UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC 20549

 

SCHEDULE 14A

(RULE 14a-101)

 

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN PROXY STATEMENT

SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION

 

PROXY STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 14(a) OF THE SECURITIES

EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 (Amendment No.     )

 

Filed by the Registrant þ

 

Filed by a Party other than the Registrant o

 

Check the appropriate box:

 

o  Preliminary Proxy Statement

o  Confidential, For Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2))

þ  Definitive Proxy Statement

o  Definitive Additional Materials

o  Soliciting Material Pursuant to Section 240.14a-12

 

LANCASTER COLONY CORPORATION

(Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

 

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if Other Than the Registrant)

 

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

 

þ  No fee required.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

37 West Broad Street

Columbus, Ohio 43215

 

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

 

To Be Held On November 15, 2010

 

The Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the “Annual Meeting”) of Lancaster Colony Corporation (the “Corporation”) will be held at 11:00 a.m., Eastern Standard Time, on November 15, 2010, in the Bexley I meeting room at the Embassy Suites Hotel, 2886 Airport Drive, Columbus, Ohio 43219.

 

The meeting will be held for the following purposes:

 

1. To elect three directors, each for a term that expires in 2013;

 

 

By action of the Board of Directors, only persons who are holders of record of shares of the Corporation at the close of business on September 17, 2010 will be entitled to notice of and to vote at the Annual Meeting.

 

If you do not expect to attend the Annual Meeting, please sign, date and return the enclosed proxy card, which is being solicited by the Corporation’s Board of Directors. A self-addressed envelope which requires no postage is enclosed for your convenience in returning the proxy. Its prompt return would be appreciated. Alternatively, internet voting is available, as described in the proxy voting instructions on your proxy card. The giving of the proxy will not affect your right to vote in person should you find it convenient to attend the Annual Meeting. If you are the beneficial owner of shares held in “street name” by a broker, bank or other nominee, the broker, bank or nominee, as the record holder of the shares, should have enclosed a voting instruction card for you to use in directing it on how to vote your shares.

 

John B. Gerlach, Jr.
Chairman of the Board,

Chief Executive Officer

and President

 

October 15, 2010

 

LANCASTER COLONY CORPORATION
37 West Broad Street
Columbus, Ohio 43215

 

PROXY STATEMENT

 

General Information

 

This Proxy Statement is furnished to the shareholders of Lancaster Colony Corporation (the “Corporation”) in connection with the solicitation by the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “Board”) of proxies to be used in voting at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held November 15, 2010, in the Bexley I meeting room at the Embassy Suites Hotel, 2886 Airport Drive, Columbus, Ohio 43219, at 11:00 a.m., Eastern Standard Time (the “Annual Meeting”). The enclosed proxy card, if completed and forwarded to the Corporation prior to the Annual Meeting, will be voted in accordance with the instructions contained therein. The proposals referred to on the enclosed proxy card are described in this Proxy Statement. This Proxy Statement and enclosed proxy card are first being mailed to shareholders on or about October 15, 2010.

 

A proxy may be revoked by the person giving it any time before it is exercised. Such revocation, to be effective, must be communicated to the Secretary or Assistant Secretary of the Corporation prior to the Annual Meeting. The presence of a shareholder at the Annual Meeting will not revoke his or her proxy unless specific notice thereof is given to the Secretary or Assistant Secretary of the Corporation.

 

The Corporation will bear the cost of solicitation of proxies, including any charges and expenses of brokerage firms and others for forwarding solicitation material to the beneficial owners of the Corporation’s shares. Proxies may be solicited by personal interview, mail, telephone and electronic communications through the efforts of officers and regular employees of the Corporation.

 

The Board has fixed the close of business on September 17, 2010 as the record date for the determination of shareholders entitled to receive notice and to vote at the Annual Meeting or any adjournments or postponements thereof. At September 17, 2010, the Corporation had outstanding and entitled to vote 27,992,229 shares of Common Stock, without par value (“Common Stock”), with each share of Common Stock entitling its holder to one vote. The Corporation has no other class of stock outstanding.

 

The presence, in person or by proxy, of a majority of the outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Corporation is necessary to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at the Annual Meeting. Proxies reflecting abstentions and broker non-votes are counted for purposes of determining the presence or absence of a quorum. Broker non-votes occur when brokers, who hold their customers’ shares in street name, sign and submit proxies for those shares but fail to vote those shares on some matters.

 

If you are the beneficial owner of shares held in “street name” by a broker, bank or other nominee, the broker, bank or nominee, as the record holder of the shares, should have enclosed a voting instruction card for you to use in directing it on how to vote your shares.

 

Voting Requirements

 

The following are the voting requirements for the items of business listed on the Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders that are expected to be conducted at the Annual Meeting, along with an explanation of how broker non-votes and abstentions will be treated for purposes of each proposal:

 

 

PROPOSAL ONE

 

NOMINATION AND ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

 

The Board currently consists of nine members and is divided into three classes of three members each. The members of the three classes are elected to serve for staggered terms of three years.

 

The names and ages of the Corporation’s nominees for director and continuing directors; their principal occupations during the past five years; their specific experiences, qualifications, attributes or skills that qualify them to serve as directors; and certain other information are listed below. Except for Mr. Kenneth L. Cooke, each of the nominees is a director standing for re-election. Mr. Henry M. O’Neill Jr. has reached mandatory retirement age and is not standing for re-election. Mr. Cooke has been nominated by the Board to fill the vacancy that would otherwise be created by Mr. O’Neill’s retirement. Mr. Cooke was selected by the Nominating and Governance Committee and nominated by the Board after an extensive search for a qualified candidate. The Nominating and Governance Committee fielded potential candidates from a variety of sources, including those suggested by other Board members. Mr. Cooke was first identified and recommended by a Board member. Mr. Cooke was selected as a nominee based upon his extensive business background and experience, his cultural fit with the Board, and his ability and willingness to serve as a director of the Corporation. Each nominee has consented to stand for election for a term expiring at the Corporation’s 2013 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. In the event that any of the nominees becomes unavailable to serve as a director before the Annual Meeting, the Board will designate a new nominee, and the persons named as proxies will vote for that substitute nominee.

 

The Board of Directors recommends a vote “FOR” the election of each of the nominees listed below by executing and returning the enclosed proxy card.

 

Nominees for Term to Expire in 2013

 

Continuing Directors

 

 

 

 

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

 

The Board has standing Audit, Compensation, Nominating and Governance and Executive Committees. In addition, the Board has adopted a Corporate Governance Program that includes Corporate Governance Principles, a Code of Business Ethics and Standards of Conduct. The charters of the Audit, Compensation and Nominating and Governance Committees and the Corporate Governance Principles, Code of Business Ethics and Standards of Conduct are posted on the corporate governance page of the Corporation’s web site at www.lancastercolony.com.

 

Director Independence — The Board and the Nominating and Governance Committee have reviewed and evaluated transactions and relationships with Board members to determine the independence of each of the members. The Board does not believe that any of its nonemployee members have relationships with the Corporation that would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out his or her responsibilities as a director. The Board and the Nominating and Governance Committee have determined that a majority of the Board’s members are “independent directors,” as that term is defined in the applicable Nasdaq listing standards. The Board has identified and determined that Ms. Bendapudi and Messrs. Bachmann, Cooke, Fox, Harris, Jennings, O’Neill and Sofia are independent directors or director nominees.

 

Board Attendance — Each member of the Board is expected to make a reasonable effort to attend all meetings of the Board, all applicable committee meetings, and each annual meeting of shareholders. All members of the Board attended the 2009 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, and each of the current members of the Board plus Mr. Cooke is expected to attend the 2010 Annual Meeting. The Board held a total of five meetings during fiscal

2010. Each director attended at least 75% of the aggregate meetings of the Board and the committees on which they served during fiscal 2010.

 

Board Leadership Structure — Mr. John B. Gerlach, Jr., the Corporation’s Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”), currently serves as the Corporation’s Chairman of the Board. The Board believes that the Corporation and its shareholders are best served by retaining the Board’s flexibility to allocate the responsibilities of Chairman of the Board and CEO in any way that is in the best interests of the Corporation at any future point in time. Adopting a policy that restricts the Board’s discretion in selecting the Chairman of the Board (as well as restricting the ability to combine the positions of Chairman and CEO) would deprive the Board of the ability to select the most qualified and appropriate individual to lead the Board as Chairman.

 

In November 2007, the Board amended its Corporate Governance Principles to provide that the Corporation shall have a Lead Independent Director at any time during which the positions of Chairman of the Board and CEO are held by the same person. At that time, Mr. James Bachmann was appointed Lead Independent Director. Under the amended Corporate Governance Principles, the Lead Independent Director:

 

 

Mr. Gerlach, in his capacities as Chairman and CEO, serves as a bridge between the Board and management and provides critical leadership for carrying out the Corporation’s strategic initiatives and confronting its challenges, especially in light of the Corporation’s recent and continuing transition to a food-focused company. In short, the Board believes that a Chairman who is a member of the management team is well situated to oversee and execute the Corporation’s strategy and business plans to maximize shareholder value. The Board believes that Board independence and oversight of management are effectively maintained through the Board’s current composition, committee system and the position of Lead Independent Director.

 

Board Role in Risk Oversight — The Board, together with the Audit Committee and the Compensation Committee, are primarily responsible for overseeing the Corporation’s risk management. Management of the Corporation has formed an Enterprise Risk Management Committee, or ERM Committee, consisting of the Chief Financial Officer, Director of Internal Audit and General Counsel. The primary responsibility of the ERM Committee is to promote the development of sound policies, procedures and practices for managing the Corporation’s material risks and to report the results of the ERM Committee’s activities to the Audit Committee. The ERM Committee provides the Audit Committee with reports on a regular basis and the full Board is provided an overview of key risks from various members of senior management. In addition, the Compensation Committee oversees risk requiring its expertise, such as those related to incentive compensation programs and policies.

 

Although the Board and its committees oversee risk management for the Corporation, management is responsible for the day-to-day management and mitigation of the Corporation’s risks. We believe this division of responsibility reflects the appropriate roles of the Board and management in assessing and managing risks.

 

Director Qualifications — The Nominating and Governance Committee will look for candidates who possess qualifications that meet our strategic needs; possess the highest personal and professional ethics, integrity and values; have an understanding of our business; have diverse experiences in key business, financial and other challenges that are faced by a publicly held retail company; and represent the long-term interest of our shareholders. In particular, the Nominating and Governance Committee will look for candidates with special and diverse experience in areas such as management of public companies or other large organizations; consumer packaged goods, particularly retail food companies; investment banking or the banking industry; accounting and finance; and

retail/mass marketing experience. We expect our directors to represent all shareholders rather than special interest groups or any group of shareholders.

 

Corporate Governance Principles — The Board, on the recommendation of the Nominating and Governance Committee, adopted a set of Corporate Governance Principles in 2005. The Corporate Governance Principles relate to the role, composition, structure and functions of the Board. The Nominating and Governance Committee is responsible for periodically reviewing these Corporate Governance Principles and recommending any changes to the Board.

 

Code of Business Ethics and Standards of Conduct — The Corporation has adopted a Code of Business Ethics and Standards of Conduct that inform the Corporation’s directors and employees of their legal and ethical obligations to the Corporation and set a high standard of business conduct. The Code of Business Ethics and Standards of Conduct apply to all employees and, where applicable, to directors of the Corporation. The Corporation intends to satisfy the disclosure requirement under Item 5.05 of Form 8-K regarding any amendment to, or waiver from, any provision (including the standards listed under Item 406(b) of Regulation S-K) of the Code of Business Ethics that applies to the Corporation’s principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions by posting such information on the Corporation’s web site, the address of which is www.lancastercolony.com.

 

Shareholder Communication with the Board — Any of the directors may be contacted by writing to them at: Board of Directors, c/o Corporate Secretary’s Office, Lancaster Colony Corporation, 37 West Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215. The independent directors have requested that the Secretary of the Corporation act as their agent in processing any communications received. All communications that relate to matters that are within the scope of responsibilities of the Board and its committees will be forwarded to the independent directors. Communications relating to matters within the responsibility of one of the committees of the Board will be forwarded to the Chairperson of the appropriate committee. Communications relating to ordinary business matters are not within the scope of the Board’s responsibility and will be forwarded to the appropriate officer at the Corporation. Solicitations, advertising materials, and frivolous or inappropriate communications will not be forwarded.

 

BOARD COMMITTEES AND MEETINGS

 

Audit Committee — The Board has established an audit committee (the “Audit Committee”) in accordance with Section 3(a)(58)(A) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that currently consists of Messrs. Bachmann, Harris, Jennings and Sofia. Mr. Bachmann serves as Chairperson of the Audit Committee. It has been determined by the Board that each member of the Audit Committee meets the applicable Nasdaq independence requirements and that Mr. Bachmann is an Audit Committee “financial expert,” as defined in Item 407(d)(5) of Regulation S-K, due to his business experience and background described previously within this Proxy Statement. The Audit Committee operates pursuant to a charter that was approved by the Board in 2004 and amended in 2007 and 2010. The duties of the Audit Committee include the responsibility of reviewing financial information (both external and internal) about the Corporation and its subsidiaries so as to assure (i) that the overall audit coverage of the Corporation and its subsidiaries is satisfactory and appropriate to protect the shareholders from undue risks and (ii) that an adequate system of internal financial control has been designed and implemented throughout the Corporation and is being effectively maintained. Additionally, the Audit Committee has sole authority and direct responsibility with respect to the appointment, compensation, retention and oversight of the Corporation’s independent registered public accounting firm, or independent auditor. Also, as part of its duties, the Audit Committee has adopted procedures for receiving and acting on complaints received by the Corporation regarding accounting, internal accounting controls and auditing issues. Such complaints should be sent to the attention of the Corporate Secretary’s Office, Lancaster Colony Corporation, 37 West Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215. The Audit Committee held four meetings during fiscal 2010.

 

Compensation Committee — The Board has established a compensation committee (the “Compensation Committee”) that currently consists of Messrs. Fox, Jennings and O’Neill. Mr. Jennings serves as Chairperson of the Compensation Committee. It has been determined by the Board that each member of the Compensation Committee meets Nasdaq independence requirements. The Compensation Committee operates pursuant to a charter that was

approved by the Board in 2004 and amended in 2008 and 2010. The duties of the Compensation Committee include: annually determining the compensation of the Chief Executive Officer and reviewing and approving goals and objectives relevant to his activities; reviewing and approving the Chief Executive Officer’s recommendations as to the compensation to be paid other executive officers of the Corporation; reviewing and approving offers to potential executive officers to join the Corporation; reviewing and approving perquisite policies; reviewing and approving employment agreements, severance or retention plans or agreements and severance or termination payments; overseeing regulatory compliance regarding compensation matters; establishing and evaluating performance goals and the level of achievement of such goals; reviewing and offering advice regarding director compensation, equity-based compensation and retirement pay; administering equity-based compensation plans and approving equity awards; reporting activities to the Board; reviewing and discussing the Compensation Discussion and Analysis with the Corporation’s management; determining whether to recommend to the Board that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in the Corporation’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and proxy statement; preparing a Compensation Committee Report for inclusion in the Corporation’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and proxy statement; reviewing director compensation; annually reviewing the Compensation Committee charter; and annually evaluating the Compensation Committee’s performance. The charter does not provide the Compensation Committee with any delegation authority regarding its duties, except for the ability to delegate authority to approve equity awards to a subcommittee of the Compensation Committee. See the discussion below under “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” and “Compensation of Directors” for more information about the Compensation Committee’s processes and procedures. The Compensation Committee held two meetings during fiscal 2010.

 

Nominating and Governance Committee — The Board has established a nominating and governance committee (the “Nominating and Governance Committee”) that currently consists of Messrs. Fox, O’Neill and Sofia and Ms. Bendapudi. Mr. Sofia serves as Chairperson of the Nominating and Governance Committee. It has been determined by the Board that each member of the Nominating and Governance Committee meets Nasdaq independence requirements. The Nominating and Governance Committee operates pursuant to a charter that was approved by the Board in 2004 and amended in 2005 and 2010. The duties of the Nominating and Governance Committee include identification and nominations to the Board of candidates for election as directors of the Corporation and the development and review of a set of Corporate Governance Principles. As part of its assigned duties, the Nominating and Governance Committee has reviewed the Corporate Governance Principles and found them to be acceptable in scope and application and has so reported to the Board. The Nominating and Governance Committee held three meetings during fiscal 2010.

 

The Nominating and Governance Committee uses different sources to identify Board candidates, including the Corporation’s executive officers and current members of the Board. The Nominating and Governance Committee also considers the nomination of director candidates recommended by shareholders in conformance with the tests and standards outlined in the Nominating and Governance Committee’s charter and the Corporation’s Amended and Restated Code of Regulations. The Nominating and Governance Committee uses the same manner and process for evaluating every candidate for Board membership, regardless of the original source of the candidate’s nomination. The Nominating and Governance Committee generally considers the subject of diversity as described above under “Corporate Governance — Director Qualifications.” Recommendations to the Nominating and Governance Committee from shareholders regarding candidates must be delivered to the Corporation’s Corporate Secretary no later than June 30 of the year in which such shareholder proposes that the recommended candidate stand for election. Section 2.03 of the Corporation’s Code of Regulations authorizes director nominations to be made by shareholders if the conditions specified therein are met, including the giving of advance notice and the furnishing of certain personal background information and a written statement from the proposed candidate agreeing to be identified in the proxy statement as a nominee and, if elected, to serve as a director. The Nominating and Governance Committee currently has not set specific, minimum qualifications or criteria for nominees that it proposes for Board membership, but evaluates the entirety of each candidate’s credentials. The Nominating and Governance Committee believes, however, that the Corporation will be best served if its directors bring to the Board a variety of experience and backgrounds and, among other things, demonstrated integrity, executive leadership and financial, marketing or business knowledge and experience.

 

Executive Committee — The Board has established an executive committee (the “Executive Committee”) that currently consists of Messrs. Gerlach, Fox, and Bachmann. No particular director serves as Chairperson of the

Executive Committee. The Executive Committee operates pursuant to resolutions that were adopted by the Board in February 2008. The Executive Committee exercises the power and authority of the Board in managing the business and affairs of the Corporation (other than any power or authority specifically precluded by applicable law, the Corporation’s Articles of Incorporation or Amended and Restated Code of Regulations, or by limiting resolutions of the Board), but the Executive Committee acts only in the intervals between meetings of the Board. Furthermore, all acts of the Executive Committee must be reported at the next Board meeting. The Executive Committee did not meet during fiscal 2010.

 

SECTION 16(a) BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REPORTING COMPLIANCE

 

To the Corporation’s knowledge, based solely on its review of copies of forms filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), all filing requirements applicable to the officers, directors and beneficial owners of more than 10% of the outstanding Common Stock under Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, were complied with during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2010.

 

SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS

 

The following shareholders have beneficial ownership, directly or indirectly, of more than five percent of the outstanding Common Stock as of September 17, 2010:

 

 

 

 

The following information indicates the beneficial ownership by all executive officers and directors of the Corporation as a group, each individual director or director nominee, and each individual officer named in the 2010 Summary Compensation Table below, of the outstanding Common Stock as of September 17, 2010:

 

 

 

 

COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

 

In this section, we discuss the principles underlying our executive compensation policies and decisions and the most important factors relevant to an analysis of these policies and decisions. We provide qualitative information regarding the manner and context in which compensation is awarded to, and earned by, our executive officers to give perspective to the data we present in the compensation tables below, as well as the narratives that follow the tables.

 

Executive Compensation Program Philosophy and Objectives

 

During 2010, we continued our shift away from our historical diversity of operations, instead choosing to follow a more food-focused strategy that we believe will best enhance long-term shareholder value. As we continued with this shift, our outlook has remained to reward our named executive officers (identified in our 2010 Summary Compensation Table below) for their efforts in helping us achieve market or above-market results, particularly within our Specialty Foods operations, and for helping us take important steps to meet our long-term strategic goals and increase long-term shareholder value. As a result, our basic executive compensation philosophy remains to “pay for performance.”

 

For us, a “pay for performance” philosophy means providing market compensation packages when performance meets our expectations, but also realizing that results below our expectations may result in below-market compensation packages. To further this philosophy, we have designed our executive compensation program to achieve the following objectives:

 

 

We continue to believe that our executive compensation program should not be overly influenced by the short-term performance of our stock, but should instead promote long-term shareholder value. Our named executive officers are already individually focused on promoting long-term shareholder value because they are each significantly invested in our Common Stock. Our experience, however, has been that utilizing salary, annual cash incentive awards, and long-term equity-based awards as the primary elements of our executive compensation program is the best way to continue to align our executives’ compensation interests with our goal of promoting long-term shareholder value. We also understand that our executive compensation program provides a starting point, or baseline of comparison, for the compensation that we pay to our other employees. For this reason, we believe our executive compensation program should strike an appropriate balance among rewards, incentives and expectations.

 

While these broad concepts generally govern our executive compensation program, we also take into account specific factors particular to each executive officer when making individual compensation decisions, which we describe in detail below. These factors consist of the executive’s range of responsibilities and related performance measures and other individual factors affecting each executive’s performance. We also engage in a general “double-check” of our executive compensation levels against amounts paid to executive officers with similar responsibilities in similarly situated companies, but we do not specifically benchmark compensation against percentiles or ranges of compensation provided by such companies.

 

Compensation Administration and Consultant

 

The Compensation Committee reviews and determines the compensation for our named executive officers. The compensation that we paid our named executive officers for fiscal years 2008, 2009 and 2010 is disclosed in detail in the tables and narratives below under the heading “Executive Compensation.” Our Compensation Committee is also responsible for, among other things, structuring and administering the compensation programs and plans in which our named executive officers participate.

 

During fiscal year 2010, management engaged and retained, with the approval of the Compensation Committee, the services of an independent executive compensation consultant, Pearl Meyer & Partners, which we refer

to as PM&P, to reevaluate the annual cash incentive program for certain members of senior management in our Specialty Foods segment, including Mr. Rosa. In addition, PM&P provided limited information regarding median compensation for certain executives, including Mr. Boylan and Mr. Rosa, which information was used by the Compensation Committee to obtain a general understanding of current compensation practices in our competitive market rather than benchmarking. The total amount paid to PM&P for these services was less than $50,000. The Compensation Committee does not believe that this work affected the independence of PM&P based on a number of factors, including the limited scope of the services provided and the fact that the work on the cash incentive plan related only to members in the Specialty Foods segment, who are not involved in decisions regarding the retention of PM&P.

 

In 2009, PM&P had been engaged by the Compensation Committee to provide recommendations regarding changes to a peer group we use to obtain general information about current compensation practices, including the range of market compensation, as well as a review of the competitiveness of our compensation programs for our named executive officers. We implemented the changes to our peer group recommended by PM&P, as described in our 2009 Proxy Statement. Our peer group for 2010 remains unchanged from the peer group identified in our 2009 Proxy Statement, and consists of the following companies:

 

 

In 2008, PM&P provided our Compensation Committee with recommendations regarding changes in our long-term equity incentive program based on characteristics of our competitive market, our goal to utilize equity compensation in a way that is more aligned with our compensation program philosophy and objectives and our overall corporate strategic objectives over the next several years (including primarily our decision to increase our focus on our food business). We continued to implement the recommended changes to our long-term equity compensation program with grants of restricted stock and stock-settled stock appreciation rights in 2009 and 2010. Details of these grants with respect to our named executive officers are set forth below.

 

Compensation Processes, Procedures and Comparison to Peer Group

 

Generally, our Compensation Committee establishes salaries for the current fiscal year and annual cash incentive award payouts for the prior fiscal year at its regularly scheduled August meeting. Historically, at this meeting, our Compensation Committee first reviews the elements of each named executive officer’s total compensation during the previous fiscal year. Our Chief Executive Officer then makes compensation recommendations to our Compensation Committee with respect to the executive officers who report to him, but those

executive officers are not present in the meeting during compensation deliberations. The chairman of our Compensation Committee then makes compensation recommendations in executive session to our Compensation Committee with respect to our Chief Executive Officer, who is absent from the meeting at that time. Our Compensation Committee also compares our executive officers’ compensation with that offered to executive officers employed by companies in our peer group, based on information supplied by PM&P, during the first part of the review process as a “double-check” against market compensation practices rather than as a formal benchmarking process. For our 2011 compensation decisions, PM&P provided limited information regarding competitive pay for Mr. Boylan and Mr. Rosa that was presented at the Compensation Committee’s August 2010 meeting by our Chief Executive Officer.

 

Our Compensation Committee may accept or make adjustments to the recommendations it receives in establishing the final compensation for each of the named executive officers. In general, when setting each component of compensation for our named executive officers, our Compensation Committee considers the following performance factors:

 

 

Our Chief Executive Officer’s compensation is also approved by all of our independent directors.

 

Our Compensation Committee reevaluated our equity incentive program during fiscal 2007. We granted new awards in February 2008, 2009 and 2010, and we discuss these grants in more detail below. Due to his already significant equity interest in our Corporation, we generally do not award equity compensation to Mr. Gerlach.

 

With the exception of our Chief Executive Officer, as discussed in more detail below, we believe the total cash compensation paid to our named executive officers (the combination of salary and annual cash incentives) for fiscal 2010 was in line with the median compensation paid for executives holding similar positions in our peer group based on the Compensation Committee’s general understanding of current compensation practices in our competitive market.

 

Primary Elements of Compensation

 

We have established executive compensation objectives that are primarily focused on helping us create long-term shareholder value. We believe that we can best achieve all of our executive compensation program objectives by offering competitive short-term cash compensation combined with appropriate long-term equity-based compensation tied to our operating results and our achievement of incremental shareholder value. To this end, the primary elements of our executive compensation program are salary, annual cash incentive awards, and long-term equity-based incentive awards, which are each described in detail below. Generally, we look at our named executive officers’ compensation arrangements in total when establishing salaries, annual cash and long-term equity incentive awards.

 

Salaries.  We provide our named executive officers with annual salaries both to attract and retain the executives and to provide them with a steady source of annual cash-based income. For each named executive officer, salary represents a non-“at risk” cash component of compensation. We establish our salaries at levels designed to reward our named executive officers for their overall level of expertise, responsibilities, experience and other factors unique to each individual executive officer, as determined by our Compensation Committee. However, our general policy is that salaries for our named executive officers should not exceed median salaries for executive officers with similar responsibilities within our peer group.

 

For fiscal year 2010, the amount of each named executive officer’s salary increase, expressed as a percentage of such officer’s fiscal year 2009 salary, was as follows: Mr. Gerlach, 3.64%; Mr. Boylan, 3.57% and Mr. Rosa, 5.26%. Salaries earned by our named executive officers for 2008, 2009 and 2010 appear below in the “Salary”

column of our 2010 Summary Compensation Table. For fiscal year 2011, we have increased our named executive officers’ salaries by an average of 4.44%.

 

The Compensation Committee determined to increase Mr. Gerlach’s salary for fiscal year 2010 based upon his lengthy experience with the Corporation and the Board’s continued satisfaction with his performance. The Compensation Committee determined to increase Mr. Boylan’s salary for 2010 after considering Mr. Boylan’s lengthy experience handling financial matters for us and his in-depth knowledge of our business, and the Compensation Committee’s and Mr. Gerlach’s satisfaction with Mr. Boylan’s job performance as Chief Financial Officer during 2009. The Compensation Committee determined to increase Mr. Rosa’s salary for 2010 due to the Compensation Committee’s ongoing desire to ensure retention of Mr. Rosa’s services within our Specialty Foods operations during our continuing shift to a more food-focused company. The Compensation Committee also considered Mr. Rosa’s lengthy experience as President of our Specialty Foods Segment, and his specific knowledge of our Specialty Foods operations and strategic plan, and the Compensation Committee’s and Mr. Gerlach’s satisfaction with Mr. Rosa’s job performance during 2009.

 

The Compensation Committee used its judgment in choosing to increase salaries for Messrs. Gerlach, Boylan and Rosa for 2010 by their respective amounts after taking into consideration Mr. Gerlach’s recommendations, each executive’s annual salary increases in prior years and the amount that our Compensation Committee understands to represent average salary increases among companies in our peer group over the past few years for officers holding similar positions.

 

Annual Cash Incentive Awards.  We also provide our named executive officers with annual cash incentive awards designed to motivate them to help us achieve our annual financial goals. The annual cash incentive award represents a performance-based, variable and “at-risk” cash component of compensation for each named executive officer. Under this program, our two named executive officers other than our Chief Executive Officer were each granted the opportunity to earn an annual cash incentive payment for fiscal 2010 based on our achievement of certain financial objectives. We granted this award to Mr. Rosa based on his responsibility for supervising the operations of our Specialty Foods segment and to Mr. Boylan based on his responsibilities as Chief Financial Officer.

 

Our Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Gerlach, does not participate in our annual cash incentive program. For fiscal 2010, however, the Compensation Committee awarded Mr. Gerlach a discretionary bonus of $300,000 at the same time that bonuses were approved for our other named executive officers. Although the Compensation Committee has not previously awarded a bonus to Mr. Gerlach, the Compensation Committee granted a discretionary award this year to demonstrate the Board’s high satisfaction with Mr. Gerlach’s continued excellent performance as our Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Gerlach’s total annual compensation remains well below the median of our peer group. Our Compensation Committee and Mr. Gerlach consider this result acceptable given his significant ownership interest and the resulting low probability of his leaving the Corporation.

 

For each annual cash incentive award, our Chief Executive Officer retains discretionary authority to modify the financial targets and raise or lower the computed incentive payment by up to 5% based on his qualitative assessment of the executive’s overall development during the course of the fiscal year. With respect to Mr. Rosa, however, the discretionary adjustment range is being adjusted for future years as discussed below. Our Compensation Committee also retains authority to make further adjustments to the computed annual cash incentive payments. An annual cash incentive payment, if earned, is made in the fiscal year following the year in which it is earned. Annual cash incentive payments earned by our named executive officers for fiscal years 2008, 2009 and 2010 appear below in the “Bonus” and/or “Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation” columns of our 2010 Summary Compensation Table.

 

For fiscal year 2010, Mr. Rosa received the opportunity to earn a cash incentive payment equal to 0.35%, rounded to the nearest hundred, of our Specialty Foods segment’s value-added income for fiscal year 2010. Our Compensation Committee first established 0.35% of Specialty Foods’ value-added income as the annual incentive opportunity for Mr. Rosa in 2004, and we have continued to view this as a fair annual incentive opportunity from year to year since 2004. We define value-added income as the amount by which the fiscal year operating income of our Specialty Foods segment exceeds a target level of income. We determine the applicable target level of income by multiplying the segment’s pre-tax cost of capital by the segment’s average net assets (defined as including accounts receivable; inventory; prepaid expenses; property, plant and equipment; other assets; goodwill; current

liabilities; deferred taxes and other non-current liabilities). We then calculate value-added income by subtracting target income from operating income. For our Specialty Foods segment in fiscal year 2010, average net assets equaled approximately $293 million, pre-tax cost of capital was approximately 18.75%, target income equaled approximately $54.9 million, and operating income exceeded target income by approximately $121 million. We utilized operating income and average net assets as the performance metrics for Mr. Rosa’s award because we continue to believe that use of these metrics was the best way to incentivize him to employ the Specialty Foods segment’s net assets efficiently. For fiscal year 2010, our Chief Executive Officer and our Compensation Committee again exercised discretion to modify the annual cash incentive payment to Mr. Rosa by adding a discretionary payment of 5% onto the calculated incentive payment of $424,400, resulting in a total bonus payment of $445,620. Both our Chief Executive Officer and the Compensation Committee believe the additional discretionary bonus was appropriate in part to recognize Mr. Rosa’s ongoing role in our strategic transition that emphasizes our food business.

 

Beginning in fiscal 2011, the Compensation Committee has implemented changes to the incentive plan for Mr. Rosa. These changes were based upon the review and recommendations provided by PM&P during 2010 and were also recommended by our Chief Executive Officer. The change will affect Mr. Rosa’s bonus as follows: after calculating Mr. Rosa’s bonus based on the formula described above, the resulting amount is adjusted between 85% and 115% of the calculated value depending on annual revenue growth in the Specialty Foods segment between 2.5% and 8.5%. For example, assuming a calculated bonus under the current formula of $424,400, if annual revenue growth in 2011 is 2.5%, the calculated amount would be adjusted to 85% of its value, or $360,740. If annual revenue growth is instead 8.5%, then the calculated amount would be adjusted to 115% of its value, or $488,060. In addition, beginning in fiscal 2011, the bonus amount is subject to a further discretionary adjustment of plus or minus 20% based upon individual performance, rather than the 5% discretionary adjustment we have used historically. These changes are expected to be implemented not only for Mr. Rosa but for certain other key personnel in the Specialty Foods segment. The purpose of the change is to provide an additional incentive to drive growth. While the incentive plan is still based primarily on value added income, the Compensation Committee believes that providing incentives related to income and revenue growth will enhance the long term value of the Corporation and is in the best interest of the shareholders.

 

Mr. Boylan’s fiscal year 2010 award represented the opportunity to earn a cash incentive payment equal to 0.45%, rounded to the nearest hundred, of our consolidated value-added income for fiscal year 2010. For purposes of Mr. Boylan’s award opportunity, we define value-added income as the amount by which fiscal year consolidated operating income exceeds a target level of income. We determine the applicable target level of income by multiplying consolidated pre-tax cost of capital by consolidated average net assets (defined as including accounts receivable; inventory; prepaid expenses; property, plant and equipment; other assets; goodwill; current liabilities; deferred taxes and other non-current liabilities). We then calculate value-added income by subtracting target income from operating income. For our consolidated operations in fiscal year 2010, average net assets equaled approximately $374 million, pre-tax cost of capital was approximately 18.75%, target income equaled approximately $70.1 million, and operating income exceeded target income by approximately $104 million. We utilized consolidated operating income and average net assets as the performance metrics for Mr. Boylan’s award because we believe use of these metrics was the best way to incentivize him to employ our consolidated net assets efficiently.

 

Under the foregoing formula, Mr. Boylan’s cash incentive calculation for fiscal 2010 was $468,400 (compared to the $572,000 he earned under the formula used for fiscal year 2009). The significant decrease in Mr. Boylan’s cash incentive compared to fiscal 2009 was not due to a drop in fiscal performance. As mentioned above, we achieved record operating and net income in 2010. The decrease in Mr. Boylan’s cash incentive related to the adjustment made last year in Mr. Boylan’s cash incentive formula. In fiscal 2008 and 2009, Mr. Boylan’s calculated annual cash incentives were significantly lower and significantly higher, respectively, than the median for our peer group and also significantly different from Mr. Rosa’s annual cash incentive. In both previous years, the Compensation Committee used discretion to adjust Mr. Boylan’s bonus payout for the year and also adjusted Mr. Boylan’s annual cash incentive formula in an effort to bring future calculated amounts closer to the Compensation Committee’s expectations. Thus, for fiscal year 2010, Mr. Boylan’s cash incentive payment was decreased to 0.45% of consolidated value-added income from the 2009 level of 1.0% of consolidated value-added income.

After reviewing the final results of the calculations for fiscal 2010, the Compensation Committee was pleased with the bonus resulting from Mr. Boylan’s formula and determined that no further adjustments were necessary for the current year. For these reasons, the Compensation Committee did not make any discretionary adjustments to Mr. Boylan’s 2010 bonus calculation.

 

Long-Term Equity-Based Incentive Awards.  Until 2008, we used stock options as the primary vehicle for providing our named executive officers with long-term incentives for their efforts in helping to create long-term shareholder value. We have also considered stock options as a retention tool for executive talent. Both of these factors have helped our Compensation Committee determine in past years the type of award and the number of underlying shares that it granted in connection with an equity incentive award.

 

However, during fiscal year 2008, with the assistance of PM&P, we moved away from our reliance on stock options as our equity incentive compensation instrument. We had historically believed that granting stock options was the best method for motivating named executive officers to manage our Corporation in a manner consistent with the long-term interests of our shareholders because of the direct relationship between the value of a stock option and the market price of our Common Stock. The following factors, however, caused us to reevaluate this approach:

 

 

Based on these factors, in February 2008 and continuing in February 2009 and 2010, we began granting our long-term equity incentives in the form of time-based stock-settled stock appreciation rights, or appreciation rights, and time-based restricted stock instead of stock options. Messrs. Boylan and Rosa each received 14,000 appreciation rights and 500 shares of restricted stock as part of our February 2010 grants pursuant to our form agreements for appreciation rights and restricted stock awards. Similar to our prior years’ grants of stock options, these grants of appreciation rights and restricted stock were made under our 2005 Stock Plan previously approved by our shareholders and submitted for re-approval for tax deductibility reasons this year. The Compensation Committee believes these awards represent an appropriate level of additional annual compensation that is aligned with the creation of long-term shareholder value and that provides an additional retention tool for executive talent.

 

Appreciation rights give holders the right to receive stock in our Corporation equal in market value to the difference between the closing market price of our stock on the day of exercise and the base price established for the appreciation rights, as set forth in the appreciation rights award agreement, multiplied by the number of appreciation rights exercised. The base price for appreciation rights equals the closing price of our stock on the date on which the appreciation rights are granted, which for the February 2010 grants was $58.79. Appreciation rights cannot be exercised until they are vested, and we have currently chosen for retention purposes that appreciation rights should vest over time as follows: one-third of the total award will vest on each of the first, second and third anniversaries of the grant date. The appreciation rights will vest earlier upon a change of control of the Corporation. The appreciation rights award agreement also provides that the appreciation rights will expire on the earlier of five years from the grant date or 90 days after the grantee’s employment with the Corporation ceases other than as a result of his or her death or disability, as described in more detail in the award agreement. As a result, the appreciation rights granted in February 2008 must be exercised no later than February 27, 2013, the appreciation rights granted in February 2009 must be exercised no later than February 25, 2014 and the appreciation rights granted in February 2010 must be exercised no later than February 24, 2015.

 

The Compensation Committee granted new awards of restricted stock on the same day as the appreciation rights awards. Unlike the appreciation rights, the shares of restricted stock do not vest ratably, but vest in total on the third anniversary of the grant date. The restricted stock will vest earlier upon a change of control of the Corporation. Once vested, the restricted stock may be traded in the same manner as other shares. Each recipient of restricted stock will receive dividends on the restricted stock during the vesting period, but will forfeit all unvested restricted stock if his or her employment with the Corporation ceases other than as a result of his or her death or disability, as described in more detail in the award agreement.

In total, we granted 167,950 appreciation rights and 33,435 shares of restricted stock under our 2005 Stock Plan during fiscal year 2010. The Compensation Committee did not utilize any specific formulas, mathematical calculations or peer group comparisons when determining the amounts of appreciation rights and restricted stock that it granted to individual employees, including our named executive officers, during 2010. Instead, the 2010 grants, including the grants to Mr. Boylan and Mr. Rosa, were made solely in the Compensation Committee’s judgment based on recommendations from Mr. Gerlach and motivated solely by the Compensation Committee’s desire to award each employee enough value to achieve our retention and motivation objectives discussed above. In the Compensation Committee’s view, the amounts awarded in 2010 were necessary to help us retain executive talent and provide reasonable incentives for our executive talent to work to create long-term shareholder value.

 

We did not make any grants of stock options during fiscal year 2010. At this time, it is our intention to continue to make long-term equity incentive awards in the form of only appreciation rights and restricted stock using the forms we have filed with the SEC because we believe these types of equity awards offer our employees, including our named executive officers, the best form of retention and motivation incentive that is also aligned with the long-term interests of our shareholders. We also currently expect that the Compensation Committee will continue to use its judgment, based, in part, on recommendations by our Chief Executive Officer, to determine the appropriate level of appreciation rights and restricted stock awards because this gives the Compensation Committee the most flexibility to make awards in amounts necessary to help us achieve our long-term objectives. At this time, the Compensation Committee has not made any determinations about awards for fiscal year 2011 or future years.

 

Other Benefits

 

Our named executive officers are also eligible to participate in our employee benefit plans available to all salaried employees, including our 401(k) savings plans, health insurance plan and group life insurance plan. These other benefits are discussed in detail below. In addition, our named executive officers participate in our deferred compensation program. We also make some post-termination payments and benefits available to our named executive officers, as described in detail below. The value of these benefits are reviewed annually by our Compensation Committee, but are not generally considered as part of the overall compensation program for purposes of allocating among cash, equity and other compensation.

 

Perquisites.  We do not believe that providing perquisites to our named executive officers helps us achieve any of our compensation program objectives, including the promotion of long-term shareholder value. We limit the perquisites made available to our named executive officers that are not otherwise available to all salaried employees, and believe that this arrangement is consistent with our “pay for performance” philosophy. During fiscal year 2010, we offered our named executive officers only the following perquisites: corporate automobile allocations and related insurance premium payments, except for the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer; and life insurance and travel insurance premium payments. More detailed information about perquisites for fiscal year 2010 is presented below in the “All Other Compensation” column of our 2010 Summary Compensation Table.

 

Executive Deferred Compensation Program.  The Lancaster Colony Corporation Executive Employee 2005 Deferred Compensation Plan, which we refer to as our nonqualified deferred compensation plan, allows our named executive officers to defer up to $50,000 of their annual base compensation for future payment. Under the nonqualified deferred compensation plan, amounts deferred by our named executive officers are maintained in separate book-entry accounts. Interest on the deferred amounts is credited semi-annually on June 30 and December 31 with an annual rate of interest equal to the prime interest rate reported in the Wall Street Journal on the first business day in January (for the June 30 credit) and July (for the December 31 credit). We do not match amounts that are deferred. Distributions from the nonqualified deferred compensation plan are paid upon termination of employment (including death or disability), and the named executive officer may elect to receive payments in either a lump sum or a series of installments upon termination. We do not fund the nonqualified deferred compensation plan, and participants have only an unsecured contractual commitment from us to pay the amounts due. More detailed information about the nonqualified deferred compensation plan is presented below in our 2010 Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Table and related narrative.

Health and Welfare Benefits.  We provide healthcare, life and disability insurance and other employee benefits programs to our employees, including our named executive officers. We believe that these benefits are competitive within our peer group and, while not separate incentives by themselves because they do not help us achieve any of our compensation program objectives, are essential and expected parts of any compensation program. Our benefits and risk management department is responsible for overseeing the administration of these programs. Our employee benefits programs are provided on a non-discriminatory basis to all employees. These benefits include vacation and personal time, paid holidays, medical and long and short-term disability insurance programs.

 

Retirement Benefits

 

Pension Benefits.  We do not provide defined benefit pension arrangements or post-retirement health coverage for our named executive officers, as we do not believe that providing these types of benefits to our named executive officers helps us achieve any of our compensation program objectives, including the promotion of long-term shareholder value.

 

401(k) Savings Plan.  All of our named executive officers participate in our Lancaster Colony Corporation 401(k) Savings Plan, a tax-qualified defined contribution plan that we refer to as our 401(k) Plan. We believe that this benefit is competitive within our peer group and, while not a separate incentive by itself because it does not help us achieve any of our compensation program objectives, it is an essential and expected part of any compensation program. Under the 401(k) Plan, each employee may contribute up to 25% of eligible compensation on a before-tax basis into an individual account (subject to limits established by the Internal Revenue Service). In any fiscal year, we will contribute to each participant’s account a matching contribution equal to 40% of the first 4% of the participant’s compensation that has been contributed to the 401(k) Plan. Partial withdrawals from the 401(k) Plan are permitted through a loan or based on financial hardship. Single lump sum withdrawals are permitted upon an employee’s termination of employment.

 

Effective for calendar year 2010, the 401(k) Plan limits the annual additions that can be made to an employee’s account to $49,000 per year. Annual additions include matching contributions and before-tax contributions made by the employee. Of those annual additions, the current maximum before-tax contribution is $16,500 per year and no more than $245,000 of annual compensation may be taken into account in computing benefits under the 401(k) Plan.

 

Participants age 50 and over may also contribute, on a before-tax basis, and without regard to the $49,000 limitation on annual additions or the $16,500 general limitation on before-tax contributions, a catch-up contribution of up to $5,500 per year. Matching contributions from us that were paid to our named executive officers during fiscal year 2010 are included in the “All Other Compensation” column of our 2010 Summary Compensation Table.

 

Employee Stock Ownership Plan.  The Lancaster Colony Corporation Employee Stock Ownership Plan, or ESOP, is another of our tax-qualified retirement plans. The ESOP was “frozen” on December 31, 1997 when it was amended to prevent further participation and contributions and to vest fully existing account balances. The ESOP was designed to invest primarily in “employer securities” as defined in Section 409(l) of the Internal Revenue Code. The ESOP continues to offer a pre-retirement diversification right, and dividends are distributed (upon election by the participant) in the form of cash or can be reinvested in our stock and credited to a participant’s account. Distributions in the form of a single lump sum or in five annual installments are made upon a participant’s termination of employment.

 

Employment and Severance Agreements

 

We do not maintain employment agreements with any of our named executive officers. We have entered into Key Employee Severance Agreements with Mr. Boylan and Mr. Rosa that specify cash payments in the event the named executive officer’s employment is terminated other than for cause or terminated by the executive officer for good reason within one year after a change in control (the terms cause, good reason and change in control are each defined in the agreements). In addition, the named executive officer will be entitled to participate in any health, disability and life insurance plans in which the executive participated at the time of termination, on the same basis, for a period of one year following termination. The agreements do not require the named executive officers to

mitigate the amount of benefits paid by seeking other employment, and the benefits payable under the agreements are not subject to reduction for other compensation earned by the named executive officers after termination. The agreements do not have an expiration date. We believe that these agreements were necessary for us to attract and retain these two named executive officers. See further disclosure below under “Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control” for more information.

 

Stock Ownership Guidelines

 

As discussed above and as disclosed above in our beneficial ownership tables, our named executive officers already have a substantial equity interest in our Corporation. As a result, we do not have a formal policy requiring that our named executive officers own any predetermined amount of our stock. However, as indicated above, a primary objective of our “pay for performance” philosophy is to align our named executive officers’ compensation interests with our goal of creating long-term shareholder value. We therefore encourage our current named executive officers to continue to maintain an equity ownership in the Corporation, which ownership further aligns their compensation interests with the interests of our shareholders.

 

Recoupment of Incentive Payments

 

We do not have a formal policy regarding adjusting or recovering annual cash incentive payments or long-term equity-based incentive awards if the relevant performance metrics upon which such awards or payments are based are later restated or otherwise adjusted in a manner that reduces the actual size of the award or payment. Instead, we will consider making adjustments or recoveries on a case-by-case basis if those situations arise, and expect to comply with all recoupment requirements imposed under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act when such requirements are effective.

 

Accounting and Tax Considerations

 

Regulations issued under Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code provide that compensation in excess of $1 million paid to our named executive officers will not be deductible unless it meets specified criteria required for it to be “performance based.” In general, our Compensation Committee considers the potential impact of Section 162(m) in its review and establishment of compensation programs and payments. However, our Compensation Committee also reserves the right to provide compensation that does not meet the exemption criteria if, in its sole discretion, it determines that doing so advances our business objectives. Currently, we have no individuals with non-performance based compensation paid in excess of the Internal Revenue Code Section 162(m) tax deduction limit.

 

Compensation-Related Risk Assessment

 

The Compensation Committee has reviewed and discussed the structure of our compensation program from the point of view of assessing whether any aspect of the program could potentially be expected to provide an incentive to our executive officers or other employees to take any unnecessary or inappropriate risks that could threaten our operating results, financial condition or impact long-term shareholder value. The Compensation Committee conducted an assessment of our incentive-based compensation plans (including the annual and long-term incentive programs) and our compensation practices. Further, the Compensation Committee discussed the structure of the compensation program with the Chairman of the Board and Lead Independent Director.

 

Based on our internal controls, policies and risk-mitigating components in our incentive arrangements currently in place, informal input from PM&P, discussions with the Chairman of the Board and Lead Independent Director, as well as the Compensation Committee’s formal review and discussion, the Compensation Committee believes our compensation programs represent an appropriate balance of short-term and long-term compensation and do not encourage executive officers or other employees to take unnecessary or excessive risks that are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the Corporation.

 

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

 

Executive Officers

 

The following is a list of the names and ages of all of the executive officers of the Corporation indicating all positions and offices held by each such person and each person’s principal occupation or employment during the past five years. No person other than those listed below has been chosen to become an executive officer. The executive officers are elected annually by the Board:

 

 

The following tables and narratives provide descriptions of the compensation paid by us for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2010, to Mr. John B. Gerlach, Jr., Mr. John L. Boylan and Mr. Bruce L. Rosa. We refer to these three individuals as our named executive officers. The 2010 Summary Compensation Table below also provides a summary description of the compensation we paid to our named executive officers for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2009 and 2008.

 

2010 Summary Compensation Table

 

The following table summarizes compensation earned during the 2010, 2009 and 2008 fiscal years by our named executive officers:

 

 

 

 

2010 Grants of Plan-Based Awards Table

 

The following table shows all plan-based awards granted to our named executive officers during fiscal year 2010.

 

 

 

 

 

None of our named executive officers is a party to an employment agreement with us, but Mr. Boylan and Mr. Rosa are parties to Key Employee Severance Agreements with us. For more information about these severance agreements, see “Compensation Discussion and Analysis — Employment and Severance Agreements” above, and the disclosure below under “Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control.” For more information about the other compensation arrangements in which our named executive officers participate and the proportion of our named executive officers’ total compensation represented by base salary and annual cash incentive payments or discretionary bonuses, also see “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” above.

Outstanding Equity Awards at 2010 Fiscal Year-End Table

 

The following table shows all outstanding equity awards held by our named executive officers at the end of fiscal year 2010.

 

 

 

 

2010 Option Exercises and Stock Vested Table

 

 

 

 

2010 Pension Benefits

 

We do not maintain any defined benefit plans or other plans with specified retirement benefits in which our named executive officers participate.

 

2010 Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Table

 

This table shows certain information for fiscal year 2010 for each of our named executive officers under our nonqualified deferred compensation plan.

 

 

 

 

For more information about our nonqualified deferred compensation plan, see “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” above.

 

Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control

 

Our named executive officers may terminate employment with us under a number of different scenarios, including retirement, voluntary termination for good reason, voluntary termination without good reason, involuntary termination without cause, involuntary termination for cause, termination in connection with a change in control, death and disability. Except as discussed below, we generally limit the payments or other forms of compensation that we will provide our named executive officers when their employment with us is terminated to compensation elements that we provide all our employees upon termination, namely payment of any earned but unpaid salary and accrued but unpaid vacation benefits.

During fiscal year 2010, we were a party to Key Employee Severance Agreements with Mr. Boylan and Mr. Rosa that provide for them to receive certain cash payments and other benefits if their employment with us is terminated by us other than for cause or they resign for good reason within one year of a change in control of our Corporation. The terms “cause,” “good reason” and “change in control” are defined under these agreements. Cause generally means the employee’s willful engaging in malfeasance or felonious conduct that in any material respect impairs the reputation, goodwill or business position of our Corporation or involves misappropriation of our funds or other assets. Good reason generally means termination triggered by certain reductions in compensation, duties and responsibility and authority or certain changes in place of employment. Change in control generally means an event reportable by us on Form 8-K as a change in control and certain significant changes in the ownership of our Common Stock or in the makeup of our Board.

 

Upon such a termination or resignation within one year of a change in control, we will pay to the terminated named executive officer in a lump sum cash payment an amount equal to the lesser of:

 

 

 

 

We will also pay to the terminated named executive officer any accrued but unpaid base salary at the officer’s then-current salary rate, and will provide the terminated named executive officer with continued coverage under our health, disability and life insurance plans in which the named executive officer participated for one year. The terminated named executive officer has no duty to mitigate the amount of benefits paid by us while seeking other employment, and the benefits are not subject to reduction for other compensation earned by the terminated named executive officer after termination.

 

As stated above, upon termination of employment for any reason regarding Mr. Gerlach, he would be entitled to his earned unpaid salary as well as his accrued unpaid vacation benefits.

Tabular Disclosure.  The tables below summarize the estimated amounts of payments or compensation our named executive officers may receive under particular termination scenarios. The amounts shown in the tables below assume that the named executive officer is terminated as of June 30, 2010, and that the price per share of our common shares equals $53.36, which was the closing price of our common shares on June 30, 2010, as reported on the Nasdaq Global Select Market. Actual amounts that we may pay to any named executive officer upon termination of employment, however, can only be determined at the time of such named executive officer’s actual termination.

 

John B. Gerlach, Jr. The following table shows the potential payments upon termination under various circumstances for John B. Gerlach, Jr., our Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and President.

 

John L. Boylan. The following table shows the potential payments upon termination under various circumstances for John L. Boylan, our Treasurer, Vice President, Assistant Secretary and Chief Financial Officer.

 

 

Bruce L. Rosa. The following table shows the potential payments upon termination under various circumstances for Bruce L. Rosa, President of our T. Marzetti Company and Vice President — Development.

 

 

 

COMPENSATION OF DIRECTORS

 

2010 Director Compensation Table

 

The following table summarizes compensation earned during the 2010 fiscal year by our nonemployee directors:

 

 

 

 

Our Compensation Committee reviews the level of compensation of our nonemployee directors on an annual basis. We have historically obtained data from a number of different sources to determine the appropriateness of the current level of compensation for our nonemployee directors, including:

 

 

We compensate our nonemployee directors through a mix of cash and equity-based compensation. Except as noted in the footnotes above, our nonemployee directors received the following compensation for fiscal year 2010:

 

 

We also reimburse expenses incurred by our nonemployee directors to attend board and committee meetings. The compensation amounts took effect at the beginning of fiscal 2009 and represent a slight increase in fees paid during 2008. The adjustment was made based upon the recommendation of PM&P and the review of competitive data made available by PM&P. Directors who are also our employees do not receive cash or equity compensation for services on our Board in addition to compensation payable for their services as employees.

 

Additionally, on November 16, 2009, each of our nonemployee directors received a grant of 1,205 shares of restricted stock pursuant to the terms of our 2005 Stock Plan. The restricted stock vests one year from the grant date, or earlier upon a change in control of the Corporation, or the death or disability of the recipient. Dividends on the shares of restricted stock are held in escrow until the shares vest. The value of the grant was determined based on the recommendation of the Compensation Committee of an annual grant of restricted stock with a market value of approximately $60,000, which is also based on information and recommendations provided by PM&P in the prior year.

Equity Compensation Plan Information Table

 

The following table contains information as of June 30, 2010 regarding the Corporation’s 2005 Stock Plan:

 

Equity Compensation Plan Information

 

 

 

 

COMPENSATION COMMITTEE INTERLOCKS AND INSIDER PARTICIPATION

 

Messrs. Fox, Jennings and O’Neill served on the Compensation Committee during fiscal 2010. None of the members of the Compensation Committee during fiscal 2010 had at any time been an officer or employee of the Corporation or of any of its subsidiaries. None of the members of the Compensation Committee during fiscal 2010 had any related person transaction with the Corporation required to be disclosed under Item 404 of Regulation S-K. No executive officer of the Corporation served as a member of the compensation committee or board of directors of any other entity that had an executive officer serving as a member of the Board or Compensation Committee during fiscal 2010 such that the service would constitute an interlock under Item 407(e)(4) of Regulation S-K.

 

COMPENSATION COMMITTEE REPORT

 

The following report has been submitted by the Compensation Committee:

 

The Compensation Committee has reviewed and discussed the Corporation’s Compensation Discussion and Analysis with management. Based on this review and discussion, the Compensation Committee recommended to the Board that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in the Corporation’s definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A for the Annual Meeting, which is incorporated by reference in the Corporation’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2010, each as filed with the SEC.

 

The foregoing report was submitted by the Compensation Committee and shall not be deemed to be “soliciting material” or to be “filed” with the SEC or subject to Regulation 14A promulgated by the SEC or Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Edward H. Jennings, Chairperson

Robert L. Fox

Henry M. O’Neill, Jr.

 

AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT

 

The Audit Committee is comprised solely of nonemployee directors, each of whom has been determined by the Board to be independent under the requirements of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC and SEC rules. In addition, the Board has determined that Mr. Bachmann is a “financial expert” as defined by SEC rules. The Audit Committee held four meetings during fiscal 2010. The Audit Committee operates under a written charter, which is available on the corporate governance page of the Corporation’s web site at www.lancastercolony.com. Under the charter, the Audit Committee’s responsibilities include:

 

 

Management is responsible for the Corporation’s internal controls and preparing the Corporation’s consolidated financial statements and a report on management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting. The Corporation’s independent registered public accounting firm, Deloitte & Touche LLP, is responsible for performing an independent audit of the consolidated financial statements and issuing a report thereon, and also auditing the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting and issuing a report thereon. Their audits are performed in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. The Audit Committee is responsible for overseeing the conduct of these activities and appointing the Corporation’s independent registered public accounting firm. In performing its oversight function, the Audit Committee relies, without independent verification, on the information provided to it and on representations made by management and the independent registered public accounting firm.

 

In conducting its oversight function, the Audit Committee discusses with the Corporation’s internal auditors and the Corporation’s independent registered public accounting firm, with and without management present, the overall scope and plans for their respective audits. The Audit Committee also reviews the Corporation’s programs and key initiatives to design, implement and maintain effective internal controls over financial reporting and disclosure controls. The Audit Committee has sole discretion, in its areas of responsibility and at the Corporation’s expense, to engage independent advisors as it deems appropriate and to approve the fees and retention terms of such advisors.

 

The Audit Committee meets with the internal auditors and independent registered public accounting firm, with and without management present, to discuss the results of their examinations, the evaluations of the Corporation’s internal controls and the overall quality of the Corporation’s financial reporting. The Audit Committee has reviewed and discussed with management and Deloitte & Touche LLP the audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2010. The Audit Committee has also reviewed and discussed management’s assessment of internal control over financial reporting with management and Deloitte & Touche LLP. The Audit Committee also reviewed and discussed with Deloitte & Touche LLP its reports on the Corporation’s annual financial statements, and that the Corporation maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of June 30, 2010.

 

The Audit Committee reviewed with Deloitte & Touche LLP the matters required to be discussed by Statement on Auditing Standards No. 61, as amended (AICPA, Professional Standards, Vol. 1. AU Section 380) as adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board in Rule 3526. In addition, the Audit Committee discussed with Deloitte & Touche LLP their independence from management, and the Audit Committee has received from

Deloitte & Touche LLP the written disclosures and the letter required by applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding Deloitte & Touche LLP’s communications with the Audit Committee concerning independence.

 

Based on its review of the audited consolidated financial statements and discussions with management and Deloitte & Touche LLP, referred to above, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board the inclusion of the audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2010 in the Corporation’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for filing with the SEC.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

James B. Bachmann, Chairperson
Alan F. Harris
Edward H. Jennings
Zuheir Sofia

 

PROPOSAL TWO

 

RATIFICATION OF THE SELECTION OF THE
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, has served as the Corporation’s independent auditors since 1961 and audited the consolidated financial statements for the year ended June 30, 2010. The Audit Committee is directly responsible for the appointment of the Corporation’s independent registered public accounting firm and has appointed Deloitte & Touche LLP to audit the Corporation’s financial statements for the year ending June 30, 2011. Although it is not required to do so, the Audit Committee has determined to submit its selection of the independent registered public accounting firm to the Corporation’s shareholders for ratification of its action as a matter of good corporate governance. In the event that Deloitte & Touche LLP is not ratified by the holders of a majority of the shares cast at the Annual Meeting, the Audit Committee will evaluate such shareholder vote when considering the selection of an independent registered public accounting firm to serve as the Corporation’s auditors for the 2012 fiscal year.

 

Representatives of Deloitte & Touche LLP are expected to be present at the Annual Meeting, will have the opportunity to make a statement if they desire to do so and are expected to be available to respond to appropriate questions.

 

The Board of Directors recommends a vote “FOR” the ratification of Deloitte & Touche LLP as the Corporation’s independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending June 30, 2011 by executing and returning the enclosed proxy card.

 

AUDIT AND RELATED FEES

 

The following table recaps Deloitte & Touche LLP fees pertaining to the fiscal years ended June 30, 2010 and 2009:

 

Audit Committee Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures

 

The Audit Committee has established a policy regarding review and pre-approval of all audit and non-audit services expected to be performed by the Corporation’s independent registered public accounting firm. When considering requests for non-audit services, the Audit Committee evaluates whether the proposed engagement risks compromise the accounting firm’s independence by specifically considering the volume of the proposed non-audit services and whether those non-audit services are likely to cause the accounting firm to function in a management role, to be put in the position of auditing its own work, or to serve in an advocacy role for the Corporation. Absent strong countervailing considerations, the Audit Committee will generally not approve non-audit services if the aggregate fees for non-audit services for the year will exceed the aggregate fees for audit services, audit-related services and tax compliance services for the year. The policy also prohibits the Corporation’s accounting firm from providing certain services described in the policy as prohibited services.

 

Generally, requests for non-audit services are submitted in writing to the Audit Committee by the Corporation’s officer or employee requesting such services, along with specific supporting information described in the policy. Typically, the Audit Committee will approve non-audit services provided by the accounting firm that are closely related to the audit services, audit-related services and tax compliance services already being provided by the accounting firm, including due diligence services, subject to the fee policy described above. Between Audit Committee meetings, any two Audit Committee members may review and approve requests for non-audit services in accordance with the policy that are budgeted for $50,000 or less, provided that the pre-approval is reported not later than the next meeting of the Audit Committee.

 

The Audit Committee’s pre-approval policies and procedures for non-audit services are described in the “Statement of Policy of the Audit Committee of Lancaster Colony Corporation Pre-Approval of Engagements With the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm for Non-Audit Services,” which is attached as Appendix A to the Corporation’s Audit Committee charter. For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2010, all of the services described above were pre-approved by the Audit Committee.

 

CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS

 

The Corporation contracts with John Gerlach & Company LLP, an accounting partnership, to provide certain internal auditing, general accounting and tax services of a type generally available from an independent accounting firm. A brother-in-law of the Corporation’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. T. J. Conger, is a partner with John Gerlach & Company LLP. The fees paid to John Gerlach & Company LLP for its services are determined based on the hours of work performed and are reviewed by the Audit Committee. The fees incurred for services rendered for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2010 were $303,194.

 

The Corporation’s Audit Committee reviews and approves or ratifies any transaction between the Corporation and a “related person” (as that term is defined under Item 404 of Regulation S-K) that is required to be disclosed under the SEC’s related person transaction rules. In general, the Audit Committee charter provides that, when reviewing related person transactions, the Audit Committee will consider the following: