UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 14A
Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(Amendment No. )
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PetIQ, Inc.
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April 16, 2019
Dear Fellow Stockholder:
You are cordially invited to attend the 2019 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the Annual Meeting) of PetIQ, Inc. (PetIQ) to be held at our corporate headquarters at 923 S. Bridgeway Place, Eagle, Idaho on Wednesday, May 29, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. Mountain Daylight Time.
Our Company: At PetIQ, our mission is to make pets lives better through improved access to affordable pet health care. In January 2018, we leveraged our core capabilities in pet health and wellness products to extend our business into veterinarian services through the strategic acquisition of VIP Petcare, a leading operator and provider of nationwide veterinary clinics and veterinarian services within major U.S. retailers. We are now providing the same convenience and affordability to pet parents strengthening new and existing partnerships across all sales channels and enhancing consumer loyalty through complementary veterinarian product and service offerings. We ended 2018 with 34 wellness centers and 34 regional offices in operation. In addition to integrating VIP and accelerating growth of our Services segment, we made key leadership team additions and the tuck-in acquisition of HBH Enterprises, an innovative developer and manufacturer of specialty pet supplements and treatsthese actions further strengthened PetIQs overall market position in animal health and wellness. The synergy created between our veterinarian products and service business is significant and resulted in strong growth of our business. In fact, since our initial public offering in July 2017, PetIQ has increased net sales from $267 million to finish 2018 with net sales of $529 million, representing growth of 98%.
Business Strategy: Through our Follow the Pets long-term plan, our team will continue to strategically execute on disciplined operational initiatives and investments to support PetIQs long-term, sustainable growth. Approximately 86% of pet owners purchase their pet food at our retail partners and the secular trends supporting the industry are extremely powerful with the number of pet households reaching its highest levels ever. We will follow these pets and pet owners by bringing affordable veterinarian services and products to where they are already shopping for their pets needs. We are uniquely positioned to take advantage of the macro trends in the pet industry, where there is rising pet ownership, a heightened sensitivity to the rising healthcare costs associated with pet ownership, humanization of pets as family members, and increased aging of pets that all depend on better healthcare.
We believe our strategic actions in 2018 position PetIQ for long-term sustainable growth. Our national veterinarian products and service platform addresses a $32 billion veterinary pet products and services market opportunity, which is projected to grow at more than 6% annually. We remain in the early stages of realizing the growth we are capable of achieving, but believe our integrated product and service platform will continue to allow us to outpace industry growth. Going forward, we believe this puts us on pace to achieve our long-term growth targets of 1,000 veterinarian wellness centers, net sales of greater than $1 billion with EBITDA margin of greater than 15% by 2023. The demand for our more affordable and accessible pet products and veterinarian services is strong and we remain committed to expanding our category leadership position to fuel our future growth and value for our shareholders.
Stockholder Engagement: We are also guided by the perspectives of our stockholders as expressed through direct engagement with us throughout the year and at our Annual Meeting. Since our 2018 annual meeting of stockholders, our executives and investor relations have engaged in discussions with stockholders comprising approximately 83% of our shares of Class A common stock outstanding. Feedback received during these meetings is shared with the full Board of Directors and has informed Board decisions. The conversations held with our stockholders are beneficial, and we look forward to continuing our dialogue in the coming year.
At the Annual Meeting we will review the business to be transacted and described in the accompanying Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders and respond to comments and questions. On behalf of the Board of Directors, I thank you for your participation and investment in PetIQ.
Sincerely,
McCord Christensen
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
This Proxy Statement is dated April 16, 2019 and is first being made available to stockholders on April 19, 2019.
NOTICE OF 2019 ANNUAL MEETING
OF STOCKHOLDERS
To Be Held on May 29, 2019
To the Stockholders of PETIQ, Inc.:
Time and Date: | Wednesday, May 29, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. Mountain Daylight Time | |
Place: | The Companys headquarters at 923 S. Bridgeway Place, Eagle, Idaho 83616 | |
Record Date: | April 1, 2019 (the Record Date) | |
Items to be Voted On: | 1. To elect two Class II directors, to serve until the third annual meeting next succeeding their election and until their successor is elected and qualified (Proposal One); | |
2. To approve the amendment and restatement of the PetIQ, Inc. 2017 Omnibus Incentive Plan, including an increase in the shares of Class A Common Stock reserved for issuance thereunder (Proposal Two); | ||
3. To ratify the selection of KPMG LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2019 (Proposal Three); and | ||
4. To transact such other business as may properly come before the Annual Meeting or any adjournments or postponements thereof. | ||
How to Vote: | IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOUR SHARES ARE REPRESENTED AT THIS ANNUAL MEETING. EVEN IF YOU PLAN TO ATTEND THE ANNUAL MEETING, WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL PROMPTLY VOTE AND SUBMIT YOUR PROXY BY TELEPHONE, MAIL OR VIA THE INTERNET, AS DESCRIBED IN THE PROXY STATEMENT. THIS WILL NOT LIMIT YOUR RIGHTS TO ATTEND OR VOTE AT THE ANNUAL MEETING. |
Our board of directors has fixed the close of business on April 1, 2019 as the record date for determining holders of our Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting or any adjournments or postponements thereof. A complete list of such stockholders will be available for examination at our offices in Eagle, Idaho during normal business hours for a period of ten days prior to the Annual Meeting.
By Order of the Board of Directors |
|
R. Michael Herrman |
General Counsel and Secretary |
Eagle, Idaho
Date: April 16, 2019
IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING THE AVAILABILITY OF PROXY MATERIALS
FOR THE ANNUAL MEETING TO BE HELD ON MAY 29, 2019.
We are furnishing proxy materials to our stockholders primarily via the Internet, instead of mailing printed copies of those materials to each stockholder. By doing so, we save costs and reduce the environmental impact of our Annual Meeting. We will mail a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials to certain of our stockholders. This Notice contains instructions about how to access our proxy materials and vote online or vote by telephone. If you would like to receive a paper copy of our proxy materials, please follow the instructions included in the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials. If you previously chose to receive our proxy materials electronically, you will continue to receive access to these materials via e-mail unless you elect otherwise. |
2019 Proxy Statement Summary
This summary highlights information contained elsewhere in the Proxy Statement. This summary does not contain all of the information that you should consider, and you should read the entire Proxy Statement carefully before voting. For more complete information regarding the PetIQ Inc.s (the Companys) 2018 performance, please review our 2018 Annual Report on Form 10-K (Annual Report).
