Exhibit 99.1
PROFESSIONAL CONSULTING AGREEMENT
The parties to this Professional Consulting Agreement (this Agreement) are GRAHAM
Corporation, a Delaware corporation with offices at 20 Florence Avenue, Batavia, New York
14020 (the Company), and J. Ronald Hansen, an individual residing at 9295 Fargo Road,
Stafford, New York 14143 (the Consultant). This Agreement is made and executed as of the 2d day
of July, 2008.
RECITALS
A. The Company is engaged in the business of designing and building vacuum and heat transfer
equipment.
B. The Consultant is a highly experienced financial and human resources executive with
significant knowledge and experience directly relating to the business of the Company.
C. The Company desires to engage the Consultant, and the Consultant desires to accept such
engagement, upon the terms and conditions set forth below.
In consideration of these recitals and the mutual covenants and agreements contained in this
Agreement, the Company and the Consultant agree as follows:
1. Engagement. The Company hereby engages the Consultant to provide such consulting
services as the Company may from time to time request. The Consultant hereby accepts such
engagement and agrees to provide such consulting services, subject to the terms and conditions of
this Agreement.
2. Term and Termination. This Agreement and the Consultants engagement shall be from
August 1, 2008 through January 31, 2009 (the Term). Thereafter, this Agreement shall
automatically terminate, except as specifically set forth herein.
3. Consultants Duties.
(a) Professional Services. The Consultant shall, during the Term of this Agreement,
provide the Company with up to 104 hours per month of professional consulting services, all as the
Company may from time to time request (the Services). The Consultant shall, in good faith use
his best efforts to perform the Services. The Consultant shall provide invoices to the Company in
the amounts and pursuant to the payment arrangements set forth in the attached Schedule A
attached hereto.
(b) Personnel. The Consultant shall not utilize any third party to perform any
portion of the Services without the express written consent of the Company.
(c) Health and Safety. At all times while performing Services at any Company
location, the Consultant will comply with all applicable Company health, safety, security and
environmental procedures, policies and guidelines.
(d) Fees, Permits, Insurance, etc. The Consultant shall provide for, secure, and/or
be solely responsible for any and all required fees, permits, Workers Compensation coverage,
Unemployment Insurance, Disability Insurance, Social Security contributions, income tax withholding
and any other insurance or taxes, including but not limited to federal and state
taxes, for any person performing the Services pursuant to this Agreement, including the
Consultant and any employee of the Consultant.
1
(e) Non-discrimination. The Consultant will comply with all applicable equal
employment opportunity and non-discrimination requirements, including but not limited to those
prescribed by Executive Order 11246, the Rehabilitation Act, and the Vietnam Era Veterans
Readjustment Assistance Act.
(f) Meetings and Consultation with the Company. The Consultant shall be required to
attend regularly scheduled meetings, or unscheduled meetings on reasonable notice, when necessary
to coordinate and perform the Services. The Consultant shall make himself available at all
reasonable times to consult with appropriate representatives of the Company concerning any Services
performed or to be performed by the Consultant under this Agreement.
4. Reports and Records.
(a) Reports. Upon the reasonable request of the Company, the Consultant shall prepare
and submit draft reports and final reports to the Company as part of the Services.
(b) Records. The Consultant will maintain books, records, and other documentation
reasonably necessary to enable the Company to evaluate the Consultants compliance with this
Agreement. All books and records prepared, maintained or retained by the Consultant pursuant to
this Agreement shall be provided to the Company at the conclusion of this Agreement. All of
Consultants records pertaining to this Agreement shall be made available to the Company and its
representatives for inspection upon reasonable notice at any time during the Consultants regular
business hours.
