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. )

 

Filed by the Registrant x

 

Filed by a Party other than the Registrant o

 

Check the appropriate box:

 

 

FLOWERS FOODS, INC.

(Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

 

N/A

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)

 

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

 

 

 

 

      o   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 fees was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement number or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing.

 

 

     (4)  Date Filed: N/A

 

Thomasville, Georgia

 

April   , 2008

 

Dear Shareholder:

 

I would like to extend an invitation for you to join us at our annual meeting of shareholders on Friday, May 30, 2008 at 11:00 a.m. at the Thomasville Cultural Center in Thomasville, Georgia.

 

At this year’s meeting, you will vote to:

 

 

In addition, Flowers Foods’ senior management team will report on the performance of the company and respond to questions from shareholders.

 

Included with the enclosed materials are a notice of the annual meeting and a proxy statement that contains further information about each matter to be voted upon and the meeting itself, including how to listen to the annual meeting on the Internet and different methods to vote your proxy.

 

Please carefully review the enclosed proxy materials. Your vote is important to us and to our business. I encourage you to sign and return your proxy card, or to use telephone or Internet voting prior to the annual meeting, so that your shares of Flowers Foods common stock will be represented and voted at the annual meeting even if you cannot attend.

 

I hope to see you in Thomasville.

 

George E. Deese
Chairman of the Board, President and
Chief Executive Officer

 

 

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

To Be Held May 30, 2008

 

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the annual meeting of shareholders of Flowers Foods, Inc. will be held on May 30, 2008 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time at the Thomasville Cultural Center, 600 East Washington Street, Thomasville, Georgia, for the following purposes:

 

(1) to elect four nominees as directors of the company to serve for a term of three years;

 

(2) to vote on a proposal by the board of directors to amend the Restated Articles of Incorporation of the company to increase the number of authorized shares of common stock;

 

(2) to ratify the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the independent registered public accounting firm for Flowers Foods, Inc. for the fiscal year ending January 3, 2009; and

 

(3) to transact any other business as may properly come before the meeting and at any adjournment or postponement thereof;

 

all as set forth in the proxy statement accompanying this notice.

 

Only record holders of issued and outstanding shares of our common stock at the close of business on March 28, 2008 are entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the annual meeting, or any adjournment or postponement thereof. A list of such shareholders will be open for examination by any shareholder at the time and place of the annual meeting.

 

Shareholders can listen to a live audio webcast of the annual meeting on our website at www.flowersfoods.com. This webcast also will be archived on our website.

 

By order of the Board of Directors,

 

Stephen R. Avera

Senior Vice President,

Secretary and General Counsel

 

1919 Flowers Circle

Thomasville, Georgia 31757

April   , 2008

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

FLOWERS FOODS, INC.

1919 Flowers Circle

Thomasville, Georgia 31757

 

PROXY STATEMENT

FOR THE ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS TO BE HELD

MAY 30, 2008

 

This proxy statement and the accompanying form of proxy are being furnished to the shareholders of Flowers Foods, Inc. on or about April   , 2008 in connection with the solicitation of proxies by our board of directors for use at the annual meeting of shareholders to be held on May 30, 2008 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time at the Thomasville Cultural Center, 600 East Washington Street, Thomasville, Georgia, and any adjournment or postponement of the meeting.

 

At the annual meeting, shareholders will:

 

 

In addition, Flowers Foods’ senior management team will report on the performance of the company and respond to questions from shareholders.

 

The board of directors recommends that you vote FOR:

 

 

A proxy is your legal designation of another person to vote the shares of Flowers Foods common stock you own as of the record date for the annual meeting. If you appoint someone as your proxy in a written document, that document is also called a proxy or a proxy card. We have designated three of our executive officers as proxies for the annual meeting. These three officers are George E. Deese, our chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer, R. Steve Kinsey, our senior vice president and chief financial officer and Stephen R. Avera, our senior vice president, secretary and general counsel.

 

To be eligible to vote, you must have been a shareholder of record of the company’s common stock at the close of business on March 28, 2008, which is the record date for the annual meeting. There were 92,147,046 shares of our common stock outstanding and entitled to vote on the record date.

 

With respect to each matter to be voted upon at the annual meeting, you are entitled to one vote for each share of common stock you held on the record date for the annual meeting. For example, if you owned 100 shares of our common stock on the record date, you would be entitled to 100 votes for each matter to be voted upon at the annual meeting.

 

You can vote in the following ways:

 

 

By executing and returning your proxy (either by returning the enclosed proxy card or by submitting your proxy electronically via the Internet or by telephone), you appoint George E. Deese, R. Steve Kinsey and Stephen R. Avera to represent you at the annual meeting and to vote your shares at the annual meeting in accordance with your voting instructions. The Internet and telephone voting procedures are designed to authenticate shareholder identities, to allow shareholders to give voting instructions and to confirm that shareholders’ instructions have been recorded properly. Any shareholder voting by Internet should understand that there may be costs associated with electronic access, like usage charges from Internet access and telephone or cable service providers, that must be paid by the shareholder.

 

Shareholders should specify their choice for each matter on the enclosed proxy card. If no specific instructions are given, proxies that are signed and returned will be voted FOR the election of each director-nominee and each matter to be voted on at the annual meeting.

 

Yes. You can change your vote and revoke your proxy at any time before the polls close at the annual meeting by doing any one of the following things:

 

 

Your attendance at the annual meeting alone will not revoke your proxy.

 

If you participate in the Flowers Foods, Inc. 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan, by signing and returning your proxy you will direct Mercer Trust Company, the Trustee of the 401(k) plan, how to vote the Flowers Foods, Inc. common shares allocated to your account. Any unvoted or unallocated shares will be voted by the Trustee in the

same proportion on each proposal as the Trustee votes the shares of stock credited to the 401(k) plan participants’ accounts for which the Trustee receives voting directions from the 401(k) plan participants. The number of shares you are eligible to vote is based on your balance in the 401(k) plan on the record date for the annual meeting.

