pre14a
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OMB APPROVAL |
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OMB Number:
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3235-0059 |
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Expires:
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February 28, 2006 |
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Estimated average burden hours per
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12.75 |
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION
Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No. )
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Filed by the Registrant
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Filed by a Party other than the Registrant
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Check the appropriate box: |
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þ Preliminary Proxy Statement |
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Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by
Rule 14a-6(e)(2)) |
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o Definitive Proxy Statement |
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o Definitive Additional Materials |
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Soliciting Material Pursuant to §240.14a-12 |
U.S. Concrete, Inc.
(Name
of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)
(Name
of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the
Registrant)
Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):
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þ No fee required. |
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Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(4) and
0-11. |
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1) Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies: |
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2) Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies: |
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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): |
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4) Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction: |
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o Fee paid previously with preliminary materials. |
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o Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act
Rule 0-11(a)(2) 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. |
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1) Amount Previously Paid: |
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2) Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.: |
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SEC 1913 (02-02) |
Persons who are to respond to the collection of information
contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid
OMB control number. |
April , 2006
Dear Stockholder:
On behalf of the Board of Directors, we invite you to attend the 2006 Annual Meeting of
Stockholders of U.S. Concrete, Inc. We will hold the meeting at 8:00 a.m., Central Time, on
, May , 2006, at the Hilton Houston Westchase & Towers, 9999 Westheimer Road, Houston,
Texas 77042.
On the following pages you will find the Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders and
Proxy Statement providing information concerning the matters to be acted on at the meeting. Our
Annual Report to Stockholders describing U.S. Concretes operations during the year ended December
31, 2005 is enclosed.
We hope you will be able to attend the meeting in person. Whether or not you plan to
attend, please take the time to vote by completing and returning your proxy card in the enclosed
envelope before the meeting. If you attend the meeting, you may, if you wish, revoke your proxy and
vote in person.
Thank you for your interest in U.S. Concrete.
Sincerely,
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Vincent D. Foster
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Eugene P. Martineau |
Chairman of the Board
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President and Chief Executive Officer |
U.S. CONCRETE, INC.
2925 Briarpark, Suite 1050, Houston, Texas 77042
NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
, May , 2006
To the Stockholders of U.S. Concrete, Inc.:
The Annual Meeting of Stockholders of U.S. Concrete, Inc. will be held on ,
May , 2006, at 8:00 a.m., Central Time, at the Hilton Houston Westchase & Towers, 9999
Westheimer Road, Houston, Texas 77042. At the meeting, we will ask you to consider and take action
on the following:
(1) approve an amendment to our certificate of incorporation to declassify our Board
of Directors so that all directors will be elected annually and directors may be removed with
or without cause (Proposal No. 1);
(2) elect seven directors to serve until the 2007 annual meeting of stockholders, unless
Proposal No. 1 is not approved, in which case, elect two directors to serve until the 2009
annual meeting of stockholders and one director to serve until the 2008 annual meeting of
stockholders (Proposal No. 2);
(3) ratify the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the independent registered
public accounting firm of U.S. Concrete for the year ending December 31, 2006 (Proposal No. 3);
and
(4) transact any other business that may properly come before the annual meeting or any
adjournment or postponement of the meeting.
We are sending this notice and the attached proxy statement to our stockholders on or
about April , 2006. Our Board of Directors has set the close of business on March 29, 2006 as
the record date for determining stockholders entitled to receive notice of and to vote at the
annual meeting. A list of all stockholders entitled to vote is available for inspection during
normal business hours at our principal offices at 2925 Briarpark, Suite 1050, Houston, Texas 77042.
This list also will be available at the meeting.
Your vote is very important. Whether or not you plan to attend the annual meeting, we
encourage you to read the proxy statement. Further, to be sure your vote counts and to ensure a
quorum, please vote, sign, date and return the enclosed proxy card whether or not you plan to
attend the meeting.
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By Order of the Board of Directors,
Donald C. Wayne
Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
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Houston, Texas
April , 2006
U.S. CONCRETE, INC.
PROXY STATEMENT
FOR 2006 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT
THE MEETING AND VOTING
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What am I being asked to vote on? |
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We are asking you to vote on the following: |
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a proposed amendment to our certificate of incorporation to declassify our Board of
Directors so that all directors are elected annually and to provide that directors may
be removed with or without cause (Proposal No. 1); |
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the election of seven directors to serve until the 2007 annual meeting of
stockholders, unless Proposal No. 1 is not approved, in which case, the election of (1)
two directors to serve until the 2009 annual meeting of stockholders and (2) one
director to serve until the 2008 annual meeting of stockholders (Proposal No. 2); |
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the ratification of the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as our independent
registered public accounting firm for 2006 (Proposal No. 3); and |
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any other business that may properly come before the meeting or any adjournment or
postponement of the meeting. |
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Who may vote? |
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All stockholders of record as of the close of business on March 29, 2006 are entitled to vote. Holders of our common
stock are entitled to one vote per share. As of March 29, 2006, 38,602,780 shares of our common stock were outstanding
and entitled to vote. |
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Who may attend the meeting? |
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All stockholders as of the record date, or their duly appointed proxies, may attend the meeting. |
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How do I vote? |
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You may vote in two ways: |
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you may come to the annual meeting and cast your vote in person; or |
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you may vote by signing and returning the enclosed proxy card. If you do, the persons
named on the card will vote your shares in the manner you indicate. |
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Who is soliciting my proxy? |
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U.S. Concrete is soliciting your proxy on behalf of its Board of Directors. |
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What happens if I do not indicate how I wish to vote on one or more of the proposals? |
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If you return your signed proxy card, but do not indicate how you wish to vote, the persons named as proxies will vote
your shares FOR the approval of an amendment to our certificate of incorporation to declassify the Board of
Directors so that all directors will be elected annually and to provide that directors may be
removed with or without cause (Proposal No. 1), FOR election of all the nominees for director
(Proposal No. 2), and FOR ratification of the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
(Proposal No. 3). We are unaware of any other matters that may come before the annual
meeting. If they do, the proxy holders will vote the proxies according to their best
judgment. |
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What if I vote by proxy and then change my mind? |
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You can revoke your proxy at any time before the annual meeting by: |
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writing to U.S. Concretes Corporate Secretary at the mailing address in the answer
to the last question below;
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delivering a properly executed proxy dated after the date of the proxy you want to revoke; or |
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attending the annual meeting and casting your vote in person. |
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When did U.S. Concrete first distribute this proxy statement and the accompanying form of proxy to stockholders? |
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We first distributed this proxy statement and the accompanying form of proxy to our stockholders on or about April ,
2006. |
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What constitutes a quorum? |
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The presence, in person or by proxy, of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock entitled to
vote at the meeting constitutes a quorum. We need a quorum of stockholders to hold a valid annual meeting. If you have
properly signed and returned your proxy card, you will be considered part of the quorum. We will count abstentions and
broker non-votes as present for the purpose of establishing a quorum. A broker non-vote occurs when a broker votes on
some matters on the proxy card but not on others because the broker does not have the authority to do so. If a quorum
is not present, the chairman or the holders of a majority of the shares of common stock present in person or by proxy
at the annual meeting may adjourn the meeting, without notice other than an announcement at the meeting, until the
required quorum is present. |
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What vote is required for the passage of each of the proposals up for consideration at the annual meeting? |
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Approval of the amendment to our certificate of incorporation requires the affirmative vote of the stockholders present
in person or by proxy at the meeting and having a majority of the votes entitled to vote thereon. Directors are
elected by a plurality of the shares of common stock present in person or by proxy and voting at the meeting in the
election of directors. Ratification of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm
for 2006 requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast on the proposal. Abstentions and broker
non-votes will have no effect on the vote for directors or the ratification of our independent registered public
accounting firm. Abstentions will count as present for purposes of the vote on the amendment to our certificate of
incorporation, but broker non-votes will not. Both abstentions and broker non-votes will have the same effect as votes
against approval of the amendment to our certificate of incorporation. |
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Who will count the votes? |
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Representatives of Automatic Data Processing, Inc. will tabulate the votes. |
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What shares are included on the proxy card? |
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The shares listed on your card represent all the shares of common stock held in your name, as distinguished from shares
held by a broker in street name. You will receive a separate card from your broker if you hold shares in street
name. |
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What does it mean if I get more than one proxy card? |
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It indicates that your shares are held in more than one account, such as two brokerage accounts, and are registered in
different names. You should vote each of the proxy cards to ensure that all your shares are voted. |
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What is U.S. Concretes mailing address? |
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Our mailing address is U.S. Concrete, Inc., 2925 Briarpark, Suite 1050, Houston, Texas 77042. |
2
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN
BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT
The following table shows the beneficial ownership of our common stock as of March 29,
2006 by each person who we know beneficially owns more than 5% of the outstanding shares of our
common stock, each of our directors, our chief executive officer, our other executive officers
named in the Summary Compensation Table in this proxy statement and all our directors and executive
officers as a group. Unless otherwise indicated in the footnotes below, each individual named has
sole voting and dispositive power with respect to the shares shown, and the address of all those
persons is c/o U.S. Concrete, Inc., 2925 Briarpark, Suite 1050, Houston, Texas 77042.