2019 Annual Meeting Information
Date and Time |
Wednesday, May 29, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. Mountain Daylight Time | |
Location |
PetIQs corporate headquarters, 923 S. Bridgeway Place, Eagle, Idaho 83616 | |
Record Date |
April 1, 2019 | |
Shares Outstanding as of the Record Date | 28,183,955 shares of Common Stock outstanding, comprised of 22,156,111 shares of Class A Common Stock (the Class A Common Stock) and 6,027,844 shares of Class B Common Stock (the Class B Common Stock and, together with the Class A Common Stock, the Common Stock). Our Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock vote together on each of the matters set forth in this Proxy Statement. | |
Voting |
You are entitled to one (1) vote for each share of Common Stock you own, on each matter to be voted upon at the Annual Meeting of the Stockholders (the Annual Meeting). |
Proposal | Board Recommendation | |||
Election of directors (page 4) |
FOR | |||
Vote to Approve Amendment and Restatement of the PetIQ, Inc. 2017 Omnibus Incentive Plan (the Omnibus Plan) (page 22) |
FOR | |||
Ratification of Selection of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (page 35) |
FOR |
Board Committees(2) | ||||||||||||
Name | Director Class(1) |
Director Since |
Independent | Compensation | Audit | Nominating and Corporate Governance | ||||||
McCord Christensen |
III | 2017 | ||||||||||
Larry Bird |
II | 2018 | X | X | ||||||||
James Clarke |
I | 2017 | X | X | C | |||||||
Mark First |
II | 2017 | X | C | X | |||||||
Ronald Kennedy |
I | 2017 | X | X | X | |||||||
Gary Michael |
III | 2017 | X | X | C | |||||||
Will Santana |
I | 2018 |
(1) | Class I directors have a term that expires at the 2021 annual meeting of stockholders. Class II directors have a term that expires at the Annual Meeting and have been nominated for re-election. Class III directors have a term that expires at the 2020 annual meeting of stockholders. |
(2) | C = Chair of Committee; X = Member of Committee |
2019 Proxy Statement | 1 |
2019 Proxy Statement Summary
Net sales were $528.6 million, an increase of 98% versus 2017 | Adjusted EBITDA(1) was $41.5 million, an increase of 86% versus 2017 | |
Product Sales were $450.2 million, an increase of 69%
Service revenue was $78.4 million | ||
|
(1) | Adjusted EBITDA is a financial measure that is not calculated in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP). For more information regarding Adjusted EBITDA and a reconciliation to net income, the most directly comparable GAAP measure, see Appendix A, Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measure. |
2 | PETIQ, Inc. |
Proposal 1: Election of Directors
ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
LARRY BIRD
Director
Class II Director since: 2018
Age: 64
Board Committees:
Audit
|
Mr. Bird has served as a director and as a member of the Companys Audit Committee since March 2018. Mr. Bird served as Senior Audit Partner at Deloitte & Touche LLP until his retirement in June, 2017. As a Deloitte Audit Partner since 1989, Mr. Bird was actively engaged as the Lead Audit Partner responsible for planning and supervising audits for larger private companies and PCAOB Integrated Audits for publicly held companies spanning a variety of industries. Mr. Bird earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from the Idaho State University College of Business. We believe that Mr. Birds qualifications to serve as a director of our Company include his extensive financial acumen and detailed experience as Lead Audit Partner in a variety of industries.
|
4 | PETIQ, Inc. |
Proposal 1: Election of Directors
MARK FIRST
Director
Independent
Class II Director since: 2017
Age: 54
Board Committees:
Compensation (Chair) Nominating and Corporate Governance
|
Mr. First has served as the lead independent director of the Company since our initial public offering in July 2017 (IPO). Prior to our IPO, Mr. First served as a member of PetIQ Holdings, LLCs board of managers from 2012 until July 2017. Mr. First is a Managing Director of Eos Management, L.P., an affiliate of ECP Helios Partners IV, L.P. and Eos Partners, L.P. (the Eos Funds), where he has been employed since March 1994. Mr. First was previously an investment banker with Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated from August 1991 until March 1994. Mr. First is a director of several privately owned companies and has been a director of Addus HomeCare, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADUS) since 2009. Mr. First holds a Bachelor of Science from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School. We believe Mr. Firsts qualifications to serve as a director of our Company include his experience as a director of other public companies and his experience in business, corporate strategy, acquiring and integrating business and investment matters.
|
The Board recommends that stockholders vote FOR the election of all director nominees.
2019 Proxy Statement | 5 |
Proposal 1: Election of Directors
The following table sets forth the names and titles of PetIQs directors and executive officers.
Name | Position | |
McCord Christensen |
Chief Executive Officer and Chairman | |
Susan Sholtis |
President | |
John Newland |
Chief Financial Officer | |
R. Michael Herrman |
General Counsel and Secretary | |
Will Santana |
Executive Vice President and Director | |
Larry Bird |
Director | |
James Clarke |
Director | |
Mark First |
Lead Independent Director | |
Ronald Kennedy |
Director | |
Gary Michael |
Director |
The names of our directors, certain biographical information about our directors, and the experiences, qualifications, attributes or skills that the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee considered when recommending the directors for nomination, are set forth below (other than Messrs. Bird and First, whose information is set forth above under Proposal One: Election of Directors).
MCCORD CHRISTENSEN
Chief Executive Officer and Chairman
Class III Director since: 2017
Age: 46
Board Committees:
None
|
Mr. Christensen co-founded PetIQ in 2010 and has served as our Chief Executive Officer since our inception and as Chairman of our Board since our IPO. In addition to his leadership responsibilities as Chairman and CEO, Mr. Christensens expertise in retail and consumer products has enabled PetIQ to deliver targeted and well-executed commercial programs and products across the retail industry. Prior to founding PetIQ, Mr. Christensen gained extensive retail and management experience working at Albertsons and as an executive in consumer product companies selling to leading U.S. retailers. Mr. Christensen holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Boise State University. We believe Mr. Christensens qualifications to serve as a director of our Company include his role of Chief Executive Officer of the Company, his experience in the consumer and retail industries, his expertise in corporate strategy and development, his demonstrated business acumen and his extensive experience identifying, consummating and integrating acquisitions.
|
6 | PETIQ, Inc. |
Proposal 1: Election of Directors
JAMES N. CLARKE
Director
Independent
Class I Director since: 2017
Age: 46
Board Committees:
Compensation Nominating and Corporate Governance (Chair)
|
Mr. Clarke has served as a director since our IPO. Prior to our IPO, Mr. Clarke served as a member of PetIQ Holdings, LLCs board of managers from 2012 until July 2017, serving as the board of managers chairman from 2012 until 2015. From 2011 until the formation of PetIQ Holdings, LLC in 2012, Mr. Clarke served as the chairman of PetIQ, LLC. Mr. Clarke is Chief Executive Officer and Managing Partner of Clarke Capital Partners, a growth equity and alternatives-focused family office, where he has served since 2011. Mr. Clarke is a director of several privately owned companies and non-profit organizations. Mr. Clarke is a Governor-appointed Trustee and Foundation Chair at Utah Valley University and also serves as the Chairman of the board of managers of Curza Global, LLC, a small-molecule drug development company focused on infectious diseases and oncology. Mr. Clarke is an alumnus of Brigham Young University and holds a Master of Management from the University of Oxford. We believe Mr. Clarkes qualifications to serve as a director of our Company include his business experience, particularly as it relates to corporate strategy and investment matters, as well as his familiarity with PetIQs business and the industry in which we operate.
|
RONALD KENNEDY
Director
Independent
Class I Director since: 2017
Age: 72
Board Committees:
Compensation Audit
|
Mr. Kennedy has served as a director since our IPO. Prior to our IPO, Mr. Kennedy served as a member of PetIQ Holdings, LLCs board of managers from May 2012 until July 2017. From 2010 until the formation of PetIQ Holdings, LLC in 2012, Mr. Kennedy served as a director of PetIQ, LLC. Mr. Kennedy is the owner of the investment firm Kennedy Ventures and a founder of Western Benefit Solutions, an employee benefits consulting firm, which he sold in 2010. He was a board member of Ameriben, Inc., a human resource consulting and benefits administration service company until 2014. Mr. Kennedy holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Brigham Young University and a Master of Business Administration from Arizona State University. We believe Mr. Kennedys qualifications to serve as a director of our Company include his experience in corporate strategy, investment matters and corporate leadership.