 

If your shares are held in “street name” through a broker, bank or other holder of record, you will receive instructions from the registered holder that you must follow in order for your shares to be voted for you by that record holder. Telephone and Internet voting is also offered to shareholders who own their Flowers Foods shares through certain banks and brokers.

 

The holders of at least a majority of the shares of our common stock entitled to vote at the annual meeting are required to be present in person or by proxy to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

 

Abstentions and broker “non-votes” will be counted as present in determining whether the quorum requirement is satisfied but will not be included in vote totals and will not affect the outcome of the vote, except with respect to Proposal II where a “non-vote” will have the same effect as a vote against the proposal to amend our Restated Articles of Incorporation. A “non-vote” occurs when a nominee holding shares for a beneficial owner votes on one proposal pursuant to discretionary authority or instructions from the beneficial owner, but does not vote on another proposal because the nominee has not received instruction from the beneficial owner and does not have discretionary power. The aggregate number of votes cast by all shareholders present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting, whether those shareholders vote for or against the proposals, will be counted for purposes of determining the minimum number of affirmative votes required for approval of the proposals, and the total number of votes cast for each of these proposals will be counted for purposes of determining whether sufficient affirmative votes have been cast.

 

Once a quorum has been established, the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the shares of our common stock is required to approve the amendment to our Restated Articles of Incorporation (Proposal II). The affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the shares of our common stock present at the meeting in person or by proxy is required to ratify the appointment of our independent auditors for fiscal 2008 (Proposal III). Directors will be elected at the meeting by a plurality of the votes cast by holders of shares of our common stock entitled to vote in the election. In other words, the four director-nominees receiving the highest number of votes cast at the annual meeting will be elected, regardless of whether that number represents a majority of the votes cast.

 

Our board of directors does not know of any other business to be brought before the meeting, but if any other business is properly brought before the meeting, the persons named as proxies, Messrs. Deese, Kinsey and Avera, will exercise their judgment in deciding how to vote or otherwise act at the annual meeting with respect to that matter or proposal.

 

We will report the voting results in our quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the second quarter of fiscal 2008, which we expect to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on or about August 21, 2008.

 

For information on how and when you may submit a shareholder proposal for the 2009 annual meeting, please refer to the section entitled “Shareholder Proposals” in this proxy statement.

 

We will pay the cost of soliciting proxies. We have engaged Georgeson Shareholder Communications, Inc. to assist in the solicitation of votes for a fee of $10,000, plus out-of-pocket expenses. In addition, our directors and officers may solicit proxies in person, by telephone or facsimile but will not receive additional compensation for these services. Brokerage houses, nominees, custodians and fiduciaries will be requested to forward soliciting material to beneficial owners of stock held of record by them, and we will reimburse those persons for their reasonable expenses in doing so.

 

A copy of Flowers Foods’ annual report, which includes our Form 10-K and our financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 29, 2007, is being mailed with this proxy statement to all shareholders entitled to vote at the meeting. The Annual Report does not form any part of the material for the solicitation of proxies.

 

The annual report is also available on our website at www.flowersfoods.com. You may also receive a copy of the annual report free of charge by sending a written request to Flowers Foods, Inc., 1919 Flowers Circle, Thomasville, Georgia 31757, Attention: Investor Relations Department.

 

Shareholders can listen to a live audio webcast of the annual meeting over the Internet on the company’s website at www.flowersfoods.com. This webcast also will be archived on the site.

 

We have included the website address for reference only. The information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this proxy statement and does not form any part of the materials used for the solicitation of proxies.

 

Yes. Follow the “Vote by Internet” instructions on the enclosed proxy card. On the proxy voting website, you will be prompted to elect whether or not you wish to receive future proxy statements and annual reports electronically. Enter a valid e-mail address and you will no long receive paper versions of these documents. Alternatively, you may call our shareholder relations specialist at (229) 226-9110 for assistance.

 

If you have any questions about the annual meeting or your ownership of our common stock, please contact Marta J. Turner, our senior vice president of corporate relations, at the above address or by calling (229) 226-9110.

 

ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

 

Our board of directors is divided into three classes, with Class I and Class III consisting of four members and Class II consisting of three members. The directors in each class serve for a term of three years. Directors are elected annually to serve until the expiration of the term of their class or until their successors are elected and qualified. Background information concerning each of our director-nominees and the incumbent directors is provided below.

 

The following nominees are proposed for election in Class I, to serve until 2011:

 

 

Unless instructed otherwise, the proxies will be voted for the election of the four nominees named above to serve for the terms indicated or until their successors are elected and have been duly qualified. If any nominee is unable to serve, proxies may be voted for a substitute nominee selected by the board of directors. However, our board of directors has no reason to believe that any nominee will not be able to serve if elected.

 

 

YOUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT

YOU VOTE FOR ALL OF THE ABOVE DIRECTOR-NOMINEES

 

Class II Directors Serving Until 2009

 

 

Class III Directors Serving Until 2010

 

 

The following table lists information regarding the ownership of our common stock by the only non-affiliated individuals, entities or groups known to us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of our common stock:

 

 

 

 

The following table lists information as of March 28, 2008 regarding the number of shares owned by each director, each director-nominee, each executive officer listed on the summary compensation table included later in this proxy statement and by all of our directors, director-nominees and executive officers as a group:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Based solely upon a review of our records and written representations by the persons required to file these reports, all stock transaction reports required to be filed by Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), with the SEC were timely filed in fiscal 2007 by directors and executive officers.

 

We believe that good corporate governance is essential to ensure that our company is effectively managed for the long-term benefit of our shareholders. We have thoroughly reviewed our corporate governance policies and practices and compared them with those recommended by corporate governance advisors and the practices of other publicly-held companies.