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Shares of Common Stock |
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Beneficially Owned |
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Name |
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Percent |
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Wells Fargo & Company(1) |
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2,940,920 |
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7.62 |
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Dimensional Fund Advisors Inc.(2) |
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2,143,640 |
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5.55 |
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Wells Capital Management Incorporated(3) |
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2,000,962 |
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5.18 |
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Robert S. Walker(4) |
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1,670,838 |
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4.33 |
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Thomas J. Albanese(5) |
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1,304,160 |
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3.37 |
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William T. Albanese(6) |
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1,232,173 |
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3.19 |
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Eugene P. Martineau(7) |
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1,075,076 |
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2.75 |
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Michael W. Harlan(8) |
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693,342 |
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1.78 |
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Vincent D. Foster(9) |
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655,135 |
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1.69 |
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Murray S. Simpson(10) |
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105,353 |
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* |
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John R. Colson(11) |
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69,808 |
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* |
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Robert D. Hardy |
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62,261 |
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* |
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T. William Porter(12) |
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54,206 |
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* |
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Mary P. Ricciardello(13) |
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32,199 |
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* |
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Directors and executive officers as a group (18 persons)(14) |
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7,301,137 |
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18.20 |
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* |
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Less than 1%. |
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(1) |
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Number of shares owned is based solely on a Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on February 15,
2006 reporting ownership as of December 31, 2005. This stockholders address is 420 Montgomery
Street, San Francisco, CA 94104. The Schedule 13G reports sole voting power for 2,843,425
shares of common stock and sole dispositive power for 2,073,920 shares of common stock. |
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(2) |
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Number of shares owned is based solely on a Schedule 13G/A filed with the SEC on February 6,
2006 reporting ownership as of December 31, 2005. This stockholders address is 1299 Ocean
Avenue, 11th Floor, Santa Monica, CA 90401. The Schedule 13G/A reports that Dimensional Fund
Advisors Inc. (Dimensional) may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of 2,143,640 shares of
common stock as a result of acting as investment adviser to or manager of various investment
companies, trusts and accounts (the Funds). In its role as investment advisor or manager,
Dimensional possesses sole voting and dispositive power for 2,143,640 shares of common stock
that are owned by the Funds. Dimensional disclaims beneficial ownership of those shares of
common stock because they are owned by the Funds. |
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(3) |
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Number of shares owned is based solely on a Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on February 15,
2006 reporting ownership as of December 31, 2005. This stockholders address is 525 Market
Street, San Francisco, CA 94105. The Schedule 13G reports sole voting power for 1,071,532
shares of common stock and sole dispositive power for 2,000,962 shares of common stock. |
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(4) |
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Includes 40,000 shares of common stock which Mr. Walker has the right to acquire within 60
days on the exercise of stock options and 1,630,838 shares deemed beneficially owned by Mr.
Walker as co-trustee of the Walker Family Trust and as general partner of Karob, L.P. |
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(5) |
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Includes 50,000 shares of common stock which Mr. Albanese has the right to acquire within 60
days on the exercise of stock options, 25,130 shares deemed beneficially owned by Mr. Albanese
as trustee of the Thomas J. Albanese Trust, 1,199,131 shares owned by Mr. Albanese as trustee
of the Maureen H. Albanese Qtip trust and 25,528 restricted shares. |
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(6) |
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Includes 50,000 shares of common stock which Mr. Albanese has the right to acquire within 60
days on the exercise of stock options, 1,152,274 shares deemed beneficially owned by Mr.
Albanese as co-trustee of the William T. Albanese Trust and 25,528 restricted shares. |
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(7) |
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Includes 515,000 shares of common stock which Mr. Martineau has the right to acquire within
60 days on the exercise of stock options and 186,682 restricted shares. |
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(8) |
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Includes 385,000 shares of common stock which Mr. Harlan has the right to acquire within 60
days on the exercise of stock options, 50,000 shares Mr. Harlan owns as trustee of the Michael
and Bonnie Harlan 1996 Trust and 135,379 restricted shares. |
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(9) |
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Includes 190,000 shares of common stock which Mr. Foster has the right to acquire within 60
days on the exercise of stock options and 300 shares deemed beneficially owned by Mr. Foster
as custodian under the Texas Uniform Gifts to Minors Act. |
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(10) |
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Includes 30,591 shares owned by the Cora S. Simpson 1990 Trust of which Mr. Simpsons wife
serves as trustee, 34,762 shares deemed beneficially owned by Mr. Simpson as trustee of the
Murray S. Simpson 1990 Trust and 40,000 shares of common stock which Mr. Simpson has the right
to acquire within 60 days on the exercise of stock options. Mr. Simpson disclaims beneficial
ownership of the 30,591 shares the Cora S. Simpson 1990 Trust owns. |
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(11) |
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Includes 40,000 shares of common stock which Mr. Colson has the right to acquire within 60
days on the exercise of stock options. |
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(12) |
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Includes 42,206 shares of common stock which Mr. Porter has the right to acquire within 60
days on the exercise of stock options. |
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(13) |
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Includes 31,699 shares of common stock Ms. Ricciardello has the right to acquire within 60
days on the exercise of stock options. |
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(14) |
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Includes 1,512,155 shares of common stock which the directors and executive officers as a
group have the right to acquire within 60 days on the exercise of stock options and 584,473
restricted shares. |
The number of shares and percentage of ownership for each person listed and for the
directors and executive officers as a group assume that shares of common stock those persons may
acquire within 60 days are outstanding, unless otherwise indicated.
4
PROPOSAL NO. 1
AMENDMENT TO CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
Introduction. On March 13, 2006, our Board of Directors approved an amendment to our
certificate of incorporation to eliminate the classification of our Board of Directors so that each
director would stand for election annually. If our stockholders approve the declassification
amendment, we will file the amendment with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware as soon
as is practicable, and it will become effective upon filing. We have included our certificate of
incorporation, as proposed to be amended, as Appendix I to this proxy statement.
Article Fifth of our certificate of incorporation currently requires the Board of Directors to
be divided into three classes as nearly equal in number as possible. Each class of directors serves
staggered, three-year terms, with the term of office of one class expiring each year. Our
certificate of incorporation also provides that stockholders can remove directors only for cause.
If this Proposal No. 1 is approved, paragraphs (b) and (c) of Article Fifth will be amended
and replaced in their entirety with the following:
(b) Number, Election and Terms of Directors. The number of directors which will
constitute the whole Board of Directors shall be fixed from time to time by a majority
of the directors then in office, subject to an increase in the number of directors by
reason of any provisions contained in or established pursuant to Article FOURTH, but in
any event will not be less than three. Each director shall be elected to serve a term of
one year, with each directors term to expire at the annual meeting next following the
directors election. The foregoing notwithstanding, each director will serve until his
successor shall have been duly elected and qualified or until his earlier death,
resignation or removal.
Election of directors need not be by written ballot unless the Bylaws of the
Corporation so provide.
(c) Removal of Directors. Any director of the Corporation may be removed from
office as a director, by vote or other action of the stockholders or otherwise, with or
without cause by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the
voting power of all outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation generally
entitled to vote in the election of directors, voting together as a single class.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, whenever holders of outstanding shares of one or more
series of Preferred Stock are entitled to elect members of the Board of Directors
pursuant to the provisions applicable in the case of arrearages in the payment of
dividends or other defaults contained in the Directors Resolution providing for the
establishment of any series of Preferred Stock, any such director of the Corporation so
elected may be removed in accordance with the provisions of that Directors Resolution.
Reasons for Proposed Amendment. Classified boards have been widely adopted by companies and
have a long history in corporate law. Proponents of classified boards assert that they:
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promote the independence of directors in that directors elected for multiyear terms
are less subject to outside influence; |
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provide continuity and stability in the management of the business and affairs of a
company and enhance the companys ability to engage in long-tern strategic planning,
because a majority of directors will have prior experience as directors of the company;
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may enhance stockholder value by motivating an entity seeking control of a target
company with a classified board to initiate arms-length discussions with the board of
the target company because the entity would be unable to replace the entire board in a
single election. |
Some investors, however, maintain that classified boards are undesirable for the following
reasons:
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the election of directors is the primary means for stockholders to influence
corporate governance policies and hold directors accountable for implementation of
policies, and a classified board structure means that stockholders are unable to
evaluate and elect all directors on an annual basis; |
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classified boards may discourage takeover proposals and proxy contests that could
have the effect of increasing stockholder value; |
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a board of directors should have the opportunity to assess the contributions of all
directors annually, and not just of those whose three-year term is scheduled to expire,
so that the Boards composition can be appropriately adjusted to address a companys
evolving needs; and |
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stockholders may perceive classified boards as being self-serving. |
Our Board of Directors has considered the advantages and disadvantages of its classified board
structure, and has voted to approve the desclassification proposal and recommend it to our
stockholders as being in the best interests of our company, its stockholders and other
constituencies. In reaching this determination, the Board of Directors concluded that the
following considerations outweigh the benefits of a classified board:
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the Boards belief that, because there is no limit on the number of terms a director
may serve, the continuity and stability of the Boards membership and policies should
not be materially affected by the declassification of the Board of Directors; and |
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the Boards belief that, even though annual election of directors may increase the
ability of a third party to acquire control of our company without engaging in
arms-length discussions with the Board, there are other protections, such as statutory
anti-takeover provisions and our stockholder rights plan, applicable to an
acquisition of control of our company, that limit the likelihood that a third party
could successfully take over our company without engaging in arms-length discussions
with the Board. |
Removal Without Cause. Like most companies with classified boards of directors, we currently
have a charter provision prohibiting the removal of directors except with cause. Under Section
141(k) of the Delaware General Corporation Law, however, stockholders have the right to remove one
or more directors serving on a declassified board with or without cause. The proposed amendment to
our articles of incorporation to declassify the board of directors will also permit directors to be
removed by stockholders with or without cause, in accordance with Delaware law.