|
GARY MICHAEL
Director
Class III Director since: 2017
Age: 78
Board Committees:
Audit (Chair) Compensation |
Mr. Michael has served as a director since our IPO. Prior to our IPO, Mr. Michael served as a member of PetIQ Holdings, LLCs board of managers from 2016 until July 2017. Mr. Michael served as the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Albertsons Inc. from 1991 to 2001. Mr. Michael served as the Chairman of The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco from 1997 to 2000 and as a Director from 1994 to 2000. Mr. Michael currently serves on the boards of Bodega Latina Corp., Northwest Bank, Western Capital Corp. and the JA and Kathryn Albertson Family Foundation. In addition, Mr. Michael currently serves as the Commissioner of the Idaho Lottery and the Idaho State Treasurers Investment Review Committee. Previously, Mr. Michael was on the boards of The Clorox Company, Questar, Inc., Boise Cascade Corp., Office Max, Inc., Caesars Entertainment, Graham Packaging, Inc., Idaho Power Company and Idacorp. He was also the President of the University of Idaho from 2003 to 2004. Mr. Michael holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Idaho. We believe Mr. Michaels qualifications to serve on our board include his demonstrated business and financial acumen, his experience in acquiring and integrating businesses, and his experience on other public company boards of directors, including audit committee service.
|
2019 Proxy Statement | 7 |
Proposal 1: Election of Directors
WILL SANTANA
Director
Independent
Class I Director since: 2018
Age: 46
Board Committees:
None
|
Mr. Santana has served as a director since our acquisition of VIP in January 2018 (the VIP Acquisition and the agreement pursuant to which the VIP Acquisition was completed, the Purchase Agreement). Mr. Santana was appointed to the Board pursuant to the terms of the Purchase Agreement and currently serves as the Companys Executive Vice President, with the principal responsibility of overseeing VIP. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Santana served as the Chief Executive Officer of VIP since founding the company in 1997. We believe Mr. Santanas qualifications to serve as a director of our Company include his experience in the veterinary health business. |
The names and certain biographical information about our executive officers are set forth below (other than Messrs. Christensen and Santana, whose information is set forth above under Directors).
JOHN NEWLAND
Age: 55
|
Mr. Newland has served as our Chief Financial Officer since 2014 and as our Corporate Secretary from 2015 until March 2019. Since joining PetIQ, Mr. Newland facilitated the move from a regional auditor to KPMG, implemented enhanced control systems and standards across the company and upgraded our finance and operations organizations. Prior to joining PetIQ, Mr. Newland gained extensive retail and consumer products experience working for Albertsons, Inc. and SuperValu, Inc. in a range of finance roles. Mr. Newland is a retired fighter pilot and Commander in the Idaho Air National Guard, where he served from 1985 to 2013. Mr. Newland holds a Bachelor of Science degree in corporate finance from the University of Idaho and is a graduate of the United States Air Force Air War College.
|
SUSAN SHOLTIS
Age: 52
|
Ms. Sholtis has served as President since October 2018. She previously served as a director from March 2018 to October 2018. Prior to her appointment as President, Ms. Sholtis served as Global Marketing Head in the Health Division at Reckitt Benckiser since 2017. From 2016 to 2017, Ms. Sholtis served as Head of North America Commercial Operations at Merial and was responsible for transitioning North America operations to Merials new owner, Boehringer Ingelheim. Prior to that, from 2006 to 2016, Ms. Sholtis served in a number of positions at Mead Johnson Nutrition, most recently as Head of Global Marketing. Ms. Sholtis earned a Bachelors degree from Butler University and a Masters of Business Administration from Emory University.
|
8 | PETIQ, Inc. |
Proposal 1: Election of Directors
R. MICHAEL HERRMAN
Age: 51 |
Mr. Herrman was appointed as General Counsel in February 2019. He previously worked as the Executive Director and the Head of Legal for Boehringer Ingelheims Animal Health business in Latin America from 2017 to 2019 and as the Executive Director and the Head of Legal for Boehringer Ingelheims Animal Health business in the United States from 2007 to 2017. Beginning in 2003, Mr. Herrman served in a number of positions at Boehringer Ingelheim and gained extensive experience in both the human pharmaceuticals business, and specifically the animal health business and industry, including as Executive Director, Executive Division Counsel and as a Director and Senior Counsel of Legal Operations. Mr. Herrman earned a Bachelors degree from the University of Connecticut, as well as a Masters degree from S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and a law degree from Syracuse University College of Law. Prior to that, Mr. Herrman served in the United States Army.
|
2019 Proxy Statement | 9 |
Corporate Governance
Committees of the Board of Directors
Our Board has a standing Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. The Board determines the membership of each of these committees from time to time, and pursuant to our Corporate Governance Guidelines only outside, independent directors serve on these committees. The current members of each committee are identified in the table below:
Board Committees(1) | ||||||
Name | Compensation | Audit | Nominating and Corporate | |||
McCord Christensen |
||||||
Larry Bird |
X | |||||
James Clarke |
X | C | ||||
Mark First |
C | X | ||||
Ronald Kennedy |
X | X | ||||
Gary Michael |
X | C | ||||
Will Santana |
(1) C = Chair of Committee; X = Member of Committee
Audit Committee
12 | PETIQ, Inc. |
Corporate Governance
Compensation Committee
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
2019 Proxy Statement | 13 |
Corporate Governance
Other Committees
Our Board may establish other committees as it deems necessary or appropriate from time to time.
Committee Charters
Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
Board of Directors Leadership Structure and Risk Oversight
Risk Oversight
Leadership Structure
14 | PETIQ, Inc. |
Director Compensation
Standard Director Compensation Arrangements
The following table presents information regarding the compensation earned or paid during 2018 to our non-employee directors who served on the Board during the year. Employee directors do not receive compensation for their service as members of the Board.
Name | Fees Earned or ($) |
Stock Awards ($)(1) |
All Other Compensation ($) |
Total ($) |
||||||||
Mark First(2) |
42,509 | 20,012 | | 62,521 | ||||||||
Gary Michael |
43,000 | 20,012 | | 63,012 | ||||||||
James Clarke |
38,000 | 20,012 | | 58,012 | ||||||||
Ronald Kennedy |
33,000 | 20,012 | | 53,012 | ||||||||
Larry Bird(3) |
33,000 | 70,001 | | 103,001 | ||||||||
Susan Sholtis(4) |
| | | |
(1) | The amounts reported in this column represent (i) for each non-employee director (other than Ms. Sholtis, whose award is reported in the Summary Compensation Table), the grant date fair value of the annual restricted stock unit award granted on May 31, 2018, which vests on the first anniversary of the grant date, provided that the applicable director continues to serve as a director through such date, and (ii) in addition, for Mr. Bird, the grant date fair value of the initial restricted stock unit award granted to him on March 15, 2018, which vests in approximately equal annual installments on each of the first three anniversaries of the grant date, provided that Mr. Bird continues to serve as a director through each such date. The grant date fair value of each award was calculated in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718. For a discussion of the assumptions and methodologies used in calculating the grant date fair value of the restricted stock unit awards, please see Note 9 to the Companys consolidated financial statements in the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018. As of December 31, 2018, each non-employee director held the following unvested awards (other than Ms. Sholtis, whose outstanding equity awards are reported solely in the Outstanding Equity Awards at 2018 Fiscal Year-End Table): (i) Mr. First1,045 restricted stock units; (ii) Mr. Michael1,045 restricted stock units; (iii) Mr. Clarke1,045 restricted stock units; (iv) Mr. Kennedy1,045 restricted stock units; and (v) Mr. Bird3,047 restricted stock units. |
(2) | The cash fees owed to Mr. First were paid to an affiliate of the Eos Funds. |
(3) | Mr. Bird began serving on the Board effective March 15, 2018. |
(4) | Ms. Sholtis served on the Board effective March 15, 2018 until her appointment as President of the Company, effective October 1, 2018. The cash fees paid to Ms. Sholtis for her service as a non-employee director prior to October 1, 2018, and Ms. Sholtiss initial and 2018 director restricted stock unit awards, are reported in the Summary Compensation Table, as is the compensation that Ms. Sholtis received for her service in 2018 as President of the Company on and after October 1, 2018. |
2019 Proxy Statement | 17 |
Executive Compensation
The following provides compensation information pursuant to the scaled disclosure rules applicable to emerging growth companies under SEC rules and the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the JOBS Act).