5. Covenants of Consultant. The Consultant acknowledges that: (i) the business of
the Company and its affiliates, as currently conducted and as conducted from time to time
throughout the Term of this Agreement (collectively, the Business), is conducted by and is
proposed to be conducted on a world wide basis (the Companys Market); (ii) the Business involves
providing design, engineering and manufacture of certain vacuum and heat transfer equipment,
including but not limited to steam condensers, steam jet ejectors, shell and tube heat exchangers,
plate and frame heat exchangers, Heliflow heat exchangers, liquid ring vacuum pumps and rotary
piston pumps; (iii) the Company and its affiliates have developed trade secrets and confidential
information concerning the Business; and (iv) the agreements and covenants contained in this
Section 5 are essential to protect the Business. In order to induce the Company to enter into this
Agreement, the Consultant covenants and agrees that:
(a) Agreement Not to Compete. During the Term of this Agreement and for a period of
twelve (12) months thereafter (such period of time hereinafter the Restricted Period), neither
the Consultant nor any entity of which 2% or more of the beneficial ownership is held by the
Consultant or a person related to the Consultant by blood or marriage (a Controlled Entity) will,
anywhere in the Companys Market, directly or indirectly own, manage, operate, control, invest or
acquire an interest in, or otherwise engage or participate in, whether as a proprietor, partner,
stockholder, director, officer or employee, any business which competes in the Companys Market
with the Business as such Business was conducted, or such other business as the Company had plans
to conduct or had taken material steps toward conducting during the Term (a Competitive
Business), without the prior written consent of the Company. Notwithstanding any other provisions
of this Agreement, the Consultant may make a passive
investment in any publicly-traded company or entity in an amount not to exceed 1% of the
voting stock of any such company or entity.
2
(b) Agreement Not to Interfere In Business Relationships. (i) During the Restricted
Period, neither the Consultant nor any Controlled Entity will directly or indirectly solicit,
induce or influence any customer, or any other person which has a business relationship with the
Company or any affiliate, or which had on the date of this Agreement such a relationship with the
Company or any affiliate, to discontinue or reduce the extent of such relationship with the Company
or any affiliate in the Companys Market without the prior written consent of the Company. (ii)
During the Restricted Period, neither the Consultant nor any Controlled Entity will (A) directly or
indirectly recruit, solicit or otherwise induce or influence any shareholder or employee of the
Company or any of its affiliates to discontinue such employment or other relationship with the
Company or any affiliate without the prior written consent of the Company, or (B) employ or seek to
employ, or cause or permit any Competitive Business to employ or seek to employ any person who is
then (or was at any time within six months prior to the date the Consultant or the Competitive
Business employs or seeks to employ such person) employed by the Company or any affiliate without
the prior written consent of the Company.
(c) Confidentiality. During the Restricted Period, neither the Consultant nor any
Controlled Entity will directly or indirectly disclose to anyone, or use or otherwise exploit for
the Consultants or any Controlled Entitys own benefit or for the benefit of anyone other than the
Company, any confidential information, including, without limitation, any confidential know-how,
trade secrets, customer lists, details of customer contracts, pricing policies, operational
methods, marketing plans or strategies, product development techniques or plans, business
acquisition plans and new personnel acquisition plans of the Company or any affiliate related to
the Business or any portion or phase of any scientific, engineering or technical information,
design, process, procedure, formula, improvement, discovery, invention, machinery or device of the
Company or any affiliate that is not generally known to the competitors of the Company whether or
not in written or tangible form (hereinafter referred to as Confidential Information). The term
Confidential Information does not include, and there shall be no obligation hereunder with
respect to, information that becomes generally available to the public other than as a result of a
disclosure by the Consultant or a Controlled Entity or any agent or other representative thereof.
Neither the Consultant nor any Controlled Entity shall have any obligation hereunder to keep
confidential any Confidential Information to the extent disclosure is required by law; provided,
however, that in the event disclosure is required by law, the Consultant or the Controlled Entity
concerned shall provide the Company with prompt notice of such requirement so that the Company may
seek an appropriate protective order. It is understood that in any subsequent engagement, the
Consultant may use his ordinary skill and non-confidential knowledge. The Consultants obligations
under this Section 5(c) shall be in addition to, not in substitution for, any common law fiduciary
duties the Consultant has to the Company regarding Confidential Information acquired both before
and during the Term.