 

Based upon this review we have adopted the following corporate governance documents:

 

 

 

You can access the full text of all these corporate governance documents on our website at www.flowersfoods.com by clicking on the “Investor Center” tab and selecting “Corporate Governance.” You can also receive a copy of these documents by writing to Flowers Foods, Inc., 1919 Flowers Circle, Thomasville, Georgia 31757, Attn: Investor Relations Dept.

 

Pursuant to our corporate governance guidelines, the nominating/corporate governance committee and the board of directors are required to annually review the independence of each director and director-nominee. During this review, transactions and relationships among each director or any member of his or her immediate family and the company are considered, including, among others, all commercial, industrial, banking, consulting, legal, accounting, charitable and familial relationships and those reported in this proxy statement under “Transactions with Management and Others.” In addition, transactions and relationships among directors or their affiliates and members of senior management and their affiliates are examined. The purpose of this annual review is to determine whether each director meets the applicable criteria for independence in accordance with the New York Stock Exchange Listed Company Manual (“NYSE Rules”) and our corporate governance guidelines. Only those directors who meet the applicable criteria for independence and the board of directors affirmatively determines have no direct or indirect material relationship with the company will be considered independent directors.

 

As part of our corporate governance guidelines, we have adopted categorical standards which provide that certain relationships will be considered material relationships and will preclude a director’s independence. The standard we have adopted for determining director independence is that an “independent” director is one who:

 

 

The nominating/corporate governance committee and the board of directors conducted the required annual independence review in February 2008. Upon the recommendation of the nominating/corporate governance committee, the board of directors affirmatively determined that a majority of our directors and director-nominees are independent of the company and its management as required by the NYSE Rules and the corporate governance guidelines. Messrs. Griswold, Lanier and Wood and Ms. Ward are independent director-nominees. Messrs. Beverly, Burke, Fernandez, Shields and Stith are independent directors. Mr. McMullian is considered an inside director because of the proximity of his prior consulting relationship with the company for which he received compensation greater than $100,000. This consulting arrangement ended in 2005. Mr. Deese is considered an inside director because he is currently an executive officer of our company. Each director and director-nominee abstained from voting as to themselves.

 

The foregoing discussion of director independence is applicable only to service as a member of the board of directors, the compensation committee and the nominating/corporate governance committee. Additional guidelines apply to the members of the audit committee under applicable law and NYSE Rules.

 

Pursuant to the corporate governance guidelines, the board of directors created the position of “presiding director,” whose primary responsibilities are to preside over periodic executive sessions of the board of directors in which management directors and other members of management do not participate and to:

 

 

Each year at the meeting of the board of directors following the annual meeting, a presiding director is appointed among the independent directors to serve for one year. On June 1, 2007, Joseph L. Lanier, Jr. was appointed to serve as the presiding director until May 30, 2008.

 

In accordance with the company’s amended and restated bylaws, the board of directors has set the number of members of the board of directors at eleven. The board of directors held seven meetings in fiscal 2007. During fiscal 2007, no incumbent director attended fewer than 75% of the aggregate of:

 

 

Our board of directors has established several standing committees: an audit committee, a nominating/corporate governance committee, a compensation committee and a finance committee. The board of directors has adopted a written charter for each of these committees, all of which are available on the company’s website at www.flowersfoods.com.

The following table describes the current members of each of the committees and the number of meetings held during fiscal 2007:

 

 

 

 

Audit Committee

 

Under the terms of the audit committee charter, the audit committee represents and assists the board of directors in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities with respect to:

 

 

The audit committee’s authorities and duties include:

 

 

The board of directors has determined that all audit committee members are “independent” as defined by the NYSE Rules and under SEC rules and regulations. The board of directors has also determined that Mr. Wood is an “audit committee financial expert” under Item 407(d)(5) of Regulation S-K of the Securities Act of 1933, as

amended (the “Securities Act”). Each member of the audit committee is financially literate, knowledgeable and qualified to review financial statements.

 

Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee

 

Under the terms of its charter, the nominating/corporate governance committee is responsible for considering and making recommendations to the board of directors with regard to the function and needs of the board, and the review and development of our corporate governance guidelines. In fulfilling its duties, the nominating/corporate governance committee shall:

 

 

Our board has determined that all members of the nominating/corporate governance committee are “independent” as defined by the NYSE Rules and our corporate governance guidelines. For information relating to nomination of directors by shareholders, please see “Selection of Director-Nominees.”

 

Compensation Committee

 

Under the terms of its charter, the compensation committee has overall responsibility for evaluating and approving the company’s compensation plans, policies and programs. The compensation committee’s primary functions are to:

 

 

Our board has determined that all members of the compensation committee are “independent” as defined by the NYSE Rules and our corporate governance guidelines.

Finance Committee

 

The primary functions of the finance committee are to:

 

 

J.V. Shields, Jr. and C. Martin Wood III are married to sisters.

 

In accordance with our corporate governance guidelines, directors are expected to rigorously prepare for, attend and participate in all meetings of the board of directors and meetings of the committees on which they serve and to devote the time necessary to appropriately discharge their responsibilities. Aside from these requirements, the company does not maintain a formal policy for attendance by directors at annual meetings of shareholders. However, all of our directors attended the annual meeting of shareholders held on June 1, 2007.

 

The nominating/corporate governance committee identifies and considers director candidates recommended by its members and other board members, as well as management and shareholders. A shareholder who wishes to recommend a prospective director-nominee for the committee’s consideration should submit the candidate’s name and qualifications to Flowers Foods, Inc., 1919 Flowers Circle, Thomasville, Georgia 31757, Attention: Senior Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel. The nominating/corporate governance committee will also consider whether to recommend for nomination any person identified by a shareholder pursuant to the provisions of our amended and restated bylaws relating to shareholder nominations. Recommendations by shareholders that are made in accordance with these procedures will receive the same consideration given to nominees of the nominating/corporate governance committee.