The following Summary Compensation Table discloses the compensation information for fiscal years 2018 and 2017 for our principal executive officer (PEO) and the two most highly compensated executive officers other than the PEO who were serving as executive officers at the end of the last completed fiscal year (collectively, the named executive officers). Certain updated compensation following the end of fiscal year 2018 and other information is provided in the narrative sections following the Summary Compensation Table.
Name and Principal Position |
Year | Salary ($) |
Bonus ($)(1) |
Option Awards ($)(2) |
Stock Awards ($)(3) |
All Other Compensation ($)(4) |
Total ($) |
|||||||||||||||||||||
McCord Christensen |
2018 | 491,440 | 500,000 | 1,476,000 | | | 2,467,440 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Chief Executive Officer |
2017 | 294,580 | 378,000 | 1,248,862 | | | 1,921,442 | |||||||||||||||||||||
John Newland |
2018 | 371,434 | 375,000 | 738,862 | | | 1,485,296 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Chief Financial Officer |
2017 | 289,430 | 1,326,000 | 872,808 | | | 2,488,238 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Susan Sholtis(5) |
2018 | 83,333 | | 1,504,168 | 749,000 | 97,815 | 2,435,116 | |||||||||||||||||||||
President |
(1) | The amounts reported in the Bonus column represent discretionary bonuses paid to the executives in 2019 and 2018 with respect to services provided in 2018 and 2017. |
(2) | These amounts represent the grant date fair value of the stock option awards granted to the named executive officers in 2018, calculated in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718. For a discussion of the assumptions and methodologies used in calculating the grant date fair value of the stock option awards, please see Note 9 to the Companys consolidated financial statements in the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018. |
(3) | This amount represents the grant date fair value of the restricted stock unit award granted to Ms. Sholtis in connection with the commencement of her employment in 2018, calculated in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718. For a discussion of the assumptions and methodologies used in calculating the grant date fair value of the restricted stock unit award, please see Note 9 to the Companys consolidated financial statements in the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018. |
(4) | The amount shown in this column for Ms. Sholtis include the following amounts paid to her in respect of her service in 2018 as a non-employee director prior to her appointment as President of the Company effective October 1, 2018: (i) $27,814 in cash fees, (ii) an initial restricted stock unit award with a grant date fair value of $49,990, and (iii) a 2018 restricted stock unit award with a grant date fair value of $20,012. The grant date fair value of each restricted stock unit award is calculated in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718. For a discussion of the assumptions and methodologies used in calculating the grant date fair value of the restricted stock unit awards, please see Note 9 to the Companys consolidated financial statements in the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018. |
(5) | Ms. Sholtis commenced employment as President of the Company on October 1, 2018. Ms. Sholtis was not a named executive officer in 2017 and thus, only 2018 compensation information is shown for her in this table. |
Base Salaries
18 | PETIQ, Inc. |
Executive Compensation
Our named executive officers were entitled to the following annual base salaries:
Name | 2018 Base Salary Rate ($) (Effective January 1, 2018) |
2019 Base Salary Rate ($) (Effective January 1, 2019) | ||
McCord Christensen |
500,000 | 515,000 | ||
John Newland |
375,000 | 386,250 | ||
Susan Sholtis(1) |
400,000 | 400,000 |
(1) | Ms. Sholtiss 2018 base salary rate was effective on October 1, 2018, her employment start date. |
Base salaries for Messrs. Christensen and Newland were increased in 2019 to reflect individual performance and to recognize the contributions of such named executive officers within their respective roles.
Employee Benefit and Retirement Programs
Executive Employment and Other Arrangements
2019 Proxy Statement | 19 |
Executive Compensation
Outstanding Equity Awards at 2018 Fiscal Year-End
The following table shows outstanding equity awards as of December 31, 2018 for each named executive officer.
Option Awards | Stock Awards | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Name | Number of Exercisable |
Number of Unexercisable |
Option ($) |
Option Expiration Date |
Number of Shares or Units of Stock That Have Not Vested (#) (2) |
Market ($) (3) |
Equity Incentive Plan Awards: Number of Unearned Shares, Units, or Other Rights That Have Not Vested (#) |
Equity Incentive Plan Awards: Market or Payout Value of Unearned Shares, Units, or Other Rights That Have Not Vested ($) |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
McCord Christensen |
51,351 | 154,054 | 16.00 | 7/20/2027 | | | | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 150,000 | 24.97 | 3/15/2028 | | | | | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
John Newland |
35,889 | 107,665 | 16.00 | 7/20/2027 | | | | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 75,000 | 24.97 | 3/15/2028 | | | | | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Susan Sholtis |
| 100,000 | 37.49 | 10/1/2028 | 23,047 | 540,913 | | |
(1) | These option awards vest and become exercisable in approximately equal installments on each of the first four anniversaries of the applicable grant date, subject to continued service with the Company through each such vesting date. |
(2) | The restricted stock unit awards made to Ms. Sholtis have the following vesting schedules: (i) 2,002 restricted stock units granted to Ms. Sholtis in connection with the commencement of her service as a non-employee director vest in approximately equal installments on each of the first three anniversaries of the March 15, 2018 grant date; (ii) 1,045 restricted stock units granted to Ms. Sholtis in connection with her service in 2018 as a non-employee director vest in full on the first anniversary of the May 31, 2018 grant date; and (iii) 20,000 restricted stock units granted to Ms. Sholtis in connection with the commencement of her employment as President of the Company vest 50% on the first anniversary of the October 1, 2018 grant date and in approximately equal installments on each of the second, third, and fourth anniversaries thereafter, subject to continued service with the Company through each such vesting date. |
(3) | The value of the unvested restricted stock units is shown assuming a market value of $23.47 per share, the closing market price of a share of Class A Common Stock on December 31, 2018. |
20 | PETIQ, Inc. |
Executive Compensation
Long-Term Incentive Awards
2019 Proxy Statement | 21 |
Proposal 2: Approval of PetIQ, Inc. Amended and Restated 2017 Omnibus Incentive Plan
2019 Proxy Statement | 23 |
Proposal 2: Approval of PetIQ, Inc. Amended and Restated 2017 Omnibus Incentive Plan
2019 Proxy Statement | 25 |
Proposal 2: Approval of PetIQ, Inc. Amended and Restated 2017 Omnibus Incentive Plan
Other than with respect to the annual restricted stock unit grants to be made to our non-employee directors, the benefits and amounts that will be received by or allocated to participants under the Amended Plan are not yet determinable because the types and amounts of awards and selection of participants are subject to the Committees future determination. Awards to be issued under the Amended Plan to our non-employee directors following the Annual Meeting are shown in the table below.
