DEF 14A: Flotek Industries Seeks Shareholder Approval for Incentive Plan Amendment at June 5th Annual Meeting
Proxy Statement
Flotek Industries is holding its annual shareholder meeting on June 5, 2024, to vote on key proposals including the election of directors, executive compensation, auditor ratification, and an amendment to the long-term incentive plan.
Summary
- Flotek Industries is holding its 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders on June 5, 2024, in Houston, TX.
- Shareholders will vote on the election of seven directors, an advisory vote on executive compensation, ratification of KPMG LLP as the independent auditor, and approval of an amendment to the Flotek Industries, Inc. 2018 Long-Term Incentive Plan.
- The Board recommends voting FOR each of the director nominees, the advisory vote on executive compensation, the ratification of KPMG, and the amendment to the incentive plan.
- The proposed amendment to the 2018 Long-Term Incentive Plan seeks to increase the number of shares available for grant by 500,000, from 1,916,667 to 2,416,667 shares.
- The company believes this increase is necessary to attract and retain executive talent and to expand equity grants deeper into the organization.
- As of April 8, 2024, there were 29,661,130 shares of common stock outstanding, each entitled to one vote.
- The proxy materials were first released to shareholders on or about April 24, 2024.
Sentiment
Score: 7
Explanation: The document presents a generally positive outlook, highlighting improved financial performance and corporate governance practices. However, there are some risks and related party transactions that temper the overall sentiment.
Positives
- The company is actively managing its corporate governance practices, including regular reviews of its policies and practices.
- The Board has separated the roles of Chairman and CEO, with the Chairman being an independent, non-management director.
- The company has stock ownership guidelines in place for directors and executive officers to align their interests with shareholders.
- The company achieved its first annual positive adjusted EBITDA since 2017, representing a $27.7 million improvement from 2022.
- Revenues, gross profit and net income increased by $52 million, $31 million and $67 million, respectively, from the year ended December 31, 2022.
- The company resolved material weakness and going concern issues identified in connection with the 2022 audit.
- The company had no injuries or lost time accidents due to a safety first operational focus.
Negatives
- The minimum purchase requirements under the ProFrac Agreement were not met during the measurement period of June 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023, resulting in $20.1 million of Contract Shortfall Fees.
- The company had a transition among certain of its executive officers.
Risks
- The Proxy Statement contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially.
- A change of control of the Company may have occurred due to ProFrac Holdings' rights to acquire additional shares and designate directors.
- The company is exposed to risks related to operations, liquidity and associated risks.
Future Outlook
Based on projected usage, the Compensation Committee estimates that the shares available under the 2018 Plan after this amendment will be sufficient to provide grants through 2025.
Industry Context
The document does not explicitly discuss broader industry trends, but it does mention ProFrac Holdings, a key player in the energy services sector, as a related party and significant customer.
Comparison to Industry Standards
- The document does not provide specific comparisons to industry standards or benchmarks.
- However, it does mention that Pay Governance provided market pay analyses to the Compensation Committee, suggesting that the company is considering industry compensation practices.
Management Changes
| Role | Previous Person | New Person | Effective Date | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Executive Officer | Harsha V. Agadi (Interim) | Dr. Ryan G. Ezell | June 6, 2023 | Appointment of permanent CEO |
| Senior Vice President Global Business Lines | Nathan Snoke | NA | March 29, 2024 | Departure from the Company |
| Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary | NA | Amy E. Blakeway | March 2024 | New appointment |
Corporate Governance
| Change Type | Description | Effective Date | Impact Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Board Structure | Separation of the roles of Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, with the Chairman being an independent, non-management director. | January 2023 | Strengthens board independence and oversight. |
| Incentive Plan Amendment | Proposed amendment to the Flotek Industries, Inc. 2018 Long-Term Incentive Plan to increase the number of shares of our common stock available for the granting of awards under the 2018 Plan from 1,916,667 to 2,416,667, or an increase of 500,000 shares. | June 5, 2024 | Increase the number of shares available for grant through 2025. |
Related Party Transactions
- ProFrac Holdings and certain funds associated with David Nierenberg participated in the PIPE transaction and were issued $10.0 million and $3.0 million, respectively, in aggregate initial principal amount of Convertible Notes in exchange for cash.
- The Company entered into a long-term supply agreement (the Initial ProFrac Agreement) with ProFrac Services, LLC (ProFrac Services), an affiliate of ProFrac Holdings, in exchange for $10.0 million in aggregate principal amount of Contract Consideration Convertible Notes Payable.
- On May 17, 2022, the Company entered into an amendment to the Initial ProFrac Agreement (the Amended ProFrac Agreement and collectively the ProFrac Agreement) upon issuance of $50.0 million in aggregate principal amount of Convertible Notes to ProFrac Holdings.
- On June 21, 2022, ProFrac Holdings II, LLC (ProFrac Holdings II), an affiliate of ProFrac Holdings, paid $19.5 million for prefunded warrants of the Company (the PreFunded Warrants).
Stakeholder Impact
- Shareholders will have the opportunity to vote on key proposals that will impact the company's governance, executive compensation, and long-term incentive plan.
- Employees are affected by the executive compensation and long-term incentive plan proposals.
- The company's relationship with ProFrac Holdings, a key customer and related party, impacts the company's revenue and financial performance.
Next Steps
- Shareholders are urged to review the proxy materials and vote as soon as possible.
- The company will announce preliminary voting results during the Meeting and report the final voting results within four business days of the Meeting on a Current Report on Form 8-K.
Key Dates
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| February 2, 2022 | Flotek entered into a Private Investment in Public Equity transaction (the PIPE Transaction) with a consortium of investors. |
| February 2, 2022 | The Company entered into a long-term supply agreement (the Initial ProFrac Agreement) with ProFrac Services, LLC. |
| February 16, 2022 | The date of the Securities Purchase Agreement (SPA) between the Company and ProFrac Holdings. |
| March 21, 2022 | $3.0 million of the Convertible Notes held by funds related to Mr. Nierenberg were converted into 465,505 shares of common stock. |
| May 17, 2022 | The Company entered into an amendment to the Initial ProFrac Agreement (the Amended ProFrac Agreement). |
| June 21, 2022 | ProFrac Holdings II, LLC (ProFrac Holdings II), an affiliate of ProFrac Holdings, paid $19.5 million for prefunded warrants of the Company (the PreFunded Warrants). |
| October 11, 2022 | Mr. Farber was appointed to the Board. |
| December 19, 2022 | Mr. Clement entered into an employment agreement with the Company. |
| January 19, 2023 | Mr. Nierenberg was appointed as the Non-Executive Chairman of the Board and Mr. Agadi was appointed Interim Chief Executive Officer of the Company. |
| February 2, 2023 | The Convertible Notes held by funds not related to Mr. Nierenberg were converted into 1,722,640 shares of common stock. |
| February 2, 2023 | The Convertible Notes held by ProFrac Holdings were converted into 2,113,880 warrants with an exercise price of $0.0006 per share (February 2023 Warrants). |
| February 2, 2023 | The Company entered into a second amendment to the ProFrac Agreement (the Amended ProFrac Agreement No. 2) effective as of January 1, 2023. |
| March 6, 2023 | Our Board approved an amendment to the Flotek Industries, Inc. 2018 Long-Term Incentive Plan (the 2018 Plan or the Plan), subject to shareholder approval. |
| June 6, 2023 | Dr. Ezell, the Company's then existing President, was appointed Chief Executive Officer and to the Board. |
| June 7, 2023 | In connection with his appointment to Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Ezell entered into an employment agreement with the Company. |
| June 8, 2023 | Mr. Agadi assumed the role of Non-Executive Chairman. |
| July 14, 2023 | Information based upon the Schedule 13D/A filed with the SEC on July 14, 2023 by ProFrac Holding Corp., ProFrac Holdings and ProFrac Holdings II, which was prior to the Reverse Stock Split. |
| August 15, 2023 | Nathan Snoke entered into an employment agreement with the Company. |
| September 5, 2023 | The Company obtained approval from a majority of its shareholders excluding ProFrac Holdings II and its affiliates, with respect to the exercise of the PreFunded Warrants in connection with a special meeting of shareholders held on September 5, 2023. |
| September 6, 2023 | The February 2023 Warrants were exercised and the Company issued 2,113,880 shares of common stock. |
| September 25, 2023 | The Company completed a reverse stock split of its common stock at a ratio of 1-to-6 (the Reverse Stock Split). |
| December 19, 2023 | Information based upon the Schedule 13D/A filed with the SEC on December 19, 2023 by The D3 Family Fund, L.P. (the Family Fund), The D3 Family Bulldog Fund, L.P. (the Bulldog Fund), Haredale Ltd., Nierenberg Investment Management Company, Inc. and David Nierenberg. |
| April 8, 2024 | The Record Date for the Meeting is April 8, 2024. |
| April 18, 2024 | The last reported sale price of our common stock on the NYSE was $3.50. |
| April 23, 2024 | Date of Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders. |
| April 24, 2024 | On or about April 24, 2024, we intend to mail a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials (the Notice). |
| June 5, 2024 | The 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the Meeting) of Flotek Industries, Inc. |
| December 25, 2024 | Unless the date of the 2025 annual meeting is changed by more than 30 days from the date of the 2024 annual meeting, the deadline for submitting shareholder proposals for inclusion in the proxy statement for the 2025 annual meeting will be December 25, 2024. |
| February 5, 2025 | Shareholder proposals to be presented in person at the 2025 annual meeting must be delivered to, or mailed and received at, the principal executive offices of the Company on or after February 5, 2025 but no later than March 7, 2025. |
| March 7, 2025 | Shareholder proposals to be presented in person at the 2025 annual meeting must be delivered to, or mailed and received at, the principal executive offices of the Company on or after February 5, 2025 but no later than March 7, 2025. |
Keywords
proxy statement, annual meeting, directors, executive compensation, incentive plan, KPMG, audit, Flotek Industries, shareholders, governance
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