STAR GROUP LP
For the period ended Sep 30, 2024. Filed Dec 4, 2024.
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FY2024 · Filed Dec 4, 2024
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Item 11. Executive Compensation
VE COMPENSATION
Compensation Discussion and Analysis
Our Third Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership, provides that our general partner, Kestrel Heat, shall conduct, direct and manage all activities of the Company. The limited liability company agreement of the general partner provides that the business of the general partner shall be managed by a Board of Directors. The responsibility of the Board is to supervise and direct the management of the Company in the interest and for the benefit of our unitholders. Among the Board’s responsibilities is to regularly evaluate the performance and to approve the compensation of the Chief Executive Officer and, with the advice of the Chief Executive Officer, regularly evaluate the performance and approve the compensation of key executives.
As a limited partnership that is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, we are not required to have a Compensation Committee. Since the Chairman of the general partner and the majority of the Board are not employees, the Board determined that it has adequate independence to act in the capacity of a Compensation Committee to establish and review the compensation of our executive officers and directors. The Board is comprised of Paul A. Vermylen Jr. (Chairman), Jeffrey M. Woosnam (President and Chief Executive Officer), Daniel P. Donovan, Henry D. Babcock, David M. Bauer, C. Scott Baxter, Bryan H. Lawrence, and William P. Nicoletti.
Throughout this Report, each person who served as chief executive officer (“CEO”) during fiscal 2024, each person who served as chief financial officer (“CFO”) during fiscal 2024 and the two other most highly compensated executive officers serving at September 30, 2024 (there being no other executive officers) are referred to as the “named executive officers” and are included in the Executive Compensation Table.
In this Compensation Discussion and Analysis, we address the compensation paid or awarded to Messrs. Woosnam, Ambury, Hammond and McDonald. We refer to these executive officers as our “named executive officers.”
Compensation decisions for the above named executive officers were made by the Board of Directors of the Company.
Compensation Philosophy and Policies
The primary objectives of our compensation program, including compensation of the named executive officers, are to attract and retain highly qualified officers, employees and directors and to reward individual contributions to our success. The Board of Directors considers the following policies in determining the compensation of the named executive officers:
compensation should be related to the performance of the individual executive and the performance measured against both financial and non-financial achievements;
compensation levels should be competitive to ensure that we will be able to attract, motivate and retain highly qualified executive officers; and
compensation should be related to improving unitholder value over time.
Compensation Methodology
The elements of our compensation program for named executive officers are intended to provide a total incentive package designed to drive performance and reward contributions in support of business strategies at the Company. Subject to the terms of employment agreements that have been entered into with certain named executive officers, all compensation determinations are discretionary and subject to the decision-making authority of the Board of Directors. We do not use benchmarking as a fixed criterion to determine compensation. Rather, after subjectively setting compensation based on the policies discussed above under “Compensation Philosophy and Policies”, we reviewed the compensation paid to officers holding similar positions at our peer group companies and certain information for privately held companies to obtain a general understanding of the reasonableness of base salaries and other compensation payable to our named executive officers. Our peer group of public companies was comprised of the following companies: Atmos Energy Corporation, Crestwood Equity Partners L.P., Ferrellgas Partners, L.P., Global Partners, L.P., New Jersey Resources Corporation, NuStar Energy L.P., Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. and Sunoco L.P. We chose these companies because they are engaged in the distribution of energy products like us.
Elements of Executive Compensation
For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024, the principal components of compensation for the named executive officers were:
base salary;
annual discretionary profit sharing allocation;
the management incentive compensation plan; and
retirement and health benefits.
Under our compensation structure, the mix of base salary, discretionary profit sharing allocation and long-term compensation provided to each executive officer varies depending on their position. The base salary for each executive officer is the only fixed component of compensation. All other compensation, including annual discretionary profit sharing allocation and long-term incentive compensation, is variable in nature.
The majority of the Company’s compensation allocation is weighted towards base salary and annual discretionary profit sharing allocation. In addition, during fiscal 2024, an aggregate of $558,867 was paid to the named executive officers under the terms of the management incentive compensation plan and represented a small portion of the executive compensation that was paid to these officers. If we are successful in increasing the overall level of distributions payable to unitholders, the amounts payable to the named executive officers under the management incentive compensation plan should increase.
We believe that together all of our compensation components provide a balanced mix of fixed compensation and compensation that is contingent upon each executive officer’s individual performance and our overall performance. A goal of the compensation program is to provide executive officers with a reasonable level of security through base salary and benefits, while rewarding them through incentive compensation to achieve business objectives and create unitholder value over time. We believe that each of our compensation components is important in achieving this goal. Base salaries provide executives with a base level of monthly income and security. Annual discretionary profit sharing allocations and long-term incentive awards provide an incentive to our executives to achieve business objectives that increase our financial performance, which creates unitholder value through continuity of, and increases in, distributions and increases in the market value of the units. In addition, we want to ensure that our compensation programs are appropriately designed to encourage executive officer retention, which is accomplished through all of our compensation elements.
Base Salary
The Board of Directors establishes base salaries for the named executive officers based on a number of factors, including:
the historical salaries for services rendered to the Company and responsibilities of the named executive officer;
the salaries of equivalent executive officers at our peer group companies and other data for our industry; and
the prevailing levels of compensation and cost of living in the location in which the named executive officer works.
In determining the initial base compensation payable to individual named executive officers when they are first hired by Star, our starting point is the historical compensation levels that we have paid to officers performing similar functions over the past few years. We also consider the level of experience and accomplishments of individual candidates and general labor market conditions, including the availability of candidates to fill a particular position. When we make adjustments to the base salaries of existing named executive officers, we review the individual’s performance, the value each named executive officer brings to us and general labor market conditions.
Elements of individual performance considered, among others, without any specific weight given to each element, include business-related accomplishments during the year, difficulty and scope of responsibilities, effective leadership, experience, expected future contributions to the Company and difficulty of replacement. While base salary provides a base level of compensation intended to be competitive with the external market, the base salary for each named executive officer is determined on a subjective basis after consideration of these factors and is not based on target percentiles or other formal criteria. Although we believe that base salaries for our named executive officers are generally competitive with the external market, we do not use benchmarking as a fixed criterion to determine base compensation. Rather, after subjectively setting base salaries based on the above factors, we review the compensation paid to officers holding similar positions at our peer group companies to obtain a general understanding of the reasonableness of base salaries and other compensation payable to our named executive officers. We also take into account geographic differences for similar positions in the New York Metropolitan area. While cost of living is considered in determining annual increases, we do not typically provide full cost of living adjustments as salary increases are constrained by budgetary restrictions and the ability to fund the Company’s current cash needs such as interest expense, maintenance capital, income taxes and distributions.
Profit Sharing Allocations
We maintain a profit sharing pool for certain employees, including named executive officers, which is equal to approximately 6% of our earnings before income taxes, depreciation and amortization, excluding items affecting comparability (“adjusted EBITDA”) for the given fiscal year. The annual discretionary profit sharing allocations paid to the named executive officers are payable from this pool. The size of the pool fluctuates based upon upward or downwards changes in adjusted EBITDA and the size of an individual award to a named executive officer fluctuates based on the size of the profit sharing pool and the number of participants in the plan. Depending upon the size of the profit sharing pool, and the number of participants in the plan, the amount paid to the named executive officers could be more or less.
There are no set formulas for determining the amount payable to our named executive officers from the profit sharing plan. Factors considered by our CEO and the Board in determining the level of profit sharing allocations generally include, without assigning a particular weight to any factor:
whether or not we achieved certain budgeted goals for the year and any material shortfalls or superior performances relative to expectations. Under the plan, no profit sharing was payable with respect to fiscal 2024 unless we achieved actual adjusted EBITDA for fiscal 2024 of at least 70% of the amount of budgeted adjusted EBITDA for fiscal 2024;
the level of difficulty associated with achieving such objectives based on the opportunities and challenges encountered during the year; and
significant transactions or accomplishments for the period not included in the goals for the year.
Our CEO takes these factors into consideration as well as the relative contributions of each of the named executive officers to the year’s performance in developing his recommendations for profit sharing amounts. Based on such assessment, our CEO submits recommendations to the Board of Directors for the annual profit sharing amounts to be paid to our named executive officers (other than the CEO), for the Board’s review and approval. Similarly, the Chairman assesses the CEO’s contribution toward meeting the Company’s goals based upon the above factors, and recommends to the Board of Directors a profit sharing allocation for the CEO it believes to be commensurate with such contribution.
The Board of Directors retains the ultimate discretion to determine whether the named executive officers will receive annual profit sharing allocations based upon the factors discussed above. The Company is entitled to recover or “clawback” profit sharing allocations paid to our named executive officers in the event of any accounting restatement arising from a material non-compliance with the financial reporting requirements under the Securities Act of 1934, as amended, in accordance with the Company’s Incentive Compensation Recovery Policy dated as of October 19, 2023 (the “Clawback Policy”). At no time during or after the Company’s fiscal year ended September 30, 2024 was the Company required to prepare any accounting restatement that would have entitled the Company to recovery of profit sharing allocations under the Company’s Clawback Policy. The Company’s Clawback Policy is filed as an Exhibit to this Report.
In fiscal 2007, following our recapitalization, the Board of Directors adopted the Management Incentive Compensation Plan (the “Plan”) for certain named employees at the time. Effective as of July 19, 2012, the Board of Directors adopted certain amendments (the “Plan Amendments”) to the Plan. Under the Plan Amendments, the number and identity of the Plan participants and their participation interests in the Plan have been frozen at the current levels. In addition, under the Plan Amendments, the plan benefits (to the extent vested) may be transferred upon the death of a participant to his or her heirs. Under the Plan, certain current and former employees who participate shall be entitled to receive a pro rata share (as determined in the manner described below) of an amount in cash equal to:
50% of the distributions (“Incentive Distributions”) of Available Cash in excess of the minimum quarterly distribution of $0.0675 per unit otherwise distributable to Kestrel Heat pursuant to the Partnership Agreement on account of its general partner units; and
50% of the cash proceeds (the “Gains Interest”) which Kestrel Heat shall receive from any sale of its general partner units (as defined in the Partnership Agreement), less expenses and applicable taxes.
We believe that the Plan provides a long-term incentive to its participants because it encourages Star’s management to increase available cash for distributions in order to trigger the incentive distributions that are only payable if distributions from available cash exceed certain target distribution levels, with higher amounts of incentive distributions triggered by higher levels of distributions. Such increases are not sustainable on a consistent basis without long-term improvements in our operations.
The pro rata share payable to the named executive officers under the Plan is based on the number of participation points as described under “Fiscal 2024 Compensation Decisions—Management Incentive Compensation Plan.” The amount paid in Incentive Distributions is governed by the Partnership Agreement and Available Cash (as defined in our Partnership Agreement) is distributed to the holders of our common units and general partner units in the following manner:
First, 100% to all common units, pro rata, until there has been distributed to each common unit an amount equal to the minimum quarterly distribution of $0.0675 for that quarter;
Second, 100% to all common units, pro rata, until there has been distributed to each common unit an amount equal to any arrearages in the payment of the minimum quarterly distribution for prior quarters;
Third, 100% to all general partner units, pro rata, until there has been distributed to each general partner unit an amount equal to the minimum quarterly distribution;
Fourth, 90% to all common units, pro rata, and 10% to all general partner units, pro rata, until each common unit has received the first target distribution of $0.1125; and
Finally, 80% to all common units, pro rata, and 20% to all general partner units, pro rata.
Available Cash, as defined in our Partnership Agreement, generally means all cash on hand at the end of the relevant fiscal quarter less the amount of cash reserves established by the Board of Directors of our general partner in its reasonable discretion for future cash requirements. These reserves are established for the proper conduct of our business, including acquisitions, the payment of debt principal and interest and for distributions during the next four quarters and to comply with applicable law and the terms of any debt agreements or other agreements to which we are subject. The Board of Directors of our general partner reviews the level of Available Cash each quarter based upon information provided by management.
To fund the benefits under the Plan, Kestrel Heat has agreed to permanently and irrevocably forego receipt of the amount of Incentive Distributions that are payable to plan participants. For accounting purposes, amounts payable to management under this Plan will be treated as compensation and will reduce both EBITDA and net income but not adjusted EBITDA. Kestrel Heat has also agreed to contribute to the Company, as a contribution to capital, an amount equal to the Gains Interest payable to participants in the Plan by the Company. The Company is not required to reimburse Kestrel Heat for amounts payable pursuant to the Plan.
The Plan is administered by our Chief Financial Officer under the direction of the Board or by such other officer as the Board may from time to time direct. In general, no payments will be made under the Plan if we are not distributing cash under the Incentive Distributions described above.
We distributed $1,322,059 in Incentive Distributions under the Plan during fiscal 2024, including payments to former employees and their heirs of approximately $679,063 and the named executive officers of approximately $558,867. With regard to the Gains Interest, Kestrel Heat has not given any indication that it will sell its general partner units within the next 12 months. Thus the Plan’s value attributable to the Gains Interest currently cannot be determined.
Retirement and Health Benefits
We offer a health and welfare and retirement program to all eligible employees. The named executive officers are generally eligible for the same programs on the same basis as other employees of Star. We maintain a tax-qualified 401(k) retirement plan that provides eligible employees with an opportunity to save for retirement on a tax advantaged basis. Under the 401(k) plan, subject to IRS limitations, each participant can contribute from 0% to 60% of compensation.
We make a 4% (or a maximum of 5.5% for participants who had 10 or more years of service at the time our defined benefit plans were frozen and who have reached the age 55) core contribution of a participant’s compensation and generally can match 2/3 (up to 3.0%) of a participant’s contributions, subject to IRS limitations.
In addition, as of September 30, 2024, we have one frozen defined benefit pension plan that was maintained for all eligible employees, including certain executive officers. The present value of accumulated benefits under this frozen defined benefit pension plan for certain executive officers is provided in the table labeled “Pension Plans Pursuant to Which Named Executive Officers Have an Accumulated Benefit But Are Not Currently Accruing Benefits.”
Fiscal 2024 Compensation Decisions
For fiscal 2024, the foregoing elements of compensation were applied as follows:
Base Salary
The following table sets forth each named executive officer’s base salary as of October 1, 2024 and the percentage increase in base salary over October 1, 2023. The current base salaries for our named executive officers were determined based upon the factors discussed under the caption “Base Salary.” The average percentage increase in base salary for executives in our peer group was approximately 6.5%.
| Name | Salary | Percentage ChangeFrom Prior Year |
|---|---|---|
| Jeffrey M. Woosnam | $494,000 | 4.0% |
| Richard F. Ambury | $490,955 | 4.0% |
| Jeffrey S. Hammond | $369,065 | 4.0% |
| Joseph R. McDonald | $369,065 | 4.0% |
Annual Discretionary Profit Sharing Allocation
Based on the annual performance reviews for our CEO and named executive officers, the Board approved annual profit sharing allocations as reflected in the “Summary Compensation Table” and notes thereto. For fiscal 2024, the profit sharing amounts reflected in the Summary Compensation Table are 15% higher than fiscal 2023 for Messrs. Woosnam, Ambury, Hammond and McDonald.
One of our primary performance measures is Adjusted EBITDA, as defined under the Profit Sharing Plan. For fiscal 2024, Adjusted EBITDA (as calculated under the Profit Sharing Plan) increased by $14.6 million, or 15.5%, to $109.2 million compared to fiscal 2023. For our peers that are on a fiscal year similar to Star Group, the average percentage increase in Adjusted EBITDA was 8.6%, and the average total compensation increased by 17.1%.
Another performance measure is acquisitions. During fiscal 2024, the Company acquired four heating oil businesses and one propane business with an aggregate purchase price of $49.4 million that are expected to generate approximately 23.3 million gallons of home heating oil and propane annually. Messrs. Woosnam, Ambury, Hammond and McDonald were instrumental in the successful integration of these transactions.
In addition, the Company extended its banking facility which provided availability for recent and future acquisitions at the same pricing under the previous facility.
In 2012, under the Plan Amendments adopted by the Board, the number and identity of the Plan participants and their participation points were frozen at the current levels in order to more closely align the interests of Plan participants and unitholders and to give Plan participants a continuing personal interest in our success. The number of participation points that were previously awarded to the named executive officers was based on the length of service and level of responsibility of the named executive and our desire to retain the named executive.
In fiscal 2024, $558,867 was paid to the named executive officers under the Plan as indicated in the following chart:
| Name | Points | Percentage | ManagementIncentivePayments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jeffrey M. Woosnam | 60 | 5.5% | 72,112 |
| Richard F. Ambury | 235 | 21.4% | 282,438 |
| Jeffrey S. Hammond | 50 | 4.5% | 60,093 |
| Joseph R. McDonald | 120 | 10.9% | 144,224 |
| Other Plan Participants (a) | 635 | 57.7% | 763,192 |
| Total | 1,100 | 100% | $1,322,059 |
(a)
Includes 300 points (27.3%) that were awarded to Mr. Donovan prior to his retirement as the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer effective September 30, 2013.
Retirement and Health Benefits
The named executive officers participate in our retirement and health benefit plans.
Employment Contracts and Severance Agreements
Agreement with Richard F. Ambury
We entered into an employment agreement with Mr. Ambury effective as of April 28, 2008. Mr. Ambury will serve as Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer on an at-will basis. The employment agreement provides for one year’s salary as severance if Mr. Ambury’s employment is terminated without cause or by Mr. Ambury for good reason.
Agreement with Jeffrey M. Woosnam
We entered into an employment agreement with Mr. Woosnam effective as of June 19, 2019. Mr. Woosnam will serve as President and Chief Executive Officer of Kestrel Heat on an at-will basis. The employment agreement provides for one year’s salary as severance if Mr. Woosnam’s employment is terminated without cause or by Mr. Woosnam for good reason.
Change in Control Agreements
Change in control arrangements are included in the employment agreement for Mr. Woosnam, Chief Executive Officer and we have entered into a Change in Control Agreement with Mr. Ambury, Chief Financial Officer. Under the terms of each agreement, if either of these executive officers is terminated within 180 days following a change in control (as defined in the agreement), he will be entitled to a payment equal to two times his base annual salary in the year of such termination plus two times the average amount paid as a bonus and/or as profit sharing during the three years preceding the year of such termination. The term change in control means the present equity owners of Kestrel Heat and their affiliates collectively cease to beneficially own equity interests having the voting power to elect at least a majority of the members of the Board of Directors or other governing board of the general partner or any successor entity. If a change in control were to have occurred and their employment was terminated as of the date of this Report, Mr. Woosnam would have received a payment of $2,224,330 and Mr. Ambury would have received a payment of $1,962,735.
Pay Ratio Disclosure
As required by Section 953(b) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and Item 402(u) of Regulation S-K, we are providing the following information about the ratio of the annual total compensation, calculated in accordance with the requirements of Item 402(c)(2)(x) of Regulation S-K of our CEO, Jeffrey M. Woosnam and the annual total compensation of our median employee. For fiscal 2024, our last completed fiscal year, our CEO’s total compensation was $1,255,821 versus our median employee compensation of $75,577. This reflects a CEO pay ratio of 17:1. We identified our median compensation employee by examining total compensation paid for fiscal year 2024 to all individuals, excluding Mr. Woosnam, who were employed by us on September 30, 2024, the last day of our fiscal year based on payroll records. No assumptions, adjustments or estimates were made in respect of total compensation, except that we annualized the compensation of any employee that was not employed with us for all of fiscal year 2024, excluding seasonal and temporary employees.
Indemnification Agreements
We have entered into an indemnification agreement with each of our directors and senior executives. These agreements provide for us to, among other things, indemnify such persons against certain liabilities that may arise by reason of their status or service as directors or officers, to advance their expenses incurred as a result of a proceeding as to which they may be indemnified and to cover such person under any directors’ and officers’ liability insurance policy we choose, in our discretion, to maintain. These indemnification agreements are intended to provide indemnification rights to the fullest extent permitted under applicable indemnification rights statutes in the State of Delaware and are in addition to any other rights such person may have under our Partnership Agreement and the limited liability company agreement of our general partner, and applicable law. We believe these indemnification agreements enhance our ability to attract and retain knowledgeable and experienced executives and independent, non-management directors.
Board of Directors Report
The Board of Directors of the general partner of the Company does not have a separate compensation committee. Executive compensation is determined by the Board of Directors.
The Board of Directors reviewed and discussed with the Company’s management the Compensation Discussion and Analysis contained in this annual report on Form 10-K. Based on that review and discussion, the Board of Directors recommends that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2024.
Paul A. Vermylen, Jr.
Jeffrey M. Woosnam
Henry D. Babcock
David M. Bauer
C. Scott Baxter
Daniel P. Donovan
Bryan H. Lawrence
William P. Nicoletti
Executive Compensation Table
The following table sets forth the annual salary compensation, bonus and all other compensation awards earned and accrued by the named executive officers in the fiscal year.
| Summary Compensation Table | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name andPrincipal Position | FiscalYear | Salary | Bonus | UnitAwards | OptionAwards | Non-EquityIncentivePlanComp.(1) | Change inPensionValue andNonqualifiedDeferredComp.Earnings (2) | All OtherComp.(3) | Total |
| Jeffrey M. Woosnam | 2024 | $484,410 | — | — | — | $648,945 | $— | $122,466 | $1,255,821 |
| President and Chief | 2023 | $466,000 | — | — | — | $564,300 | $— | $112,205 | $1,142,505 |
| Executive Officer | 2022 | $448,500 | — | — | — | $641,250 | $— | $103,353 | $1,193,103 |
| Richard F. Ambury | 2024 | $481,505 | — | — | — | $514,832 | $18,386 | $331,938 | $1,346,661 |
| Chief Financial Officer, | 2023 | $464,073 | — | — | — | $447,680 | $— | $360,539 | $1,272,292 |
| Treasurer and Executive | 2022 | $450,530 | — | — | — | $508,725 | $— | $271,226 | $1,230,481 |
| Vice President | |||||||||
| Jeffrey S. Hammond | 2024 | $361,965 | — | — | — | $481,080 | $— | $110,445 | $953,490 |
| Chief Operating | 2023 | $348,040 | — | — | — | $418,330 | $— | $101,107 | $867,477 |
| Officer | 2022 | $335,445 | — | — | — | $475,380 | $— | $93,524 | $904,349 |
| Joseph R. McDonald | 2024 | $361,965 | — | — | — | $481,080 | $— | $193,941 | $1,036,986 |
| Chief Customer | 2023 | $348,040 | — | — | — | $418,330 | $— | $175,665 | $942,035 |
| Officer | 2022 | $335,445 | — | — | — | $475,380 | $— | $159,499 | $970,324 |
(1)
Payable pursuant to the Company’s profit sharing pool, which is described under “Compensation Discussion and Analysis – Profit Sharing Allocation.”
(2)
We have one frozen defined benefit pension plan that we sometimes refer to in this Report as the Petro defined benefit pension plan, where participants are not accruing additional benefits. Mr. Ambury also participated in a tax-qualified supplemental employee retirement plan (the "SERP") which, prior to being frozen in 1997, represented contributions to an employee plan to compensate for a reduction in certain benefits prior to 1997. In June 2023, Mr. Ambury received a $64,059 lump sum distribution under the SERP in connection with this withdrawal from the SERP. Mr. Ambury is not entitled to receive any further benefits under the SERP. The change in all the named executive’s pension values are non-cash, and reflect normal adjustments resulting from changes in discount rates and government mandated mortality tables.
(3)
All other compensation is subdivided as follows:
| Name | ManagementIncentiveCompensation Plan | Company Match andCore Contribution to401(K) Plan | Car Allowance or MonetaryValue for Personal Use ofCompany Owned Vehicle | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeffrey M. Woosnam | $72,112 | $20,553 | $29,801 | $122,466 |
| Richard F. Ambury | $282,438 | $20,700 | $28,800 | $331,938 |
| Jeffrey S. Hammond | $60,093 | $20,471 | $29,881 | $110,445 |
| Joseph R. McDonald | $144,224 | $19,709 | $30,008 | $193,941 |
| Grants of Plan-Based Awards | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimated Future PayoutsEquity Incentive Plan Awards (1) · Estimated Future PayoutsUnder Equity Incentive Plan · All OtherStocksAwards:Number ofShares of · All OtherOptionAwards:Number ofSecurities · Exercise orBase Price ofOption · Grant DateFair Valueof Stockand | |||||||||||
| Name | GrantDate (1) | Threshold($) | Target($) (2) | Maximum($) | Threshold(#) | Target(#) | Maximum(#) | Stock orUnits (#) | UnderlyingOptions (#) | Awards($/Sh) | OptionAwards |
| Jeffrey M. | |||||||||||
| Woosnam | 7/21/09 | — | $648,945 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Richard F. | |||||||||||
| Ambury | 7/21/09 | — | $514,832 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jeffrey S. | |||||||||||
| Hammond | 7/21/09 | — | $481,080 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Joseph R. | |||||||||||
| McDonald | 7/21/09 | — | $481,080 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
(1)
On July 21, 2009, the Board of Directors authorized the continuance of the annual profit sharing plan, subject to its power to terminate the plan at any time. Profit sharing allocations are described under “Compensation Philosophy and Policies—Profit Sharing Allocations.”
(2)
The annual profit sharing plan does not provide for thresholds or maximums; the amounts listed represent the actual awards to the named executive officers for fiscal 2024.
Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End
None.
Option Exercises and Stock Vested
None.
Pension Plans Pursuant to Which Named Executive Officers Have an Accumulated Benefit But Are Not Currently Accruing Benefits
| Name | Plan Name | Number of YearsCredited Service | Present Value ofAccumulated Benefit | Payments During LastFiscal Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richard F. Ambury (1) | Retirement Plan | 13 | $259,412 | $— |
(1)
The named executive officer has accumulated benefits in the tax-qualified Petro defined benefit pension plan that was frozen in 1997. Mr. Ambury also participated in a tax-qualified supplemental employee retirement plan which, prior to being frozen in 1997, represented contributions to an employee plan to compensate for a reduction in certain benefits prior to 1997. No other named executives were participants in any of these plans. Each year, the named executive officer’s accumulated benefits are actuarially calculated generally based on the credited years of service and each employee’s compensation at the time the plan was frozen. The present value of these amounts are the present value of a single life annuity generally payable at later or normal retirement age, adjusted for changes in discount rates and government mandated mortality tables. See Note 14—Employee Benefit Plans, to Star’s Consolidated Financial Statements, for the material assumptions applied in quantifying the present value of the accumulated benefits of the frozen plan.
Nonqualified Defined Contribution and Other Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plans
None.
Potential Payments Upon Termination
If Mr. Woosnam’s employment is terminated for reasons other than for cause or if Mr. Woosnam terminates his employment for good reason, he will be entitled to receive one-year’s salary as severance, except in the case of a termination following a change in control which is discussed above under “Change in Control Agreements.” For 12 months following the termination of his employment, Mr. Woosnam is prohibited from competing with the Company or from becoming involved either as an employee, as a consultant or in any other capacity, in the sale of heating oil or propane on a retail basis.
If Mr. Ambury’s employment is terminated for reasons other than cause or if Mr. Ambury terminates his employment for a good reason, he will be entitled to receive a severance payment of one year’s salary except in the case of a termination following a change in control which is discussed above under “Change in Control Agreements.” For 12 months following the termination of his employment, Mr. Ambury is prohibited from competing with the Company or from becoming involved either as an employee, as a consultant or in any other capacity, in the sale of heating oil or propane on a retail basis.
The amounts shown in the table below assume that the triggering event for each named executive officer’s termination or change in control payment was effective as of the date of this Report based upon their historical compensation arrangements as of such date. The actual amounts to be paid out can only be determined at the time of such named executive officer’s termination of employment or Star’s change of control.
The employment agreements of the foregoing officers also require that they not reveal confidential information of the Company within 12 months following the termination of their employment.
| Name | Potential PaymentsUpon Termination | Potential PaymentsFollowinga Change of Control |
|---|---|---|
| Jeffrey M. Woosnam | $494,000 | $2,224,330 |
| Richard F. Ambury | $490,955 | $1,962,735 |
Compensation of Directors
| Name | FeesEarnedor Paidin Cash | UnitAwards | OptionAwards | Non-EquityIncentivePlanCompensation | Change inPensionValue andNonqualifiedDeferredCompensationEarnings (2) | All OtherCompensation(3) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paul A. Vermylen, Jr. (1) | $129,500 | — | — | — | $6,337 | $69,527 | $205,364 |
| Daniel P. Donovan (4) | $73,283 | — | — | — | $25,050 | $423,670 | $522,003 |
| Henry D. Babcock (5) | $95,463 | — | — | — | $— | $— | $95,463 |
| David M. Bauer (5) | $95,463 | — | — | — | $— | $— | $95,463 |
| C. Scott Baxter (5) | $95,463 | — | — | — | $— | $— | $95,463 |
| Bryan H. Lawrence (6) | $— | — | — | — | $— | $— | $— |
| William P. Nicoletti (7) | $107,142 | — | — | — | $— | $— | $107,142 |
(1)
Mr. Vermylen is non-executive Chairman of the Board.
(2)
Mr. Vermylen and Mr. Donovan participate in our frozen defined benefit pension plan. Participants are currently not accruing additional benefits under the frozen plan. The change in the pension value reflects normal non-cash adjustments resulting from changes in discount rates and government mandated mortality tables.
(3)
Mr. Vermylen and Mr. Donovan reached the frozen defined benefit pension plan full retirement age in fiscal year 2012 and 2011, respectively, and started receiving pension payments.
(4)
The amount included for Mr. Donovan in all other compensation represents $360,559 for amounts paid to him under the management incentive compensation plan, and $63,111 for pension payments.
(5)
Mr. Babcock, Mr. Bauer and Mr. Baxter are Audit Committee members.
(6)
Mr. Lawrence has chosen not to receive any fees as a director of the general partner of Star.
(7)
Mr. Nicoletti is Chairman of the Audit Committee.
Each non-management director receives an annual fee of $67,300 plus $1,500 for each regular and telephonic meeting attended. The Chairman of the Audit Committee receives an annual fee of $27,000 while other Audit Committee members receive an annual fee of $13,500. Each member of the Audit Committee receives $1,500 for every regular and telephonic meeting attended. The non-executive Chairman of the Board receives an annual fee of $124,800.
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