Name and Position | Dollar Value(1) | |
McCord Christensen Chief Executive Officer |
N/A | |
John Newland Chief Financial Officer |
N/A | |
Susan Sholtis President |
N/A | |
Executive Officers as a Group |
N/A | |
Non-Employee Directors as a Group |
$100,000 | |
Non-Executive Officer Employees as a Group |
N/A |
(1) | The amount disclosed is equal to the total dollar value of all annual restricted stock unit awards to be granted to our non-employee directors following the Annual Meeting. Share figures will be determined by dividing the dollar value by the closing stock price on the date of grant. |
26 | PETIQ, Inc. |
Equity Compensation Plan Information
EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION
The following table sets forth certain information, as of December 31, 2018, concerning shares of our Common Stock authorized for issuance under all of our equity compensation plans.
Number of Securities to be Issued Upon Exercise of Outstanding Options, Warrants and Rights (a) (#) |
Weighted Average Exercise Price of Outstanding Options, Warrants and Rights (b) ($)(1) |
Number of Securities (c) (#) |
||||||||||
Equity compensation plans approved by stockholders(2) |
1,465,347 | $ | 24.23 | 412,805 | ||||||||
Equity compensation plans not approved by stockholders(3) |
530,000 | $ | 21.37 | | ||||||||
Total |
1,995,347 | $ | 23.45 | 412,805 |
(1) | Reflects the weighted average exercise price of outstanding stock options. Outstanding restricted stock units are not included as such awards do not have an exercise price. |
(2) | Includes 1,414,589 outstanding stock options and 50,758 outstanding restricted stock units under the Omnibus Plan. |
(3) | Includes 530,000 outstanding stock options granted under the PetIQ, Inc. 2018 Inducement and Retention Stock Plan for CVC Employees (the Inducement Plan). For a description of the Inducement Plan, please see Note 9 to the Companys consolidated financial statements in the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018. |
2019 Proxy Statement | 27 |
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT
Except as otherwise noted below, the address for persons listed in the table is c/o PetIQ, Inc., 923 S. Bridgeway Place, Eagle, Idaho 83616.
Shares of Class A Common Stock Beneficially Owned |
Shares of Class B Common Stock Beneficially Owned |
Combined Voting Power |
||||||||||||||||||
Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | |||||||||||||||||
5% Stockholders |
||||||||||||||||||||
Eos Funds(1) |
3,472,687 | 15.7 | % | | | 12.3 | % | |||||||||||||
Clarke Capital Entities(2) |
| | 664,641 | 11.0 | % | 2.4 | % | |||||||||||||
VIP Petcare Holdings, Inc.(3) |
40,000 | * | 1,076,833 | 17.9 | % | 4.0 | % | |||||||||||||
TimesSquare Capital Management, LLC(4) |
1,411,700 | 6.4 | % | | | 5.0 | % | |||||||||||||
Wasatch Advisors, Inc.(5) |
1,116,432 | 5.0 | % | | | 4.0 | % | |||||||||||||
BlackRock, Inc.(6) |
1,343,674 | 6.1 | % | | | 4.8 | % | |||||||||||||
Division of Investment, Department of the Treasury, State of New Jersey(7) |
1,155,000 | 5.2 | % | | | 4.1 | % | |||||||||||||
Named Executive Officers and Directors |
||||||||||||||||||||
Larry Bird(8) |
1,712 | * | | | * | |||||||||||||||
McCord Christensen(9) |
| | 428,055 | 7.1 | % | 1.5 | % | |||||||||||||
James Clarke(2)(8)(10) |
1,045 | * | 1,368,955 | 22.7 | % | 4.9 | % | |||||||||||||
Mark First(1)(8) |
3,473,732 | 15.7 | % | | | 12.3 | % | |||||||||||||
Ronald Kennedy(8)(11) |
41,045 | * | 259,956 | 4.3 | % | 1.1 | % | |||||||||||||
Gary Michael(8) |
1,045 | * | | | * | |||||||||||||||
John Newland |
50,315 | * | | | * | |||||||||||||||
Will Santana(3) |
| | 1,076,833 | 17.9 | % | 3.8 | % | |||||||||||||
Susan Sholtis(8) |
1,414 | * | | | * | |||||||||||||||
Total Executive Officers and Directors as a Group (10 Persons) |
3,570,308 | 16.1 | % | 3,133,799 | 52.0 | % | 23.8 | % |
28 | PETIQ, Inc. |
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management
* | less than 1% |
(1) | Includes 2,922,844 shares of Class A Common Stock held by Eos Helios Partners IV, L.P. and 549,843 shares of Class A Common Stock held by Eos Partners, L.P., (collectively, the Eos Funds), which are affiliates of Eos Management, L.P. As Managing Director of Eos Management, L.P., Mr. First has voting and investment control over and may be considered the beneficial owner of the Class A Common Stock owned by the Eos Funds. Mr. First disclaims any beneficial ownership of the Common Stock owned by the Eos Funds. The principal business address for the Eos Funds is 437 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022. |
(2) | Includes 71,022 shares of Class B Common Stock held by Clarke Capital Partners LLC, and 353,703 shares of Class B Common Stock held by Labore et Honore LLC (collectively, the Clarke Capital Entities). Mr. Clarke is the Manager of the Clarke Capital Entities and has voting and investment control over and may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of the shares of Class B Common Stock held by the Clarke Capital Entities. |
(3) | Shares held by VIP Petcare Holdings, Inc. (VIPH), of which Will Santana, one of our directors and executive officers, owns 50% of the equity interests. |
(4) | Information contained in the table above and this footnote is based solely on a report on Schedule 13G/A filed with the SEC on March 5, 2019. The principal business address of TimesSquare Capital Management, LLC is 7 Times Square, 42nd Floor, New York, NY 10036. |
(5) | Information contained in the table above and this footnote is based solely on a report on Schedule 13G/A filed with the SEC on February 14, 2019. The principal business address of Wasatch Advisors, Inc. is 505 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84108. |
(6) | Information contained in the table above and this footnote is based solely on a report on Schedule 13 filed with the SEC on January 2, 2019. The principal business address of BlackRock, Inc. is 55 East 52nd Street, New York, NY 10055. |
(7) | Information contained in the table above and this footnote is based solely on a report on Schedule 13 filed with the SEC on January 23, 2019. The principal business address of Division of Investment, Department of the Treasury, State of New Jersey is 50 West State Street, 9th Floor, PO Box 290, Trenton, NJ 08625-0290. |
(8) | Includes 1,045 shares of Class A common stock issuable upon vesting of restricted stock units (RSUs) on May 31, 2019. |
(9) | Shares of Class B Common Stock held by Christensen Ventures, LLC (Ventures). Mr. Christensen is the manager of Ventures and exercises voting and investment control over all shares held by Ventures. |
(10) | Includes 889,123 shares of Class B Common Stock held by The JNC 101 Trust of which Andrea Clarke, the wife of Mr. Clarke is the trustee, 239,916 shares of Class B Common Stock held by the James N. Clarke Irrevocable Trust, dated December 27, 2012, of which Mrs. Clarke is the trustee, and 239,916 shares of Class B Common Stock held by the Andrea M. Clarke Irrevocable Trust, dated December 27, 2012, of which Mr. Clarke is the trustee. |
(11) | Shares held by Kennedy Family Investments, LLC (Investments), other than shares of Class A common stock issuable upon vesting of RSUs. Mr. Kennedy is the manager of Investments and exercises voting and investment control over the shares held by Investments. |
2019 Proxy Statement | 29 |
Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions
32 | PETIQ, Inc. |
Audit Committee Report
Respectfully submitted on April 16, 2019, by the following members of the Audit Committee of the Board:
Gary Michael (Chair)
Ronald Kennedy
Larry Bird
34 | PETIQ, Inc. |
Proposal 3: Ratification of the Appointment of the Companys Independent Auditors
RATIFICATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF THE COMPANYS INDEPENDENT AUDITORS
Fees Paid to Independent Accountants
The following table sets forth the aggregate fees billed for various professional services rendered by KPMG:
2018 | 2017 | |||||||
Audit Fees(1) |
$ | 1,754,400 | $ | 1,227,512 | ||||
Audit-Related Fees(2) |
$ | | $ | 385,892 | ||||
Tax Fees(3) |
$ | 8,800 | $ | 527,306 | ||||
Other(4) |
$ | | $ | 6,441 | ||||
Total Fees |
$ | 1,763,200 | $ | 2,147,151 |
(1) | Audit fees include fees associated with the annual audit of our consolidated financial statements and reviews of the Companys quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and other services that are normally provided by the independent accountants in connection with our regulatory filings. |
(2) | Audit-related fees relate to acquisition related due diligence services |
(3) | Tax fees include services related to tax compliance, tax advice tax planning and structuring. |
(4) | Other fees relate to other advisory services. |
All services listed in the above table were approved by the Audit Committee.
