|
Filed
by the Registrant x Filed
by a Party other than the Registrant ¨
|
|
Check
the appropriate box:
|
¨
|
Preliminary
Proxy Statement
|
¨
|
Confidential, For Use of the
Commission Only (as permitted by Rule
14a-6(e)(2))
|
x
|
Definitive
Proxy Statement
|
¨
|
Definitive
Additional Materials
|
¨
|
Soliciting
Material Pursuant to §240.14a-12
|
|
Payment
of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate
box):
|
x
|
No
fee required.
|
¨
|
Fee
computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and
0-11.
|
(1)
|
Title
of each class of securities to which the transaction
applies:
|
|
(2)
|
Aggregate
number of securities to which the transaction
applies:
|
|
(3)
|
Per
unit price or other underlying value of the transaction computed pursuant
to Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth amount on which the filing fee is
calculated and state how it was
determined):
|
|
(4)
|
Proposed
maximum aggregate value of the
transaction:
|
|
(5)
|
Total
fee paid:
|
|
¨
|
Fee
paid previously with preliminary
materials.
|
¨
|
Check
box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule
0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid
previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement number,
or the form or schedule and the date of its
filing:
|
(1)
|
Amount
previously paid:
|
|
(2)
|
Form,
Schedule or Registration Statement
Number:
|
|
(3)
|
Filing
Party:
|
|
(4)
|
Date
Filed:
|
|
Time
and Date:
|
10:00
a.m. – 12:00 noon CDT, June 10, 2009
|
|
Place:
|
Courtyard
Dallas Central Expressway
|
|
10325
North Central Expressway
|
||
Dallas,
TX 75231
|
||
Items of
Business:
|
(1)
|
To
re-elect/elect members to the Board of Directors;
|
(2)
|
To
ratify the selection of Travis, Wolff & Company, L.L.P. as the
Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for 2009;
and
|
|
(3)
|
To
consider and act upon such other business as may properly come before the
meeting.
|
|
Adjournments
and Postponements:
|
Any
action on the items of business described above may be considered at
the
annual meeting at the time and on the date specified above or at any time
and date to which the annual meeting may be properly adjourned or
postponed.
|
|
Record
Date:
|
You
are entitled to vote only if you were an Arabian American Development
Company stockholder of record as of the close of business on April 22,
2009. Your
vote is important. We
encourage you to vote by proxy, even if you plan to attend the
meeting. You may vote your proxy by telephone, Internet or
mail. A toll-free telephone number and website address are
included on your proxy card.
|
|
Meeting
Admission:
|
You
are entitled to attend the annual meeting only if you were an Arabian
American stockholder of record as of the close of business on April 22,
2009 or hold a valid proxy for the annual meeting. You should
be prepared to present photo identification for admittance. If
you are not a stockholder of record but hold shares through a broker,
trustee or nominee, you should provide proof of beneficial ownership as of
the record date, such as your most recent account statement prior to April
22, 2009, a copy of the voting instruction card provided by your broker,
trustee or nominee, or similar evidence of ownership. If you do
not provide photo identification and comply with the other procedures
outlined above, you will not be admitted to the annual
meeting.
|
TABLE OF CONTENTS
|
|||
GENERAL
EXPLANATION OF MATERIALS INCLUDED
|
1
|
||
Specific
Items of Business
|
1
|
||
PROPOSALS
TO BE VOTED ON
|
1
|
||
PROPOSAL
NO. 1 – RE-ELECTION/ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
|
1
|
||
Vote
Required
|
2
|
||
PROPOSAL NO. 2 – RATIFICATION OF SELECTION OF
INDEPENDENT
REGISTERED
PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
|
3
|
||
PRINCIPAL
ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES
|
3
|
||
Audit
Fees
|
3
|
||
Tax
Fees
|
4
|
||
QUESTIONS
AND REQUESTS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
|
4
|
||
Request
for Multiple Copies of Proxy Materials
|
4
|
||
Request
for Single Copy of Proxy Materials
|
4
|
||
VOTING
|
4
|
||
Voting
Securities, Record Date
|
5
|
||
Stockholder
of Record
|
5
|
||
Beneficial
Owner
|
5
|
||
Voting
in Person at the Annual Meeting
|
5
|
||
Voting
by Submitting a Proxy or Voting Instructions
|
5
|
||
Proxies
and Voting Instructions Are Revocable
|
5
|
||
Voting
Electronically
|
6
|
||
Voting
Procedures
|
6
|
||
Election
of Directors
