MARTEN TRANSPORT LTD appointed Tim Kohl as new CEO

Item 5.02 Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

 

On August 30, 2021, the Board of Directors of Marten Transport, Ltd. (the "Company") approved the appointment of Doug Petit as its new President. Doug Petit will succeed Tim Kohl, who has served as the Company's President since 2008. Tim Kohl was recently appointed as Chief Executive Officer on May 4, 2021.

 

Mr. Petit, age 54, has been Marten's Chief Operating Officer since August 2019 and served as the Company's Senior Vice President of Operations from January 2014 through August 2019 and Vice President of Operations from December 2011 through January 2014. Mr. Petit advanced through various professional capacities in the Company's operations area from June 1992 through December 2011 and from February 1990 through June 1991. From June 1991 through June 1992 Mr. Petit served as a fleet manager for Transport America, Inc.

 

In connection with his appointment as President, beginning on August 30, 2021, Mr. Petit will receive a base salary of $360,000 per year. Upon appointment as an executive officer, the Company reimburses individuals for all accumulated vacation pay prior to their participation in the executive program. Mr. Petit will receive a payment of $24,279 for accumulated vacation pay.

 

Mr. Petit will also be eligible to receive a cash bonus award under the Company's Second Amended and Restated Executive Officer Performance Incentive Plan. The actual bonus award Mr. Petit may receive for fiscal year 2021 will be prorated based on his service as President. Under the plan a bonus pool will be established based upon the percentage change in award year net income being at least 105% of an established net income goal, which is the Company's net income for the prior year, or such other net income goal selected by the Company's Compensation Committee. To the extent the percentage change in award year net income equals or exceeds 105% of the established net income goal, the size of the bonus pool will be determined by a multiplier related to the amount of such increase that results in the aggregate available bonus pool being between 5% and 100% of the aggregate base salary for executive officers. The Compensation Committee makes an annual determination of the executive officer participants in the plan and, at the end of each year, based on the recommendation of the Chief Executive Officer for all officers other than the Chief Executive Officer, the allocation of the bonus pool among the participants. The foregoing summary of the plan does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Second Amended and Restated Executive Officer Performance Incentive Plan, a copy of which is included as Exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed August 18, 2017 and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

In connection with his appointment as President, the Company and Mr. Petit plan on entering into a Change in Control Severance Agreement similar to the agreements executed with the Company's other executive officers. Under the terms of the proposed agreement, Mr. Petit is entitled to certain benefits if he is terminated either within 24 months of the effective date of a change in control or before the effective date of the change in control if the termination was either a condition to the change in control or was at the request or insistence of a person related to the change in control. He will not be considered "terminated" for purposes of the agreement if he dies or is terminated for cause. He will, however, be considered "terminated" if he voluntarily leaves the Company's employ for "good reason." "Good reason" means any of the following: (1) a material diminution in the authority, duties or responsibilities as an executive officer (not including any such change directly attributable to the fact that the Company is no longer a public company); (2) a material diminution in base compensation; (3) a material diminution in the authority, duties, or responsibilities of the supervisor to whom the executive reports; (4) a material diminution in the budget over which the executive retains authority; (5) a material change in the geographic location at which the Company requires the executive to be based; and (6) any other action or inaction by the Company that constitutes a material breach of any employment agreement with the executive; provided any act or omission will not constitute a "good reason" unless the executive gives written notice within 90 days of its initial existence and the Company fails to cure the act or omission within 30 days.

 









 
Upon a termination in connection with a change in control, Mr. Petit will be entitled to receive a lump sum cash payment of 100% of his base salary, plus one times his highest bonus in the preceding three calendar years. In addition, he will receive welfare benefits for a period of 12 months.

 

The foregoing summary of the agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Form of Amended and Restated Change in Control Severance Agreement, a copy of which is included as Exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed August 15, 2007, as amended by the First Amendment, a copy of which is included as Exhibit 10.18 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008, and amended by the Second Amendment, a copy of which is included as Exhibit 10.2 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed March 8, 2011, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

In connection with his appointment as President, the Company and Mr. Petit plan on entering into an Indemnification Agreement similar to the agreements executed with the Company's other executive officers. Under each indemnification agreement, the Company agrees to indemnify the executive officer against liability arising out of performance of their duties to the Company and to advance expenses, if the requisite standards of conduct are met. The agreement also contains procedural mechanisms and presumptions applicable to any dispute as to whether such standards of conduct are satisfied. The foregoing summary of the agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Form of Indemnification Agreement, a copy of which is included as Exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed February 22, 2010, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Mr. Petit has no family relationships with any of our executive officers or directors, and there have been no related party transactions between Mr. Petit and the Company that are reportable under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K.

 

On August 30, 2021, the Company issued a press release announcing Mr. Petit's appointment to the position of President, a copy of which is included as Exhibit 99.1 to this Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.