We expect representatives of KPMG to be present at the Annual Meeting. They will have the opportunity to make a statement at the Annual Meeting if they desire to do so, and will be available to respond to appropriate questions.
2019 Proxy Statement | 35 |
Information About the Annual Meeting and Voting
INFORMATION ABOUT THE ANNUAL MEETING AND VOTING
Record Date | If you were a stockholder of record on April 1, 2019, you are entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting. As of that date, there were 28,183,955 shares of the Companys Common Stock outstanding, comprised of 22,156,111 shares of Class A Common Stock and 6,027,844 shares of Class B Common Stock. Our Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock vote together on each of the matters set forth in this Proxy Statement. You are entitled to one (1) vote for each share of Common Stock you own, on each matter to be voted upon at the Annual Meeting. | |
Quorum | A majority of shares of Common Stock outstanding on the record date must be present in person or by proxy. | |
Matters to be Voted on at the Annual Meeting | 1. To elect two Class II directors, to serve until the third annual meeting next succeeding their election and until their successor is elected and qualified (Proposal One); | |
2. To approve the amendment and restatement of the PetIQ, Inc. 2017 Omnibus Incentive Plan, including an increase in the shares of Class A Common Stock reserved for issuance thereunder (Proposal Two); | ||
3. To ratify the selection of KPMG LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2019 (Proposal Three); and | ||
4. To transact such other business as may properly come before the Annual Meeting or any adjournments or postponements thereof. | ||
As of the date of this Proxy Statement, we do not know of any other matters to be presented at the Annual Meeting. If any other matters properly come before the Annual Meeting, however, the persons named as proxies will be authorized to vote or otherwise act in accordance with their judgment. | ||
Board Voting Recommendations | The Board recommends that you vote: | |
1. FOR the election of each of the Class II directors named in this Proxy Statement; | ||
2. FOR the amendment and restatement of the PetIQ, Inc. 2017 Omnibus Incentive Plan; and | ||
3. FOR the ratification of the selection of KPMG LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the year ended December 31, 2019. | ||
How to Vote |
Only votes cast in person at the Annual Meeting or received by proxy prior to the Annual Meeting will be counted at the Annual Meeting. The Board asks you to appoint McCord Christensen and John Newland as your proxy holders to vote your shares at the Annual Meeting. Giving us your proxy means you authorize us to vote your shares at the Annual Meeting in the manner you direct. If your shares are held in your name, you can vote by proxy in three convenient ways:
By Internet: Go to www.proxyvote.com and follow the instructions.
By Telephone: Call toll-free 1-800-690-6903 and follow the instructions.
By Mail: If you requested a printed copy of the Proxy Statement, complete, sign, date, and return your proxy card in the envelope provided. |
36 | PETIQ, Inc. |
Information About the Annual Meeting and Voting
Telephone and Internet voting facilities for stockholders of record will be available twenty-four (24) hours a day and will close at 12:00 a.m. Mountain Daylight Time on May 29, 2019. If your proxy is properly returned, the shares it represents will be voted at the Annual Meeting in accordance with your instructions. If you execute and return your proxy but do not give specific instructions, your shares will be voted as follows:
4. FOR the election of each of the Class II directors named in this Proxy Statement;
5. FOR the amendment and restatement of the PetIQ, Inc. 2017 Omnibus Incentive Plan; and
6. FOR the ratification of the selection of KPMG LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the year ended December 31, 2019.
