agreement”) with Mr. Leichtweis, which terminated Mr. Leichtweis’ employment with the Company and his position as an officer of the Company effective May 24, 2013, and voided the Leichtweis Employment Agreement (except for the “Confidentiality of Trade Secrets and Business Information (“Section 7”) clause). Leichtweis’ termination was not “for cause” by the Company nor “for good reason” by Mr. Leichtweis (as defined in the Leichtweis Employment Agreement). Mr. Leichtweis was paid only his accrued salary, vacation and any benefits under the employee’s benefit plan, upon his separation date of May 24, 2013. In connection with the Agreement, the Company also entered into a Consulting Services Agreement (“Consulting Agreement”) with Leichtweis, dated May 24, 2013 and terminating on July 23, 2014, unless sooner terminated by either party with prior 30 days’ written notice. The Consulting Agreement provides for compensation at an hourly rate of $135 and reasonable travel and other expenses. Pursuant to the Consulting Agreement, Leichtweis will be subject to a fourteen months confidentiality and non-compete agreement (as defined) from date of execution of the Consulting Agreement. On June 1, 2013, Leichtweis provided the Company with written notice of termination of the Consulting Agreement.
|