 

The nominating/corporate governance committee believes that any director-nominee must meet the director qualification criteria set forth in our corporate governance guidelines before it could recommend such director-nominee for election to the board of directors. These factors include:

 

 

 

The nominating/corporate governance committee considers these factors as it deems appropriate, as well as other factors it determines are pertinent in light of the current needs of the board of directors. The nominating/corporate governance committee may use the services of a third-party executive search firm to assist it in identifying and evaluating possible director-nominees.

 

The board of directors will give proper attention to written communications that are submitted by shareholders and other interested parties and will respond if appropriate. Shareholders and other interested parties interested in communicating directly with the board of directors as a group, the independent directors as a group or any individual director may do so by writing to Presiding Director, Flowers Foods Inc., 1919 Flowers Circle, Thomasville, GA 31757. Absent circumstances contemplated by committee charters, the chair of the nominating/corporate governance committee and the presiding director, with the assistance of our senior vice president, secretary and general counsel will monitor and review all correspondence from shareholders and other interested parties and provide copies or summaries of such communications to other directors as they deem appropriate.

 

COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

 

Objectives of Executive Compensation

 

The primary objective of our executive compensation program is to attract, retain and motivate qualified executives necessary for the future success of the company and the maximization of shareholder value. Our compensation program is designed to motivate our executives by rewarding the achievement of specific annual, long-term and strategic goals by the company, and it aligns our executives’ interests with those of the shareholders by rewarding performance above established goals, with the ultimate objective of improving shareholder value. Finally, we strive to foster a sense of ownership among our executives and our directors by requiring them to own certain amounts of our common stock.

 

The compensation committee evaluates both performance and compensation to ensure that (i) the company maintains its ability to attract and retain the most qualified employees in key positions; (ii) each executive’s compensation remains competitive relative to the compensation paid to similarly situated executives in comparable companies and (iii) each of the company’s primary objectives with respect to compensation are being fulfilled. To that end, the compensation committee believes that an effective compensation program should include three primary components:

 

 

Certain retirement and other post-employment benefits are also included in the executives’ compensation package. In addition, see the section entitled “Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control” of this proxy statement for details on payments and benefits payable (or realizable) upon termination of employment and a change in control of the company. Perquisites are not a significant part of our executive compensation program.

 

Each element of our compensation program is described in greater detail below, including a discussion of why the company chooses to pay each element, how we determine the amount of each element to pay and how each element and the company’s decisions regarding that element fit into our overall compensation objectives.

Effective September 15, 2007, Jimmy M. Woodward, the company’s former senior vice president and chief financial officer, resigned from his position with the company, and R. Steve Kinsey was appointed senior vice president and chief financial officer of the company. Effective September 15, 2007, Mr. Woodward entered into an employment agreement with the company that will terminate on February 28, 2010. Pursuant to the agreement, Mr. Woodward has agreed to provide advice and consultation on financial and related affairs, including, but not limited to, advising the chairman, chief executive officer and president on an as-needed basis on financial and other related matters.

 

Compensation information with respect to Mr. Woodward and Mr. Kinsey is presented for all of fiscal 2007. Amounts of salary and non-equity compensation, equity compensation, and other compensation expressed as a percentage of total compensation for each of the executive officers set forth in the Summary Compensation Table (the “Named Executives”) for the fiscal year ended December 29, 2007 were:

 

 

The objectives of our executive compensation program are accomplished through a balance of pay components that are competitive with market practice and place greater emphasis on incentive compensation (non-equity and equity-based incentives), which focuses our executives on long-term performance and helps to align their interests with those of our shareholders. Approximately 51% to 78% of the annual total direct compensation opportunity for the Named Executives in fiscal 2007 was linked to the achievement of predefined performance criteria in accordance with our Annual Executive Bonus Plan and Equity Performance Incentive Plan. Cash bonuses accounted for approximately 19% to 22% of the Named Executives’ compensation in 2007, while long-term incentive awards (i.e., stock options and restricted stock) accounted for approximately 29% to 56% of the mix in 2007.

 

The compensation committee of the board of directors, which is comprised entirely of independent directors, has overall responsibility for evaluating, analyzing and approving the company’s compensation plans, policies and programs. In addition, the chief executive officer consults with and advises the compensation committee with respect to the company’s compensation philosophy and makes recommendations to the compensation committee regarding the compensation of the other executive officers. All recommendations of the chief executive officer to the compensation committee regarding compensation of executive officers is independently evaluated by the committee. The chief financial officer, or his designee, assists the compensation committee in understanding the key drivers of company performance, particularly those measures used in our bonus and long-term incentive plans and also provides the compensation committee with regular updates on company performance as it relates to certain performance measures used in our bonus and long-term incentive plans.

The compensation committee engages Towers Perrin as its sole independent compensation consultant, and no other outside consultants are utilized by the compensation committee with respect to compensatory advisory services. In 2007, Towers Perrin provided no other services to the company other than executive and director compensation advisory services, retirement consulting and actuarial valuation services. At the compensation committee’s request, Towers Perrin evaluates the competitiveness of the base salaries, annual bonuses and long-term incentives awarded to the company’s Named Executives, provides competitive market data on new compensation arrangements and provides an opinion on the reasonableness of such arrangements. Towers Perrin attends compensation committee meetings at the committee’s request and is available to provide guidance to the compensation committee on compensation questions and issues as they arise.

 

Compensation Benchmarking

 

Because there are not many food companies the size of Flowers Foods, a specific set of peer companies is not used for market compensation comparisons; rather, market pay rates (i.e. base salary, bonus and long-term incentives) are based on currently available food industry and general industry peers’ pay data from published survey data available to Towers Perrin. We use an average of food industry and general industry survey data (the “Relevant Market Sector”) when making market comparisons, and the data is adjusted to reflect pay for companies with annual revenues comparable to the company.