The Board does not intend to bring any matters before the Annual Meeting except those indicated in the Notice. If any other matters properly come before the Annual Meeting, however, the persons named in the enclosed proxy, or their duly constituted substitutes acting at the Annual Meeting, will be authorized to vote or otherwise act thereon in accordance with their judgment on such matters. | ||
Internet Availability |
As permitted by the SEC rules, PetIQ is making this Proxy Statement and its Annual Report available to its stockholders electronically via the Internet. On or about April 19, 2019, we will mail our stockholders a Notice, which contains instructions on how to vote, access this Proxy Statement and our Annual Report online, and how to request paper copies of the materials. If you receive a Notice by mail, you will not receive a printed copy of the proxy materials in the mail. Instead, the Notice instructs you on how to access and review all of the important information contained in the Proxy Statement and Annual Report. The Notice also instructs you on how you may submit your proxy over the Internet. If you receive a Notice by mail and would like to receive a printed copy of our proxy materials, you should follow the instructions for requesting such materials contained in the Notice. | |
Multiple Notices |
You may receive more than one Notice, more than one e-mail or multiple proxy cards or voting instruction cards. For example, if you hold your shares in more than one brokerage account, you may receive a separate Notice, a separate e-mail or a separate voting instruction card for each brokerage account in which you hold shares. If you are a stockholder of record and your shares are registered in more than one name, you may receive more than one Notice, more than one e-mail or more than one proxy card. To vote all of your shares by proxy, you must complete, sign, date and return each proxy card and voting instruction card that you receive and vote over the Internet the shares represented by each Notice that you receive (unless you have requested and received a proxy card or voting instruction card for the shares represented by one or more of those Notices). | |
How Shares Are Held |
Shareholders of record have their shares registered directly in their name with PetIQs transfer agent, Computershare Trust Company, N.A.. Beneficial holders (or shares held in street name) have their shares held in an account at a brokerage firm, bank, broker-dealer or other similar organization. | |
Voting at the Annual Meeting |
We encourage stockholders to vote in advance of the Annual Meeting, even if they plan to attend. Stockholders can vote in person during the Annual Meeting. Stockholders of record who attend the Annual Meeting in person may obtain a ballot from the inspector of election. Beneficial holders who attend the Annual Meeting in person must obtain a proxy from their broker, bank, broker-dealer or other nominee prior to the date of the Annual Meeting and present it to the inspector of election with their ballot. Voting in person during the meeting will replace any previous votes. |
2019 Proxy Statement | 37 |
Information About the Annual Meeting and Voting
Admission to the Annual Meeting |
Attendance at the Annual Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof will be limited to record and beneficial stockholders as of the record date (April 1, 2019), individuals holding a valid proxy from a record holder and other persons authorized by the Company. If you are a stockholder of record, your name will be verified against the list of stockholders of record prior to your admittance to the Annual Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof. You should be prepared to present photo identification for admission. If you hold your shares in a street name, you will need to provide proof of beneficial ownership on the record date, such as a brokerage account statement showing that you owned stock as of the record date, a copy of a voting instruction form provided by your broker, bank, broker-dealer or other nominee, or other similar evidence of ownership as of the record date, as well as your photo identification, for admission. If you do not provide photo identification or comply with the other procedures described above, you will not be admitted to the Annual Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof. For security reasons, you and your bags may be subject to search prior to your admittance to the Annual Meeting. | |
Routine and Non-Routine Matters |
Proposal One, the election of directors, and Proposal Two, the approval of the amendment and restatement of the PetIQ, Inc. 2017 Omnibus Incentive Plan, are considered non-routine matters under applicable rules. A broker or other nominee cannot vote without instructions on non-routine matters, and therefore broker non-votes may exist in connection with Proposal One and Proposal Two. Proposal Three, the ratification of the appointment of KPMG as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2019, is considered a routine matter under applicable rules. A broker or other nominee may generally vote on routine matters, and therefore no broker non-votes are expected to exist in connection with Proposal Three. | |
Voting Instructions |
All shares represented by valid proxies received prior to the Annual Meeting will be voted and, where a stockholder specifies by means of the proxy a choice with respect to any matter to be acted upon, the shares will be voted in accordance with the stockholders instructions. If you are a stockholder of record and you indicate when voting on the Internet or by telephone that you wish to vote as recommended by the Board or you sign and return a proxy card without giving specific voting instructions, then the proxy holders will vote your shares in the manner recommended by the Board on all matters presented in this Proxy Statement and as the proxy holders may determine in their discretion with respect to any other matters properly presented for a vote at the Annual Meeting. If you are a beneficial owner of shares held in street name and do not provide the organization that holds your shares with specific voting instructions, under the rules of various national and regional securities exchanges, the organization that holds your shares may generally vote on routine matters but cannot vote on non-routine matters. If the organization that holds your shares does not receive instructions from you on how to vote your shares on a non-routine matter, the organization that holds your shares will inform the inspector of election that it does not have the authority to vote on this matter with respect to your shares. This is generally referred to as a broker non-vote. In tabulating the voting results for any particular proposal, shares that constitute broker non-votes are not considered votes cast on that proposal. Thus, other than being counted for the purpose of determining a quorum, broker non-votes will not affect the outcome of any matter being voted on at the Annual Meeting or any postponement or adjournment of the Annual Meeting. | |
Votes Required; Effect of Broker Non-Votes and Abstentions |
Each holder of shares of our Common Stock outstanding on the record date is entitled to one vote for each share of Common Stock held as of the record date.
With respect to Proposal One, directors are elected by a plurality of the voting power of the shares present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting. Therefore, the two director nominees receiving the highest number of affirmative votes of the |
38 | PETIQ, Inc. |
Information About the Annual Meeting and Voting
shares of Common Stock present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting and entitled to be voted for them will be elected as directors to serve until the 2022 annual meeting of stockholders. Stockholders may not cumulate votes. Votes to withhold and broker non-votes will have no effect on the outcome of the vote for Proposal One.
Proposal Two, the approval of the amendment and restatement of the PetIQ, Inc. 2017 Omnibus Incentive Plan, requires the affirmative vote of a majority of shares present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting. Abstentions are treated as shares present and entitled to vote for purposes of such proposal and, therefore, will count for purposes of determining a quorum but will have the same effect as a vote AGAINST the proposal. Broker non-votes will have no effect on the outcome of the vote for Proposal Two. Proposal Three, the ratification of KPMG as our independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2019, requires the affirmative vote of a majority of shares present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting. Abstentions are treated as shares present and entitled to vote for purposes of such proposal and, therefore, will count for purposes of determining a quorum but will have the same effect as a vote AGAINST the proposal. Proposal Three is a routine matter and no broker non-votes are expected to exist in connection with Proposal Three. | ||
Changing your Vote |
Stockholders of record may revoke their proxy at any time prior to the Annual Meeting by submitting a later-dated vote in person at the Annual Meeting, via the Internet, by telephone, by mail, or by delivering instructions to our Corporate Secretary before the Annual Meeting. If you hold shares through a broker, bank or other nominee, you may revoke any prior voting instructions by contacting that firm. | |
Inspector of Election |
A representative from Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. will serve as the inspector of election. | |
Voting Results |
We will announce the results of the Annual Meeting in a filing with the SEC on Form 8-K, which we are required to file with the SEC within four business days following the Annual Meeting. | |
Cost of Solicitation |
We will bear the cost of soliciting proxies, including preparing, printing and mailing this Proxy Statement. Proxies may be solicited personally, by mail, via the Internet or by telephone by certain of our directors, officers, employees or representatives. Our directors and employees will not be paid any additional compensation for soliciting proxies. We will reimburse brokerage houses, banks, custodians and other nominees and fiduciaries for out-of-pocket expenses incurred in forwarding our proxy solicitation materials. | |
Householding |
Under the rules adopted by the SEC, we may deliver a single set of proxy materials to one address shared by two or more of our stockholders. This delivery method is referred to as householding and can result in significant cost savings. To take advantage of this opportunity, we have delivered only one set of proxy materials to multiple stockholders who share an address, unless we received contrary instructions from the impacted stockholders prior to the mailing date. We agree to deliver promptly, upon written or oral request, a separate copy of the proxy materials, as requested, to any stockholder at the shared address to which a single copy of these documents was delivered. If you prefer to receive separate copies of the Notice, Proxy Statement or Annual Report, contact Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. by calling 800-540-7095 or writing in at 51 Mercedes Way, Edgewood, New York 11717, Attention: Householding Department.
In addition, if you currently are a stockholder who shares an address with another stockholder and would like to receive only one copy of future notices and proxy materials for your household, you may notify your broker if your shares are held in a brokerage account or you |
2019 Proxy Statement | 39 |
Information About the Annual Meeting and Voting
may notify us if you hold registered shares. Registered stockholders may notify us by contacting Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. at the above telephone number or address or sending a written request to PetIQ, Inc., 923 S. Bridgeway Place, Eagle, Idaho 83616, Attention: Investor Relations. | ||
We are an Emerging Growth Company |
We are an emerging growth company as defined in the JOBS Act. For as long as we are an emerging growth company, we will not be required to provide an auditors attestation report on managements assessment of the effectiveness of our system of internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or obtain stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. In addition, because we are an emerging growth company, we are not required to include a Compensation Discussion and Analysis section in this Proxy Statement and have elected to comply with the scaled-down executive compensation disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies. We could be an emerging growth company through December 31, 2022, or until the earliest of (i) the last day of the first fiscal year in which our annual gross revenues exceed $1 billion, (ii) the date that we become a large accelerated filer as defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act, which would occur at the end of the fiscal year during which the market value of our common stock that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the last business day of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter, or (iii) the date on which we have issued more than $1 billion in non-convertible debt during the preceding three-year period. Under Section 107(b) of the JOBS Act, emerging growth companies may delay adopting new or revised accounting standards until such time as those standards apply to private companies. We have irrevocably elected not to avail ourselves of this exemption from new or revised accounting standards and, therefore, we are subject to the same new or revised accounting standards as other public companies that are not emerging growth companies. |
Please promptly vote and submit your proxy by signing, dating and returning the proxy card by mail, or vote by telephone or via the Internet so that your shares can be voted. This will not limit your rights to attend or vote at the Annual Meeting.
40 | PETIQ, Inc. |
Appendix A Reconciliation of Non-Gaap Financial Measures
PetIQ, Inc.
Reconciliation between Net Income and Adjusted EBITDA
(Unaudited, $s in 000s)
For the years ended | ||||||||
December 31, 2018 | December 31, 2017 | |||||||
Net income |
$ | 87 | $ | 7,817 | ||||
Plus: |
||||||||
Tax (benefit) expense |
(661 | ) | 3,970 | |||||
Depreciation |
6,657 | 2,348 | ||||||
Amortization |
5,210 | 1,052 | ||||||
Interest |
8,022 | 1,563 | ||||||
EBITDA |
$ | 19,315 | $ | 16,750 | ||||
Acquisition costs(1) |
3,787 | 1,965 | ||||||
Management fees(2) |
| 610 | ||||||
Costs associated with becoming a public company |
| 2,710 | ||||||
Supplier Receivable recovery(6) |
| (175 | ) | |||||
Stock based compensation expense |
3,812 | 447 | ||||||
Purchase accounting adjustment to inventory |
2,149 | | ||||||
Non same-store revenue(3) |
(3,967 | ) | | |||||
Non same-store costs(3) |
10,345 | | ||||||
Fair value adjustment of contingent note |
3,280 | | ||||||
Integration costs and costs of discontinued clinics |
998 | | ||||||
Clinic launch expenses(4) |
1,380 | | ||||||
Non-recurring royalty settlement(5) |
440 | | ||||||
Adjusted EBITDA |
$ | 41,539 | $ | 22,307 |
(1) | Acquisition costs relating to the VIP acquisition and the HBH Acquisition. |
(2) | Represents annual fees paid pursuant to our management agreements with Eos, Highland and Labore. The management agreements terminated in connection with our IPO in July 2017. |
(3) | Non same-store revenue and costs are from wellness centers, host partners, and regions with less than six full trailing quarters of operating results. There were 26 wellness centers, 5 regions, and one new host partner that had less than six trailing quarters of operating results for the three months and year ended December 31, 2018 and none for the prior comparable periods. |
(4) | Clinic launch expenses represent the nonrecurring costs to open new veterinary wellness centers, primarily employee costs, training, marketing, and rent prior to opening for business. |
(5) | Represents a settlement paid to a supplier related to a royalty agreement in place since 2013. |
(6) | During 2015 the Company terminated its relationship with a supplier in accordance with a supply agreement. The Company collected a settlement on the matter in 2017. |
A-2 | PETIQ, Inc. |
Appendix B Petiq, Inc. Amended and Restated 2017 Omnibus Incentive Plan
B-2 | PETIQ, Inc. |
Appendix B Petiq, Inc. Amended and Restated 2017 Omnibus Incentive Plan
2019 Proxy Statement | B-3 |
Appendix B Petiq, Inc. Amended and Restated 2017 Omnibus Incentive Plan
B-4 | PETIQ, Inc. |
Appendix B Petiq, Inc. Amended and Restated 2017 Omnibus Incentive Plan
2019 Proxy Statement | B-5 |
Appendix B Petiq, Inc. Amended and Restated 2017 Omnibus Incentive Plan
Section 3. Administration.
Section 4. Shares Reserved for Issuance Under the Plan.
B-6 | PETIQ, Inc. |
Appendix B Petiq, Inc. Amended and Restated 2017 Omnibus Incentive Plan
Section 5. Equitable Adjustments.
2019 Proxy Statement | B-7 |
Appendix B Petiq, Inc. Amended and Restated 2017 Omnibus Incentive Plan
Section 6. Eligibility.
Section 7. Options.
B-8 | PETIQ, Inc. |
Appendix B Petiq, Inc. Amended and Restated 2017 Omnibus Incentive Plan
2019 Proxy Statement | B-9 |
Appendix B Petiq, Inc. Amended and Restated 2017 Omnibus Incentive Plan
Section 8. Stock Appreciation Rights.
B-10 | PETIQ, Inc. |
Appendix B Petiq, Inc. Amended and Restated 2017 Omnibus Incentive Plan
Section 9. Restricted Shares.
2019 Proxy Statement | B-11 |
Appendix B Petiq, Inc. Amended and Restated 2017 Omnibus Incentive Plan
Section 10. Restricted Stock Units.
B-12 | PETIQ, Inc. |
Appendix B Petiq, Inc. Amended and Restated 2017 Omnibus Incentive Plan
Section 11. Other Stock-Based or Cash-Based Awards.
Section 12. Change in Control.
2019 Proxy Statement | B-13 |
Appendix B Petiq, Inc. Amended and Restated 2017 Omnibus Incentive Plan
Section 13. Amendment and Termination.
Section 14. Unfunded Status of Plan.
Section 15. Withholding Taxes.
B-14 | PETIQ, Inc. |
Appendix B Petiq, Inc. Amended and Restated 2017 Omnibus Incentive Plan
Section 16. Non-United States Employees.
Section 17. Transfer of Awards.
Section 18. Continued Employment.
2019 Proxy Statement | B-15 |
Appendix B Petiq, Inc. Amended and Restated 2017 Omnibus Incentive Plan
Section 19. Effective Date and Approval Date.
Section 20. Code Section 409A.
Section 21. Erroneously Awarded Compensation.
Section 22. Governing Law.
Section 23. Plan Document Controls.
B-16 | PETIQ, Inc. |
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 |
Withhold All | For All Except | 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. | ||||||||||||||||||||
The Board of Directors recommends you vote FOR the following: |
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1. To elect two Class II directors, to serve until the third annual meeting next succeeding their election.
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Nominees |
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01 Mark First 02 Larry Bird |
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The Board of Directors recommends you vote FOR proposals 2 and 3. |
For | Against | Abstain | |||||||||||||||||||||
2 To approve the amendment and reinstatement of the PetIQ, Inc. 2017 Omnibus Incentive Plan, including an increase in the shares of Class A Common stock reserved for issuance thereunder. |
☐ | ☐ |
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3 To ratify the selection of KPMG LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2019. |
☐ | ☐ |
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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] Date | Signature (Joint Owners) Date |
Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Annual Meeting: The Notice & Proxy Statement, Annual Report is/are available at www.proxyvote.com
PetIQ, Inc. Annual Meeting of Stockholders May 29, 2019 9:00 AM This proxy is solicited by the Board of Directors | ||||
The
shareholder(s) hereby appoint(s) McCord Christensen and John Newland, or either of them, as proxies, each with the | ||||
This
proxy, when properly executed, will be voted in the manner directed herein. If no such direction is made, this
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Continued and to be signed on reverse side
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