(d) Intellectual Property. The Consultant shall communicate to the Company full
information concerning all inventions, improvements, discoveries, formulas, processes, systems of
organization, management procedures, software or computer applications (hereinafter, collectively,
Intellectual Property) made or conceived by him either solely or jointly with others, whether or
not perfected during the Term and which shall be within the existing or contemplated scope of the
Business. The Consultant will assist the Company and its nominees in every way at the Companys
expense in obtaining patents for such Intellectual Property as may be patentable in any and all
countries and the Consultant will execute all papers the Company may desire and assignments thereof
to the Company or its nominees and said Intellectual Property
shall be and remain the property of the Company and its nominees, if any, whether patented or
not or assigned or not.
3
(e) Survival of Covenants. In the event of a termination or expiration of this
Agreement, the covenants and agreements contained in this Section 5 and in Sections 4(b), 6 and 9
shall survive, shall continue thereafter, and shall not expire unless and except as expressly set
forth in such Section.
(f) Remedies. The parties to this Agreement agree that (i) if either the Consultant
or any Controlled Entity breaches any provision of this Section 5, the damage to the Company and
its affiliates will be substantial, although difficult to ascertain, and money damages will not
afford an adequate remedy, and (ii) if either the Consultant or any Controlled Entity is in breach
of this Agreement, or threatens a breach of this Agreement, the Company shall be entitled in its
own right and/or on behalf of one or more of its affiliates, in addition to all other rights and
remedies as may be available at law or in equity, to (A) obtain injunctive and other equitable
relief to prevent or restrain a breach of this Agreement and (B) require the Consultant or any
Controlled Entity to pay damages as the result of any transactions constituting a breach hereof.
6. Indemnification. Each party hereto agrees to defend, indemnify and hold the other
harmless from all liabilities, losses, damages, claims, suits, costs and expenses (including court
costs and reasonable attorneys fees) including, without limitation, injury to any person or damage
to any property, arising out of the indemnifying partys breach of or failure to perform any of its
representations, warranties, covenants, agreements or undertakings under this Agreement.
7. Prior Agreement. The Company and the Consultant acknowledge that the Term of the
prior Employment Agreement (dated as of May 13, 1993 and as amended by Amendment No. 1 on September
26, 1996) will end August 1, and that the Consultant continues to be bound by the post-termination
obligations set forth in Section 10 of such prior Employment Agreement. Furthermore, as
additional consideration for entering this Agreement, the Consultant agrees to execute and be bound
by the release of all claims set forth in the attached Schedule B. In the event that the
Consultant fails to execute such Schedule B, or revokes Schedule B according to its terms, then
this Agreement shall be null and void in its entirety.
8. Notices. Any notice, report, demand, waiver, consent and other communication
required or permitted under this Agreement must be in writing and must be (i) personally delivered,
(ii) mailed by registered or certified first class mail, prepaid with return receipt requested, or
(iii) sent by a nationally recognized overnight courier service, to the recipient at the address
below indicated:
(a) If to the Consultant:
J. Ronald Hansen
9295 Fargo Road
Stafford, New York 14143
(b) If to the Company:
Graham Corporation
20 Florence Avenue
Batavia, New York 14020
Attention: James R. Lines, President and CEO
With a copy to:
Daniel R. Kinel, Esq.
Harter, Secrest & Emery LLP
1600 Bausch and Lomb Place
Rochester, New York 14604
4
(c) Either party may specify in writing, in the manner prescribed above, another address to
which subsequent notice to such party shall be given. Any notice under this Agreement will be
deemed to have been given (i) on the date such notice is personally delivered, (ii) three (3) days
after the date of mailing if sent by certified or registered mail, or (iii) the next succeeding
business day after the date such notice is delivered to the overnight courier service if sent by
overnight courier.
9. Miscellaneous.
(a) Independent Contractors. The Company and the Consultant are independent
contractors with respect to the rights and obligations created by this Agreement, and nothing
herein shall be construed to create any agency, joint venture, partnership or other similar
relationship. In addition, nothing herein shall be construed to authorize either party to
represent or commit the other party in negotiations or transactions with third parties. The
Company shall neither have nor exercise control over the methods by which the Consultant performs
services under this Agreement. Any individual performing any service or operation pursuant to this
Agreement shall be subject exclusively to the direction and control of the Consultant. As an
independent contractor, the Consultant agrees and understands that he and his agents are not
entitled to any other benefits and privileges established for the Companys employees, such as
retirement benefits (including pension and/or 401(k) benefits), life, accident, disability or
health insurance benefits (except as specifically set forth on Schedule A), vacation and
sick leave with pay, paid holidays, or severance pay upon termination of this Agreement for any
reason, and the Consultant hereby expressly waives any right to any such benefits.
(b) Non-Exclusive Agreement. Except as limited in Section 5, nothing contained in
this Agreement shall limit the Consultants ability to enter into any agreement to provide
consulting services to any outside party.
(c) Effect of Agreement. This Agreement sets forth the entire understanding of the
parties, and except as expressly set forth herein supersedes any and all prior agreements,
arrangements and understandings, written or oral, relating to the subject matter hereof.
(d) Amendment and Waiver. This Agreement may be amended only by a writing executed by
both of the parties hereto. No waiver of compliance with any provision or condition hereof, and no
consent provided for herein, shall be effective unless evidenced by an instrument in writing duly
executed by the party sought to be charged therewith. No failure on the part of any party to
exercise, and no delay in exercising, any of its rights hereunder shall operate as a waiver
thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise by any party of any right preclude any other or
future exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right.
5
(e) Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed and construed in accordance with
the laws of the State of New York applicable to agreements made and to be performed entirely within
such State.
(f) Venue. Any action or proceeding brought by either party against the other arising
out of or related to this Agreement shall be brought only in a state court of competent
jurisdiction located in the County of Monroe, State of New York or the Federal District Court for
the Western District of New York located in Monroe County, New York and the parties hereby consent
to the personal jurisdiction of said courts..
(g) Remedies Cumulative. The remedies granted in this Agreement are cumulative and in
addition to any other remedies to which the parties may be entitled arising from any violation,
default or breach of this Agreement.
(h) Assignment. No party shall assign or attempt to assign any of its rights or
obligations under this Agreement without the prior written consent of the other party hereto.
(i) Binding Effect. Subject to the provisions of Section 9(h) above, this Agreement
shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of the parties and their respective successors
and assigns. This Agreement creates no rights of any nature in any person not a party hereto.
(j) Savings Clause. If any provision of this Agreement is found, by a court or
administrative body of competent jurisdiction, to violate any applicable federal, state or local
law or regulation, then such provision of this Agreement shall be null and void. All other
provisions of this Agreement unaffected by such finding shall remain in full force and effect.
(k) Headings. The headings used in this Agreement are for convenience of reference
only and do not form a part hereof and shall not be used in any way to modify, interpret or
construe the intent of the parties.
(l) Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in more than one counterpart, each
of which shall be deemed an original, and all of which together shall constitute the same
instrument.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company and the Consultant have executed this Agreement as conclusive
evidence of their acceptance of the terms and conditions set forth herein.
GRAHAM CORPORATION
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
By:
|
|
/s/ James R. Lines
|
|
|
|
/s/ J. Ronald Hansen |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
James R. Lines
|
|
|
|
J. Ronald Hansen |
|
|
|
|
President and CEO |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
7/9/08
|
|
|
|
7/8/08 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Date
|
|
|
|
|
|
Date |
|
|
6
SCHEDULE A
For each month during the Term, the Company agrees to pay the Consultant the following
compensation in consideration for the Consultants performance of the Services:
|
1. |
|
A retainer in the amount of Thirteen Thousand Five Hundred and Twenty Dollars
($13,520); |
|
|
2. |
|
Reimbursement of all out-of-pocket expenses (other than commuting expenses from the
Consultants residence in Stafford, New York to 20 Florence Avenue, Batavia, New York; it
being understood that commuting expenses incurred by Consultant to locations other than 20
Florence Avenue, Batavia, New York shall be reimbursed) incurred in the course of the
performance by Consultant of the Services, provided that such expenses are incurred and
documented in accordance with the Companys policies regarding reimbursement of expenses; |
|
|
3. |
|
A payment equal to 4/12 of the cash bonus Consultant would have been eligible to
receive if the Consultant remained employed by the Company on a full-time basis through
March 31, 2009, which payment shall be made by the Company to the Consultant in May 2009. |
|
|
4. |
|
Reimbursement of the Consultants COBRA premiums incurred during the Term. |
|
|
5. |
|
The Consultant will be covered under the Companys self-insured dental plan during the
Term. |
In addition, at the conclusion of the Term, Consultant shall be entitled to retain the
Companys laptop computer used by him during the Term, provided that such Computer shall first be
provided to the Companys IT department for removal of all Company proprietary and confidential
information.
The payments described above shall be rendered without deduction for taxes, costs or expenses
incurred in connection with Consultants performance of the Services.
7
SCHEDULE B
I, J. Ronald Hansen, am signing this General Release and Waiver (the General Release) in
consideration for the benefits provided to me under the foregoing Professional Consulting
Agreement.
I agree that in exchange for the consideration provided in the Professional Consulting
Agreement, I hereby forever release and discharge Graham Corporation (the Company) and any and
all related subsidiaries, divisions, affiliated entities, successors, and assigns, and any and all
of its and/or their past and/or present owners, officers, directors, employees, stockholders,
insurers, attorneys and agents (collectively, the Releasees), from any and all claims, demands,
causes of action, fees and liabilities of any kind whatsoever, whether known or unknown, which I
ever had, now have or may have against the Releasees by reason of any actual or alleged act,
omission, transaction, practice, conduct, occurrence, or other matter occurring up to and including
the date of this General Release.
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, this General Release is intended to and
shall release the Releasees from any and all claims, whether known or unknown, which I ever had,
now have, or may have against the Releasees, with respect to my employment with the Company, the
terms and conditions of such employment, and/or the termination thereof, and any other claims,
demands, actions, causes of action, damages, and costs of or growing out of known or unknown
claims, including but not limited to: (i) any and all claims under the New York Human Rights Law;
(ii) any and all claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; (iii) any and all claims
under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA); (iv) any and all claims under the Age
Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA); (v) any other claim based on any federal, state, or local
law, ordinance, or regulation (whether statutory or decisional); and (vi) any and all claims for
attorneys fees, costs, disbursements, and/or the like.
Nothing in this General Release shall be construed to constitute a waiver of (i) any claims I
may have against the Company that arise from acts or omissions that occur after the date
that I sign this General Release, (ii) my right to participate in any administrative or court
investigation, hearing or proceeding, or (iii) any claims that I cannot waive as a matter of law,
including any claim under the New York Workers Compensation Law. I agree, however, to waive and
release any right to receive any individual remedy or to recover any monetary damages as a result
of any administrative charge, proceeding or lawsuit brought by me or on my behalf.
By signing this General Release, I hereby acknowledge that the consideration provided in the
Professional Consulting Agreement exceeds any benefit or other thing of value to which I am
otherwise entitled under any policy, plan, or procedure of the Company or pursuant to any agreement
or contract with the Company.
I have read this General Release in its entirety, I understand all of its terms and
conditions, and I knowingly and voluntarily agree to all the terms and conditions contained herein.
I agree that I am voluntarily signing this General Release, that I have not been pressured into
agreeing to its terms and that I have enough information to decide whether to sign this General
Release.
8
I understand and agree that if, for any reason, I believe that this General Release is not
entirely voluntary, or if I believe that I do not have enough information, then I should not sign
this General Release.
I acknowledge that I am hereby advised to consult my personal attorney about this General
Release.
I understand that I have up to 21 calendar days from the date that I receive this General
Release, or until July 29, 2008, to accept the terms of this General Release and return it to the
Company. I understand that I may accept and return the General Release at any time within those 21
days, but I am not required to do so and I may take the entire 21-day period. After I have
accepted this General Release, I will still have an additional seven (7) calendar days in which to
revoke my acceptance. Any revocation of this Agreement must be in writing and must be sent to the
Company, by certified mail, return receipt requested, within seven (7) calendar days after the date
that I sign this General Release. If I do not so revoke this General Release, then it will be
effective on the 8th day after the date of my signature, and I may not thereafter revoke
it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
/s/ J. Ronald Hansen
|
|
|
J. Ronald Hansen |
|
|
|
|
|
9