|
6
|
||
Voting
on Other Business
|
6
|
||
How
Shares will be Voted by Proxy of Voting Instructions
|
6
|
||
Broker
Non-Votes
|
6
|
||
Additional
Business Proposals Presented at Meeting
|
7
|
||
Quorum
Requirement
|
7
|
||
STOCKHOLDER
PROPOSALS
|
7
|
||
Stockholder
Proposals Intended to be Included in Proxy Statement
|
7
|
||
Stockholder
Proposals Not Intended to be Included in Proxy Statement
|
7
|
||
Stockholder
Proposals for Director Candidates
|
7
|
||
CORPORATE
GOVERNANCE PRINCIPLES AND BOARD MATTERS
|
8
|
||
Board
Policy Regarding Voting for Directors
|
8
|
||
Board
Independence
|
8
|
||
Meetings
of the Board and Its Committees
|
8
|
||
The
Company’s Director Independence Standards
|
9
|
||
Board
Structure and Committee Composition
|
9
|
||
Audit
Committee
|
10
|
||
Audit
Committee Report
|
11
|
||
Compensation
Committee
|
12
|
||
Compensation
Committee Report
|
12
|
||
Nominating
Committee
|
12
|
Stockholder
Recommendations
|
13
|
||
Director
Qualifications
|
13
|
||
Identifying
and Evaluating Candidates for Directors
|
13
|
||
Executive
Sessions
|
14
|
||
Communications
with the Board
|
14
|
||
DIRECTOR
COMPENSATION AND STOCK OWNERSHIP GUIDELINES
|
14
|
||
COMMON STOCK OWNERSHIP OF
CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS
AND
MANAGEMENT
|
15
|
||
BENEFICIAL
OWNERSHIP TABLE
|
16
|
||
SECTION
16(a) BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REPORTING COMPLIANCE
|
16
|
||
EXECUTIVE
COMPENSATION
|
17
|
||
Compensation
Discussion and Analysis
|
17
|
||
General
|
17
|
||
Compensation
Components
|
17
|
||
Base
Salary
|
17
|
||
Incentive
Compensation
|
17
|
||
Stock
Option Plan
|
17
|
||
Other
Compensation
|
17
|
||
Termination
of Employment Payments
|
18
|
||
Tax
Considerations
|
18
|
||
Summary
of Executive Compensation
|
18
|
||
SUMMARY
COMPENSATION TABLE
|
19
|
||
Employment
Agreements
|
20
|
||
Director
Compensation
|
20
|
||
Compensation
Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
|
20
|
||
OUTSTANDING
EQUITY AWARDS AT FISCAL YEAR-END
|
20
|
||
OPTION
EXERCISES AND STOCK VESTED
|
20
|
||
GRANTS
OF PLAN-BASED AWARDS
|
21
|
||
CERTAIN
RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS
|
21
|
||
OTHER
BUSINESS
|
21
|
(1)
|
The
election of directors and
|
(2)
|
The
ratification of selection of independent registered public accounting
firm.
|
|
PROPOSAL
NO. 1
|
|
RE-ELECTION/ELECTION
OF DIRECTORS
|
Robert
E. Kennedy
Director
since 2007
Age
65
|
Mr.
Kennedy is the President of Robert E. Kennedy and Associates, a consulting
firm assisting various entities with transportation and project
development issues in Europe and the Middle East. He has
over thirty years experience in the oil and petrochemical industry and
retired as General Manager for Supply, Logistics, and Procurement from
Chevron Chemical in 2000. During his employment with Chevron he
was instrumental in developing the Aromax project in Jubail, Saudi
Arabia. Mr. Kennedy holds a BS Degree in Chemical Engineering
from the University of Iowa and attended the MBA program of American
University.
|
Allen
P. McKee
Director
since 2009
Age
67
|
Mr.
McKee has an extensive background in international finance and investment
management with over 20 years advising Fal Holdings Arabia Company
Ltd. He has also served as CFO and CEO with several companies
and headed the Middle East area of BankAmerica’s international banking
group. Mr. McKee holds a BA in Economics from the University of
Michigan and an MBA in Finance from the University of California,
Berkeley.
|
|
PROPOSAL
NO. 2
|
|
RATIFICATION
OF SELECTION OF INDEPENDENT
|
|
REGISTERED
PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
|
2008
|
2007
|
|||||||
Audit
Fees
|
$ | 335,173 | $ | 209,325 | ||||
Audit-Related
Fees
|
$ | 0 | $ | 0 | ||||
Tax
Fees
|
$ | 33,545 | $ | 23,200 | ||||
All
Other Fees
|
$ | 0 | $ | 0 |
|
(1)
|
The
director is, or has been in the past three years, an employee of the
Company or an employee of any parent or subsidiary of the
Company;
|
|
(2)
|
The
director has accepted, or has a family member who has accepted during any
twelve-month period within the last three years, more than $60,000 in
compensation from the Company, other than compensation for Board or Board
Committee service, compensation received by the director’s immediate
family member for service as a non-executive employee of the Company, and
benefits under a tax-qualified retirement plan, or non-discretionary
compensation.