 

Companies used for benchmarking comparisons are based on published survey data available to Towers Perrin. For 2007, the food and general industry peer groups used for benchmarking purposes were from the Towers Perrin Executive Compensation Database, Watson Wyatt Top Management Compensation Report and the Mercer Executive Compensation Survey.

 

Food industry data were used from the following surveys and were comprised of the following companies:

 

Towers Perrin Execution Compensation Database — Food & Beverage Companies

 

Watson Wyatt Top Management Compensation Report — Food & Kindred Products

 

 

In addition, general industry data were used from the following surveys to capture the broadest possible market perspective:

 

 

The market data obtained from the companies above are regressed to reflect the respective Named Executive’s scope of revenue responsibility. The Relevant Market Sector is the simple average of the regressed food industry and general industry market rates. The compensation committee together with Towers Perrin, the company’s independent compensation consultant, conducted a benchmark analysis of chief executive officer compensation and the compensation of the other Named Executives, which included the companies in the Relevant Market Sector and set compensation for the Named Executives to approximate the 50th percentile of the Relevant Market Sector. The compensation committee generally seeks to establish that each element of the Named Executives’ compensation (salaries, bonus and long-term incentive awards) should approximate the 50th percentile of the Relevant Market Sector because it is their intention to set executive salaries high enough to be competitive and to attract and retain a strong motivated leadership team but not so high that it creates negative perception among other constituencies. The compensation committee, with input from Towers Perrin, concluded that the proposed compensation level and the proposed performance objectives under the company’s incentive and equity compensation plans for each Named Executive was within the competitive practice for similarly situated executives in similarly situated companies. The compensation committee concluded that Mr. Deese’s total compensation as well as the total compensation of the other Named Executives was competitive with similarly situated positions at comparable companies and was appropriate to meet the company’s goal to retain each Named Executive and to align his interests with those of its shareholders.

 

Base Salary

 

Our approach to executive compensation is based on a strong belief in pay for performance. Base salary represents the fixed and recurring part of an executive’s annual compensation and is intended to reward experience and expertise, functional progression (i.e. the executive’s series of work experiences, duties and accountabilities relevant to the current position held), career development, skills and competencies. We have established a system of tiered salary grades, and executives are assigned an appropriate salary grade considering the position’s internal

value as well as external comparisons to relevant positions in published compensation surveys as provided by Towers Perrin.

 

With respect to the position’s “internal value,” Named Executives’ base salaries are related to a salary grade structure, which, in turn, is developed on a rational basis that examines both (i) external competitive market base salaries, as determined through benchmarking analysis and (ii) the internal relationships (i.e., value and progression) of these positions. From the internal perspective, the establishment of salary grades is developed on a basis that a given position is at least one salary grade below that of the supervising position, which is the only weight assigned to internal value in establishing the salary grades. We periodically make adjustments to the base salaries based on the factors discussed above as well as the performance of the respective Named Executive.

 

Individual salaries for executives that report directly to the chief executive officer are subject to approval by the chief executive officer and the compensation committee. The chief executive officer’s salary is subject to approval by the compensation committee and the board of directors. Base salaries for all Named Executives are reviewed annually by the compensation committee, the board of directors and Towers Perrin based on the criteria described above.

 

Annual Executive Bonus Plan

 

Our Annual Executive Bonus Plan (the “Bonus Plan”) provides for an annual incentive bonus, which is expressed as a percentage of base salary, varying by position with the company. Annual bonuses are intended to reward performance as measured over a twelve-month period and additionally to reward performance above established goals. Prior to the beginning of each fiscal year, the compensation committee establishes target bonus levels, which are expressed as a percentage of the executive’s base salary (the “Target Bonus Percentage”), for the executives who have been designated as participants in the Bonus Plan. The compensation committee generally sets the target bonus percentages at the 50th percentile of the Relevant Market Sector. Based upon performance projections presented by management, the compensation committee sets a target performance goal (the “EBITDA Goal”). We currently use earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”) as the performance measure in the Bonus Plan for all participating employees, including the Named Executives, because we believe that EBITDA is a useful tool for managing the operations of our business and is an indicator of the company’s ability to incur and service indebtedness and generate free cash flow. A bonus is awarded to participating executives based on the following formula:

 

 

If the actual EBITDA is equal to the EBITDA Goal, the resulting Bonus Percentage is 100%. If actual EBITDA is less than the EBITDA Goal, the applicable Bonus Percentage will drop by 5% for every 1% by which actual EBITDA is less than the EBITDA Goal. If actual EBITDA exceeds the EBITDA Goal, the Bonus Percentage will increase by 5% for every 1% by which the actual EBITDA exceeds the EBITDA Goal. An executive’s Bonus Percentage may not exceed 150%, and a payment to an executive may not exceed $1.5 million. The Bonus Percentage is zero if actual results are 80% or less of the designated goals. This mechanism provides motivation for the executive to continue to strive for improved company performance in any given year, regardless of the fact that the goals may, or may not, be obtained. The 2007 EBITDA Goal was $200.6 million, and that goal was exceeded by the company.

 

The bonuses paid to the Named Executives for 2007 were 2.2% below the amounts paid to the Named Executives for 2006 because, although the company exceeded the EBITDA Goal for 2007, it was exceeded by a smaller margin than in 2006. For 2007, a cash bonus of $906,200 was awarded to Mr. Deese based solely upon the EBITDA Goal and the formula outlined above. Mr. Deese’s bonus was 1.2% lower than the amount paid to him in 2006. A total of $1,051,580 was paid to the other Named Executives for 2007 bonuses which was, in the aggregate, 3.1% below the amount paid to them for 2006.

Under the terms of the Bonus Plan, the compensation committee retains the authority to determine that a goal other than EBITDA is appropriate for executives. In such cases, the compensation committee may prescribe a goal based, for instance, on the performance of a product group, division, subsidiary or other management reporting unit. The compensation committee would consider using a goal other than EBITDA if it determines that another performance measurement would be more appropriate for executives where their responsibilities more specifically pertain to discrete elements of the company’s business. For instance, in circumstances where it appears that a particular business unit or division needs to achieve a notable and difficult goal, which would be unrelated to potential pressures on the entire company’s EBITDA during the coming measurement year, it might be appropriate in the view of the compensation committee to make such a decision. Under the terms of the Bonus Plan, the compensation committee may utilize its discretion to (a) award compensation without the attainment of the EBITDA Goal in reliance on another performance measurement and (b) reduce the size of any award or payout under the Bonus Plan. The compensation committee also retains the discretion to award a bonus outside of the Bonus Plan, in unusual circumstances, which would not qualify for the exemption from restrictions on deductibility imposed by Internal Revenue Service Section 162(m).

 

The compensation committee did not exercise discretion with respect to any bonus payouts in 2007 to the Named Executives, and all bonuses paid to the Named Executives in 2007 were based solely on the EBITDA Goal and the formula outlined above. The compensation committee has reviewed the Bonus Plan performance measurement and concluded that EBITDA tracks the core operating performance that the company wants to achieve for its shareholders. The compensation committee will continue to evaluate the Bonus Plan measure in the future to determine if a different measure or measures should be used. If the compensation committee sets a goal other than EBITDA for any Named Executives or exercises discretion with respect to future awards under the Bonus Plan, the company will disclose: (a) the goal utilized in the calculation of the bonus or if there is an appropriate basis to omit the goal, how difficult it would be for the company to achieve the undisclosed goal and (b) if discretion has been exercised in connection with an award, the considerations of the compensation committee in exercising such discretion.

 

Equity and Performance Incentive Plan

 

In keeping with the compensation committee’s philosophy that the element of shareholder risk is an essential compensation tool, stock based incentives comprise a significant portion of the compensation program for executives. The compensation committee believes that stock based incentives are fundamental to the enhancement of shareholder value, reward performance over the long-term and help align the executives’ interests with those of our shareholders. The company’s long-term compensation programs and the individual grants thereunder are reviewed and approved by the compensation committee, which also relies on advice and data from Towers Perrin with respect to the types and amounts of incentive compensation to be paid to the Named Executives. The compensation committee generally targets the 50th percentile of the Relevant Market Sector for stock based incentives granted to the Named Executives.

 

The 2001 Equity and Performance Incentive Plan, as amended and restated as of February 11, 2005 (the “EPIP”), is the company’s ongoing intermediate and long-term incentive plan. The EPIP was approved by the company’s shareholders on June 3, 2005. The EPIP provides the compensation committee with an opportunity to make a variety of stock based awards, while selecting the form that is most appropriate for the company and the executive group. The awards under the EPIP contain elements that help focus the executive’s attention on one of the company’s primary goals — the long-term success of the company and, ultimately, the enhancement of shareholder value.

 

After a review of competitive long-term incentive market practice trends, the compensation committee determined that, beginning with the fiscal 2006 awards, equity-based awards for the Named Executives would be split between stock options and performance-contingent restricted stock. This mix reflects the compensation committee’s consideration of competitive market practices and the desire to balance both the annual accounting expense and share dilution associated with the long-term incentive program with a need to focus the company’s executives on long-term stock price appreciation and efficient use of capital. The compensation committee’s decision to utilize stock options reflects the compensation strategy of rewarding Named Executives for achieving growth in share price and creating alignment with shareholder value creation. The compensation committee’s decision to utilize performance-contingent restricted stock is intended to ensure that executives focus on capital investments that produce returns in excess of the company’s weighted

average cost of capital. The restricted stock vests only if the company’s return on invested capital over the vesting period equals or exceeds its weighted average “cost of capital” for the same period (the “ROI Target”). The ROI Target is discussed in greater detail in our discussion of restricted stock.

 

The determination of 2007 option and restricted stock award levels for the Named Executives was based on the compensation committee’s philosophy of granting long-term incentive awards at the 50th percentile of the company’s Relevant Market Sector. Additionally, the compensation committee reviews the projected expense impact of the awards, in the aggregate, on the company’s earnings for the next fiscal year. The competitive market long-term incentive award grant levels are equally split to deliver 50% of a competitive award via stock options and 50% via restricted stock. The equal split in the award mix reflects the desired balance and emphasis by the compensation committee on stock price appreciation (via non-qualified stock options) and efficient use of capital (via the ROI Target on performance-contingent restricted stock). The specific grant levels for Mr. Deese and each of the other Named Executives are targeted at the 50th percentile of the Relevant Market Sector. Existing outstanding equity grants or stock ownership levels of a Named Executive were not considered by the compensation committee in determining the value or size of 2007 long-term incentive awards. This grant process is applied similarly to all other executives and managerial personnel participating in the long-term incentive program.

 

Further, and as noted in greater detail below, the 2007 long-term incentive program includes a relative total shareholder return modifier for the performance-contingent restricted stock awards. The compensation committee’s rationale for the modifier is to include an external market performance metric for the performance-contingent restricted stock award, in addition to the ROI Target. The compensation committee selected the S&P 500 Packaged Food & Meat Index, an established index that investors may use to rank our company’s performance, as the market comparison for relative total shareholder return. The relative total shareholder performance modifier scale was selected based on the compensation committee’s judgment, competitive market data and advice provided by Towers Perrin.

 

On February 5, 2007, Mr. Deese received a non-qualified stock option grant of 222,000 shares and a performance-contingent restricted stock award of 59,850 shares. Aggregate non-qualified stock option grants of 175,800 shares and performance-contingent restricted stock grants of 47,400 shares were awarded to the other Named Executives in 2007 under the EPIP.

