Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION

v3.23.1
SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2022
Share-Based Payment Arrangement [Abstract]  
SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION

NOTE 12. SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION

On May 10, 2018, the Board ratified and confirmed the 2014 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2014 Plan”). The 2014 Plan is a broad-based plan under which shares of our common stock are authorized for issuance for awards, including stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, and cash incentive awards to members of our Board, executive officers, employees and independent contractors. As of December 31, 2022, a total of 7,550,750 shares of our common stock were authorized for issuance. As of December 31, 2022, 250,911 shares remained available for issuance as new awards under the 2014 Plan.

Stock Options

During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, we issued 740,000 and 90,000 options to purchase our common stock, respectively, to executive officers, employees and independent contractors. The fair value of all stock options granted for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, was determined to be $1,497,473 and $162,252, respectively, using the Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following assumptions:

 

 

 

Options Issued For the Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2022

 

Options Issued For the Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2021

Dividend yield

 

0%

 

0%

Expected volatility

 

59.25% - 60.70%

 

61.12% - 68.74%

Risk-free interest rate

 

1.37% - 3.90%

 

.48% - .98%

Expected life (years)

 

5.00

 

5.00

 

A summary of stock option activity is as follows:

 

 

 

Common
Stock
Options

 

 

Weighted-
Average
Exercise
Price

 

 

Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value

 

 

Weighted-
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Term (Years)

 

Outstanding -- December 31, 2021

 

 

1,935,002

 

 

$

1.33

 

 

$

4,788,314

 

 

 

1.87

 

Issued

 

 

740,000

 

 

$

3.86

 

 

$

 

 

 

 

Surrender of options

 

 

365,751

 

 

$

1.16

 

 

$

 

 

 

 

Exercised

 

 

(1,098,831

)

 

$

1.11

 

 

$

(1,464,770

)

 

 

 

Forfeited or expired

 

 

(322,041

)

 

$

1.16

 

 

$

 

 

 

 

Outstanding -- December 31, 2022

 

 

1,619,881

 

 

$

2.61

 

 

$

(267,418

)

 

 

2.74

 

Exercisable -- December 31, 2022

 

 

684,882

 

 

$

1.45

 

 

$

677,901

 

 

 

1.19

 

 

 

A summary of unvested stock option activity is as follows:

 

 

 

Common
Stock
Options

 

 

Weighted-
Average
Exercise
Price

 

 

Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value

 

 

Weighted-
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Term (Years)

 

Unvested – December 31, 2021

 

 

477,001

 

 

$

1.97

 

 

$

873,958

 

 

 

3.45

 

Granted

 

 

740,000

 

 

$

3.86

 

 

$

 

 

 

0.00

 

Vested

 

 

(262,001

)

 

$

1.86

 

 

$

 

 

 

0.00

 

Forfeited

 

 

(20,001

)

 

$

1.41

 

 

$

 

 

 

0.00

 

Unvested - December 31, 2022

 

 

934,999

 

 

$

3.50

 

 

$

(990,043

)

 

 

3.90

 

 

As of December 31, 2022, our unrecognized share-based compensation expense associated with the stock options issued was $957,375, which is expected to be amortized over a weighted-average period of 0.77 years.

 

Restricted Awards

During the year ended December 31, 2022, we issued an aggregate of 104,049 restricted shares of our common stock valued at $332,990 to our board members in consideration of their service on the Board. These shares vested immediately on the grant date. As of December 31, 2022, there were 2,583,515 restricted shares outstanding. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, unvested restricted shares were 50,001 and 100,000 respectively. There were no forfeitures of restricted shares in 2022 or 2021.

Employment Agreement Amendment

On June 15, 2022, the Company entered into amendment number 3 (the "Amendment") to the employment agreement, dated July 27, 2017 (and previously amended by amendments number 1 and number 2), between the Company and Todd P. Cravens, the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer. The Amendment (i) extends the term of the agreement from July 27, 2022, to July 26, 2024; (ii) provides for a potential equity incentive grant of stock for calendar year 2022 and calendar year 2023, with (x) a grant of 20,000 shares if the Company achieves 80% of its EBITDA Budget target (as defined by management and as adopted by the Board for the calendar year) for calendar year 2022, (y) a grant of 20,000 shares if the Company achieves 80% of its EBITDA Budget target (as adopted by the Board for the calendar year) for calendar year 2023, and (z) an additional grant under the following performance goals for each of calendar year 2022 and 2023: a) 100% of EBITDA Target – 20,000 shares, b) 110% of EBITDA Target – 30,000 shares, and c) 115% of EBITDA Target – 40,000 shares; and (iii) increases Mr. Cravens' annual compensation to $300,000 effective as of August 1, 2022.

All “shares” above will vest one year from the date of grant. Should Mr. Cravens leave the Company or be terminated with good cause prior the vesting date he will forfeit any and all rights to the shares. Pursuant to the Amendment, the Board maintains reasonable, good faith discretion to make adjustments to the Company's EBITDA performance relating to the Company’s management incentive program, where appropriate in each year, to account for factors contributing positively and negatively to the Company's actual recorded EBITDA performance that could be considered (by the Board) unrelated to or not driven by the Company's performance.

In addition, should there be a circumstance that may trigger a change of control, as defined in the Company's 2014 Equity Incentive Plan (as amended, the "2014 Equity Plan"), in either the 2022 or 2023 calendar years, if not already granted, the 20,000 shares from each of the 2022 and 2023 CEO executive Incentive from the 80% EBITDA target, will be granted immediately. The Board retains discretion to be exercised reasonably and in good faith to accelerate the grant of remaining shares under the 2022 and 2023 equity incentives set forth in the Amendment.

 

The balance of the employment agreement, as previously amended, remains in full force and effect.

 

Option Surrender

The Company's 2014 Equity Plan allows option holders to satisfy the exercise price of stock options, and the related tax withholding resulting from such exercise, by cash and by other means of "cashless" exercise, including: (a) by tendering, either actually or by attestation, shares of stock; (b) by irrevocably authorizing a third party to sell shares of stock (or a sufficient portion of the shares) acquired upon exercise of the option and to remit to the Company a sufficient portion of the sale proceeds to pay the exercise price and any tax withholding resulting from such exercise; (c) with respect to options, payment through a net exercise such that, without the payment of any funds, the option holder may exercise the option and receive the net number of shares of stock equal in value to (i) the number of shares of stock as to which the option is being exercised, multiplied by (ii) a fraction, the numerator of which is the fair

market value less the exercise price, and the denominator of which is such fair market value (the number of net shares of stock to be received shall be rounded down to the nearest whole number of shares of stock); (d) by personal, certified or cashiers’ check; (e) by other property deemed acceptable by the committee administering the 2014 Equity Plan; or (f) by any combination thereof.

 

On June 23, 2022, pursuant to the 2014 Equity Plan and a Stock Option Grant Notice and Stock Option Agreement dated July 27, 2017, Mr. Cravens exercised options and satisfied the exercise price and applicable tax withholding through a net settlement by surrendering to the Company options to purchase shares having a fair market value equal to the sum of the exercise price and the taxes. The exercise price and related tax withholding totaled $1,280,133 and was recorded as a reduction to additional paid-in capital and common stock.