|
|
(3)
|
The
director is a family member of an individual who is, or at any time during
the past three years was, employed by the Company as an executive
officer;
|
|
(4)
|
The
director is, or has a family member who is, a partner in, or a controlling
shareholder or an executive officer of, any organization to which the
company made, or from which the company received, payments for property or
services in the current or any of the past three fiscal years that exceed
5% of the recipient’s consolidated gross revenues for that year, or
$200,000, whichever is more, other than (i) payments arising solely from
investments in the company’s securities; or (ii) payments under
non-discretionary charitable contribution matching
programs;
|
|
(5)
|
The
director is, or has an immediate family member who is, employed as an
executive officer of another entity where at any time during the past
three years any of the executive officers of the Company serve on the
compensation committee of such other entity;
or
|
|
(6)
|
The
director is, or has a family member who is, a current partner of the
Company’s outside auditor, or was a partner or employee of the Company’s
outside auditor who worked on the Company’s audit at any time during any
of the past three years.
|
Name
of Director
|
Audit
|
Compensation
|
Nominating
|
Non-Employee
Directors:
|
|||
Ghazi
Sultan1
|
Member
|
Member
|
Chair
|
Robert
E. Kennedy2
|
Chair
|
Chair
|
Member
|
Ibrahim
Al Moneef3
|
Member
|
Member
|
|
Mohammed
Al Omair4
|
Member
|
Member
|
Member
|
Charles
W. Goehringer, Jr.5
|
Member
|
||
Allen
P. McKee6
|
Member
|
Member
|
Member
|
Employee
Directors:
|
|||
Hatem
El Khalidi
|
|||
Nicholas
N. Carter
|
|||
Number
of Meetings in Fiscal 2008
|
4
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
Mr.
Sultan was elected to the Board in September 1993. He joined
the Audit and Compensation Committees in 1994, and became the Chair of the
Nominating Committee in April 2007.
|
2
|
Mr.
Kennedy was elected to the Board on January 13, 2007. He joined
the Nominating Committee in April 2007, became the Chair of the Audit
Committee in January, 2007, and became the Chair of the Compensation
Committee in March 2007. He also became the lead independent
director in March 2007.
|
3
|
Mr.
Al Moneef was elected to the Board on April 26, 2007. He joined the
Nominating, Audit and Compensation Committees in April 2007. He
resigned from the Audit Committee in February 2008. He
subsequently resigned from the Board, the Compensation Committee, and the
Nominating Committee in April 2009.
|
4
|
Mr.
Al Omair was elected to the Board on October 23, 2007. He
joined the Nominating and Audit Committees on October 23, 2007, and the
Compensation Committee on December 31,
2007.
|
5
|
Mr.
Goehringer was elected to the Board on October 23, 2007. He
joined the Nominating and Audit Committees on October 23, 2007, and the
Compensation Committee on December 31, 2007. He resigned from
the Audit Committee in February 2008. He resigned from the
Compensation Committee in January
2009.
|
6
|
Mr.
McKee was elected to the Board on April 28, 2009. He joined the
Nominating, Audit and Compensation Committees on April 28,
2009.
|
|
(1)
|
Company
directors and nominees, each of the named executive officers, and all
individuals owning more than 5% of the Company’s outstanding Common Stock,
set forth in the Summary Compensation Table on page 22;
and
|
|
(2)
|
Current
directors and Company executive officers as a
group.
|
Name of Beneficial Owner
|
Amount and Nature of Beneficial
Ownership1
|
Percent of
Class
|
||||||
Current
Directors and Nominees:
|
||||||||
Ghazi
Sultan3
|
190,000 | 0.797 | % | |||||
Robert
E. Kennedy
|
10,000 | 0.042 | % | |||||
Ibrahim
A. Al Moneef
|
600,000 | 2.527 | % | |||||
Charles
W. Goehringer, Jr.
|
32,967 | 0.139 | % | |||||
Mohammed
O. Al Omair
|
1,667 | 0.007 | % | |||||
Current
Director, Nominee or Named Executive Officer:
|
||||||||
Hatem
El Khalidi2
|
460,000 | 1.905 | % | |||||
Nicholas
N. Carter
|
207,918 | 0.876 | % | |||||
Connie
Cook
|
32,500 | 0.137 | % | |||||
Mark
Williamson
|
20,000 | 0.084 | % | |||||
All
current directors and executive officers as a group (9 persons)4
|
1,555,052 | 6.514 | % | |||||
Individuals
with beneficial ownership of more than 5% of outstanding Common
Stock
|
||||||||
Fahad
Mohammed Saleh Al Athel
|
3,632,953 | 15.302 | % | |||||
Mohammad
Salem ben Mahfouz
|
1,500,000 | 6.318 | % | |||||
Harb
S. Al Zuhair
|
1,423,750 | 5.997 | % | |||||
Prince
Talal Bin Abdul Aziz
|
1,272,680 | 5.360 | % |
1
|
Unless
otherwise indicated, to the knowledge of the Company, all shares are owned
directly and the owner has sole voting and investment
power.