 

Performance-Contingent Restricted Stock Awards.  Shares of performance-contingent restricted stock were granted on February 5, 2007 to the Named Executives pursuant to the EPIP and the 2007 restricted stock agreement (the “Restricted Stock Agreement”). In addition, the Named Executives together received dividends of $49,121 on such restricted shares.

 

The Restricted Stock Agreement provides the terms and conditions under which the shares of restricted stock will vest. Vesting generally occurs two years from the date of grant on February 5, 2009 and the shares become nonforfeitable if, on this date, the company’s average “return on invested capital” over the vesting period equals or exceeds its weighted average “cost of capital” for the same period (the “ROI Target”). Furthermore, each grant of performance-contingent restricted stock will be adjusted as set forth below:

 

 

 

Before the shares of performance-contingent restricted stock or the additional shares of performance stock (if any) are deemed nonforfeitable, the compensation committee must certify that the performance criteria outlined above have been met.

If the grantee dies, becomes disabled or retires, the restricted stock generally vests immediately. In addition, the restricted stock will immediately vest at the target level without adjustment if the company undergoes a change in control. During the vesting period, the executive is treated as a normal shareholder with respect to dividend rights on the restricted shares. The dividends earned on the shares are paid directly to the executive. At the time of vesting, the executive will receive the shares of stock and will be liable for his or her portion of all federal and state income and payroll taxes based on the fair market value of the shares awarded at the date of vesting.

 

Stock Option Awards.  Nonqualified stock options were granted on February 5, 2007 to the Named Executives under the company’s 2007 nonqualified stock option agreement (the “Stock Option Agreement”) and the EPIP. The Stock Option Agreement contains the terms and conditions under which the nonqualified stock options will vest. No further action or performance by the company, its stock, or the executive (other than continued employment with the company) is required for vesting to occur. For accounting purposes, the options are valued using the Black-Scholes valuation method and granted at 100% of the market value on the date of grant. Market value is calculated as the closing value on the date of the grant. Options vest three years from the date of grant on February 5, 2010, assuming that the executive is continuously employed by the company through the date of vesting, and must be exercised prior to February 5, 2014. Generally, if the employee dies, becomes disabled, or retires, the nonqualified stock options immediately vest. In addition, options will vest if the company undergoes a change in control with respect to the voting power of its common shares. When the executive exercises the options, he or she will be liable for all federal and state income and payroll taxes based on the taxable income resulting from the exercise.

 

Timing of Grants Under the EPIP.  The compensation committee continues to refine its process for determining the date for the annual grant of equity awards, with the intent of insulating the choice of date from any market influences that might affect the decision at a given time. In fiscal 2007, the compensation committee adopted the policy of making the annual grant following the official announcement of our prior fiscal year results, which coincides with the opening of our self-imposed insider trading window. Except in unusual circumstances, we do not grant equity awards at other dates. If at the time of any planned equity grant any member of the compensation committee is aware of any material non-public information concerning our company, the compensation committee will generally delay the planned grant until such time as the material non-public information has been fully disseminated in the market. The grant date is established when the compensation committee approves the grant and all key terms have been determined. The exercise price of each of our stock option grants and the grant price of our restricted stock grants is the closing market price on the grant date. Executive officers do not play any role in the timing of equity awards under the EPIP.

 

Recoupment Policy

 

On February 7, 2008, the compensation committee amended the EPIP and the Bonus Plan to provide for the recoupment of grants made under the EPIP and bonuses awarded under the Bonus Plan. The recoupment policy provides that if the board of directors has reliable evidence of knowing misconduct by a participant that results in the incorrect overstatement of the company’s earnings or other financial measurements that were taken into consideration in awarding grants or bonuses and as a result of such overstatement the participant (i) received a bonus and/or (ii) either received a grant under the EPIP or had a prior grant vest or become nonforfeitable, the participant shall be required to reimburse (or forfeit, as the case may be) the full amount of any grants or bonuses that resulted from the overstatement. The recoupment policy will apply to all grants made under the EPIP on or after February 4, 2008 and bonuses awarded under the Bonus Plan for the 2008 fiscal year and thereafter.

 

Pension benefits are provided to executives under the Flowers Foods, Inc. Retirement Plan No. 1 (the “Retirement Plan”) and the Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan (the “SERP”), which was terminated as of December 31, 2005. The company also provides a defined contribution benefit to executives through its Executive Deferred Compensation Plan (the “EDCP”).

 

Retirement Plan

 

The Retirement Plan is a qualified defined benefit pension plan that provides a pension upon retirement to eligible employees of participating subsidiaries (but not to employees of the company) that is based upon each year of service with

the participating subsidiary through December 31, 2005. Additionally, the Retirement Plan provides a pension upon retirement to eligible employees (including employees of non-participating subsidiaries and of the company) who were participants under the Flowers Industries, Inc. Retirement Plan No. 1 prior to the company’s spin-off from Flowers Industries, Inc., which is based upon each year of service with Flowers Industries, Inc. and/or certain of its subsidiaries. No additional years of credited service have been granted other than for actual years of credited service in the Retirement Plan.

 

Effective December 31, 2005 benefits under the Retirement Plan were frozen and no additional benefits will accrue under the Retirement Plan. The pension benefit is the sum of annual credits earned during eligible employment. The basic credit formula at the time the Retirement Plan was frozen was 1.35% of the first $10,000 of W-2 earnings (subject to certain exclusions) plus 2% of W-2 earnings (subject to certain exclusions) in excess of $10,000 for each year of service up to 35 years. For each year of service in excess of 35 years, 1.8% of W-2 earnings (subject to certain exclusions) was credited. Certain additional fixed benefit amounts were provided for a limited group of participants in the Retirement Plan, including certain of the Named Executives.

 

Benefits can be paid in many forms under the terms of the Retirement Plan, including a life annuity option, joint and survivor option, period certain and life options, level income option and a lump sum option of up to $7,500. The payout option must be elected by the participant before benefit payments begin. Each available payout option is actuarially equivalent. Early retirement benefit payments are available to participants upon attainment of age 55 and completion of five years of vesting service. A participant’s full benefit under the Plan is payable at age 65. Benefits are reduced by 1/15 for each of the first five years and 1/30 for each of the next five years by which benefit commencement precedes age 65. The same benefits are payable upon retirement, termination, or disability with the adjustments described above for commencement before age 65 but on or after age 55. A 50% survivor annuity is payable to a participant’s spouse upon death prior to retirement. All Named Executives have fulfilled the required service period and are either eligible for early retirement benefit payments currently or will become eligible upon attainment of age 55. No payments were made to the Named Executives under the terms of the Retirement Plan during the 2007 fiscal year measurement period — January 1, 2007 to December 29, 2007. In fiscal 2006 and earlier, the company used a September 30 measurement date for its pension plans. The company eliminated the early measurement date in fiscal 2007 using the remeasurement alternative under FAS 158.

 

SERP

 

The SERP was a nonqualified defined benefit pension plan that covered pay and benefits above the qualified pension plan limits in the Retirement Plan. In addition, nonqualified deferred compensation was included as part of pensionable compensation in the SERP. Effective December 31, 2005, benefits under the SERP were frozen, and the plan was terminated. All benefits earned under the SERP as of March 26, 2001 were distributed as lump sums in 2001. Benefits earned in the SERP after March 26, 2001 were distributed as lump sums primarily in December 2005 upon termination of the SERP, and a distribution of remaining benefits due after final calculations were completed was made to one of the Named Executives during fiscal 2006. No payments were made under the SERP to any of the Named Executives in fiscal 2007.

 

The Executive Deferred Compensation Plan (the “EDCP”) allows certain members of management to defer the receipt of a percentage of their salary and bonus. The purpose of the EDCP is to provide a deferral benefit to certain members of management whose contributions to the company’s 401(k) defined contribution plan, a tax qualified plan, are limited by statutory restrictions. The EDCP is not a tax-qualified plan. The participants’ deferrals are credited to an account established for the participant that is credited with interest until paid. Additionally, the company allocates matching contributions pursuant to the plan on behalf of the participant that are also credited with interest until paid. Interest credited on deferrals and company contributions to the EDCP are based on the Merrill Lynch U.S. Corp., BBB-rated Fifteen-Year Bond Index plus 150 basis points. Interest is considered above-market if earned at a rate which is 120% or more of the applicable federal long-term rate. Earnings in the EDCP are interest-based credits that exceed this threshold. The company credits interest at above market rates because participants’ EDCP accounts are unfunded and unsecured. Generally, the deferrals and company contributions plus interest are paid to the participant upon termination of employment. Distributions from the EDCP are made from the company’s general assets. Contributions credited to the EDCP on behalf of the Named Executives amounted to $287,702 in fiscal 2007.

 

Based on the view of the compensation committee that the ownership of an equity interest in the company by executives is a component of good corporate governance and insures alignment of executive and shareholder interests, guidelines were adopted that require key members of the company’s management team to directly own minimum amounts of the company’s common stock. The guidelines are set forth below:

 

 

The initial number of shares required to meet the guidelines were valued on January 1, 2006 and the guidelines will be reviewed every four years thereafter for all direct stock holdings. Members of management subject to the guidelines or new participants have four years to reach the stated minimums. The holdings of each of the Named Executives (except for Mr. Kinsey who was appointed to his current position in September 2007) are currently within the guidelines. These guidelines may be revised or terminated by the compensation committee at any time with thirty days’ written notice to the affected employees.

 

Deductibility of Executive Compensation

 

We are not allowed a federal income tax deduction for compensation paid to certain executive officers in excess of $1 million, except to the extent that such compensation constitutes “performance-based compensation” (as defined in Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”)). The compensation committee believes that amounts awarded under the Bonus Plan and the EPIP during fiscal 2006 and 2007 will result in performance-based compensation, and that Flowers Foods will not lose any federal income tax deduction for compensation paid under these compensation programs. The compensation committee will consider this deduction limitation during future deliberations and will continue to act in the best interests of the company.

 

Nonqualified Deferred Compensation

 

The American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 was signed into law on October 22, 2004 and became effective on January 1, 2005. The Act changed the tax rules applicable to nonqualified deferred compensation agreements. While written compliance with the final regulations is not yet required, the company believes that it is operating in good faith compliance with the statutory provisions of the Act.

 

Stock Based Compensation

 

Beginning on January 1, 2006, the company began accounting for stock-based compensation payments from the EPIP, including stock options, restricted stock and deferred stock in accordance with the requirements of FASB Statement 123R. Generally the executive is taxed at fair market value on stock based compensation upon the exercise of stock awards provided the risk of forfeiture and all restrictions have lapsed. The company generally receives a tax deduction equal to the value reported as income by the executive in the year the stock option is exercised or the grant of restricted stock vests.

 

The compensation committee has reviewed and discussed the Compensation Discussion and Analysis contained in this proxy statement with the company’s management and, based on this review and discussion, recommends to the board of directors that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 29, 2007 filed with the SEC and proxy statement.

 

 

The Compensation Committee
of the Board of Directors:

 

Joseph L. Lanier, Jr., Chairman

Manuel A. Fernandez

Melvin T. Stith, Ph.D.

Jackie M. Ward

 

The following table summarizes the compensation of the chief executive officer, chief financial officer and each of the three other most highly compensated executive officers of Flowers Foods (the “Named Executives”) for the fiscal years ended December 30, 2006 and December 29, 2007:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The following table details grants made during the fiscal year ended December 29, 2007 pursuant to incentive plans in place at Flowers Foods as of that date:

 

 

 

 

The following table details all equity awards granted and outstanding as of December 29, 2007, the company’s most recent fiscal year end: