UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 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

x

Filed by a Partyparty other than the Registrant

o

Check the appropriate box:

o

Preliminary Proxy Statement

o

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

x

Definitive Proxy Statement

o

Definitive Additional Materials

o

Soliciting Material Under Rule 14a-12under § 240.14a-12

Park ElectrochemicalAerospace Corp.

(Name of Registrant as Specified inIn Its Charter)

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

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box)all boxes that apply):

x

No fee required.required

oFee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11.
(1)Title of each class of securities to which transactions applies:

(2)Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies:

(3)Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which the filing fee is calculated and state how it was determined):

(4)Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction:

(5)Total fee paid:

oFee paid previously with preliminary materials:materials

oCheck box if any part of the fee is offset as provided

Fee computed on table in exhibit required by Item 25(b) per Exchange Act Rule 0-11(a)(2)Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing.0-11

(1)Amount Previously Paid:

(2)Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.:

(3)Filing Party:

(4)Date Filed:


Table of Contents

PARK ELECTROCHEMICALAEROSPACE CORP.

48 South Service
1400 Old Country Road
Melville,Westbury, New York 11747
11590



Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders

July 19, 201618, 2023



The Annual Meeting of Shareholders of PARK ELECTROCHEMICALAEROSPACE CORP. (the “Company”) will be held at the offices of the Company, 48 South Service Road, Melville, New York on Tuesday, July 19, 201618, 2023 at 11:00 A.M., New YorkE.D.T. We will conduct this year’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders completely virtually via live webcast. You will be able to attend and participate in the Annual Meeting online, vote your shares electronically and submit your questions prior to and during the meeting by visiting www.meetnow.global/M57HQMV at the meeting date and time described in the accompanying Proxy Statement. The Annual Meeting is being held, for the following purposes:

1.To elect five (5) directors to serve until the next annual meeting of shareholders and until their successors are elected and qualified;
2.To approve, on an advisory (non-binding) basis, the 2016 fiscal year compensation of the named executive officers;
3.To ratify the appointment of CohnReznick LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending February 26, 2017; and
4.To transact such other business as may properly come before the meeting.

1.      To elect the eight directors named in the accompanying Proxy Statement to serve until the next annual meeting of shareholders and until their successors are elected and qualified, subject to earlier resignation, retirement or other termination of service;

2.      To approve, on an advisory (non-binding) basis, the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers;

3.      To recommend, on an advisory (non-binding) basis, how often the Company should conduct a shareholder advisory vote relating to compensation of the named executive officers;

4.      To ratify the appointment of CohnReznick LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending March 3, 2024; and

5.      To transact such other business as may properly come before the meeting.

Only holders of record of Common Stock at the close of business on May 27, 2016June 2, 2023 will be entitled to notice of, and to attend and vote at, the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof.

If you are a registered shareholder (i.e., you hold your shares through our transfer agent, Computershare), you do not need to register to attend the Annual Meeting virtually on the Internet. Please visit www.meetnow.global/M57HQMV, login with your 15-digit control number (found on your proxy card or in an email you previously received from Computershare). If you hold your shares through an intermediary, such as a bank or broker, you must register in advance to attend the Annual Meeting virtually on the Internet. To register to attend the Annual Meeting online by webcast you must obtain a legal proxy from your bank, broker or other nominee and then register in advance by submitting the legal proxy, along with your name and email address to Computershare. Requests for registration must be labeled as “Legal Proxy” and be received no later than 5:00 p.m., E.D.T., on July 13, 2023.

Requests for registration should be directed to us at the following:

By email:

Forward the email from your broker, or attach an image of your legal proxy, to legalproxy@computershare.com.

By mail:

Computershare
PARK AEROSPACE CORP. Legal Proxy
P.O. Box 43001
Providence, RI 02940-3001

You will receive a confirmation of your registration with a control number by email from Computershare. At the time of the Annual Meeting, registered beneficial shareholders can visit www.meetnow.global/MTZ6U6F and enter the control number.

 

By Order of the Board of Directors,

  Stephen E. Gilhuley

P. Matthew Farabaugh

  Executive

Senior Vice President – Administration and SecretaryChief Financial Officer

Dated: June 15, 2023

Table of Contents

Dated: June 16, 2016i

ALL SHAREHOLDERS ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO ATTEND THE MEETING. WHETHER OR NOT YOU EXPECT TO BE PRESENT IN PERSON, PLEASE DATE AND SIGN THE ENCLOSED FORM OF PROXY AND RETURN IT PROMPTLY TO THE COMPANY IN THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE WHICH REQUIRES NO POSTAGE IF MAILED IN THE UNITED STATES.Table of Contents


PARK ELECTROCHEMICALAEROSPACE CORP.

48 South Service
1400 Old Country Road
Melville,Westbury, New York 11747
11590



P R O X Y  S T A T E M E N T

PROXY STATEMENT

Annual Meeting of Shareholders


July 19, 201618, 2023



This Proxy Statement is furnished in connection with the solicitation by the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Park ElectrochemicalAerospace Corp. (the “Company”) of proxies with respect to the Annual Meeting of Shareholders of the Company to be held on July 19, 2016,18, 2023, and any adjournment or postponement thereof (the “Meeting”). Any shareholder of record giving a proxy (the form for which is enclosed with this Proxy Statement) has the power to revoke it at any time before it is voted by (i) delivering written notice of revocation bearing a later date than the proxy to the SecretaryChief Financial Officer of the Company, (ii) submitting a later-datedlater-dated proxy or (iii) virtually attending the Meeting and voting online. A beneficial owner (an owner who is not a shareholder of record) will receive a voting instruction form from such owner’s bank, broker or other nominee. To revoke any prior instruction, a beneficial owner should contact such owner’s bank, broker or other nominee in person.the time period specified in the voting instruction form, which will be at least prior to the time such bank, broker or other nominee exercises the voting instruction.

This Proxy Statement and the accompanying form of proxy are first being mailed on or about June 16, 201615, 2023 to all shareholders of record as of the close of business on May 27, 2016.June 2, 2023.

Driving directions canThis year’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders will be obtained froma completely virtual meeting conducted via live webcast. You will not be able to attend the Corporate Secretaryannual meeting in person. You will be able to attend and participate in the Annual Meeting online, vote your shares electronically and submit your questions prior to and during the meeting by visiting: www.meetnow.global/M57HQMV and following the instructions in the Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders. The meeting will begin promptly at 11:00 A.M., E.D.T., and online access will open fifteen minutes prior to the Company’s office at 48 South Service Road, Melville, NY 11747start of the meeting. Whether orsgilhuley@parkelectro.com ordsmith@parkelectro.com or (631) 465-3618. not shareholders plan to attend the Annual Meeting, the Company urges them to vote and submit their proxy in advance of the Annual Meeting.

Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the 20162023 Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on July 19, 2016:18, 2023:

This Proxy Statement for the 20162023 Annual Meeting of Shareholders and the Company’s Annual Report to Shareholderson Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended February 28, 201626, 2023 are available on the Company’s web site atwww.parkelectro.comwww.parkaerospace.com under the caption “Shareholders”. References to web sites in this Proxy Statement are not intended to function as hyperlinks and, except as specified herein, the information contained on, or that can be accessed through, any such website is not part of this Proxy Statement.

VOTING SECURITIES

As of May 27, 2016,June 2, 2023, the outstanding voting securities of the Company consisted of 20,234,67120,282,277 shares of Common Stock, par value $.10 per share, of the Company (the “Common Stock”), each of which is entitled to one vote. Presence in personat the virtual meeting or representation by proxy of holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Common Stock will constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at the Annual Meeting. Abstentions and broker non-votes,non-votes, if any, will be included for purposes of determining a quorum.

As of May 27, 2016,June 2, 2023, all directors and executive officers and directors of the Company as a group (10(11 persons) beneficially owned an aggregate of 1,605,7832,242,009 shares of Common Stock (including options to purchase an aggregate of 432,384 shares)388,750 shares which such directors and executive officers may acquire pursuant to options that are exercisable as of June 2, 2023 or will become exercisable within 60 days thereafter), constituting approximately 7.8%10.9% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (giving effect to the exercise of such options).

1


Table of Contents

STOCK OWNERSHIP

Beneficial Ownership of Principal Shareholders

The following table sets forth information as of May 27, 2016June 2, 2023 with respect to shares of Common Stock beneficially owned (for purposes of the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission) by each person (including any “group” of persons as that term is used in Section 13(d)(3) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)), who is known to the Company to be the beneficial owner (for purposes of the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission) of more than 5% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock as of that date.

Name and Address of Beneficial Owner

 

Amount and
Nature of
Beneficial
Ownership

 

Percent 
of
 Class

Brandes Investment Partners, L.P.

4275 Executive Square, 5th Floor
La Jolla, CA 92037

 

1,383,651

(a)

 

6.8

%

Black Rock, Inc.

55 East 52nd Street
New York, NY 10055

 

1,336,868

(b)

 

6.6

%

The Vanguard Group, Inc.

100 Vanguard Boulevard
Malvern, PA 19355

 

1,252,793

(c)

 

6.2

%

Brian E. Shore

c/o Park Aerospace Corp.
1400 Old Country Road
Westbury, NY 11590

 

1,181,515

(d)

 

5.8

%

River Road Asset Management, LLC

462 S. 4th St, Ste 2000
Louisville, KY 40202

 

1,178,137

(e)

 

5.8

%

Renaissance Technologies, LLC

800 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10022

 

1,062,097

(f)

 

5.2

%

____________

(a)      Brandes Investment Partners, L.P., an investment adviser, holds shared voting power over 631,227 of such shares, shared dispositive power over all of such shares, based on an amendment to its Schedule 13G filed on February 9, 2023 under the Exchange Act, which represented 6.8% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock as of June 2, 2023.

(b)      BlackRock, Inc., a parent holding company, holds sole voting power over 1,282,903 of such shares and sole dispositive power over all of such shares, based on an amendment to its Schedule 13G filed on March 31, 2023 under the Exchange Act, which represented 6.6% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock as of June 2, 2023.

(c)      The Vanguard Group, an investment adviser, holds shared voting power over 9,951 of such shares, sole dispositive power over 1,235,385 of such shares and shared dispositive power over 17,408 of such shares, based on an amendment to its Schedule 13G filed on February 9, 2023 under the Exchange Act, which represented 6.2% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock as of June 2, 2023.

(d)      Includes 170,000 shares which Mr. Shore may acquire pursuant to options exercisable as of, or within 60 days after, June 2, 2023, 424,896 shares owned by six trusts for the benefit of Brian E. Shore and his siblings, Peter Shore and Robin Shore, created under the wills of the late Jerry Shore, Brian Shore’s deceased father, and the late Cecile Shore, deceased spouse of the late Jerry Shore and Brian Shore’s deceased mother, of which trusts Brian Shore is a co-trustee, with his siblings, Peter Shore and Robin Shore, and of which shares he disclaims beneficial ownership except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein. Mr. Shore holds sole voting power and sole dispositive power over 587,619 of such shares and shared voting power and shared dispositive power over 424,896 of such shares. All such shares represented 5.8% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock as of June 2, 2023 (giving effect to the exercise of such options).

(e)      River Road Asset Management, LLC, an institutional investment firm, holds sole voting power over 1,093,361 of such shares, sole dispositive power over all of such shares, based on an amendment to its Schedule 13G filed on February 7, 2023 under the Exchange Act, which represented 5.8% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock as of June 2, 2023.

(f)      Renaissance Technologies LLC, an investment adviser, and Renaissance Technologies Holdings Corporation, because of its majority ownership of Renaissance Technologies LLC, holds sole voting power over 1,062,097 of such shares and sole dispositive power over all of such shares, based on an amendment to its Schedule 13G filed on February 13, 2023 under the Exchange Act, which represented 6.6% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock as of June 2, 2023.

2

Table of Contents

  
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner Amount and
Nature of
Beneficial
Ownership
 Percent
of Class
Royce & Associates, LLC
745 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10151
  2,655,134(a)   13.1
Heartland Advisors, Inc.
789 North Water Street
Milwaukee, WI 53202
  2,036,549(b)   10.1
BlackRock, Inc.
55 East 52nd Street
New York, NY 10022
  2,032,993(c)   10.0
The Vanguard Group, Inc.
100 Vanguard Boulevard
Malvern, PA 19355
  1,474,392(d)   7.3
Brian E. Shore
c/o Park Electrochemical Corp.
48 South Service Road
Melville, NY 11747
  1,372,654(e)   6.7
Mario Gabelli
GAMCO Investors, Inc.
One Corporate Center
Rye, NY 10588-1435
  1,230,433(f)   6.1

(a)Royce & Associates, LLC, a registered investment adviser, holds sole voting power and sole dispositive power over all of such shares, based on an amendment to its Schedule 13G filed on January 20, 2016 under the Exchange Act, which represented approximately 13.1% of the outstanding shares of the Company’s Common Stock as of May 27, 2016.
(b)Heartland Advisors, Inc., an investment adviser, holds shared voting power and shared dispositive power over all of such shares, based on an amendment to its Schedule 13G filed on February 5, 2016 under the Exchange Act, which represented approximately 10.1% of the outstanding shares of the Company’s Common Stock as of May 27, 2016.
(c)BlackRock, Inc., a parent holding company, holds sole voting power over 1,981,917 of such shares and sole dispositive power over all of such shares, based on an amendment to its Schedule 13G filed on May 10, 2016 under the Exchange Act, which represented approximately 10.0% of the outstanding shares of the Company’s Common Stock as of May 27, 2016.
(d)The Vanguard Group, a parent holding company, holds sole voting power over 24,714 of such shares, shared voting power over 5,700 of such shares, sole dispositive power over 1,445,278 of such shares and shared dispositive power over 29,114 of such shares, based on an amendment to its Schedule 13G filed on February 11, 2016 under the Exchange Act, which represented approximately 7.3% of the outstanding shares of the Company’s Common Stock as of May 27, 2016.
(e)Includes 226,250 shares which Mr. Shore may acquire pursuant to options and 728,599 shares owned by the estate of the late Mr. Jerry Shore of which estate Brian E. Shore is a co-executor and of which shares he disclaims beneficial ownership. Mr. Shore holds sole voting power and sole dispositive power over 417,805 of such shares and shared voting power and shared dispositive power over 728,599 of such

shares. All such shares represented approximately 6.7% of the outstanding shares of the Company’s Common Stock on May 27, 2016 (giving effect to the exercise of such options).
(f)Gabelli Funds, LLC, a registered investment adviser, holds sole voting power and sole dispositive power over 352,999 of such shares, GAMCO Asset Management Inc., a registered investment adviser, holds sole voting power over 691,500 of such shares and sole dispositive power over 761,500 of such shares, Teton Advisors, Inc., a registered investment adviser, holds sole voting power and sole dispositive power over 107,634 of such shares, and Associated Capital Group, Inc., a public company listed on the New York Stock Exchange, holds sole voting power and sole dispositive power over 8,300 of such shares, based on an amendment to their Schedule 13D filed on April 7, 2016 under the Exchange Act, which represented approximately 6.1% of the outstanding shares of the Company’s Common Stock on May 27, 2016. Such Schedule 13D stated that Mario Gabelli is deemed to have beneficial ownership of the securities owned beneficially by each of the foregoing entities.

Beneficial Ownership of Directors and Executive Officers

The following table sets forth information as of May 27, 2016June 2, 2023 with respect to shares of Common Stock beneficially owned (for purposes of the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission) by each director and nominee, by each executive officer of the Company who is identified in the “Summary Compensation Table” elsewhere in this Proxy Statement and by all directors and executive officers of the Company as a group. During the Company’s 2013 fiscal year, the Board resolved that after a reasonable period of time each director should own approximately 1,000 or more shares of Common Stock. Mr. Blanchfield owns 9,000 shares, Ms. Groehl owns 1,000 shares, Mr. Shore owns 417,805 shares, Mr. Smith owns 1,000 shares, and Mr. Warshaw owns 7,000 shares of Common Stock. Such numbers of shares do not includegroup (including shares which the directorssuch persons may acquire pursuant to options. All such ownershipoptions that are exercisable as of June 2, 2023 or within 60 days thereafter). Each owner, except Mr. Shore, holds sole voting power and sole dispositive power over the shares of Common Stock listed below.

Name of Beneficial Owner

 

Amount and
Nature of
Beneficial
Ownership

 

Percent 
of Class

Dale Blanchfield

 

21,250

(a)

 

*

 

Shane Connor

 

826,042

(b)

 

4.1

%

Emily J. Groehl

 

18,750

(c)

 

*

 

Yvonne Julian

 

5,375

(d)

 

*

 

Brian E. Shore

 

1,181,515

(e)

 

5.8

%

Carl W. Smith

 

20,250

(f)

 

*

 

D. Bradley Thress

 

6,375

(f)

 

*

 

Steven T. Warshaw

 

25,500

(h)

 

*

 

Mark A. Esquivel

 

74,250

(I)

 

*

 

P. Matthew Farabaugh

 

51,535

(j)

 

*

 

Cory Nickel

 

11,167

(k)

 

*

 

All directors and executive officers as a group (11 persons)

 

2,242,009

(l)

 

10.9

%

____________

*        Less than 1%

(a)      Includes 19,750 shares which Mr. Blanchfield may acquire pursuant to options exercisable as of, or within 60 days after, June 2, 2023.

(b)      Includes 826,042 shares which Mr. Connor beneficially owns through Funds of which he is included inan officer.

(c)      Includes 17,750 shares which Ms. Groehl may acquire pursuant to options exercisable as of, or within 60 days after, June 2, 2023.

(d)      Consists of 5,375 shares which Ms. Julian may acquire pursuant to options exercisable as of, or within 60 days after, June 2, 2023.

(e)      See note (d) to the following table.table under “Stock Ownership — Principal Shareholders” for information with respect to these shares.

(f)      Includes 19,250 shares which Mr. Smith may acquire pursuant to options exercisable as of, or within 60 days after, June 2, 2023.

(g)      Includes 5,375 shares which Mr. Thress may acquire pursuant to options exercisable as of, or within 60 days after, June 2, 2023.

(h)      Includes 17,750 shares which Mr. Warshaw may acquire pursuant to options exercisable as of, or within 60 days after, June 2, 2023.

(i)      Consists of 74,250 shares which Mr. Esquivel may acquire pursuant to options exercisable as of, or within 60 days after, June 2, 2023.

(j)      Includes 48,250 shares which Mr. Farabaugh may acquire pursuant to options exercisable as of, or within 60 days after, June 2, 2023.

(k)      Includes 11,000 shares which Mr. Nickel may acquire pursuant to options exercisable as of, or within 60 days after, June 2, 2023.

(l)      Consists of 1,853,259 shares beneficially owned by directors, director nominees and executive officers and 388,750 shares issuable to directors and executive officers upon exercise of options that are exercisable as of June 2, 2023 or will become exercisable within 60 days thereafter.

3

Table of Contents

  
Name of Beneficial Owner Amount and
Nature of
Beneficial
Ownership
 Percent
of Class
Dale Blanchfield  27,000(a)   
Emily J. Groehl  12,009(b)   
Brian E. Shore  1,372,654(c)   6.7
Carl W. Smith  2,875(d)   
Steven T. Warshaw  24,250(e)   
All directors and nominees  1,438,788   7.0
P. Matthew Farabaugh  31,535(f)   
Christopher T. Mastrogiacomo  57,875(g)   
Stephen E. Gilhuley  67,460(h)   
Constantine Petropoulos  2,500(i)   
All directors and executive officers as a group (10 persons)  1,605,783(j)   7.8

*Less than 1%
(a)Includes 18,000 shares which Mr. Blanchfield may acquire pursuant to options.
(b)Includes 11,009 shares which Ms. Groehl may acquire pursuant to options.
(c)See note (e) to the table under “Stock OwnershipPROPOSAL NO. 1 — Principal Shareholders” for information with respect to these shares.
(d)Includes 1,875 shares which Mr. Smith may acquire pursuant to options.
(e)Includes 17,250 shares which Mr. Warshaw may acquire pursuant to options.
(f)Includes 28,250 shares which Mr. Farabaugh may acquire pursuant to options.
(g)Includes 56,875 shares which Mr. Mastrogiacomo may acquire pursuant to options.
(h)Includes 62,750 shares which Mr. Gilhuley may acquire pursuant to options.

(i)Consists of 2,500 shares which Mr. Petropoulos may acquire pursuant to options.
(j)Consists of 1,173,399 shares beneficially owned by directors and executive officers and 432,384 shares issuable to directors and executive officers upon exercise of options that are exercisable as of May 27, 2016 or will become exercisable within 60 days thereafter.

ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

The Board to be elected at the Meeting consists of fiveeight members. Proxies solicited by the Board will be voted in accordance with their terms and, in the absence of contrary instructions, for the election as directors of the nominees whose names appear in the following table, totable. Elected directors will serve for the ensuing yeara one-year term and until their successors are duly elected and qualified.qualified, or until such director’s earlier resignation, retirement or other termination of service. Each nominee has consented to be named in this Proxy Statement and has agreed to serve as a director if elected by the shareholders. If any of the nominees does not remain a candidate at the time of the Meeting (a situation which is not now anticipated), proxies solicited hereunderby the Board will be voted in favor of those nominees who do remain as candidates and may be voted for substituted nominees. Each of the fiveeight nominees who receives a majority of the votes cast online at the Meeting in person or by proxy shall be elected, and abstentions and broker non-votesnon-votes will have no effect on the outcome of the vote.

The Board recommends that shareholders vote “FOR” each of the fiveeight nominees as a director of the Company.

Each of the nominees, except for Shane Connor, is presently a member of the Board.

Name

 

Positions with the Company

 

Age

 

Director
Since

Dale Blanchfield

 

Director

 

85

 

2004

Shane Connor

 

Director Nominee

 

36

 

Emily J. Groehl

 

Director

 

76

 

2010

Yvonne Julian

 

Director

 

70

 

2021

Brian E. Shore

 

Director, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer

 

71

 

1983

Carl W. Smith

 

Director

 

75

 

2015

D. Bradley Thress

 

Director

 

61

 

2021

Steven T. Warshaw

 

Director

 

74

 

2004

   
Name Positions with the Company Age Director Since
Dale Blanchfield Director 78 2004
Emily J. Groehl Director 69 2010
Brian E. Shore Director, Chairman of the Board and
Chief Executive Officer
 64 1983
Carl W. Smith Director 68 2015
Steven T. Warshaw Director 67 2004

Nominees’ Principal Occupations, Business Experience, Qualifications and Directorships

Dale E. Blanchfieldhas been a director of the Company since 2004.2004 and has been the Company’s Lead Independent Director since October 2012. See “Board Leadership Structure — Lead Independent Director” elsewhere in this Proxy Statement. Mr. Blanchfield worked in leadership positions in the U.S. printed circuit board industry continuously from 1958 until his retirement in 2003. From 1990 to 2003, Mr. Blanchfield was President of the Electronics Division of The Bureau of Engraving Inc., a manufacturer of specialized, high-volume,high- volume, high layer count printed circuit boards, located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. During his career, Mr. Blanchfield has traveled extensively internationally and established a number of manufacturing partnerships, on behalf of The Bureau of Engraving, with companies in Singapore, Taiwan and China. Mr. Blanchfield was a director of The Bureau of Engraving Inc. from 2003 to December 2009. Mr. Blanchfield’s extensive manufacturing experience in the electronics industry allows him to provide the Board and the Company with insight into the electronics industry,Company’s international activities, as well as its relationships with strategic customers and suppliers.

Shane Connor is the founder and has served as Managing Partner of Huffman Prairie Holdings, LLC, an investment firm focused on small and medium sized businesses, since its founding in whichJuly 2018. He also served as the Company sells its printed circuit materials products.President and Managing Partner of Windancer Holdings, LLC, a family office, since January 2022. Previously, Mr. Connor served as an Analyst for The Catalyst Group, Inc., a private equity firm, from July 2017 to July 2018, and Bares Capital Management, Inc., an employee-owned asset management firm, from 2015 to 2017. Prior to 2015, he served as an Equity Research Analyst at River Road Asset Management, LLC, an institutional asset management firm, from 2010 to 2015. Mr. Connor is a Chartered Financial Analyst, and he graduated from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration.

Emily J. Groehlhas been a director of the Company since May 2010. Ms. Groehl retired as Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing of the Company in June 2005 after 20 years of service to the Company. Ms. Groehl served as Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing of the Company from May 1999 until her retirement. From June 1985, when Ms. Groehl joined the Company, until May 1999, she held a number of positions of increasing responsibility within the Company. Prior to joining the Company, Ms. Groehl had been National Sales Manager of Polyclad Laminates, Inc. from 1980 to 1985, after beginning her career in the printed circuitelectronics materials industry in 1969 with Atlantic Laminates,

4

Table of Contents

and continuing with Oak Industries, which acquired Atlantic Laminates, until 1980. Ms. Groehl’s background with the Company and extensive experience in the global electronics industry enable her to provide the Board and the Company with insight into that industry and to offer valuable perspectives on the Company’s operations, culture and corporate planning and budgeting and on its marketing and sales efforts and programs.

Yvonne Julian has been a director of the Company since May 2021. Ms. Julian enjoyed a 36-year career with The Dow Chemical Company from which she retired in 2015. Yvonne started her career at Dow in 1979 as a Research Assistant working on projects related to preparing Dow to enter the polycarbonate market. She began her Dow sales career as a Trainee and Sales Representative in 1983. Ms. Julian was promoted to Global Account Executive in 1990 and served in positions of increasing responsibility until her retirement. In each of these positions, Ms. Julian was responsible for the Company’s account with Dow, and in such capacity, worked seamlessly with Park on joint strategies, new products and other matters. Prior to joining The Dow Chemical Company, Ms. Julian was a Laboratory Technician with the Institute of Gas Technology, and previously held a similar position with the McCrone Research Institute, both located in the Chicago, Illinois area. Today, Ms. Julian serves as Vice President and member of the Executive Leadership Team of the Greenville Center for Creative Arts. She previously served on the board of directors of Hightowers Petroleum Company. Ms. Julian received a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry with honors from the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, Illinois, and a Master of Business Administration degree in Operations Management from Golden Gate University in San Francisco, California. Ms. Julian’s decades of experience in the industrial materials and chemicals industries and her experience working with Park as a customer enable her to provide the Board and the Company with important insights into the aerospace composite materials and structures industries.

Brian E. Shorehas been a director of the Company since 1983, Chief Executive Officer since 1996 and Chairman of the Board since July 2004. He was also President of the Company from 1996 until July 28, 2014, when he was succeeded by Christopher T. Mastrogiacomo, the current President of the Company.2014. Mr. Shore


has been an employee of the Company since 1988. As the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Shore brings to the Board significant senior leadership and financial, business and industry experience. As Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Shore has direct responsibility for the Company’s strategy and operations. Mr. Shore has significant executive experience with the strategic, financial, and operational requirements of the Company and extensive and intimate knowledge of the Company and its operations, personnel and financial resources.

Mr. Shore brings tremendous knowledge of the Company and the global electronics and aerospace industriesindustry to the Board. In addition, he brings his broad strategic vision for the Company to the Board. Mr. Shore’s service as the Chairman of the Board and the Chief Executive Officer of the Company creates a critical link between management and the Board, enabling the Board to perform its oversight function with the benefits of management’s perspectives on the Company’s business. In addition, having the Chief Executive Officer, and Mr. Shore in particular, on the Board provides the Company with ethical, decisive and effective leadership.

Carl W. Smithhas been a director of the Company since July 2015. Mr. Smith has many years of manufacturing and management experience in the aerospace composite materials industry. Mr. Smith provided consulting services to the Company from 2009 to 2012, primarily for the Company’s aerospace composite materials, structures and assemblies business in Newton, Kansas. From 2000 to 2006,2007, Mr. Smith was associated withemployed by Reinhold Industries, Inc., a manufacturer of structural and other components for the aircraft and aerospace industries, including composite seats, where, from 2004 to 2007, he was Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer, working primarily on aircraft composite seat manufacturing and Federal Aviation Administration certification of laminate manufacturing and testing; and from 2000 to 2004, he was Chief Executive Officer of Samuel Bingham Enterprises, Inc., a subsidiary of Reinhold Industries and a manufacturer of rubber and urethane rolls to the graphic arts and industrial markets. From 1983 to 1998, he held various management and technical positions with Fiberite, Inc., the predecessor of Cytec Fiberite Inc., a subsidiary of Cytec Industries, Inc. and both manufacturers of advanced composite materials for the aerospace, commercial and recreational markets. He was President and Chief Operating Officer of Fiberite, Inc. from 1995 to 1997, when it was acquired by Cytec Industries, and he was Vice President of Operations of Cytec Fiberite, Inc. from 1997 to 1998. In 1994 and 1995, he was President of ICI Composites, Inc., the predecessor of Fiberite, Inc. and a subsidiary of Imperial Chemical Industries; and from 1983 to 1994, he held various management and technical positions with ICI and Fiberite. From 1976 to 1983, he held various technical positions with Martin Marietta Corporation, General Dynamics Convair and Composite Optics, Inc. Mr. Smith provided consulting services to the Company from 2009 to 2012, primarily for the Company’s aerospace composite materials, parts and assemblies business unit in Newton, Kansas; and in 2006 and 2007 heMr. Smith served as Vice President of Advanced Composite Operations of the Company. He first joined the Company in April 1998 as Vice President of Operations of the Company and Chief Operating Officer of Nelco International Corporation, a wholly-ownedwholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, and was elected Senior Vice President of North American Operations of the Company in May 1999, a position which he held until March 2000. From 1983 to 1998, Mr. Smith held various management and technical positions with Fiberite, Inc., a composite materials company, and its parent company ICI Composites, Inc.. Mr. Smith was President and Chief Operating Officer of Fiberite, Inc. from 1995 to 1997, when the company was purchased by Cytec Industries, Inc., a manufacturer of advanced composite materials for the aerospace, military, commercial and recreational markets now owned by Solvay S.A. Mr. Smith stayed on as Vice President of Operations for the acquired company, renamed Cytec Fiberite, Inc., from 1997 to 1998. From 1976 to 1983, he held various technical positions with Martin Marietta Corporation, General Dynamics Convair and

5

Table of Contents

Composite Optics, Inc. Mr. Smith’s twenty years of broad and extensive background and experience in the aerospace advanced composite materials industry, and in the manufacturing operations of aerospace composite materials manufacturers, enable him to provide the Board and the Company with insight into the aerospace advanced composite materials industry, in whichindustry.

D. Bradley Thress has been a director of the Company participates,since February 2021. Mr. Thress is President and Chief Executive Officer of FlightSafety International, located in Melville, New York, and has served in that capacity since February of 2020. FlightSafety International, a Berkshire Hathaway company, is the world’s pre-eminent professional pilot training company. FlightSafety operates learning centers in 11 countries, employs over 1,800 highly experienced professional instructors and offers more than 4,000 courses for pilots, technicians, flight attendants and dispatchers. From 1992 through February 2020, Mr. Thress worked for Textron Aviation and held a number of key positions at that company, including Senior Vice President of Global Parts, Programs and Flight Operations, Senior Vice President of Engineering, Senior Vice President of Business Jets and Senior Vice President of Customer Service. Mr. Thress started at Textron Aviation as a Demonstration Pilot. Textron Aviation, which is a subsidiary of Textron, Inc., is a world leading manufacturer of business jets, turboprops and other aircraft. From 1984 to assist1992, Mr. Thress served in the United States Air Force as a T-38A Instructor Pilot, a KC-135R Aircraft Commander and a T-38A and AT-38B Detachment Commander, among other positions. Mr. Thress received a Bachelor of Engineering Science and Mechanics degree from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee and a Master of Business Administration degree from Baker University in Overland Park, Kansas. Mr. Thress’ broad and extensive background and experience in the aircraft industry will enable him to provide the Board and the Company as it continues to makewith important insights into the aerospace a major area of business focus in addition to electronics.industry generally.

Steven T. Warshawhas been a director of the Company since 2004. Mr. Warshaw was Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of M Cubed Technologies, Inc., a manufacturer of ceramic materials for semiconductor equipment and armor applications, in Monroe, Connecticut from July 2002 to October 2005 and President, Hexcel Schwebel Division, Hexcel Corporation, a supplier of specialized fabrics for reinforcement of laminates used in printed circuit boards and in commercial aerospace, recreation and other industrial applications, in Anderson, South Carolina, from April 2000 to November 2001. Hexcel Schwebel was and is a supplier of raw materials to the Company. Prior to 2000, Mr. Warshaw was Senior Vice President, World Wide Sales and Marketing, of Photronics, Inc., a manufacturer of photomasks used to transfer circuit patterns onto semi-conductorsemi-conductor wafers, in Brookfield, Connecticut, from February 1999 to April 2000 and President, Olin Microelectronic Materials, a supplier of advanced chemicals and related products, in Norwalk, Connecticut, from January 1996 to January 1999. Prior to 1996, Mr. Warshaw worked in numerous financial and management leadership positions with Olin Corporation (including Vice President, Strategic Development and Finance of Olin Chemicals Group, Vice President and General Manager of Olin Performance Urethanes,


and President of Olin CIBA-GeigyCIBA-Geigy (OCG) Microelectronic Materials). After his election as a director of the Company in 2004, theThe Board has determined that Mr. Warshaw wasis an “audit committee financial expert” as defined in the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Mr. Warshaw has beenwas a director of NN, Inc. from 1997 to May 2021, and he was chair of the present.compensation committee of the board of directors and a member of the audit committee of the board of directors of NN, Inc. Mr. Warshaw has extensive experience with corporate management, financial and accounting matters, evaluating financial results and overseeing the financial reporting process of a publicly owned corporation. In addition, his experience with Hexcel Corporation enables him to provide the Board and the Company with insight into the electronics and aerospace industries into which the Company sells its products.industry.

There are no family relationships among any of the nominees named above or among any of such nominees and any of the other executive officers of the Company.

The Company was not during the 20162023 fiscal year, and is not, engaged in any transaction with Dale Blanchfield, Shane Connor, Emily J. Groehl, Yvonne Julian, Carl W. Smith, D. Bradley Thress or Steven T. Warshaw, except Ms. Groehl provided consulting services toWarshaw.

Director Independence

The Board believes that at least a majority of the directors on the Board should be independent. The Board recently undertook its annual review of director independence in accordance with the applicable rules of the New York Stock Exchange. The independence rules include a series of objective tests, including that the director is not employed by the Company forand has not engaged in various types of business dealings with the Company. In addition, the Board is required to make a subjective determination that no relationship exists which, in the Company paid consulting fees to Ms. Groehl, as described below under “Director Independence”.opinion of the Board, would

Director Independence

6

Table of Contents

interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director. The Board has determined that the following current directors and/or nominees have no material relationships with the Company and are “independent” as required by and as defined in the director independence standards of the New York Stock Exchange: Dale Blanchfield, Shane Connor, Emily J. Groehl, Yvonne Julian, Carl W. Smith, D. Bradley Thress and Steven T. Warshaw. In addition, the Board had previously determined that former director Peter Maurer was independent under the New York Stock Exchange standards. In determining that Ms. Groehl is “independent”, the Board considered the fact that she provided consulting services to the Company during the Company’s fiscal years ended February 28, 2016 and March 2, 2014 for which the Company paid consulting fees to Ms. Groehl in the amounts of $1,450 and $2,715, respectively. Brian E. Shore does not satisfy such independence standards because he is an employee of the Company.

Board Committees

The Company’s Audit Committee currently consists of Dale Blanchfield, Emily J. Groehl, Carl W. Smith and Steven T. Warshaw.Warshaw, with Mr. Smith as Chair of such Committee. The Board of Directors has determined that Mr. Warshaw is an “audit committee financial expert” as defined in rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission and that each of Messrs. Blanchfield, Smith and Warshaw and Ms. Groehl is “independent” as required by and as defined in the audit committee independence standards of the Securities and Exchange Commission and of the New York Stock Exchange.Exchange and has sufficient knowledge in reading and understanding financial statements to serve on the Audit Committee. The designation as an “audit committee financial expert” does not impose on such person any duties, responsibilities, obligations or liabilities that are greater than those which are generally imposed on each member of the Audit Committee and the Board, and such designation does not affect the duties, responsibilities, obligations or liabilities of any other member of the Committee or the Board. The duties and responsibilities of the Audit Committee are set forth in a written charter of such Committee first adopted by the Board in July 2000 and subsequently amended and restated in May 2004, and are described elsewhere in this Proxy Statement under the caption “Other Matters — Audit Committee Report”. The Audit Committee also issues the Audit Committee Report required to be included in the Company’s Proxy Statement by rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Audit Committee Report for the Company’s 20162023 fiscal year is set forth elsewhere in this Proxy Statement under the caption “Other Matters — Audit Committee Report”.

The Company has a Compensation Committee and a Stock Option Committee each currently consisting of Dale Blanchfield, Emily J. Groehl, Carl W. Smith and Steven T. Warshaw. Ms. Groehl is Chair of the Compensation Committee, and Mr. Warshaw is Chair of the Stock Option Committee. Each member of the Compensation and Stock Option Committees is “independent” as required by and as defined in the compensation committee independence standards of the New York Stock Exchange. The functions of the Compensation and Stock Option Committees are set forth in written charters of such Committees adopted by the Board, and such functions are described elsewhere in this Proxy Statement under the caption “Executive“Named Executive Officer Compensation — Compensation Discussion and Analysis — Board Process”.

The Company has a Nominating Committee currently consisting of Dale Blanchfield, Emily J. Groehl, Yvonne Julian, Carl W. Smith and Steven T. Warshaw.Warshaw, with Mr. Warshaw as Chair of such Committee. The functions of the Nominating Committee, which areinclude to identify and recommend to the Board of Directors individuals qualified to serve as directors of the Company and on committees of the Board and to oversee the evaluation of the Board and the Company’s management, are set forth in a written charter of such Committee adopted by the Board. The Nominating Committee recommended to the Board, and the Board nominated, Dale Blanchfield, Shane Connor, Emily J. Groehl, Yvonne Julian, Brian E. Shore, Carl W. Smith, D. Bradley Thress and Steven T. Warshaw as nominees for election as directors at the Meeting.


On April 20, 2023, the Company entered into a Cooperation Agreement with Huffman Prairie Holdings, LLC, and related entities under which the Company agreed, among other things, to nominate Mr. Connor for election as a Director of the Company at the Company’s 2023 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. The Cooperation Agreement was filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Form 8-K Current Report dated April 20, 2023.

The Company has a Corporate Governance Committee currently consisting of Dale Blanchfield, Emily J. Groehl, Yvonne Julian, Carl W. Smith and Steven T. Warshaw.Warshaw, with Mr. Blanchfield as Chair of such Committee. The functions of the Corporate Governance Committee, which areinclude to advise the Board of Directors with respect to Board composition, procedures and committees and to develop and recommend to the Board a set ofproposed changes to the Company’s corporate governance principles applicable to the Company,and policies, are set forth in a written charter of such Committee adopted by the Board.

Each member of the Compensation, Stock Option, Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees is “independent” as required by and as defined in the director independence standards of the New York Stock Exchange.

7

Table of Contents

The charters of the Audit, Compensation, Stock Option, Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees are available on the Company’s web site atwww.parkelectro.comwww.parkaerospace.com under the caption “Shareholders — Charters and Codes” as required by rules of the New York Stock Exchange. In addition, the charters of such Committees are available in print to any shareholder upon request submitted to the Corporate Secretary at the Company’s office at 48 South Service1400 Old Country Road, Melville,Westbury, New York 11747.11590.

During the Company’s last fiscal year, the Board met fiveseven times and authorized action by unanimous written consent on sixnine occasions, the Audit Committee met seven times, the Compensation Committee authorized action by unanimous written consent on one occasion, the Stock Option Committee met threefive times and authorized action by unanimous written consent on one occasion, the Nominating Committee met once, the Corporate Governance Committee met once, the Compensation Committee met once, the Stock Option Committee met twice and authorized action by unanimous written consent on one occasion, the Corporate Governance Committee met once, and the non-managementindependent directors met in executive session without management twice.one time. At each meeting of the non-managementindependent directors, the Lead Independent Director presides. The functions of the Lead Independent Director are described elsewhere in this Proxy Statement under the caption “Election of Directors — Board“Board Leadership Structure”. Each of the directors attended more than 75% of all of the meetings held by the Board and each committee thereof of which such director was a member during the Company’s last fiscal year.

The Board’s Role in Risk Oversight

One of the Board’s functions is oversight of risk management. “Risk” is inherent in business, and the Board seeks to understand and advise on risk in conjunction with the activities of the Board and the Board’s committees. Management of the Company is responsible for identifying risk and risk controls related to significant business activities; mapping the risks to Company strategy; and developing programs and recommendations to determine the sufficiency of risk identification, the balance of potential risk to potential reward, and the appropriate manner in which to control risk. The Board implements its risk oversight responsibilities by having management provide periodic briefings on the significant voluntary and involuntary risks that the Company faces and how the Company is seeking to manage risk. In some cases, as with risks of new technology and risks related to product acceptance, risk oversight is addressed as part of the Board’s oversight of business and strategic developments. In other cases, a Board committee is responsible for oversight of specific risk topics. The Audit Committee oversees issues related to internal control over financial reporting, the Compensation Committee reviews risks that may be implicated by the Company’s compensation programs, as discussed below, and the Corporate Governance Committee oversees risks related to governance policies and practices. The Board and Board committees generally discuss relevant risks and risk control; and the Board members assess and oversee the risks as a part of their review of the related business, financial, or other activities of the Company. In addition, the Board receives presentations during the year from management regarding specific potential risks and trends as necessary. At each Board meeting, the Chief Executive Officer addresses matters of particular importance or concern, including any significant areas of risk requiring Board attention. The Board believes that the practices described above, and the current leadership structure, facilitate effective Board oversight of the Company’s significant risks.

Risk Assessment in Compensation Programs

The Board has assessed the Company’s compensation programs and has concluded that the Company’s compensation policies and practices do not create risks that are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company.


Board Leadership Structure

Chairman of the Board.Brian E. Shore has served as the Company’s Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer since 2004. The Board believes that having a combined Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer and independent members of the Board, with a lead independent director, provides the best board leadership structure for the Company. This structure, together with the Company’s other corporate governance practices, provides independent oversight of management while ensuring clear strategic alignment throughout the Company. Specifically, Mr. Shore proposes strategic priorities to the Board, communicates itsthe Board’s guidance to management, and is ultimately responsible for implementing the Company’s key strategic initiatives. The Board has determined that this leadership structure is optimal for the Company because it provides the Company with strong and consistent leadership. Given the current regulatory and market environments, the Board believes that having one leader serving as both the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer provides decisive and effective leadership.

8

Table of Contents

Lead Independent Director.  DuringDale Blanchfield has served as the Company’s 2013 fiscal year, the Board amendedLead Independent Director since October 2012. Pursuant to the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines, to provide thatas amended, the independent directors of the Board will annually elect by majority vote a Lead Independent Director, who may be removed or replaced at any time with or without cause by a majority of the independent directors, and the independent directors of the Board elected Dale Blanchfield as the Lead Independent Director.

Pursuant to the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines, as amended, thedirectors. The Lead Independent Director has the authority to call meetings of the non-managementnon-management directors or the independent directors; develops agendas for meetings of the non-managementnon-management directors or independent directors in consultation with the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer; presides at all meetings of the non-managementnon- management directors or independent directors; provides input on the agenda for meetings of the Board; leads the independent directors in the annual evaluation of the performance of the Chief Executive Officer and communicates that evaluation to the Chief Executive Officer; consults with the Chairman on other matters that are pertinent to the Board and the Company; and has such other powers and responsibilities as requested by the Board.

Annual Meeting Attendance

It is the Company’s policy that all directors are invited to and encouraged to attend Annual Meetings of Shareholders, and all the members of the Board of Directors attended the Annual Meeting of Shareholders held virtually on July 21, 2015.19, 2022.

Director Compensation

Each director who is not an employee of the Company or any of its subsidiaries receives a fee of $22,000$25,000 per annum for services as a director; the Lead Independent Director receives aan additional fee of $7,000 per annum for services as such Director;director; each member of the Audit Committee, other than the Chairman of the Committee, receives a fee of $2,000 per annum for services as a member of the Committee, and the Chairman of the Audit Committee receives a fee of $4,000 per annum for services as Chairman of the Committee; each member of the Compensation Committee receives a fee of $2,000 per annum for services as a member of such Committee; and each Directordirector and each Committee member is reimbursed for travel expenses incurred in attending meetings of the Board and of Committees of the Board.

On July 21, 2015, Mr. Smith received Each director may also receive a non-qualified stock option for 7,500 sharesgrant in the discretion of Common Stock at an exercise price of $17.96 per share under the Company’s 2002 Stock Option Plan; on January 12, 2016, Mr. Blanchfield received a non-qualifiedCommittee. The Company does not provide stock option for 5,000 shares of Common Stock at an exercise price of $14.48 per share under the Company’s 2002 stock Option Plan; and on January 12, 2016, Messrs. Smith and Warshaw and Ms. Groehl each received a non-qualified stock option for 3,000 shares of Common Stock at an exercise price of $14.48 per share under the Company’s 2002 Stock Option Plan. The option granted to Mr. Smith on July 21, 2015 expires on July 21, 2025, and each of the aforementioned options granted on January 12, 2016 expires on January 12, 2026; and each of the aforementioned options is exercisable 25 percent after one year from date of grant, 50 percent after two years from date of grant, 75 percent after three years from date of grant and 100 percent after four years from date of grant. In the event that the service of an optionee as a director of the Company is terminated during the term of the option, the option may be exercised by the optionee, to the extent the optionee was entitled to do so on the date of such termination, until


(1) one year following the director’s ceasing to serve as a director of the Company on account of disability, (2) six months following the director’s ceasing to serve as a director of the Company on account of death,awards, non-equity incentive plan compensation or (3) three months following the director’s ceasing to be a director for any other reason, but in no event after the date on which the option would otherwise expire; provided, however, if the director is removed as a director for cause or ceases to be a director without the Company’s consent, the option will terminate immediately.non-qualified deferred compensation earnings.

The following table shows all the compensation paid by the Company for the most recent fiscal year, March 2, 2015February 28, 2022 to February 28, 2016,26, 2023 for each of the directors of the Company, other than Brian E. Shore. Mr. Shore did not receive any compensation in his capacity as a director. Mr. Shore’s compensation is set forth elsewhere in this Proxy Statement under the caption “Executive“Named Executive Officer Compensation — Summary Compensation Table”.

Name

 

Fees
Earned or
Paid in
Cash
($)

 

Option
Awards
($)
(a)

 

Total

Dale Blanchfield

 

$

36,000

 

$

9,520

 

$

45,520

Emily J. Groehl

 

$

29,000

 

$

9,520

 

$

38,520

Yvonne Julian

 

$

25,000

 

$

9,520

 

$

34,520

Carl W. Smith

 

$

31,000

 

$

9,520

 

$

40,520

D. Bradley Thress

 

$

25,000

 

$

9,520

 

$

34,520

Steven T. Warshaw

 

$

29,000

 

$

9,520

 

$

38,520

__________

(a)      The amounts in this column are the grant date fair values of stock options granted to each of the named directors during or for the 2023 fiscal year, estimated at the date of grant using the Black- Scholes option- pricing model with the following assumptions: a risk-free interest rate of 2.70%, based on U.S. Treasury rates at the date of grant with maturity dates approximately equal to the estimated term of the options at the date of grant; expected volatility of 28.21%, based on historical volatility of the Company’s common stock; expected dividend yield of 3.32%, based on the regular quarterly cash dividend per share most recently declared by the Company; an estimated 8.09 year term of the options, based on evaluations of the historical and expected future employee exercise behavior; and on the exercise price of $12.06 of the option granted. These amounts do not correspond to the actual value that will be realized by the directors if and when they exercise the options. At February 26, 2023, the end of the Company’s last fiscal year, Mr. Blanchfield held outstanding stock options for 25,000 shares of Common Stock, Ms. Groehl held outstanding stock options for 23,000 shares of Common Stock,

9

Table of Contents

   
Name Fees Earned
or Paid
in Cash
($)
 Option Awards
($)(a)
 Total
($)
Dale Blanchfield $35,000  $17,800  $52,800 
Emily J. Groehl  22,000   10,680   32,680 
Peter Maurer (b)  13,000   0   13,000 
Carl W. Smith  15,475   47,880   63,355 
Steven T. Warshaw  26,000   10,680   36,680 

Ms. Julian held outstanding stock options for 12,500 shares of Common Stock, Mr. Shore held outstanding stock options for 215,000 shares of Common Stock (see the Summary Compensation Table below), Mr. Smith held outstanding stock options for 24,500 shares of Common Stock, Mr. Thress held outstanding stock options for 12,500 shares of Common Stock, and Mr. Warshaw held outstanding stock options for 23,000 shares of Common Stock.

Director Stock Ownership Guideline

During the Company’s 2013 fiscal year, the Board resolved that after a reasonable period of time each director should own approximately 1,000 or more shares of Common Stock. All the directors who were elected prior to 2021 satisfy such guideline.

10

(a)The amounts in this column are the grant date fair values of stock options granted to each of the named directors during the 2016 fiscal year, estimated at the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model with the assumptions described in Note 5 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 of Part II of the Company’s Form 10-K Annual Report for the fiscal year ended February 28, 2016 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (disregarding estimates of forfeitures for service-based vesting). These amounts do not correspond to the actual value that will be realized by the named directors if and when they exercise the options. At February 28, 2016, the end of the Company’s last fiscal year, Mr. Blanchfield held outstanding stock options for 27,500 shares of Common Stock, Ms. Groehl held outstanding stock options for 18,509 shares of Common Stock, Mr. Smith held outstanding stock options for 10,500 shares of Common Stock, and Mr. Warshaw held outstanding stock options for 24,750 shares of Common Stock.
(b)Mr. Maurer was a director of the Company during the fiscal year ended February 28, 2016 until the Annual Meeting of Shareholders on July 21, 2015.

Table of Contents

NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICER COMPENSATION

Compensation Discussion and Analysis

General.The Company’s compensation of its named executive officers is composed of annual base salary, annual discretionary cash bonus, annual stock option grant, and the annual profit sharing portion ofcontribution under the Company’s Employees’ Profit Sharing and 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan (the “Profit Sharing Plan”). and modest perquisites. The Company does not have employment agreements or employment termination or severance agreements or change-of-controlchange-of-control agreements with any of its executive officers, other than (i) a provision in the Company’s 2002 Stock Option Plan that in the event of a “Change in Control”, as defined in such Plan, any outstanding options will become fully exercisable and (ii) a provision in the Company’s 2018 Stock option Plan that in the event of “Change of Control”, as defined in such Plan, the Stock Option Committee may take such actions as it deems appropriate to provide for accelerated vesting of outstanding unvested options unless the successor or anyacquirer company assumes or substitutes the options outstanding under the Plan with successor or acquirer options equal in value to options outstanding at the time of its other employees.the “Change of Control” in which case accelerated vesting will occur only upon involuntary termination of employment without “Cause”, as defined in such Plan, or voluntary termination of employment for “Good Reason”, as defined in such Plan, within one year after the “Change of Control”, all as described under “Named Executive Officer Compensation — Employment, Severance and Change-in- Control Agreements” elsewhere in this Proxy Statement. The Compensation Committee of the Board fully supports and endorses this compensation structure, which is designed to provide fair current income to the Company’s named executive officers, a discretionary cash award for individual and enterprise performance, equity participation in the Company’s long-termlong-term performance as assessed by the capital markets in which the Company’s common stock is traded and participation in the Company’s profits through discretionary awards to the Profit Sharing Plan.

The Company’s compensation of its executive officers is intended to be competitive with the compensation of executive officers at comparable companies, except for the compensation of the Chief Executive Officer, who has declined to accept the Compensation Committee’s offer of a bonus and a salary increase each year since the Company’s 2001 fiscal year, except for bonuses for the 2008 through 2014 fiscal years, which he donated in their entirety to charity. However, itIt is difficult for the Company to ascertain meaningful comparisons because the Company has few, if any, peer-grouppeer-group companies which disclose compensation information since most of its competitors are privately owned or are divisions or business units


or subsidiaries of larger publicly owned companies which do not disclose compensation information about the officers of the divisions, business units or subsidiaries of the companies that would serve as a basis for comparison. The Company’s compensation of its senior management is also intended to align management’s incentives with the long-termlong-term interests of the Company’s shareholders and to be fair and equitable to the individual and to the Company’s employees and shareholders.

The Compensation and Stock Option Committees determine specific amounts of salary increases, if any, bonuses, if any, and stock option awards, if any, based generally on the Chief Executive Officer’s and the Committees’ subjective view of the Company’s results of operations, the overall performance of each individual, any changes in functional responsibility, promotions, the significance of the individual’s position to the Company, the individual’s experience and expertise, information gathered informally as to compensation levels of comparable companies in the same geographic location as the Company and the Company’s overall results of operations.

The Compensation Committee does not consider specific items of corporate or individual performance, other than the Company’s overall results of operations, in setting compensation policies and making compensation decisions. Consequently, specific forms of compensation are not structured and implemented to reflect any specific performance items. In addition, there are no target levels with respect to certain performance-relatedperformance-related factors, and the Committee does not utilize or consider any pre-determinedpre-determined or other objective criteria.

The Company and the Compensation Committee informally gather information as to compensation levels of comparable companies in the same geographic location as the Company, but the Company does not engage in benchmarking total compensation or any element of compensation. The Company’s conduct in informally gathering information is not an active or organized process. It consists primarily of the Committee members’ and the Chief Executive Officer’s receipt of anecdotal information, proxy statements of other companies, which they receive because of their personal investments or otherwise, and information in newspapers, magazines and other publications. The Committee and the Chief Executive Officer consider this information in an informal way to assist them in understanding the state of the market for executive talent generally and in their deliberations and efforts to provide fair and equitable compensation to the Company’s executive officers and other employees.

11

Table of Contents

The amounts of compensation awarded for each element of the Company’s compensation program (i.e., salary increases, bonuses and stock options) are subjective and not based on any formula or any pre-determinedpre- determined or other objective criteria. The Compensation Committee’s subjective assessments of the Company’s “overall”overall results of operations include the Company’s gross operating margins, operating income, net income and net income.earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. The Committee’s assessment of an executive’s “overall”overall performance may include such performance factors as leadership qualities, intensity of efforts, cost containment efforts and the success of product promotions. These qualitative inputs are not translated into objective pay determinations for the amounts of salary increases, bonuses or stock option grants.

Base Salaries.  Salaries.    Salaries of executive officers are determined based on the significance of the position to the Company, individual experience and expertise, individual performance and information gathered informally as to compensation levels of comparable companies in the same geographic location as the Company, except the salary of the Chief Executive Officer, who has declined to accept the Compensation Committee’s offer of a salary increase each year since the Company’s 2001 fiscal year.year and has voluntarily reduced his salary since the 2019 fiscal year, as described below. The Compensation Committee reviews the salary of each executive officer annually and makes adjustments as appropriate, taking into account the recommendations of the Chief Executive Officer.

The Compensation Committee generally provides annual increases in base salaries to compensate for general inflation and cost-of-livingcost-of-living increases and occasional, special increases as a result of changes in functional responsibility, promotions, extraordinary efforts, or special accomplishments and the other factors described elsewhere in this “Compensation Discussion and Analysis”.

In November 2014,As previously reported by the Company, the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Brian E. Shore, voluntarily reduced his annual salary from $250,000 to $220,000 for the 2021 fiscal year, and he has continued this voluntary salary reduction for the 2022, 2023 and 2024 fiscal years, after voluntarily reducing his annual salary from $357,760 to $250,000 for the 2019 fiscal year and continuing this voluntary salary reduction for the 2020 fiscal year. Mr. Shore reduced his salary by 20% for an indefinite period as$10,700 during the 2022 fiscal year fourth quarter to offset the cost of a gesture of solidarity with theNew Year’s bonus paid to employees of the Company’s Nelco Products, Inc.Company in appreciation of their dedication and Neltec, Inc. business units in Fullerton, California and Tempe, Arizona who were working reduced hours or four-day work weeks in responsecommitment to the weak marketCompany. As stated in North Americathe Current Report on Form 8-K filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 10, 2020, Mr. Shore’s voluntary $30,000 reduction of his annual salary in the 2021 fiscal year was intended to pay for the Company’s high-end electronic materials


products, and the four other executive officersportion of the Company identifiedincrease, in the “Summary Compensation Table” elsewhere in this Proxy Statement voluntarily reduced their salaries by 10%. Such salary reductions, other than the Chief Executive Officer’s salary reduction, were discontinued effective January 5, 2015, and such salaries were restored effective as of that datefiscal year, to the amounts that existed immediately prior to such reductions; and as a resultcost of the restoration, effective January 5, 2015,Company’sl medical insurance plan which otherwise would need to be paid for by the Company’s employees through increases to their weekly medical insurance plan contributions. Mr. Shore did not want the Company’s employees to pay more for their medical insurance coverage. Mr. Shore reduced his salary by $5,200 during the 2023 fiscal year fourth quarter to offset the cost of a Christmas bonus paid to employees of the salaries and full work weeks of the Company’s Nelco Products, Inc. and Neltec, Inc. employees, the Chief Executive Officer discontinued his salary reduction, effective March 2, 2015.Company.

Discretionary Annual Bonuses.  Bonuses.    Decisions as to the award of annual cash bonuses to executive officers with respect to each fiscal year are made after the close of the fiscal year. The amount awarded to each executive officer is based on the Company’s overall performance, individual performance, base salary level, bonuses paid in prior years and overall equity and fairness, except the Chief Executive Officer, who has declined to accept the Compensation Committee’s offer of a bonus each year since the Company’s 2001 fiscal year, except for bonuses for the 2008 through 2014 fiscal years, which he donated in their entirety to charity.

The amounts of bonuses for other named executive officers are based on the Chief Executive Officer’s subjective assessments of the individual’s overall performance and the other factors described elsewhere in this “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” and his recommendations to the Compensation Committee, which the Committee then reviews with the Chief Executive Officer.Officer and approves as appropriate.

Equity Compensation.  Compensation.    The only form of equity compensation that the Company has awarded consists of incentive stock options and non-qualifiednon-qualified stock options under the Company’s stock option plans.

The Stock Option Committee determines the timing of the grant of options and the number of options that it considers appropriate for each executive officer and other key employees of the Company. With the exception of significant promotions and significant new hires, the Stock Option Committee generally grants stock options under the Company’s Stock Option Planplan once each year following the availability to the Stock Option Committee of the financial results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries for the prior fiscal year, the business plans of the Company’s subsidiariesCompany for the current fiscal year the option grant recommendationsand

12

Table of the presidents of the Company’s subsidiaries and the evaluation of such recommendations by the senior management of the Company and Contents

the recommendations of the Chief Executive Officer of the Company. The Stock Option Committee provides annual stock option grants based generally on the individual’s position in the Company, the individual’s salary level, the amounts of grants in the past and the total amount expected to be expensed by the Company in the fiscal year for stock option grants and, onfor named executive officers other than the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Executive Officer’s subjective view of the individual’s overall performance, and the other factors described elsewhere in this “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” and his recommendations to the Committee, which the Committee then reviews with the Chief Executive Officer. In granting stock options, the Stock Option Committee generally does not consider the equity ownership levels of the recipients. The grants for the 2016 fiscal year to the named executive officers and certain other employees of the Company were made on January 12, 2016. This timing was selected because it enabled the Committee to consider the 2016 fiscal year performance by the Company and the potential recipients. The Stock Option Committee has the sole authority to grant stock options and has not delegated any authority to grant stock options.

The Company has not had, and does not have, a program, plan or practice to select the dates of grants of stock options to executive officers or to any employee or director of the Company in coordination with the release of material non-publicnon-public information. The Company does not plan to time, and it has not previously timed, its release of material non-publicnon-public information for the purpose of affecting the value of executive compensation. In addition, the Company does not have a program, plan or practice of granting stock options and setting the exercise price or prices of such options based on the pricefair market value of the Company’s Common Stock on a date other than the grant date. Pursuant to the terms of the Company’s 2002 Stock Option Plan, which was approved by the shareholders of the Company at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders held on July 17, 2002 and which terminated as to the granting of new awards on May 21, 2018, and the 2018 Stock Option Plan, which was approved by the shareholders of the Company at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders held on July 24, 2018, the purchase price of the Common Stock under each stock option granted by the Company is no less than the fair market value of the Common Stock at the time of grant, which, pursuant to the terms of such Plan,Plans, is the reported closing price of the Common Stock on the New York Stock Exchange on the date preceding the date the option is granted.


Severance Benefits.  Benefits.    The Company does not provide employment termination or severance agreements or change-in-control agreements for its employees and does not have a policy to provide specified severance benefits to employees whose employment is terminated by the Company.Company and does not have employment, termination or severance agreements or change-in-control agreements in place with any of its named executive officers, except for (i) a provision in the Company’s 2002 Stock Option Plan that in the event of a “Change in Control”, as defined in such Plan, any outstanding options will become fully exercisable and (ii) a provision in the Company’s 2018 Stock Option Plan that in the event of “Change of Control”, as defined in such Plan, the Stock Option Committee may take such actions as it deems appropriate to provide for accelerated vesting of outstanding unvested options unless the successor or acquirer company assumes or substitutes the options outstanding under the Plan with successor or acquirer options equal in value to options outstanding at the time of the “Change of Control” in which case accelerated vesting will occur only upon involuntary termination of employment without “Cause”, as defined in such Plan, or voluntary termination of employment for “Good Reason”, as defined in such Plan, within one year after the “Change of Control”, all as described under “Employment, Severance and Change- in-Control Agreements” elsewhere in this Proxy Statement.

Pension Benefits.  Retirement Benefits.    The Board decides annually the amount of the Company’s contribution to the Profit Sharing Plan, which is described elsewhere in this Proxy Statement under the caption “Executive Compensation — Summary“Summary Compensation Table”. The amount of such contribution is discretionary, but may not exceed 25% of the total remuneration paid to eligible employees or such other amount as is allowed under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). Subject to this limit, the Board determines the amount to be contributed for each year based on the Company’s overall performance, the amounts contributed in prior years, the amounts of prior contributions recently forfeited by eligible employees due to termination of employment prior to vesting and recommendations from the Company’s Chief Executive Officer. The Board determined that noSummary Compensation Table sets forth the profit sharing contributions would be made for the benefit of the named executive officers or other employees of the Company for the 20152023, 2022 and 2021 fiscal year, although contributions were made for the employees of certain business units of the Company for the 2015 fiscal year.years.

When the Company calculates overall compensation for its senior management, it considers the benefits expected to be received under the Profit Sharing Plan.

Perquisites and Other Benefits.  Benefits.    The only perquisites for senior managers are the provision of automobiles leased or owned by the Company to certain executive officers and other members of management.

Senior management also participates in the Company’s other employee benefit plans on the same terms as other employees. These plans include medical, and dental insurance and life insurance.

13

Table of Contents

Board Process.  Process.    The Compensation Committee of the Board approves all salary and bonus compensation and the Stock Option Committee of the Board approves all grants of stock options for executive officers. Executive officers include the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer and the three other executive officers named in the “Summary Compensation Table” elsewhere in this Proxy Statement and the Vice President — Aerospace of the Company.Statement. The Compensation Committee and the Stock Option Committee review the performance and compensation of the Chief Executive Officer and, following discussions with him, establish his compensation level. As he has in the past since the Company’s 2001 fiscal year, the Chief Executive Officer Brian E. Shore, declined to accept the Compensation Committee’s offer of a salary increase and, as disclosed elsewhere in this Proxy Statement and as previously reported by the Company, the Chief Executive Officer voluntarily reduced his annual salary from $250,000 to $220,000 for the 2021 fiscal year, ended February 28, 2016.and he has continued this voluntary salary reduction for the 2022 and 2023 fiscal years, after voluntarily reducing his annual salary from $357,760 to $250,000 for the 2019 fiscal year and continuing this voluntary salary reduction for the 2020 fiscal year. The Chief Executive Officer reduced his salary by $10,700 during the 2022 fiscal year fourth quarter to offset the cost of a New Year’s bonus paid to employees of the Company in appreciation of their dedication and commitment to the Company. Mr. Shore reduced his salary by $5,200 during the 2023 fiscal year fourth quarter to offset the cost of a Christmas bonus paid to employees of the Company. For the remainingother executive officers, the Chief Executive Officer makes recommendations to the Compensation Committee and to the Stock Option Committee. The amount of discretionary contributions to the Profit Sharing Plan for each fiscal year is determined by the Board taking into account the recommendations of the Chief Executive Officer.

The Board, the Compensation Committee and the Stock Option Committee, as the case may be, use no set formulas in making their determinations and may ascribe different weight to different factors for each executive officer. The weight ascribed to each factor may vary from year to year.

Deductibility of Executive Compensation.    Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code.  The Board and prohibits the Compensation Committee have reviewed the impactdeduction of Section 162(m) of the Code, which limits the deductibility of certain otherwise deductible compensation in excess of $1 million per year paid to the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer and the other executive officers named in the “Summary Compensation Table”Table for 2023, 2022 and 2021 Fiscal Years” elsewhere in this Proxy Statement. It is the Company’s policy to attempt to design its executive compensation plans and arrangements to be treated as tax deductible compensation wherever, in the judgment of the Board or the Compensation Committee, as the case may be, to do so would be consistent with the objectives of that compensation plan or arrangement. Accordingly, the Board and the Compensation Committee from time to time may consider whether changes in the Company’s compensation plans and arrangements may be appropriate to continue to fulfill the requirements for treatment as tax deductible compensation under the Code.

Shareholder Vote on Executive Compensation.  Compensation.    The Company has considered the results of the most recent shareholder advisory vote on executive compensation required by the Securities and Exchange Commission’s proxy rules in determining its compensation policies and decisions. In light of the high level of support the proposal to approve the compensation of the named executive officers received at the July 21, 201519, 2022 Annual Meeting and at prior Annual Meetings, the Company’s compensation policies and decisions, explained


in detail in this “Compensation Discussion and Analysis”, continue to be designed to focus on pay for performance and to align the long-termlong-term interests of the Company’s executive officers with the long-termlong-term interests of the Company’s shareholders. The Company will include a shareholder vote on executive compensation in its proxy materials each year until the next required vote on the frequency of shareholder votes on executive compensation or until the Company’s Board of Directors otherwise determines that a different frequency is in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders.

Compensation Committee Report

The Compensation Committee has reviewed and discussed the foregoing Compensation Discussion and Analysis with management of the Company; and based on such review and discussion, the Compensation Committee recommended to the Board that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in this Proxy Statement.

Compensation Committee

Emily J. Groehl, Chair

Dale Blanchfield

Carl W. Smith

Steven T. Warshaw

14

Table of Contents

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

All members of the Compensation Committee were independent directors during the 2023 fiscal year, and none of them is, or has been, an employee or officer of the Company, except that Emily Groehl was an employee of the Company prior to 2006 and a consultant of the Company prior to 2020, and Carl Smith was an employee of the Company prior to 2007 and a consultant of the Company prior to 2012. During the 2023 fiscal year, none of the Company’s executive officers served on the compensation committee (or equivalent) or the board of directors of another entity whose executive officers served on the Board or the Compensation Committee.

Summary Compensation Table for 2023, 2022 and 2021 Fiscal Years

The following table shows all the compensation paid by the Company for the last three completed fiscal years for the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, the Company’s Chief Financial Officer, and the three otherCompany’s two next most highly compensated executive officers who were serving in such capacities atcapacity as of the endlast day of the Company’s lastmost recently completed fiscal year, which was February 28, 2016.26, 2023.

Name and Principal Position

 

Year(a)

 

Salary

 

Bonus(b)

 

Option
Awards(c)

 

All Other
Compensation (d) (e)

 

Total

Brian E. Shore

 

2023

 

$

214,800

 

$

 

81,495

 

5,907

 

$

302,202

Chairman of the Board and

 

2022

 

 

209,300

 

 

 

90,000

 

5,869

 

 

305,169

Chief Executive Officer

 

2021

 

 

220,000

 

 

 

65,700

 

6,125

 

 

291,825

P. Matthew Farabaugh

 

2023

 

 

215,130

 

 

22,000

 

35,314

 

6,521

 

 

278,965

Senior Vice President and

 

2022

 

 

211,000

 

 

20,000

 

24,000

 

6,399

 

 

261,399

Chief Financial Officer

 

2021

 

 

206,000

 

 

17,500

 

17,520

 

6,180

 

 

247,200

Mark A. Esquivel

 

2023

 

 

234,500

 

 

27,500

 

54,330

 

7,205

 

 

323,535

President and Chief

 

2022

 

 

230,000

 

 

35,000

 

75,000

 

7,309

 

 

347,309

Operating Officer

 

2021

 

 

220,000

 

 

35,000

 

54,750

 

7,122

 

 

316,872

Cory Nickel

 

2023

 

 

131,295

 

 

25,000

 

35,314

 

4,298

 

 

195,907

Vice President and General Manager(f)

   

 

  

 

      

 

 

      
Name and Principal Position Year
(a)
 Salary Bonus
(b)
 Option Awards
(c)
 All Other
Compensation
(d), (e)
 Total
Brian E. Shore (f)
Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer
  2016  $357,760  $  $124,600  $  $482,360 
  2015   336,368   0   284,900   0   621,268 
  2014   357,760   40,000   323,400   5,865   727,025 
P. Matthew Farabaugh (g)
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
  2016   184,070      35,600      217,839 
  2015   175,483   16,000   73,260   0   264,743 
  2014   178,150   20,000   73,920   4,557   276,627 
Christopher T. Mastrogiacomo (h)
President and Chief Operating Officer
  2016   360,325      97,900      454,641 
  2015   329,433   50,000   162,800   0   542,233 
  2014   310,287   50,000   138,600   5,865   504,752 
Stephen E. Gilhuley
Executive Vice President –  Administration and Secretary
  2016   230,018      35,600      263,330 
  2015   219,282   17,500   73,260   0   310,042 
  2014   222,612   18,000   101,640   5,695   347,947 
Constantine Petropoulos (i)
Vice President and General Counsel
  2016   303,000      42,720      343,701 
  2015   142,500   25,000   81,400   0   248,900 

____________

Mr. Shore has declined to accept the Compensation Committee’s offer of a salary increase and a bonus each year since the Company’s 2001 fiscal year, except for the bonuses for the 2008 through 2014 fiscal years, which he donated in their entirety to charity.

In November 2014,As disclosed elsewhere in this Proxy Statement and as previously reported by the Company, the Chief Executive Officer voluntarily reduced his annual salary from $250,000 to $220,000 for the 2021 fiscal year, and he has continued this voluntary salary reduction for the 2022, 2023 and 2024 fiscal years, after voluntarily reducing his annual salary from $357,760 to $250,000 for the 2019 fiscal year and continuing this voluntary salary reduction for the 2020 fiscal year. He volunteered such reduction without any consideration of the Chief Executive Officer pay ratio disclosed elsewhere in this Proxy Statement and, therefore, with no intention to affect such ratio. Mr. Shore voluntarily reduced his salary by 20% for an indefinite period as$10,700 during the 2022 fiscal year fourth quarter to offset the cost of a gesture of solidarity with theNew Year’s bonus paid to employees of the Company’s Nelco Products, Inc.Company in appreciation of their dedication and Neltec, Inc. business units in Fullerton, California and Tempe, Arizona who were working reduced hours or four-day work weeks in responsecommitment to the weak marketCompany. Mr. Shore’s voluntary $30,000 reduction of his annual salary in North Americathe 2021 fiscal year was intended to pay for the portion of the increase, in such fiscal year, to the cost of the Company’s medical insurance plan which otherwise would need to be paid for by the Company’s employees through increases to their weekly medical insurance plan contributions. Mr. Shore did not want the Company’s employees to pay more for their medical insurance coverage. Mr. Shore reduced his salary by $10,700 during the 2022 fiscal year fourth quarter and $5,200 during the 2023 fiscal year fourth quarter to offset the cost of bonuses paid to employees of the Company.

(a)      Information is provided for the Company’s high-end electronic materials products,fiscal years ended February 26, 2023, February 27, 2022 and February 28, 2021.

(b)      The amounts of bonuses for the four other2023, 2022 and 2021 fiscal years consist of discretionary annual bonuses.

15

Table of Contents

(c)      The amounts in this column are the grant date fair values of stock options granted to each of the named executive officers for or during such fiscal years, estimated at the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model with the following assumptions: a risk-free interest rate of 2.70%, based on U.S. Treasury rates at the date of grant with maturity dates approximately equal to the estimated term of the Company identified above voluntarily reduced their salaries by 10%. Such salary reductions, other than Mr. Shore’s salary reduction, were discontinued effective January 5, 2015, and such salaries were restored effective asoptions at the date of that date to the amounts that existed immediately prior to such reductions; and as a resultgrant; expected volatility of the restoration, effective January 5, 2015, of the salaries and full work weeks28.21%, based on historical volatility of the Company’s Nelco Products, Inc.common stock; expected dividend yield of 3.32%, based on the regular quarterly cash dividend per share most recently declared by the Company; an estimated 8.09 year term of the options, based on evaluations of the historical and Neltec, Inc. employees, Mr. Shore discontinued his salary reduction, effective March 2, 2015.expected future employee exercise behavior; and on the exercise price of $12.06 of the option granted. These amounts do not correspond to the actual value that will be realized by the named officers if and when they exercise the options.

(a)Information is provided for the Company’s fiscal years ended February 28, 2016, March 1, 2015 and March 2, 2014.
(b)The amounts of bonuses for the 2016 fiscal year have not yet been determined.
(c)The amounts in this column are the grant date fair values of stock options granted to each of the named executive officers during such fiscal years, estimated at the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model with the assumptions described in Note 5 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 of Part II of the Company’s Form 10-K Annual Report for the fiscal year ended February 28, 2016 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (disregarding estimates of

forfeitures for service-based vesting). These amounts do not correspond to the actual value that will be realized by the named officers if and when they exercise the options.
(d)Consists solely of the amounts of the Company’s annual profit sharing contributions to the Profit Sharing Plan which were accrued for the accounts of the named executive officers for the fiscal years shown. These amounts vest in accordance with a graduated scale based on years of service of the employee with the Company.

(d)      The Company may make contributions to the Company’s Profit Sharing Plan, which vest in accordance with a graduated scale based on years of service of the employee with the Company. Substantially all full-timefull- time employees of the Company and its subsidiaries in the United States, including the Company’s executive officers, participate in the profit sharing portion of the Profit Sharing Plan, which is intended to provide retirement benefits to such employees and which is subject to the provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, (“ERISA”).as amended. The amounts of profit sharing contributions, if any, by the Company and its subsidiaries to the accounts of participating employees are percentages of the eligible compensation of the participating employees up to a maximum amount of compensation for each employee established under the Code, which was $265,000$330,000 for the Company’s most recent fiscal year. The Board decides annually the amount of the Company’s profit sharing contribution, which is discretionary, but may not exceed 25% of the total remuneration paid to eligible employees or such other amount as is allowed under the Code. Subject to this limit, the Board determines the amount to be contributed for each year based on the Company’s overall performance, the amounts contributed in prior years, the amounts of prior contributions recently forfeited by eligible employees due to termination of employment prior to vesting and recommendations from the Company’s Chief Executive Officer. The percentages of compensation contributed to the Plan may vary between the Company and each subsidiary, but the percentage must be the same for each participating employee of the Company or the subsidiary, as the case may be. NoThe amounts in this column are the contributions were made for the benefit of the named executive officers for the 2023, 2022 and 2021 fiscal years.

(e)      The Company provides no personal benefits to its executive officers other than automobiles for certain officers, the incremental cost to the Company of which is less than $10,000 per year and is not included in the Summary Compensation Table.

(f)      Mr. Nickel has held various positions since he joined the Company in 2011 and was appointed Vice President and General Manager of the Company in October 2020 and was elected Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Company in August 2022. No amounts are included in the Summary Compensation Table for Mr. Nickel for the fiscal years 2022 and 2021 since he did not become a named executive officer until fiscal year 2023

Grants of Plan-Based Awards for 2023 Fiscal Year

The only plans pursuant to which the Company has granted equity awards to its executive officers or other employees ofwere the Company for the 2015 fiscal year, although contributions were made for the employees of certain subsidiaries of the Company for the 2015 fiscal year. The percentages of compensation to be contributed to the Plan for the 2016 fiscal year have not yet been determined.

(e)The Company provides no personal benefits to its executive officers other than automobiles for certain officers, the incremental cost to the Company of which is less than $10,000 per year and is not included in the Summary Compensation Table.
(f)Mr. Shore was Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer until July 28, 2014, when he was succeeded by Mr. Mastrogiacomo as President.
(g)Mr. Farabaugh joined the Company as Vice President and Controller in October 2009 and was elected Vice President and Chief Financial Officer on April 9, 2012 and Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer on March 10, 2016.
(h)Mr. Mastrogiacomo joined the Company as Vice President of Strategic Marketing in September 2010 and was appointed Senior Vice President of Strategic Marketing on December 8, 2010. He was elected Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer effective June 1, 2011 and President and Chief Operating Officer effective July 28, 2014.
(i)Mr. Petropoulos joined the Company as Vice President and General Counsel effective September 4, 2014.

Grants of Plan-Based Awards in 2016 Fiscal Year

During the last completed fiscal year, the only plan pursuant to which the Company granted awards of any kind to its executive officers was its 2002 Stock Option Plan. The 2002 Stock Option Plan, has beenwhich terminated on May 21, 2018, and its 2018 Stock Option Plan, which was approved by the shareholders of the Company at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders on July 24, 2018. Both the 2002 Stock Option Plan and the 2018 Stock Option Plan were approved by the Company’s stockholdersshareholders and providesprovide for the grant of stock options to directors, and key employees of the Company and consultants to the Company. The Company’sBoth the 2002 Stock Option Plan providesand the 2018 Stock Option Plan provide for the grant of both options which qualify as incentive stock options under the Code and non-qualifiednon-qualified stock options. All options granted under both the 2002 Stock Option Plan and the 2018 Stock Option Plan have exercise prices equal to the fair market value of the underlying Common Stock of the Company on the dates of grant, which, in accordance with the terms of the Plan,Plans, is the reported closing price of the Common Stock on the New York Stock Exchange on the date preceding the date the option iswas granted. Options granted under the PlanPlans become exercisable 25% one year from the date of grant, with an additional 25% exercisable each succeeding anniversary of the date of grant, and expire 10 years from the date of grant. The 2002 Stock Option Plan isand the 2018 Stock Option Plan are each administered by the Stock Option Committee.

16

Table of Contents


The following table provides information with respect to options to purchase shares of Common Stock granted pursuant to the 2002 Stock Option Plan to the named executive officers during or forin the Company’s last fiscal year.year; all of which were granted pursuant to the 2018 Stock Option Plan. The table provides no information regarding non-equity incentive plan awards or equitynon-equity incentive plan awards or stock awards because the Company does not have any non-equity or equitynon-equity incentive plan and does not award stock to any of its executive officers or to any of its other employees.

Name

 

Grant Date(a)

 

All Option Awards: Number of Securities Underlying Options

 

Exercise or
Base Price of
Option
Awards
$(
/Sh)(b)

 

Grant
Date
Closing
Price
(b)

 

Grant
Date Fair
Value of
Option
Awards
(c)

Brian E. Shore

 

04/12/22

 

30,000

 

$

12.06

 

$

12.08

 

$

81,495

P. Matthew Farabaugh

 

04/12/22

 

13,000

 

 

12.06

 

 

12.08

 

 

35,314

Mark A. Esquivel

 

04/12/22

 

20,000

 

 

12.06

 

 

12.08

 

 

54,330

Cory Nickel

 

04/12/22

 

13,000

 

 

12.06

 

 

12.08

 

 

35,314

____________

     
Name Grant Date
(a)
 All Option
Awards:
Number of
Securities
Underlying
Options
(#)
 Exercise or
Base Price of
Option
Awards
($/Sh)
(b)
 Grant Date
Closing
Market
Price
(b)
 Grant Date
Fair Value of
Option
Awards
(c)
Brian E. Shore  January 12, 2016   35,000  $14.48  $14.35  $124,600 
P. Matthew Farabaugh  January 12, 2016   10,000   14.48   14.35   35,600 
Christopher T. Mastrogiacomo  January 12, 2016   27,500   14.48   14.35   97,900 
Stephen E. Gilhuley  January 12, 2016   10,000   14.48   14.35   35,600 
Constantine Petropoulos  January 12, 2016   12,000   14.48   14.35   42,720 

(a)      Grant date is the date on which stock options were granted to the named executive officers under the Company’s 2018 Stock Option Plan.

(a)Grant date is the date on which stock options were granted to the named executive officers under the Company’s 2002 Stock Option Plan.
(b)All options granted under the 2002 Stock Option Plan have exercise prices equal to the market value of the underlying Common Stock of the Company on the dates of grant, which, in accordance with the terms of such Plan, is the reported closing price of the Common Stock on the New York Stock Exchange on the date preceding the date the option is granted. The reported closing price of the Common Stock on the New York Stock Exchange on January 12, 2016, the date of grant, was $14.35.
(c)The value for options was estimated at the dates of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model with the assumptions described in Note 5 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 of Part II of the Company’s Form 10-K Annual Report for the fiscal year ended February 28, 2016 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These amounts do not correspond to the actual value that will be realized by the named officers if and when they exercise the options.

(b)      All options granted under the 2018 Stock Option Plan have exercise prices equal to the fair market value of the underlying Common Stock of the Company on the dates of grant, which, in accordance with the terms of such Plan, is the reported closing price of the Common Stock on the New York Stock Exchange on the date preceding the date the option was granted. The reported closing price of the Common Stock on the New York Stock Exchange on April 12, 2022, the date of grant, was $12.08.

(c)      The value for options was estimated at the dates of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model with the following assumptions: a risk-free interest rate of 2.70%, based on U.S. Treasury rates at the date of grant with maturity dates approximately equal to the estimated term of the options at the date of the grant; expected volatility of 28.21%, based on historical volatility of the Company’s Common Stock; expected dividend yield of 3.32%, based on the regular quarterly cash dividend per share most recently declared by the Company; an estimated 8.09 year term of the options, based on evaluations of the historical and expected future employee exercise behavior; and on the exercise price of $12.06 of the option granted. These amounts do not correspond to the actual value that will be realized by the named executive officers if and when they exercise the options.

Outstanding Equity Awards at 20162023 Fiscal Year-End

The following table provides information regarding unexercised stock options held by the named executive officers as of the end of the Company’s last fiscal year. The table provides no information regarding equity incentive plan awards or stock awards because the Company does not have any equity incentive plan and does not award stock to any of its executive officers or to any of its other employees.

All stock options held by the named executive officers and by all other employees of the Company have beenas of February 26, 2023 were granted under the Company’s 2002 Stock Option Plan, which terminated with respect to granting new awards on May 21, 2018, and the 2018 Stock Option Plan. The 2002Board adopted the 2018 Stock Option Plan, has beenand the shareholders of the Company approved by the Company’s shareholders and provides2018 Stock Option Plan at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders on July 24, 2018. The Plans provide for the grant of stock options to directors and key employees of the Company and consultants to the Company. All options granted under such PlanPlans have exercise prices equal to the market value of the underlying common stockCommon Stock of the Company on the dates of grant which, in accordance with such Plan,Plans, is the reported closing price of the Common Stock on the New York Stock Exchange on the date preceding the date the

17

Table of Contents

option iswas granted. Options granted under the PlanPlans become exercisable 25% one year after the date of grant, with an additional 25% becoming exercisable each succeeding anniversary of the date of grant, and expire ten years after the date of grant.

 

Option Awards

Name

 

Option Grant
Date

 

Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options (#)
Exercisable(a)

 

Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options (#)
Unexercisable(a)

 

Option
Exercise
Price ($)(b)

 

Option
Expiration
Date(c)

Brian E. Shore

 

2/26/2014

 

35,000

 

 

$

17.63

 

2/26/2024

  

3/2/2015

 

30,000

 

 

$

13.46

 

3/2/2025

  

1/12/2016

 

35,000

 

 

$

6.23

 

1/12/2026

  

5/7/2019

 

25,000

 

 

$

15.44

 

5/7/2029

  

4/9/2020

 

15,000

 

15,000

 

$

12.58

 

4/9/2030

  

4/2/2021

 

7,500

 

22,500

 

$

13.80

 

4/2/2031

  

4/12/2022

 

 

30,000

 

$

12.06

 

4/12/2032

P. Matthew Farabaugh

 

2/26/2014

 

8,000

   

$

17.63

 

2/26/2024

  

3/2/2015

 

9,000

 

 

$

13.46

 

3/2/2025

  

1/12/2016

 

10,000

 

 

$

6.23

 

1/12/2026

  

5/7/2019

 

8,000

 

 

$

15.44

 

5/7/2029

  

4/9/2020

 

4,000

 

4,000

 

$

12.58

 

4/9/2030

  

4/2/2021

 

2,000

 

8,000

 

$

13.80

 

4/2/2031

  

4/12/2022

 

 

13,000

 

$

12.06

 

4/12/2032

Mark A. Esquivel

 

2/26/2014

 

3,500

 

 

$

17.63

 

2/26/2024

  

3/2/2015

 

4,500

 

 

$

13.46

 

3/2/2025

  

1/12/2016

 

15,000

 

 

$

6.23

 

1/12/2016

  

5/7/2019

 

15,000

 

 

$

15.44

 

5/7/2029

  

4/9/2020

 

12,500

 

12,500

 

$

12.58

 

4/9/2030

  

4/2/2021

 

6,250

 

18,750

 

$

13.80

 

4/2/2031

  

4/12/2022

 

 

20,000

 

$

12.06

 

4/12/2032

Cory Nickel

 

2/26/2014

 

250

 

 

$

17.63

 

2/26/2024

  

3/2/2015

 

250

 

 

$

13.46

 

3/2/2025

  

1/12/2016

 

2,000

 

 

$

6.23

 

1/12/2016

  

5/7/2019

 

750

 

 

$

15.44

 

5/7/2029

  

4/9/2020

 

1,500

 

1,500

 

$

12.58

 

4/9/2030

  

4/2/2021

 

2,000

 

6,000

 

$

13.80

 

4/2/2031

  

4/12/2022

 

 

13,000

 

$

12.06

 

4/12/2032

____________

(a)      All options become exercisable 25% one year after the date of grant, with an additional 25% exercisable each succeeding anniversary of the date of grant,grant.

(b)      Option exercise prices have been adjusted for the special cash dividends of $2.50 per share paid on February 25, 2014, $1.50 per share paid on February 24, 2015, $3.00 per share paid on February 13, 2018, $4.25 per share paid on February 5, 2019 and $1.00 per share paid on February 20, 2020.

(c)      All options expire ten years after the date of grant.


Outstanding Equity Awards at 2016 Fiscal Year-End

     
 Option Awards
Name Option Grant Date Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options (#) Exercisable (a) Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options (#) Unexercisable
(a)
 Option Exercise Price
($)
 Option Expiration Date
(b)
Brian E. Shore  8/03/06   35,000   0  $21.35   8/03/16 
    8/15/07   35,000   0   26.28   8/15/17 
    8/26/08   35,000   0   23.10   8/26/18 
    10/14/09   35,000   0   20.94   10/14/19 
    10/05/11   35,000   0   18.19   10/05/21 
    10/24/12   26,250   8,750   20.25   10/24/22 
    2/26/14   17,500   17,500   25.88   2/26/24 
    3/02/15   7,500   22,500   21.71   3/02/25 
    1/12/16   0   35,000   14.48   1/12/26 
P. Matthew Farabaugh  11/15/07   4,000   0   26.64   11/15/17 
    8/26/08   2,500   0   23.10   8/26/18 
    10/14/09   3,000   0   20.94   10/14/19 
    10/05/11   5,000   0   18.19   10/05/21 
    9/04/12   7,500   2,500   21.98   9/04/22 
    2/26/14   4,000   4,000   25.88   2/26/24 
    3/02/15   2,250   6,750   21.71   3/02/25 
    1/12/16   0   10,000   14.48   1/12/26 
Christopher T. Mastrogiacomo  1/11/11   20,000   0   27.10   1/11/21 
    10/05/11   15,000   0   18.19   10/05/21 
    9/04/12   9,375   3,125   21.98   9/04/22 
    2/26/14   7,500   7,500   25.88   2/26/24 
    3/02/15   5,000   15,000   21.71   3/02/25 
    1/12/16   0   27,500   14.48   1/12/26 
Stephen E. Gilhuley  8/03/06   14,000        21.35   8/03/16 
    8/15/07   14,000   0   26.28   8/15/17 
    8/26/08   10,000   0   23.10   8/26/18 
    10/14/09   8,000   0   20.94   10/14/19 
    10/05/11   3,000   0   18.19   10/05/21 
    9/04/12   6,000   2,000   21.98   9/04/22 
    2/26/14   5,500   5,500   25.88   2/26/24 
    3/02/15   2,250   6,750   21.71   3/02/25 
    1/12/16   0   10,000   14.48   1/12/26 
Constantine Petropoulos  10/15/14   2,500   7,500   21.16   10/15/24 
    1/12/16   0   12,000   14.48   1/12/26 

(a)All options become exercisable 25% one year after the date of grant, with an additional 25% exercisable each succeeding anniversary of the date of grant.
(b)All options expire ten years after the date of grant.

Option Exercises in 20162023 Fiscal Year

The named executive officers did not exercise any stock options during the Company’s last completed fiscal year. The Company does not award stock to any of its named executive officers or to any of its other employees, and the Company has not granted any stock appreciation rights.


18

Table of Contents

Equity Compensation Plan Information

The following table provides information as of the end of the Company’s most recent fiscal year with respect to compensation plans (including individual compensation arrangements) under which equity securities of the Company are authorized for issuance.

   
Plan Category Number of securities to be issued upon exercise of outstanding options, warrants and rights Weighted-average exercise price of outstanding options, warrants and rights Number of securities remaining available for future issuance under equity compensation plans (excluding securities reflected in column (A))
   (A) (B) (C)
Equity compensation plans approved by security holders (a)  1,226,392  $21.19   234,638 
Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders (a)  -0-   -0-   -0- 
Total  1,226,392  $21.19   234,638 

(a)The Company’s only equity compensation plan is its 2002 Stock Option Plan, which was approved by the Company’s shareholders in July 2002. Authority to grant additional options under the 2002 Plan will expire on May 21, 2018, and all options granted to date under the 2002 Plan will expire in January 2026 or earlier.

Pension Benefits and Non-Qualified Defined Contribution and Other Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation Plans

The Company does not have a defined benefit pension plan and does not provide pension benefits for its executive officers or for any of its other employees, and the Company does not have any non-qualifiednon-qualified supplemental pension, defined contribution or other deferred compensation plan for its executive officers or for any of its other employees.

Employment, Severance and Change-in-Control Agreements

The Company does not have employment agreements or employment termination or severance agreements or change-in-control agreements with any of its executive officers or any of its other employees, other than a provision in its 2002 Stock Option Plan that in the event of a “Change of Control”, as defined in such Plan, any outstanding options will become fully exercisable. All of the Company’s executive officers and other employees are employees-at-will,employees-at-will, meaning that either the employee or the Company may terminate the employee’s employment at any time for any reason or for no stated reason and with or without an explanation. The Company does not have employment agreements or employment termination or severance agreements or change-in-control agreements with any of its executive officers, other than a provision in its 2002 Stock Option Plan that in the event of a “Change of Control” (as defined in such Plan) any outstanding options will become fully exercisable. The 2018 Stock Option Plan does not provide for the acceleration of the exercisability of outstanding options in the event of a “Change of Control” (as defined in the 2018 Stock Option Plan), if the successor/acquirer company assumes or substitutes the options outstanding under the Plan with successor/acquirer options equal in value to options outstanding at the time of the “Change of Control”. If the successor/acquirer assumes or substitutes the options outstanding under the Plan, accelerated vesting will occur only upon involuntary termination of employment without “Cause” (as defined in the 2018 Stock Option Plan) or voluntary termination of employment for “Good Reason” (as defined in the 2018 Stock Option Plan) within one year after the “Change of Control”.

If a “Change of Control”, as defined in the 2002 Stock Option Plan, had occurred on February 26, 2016,24, 2023, the last business day of the Company’s last completed fiscal year, the named executive officers could not have realized any valuethe following values from the unexercisable stock options listed in the table elsewhere in this Proxy Statement under the caption “Executive Compensation — Outstanding“Outstanding Equity Awards at 20162023 Fiscal Year-End”, because the exercise price of each outstanding stock option was greater thatYear-End” (with value realized equaling the market value of the underlying shareshares of Common Stock on February 26, 2016,24, 2023, which was $14.14,is the reported closing price of the Common Stock on the New York Stock Exchange on such date.

Transactions with Related Persons

The Company’s Related Person Transactions Policy providesdate, which was $16.02, less the exercise price, times the number of shares that could be acquired at that date, without deducting any transaction between the Companytaxes): Mr. Shore — $148,200; Mr. Farabaugh — $63,250; Mr. Esquivel — $108,650; and any director or executive officer of the Company or any beneficial owner of more than 5% of any class of the Company’s voting securities or any immediate family member of a director or executive officer of the Company or such beneficial owner, in which the amount involved exceeds $120,000, requires the approval of the Company’s General Counsel or Mr Nickel — $50,070.

Chief Executive Officer Pay Ratio

Pursuant to a mandate of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”), the Board. The Policy, together withSecurities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) adopted a rule in August 2015 requiring annual disclosure of the Company’s Coderatio of Ethics and Codethe annual total compensation of Business Conduct and Ethics, provides that related person transactions generally are prohibited unless the Board determines in advance that any such transaction is conducted on terms that are faira company’s median employee to the annual total compensation of a company’s principal executive officer. The Company andis providing the following information in accordance with this requirement.

In the best interests of the Company and its shareholders. The


Company’s Related Person Transactions Policy is available on the Company’s web site atwww.parkelectro.com under the caption “Shareholders — Charters and Codes”.

During the last2023 fiscal year, the annual total compensation of Brian E. Shore, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, from time to time used an aircraft owned by him to conduct business on behalfwas $302,202, and the annual total compensation of the Company. Company’s median employee was $49,834. Consequently, the ratio of the annual total compensation of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer to the annual total compensation of the Company’s median employee was 6.1 to 1.

The employee population used to identify the Company’s median employee for the 2023 fiscal year included all employees of the Company, not including Mr. Shore, whether employed on a full-time, part- time, seasonal or temporary basis, as of February 26, 2023, the last day of the Company’s 2023 fiscal year. As of such date, the Company had 110 total employees, all of whom were in the U.S.

The Company used total cash compensation, including base salary or wages plus overtime pay for the 2023 fiscal year and annual wage supplements and bonuses paid Mr. Shore an aggregateand accrued for the 2023 fiscal year, as the consistently-applied compensation measure to identify the Company’s median employee. The Company annualized the total cash compensation for permanent employees who commenced work or were on leave during the 2023 fiscal year. No cost-of-living adjustments were made when identifying the median employee. The Company otherwise did not make any assumptions, adjustments, or estimates with respect to the employee population or the compensation measure.

19

Table of $140,100 as reimbursement for a portion ofContents

After identifying the costs associated with the use of this aircraft for Company business. The Board believes that the amounts paid bymedian employee, the Company to Mr. Shore as reimbursement for use of this aircraft for Company business were substantially less thancalculated the amounts that the Company would have paidannual total compensation for the use of a similar aircraft owned by an independent third-party. The Board also believes that such amounts reimbursed to Mr. Shore were substantially less thanmedian employee using the variable and fixed costs incurred by Mr. Shore and attributable to such use of this aircraft and substantially less thansame methodology used for the costs associated withnamed executive officers as set forth in the type of aircraft owned by Mr. Shore provided by an independent aircraft expert and that the use of Mr. Shore’s aircraft for Company business inured to the benefit of the Company.

“Summary Compensation Committee Report

The Compensation Committee has reviewed and discussed the Compensation Discussion and Analysis included elsewhere in this Proxy Statement with management of the Company; and based on such review and discussion, the Compensation Committee recommended to the Board that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be includedTable” in this Proxy Statement.

Compensation Committee

Dale Blanchfield, Chairman
Carl W. Smith
Steven T. Warshaw

Compensation Committee InterlocksSEC rules provide flexibility in the method of determining the median employee and Insider Participation

Brian E. Shore, a director ofcalculating the Company who is also Chief Executive Officer ofpay ratio, and therefore the Company, participated in deliberations of the Board relatingpay ratio reported may not be comparable to the amountpay ratio reported by other companies, including peer companies.

20

Table of the Company’s contribution to the Profit Sharing Plan for the Company’s 2015 fiscal year.Contents


PROPOSAL NO. 2 — ADVISORY (NON-BINDING) RESOLUTION RELATING TO 2016 FISCAL YEAR
COMPENSATION OF THE NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

The Dodd-FrankDodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank“Dodd-Frank Act”), which was signed into law by President Obama on July 21, 2010, requires public companies to provide their shareholders with a non-bindingan advisory, non-binding vote to approve executive compensation at least once every three years. The Company is providing this shareholder advisory vote on its executive compensation in accordance with Section 14A of the Exchange Act and Exchange Act Rule 14a-21(a)14a-21(a), which the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) adopted on January 25, 2011 in order to implement the Dodd-FrankDodd-Frank Act’s requirement. The Company will include a shareholder vote on executive compensation in its proxy materials each year until the next required vote on the frequency of shareholder votes on executive compensation, which must be held no later than 2024, or until the Company’s Board of Directors otherwise determines that a different frequency is in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders.

As described in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” elsewhere in this Proxy Statement, the Compensation and Stock Option Committees have developed an executive officer compensation program designed to pay for performance and to align the long-termlong-term interests of the Company’s named executive officers with the long-termlong-term interests of the Company’s shareholders. The Company’s disclosure in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis and the disclosure included elsewhere in this Proxy Statement under the caption “Executive“Named Executive Officer Compensation” have been provided in response to the requirements of Item 402 of Regulation S-KS-K of the SEC and explain the compensation policies under which the Company paid its named executive officers for the 20162023 fiscal year.

Under the Dodd-FrankDodd-Frank Act and the related SEC rules, the Company’s shareholders’ vote on this resolution is an advisory or “non-binding”“non-binding vote. This means that the purpose of the vote is to provide shareholders with a method to give their opinion to the Board and the Compensation and Stock Option Committees about the Company’s executive officer compensation. The Board is not required by law to take any action in response to the shareholder vote. As an advisory vote, the outcome of this vote is not binding on the Company or on the Board. However, the Board and the Compensation and Stock Option Committees will consider the voting outcome in connection with their ongoing evaluation of the Company’s compensation programs and arrangements.

Shareholders are being asked to approve the Company’s named executive officer compensation as described in this Proxy Statement. This approval vote is not intended to address any specific element of compensation but rather the overall compensation of the Company’s named executive officers and the philosophy, policies and practices described in this Proxy Statement.

The Board recommends that shareholders approve the following resolution:

RESOLVED, that the shareholders approve the 2016 fiscal year compensation of the named executive officers, as disclosed in this Proxy Statement pursuant to Item 402 of Regulation S-KS-K of the Securities and Exchange Commission (including the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, the compensation tables and other narrative executive compensation disclosures).

Vote Required

Approval of the 2016 fiscal year compensation of the Company’s named executive officers, on an advisory basis, requires the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the shares casting votes in persononline or by proxy on this proposal at the Meeting. Abstentions and broker non-votesnon-votes will have no effect on the outcome of the vote.

The Board recommends that shareholders vote “FOR” approval of the 2016 fiscal year compensation of named executive officers, as disclosed in this Proxy Statement pursuant to Item 402 of Regulation S-KS-K of the Securities and Exchange Commission.Proxies solicited by the Board will be voted in accordance with their terms and, in the absence of contrary instructions, for the approval, on an advisory basis, of the Company’s 2016 fiscalnamed executive officer compensation.

21

Table of Contents

PROPOSAL NO. 3 — ADVISORY (NON-BINDING) VOTE RECOMMENDING HOW OFTEN THE COMPANY SHOULD CONDUCT A SHAREHOLDER ADVISORY VOTE ON EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

The Dodd-Frank Act also requires public companies to provide their shareholders with an advisory, non-binding vote to recommend to the company how often shareholders believe the company should conduct a shareholder advisory vote on executive compensation, referred to as a “say-on-pay” vote. In accordance with the SEC’s rules, shareholders must have the ability to vote on one of four alternatives concerning how frequently the company should have a say-on-pay vote: every year, every two years, every three years or abstain from voting. The Company is providing this shareholder advisory vote in accordance with Section 14A of the Exchange Act and Exchange Act Rule 14a-21(b), which the SEC adopted on January 25, 2011 in order to implement the Dodd-Frank Act’s requirement.

The Board believes that a shareholder say-on-pay vote every year to consider the approval (on an advisory basis) of the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers, as disclosed pursuant to Item 402 of Regulation S-K, is most appropriate.

Under the Dodd-Frank Act and the related SEC rules, this vote is an advisory or “non-binding” vote. The purpose of an advisory vote is to provide shareholders with a mechanism to provide their opinion to the Board. The Board is not required by law to act or otherwise implement the time period receiving the most votes cast. In fact, the Board is permitted to choose to hold a say-on-pay vote on a different schedule. As an advisory vote, the outcome of this vote is not binding on the Company or on the Board. However, the Board will take into account the results of this vote in determining how often the Company should conduct a shareholder advisory vote on executive compensation.

Unlike the other proposals included on the proxy card, shareholders have four choices as to how to vote on this proposal. Shareholders may cast their votes on their preferred voting frequency by choosing the option of one year, two years, three years or abstain from voting when shareholders vote in response to this proposal.

Vote Required

The choice of one year, two years or three years receiving the most votes cast will be considered the recommendation by shareholders. Abstentions and broker non-votes will have no effect on the outcome of the vote.

The Board recommends that shareholders select “ONE YEAR” to advise the Board how often the Company should conduct a shareholder advisory vote on executive compensation.    Proxies will be voted in accordance with their terms and, in the absence of contrary instructions, for conducting the advisory vote every year.


22

Table of Contents

PROPOSAL NO. 4 — RATIFICATION OF APPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

Ratification of Appointment of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

FOR 2024 FISCAL YEAR

The Audit Committee has appointed CohnReznick LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the current fiscal year, which ends February 26, 2017,March 3, 2024, to audit the consolidated financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries for the 20172024 fiscal year and the Company’s internal control over financial reporting;year; and the Board is requesting ratification of such appointment by the shareholders at the Meeting. If this appointment is not ratified by the holders of a majority of the shares voting in persononline or by proxy at the Meeting, the Audit Committee will consider appointing another independent registered public accounting firm. The Audit Committee may terminate the appointment of CohnReznick LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm without the approval or ratification of the Company’s shareholders whenever the Audit Committee considers such termination to be appropriate. A representative of CohnReznick LLP is expected to be virtually present at the Meeting and will have an opportunity to make a statement if such representative so desires and will be available to respond to appropriate questions.

Vote Required

Ratification of CohnReznick LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm requires the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the shares casting votes in persononline or by proxy on this proposal at the Meeting. Abstentions will have no effect on the outcome of the vote.

The Board recommends that shareholders vote “FOR” the ratification of the appointment of CohnReznick LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm.Proxies solicited by the Board will be voted in accordance with their terms and, in the absence of contrary instructions, for the ratification of such appointment.

Change in Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

On May 16, 2014 the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company authorized the immediate dismissal of Grant Thornton LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm. Grant Thornton had served as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm since August 5, 2004 for the fiscal year commencing March 1, 2004. On June 11, 2014, the Audit Committee engaged CohnReznick LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm to audit the Company’s financial statements and internal control over financial reporting.

The reports of Grant Thornton on the Company’s financial statements for the years ended March 3, 2013 and March 2, 2014 did not contain an adverse opinion or a disclaimer of opinion, and were not qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope, or accounting principles.

During the Company’s fiscal years ended March 3, 2013 and March 2, 2014, and during the subsequent period preceding the date of the Audit Committee’s determination to dismiss Grant Thornton, there were no disagreements with Grant Thornton on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure, or auditing scope or procedure, which disagreements, if not resolved to the satisfaction of Grant Thornton, would have caused it to make reference to the subject matter of the disagreements in connection with its reports, except as follows:

(i) in connection with Grant Thornton’s audit of the Company’s financial statements for the fiscal year ended March 2, 2014 (the “2014 Audit”), the Company had a disagreement with Grant Thornton regarding the accounting for a non-cash charge for the accrual of U.S. income taxes on the undistributed earnings of the Company’s subsidiary in Singapore, which was resolved to Grant Thornton’s satisfaction; and

(ii) in connection with the 2014 Audit, the Company had a disagreement with Grant Thornton regarding Grant Thornton’s finding or assertion of a material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting, which was resolved to Grant Thornton’s satisfaction.

Grant Thornton reviewed the subject matter of the aforementioned disagreements with the Audit Committee, and the Company authorized Grant Thornton to respond fully to the inquiries of CohnReznick LLP concerning the subject matter of such disagreements.


Except as described in paragraph (ii) above, during the Company’s fiscal years ended March 3, 2013 and March 2, 2014, and the subsequent period preceding the date of the Audit Committee’s determination to dismiss Grant Thornton, there were no “reportable events,” as defined in Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Grant Thornton has furnished the Company with a letter addressed to the Securities and Exchange Commission stating that it agrees with the above statements. The letter has been filed as an Exhibit to the Company’s Form 8-K Current Report, dated May 16, 2014, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 22, 2014.

A representative of Grant Thornton is not expected to be present at the Meeting.

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm Fees

The following table shows the fees paid or accrued for audit, audit-related,audit-related, tax and all other services rendered by CohnReznick LLP for the last two fiscal years ended February 28, 201626, 2023 and March 1, 2015February 27, 2022, respectively:

 

2023

 

2022

Audit Fees(a)

 

$

253,302

 

$

267,300

Audit-Related Fees(b)

 

 

3,000

 

 

15,750

Tax Fees

 

 

0

 

 

0

All Other Fees

 

 

0

 

 

0

  

$

256,302

 

$

283,050

____________

  
 2016 2015
Audit Fees (a) $456,500  $429,000 
Audit-Related Fees (b)  14,000   14,000 
Tax Fees  0   0 
All Other Fees (b)  0   0 
   $470,500  $443,000 

(a)      Audit fees include fees for the audit of the Company’s consolidated financial statements, interim reviews of the Company’s quarterly financial statements and the audit of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting and include out-of-pocket expenses.

(a)Audit fees include fees for the audit of the Company’s consolidated financial statements, interim reviews of the Company’s quarterly financial statements and the audit of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting and include out-of-pocket expenses.
(b)Audit-Related fees consist of fees for the audit of the Company’s Employees’ Profit Sharing and 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan.

(b)      Audit-Related fees consist of fees for the audit of the Company’s Employees’ Profit Sharing and 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan.

The services performed by CohnReznick LLP were pre-approvedpre-approved in accordance with the pre-approvalpre-approval policy adopted by the Audit Committee.

Audit Committee Pre-Approval Policy

The policy of the Audit Committee is to require that all services to be provided to the Company by the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm must be approved by the Audit Committee before such services are provided by the auditor.independent registered public accounting firm.


23

Table of Contents

SECTION 16(a) BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REPORTING COMPLIANCE

Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires the Company’s officers and directors, and persons who own more than 10 percent of a registered class of the Company’s equity securities, to file reports of ownership and changes in ownership with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the New York Stock Exchange. Officers, directors and greater than 10 percent shareholders are required by regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission to furnish the Company with copies of all Section 16(a) reports they file. Based solely on a review of the copies of such reports furnished to the Company, or written representations that no Form 5 reports were required, the Company believes that all Section 16(a) filing requirements applicable to its officers, directors and greater than 10 percent beneficial owners were complied with during the 2016 fiscal year, except that Robert J. Yaniro, former Vice President and Corporate Controller of the Company, inadvertently did not file his Form 4 Statement of Changes in Beneficial Ownership of Securities in a timely manner reporting his acquisition of a stock option from the Company on January 12, 2016. Such Statement was filed on March 14, 2016 by Mr. Yaniro.

SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS

Shareholder proposals intended to be presented at the 20172024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders pursuant to Rule 14a-814a-8 under the Exchange Act must be received by the Company at the Company’s principal executive offices for inclusion in the Proxy Statement and form of Proxy relating to that meeting by February 16, 2017. In order for shareholder proposals made outside of Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act to be considered “timely” within the meaning of Rule 14a-4(c) under the Exchange Act, such proposals must be received by the Company at the Company’s principal executive offices by April 20, 2017.2024. The Company’s By-LawsBy-Laws require that proposals of shareholders made outside of Rule 14a-814a-8 under the Exchange Act must be submitted, in accordance with the requirements of the By-Laws,By-Laws, which are consistent with Rule 14a-19, not later than April 20, 201719, 2024 and not earlier than March 21, 2017.20, 2024.

OTHER MATTERS

Audit Committee Report

The Audit Committee assists the Board in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities with respect to the accounting, auditing, financial reporting, internal control and legal compliance functions of the Company and its subsidiaries. The Board of Directors has determined that all members of the Audit Committee are “independent”, as required by the current rules of the New York Stock Exchange. The Committee functions pursuant to a Charter that has been adopted by the Board, as required by rules of the New York Stock Exchange.

Management of the Company is responsible for the preparation, presentation and integrity of the Company’s financial statements, and for maintaining appropriate accounting and financial reporting principles and policies and internal controls and procedures designed to provide reasonable assurance of compliance with accounting standards and applicable laws and regulations. The independent registered public accounting firm is responsible for planning and carrying out an audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and expressing an opinion as to the conformity of the financial statements with generally accepted accounting principles and as to the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.principles.

In the performance of its oversight function, the Audit Committee has reviewed and discussed the audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended February 28, 201626, 2023 with management and with CohnReznick LLP, the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the 20162023 fiscal year. The Audit Committee has also discussed with the independent registered public accounting firm the matters required to be discussed by Auditing Standard No. 16,Communications with Audit Committees, as adopted bythe applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.Board and the Securities and Exchange Commission. This discussion included, among other things, the quality of the Company’s accounting principles, the reasonableness of significant estimates and judgments, and the clarity of disclosure in the CompanyCompany’s financial statements, including the disclosures relating to critical accounting policies and practices used by the Company. The Audit Committee has reviewed permitted services under the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission as currently in effect and discussed with CohnReznick LLP their independence from management and the Company, including the matters in the written disclosures and the letter from the independent registered public accounting firm required by the Public Company Accounting


Oversight Board in Rule 3526,Communication with Audit Committees Concerning Independence, and the Audit Committee has considered whether the provision of non-auditnon-audit services by the independent registered public accounting firm to the Company is compatible with maintaining such firm’s independence and has discussed with CohnReznick LLP their independence.

The members of the Audit Committee are not professionally engaged in the practice of auditing or accounting. The Audit Committee’s considerations and discussions referred to above do not assure that the audit of the Company’s financial statements for the fiscal year ended February 28, 201626, 2023 has been carried out in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board or that the financial statements are presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

Based upon the review and discussions described in this Report, and subject to the limitations on the role and responsibilities of the Audit Committee referred to above and in the Charter, the Audit Committee has recommended to the Board that the audited financial statements be included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K10-K for the fiscal year ended February 28, 201626, 2023 for filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Audit Committee

Carl W. Smith, Chair

Dale Blanchfield

Emily J. Groehl

Steven T Warshaw

24

Table of Contents

Audit Committee
Dale Blanchfield, Chairman
Carl W. Smith
Steven T. Warshaw

Directors’ and Officers’ Liability Insurance

The Company maintains directors’ and officers’ liability insurance and fiduciary liability insurance covering the directors and officers of the Company and its subsidiaries against certain claims arising out of their service to the Company and its subsidiaries and to certain employee benefit plans of the Company and its subsidiaries. The current directors’ and officers’ liability insurance policy runs for a period of one year expiring May 17, 2017 at a total cost of $165,406; and the current fiduciary liability insurance policy runs for a period of one year expiring May 17, 2017 at a cost of $10,000. The Directors’ and officers’ liability insurance policy is provided by Federal Insurance Company, a member of the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies, and the fiduciary liability insurance is provided by Illinois National Insurance Company, a member of the American International Group.

Proxy Solicitation

The Company will bear the expense of proxy solicitation. Directors, officers and employees of the Company and its subsidiaries may solicit proxies by mail, telephone, electronic-mail,electronic-mail, facsimile or in person (but will receive no additional compensation for such solicitation). The Company also has retained Morrow & Co.,Sodali LLC, 470 West Avenue, Stamford, Connecticut 06902, to assist in the solicitation of proxies in the same manner at an anticipated fee of approximately $7,500 plus reimbursement of certain out-of-pocketout-of-pocket expenses. In addition, brokerage houses and other custodians, nominees and fiduciaries will be requested to forward the soliciting material to beneficial owners and to obtain authorizations for the execution of proxies, and if they in turn so request, the Company will reimburse such brokerage houses and other custodians, nominees and fiduciaries for their expenses in forwarding such material.

Director Candidates

The Nominating Committee will consider director candidates recommended by shareholders. In considering candidates submittedrecommended by shareholders, the Nominating Committee will take into consideration the needs of the Board and the qualifications of the candidate. The Committee may also consider the number of shares held by the recommending shareholder and the length of time that such shares have been held. To have a candidate considered by the Nominating Committee, a shareholder must submit the recommendation in writing and must include the name of the shareholder and evidence of the shareholder’s ownership of Company stock, including the number of shares owned and the length of time of ownership, and the name of the candidate, the candidate’s resume or a listing of his or her qualifications to be a director of the Company and the candidate’s consent to be named as a director if selected by the Nominating Committee and nominated by the Board.


The shareholder recommendation and information described above must be sent to the Corporate Secretary at the Company’s office at 48 South Service Road, Melville, New York 11747 and must be received by the Corporate Secretary not less than 120 days prior to the anniversary date of the Company’s most recent annual meeting of shareholders.

The Nominating Committee believes that the minimum qualifications for serving as a director of the Company are that a nominee demonstrate, by significant accomplishment in his or her field, an ability to make a meaningful contribution to the Board’s oversight of the business and affairs of the Company and have an impeccable record and reputation for honest and ethical conduct in both his or her professional and personal activities. In addition, the Nominating Committee considers a candidate’s experiences, skills, expertise, diversity, character, business judgment, dedication, time availability in light of other commitments, potential conflicts of interest and such other relevant factors that the Committee considers appropriate in the context of the needs of the Board. While the Nominating Committee does not have a diversity policy, it considers diversity of knowledge, skills, professional experience, education and background in industries relevant to the Company as factors as it evaluates director candidates.

The Nominating Committee identifies potential nominees by asking current directors and executive officers to notify the Committee if they become aware of persons, meeting the criteria described above, who have had a change in circumstances that might make them available to serve on the Board — for example, retirement as a CEOChief Executive Officer or CFOChief Financial Officer of a public company. As described above, the Nominating Committee will also consider candidates recommended by shareholders.

When a person has been identified by the Nominating Committee as a potential candidate, the Committee may collect and review publicly available information regarding the person to assess whether the person should be considered further. If the Nominating Committee determines that the candidate warrants further consideration, the Chairman or another member of the Committee contacts the person. Generally, if the person expresses a willingness to be considered and to serve on the Board, the Nominating Committee requests information from the candidate, reviews the candidate’s accomplishments and qualifications, including in light of any other candidates whom the Committee might be considering, and conducts one or more interviews with the candidate. In certain instances, Nominating Committee members may contact one or more references provided by the candidate or may contact other members of the business community or other persons who may have greater first-handfirst-hand knowledge of the candidate’s accomplishments. The Nominating Committee’s evaluation process does not vary based on whether or not a candidate is recommended by a shareholder, although, as stated above, the Committee may take into consideration the number of shares held by the recommending shareholder and the length of time that such shares have been held.

In addition, shareholders may nominate director candidates by following a procedure set forth in the Company’s By-Laws, which require specified information regarding the nominating shareholder, the nominee, and any arrangements between them, and require certain undertakings from the nominee. The shareholder nomination and information described above must be sent to the Company’s office at 1400 Old Country Road, Westbury, New York 11590 and must be received by the Company in accordance with the requirements of the By-Laws, not later than April 19, 2024 and not earlier than March 20, 2024.

25

Table of Contents

Communications with Directors

The Board has established a process to receive communications from shareholders and other interested parties. Shareholders and other interested parties may contact any member (or all members) of the Board, including the non-managementnon-management directors as a group, by mail. To communicate with the Board, of Directors, any individual director or the non-managementnon-management directors, correspondence should be addressed to the Board of Directors or any such individual director or the non-managementnon-management directors by either name or title. All such correspondence should be sent “c/o Corporate Secretary”Chief Financial Officer” at the Company’s office at 48 South Service1400 Old Country Road, Melville,Westbury, New York 11747.11590.

All communications received as set forth in the preceding paragraph will be opened by the office of the Company’s Corporate SecretaryChief Financial Officer for the sole purpose of determining whether the contents represent a message to the directors of the Company. Any contents that are not in the nature of advertising, promotions of a product or service, or patently offensive material will be forwarded promptly to the addressee. In the case of communications to the Board or the non-managementnon-management directors, the Corporate Secretary’sChief Financial Officer’s office will make sufficient copies of the contents to send to each director who is a member of the group to which the communication is addressed.

Code of Ethics and Business Conduct

For more than forty-five years, theThe Company has maintainedmaintains basic corporate rules and guidelines agreed to in writing by its Chief Executive Officer and its business unit presidents and controllers. Such rules and


guidelines cover such matters as personnel guidelines, transactions with suppliers, conflicts of interest and business ethics, transactions with relatives and friends, cash control and consolidations, capital expenditures, disposal of property, plant, equipment and inventory, insurance programs, legal matters and contracts, credit and collections, unusual business transactions and special charges and transfer charges, inventory levels, weekly and monthly financial reports and annual business plans, employee safety and environmental matters.

The Board has adopted a Code of Ethics for the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Controller and, as required by rules of the New York Stock Exchange, a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics for the Company’s directors, officers and employees. Substantially all of the matters required to be addressed in the Code of Ethics and Code of Business Conduct and Ethics have been addressed in the corporate rules and guidelines which the Company has maintained since 1967, although the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics applies to all directors, officers and employees of the Company and its subsidiaries.

The Company’s Code of Ethics and the Company’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics are available on the Company’s web site atwww.parkelectro.comwww.parkaerospace.com under the caption “Shareholders — Charters and Codes” as required by rules of the New York Stock Exchange and the Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, copies of the Company’s Code of Ethics and Code of Business Conduct and Ethics are available in print to any shareholder upon request submitted to the Corporate Secretary at the Company’s office at 48 South Service1400 Old Country Road, Melville,Westbury, New York 11747.11590. The Company intends to satisfy any disclosure requirements regarding an amendment to, or waiver from, the Code of Ethics by posting such information on the Company’s web site at the above internet address.

Statements on “Environmental and Community Considerations” and “Diversity and Our Workforce”

The Company’s Statements regarding “Environmental and Community Considerations” and “Diversity and Our Workforce” can be found on the Company’s website (www.parkaerospace.com) by clicking “Shareholders” on the home page and selecting those items on the drop-down menu. This reference to our website is not intended to function as a hyperlink and, except as specified herein, the information contained on, or that can be accessed through, any such website is not part of this Proxy Statement.

Corporate Governance Guidelines

The Board has adopted Corporate Governance Guidelines, which are available on the Company’s web site atwww.parkelectro.comwww.parkaerospace.com under the caption “Shareholders — Charters and Codes” as required by rules of the New York Stock Exchange and are available in print to any shareholder upon request submitted to the Corporate Secretary at the Company’s office at 48 South Service1400 Old Country Road, Melville,Westbury, New York 11747.11590.

26

Table of Contents

Insider Trading Policies and Procedures

Since 1994, the Company has adopted policies and procedures governing the purchase, sale and other disposition of the Company’s Common Stock by directors, officers and employees of the Company that are designed to promote compliance with insider trading laws, rules and applicable listing standards in the form of memoranda to participants in the Company’s Stock Option Plan. The current version of such memoranda is a memorandum dated May 19, 2022 from the President of the Company, which is filed as Exhibit 99.1 to the Company’s Form 10-K Annual Report for the fiscal year ended February 26, 2023.

Equity Compensation Plan Information

Plan Category

 

Number of
securities to be
issued upon
exercise of outstanding
options, warrants
and rights (1)

 

Weighted- average exercise
price of outstanding
options,
warrants
and rights (2)

 

Number of
securities
remaining
available for
future issuance
under equity
compensation
plans (excluding securities
reflected in
column (1)) (3)

Equity compensation plans approved by security holders(a)

 

670,425

 

$

12.80

 

365,600

Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders(a)

 

-0-

 

 

-0-

 

-0-

Total

 

670,425

 

$

12.80

 

365,600

____________

(a)      As of the end of the 2023 fiscal year, the Company’s only equity compensation plan was its 2018 Stock Option Plan, which was approved by the Company’s shareholders in July 2018. Prior to the 2018 Stock Option Plan, the Company had the 2002 Stock Option Plan which had been approved by the Company’s shareholders and provided for the grant of stock options to directors and key employees of the Company.

Pay Versus Performance

In August 2022, the SEC adopted a new Pay Versus Performance (“PVP”) disclosure rule as mandated by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Compliance with the new rules is required for fiscal years ending on or after December 16, 2022. The final rules were codified under Item 402(v) of Regulation S-K (together with other official guidance, “Item 402(v)”) and require the Company to provide the following tabular and narrative disclosures.

Background

The following section has been prepared in accordance with the new PVP disclosure rule, which requires public companies to disclose information reflecting the relationship between a company’s financial performance and two newly defined terms, Compensation Actually Paid (“CAP”) and Average Compensation Actually Paid (“Average CAP”). The Company has calculated CAP and Average CAP in accordance with the PVP disclosure rule, which does not reflect the actual or average amount of compensation paid to, received by, or earned by our Principal Executive Officer (“PEO”) and our non-PEO NEOs during the applicable years.

To calculate the CAP for the PEO and the Average CAP for the non-PEO NEOs, adjustments are made to Total Compensation reported in the Summary Compensation Table for the applicable years. These adjustments are described in the tables below the PVP Table.

The Compensation Committee does not use CAP or Average CAP as a basis for making compensation decisions, nor does it use the performance measures defined by the SEC for the PVP Table to measure performance for incentive plan purposes.

27

Table of Contents

Pay versus Performance Table

In accordance with the PVP disclosure rule, the following table sets forth (i) the total and average total compensation set forth in the Summary Compensation Table for the PEO and the non-PEO NEOs as a group, respectively; (ii) the total and average total CAP for the PEO and the non-PEO NEOs as a group (excluding the PEO), respectively; (iii) the Company’s cumulative total shareholder return TSR (“Cumulative TSR”) and the cumulative total shareholder return (“Peer Group Cumulative TSR”) of our Item 402(v) peer group (“PVP Peer Group”), as determined in accordance with Item 402(v); and (iv) Net Income and Adjusted EBITDA, for the previous two fiscal years

         

Value of Initial Fixed $100
Investment Based on:

    

Year

 

Summary
Compensation
Table for PEO
(2)

 

Compensation
Actual Paid to
PEO
(3)

 

Average
Summary
Compensation
Table Total
for non-PEO
NEOs
(2)

 

Average
Compensation
Actual Paid
to Non-PEO
NEOs
(3)

 

Total
Shareholder
Return
(4)

 

Peer Group
Total
Shareholder
Return
(4)

 

Net Income(5)

 

Adjusted
EBITDA
(5)

2023

 

$

302,202

 

$

742,907

 

$

266,136

 

$

423,764

 

$

140.61

 

$

146.64

 

$

10,731

 

$

11,459

2022

 

$

305,169

 

$

274,719

 

$

304,354

 

$

304,281

 

$

115.76

 

$

145.36

 

$

8,464

 

$

13,089

2021

 

$

291,825

 

$

332,625

 

$

281,099

 

$

296,306

 

$

114.66

 

$

151.36

 

$

5,192

 

$

8,419

____________

The Company’s Total Shareholder Return reflected in the above table does not take into account the $1.20 per share of cash dividends paid by the Company during the three-year period described in the table. The Company also paid a $1.00 per share special cash dividend on April 6, 2023. The Company has paid a total of $28.475 per share of cash dividends since the beginning of its 2005 fiscal year through the date of this Proxy Statement.

(1)      Brian E. Shore served as the Company’s PEO for the entirety of 2023, 2022 and 2021 fiscal years, and the Company’s other NEOs for the applicable years are as follows:

•        2023: P. Matthew Farabaugh, Mark A. Esquivel and Cory Nickel

•        2022: P. Matthew Farabaugh and Mark A. Esquivel

•        2021: P. Matthew Farabaugh, Mark A. Esquivel, Constantine Petropoulos and Benjamin W. Shore

(2)      Amounts reported in this column represent (i) the total compensation reported in the Summary Compensation Table for the applicable year in the case of Mr. Shore and (ii) the average of the total compensation reported in the Summary Compensation Table for the applicable year for the Company’s non-PEO NEOs.

(3)      To calculate CAP, adjustments were made to the amounts reported in the Summary Compensation Table for the applicable year. A reconciliation of the adjustments for Mr. Shore’s CAP and the non-PEO NEOs average CAP is set forth following the footnotes to this table.

(4)      Reflects the Company’s cumulative total shareholder return (“TSR”) and the Company’s Pay versus Performance (PVP) peer group’s cumulative TSR for each measurement period from March 1, 2020 through February 26, 2023. Dividends are assumed to be reinvested, and the returns of each company in the PVP peer group are weighted to reflect relative stock market capitalization. Results assume that $100 was invested on March 1, 2020, in each of the Company’s Common Stock and the common stocks comprising our PVP peer group. The Company’s PVP peer group is the same peer group used in the Stock Performance Graph for purposes of Item 201(e)(1)(ii) of Regulation S-K in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, the NASDAQ US Small Cap Aerospace and Defense Index. Historic stock price performance is not necessarily indicative of future stock price performance.

(5)      For 2022, the Company determined that Adjusted EBITDA continues to be viewed as a core driver of the Company’s performance and shareholder value creation.

Brian E. Shore

Year

 

Summary
Compensation
Table Total
(a)

 

Less: Stock
Award
Values
reported in
SCT for the
applicable
year
(b)

 

Plus: Year-end
Fair Value of
Stock Awards granted in
applicable
year
(c)

 

Change in
Fair Value of
outstanding
unvested stock
rewards
(d)

 

Change in
Fair value of
stock awards
from prior
years granted
in applicable
year
(e)

 

Less: Fair
value of
Stock
Awards
forefeited
during the
applicable
year
(f)

 

Compensation
Actually
Paid
(g)

2023

 

$

302,202

 

$

(81,495

)

 

$

180,300

 

$

94,575

 

 

$

367,025

 

 

$

(119,700

)

 

$

742,907

2022

 

$

305,169

 

$

(90,000

)

 

$

87,600

 

$

(4,525

)

 

$

(23,525

)

 

$

 

 

$

274,719

2021

 

$

291,825

 

$

(65,700

)

 

$

101,700

 

$

5,625

 

 

$

(825

)

 

$

 

 

$

332,625

28

Table of Contents

Other NEOs (Average)

Year

 

Summary 
Compensation 
Table Total
(a)

 

Less: Stock 
Award 
Values 
reported in 
SCT for the 
applicable 
year
(b)

 

Plus: Year-end 
Fair Value of 
Stock Awards 
granted in 
applicable 
year
(c)

 

Change in 
Fair Value of 
outstanding 
unvested stock 
rewards
(d)

 

Change in 
Fair value of 
stock awards 
from prior 
years granted 
in applicable 
year
(e)

 

Less: Fair 
value of 
Stock 
Awards 
forefeited 
during the 
applicable 
year
(f)

 

Compensation 
Actually 
Paid
(g)

2023

 

$

266,136

 

$

(41,653

)

 

$

92,153

 

$

41,562

 

 

$

87,425

 

 

$

(21,859

)

 

$

423,764

2022

 

$

304,354

 

$

(49,500

)

 

$

58,400

 

$

(2,365

)

 

$

(6,608

)

 

$

 

 

$

304,281

2021

 

$

281,099

 

$

(30,660

)

 

$

46,330

 

$

2,475

 

 

$

(2,938

)

 

$

 

 

$

296,306

____________

(a)      Represents Total Compensation as reported in the Summary Compensation Table for the indicated fiscal year. With respect to the non-PEO NEOs, amounts represent the average Total Compensation as reported in the Summary Compensation Table for the indicated fiscal year. For all fiscal years, there was no pension value attributable to “service cost” or “prior service cost,” so no adjustments are reflected for these values required to be added as part of the CAP pension adjustment under the PVP disclosure rule.

(b)      Represents the grant date fair value of the stock options granted during the indicated fiscal year, computed in accordance with the methodology used for financial reporting purposes.

(c)      Represents the fair value as of the indicated fiscal year end of the unvested stock options granted during such fiscal year, computed in accordance with the methodology used for financial reporting purposes.

(d)      Represents the change in fair value during the indicated fiscal year of the outstanding, unvested stock options held by the applicable NEO as of the last day of the indicated fiscal year, computed in accordance with the methodology used for financial reporting purposes as of the last day of the fiscal year.

(e)      Represents the fair value at vesting of the stock options that were granted and vested during the indicated fiscal year, computed in accordance with the methodology used for financial reporting purposes.

(f)      Represents the change in fair value, measured from the prior fiscal year end to the vesting date, of each stock option that was granted in a prior fiscal year and which vested during the indicated fiscal year, computed in accordance with the methodology used for financial reporting purposes.

(g)      Represents the fair value as of the last day of the prior fiscal year of the stock options that were granted in a prior fiscal year and which failed to meet the applicable vesting conditions in the indicated fiscal year, computed in accordance with the methodology used for financial reporting purposes.

(h)      See footnote 1 above for the NEOs included in the average for each year.

Tabular List of Performance Measures

The Company considers a number of key factors in evaluating compensation to be paid to the PEO and non-PEO NEOs, many of which are not quantifiable, including promotion of the Company’s culture, employee well-being and morale, customer satisfaction and the quality of customer relationships and the effectiveness in dealing with difficulties and challenges from outside factors not caused by the Company, including significant cost inflation, significant supply chain disruptions and workforce challenges resulting from what is described as “full employment” in the country’s workforce. In addition, below is a list of performance measures that, in the Company’s assessment, represent the most important financial performance measures used by the Company to evaluate compensation actually paid to the NEOs for Fiscal Year 2023.

•        Net Sales

•        Adjusted EBITDA

Relationship between pay and performance

As shown above in the “Pay Versus Performance Table,” annual fluctuations in the PEO’s and non-PEO NEOs’ CAP amounts generally correlate to annual fluctuations in the Company’s Cumulative TSR.

29

Table of Contents

Other Matters to be Presented to the Meeting

The Board does not know of any other matters to be brought before the Meeting. If any other matters not mentioned in this Proxy Statement are properly brought before the Meeting, including matters incident to the conduct of the Meeting or relating to any adjournment of the meeting, the persons named in the enclosed proxy intend to vote such proxy in accordance with their best judgment on any other matters properly presented at the Meeting.

Annual Report

The Annual Report on Form 10-K, including financial statements, of the Company for the fiscal year ended February 28, 201626, 2023 is enclosed herewith but is not a partherewith. Additional copies of the proxy soliciting material.Annual Report on Form 10-K are available to shareholders at no charge upon written request to the Chief Financial Officer of the Company at the Company’s office at 1400 Old Country Road, Westbury, New York 11590 or are available on the Company’s web site at www.parkaerospace.com under the caption “Shareholders — SEC Filings”.

By Order of the Board of Directors,

By Order of the Board of Directors,
Stephen E. Gilhuley
Executive Vice President — Administration
and Secretary

P. Matthew Farabaugh

Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Dated: June 16, 2016


[GRAPHIC MISSING] 15, 2023

30


Table of Contents

[GRAPHIC MISSING] PARK AEROSPACE CORP. VOTE Your vote matters – here’s how to vote! You may vote online or by phone instead of mailing this card. Online Go to www.investorvote.com/PKE or scan the QR code — login details are located in the shaded bar below. Save paper, time and money! Sign up for electronic delivery at www.investorvote.com/PKE Phone Call toll free 1-800-652-VOTE (8683) within the USA, US territories and Canada Using a black ink pen, mark your votes with an X as shown in this example. Please do not write outside the designated areas. Annual Meeting Proxy Card IF VOTING BY MAIL, SIGN, DETACH AND RETURN THE BOTTOM PORTION IN THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE. A Proposals — The Board of Directors recommends a vote “FOR” proposals1,2, 4 and 5 and for “1 YEAR” on proposal 3. 1...Election of Directors: 1a - Dale Blanchfield 1d - Yvonne Julian 1b - Shane Connor 1e - Brian E. Shore 1c - Emily J. Groehl For Against Abstain 1h - Steven T. Warshaw 1f - Carl W. Smith 1g - D. Bradley Thress 2. Approval, on an advisory (non-binding) basis, of the compensation of the named executive officers 3. Advisory (non-binding) vote on the frequency of future shareholder advisory votes on executive compensation 4. Ratification of appointment of CohnReznick LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending March3, 2024 5. The transaction of other such business as may properly come before the meeting 1 Year 2 Years 3 Years Abstain B Authorized Signatures — This section must be completed for your vote to be counted. — Date and Sign Below Please date and sign exactly as name appears hereon. Executors, administrators, trustees, etc. should so indicate when signing. If shares are held jointly, both owners should sign. Date (mm/dd/yyyy) — Please print date below. Signature 1 — Please keep signature within the box. Signature 2 — Please keep signature within the box.


Table of Contents

[GRAPHIC MISSING] 2023 Annual Meeting 2023 Annual Meeting of Park Aerospace Corp. Shareholders July18, 2023, 11:00 am EDT Virtually via the internet at www.meetnow.global/M57HQMV To access the virtual meeting, you must have the information that is printed in the shaded bar located on the reverse side of this form. Small steps make an impact. Help the environment by consenting to receive electronic delivery, sign up at www.investorvote.com/PKE IF VOTING BY MAIL, SIGN, DETACH AND RETURN THE BOTTOM PORTION IN THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE. PROXY CARD — PARK AEROSPACE CORP. PROXY FOR ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS JULY18, 2023 THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS The undersigned hereby constitutes and appoints P. MATTHEW FARABAUGH and DANIEL K. MCNAMARA, and each of them, the attorneys and proxies of the undersigned, with full power of substitution, to attend the Annual Meeting of Shareholders of PARK AEROSPACE CORP. (the “Company”) to be held virtually on July18, 2023 at 11:00 A.M., EDT, and any adjournments or postponements thereof, to vote all the shares of Common Stock of the Company which the undersigned would be entitled to vote if personally present upon the proposals described on the reverse side of this proxy card. The validity of this proxy is governed by the New York Business Corporation Law. The undersigned hereby acknowledges receipt of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended February26, 2023 and the accompanying Notice of Meeting and Proxy Statement and hereby revokes any proxy or proxies heretofore given. EACH PROPERLY EXECUTED PROXY WILL BE VOTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH SPECIFICATIONS MADE HEREON. IF NO SPECIFICATION IS MADE, THE SHARES REPRESENTED BY THIS PROXY WILL BE VOTED “FOR” PROPOSALS1,2, 4 AND5, AND FOR “1 YEAR” ON PROPOSAL3, AND IN THE DISCRETION OF THE PROXIES ON ANY OTHER BUSINESS AS MAY PROPERLY COME BEFORE THE MEETING. PLEASE ACT PROMPTLY SIGN, DATE & MAIL PROXY CARD TODAY C Non-Voting Items Change of Address — Please print new address below. Comments — Please print your comments below.


[GRAPHIC MISSING]