|
2
|
Includes
400,000 shares which Mr. El Khalidi has the right to acquire through the
exercise of presently exercisable stock options. Excludes
385,000 shares owned by Ingrid El Khalidi, Mr. El Khalidi’s wife, and
443,000 shares owned by relatives of Hatem El
Khalidi.
|
3
|
Includes
100,000 shares which Mr. Sultan has the right to acquire through the
exercise of presently exercisable stock
options.
|
4
|
Includes
500,000 shares which certain directors and executive officers have the
right to acquire through the exercise of stock or options or other rights
exercisable presently or within 60 days. Excludes 385,000
shares owned by Ingrid El Khalidi, the wife of Hatem El Khalidi, the
President, Chief Exectuive Officer and a director of the company, and
443,000 shares owned by relatives of Hatem El
Kahlidi.
|
Name
and
Principal Position
|
Year
|
Salary
($) (1)
|
Bonus
($)
|
Restricted
Stock
Award(s)
($)
|
Stock
Award(s)
|
Non-Equity
Incentive
Plan
Compensation($)
|
Change
in Pension Value and Nonqualified Deferred Compensation
Earnings($)
|
All
Other
Compensation
($) (2)(3)
|
Total
($)
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hatem
El Khalidi,
President
and Chief
Executive
Officer, Director
|
2008
|
$ | 72,000 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | $ | 8,000 | $ | 80,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||
2007
|
$ | 72,000 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | $ | 8,000 | $ | 80,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2006
|
$ | 72,000 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | $ | 8,000 | $ | 80,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Nicholas
N. Carter,
Executive
Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
President,
Petrochemical Company
|
2008
|
$ | 209,918 | $ | 78,665 | $ | 99,800 | -- | -- | -- | $ | 12,595 | $ | 400,978 | |||||||||||||||||||
2007
|
$ | 172,059 | $ | 96,506 | $ | 66,000 | -- | -- | -- | $ | 10,324 | $ | 344,889 | ||||||||||||||||||||
2006
|
$ | 163,044 | $ | 97,994 | $ | 30,000 | -- | -- | -- | $ | 9,783 | $ | 300,821 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Connie
J. Cook,
Secretary
and Treasurer
|
2008
|
$ | 133,009 | $ | 51,143 | $ | 49,900 | -- | -- | -- | $ | 7,981 | $ | 242,033 | |||||||||||||||||||
2007
|
$ | 108,500 | $ | 70,085 | $ | 33,000 | -- | -- | -- | $ | 6,510 | $ | 218,095 | ||||||||||||||||||||
2006
|
$ | 102,816 | $ | 73,057 | $ | 15,000 | -- | -- | -- | $ | 6,169 | $ | 197,042 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Mark
D. Williamson,
Vice
President of Marketing, Petrochemical Company
|
2008
|
$ | 240,705 | $ | 51,143 | $ | 49,900 | -- | -- | -- | $ | 14,442 | $ | 356,190 | |||||||||||||||||||
2007
|
$ | 190,393 | $ | 70,023 | -- | -- | -- | -- | $ | 11,424 | $ | 271,840 | |||||||||||||||||||||
2006
|
$ | 193,830 | $ | 80,124 | $ | 15,000 | -- | -- | -- | $ | 11,630 | $ | 300,584 |
Name
|
Number
of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options (#) Exercisable
|
Number
of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options
(#)
Unexercisable
|
Equity
Incentive Plan Awards:
Number
of Securities Underlying Unexercised Unearned Options
(#)
|
Option
Exercise
Price
|
Option
Expiration Date
|
||||||||||||
Hatem
El Khalidi
|
400,000 | - | - | $ | 1.00 |
Undetermined
|
|||||||||||
Ghazi
Sultan
|
100,000 | - | - | $ | 2.00 |
08/28/09
|
Name
|
Number
of Shares Acquired on Vesting
(#)
|
Value
Realized on Vesting
($)
|
||||||
Nicholas
N. Carter
|
20,000 | $ | 99,800 | |||||
Connie
Cook
|
10,000 | $ | 49,900 | |||||
Mark
Williamson
|
10,000 | $ | 49,900 |
Name
|
Grant Date
|
All
Other Stock Awards: Number of Shares of Stock or
Units (#)
|
Grant
Date Fair Value of Stock Awards
|
||||||
Nicholas
N. Carter
|
January
15, 2008
|
20,000 | $ | 141,000 | |||||
Connie
Cook
|
January
15, 2008
|
10,000 | $ | 70,500 | |||||
Mark
Williamson
|
January
15, 2008
|
10,000 | $ | 70,500 |