Effect of Voting Outcomes. If this Proposal No. 1 is approved and the amendment to our
certificate of incorporation becomes effective at the 2006 annual meeting, the annual election of
all directors will begin with the 2006 annual meeting of stockholders. Consequently, all directors
will stand for re-election in 2006 pursuant to Proposal No. 2 and would be subject to election for
one-year terms. Directors who would be subject to re-election in 2007 and 2008 have agreed to
resign and to stand for re-election in 2006 if this Proposal No. 1 is approved.
If this Proposal No. 1 is not approved, then our Board of Directors will remain classified
and, pursuant to Proposal No. 2, only the Class I directors and Mr. Harlan, as a Class II nominee,
will stand for election at the 2006 annual meeting. In that case, each of the Class I directors
would serve for a three-year term expiring in 2009 and until his successor shall have been elected
and qualified and Mr. Harlan, as a Class II director, would serve for an initial term expiring in
2008 and until his successor shall have been elected and qualified. All other directors will
continue in office for the remainder of their full three-year terms, subject to their earlier
resignation, removal or death.
If a quorum is present, approval of this proposal requires the affirmative vote of the
stockholders present in person or by proxy at the meeting and having a majority of the votes
entitled to vote thereon. If you execute and return a proxy, but do not specify how to vote the
shares represented by your proxy, the persons named as proxies will vote FOR the amendment to our
certificate of incorporation. In determining whether this item has received the requisite number of
affirmative votes, abstentions and broker non-votes will count for quorum purposes and will have
the same effect as votes against the proposal.
Our Board recommends a vote FOR the approval of the amendment to our certificate of
incorporation.
6
PROPOSAL NO. 2
ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
Our Board currently consists of seven members. Prior to the adoption of the amendment Proposal
No. 1 describes, our certificate of incorporation divides our Board into three classes (Class I,
Class II and Class III) having staggered terms of three years each.
If the stockholders approve the proposed amendment to our certificate of incorporation to
declassify the Board of Directors, all seven director positions will be subject to election at the
2006 annual meeting of stockholders, and the persons named in the enclosed proxy will vote to elect
all of the nominees as directors for terms ending at the 2007 annual meeting of stockholders,
unless you withhold authority to vote for any or all of the nominees by marking the proxy to that
effect or so voting in person. The directors who would be subject to re-election in 2007 and
2008, except for John R. Colson, have agreed to resign and to stand for re-election in 2006 if
Proposal No. 1 is approved.
Mr. Colson, a current Class II director, will retire from the Board at the annual meeting, and
the Board has nominated Michael W. Harlan, our Executive Vice President and Chief Operating
Officer, for election to the Class II director position being vacated by Mr. Colson. Mr. Harlan
previously served on our Board of Directors from March 1999 until April 2003. Our Board is
considering succession planning in view of the upcoming expiration of Mr. Martineaus term as
President and Chief Executive Officer in May 2007 and expects that Mr. Harlan will assume the role
of President at or before the time of our 2007 annual meeting of
stockholders and the role of Chief Executive
Officer at or near the time of our 2007 annual meeting of stockholders.
If the stockholders do not approve the proposed amendment to our certificate of incorporation,
then the term of office of the current Class I directors will expire at the 2006 annual meeting,
and the terms of office for the Class II and Class III directors will expire at the 2007 and 2008
annual meetings, respectively. In that event, the persons named in the enclosed proxy will vote to
elect (1) the nominees for Class I director for terms ending at the 2009 annual meeting of
stockholders and (2) Mr. Harlan, as nominee for Class II director, for a term ending at the 2008
annual meeting of stockholders, unless you withhold authority to vote for any or all of the
nominees by marking the proxy to that effect or so voting in person.
Information regarding the ages and backgrounds of the nominees is set forth below:
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Nominee |
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Class |
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Age |
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Position(s) Held |
Eugene P. Martineau
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I
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66 |
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Director, Chief Executive Officer and President (1) |
T. William Porter, III
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I
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64 |
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Director (2) |
Michael W. Harlan
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II
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45 |
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Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer |
Vincent D. Foster
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II
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49 |
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Director and Chairman of the Board (3) |
Mary P. Ricciardello
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II
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50 |
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Director (4) |
Murray S. Simpson
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III
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68 |
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Director (5) |
Robert S. Walker
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III
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62 |
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Director (6) |
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(1) |
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Member and Chair of the Executive Committee. |
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(2) |
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Member of the Compensation Committee and Member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance
Committee. |
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(3) |
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Member of the Compensation Committee and Member of the Executive Committee.
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(4) |
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Member and Chair of the Audit Committee. |
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(5) |
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Member of the Audit Committee, Member of the Executive Committee and Member and Chair of the
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. |
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(6) |
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Member of the Executive Committee and Member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance
Committee. |
Eugene P. Martineau has served as our Chief Executive Officer and President since
September 1998 and as one of our directors since March 1999. Mr. Martineau has over 38 years of
experience in the concrete industry. From 1992 until joining us, he served as Executive Vice
President for the Concrete Products Group of Southdown, Inc., a publicly traded, integrated cement
and ready-mixed concrete company that Cemex S.A. de C.V. acquired in November 2000. From April 1990
through March 1992, Mr. Martineau served as Vice President and General Manager of Southdowns
Florida Mining and Materials. Prior to March 1992, Mr. Martineau held various executive management
positions with Allied Ready Mix, Inc., Ready Mix Concrete Company, the Lehigh Portland Cement
Company and Allied Products Company. Mr. Martineau has served as a director of the National
Ready-Mixed Concrete Association, the industrys largest trade organization (the NRMCA), from
1994 through 1997, from 1999 through 2002 and since 2003, and also served as a member of the
Executive Committee of the NRMCA during 1997, 2000 and 2004. He served as chairman of the NRMCAs
Promotion Committee from 1997 through March 1999. Since 1999, Mr. Martineau has served as a trustee
of the RMC Research Foundation, an organization that serves
7
the ready-mixed concrete industry by
promoting and funding research and education for the industry, and during 2004 he also served as
chairman of the RMC Research Foundation. From 1994 through 1997, Mr. Martineau served as the
National Director of RMC 2000, a program that has been adopted by the NRMCA to promote ready-mixed
concrete as a building and paving material and improve the overall image of the ready-mixed
concrete industry.
T. William Porter, III has served as one of our directors since September 2001. Mr.
Porter is the Chairman of Porter & Hedges, L.L.P., a Houston, Texas law firm, of which Mr. Porter
has been a partner since its founding in 1981. Mr. Porter is also a director of Cal Dive International, Inc., a marine contractor and operator of offshore
oil and gas properties and production facilities, and Copano Energy, L.L.C., a midstream energy
company with networks of natural gas gathering and intrastate transmission pipelines in the Texas
Gulf Coast region.
Michael W. Harlan has served as our Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
since April 2003. Mr. Harlan served as our Chief Financial Officer from September 1998 to November
2004, as Senior Vice President from September 1998 to April 2003, and as our Corporate Secretary
from September 1998 to August 1999. Mr. Harlan served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial
Officer of Apple Orthodontix, Inc., an orthodontic practice management company, from March 1997 to
August 1998. From December 1996 to February 1997, Mr. Harlan served as a consultant to Apple
Orthodontix on financial and accounting matters. From April 1991 through December 1996, Mr. Harlan
held various positions in the finance and acquisitions departments, including Treasurer from
September 1993 to December 1996, of Sanifill, Inc., an international environmental services company
that USA Waste Services, Inc. acquired in 1996. Mr. Harlan is also a director of Waste Connections,
Inc., a solid waste services company.
Vincent D. Foster has served as one of our directors since August 1998 and became
nonexecutive Chairman of the Board of Directors in May 1999. Mr. Foster is a Senior Managing
Director of Main Street Capital Partners, LLC, which manages two investment funds, Main Street
Mezzanine Fund, LP and Main Street Capital II, LP, each of which are licensed small business
investment corporations, and served as Senior Managing Director of Main Street Equity Ventures II,
L.P. (and its predecessor firm), a private equity firm, from 1997 through 2002. From September 1988
through October 1997, Mr. Foster was a partner of Andersen Worldwide and Arthur Andersen LLP, where
he served as the director of the corporate finance practice and the mergers and acquisitions
practice in the southwestern United States. Mr. Foster has served as a director of the Houston,
Texas chapter of the National Association of Corporate Directors, of which he is a founding member,
since July 2002. Mr. Foster is also a director of Quanta Services, Inc., an electrical and
telecommunications contracting company, Carriage Services, Inc., a death-care company, and Team
Inc., a provider of specialty industrial services.
Mary P. Ricciardello has served as one of our directors since February 2003. Ms.
Ricciardello served as Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer of Reliant Energy,
Incorporated, a diversified energy company now known as CenterPoint Energy, Inc., from 1999 through
2002, where she also served as Senior Vice President and Comptroller from 1999 through 2001, as
Vice President and Comptroller from 1996 through 1999, as Corporate Comptroller from 1993 through
1996 and in various other positions from 1982 through 1993. In addition, Ms. Ricciardello served as
Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer of Reliant Resources, Inc. (now Reliant Energy,
Inc.) from 2001 through 2002, a company to which Reliant Energy, Inc. transferred its unregulated
energy business in 2001. Ms. Ricciardello has served as a director of the Houston, Texas chapter of
the National Association of Corporate Directors since May 2004. Ms. Ricciardellos current
principal occupation is as a certified public accountant, and she has not held a principal
employment since leaving her positions with Reliant Energy, Inc. and Reliant Resources, Inc. in
2002. Ms. Ricciardello is also a director of Noble Corporation, an offshore drilling company.
Murray S. Simpson has served as one of our directors since May 1999. From 1975
until 1990, Mr. Simpson served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Super Concrete
Corporation. Following that companys merger with British construction materials producer Evered,
plc, which is now known as Aggregate Industries, plc, Mr. Simpson served in various roles,
including Executive Vice President, Corporate Development, for its United States operations and
Director and Counsel for its mid-Atlantic area subsidiary, Bardon, Inc. Mr. Simpson has served on
the board of directors of the NRMCA for approximately 26 years and served as chairman of the board
from 1997 to 1998. He has also served as a director of the National Aggregates Association.
Robert S. Walker has served as one of our directors since May 1999 and served as
Executive Vice PresidentOperations of our Bay Area Region from May 1999 to December 2000. From
1965 until May 1999, Mr. Walker served as President of Walkers Concrete, Inc., a company we
acquired in May 1999. He is currently a real estate developer.
John R. Colson, 58, has served as one of our directors since May 1999. He has served as Chief
Executive Officer of Quanta Services, Inc. since February 1998 and as Chairman of the Board of
Directors of Quanta since June 2002. From 1991 to February 1998, he served as President of PAR
Electrical Contractors, Inc., a company that Quanta acquired in February 1998. Mr. Colson will
retire from the Board at the annual meeting.
8
If a quorum is present, the election of any director requires the favorable vote of the
holders of a plurality of the shares of common stock present and voting, in person or by proxy, at
the annual meeting. Any abstentions or broker non-votes will not affect the vote. If you properly
sign and return the enclosed proxy, and unless you withhold authority to vote for one or more of
the nominees, the persons named as proxies will vote FOR the election of the nominees listed
above. We do not expect that any of the nominees will refuse or be unable to act as a director of
U.S. Concrete for the term specified. If, however, any nominee becomes unable or unwilling to serve
as a director prior to the vote, the persons named as proxies intend to vote the proxy shares for
the election of any other person the Board of Directors may designate.
The Board of Directors recommends that you vote FOR the election of our director
nominees.
9
INFORMATION CONCERNING THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
AND COMMITTEES
Board of Directors
Our Board met six times and took action by unanimous written consent on three occasions
during 2005. Our Board has standing audit, compensation, nominating and corporate governance, and
executive committees. During 2005, each member of the Board attended at least 75% of the aggregate
number of meetings of the Board and any committee of the Board on which such director served. The
Board has determined that six of its seven directors, Ms. Ricciardello and Messrs. Colson, Foster,
Porter, Simpson and Walker, are independent directors within the meaning of applicable Nasdaq
National Market (Nasdaq) listing standards. If Mr. Harlan is elected to the Board of Directors,
it is anticipated that the Board will determine that Mr. Harlan is not an independent director
within the meaning of applicable Nasdaq listing standards.
U.S. Concretes policy is to encourage all members of the Board to attend our annual
meetings of stockholders. All members of the Board attended last years annual meeting.
Audit Committee
The audit committee, which met five times during 2005, consists of Ms. Ricciardello
(chair) and Messrs. Colson and Simpson. The audit committee is governed by a charter our Board has
adopted, a copy of which is available on our website at www.us-concrete.com. U.S. Concretes common
stock is quoted on the Nasdaq. As a result, we are subject to the Nasdaq listing standards. Each
member of the audit committee is an independent director in accordance with the applicable rules
of the SEC and applicable corporate governance standards of the Nasdaq. The Board has determined
that Ms. Ricciardello is an audit committee financial expert as defined in the applicable rules
of the SEC. For information relating to Ms. Ricciardellos background, see her biographical
information under Election of Directors above.
The audit committee assists our Board in fulfilling its oversight responsibility relating
to:
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the integrity of our financial statements and financial reporting process; |
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the adequacy of our internal control over financial reporting; |
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the qualifications, independence and performance of our independent auditors; |
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the performance of our internal audit function; and |
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our compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. |
The audit committees purpose is to oversee our accounting and financial reporting
processes, the audits of our financial statements, the qualifications of our independent auditors
and the performance of our internal auditors. Our management is responsible for preparing our
financial statements and for our internal controls, and our independent auditors are responsible
for auditing those financial statements and the related audit of internal control over financial
reporting. The audit committee is not providing any expert or special assurance as to our financial
statements or any professional certification as to the independent auditors work. The following
functions are among the key duties and responsibilities of the audit committee:
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reviewing and discussing with management and our independent auditors our audited and
interim unaudited financial statements and related disclosures included in our periodic
reports filed with the SEC; |
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recommending to the Board whether our audited financial statements should be included in
our annual report on Form 10-K for that year; |
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reviewing and discussing the scope and results of the independent auditors annual audit
and quarterly reviews of our financial statements, and any other matters required to be
communicated to the audit committee by the independent auditors; |
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discussing with management, our senior internal auditor and our independent auditors the
adequacy and effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures, our internal
controls and procedures for financial reporting and our risk assessment and risk
management policies; |
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the appointment, compensation, retention and oversight of the work of our independent
auditors, including overseeing their independence; |
10
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reviewing and pre-approving all audit and permitted non-audit services that may be
performed by our independent auditors; |
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reviewing and assessing, on an annual basis, the adequacy of the audit committees
charter and recommending revisions to the Board; and |
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reviewing the appointment of our senior internal auditor, reviewing and discussing with
such individual the scope and staffing of our internal audits and reviewing all
significant internal audit reports. |
The audit committee meets separately with the independent auditors to provide an open avenue
of communication.
Compensation Committee
The compensation committee, which met six times and took action by unanimous written
consent on five occasions during 2005, consists of Messrs. Colson (chair), Foster and Porter. The
compensation committee is governed by a charter our Board has adopted, a copy of which is available
on our website at www.us-concrete.com. Each member of the compensation committee is an independent
director within the meaning of applicable Nasdaq listing standards. Mr. Foster did not qualify as
an independent director until January 1, 2006 because in 2002 we paid a private equity firm, of
which he was senior managing director, an amount for reimbursement of expenses primarily related to
our acquisition program and other business development activities in excess of Nasdaqs standard
for determination of director independence. Mr. Foster, who is neither an employee of U.S. Concrete
nor an immediate family member of any U.S. Concrete employee, has significant public company
executive compensation experience, having served as a member of the compensation committee of our
Board since 1999, a member of the compensation committee of the board of directors of Carriage
Services, Inc. since 1999 and a member of the compensation committee of the board of directors of
Quanta Services, Inc. during 2001. Our Board determined that appointing Mr. Foster to continue on
the compensation committee was in the best interest of U.S. Concrete because his broad experience
with public company executive compensation matters and his familiarity with our historic
compensation policies enable him to make significant contributions to the compensation committee.
The following functions are among the key duties and responsibilities of the compensation
committee:
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reviewing the competitiveness of our compensation programs for executive officers to (1)
ensure the attraction and retention of executive officers, (2) ensure the motivation of
executive officers to achieve our business objectives and (3) align the interest of key
leadership with the long-term interests of our stockholders; |
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reviewing trends in management compensation, overseeing the development of new
compensation plans and, when necessary, approving the revision of existing plans; |
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reviewing the performance of our chief executive officer and other executive officers; |
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reviewing and discussing with our Board and executive officers plans for executive
officer development and corporate succession plans for our chief executive officer and
other executive officers; |
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administering our incentive compensation plans; and |
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approving salaries, bonuses and other compensation for executive officers. |
For additional information regarding the compensation committee, see Report of the
Compensation Committee Regarding Executive Compensation.
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
The nominating and corporate governance committee, which met twice during 2005, consists
of Messrs. Simpson (chair), Porter and Walker. The nominating and corporate governance committee is
governed by a charter our Board has adopted, a copy of which is available on our website at
www.us-concrete.com. Each member of the nominating and corporate governance committee is an
independent director within the meaning of applicable Nasdaq listing standards.
The following functions are among the key duties and responsibilities of the nominating
and corporate governance committee:
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evaluating candidates for membership on the Board; |
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recommending to the full Board all nominees for election to the Board by our stockholders; |
11
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recommending directors to be elected by the Board to fill vacancies on the Board; and |
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reviewing, and making recommendations to the Board regarding, corporate governance matters. |
In carrying out its function to evaluate and recommend nominees for election to the
Board, the nominating and corporate governance committee considers a candidates mix of skills,
experience, character, commitment and diversity of background, all in the context of the
requirements of the Board at that point in time. Each candidate should be prepared to participate
fully in Board activities, including attendance at, and active participation in, meetings of the
Board, and not have other personal or professional commitments that would, in the nominating and
corporate governance committees judgment, interfere with or limit such candidates ability to do
so. Additionally, in determining whether to recommend a director for re-election, the nominating
and corporate governance committee also considers the directors past attendance at Board and
committee meetings and participation in and contributions to the activities of the Board. The
nominating and corporate governance committee has no stated specific, minimum qualifications that
must be met by a candidate for a position on our Board. The nominating and corporate governance
committee does, however, believe it appropriate for at least one member of the Board to meet the
criteria for an audit committee financial expert as defined by SEC rules, and for a majority of
the members of the Board meet the definition of independent director within the meaning of
applicable Nasdaq listing standards.
The nominating and corporate governance committees methods for identifying candidates
for election to the Board (other than those proposed by U.S. Concretes stockholders, as discussed
below) include the solicitation of ideas for possible candidates from a number of sources,
including members of the Board; our executives; individuals personally known to the members of the
Board; and other research. The nominating and corporate governance committee also has authority to
select and compensate a third-party search firm to help identify candidates, if the committee deems
it advisable to do so.
The nominating and corporate governance committee will consider nominees stockholders
recommend. Stockholders may submit nominations to the nominating and corporate governance committee
in care of Corporate Secretary, U.S. Concrete, Inc., 2925 Briarpark, Suite 1050, Houston, Texas
77042. As to each person a stockholder proposes to nominate for election as a director, our bylaws
provide that the nomination notice must (1) include the name, age, business address and principal
occupation or employment of that person, the number of shares of common stock that person owns
beneficially or of record and any other information relating to that person that Section 14 of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the related SEC rules and regulations require and (2) be
accompanied by the written consent of the person that stockholder proposes to nominate for election
as a director to be named in the proxy statement as a nominee and to serve as a director if
elected. The nomination notice must also include, as to that stockholder and that beneficial owner,
if any, of common stock on whose behalf that stockholder is making the nomination or nominations:
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the name and address of that stockholder, as they appear on U.S. Concretes books, and
the name and address of that beneficial owner; |
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the number of shares of common stock which that stockholder and that beneficial owner
each owns beneficially or of record; |
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a description of all arrangements and understandings between that stockholder or that
beneficial owner and each proposed nominee of that stockholder and any other person or
persons (including their names) pursuant to which that stockholder will make the
nomination(s); |
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a representation by that stockholder that he or she intends to appear in person or by
proxy at that meeting to nominate the person(s) named in that nomination notice; and |
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any other information relating to that stockholder and that beneficial owner that
Section 14 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the related SEC rules and
regulations require. |
To be timely for consideration at our 2007 annual meeting, our Corporate Secretary must
receive a stockholders nomination notice at our principal executive offices, at the address set
forth above, no earlier than , 2006 and no later than the close of business on
, 2007.
The nominating and corporate governance committee will consider all candidates identified
through the processes described above, whether identified by the committee or by a stockholder, and
will evaluate each of them on the same basis.
12
Executive Committee
The executive committee, which met once during 2005, consists of Messrs. Foster,
Martineau (chair), Simpson and Walker. The following are among the key duties and responsibilities
of the executive committee:
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reviewing and monitoring the strategic direction of our acquisition program; |
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approving acquisitions that involve consideration within limits our Board has established; and |
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v exercising such authority as is delegated to it from time to time by our Board. |
Communication with Board of Directors
Stockholders may communicate with our Board by sending their communication to U.S.
Concrete, Inc. Board of Directors, c/o Corporate Secretary, 2925 Briarpark, Suite 1050, Houston,
Texas 77042. All stockholder communications received by our Corporate Secretary will be delivered
to the Chairman of the Board.
Director Compensation
We pay to each of our nonemployee directors the following fees:
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an annual retainer of $10,000; |
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$5,000 for each Board meeting attended in person and $2,500 for each Board meeting attended telephonically; |
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$5,000 for each audit committee meeting attended by the chairperson of the audit
committee, whether attended in person or telephonically and whether or not the meeting is
held on the same day as a Board meeting; |
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$4,000 for each audit committee meeting attended by each other member of the audit
committee, whether attended in person or telephonically and whether or not the meeting is
held on the same day as a Board meeting; and |
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$1,000 for each other Board committee meeting attended in person and $500 for each such
other Board committee meeting attended telephonically, unless the committee meeting is
held on the same day as a Board meeting, in which case the committee member receives no
fee for attending that committee meeting. |
We also annually grant each nonemployee director an option to purchase 10,000 shares of common
stock under our 1999 Incentive Plan. We do not pay any additional compensation to our employees for
serving as directors, but we reimburse all directors for out-of-pocket expenses they incur in connection with attending Board and Board
committee meetings or otherwise in their capacity as directors.
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND KEY EMPLOYEE
The following table provides information about our current executive officers and a key
employee:
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|
Name |
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Age |
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Position(s) held |
Eugene P. Martineau
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66 |
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Director, Chief Executive Officer and President |
Michael W. Harlan
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45 |
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Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer |
Robert D. Hardy
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45 |
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Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer |
William T. Albanese
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62 |
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Regional Vice PresidentNorthern California Region |
Thomas J. Albanese
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59 |
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Executive Vice President of SalesBay Area Region |
Scott R. Evans
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51 |
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Regional Vice PresidentSouth Central Region |
M. Terry Green
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58 |
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Senior Vice PresidentOperations |
Sean M. Gore
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38 |
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Vice PresidentFinance |
Wallace H. Johnson
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57 |
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Vice PresidentMarketing and Sales |
Gary J. Konnie
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52 |
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Vice PresidentHuman Resources |
Raymond C. Turpin
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68 |
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Vice PresidentTechnical Affairs * |
Donald C. Wayne
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39 |
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Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary |
Cesar Monroy
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45 |
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Treasurer |
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* |
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Key employee. |
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For a description of the business background of Messrs. Martineau and Harlan, see
Election of Directors above. |
13
Robert D. Hardy has served as our Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since
November 2004. From January 2004 through November 2004, Mr. Hardy was self-employed as a business
consultant to NL Industries, Inc., an international chemical company. From 1992 through 2003, Mr.
Hardy held various positions of increasing responsibility in the tax, accounting and finance
departments of NL Industries, including Chief Financial Officer since January 2002, Vice President
and Controller from 1999 to September 2003, Assistant Secretary from 1998 to September 2003 and
Assistant Treasurer from prior to 1998 to January 2002. From January 2002 until February 2003, he
also served as NL Industries Treasurer. From 1992 to 1998, Mr. Hardy served as NL Industries
Director of Taxes and from 1998 to 1999 he served as its Vice PresidentTax.
William T. Albanese has served as our Regional Vice PresidentNorthern California Region
since May 2005, and served as President of our Bay Area Region from June 1999 through May 2005.
From 1987 through May 1999, Mr. Albanese served as President of Central Concrete Supply Co., Inc.
(Central), one of the companies we acquired in May 1999 as the platform business of our Bay Area
Region into which we subsequently consolidated other Bay Area operations. Previously, he served in
various other capacities for Central since 1966. Mr. Albanese is the brother of Thomas J. Albanese,
the Executive Vice President of Sales of our Bay Area Region.
Thomas J. Albanese has served as Executive Vice President of Sales of our Bay Area Region
since June 1999. From 1987 through May 1999, Mr. Albanese served as Vice President of Central.
Previously, he served in various other capacities for Central since 1969. Mr. Albanese is the
brother of William T. Albanese, the Regional Vice President of our Northern California Region.
Scott R. Evans has served as our Regional Vice PresidentSouth Central Region since October
2004. Mr. Evans has over 25 years of experience in the ready-mixed concrete industry. He
previously served as Vice President and General Manager of Beall Concrete Industries, Ltd.
(Beall), our subsidiary operating in north Texas, with additional oversight of our southwest
Oklahoma operations, from April 2002 through October 2004, and served as General Manager of Beall
from September 2000 through April 2002. From late 1999 to September 2000, Mr. Evans was
self-employed as a business consultant to the concrete industry in the north Texas market. From
1986 through 1999, Mr. Evans held various positions of increasing responsibility with Lattimore
Materials Company, a ready-mixed concrete company with aggregate quarries operating in north Texas
and southern Oklahoma, including President from 1998 through 1999, Executive Vice President from
1990 through 1998, and Vice President and General Manager from 1986 through 1990. From 1981
through 1986, Mr. Evans held various positions with Gifford Hill Concrete Products, a construction
materials company, including as Sales Manager of its Dallas, Texas operation from 1983 through
1986.
M. Terry Green has served as our Senior Vice PresidentOperations since October 2005,
and served as Vice PresidentOperational Integration from May 1999 through October 2005. Mr. Green
has managed the operations of ready-mixed concrete producers and other transportation-related
businesses for over 20 years. From August 1998 until May 1999, he served as Vice President of
Maintenance for Armellini Express Lines, Inc. From January 1989 until June 1998, Mr. Green served
as Director of Maintenance, Equipment and Purchasing for the concrete products division of
Southdown, Inc. From 1980 until 1989, Mr. Green held various positions with Kraft, Inc., serving as
Private Fleet Operations Manager from 1988 until 1989.
Sean M. Gore has served as our Vice PresidentFinance since February 2006, and served as our
Director of Business Development from February 2005 through February 2006. From August 2004
through February 2005, Mr. Gore was self-employed as a business consultant to U.S. Concrete. From
January 2004 through July 2004, Mr. Gore was self-employed as a business consultant to Petroleum
Geo-Services ASA, an international oilfield services company. From 1995 through 2003, Mr. Gore
held various positions of increasing responsibility with Petroleum Geo Services, including Vice
President and Corporate Controller from May 2001 through December 2003, Vice President Finance
and Business Development from October 1999 through April 2001, Vice President Finance from
January 1997 through September 1999, and Controller from May 1995 through December 1996. From 1989
through 1995, Mr. Gore held various positions of increasing responsibility in the audit division of
the accounting firm now known as PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP.
Wallace H. Johnson has served as our Vice PresidentMarketing and Sales since November 2004.
Mr. Johnson has over 30 years of experience in the construction supply industry. From June 2002
through November 2004, Mr. Johnson served as Vice President of Sales and Marketing of Systech Inc.,
a provider of software systems for the ready-mixed concrete and aggregate industries. From May 2001
through June 2002, he served as Director of Sales of Buildpoint Corp., a provider of online bid
management services for general contractors that Construction Software Technologies, Inc. acquired
in 2004. From 1977 through May 2001, Mr. Johnson served in various sales and sales management
positions within the construction
products division of W. R. Grace & Co., a global specialty chemicals and materials company,
including from 1996 through 2001 as regional sales manager and from 1993 through 1996 as North
American sales manager.
14
Gary J. Konnie has served as our Vice PresidentHuman Resources since November 2004. Mr.
Konnie has over 30 years of human resources management experience. From October 2002 through March
2004, Mr. Konnie served as Senior Vice President of Human Resources of El Paso Corporation, a
provider of natural gas and related energy products. From October 1999 through October 2002 he
served as El Pasos Vice President of Human Resources, and from May 1998 through October 1999 he
served as El Pasos director of human resources. From 1996 through May 1998, Mr. Konnie served as
vice president of human resources for Meridian Aggregates Company, a producer of construction
aggregates. Prior to 1996, Mr. Konnie held various human resources positions with RTZ plc,
Burlington Resources Inc., Boise Cascade, LLC and General Motors Corporation.
Raymond C. Turpin has served as our Vice PresidentTechnical Affairs since January 2001.
From January 2000 through January 2001 he served as our Vice PresidentTechnical Marketing and
Development. Mr. Turpin has over 40 years of experience in the construction materials industry.
From 1988 until joining us, he was Director of Technical Service and New Product Development of
Blue Circle Cement, North America, a producer and supplier of cement to the construction industry
that Lafarge S.A. acquired in July 2001. From 1984 until 1988, Mr. Turpin served as Technical
Director of Williams Brothers Concrete, which Blue Circle Cement acquired in 1986, supervising the
manufacture of chemical admixtures for concrete. From 1972 until 1984, Mr. Turpin was self-employed
as a consultant to the concrete industry and, during that time, developed two patents relating to
the use of fly ash in concrete.
Donald C. Wayne has served as our Vice President and General Counsel since May 1999 and
as our Corporate Secretary since August 1999. From October 1994 until joining us, Mr. Wayne served
as an attorney with the law firm of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, L.L.P.
Cesar Monroy has served as our Treasurer since July 2005. He previously served as our Vice
PresidentFinance from April 2003 until July 2005, and as our Vice PresidentAccounting from June
2002 to April 2003. From 1995 through May 2002, Mr. Monroy was self-employed as a business
consultant to various companies, including as a consultant to U.S. Concrete from March 2000 through
May 2002. From 1993 through 1995, he served as the Chief Financial Officer of Fairchild Aircraft, a
commercial aircraft manufacturer.
15
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION AND OTHER MATTERS
Summary Compensation Table
The following table sets forth the compensation we paid during 2003, 2004 and 2005 to our
chief executive officer and our four other most highly compensated executive officers in 2005 (the
named executive officers).
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Annual Compensation(1) |
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Long-Term Compensation |
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Shares |
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Name and |
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Restricted Stock |
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Underlying |
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All Other |
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Principal Position |
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Year |
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Salary |
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Bonus(2) |
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Awards(3)(4) |
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Options |
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Compensation(5) |
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Eugene P. Martineau
President, Chief |
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2005 |
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|
$ |
573,832 |
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$ |
300,000 |
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$ |
559,200 |
(6) |
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$ |
10,500 |
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Executive Officer and |
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2004 |
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567,983 |
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293,250 |
(7) |
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13,062 |
(8) |
Director |
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2003 |
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559,176 |
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369,850 |
(9) |
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11,073 |
(10) |
Michael W.
Harlan Executive Vice |
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2005 |
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342,239 |
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144,000 |
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338,310 |
(11) |
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10,208 |
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President and Chief |
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2004 |
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340,790 |
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224,250 |
(12) |
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11,165 |
(13) |
Operating Officer |
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2003 |
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318,914 |
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256,050 |
(14) |
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10,760 |
(15) |
Robert D. Hardy Senior Vice |
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2005 |
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225,000 |
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72,000 |
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187,950 |
(16) |
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10,500 |
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President and
Chief |
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2004 |
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33,317 |
(17) |
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357,500 |
(18) |
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Financial Officer |
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William T. Albanese
Regional Vice |
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2005 |
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277,747 |
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70,000 |
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87,710 |
(19) |
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10,500 |
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President Northern |
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2004 |
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261,400 |
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82,800 |
(20) |
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10,250 |
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California Region |
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2003 |
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247,500 |
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70,115 |
(21) |
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10,000 |
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Thomas J.
Albanese Executive Vice |
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2005 |
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277,747 |
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70,000 |
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87,710 |
(22) |
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10,085 |
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President of SalesBay |
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2004 |
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261,400 |
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|
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82,800 |
(23) |
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10,250 |
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Area Region |
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2003 |
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247,500 |
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70,115 |
(24) |
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7,062 |
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|
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(1) |
|
Excludes the value of perquisites and other personal benefits for each of the named
executive officers because the aggregate amounts did not exceed the lesser of $50,000 or 10%
of the total annual salary and bonus reported for any named executive officer. |
|
(2) |
|
Unless otherwise provided in a separate footnote, bonus amounts were earned in year shown and
paid the following year. |
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(3) |
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As of December 31, 2005, the total number and value, respectively, of restricted shares held
by such named executive officers were: Mr. Martineau: 146,682 ($1,390,545); Mr. Harlan:
108,379 ($1,027,433); Mr. Hardy: 37,500 ($355,500); Mr. Albanese: 18,528 ($175,645) and Mr.
Albanese: 18,528 ($175,645). Voting, dividend and other rights are associated with restricted
shares of our common stock. |
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(4) |
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Except as noted, we will pay dividends on the shares of restricted stock reported in this
column as and when we pay dividends on shares of our common stock. |
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(5) |
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Unless otherwise provided in a separate footnote, the amounts in this column represent
matching contributions to the 401(k) plan account of such named executive officers. |
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(6) |
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The amount shown represents 40,000 shares of restricted stock, valued at $13.98 per share
(the fair market value of a share of our common stock as of the date of grant), awarded in
2006 that relate to his service in 2005 and are scheduled to vest in four equal annual
installments beginning in March 2007. |
|
(7) |
|
The amount shown represents 42,500 shares of restricted stock, valued at $6.90 per share (the
fair market value of a share of our common stock as of the date of grant), awarded in 2005
that relate to his service in 2004 and are scheduled to vest in four equal annual installments
beginning in May 2006. |
|
(8) |
|
The amount shown represents $11,733 in matching contributions to Mr. Martineaus 401(k) plan
account and $1,329 in imputed interest on a loan U.S. Concrete extended to Mr. Martineau in
May 2002. |
|
(9) |
|
The amount shown represents 65,000 shares of restricted stock, valued at $5.69 per share (the
fair market value of a share of our common stock as of the date of grant), awarded in 2004
that relate to his service in 2003 and are scheduled to vest in four equal annual installments
beginning in May 2005. |
16
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(10) |
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The amount shown represents $10,000 in matching contributions to Mr. Martineaus 401(k) plan
account and $1,073 in imputed interest on a loan U.S. Concrete extended to Mr. Martineau in
May 2002. |
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(11) |
|
The amount shown represents 27,000 shares of restricted stock, valued at $12.53 per share
(the fair market value of a share of our common stock as of the date of grant), awarded in
2006 that relate to his service in 2005 and are scheduled to vest in four equal annual
installments beginning in March 2007. |
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(12) |
|
The amount shown represents 32,500 shares of restricted stock, valued at $6.90 per share (the
fair market value of a share of our common stock as of the date of grant), awarded in 2005
that relate to his service in 2004 and are scheduled to vest in four equal annual installments
beginning in May 2006. |
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(13) |
|
The amount shown represents $10,224 in matching contributions to Mr. Harlans 401(k) plan
account and $941 in imputed interest on a loan U.S. Concrete extended to Mr. Harlan in May
2002. |
|
(14) |
|
The amount shown represents 45,000 shares of restricted stock, valued at $5.69 per share (the
fair market value of a share of our common stock as of the date of grant), awarded in 2004
that relate to his service in 2003 and are scheduled to vest in four equal annual installments
beginning in May 2005. |
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(15) |
|
The amount shown represents $10,000 in matching contributions to Mr. Harlans 401(k) plan
account and $760 in imputed interest on a loan U.S. Concrete extended to Mr. Harlan in May
2002. |
|
(16) |
|
The amount shown represents 15,000 shares of restricted stock, valued at $12.53 per share
(the fair market value of a share of our common stock as of the date of grant), awarded in
2006 that relate to his service in 2005 and are scheduled to vest in four equal annual
installments beginning in March 2007. |
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(17) |
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The amount shown represents Mr. Hardys base salary from November 11, 2004, the date he began
employment with us, through December 31, 2004. |
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(18) |
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The amount shown represents 50,000 shares of restricted stock, valued at $7.15 per share (the
fair market value of a share of our common stock as of the date of grant), awarded in 2004
that are scheduled to vest in four equal annual installments beginning in November 2005. |
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(19) |
|
The amount shown represents 7,000 shares of restricted stock, valued at $12.53 per share (the
fair market value of a share of our common stock as of the date of grant), awarded in 2006
that relate to his service in 2005 and are scheduled to vest in four equal annual installments
beginning in March 2007. |
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(20) |
|
The amount shown represents 12,000 shares of restricted stock, valued at $6.90 per share (the
fair market value of a share of our common stock as of the date of grant), awarded in 2005
that relate to his service in 2004 and are scheduled to vest in four equal annual installments
beginning in May 2006. |
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(21) |
|
The amount shown represents (i) 8,333 shares of restricted stock, valued at $5.00 per share
(the fair market value of a share of our common stock as of the date of grant), and granted in
exchange for options tendered by Mr. Albanese pursuant to our 2003 stock option exchange
program, which vest in three equal annual installments beginning in September 2004, and (ii)
5,000 shares of restricted stock, valued at $5.69 per share (the fair market value of a share
of our common stock as of the date of grant), awarded in 2004 that relate to his service in
2003 and vest in four equal annual installments beginning in May 2005. |
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(22) |
|
The amount shown represents 7,000 shares of restricted stock, valued at $12.53 per share (the
fair market value of a share of our common stock as of the date of grant), awarded in 2006
that relate to his service in 2005 and are scheduled to vest in four equal annual installments
beginning in March 2007. |
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(23) |
|
The amount shown represents 12,000 shares of restricted stock, valued at $6.90 per share (the
fair market value of a share of our common stock as of the date of grant), awarded in 2005
that relate to his service in 2004 and are scheduled to vest in four equal annual installments
beginning in May 2006. |
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(24) |
|
The amount shown represents (i) 8,333 shares of restricted stock, valued at $5.00 per share
(the fair market value of a share of our common stock as of the date of grant), and granted in
exchange for options tendered by Mr. Albanese pursuant to our 2003 stock option exchange
program, which vest in three equal annual installments beginning in September 2004, and (ii)
5,000 shares of restricted stock, valued at $5.69 per share (the fair market value of a share
of our common stock as of the date of grant), awarded in 2004 that relate to his service in
2003 and vest in four equal annual installments beginning in May 2005. |
17
Stock Option Exercises and 2005 Year-End Option Values
The following table details the number and value of securities underlying unexercised
options held by the named executive officers at December 31, 2005. No options were exercised by the
named executive officers during 2005.
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Number of Shares Underlying |
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Value of Unexercised In-the- |
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Unexercised Options at |
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Money Options at |
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December 31, 2005 |
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December 31, 2005(1) |
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Name |
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Exercisable |
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Unexercisable |
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Exercisable |
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Unexercisable |
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Eugene P. Martineau |
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490,000 |
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25,000 |
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954,950 |
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$ |
80,250 |
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Michael W. Harlan |
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365,000 |
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20,000 |
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704,200 |
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64,200 |
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Robert D. Hardy |
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-- |
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William T. Albanese |
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43,750 |
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6,250 |
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97,187 |
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20,063 |
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Thomas J. Albanese |
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43,750 |
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6,250 |
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97,187 |
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20,063 |
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(1) |
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Based on the closing price of $9.48 for our common stock on the Nasdaq National Market on
December 31, 2005. |
Employment Agreements
We entered into employment agreements in May 2003 with several key employees and
executive officers, including the following named executive officers: Messrs. Martineau, Harlan,
Albanese and Albanese. Each of these agreements:
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provides for an annual minimum base salary; |
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entitles the employee to participate, on the same basis generally as other executive
officers, in general employee benefit plans and programs available to our employees; and |
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had an initial term of three years in the case of Messrs. Martineau and Harlan and an
initial term of two years in the case of Messrs. Albanese and Albanese. This initial term
was subject to an extension option, in the case of Mr. Martineau, and automatic renewal
for certain additional periods, in the case of Messrs. Harlan, Albanese and Albanese
(described below). |
Mr. Martineau had the option to extend the term of his employment as President and Chief
Executive Officer under his employment agreement for one additional year beyond the initial term by
providing written notice to us not more than 90 days nor less than 60 days prior to May 28, 2006.
In March 2006, Mr. Martineau provided written notice to us of his election to so extend the term of
his employment as President and Chief Executive Officer under his employment agreement through May
28, 2007. In addition, Mr. Martineaus employment agreement will extend through the date of our
2009 annual meeting of stockholders when all the following conditions are satisfied (the
Satisfaction Date): (1) Mr. Martineau voluntarily ceases serving in the position of President and
Chief Executive Officer, (2) he is elected chairman of our Board and (3) our 2006 annual meeting of
stockholders has occurred. On the Satisfaction Date, Mr. Martineaus position would become
executive chairman of the Board, and his monthly base salary would become one-half of his monthly
base salary during the month immediately preceding the Satisfaction Date.
If we terminate Mr. Martineaus employment without cause or he terminates his employment
for good reason (which would include our Boards failure (i) to renominate Mr. Martineau to the
Board at our annual meeting of stockholders in 2007 or 2008 or (ii) to appoint him as Chairman at
any time between our 2007 and 2009 annual meetings), we will be required to pay to Mr. Martineau:
(1) his base salary at the time of termination for the balance of the remaining term, (2) a bonus
equal to the greater of (a) the average amount of his bonus in the preceding three years or, if
within 30 days of the date of termination we are on target to pay bonuses to executive officers for
the bonus year during which the termination occurs, (b) the amount of his target bonus for that
bonus year, (3) health insurance premiums for the lesser of the remaining term or 18 months
following termination and (4), if that termination occurs prior to the Satisfaction Date, $500,000.
Additionally, all options, restricted stock awards and similar awards granted to Mr. Martineau
prior to the termination would immediately vest and become exercisable in full and remain
outstanding in accordance with their terms. Our obligation to pay Mr. Martineau severance benefits
will cease as of the first day that he is employed by one of our competitors.
Beginning in May 2005, in the case of Mr. Harlan, and May 2004, in the case of Messrs.
Albanese and Albanese, the term of employment will be for a continually renewing (on a daily basis)
term of one year, subject to the right of either us or the employee to terminate the employees
employment at any time. After May 2006, we may terminate the continually
renewing one-year term of employment of the employee by providing him with one years advance
notice, at which time he will become an employee at will if he remains our employee. We may not
terminate the continually renewing one-year term following a change of control and, if we give
notice as described in the foregoing sentence within one year prior to a change of control, then
the employees term of employment will again be for a continually renewing (on a daily basis) term
18
of one year commencing on the date of the change of control. If we terminate that employment
without cause or the employee terminates that employment for good reason, we will be required to
pay to the employee (1) his base salary at the time of termination for the longer of the balance of
the initial term or 12 months, (2) a bonus equal to the greater of (a) the average amount of the
employees bonus in the preceding three years or, if within 30 days of the date of termination we
are on target to pay bonuses to executive officers for the bonus year during which the termination
occurs, (b) the amount of his target bonus for that bonus year and (3) health insurance premiums
for the lesser of the remaining term or 18 months following termination. Additionally, all options,
restricted stock awards and similar awards granted to the employee prior to the termination would
immediately vest and become exercisable in full and remain outstanding in accordance with their
terms. Our obligation to pay the employee severance benefits will cease as of the first day that he
is employed by one of our competitors.
Under each of the employment agreements with Messrs. Martineau, Harlan, Albanese and
Albanese, if there is a change in control of our company, all stock options, restricted stock
awards and similar awards granted to the employee prior to the change in control would vest and
become exercisable in full immediately prior to the change in control and would remain outstanding
in accordance with their terms. Additionally, if within one year after the change in control the
employee terminates his employment for good reason or is terminated without cause, the employee
will receive the same severance as described in the preceding paragraphs regarding termination of
employment for good reason or without cause, except the severance will be a lump-sum cash payment
equal to three times the annual base salary at the time of termination in the case of Messrs.
Martineau and Harlan and two times such base salary in the case of Messrs. Albanese and Albanese.
If after the first anniversary of the change in control the employee terminates his employment for
good reason or is terminated without cause, the employee will receive the same severance as
described in the preceding paragraphs regarding termination of employment for good reason or
without cause.
In addition to their severance payments, if, following a change of control, any option
relating to our capital stock does not remain outstanding, Messrs. Martineau, Harlan, Albanese and
Albanese would be entitled to receive, at each employees election, either (1) fully vested and
exercisable options to purchase stock of the acquiring company for the same number of shares as
they would have received had they exercised their U.S. Concrete options immediately prior to the
transaction resulting in a change in control and received, for the shares acquired on exercise of
such options, shares of the acquiring company in the change in control transaction; the aggregate
exercise price for the shares covered by such options would be equal to the aggregate exercise
price for the U.S. Concrete options, and the term of such options would be equal to the remainder
of the term of the U.S. Concrete options; or (2) a lump-sum after-tax payment not less than the
amount of net after-tax gain they would have realized on exercise of such options of the acquiring
company and sale of the underlying shares.
Each of these agreements also provides that if the employee dies or becomes disabled, he
is entitled to the same severance as described in the preceding paragraphs regarding termination of
employment for good reason or without cause, except that with respect to severance benefits
relating to stock options (1) all of that employees stock options that are vested at the time of
death or disability will remain outstanding and continue to be exercisable in accordance with their
terms and (2) all of that employees stock options that are not vested at the time of death or
disability will terminate.
If we terminate the employment of any of Messrs. Martineau, Harlan, Albanese or Albanese
for cause or the employee terminates employment without good reason, the employee will be entitled
only to his salary pro rated through the date of termination and benefits to which he is entitled
under our compensation and benefits plans. All of the employees stock options that are vested at
the time of termination will remain outstanding and exercisable for 90 days post-termination; all
unvested options will immediately terminate; and all unvested restricted stock and other awards
will be cancelled.
In addition, we are required to compensate Messrs. Martineau, Harlan, Albanese and
Albanese for any federal excise tax that may be imposed upon payments made or benefits conferred
under the employees employment agreement.
We entered into a letter agreement for employment with Mr. Hardy in November 2004. Under Mr.
Hardys letter agreement, he is entitled to a base salary of $225,000 per year. In addition, Mr.
Hardy also received a grant of 50,000 shares of restricted stock. These shares are scheduled to
vest in four equal annual installments beginning in November 2005. The agreement also provides
that Mr. Hardy is eligible to participate in all health and welfare benefit programs available to
similarly situated U.S. Concrete employees. In the event Mr. Hardy is terminated involuntarily
without cause, he will be eligible to receive a payment equal to his annual base salary plus his
annual target bonus, and all of his unvested shares of
restricted stock that are scheduled to vest over time will immediately vest. All of Mr.
Hardys unvested shares of restricted stock that are scheduled to vest over time will also
immediately vest on a change of control of U.S. Concrete, and, if Mr. Hardy is terminated
involuntarily without cause within one year of a change of control, he will be eligible to receive
a payment equal to his annual base salary plus his annual target bonus.
19
Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
In 2005, Messrs. Foster, Colson and Porter served as members of the compensation
committee. Porter & Hedges, L.L.P., a Houston, Texas law firm of which Mr. Porter is Chairman,
performed a de minimis amount of legal services for us in 2005.
CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS
On completion of our initial public offering in 1999, we entered into new facilities
leases, or extended existing leases, with former stockholders or affiliates of former stockholders
of our subsidiaries, Central Concrete Supply Co., Inc. and Eastern Concrete Materials, Inc.
(formerly known as Baer Concrete, Incorporated). Those leases generally provide for initial lease
terms of 15 to 20 years, with one or more extension options we may exercise. The following
summarizes the current annual rentals we must pay during the initial lease terms:
|
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Number of |
|
|
Aggregate |
|
|
|
Facilities |
|
|
Annual Rentals |
|
Central |
|
|
2 |
|
|
$ |
324,000 |
|
Eastern |
|
|
2 |
|
|
$ |
266,000 |
|
We believe the rentals we must pay under each of these leases are at fair market rates.
William T. Albanese, a former owner of Central, and Thomas J. Albanese, a former owner of Central,
are executive officers of our company, and Michael D. Mitschele, the former owner of Eastern, was
an executive officer of our company until June 1, 2005.
Central sold concrete products to a company owned by a cousin of William T. Albanese and
Thomas J. Albanese totaling approximately $14.0 million in 2005. We believe the amount Central
received for the concrete products was fair and substantially equivalent to amounts it would have
received from an unaffiliated third party.
Central paid a company owned by a cousin of William T. Albanese and Thomas J. Albanese
approximately $0.1 million in 2005. These payments were for construction-related services. We
believe the amount Central paid for these services was fair and substantially equivalent to the
amount it would have paid to an unaffiliated third party.
T. William Porter, a member of our board of directors, is the Chairman of Porter &
Hedges, L.L.P., a Houston, Texas law firm. Porter & Hedges, L.L.P. performed a de minimis amount of
legal services for us in 2005.
Our subsidiary, Central, employed Lauren Cerrito, the daughter of William T. Albanese,
and Joseph Cerrito, the son-in-law of William T. Albanese, during 2005. Central paid Mrs. Cerrito
an aggregate of $149,609 in salary, bonus compensation and 401(k) plan matching contributions in
2005. Central paid Mr. Cerrito an aggregate of $88,955 in salary, bonus compensation and 401(k)
plan matching contributions in 2005. In 2005, we granted to Mrs. Cerrito 3,500 units equal in value
to a corresponding number of shares of our common stock, which vest in four equal annual
installments beginning in May 2006 and upon vesting provide a cash payment to the recipient equal
to the number of vested units multiplied by the closing price of a share of common stock on the
vesting date (units). We granted these units on the same terms and conditions as the units we
granted to other employees in 2005.
Our subsidiary, Superior Concrete Materials, Inc., employed Todd Martineau, the son of
Eugene P. Martineau, during 2005. Superior paid Todd Martineau an aggregate of $111,538 in salary,
bonus compensation and 401(k) plan matching contributions in 2005. In 2005, we granted to Todd
Martineau 1,250 units. We granted these units on the same terms and conditions as the units we
granted to other employees in 2005.
SECTION 16(a) BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REPORTING COMPLIANCE
Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 requires our directors, executive
officers and any persons beneficially owning more than 10% of our common stock to report their
initial ownership of common stock and any subsequent changes in that ownership to the SEC. SEC
rules establish due dates for these reports, and we are required to disclose in this proxy
statement any failure to file by these dates. All required 2005 filings were made on a timely
basis, except that each of Thomas J. Albanese, William T. Albanese and Michael D. Mitschele failed
to make one filing on a timely basis. In making these disclosures, we relied solely on written
statements of directors, executive officers and stockholders and copies of the reports they have
filed with the SEC.
20
REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE
To the Board of Directors of U.S. Concrete, Inc.:
We have reviewed and discussed with management U.S. Concretes audited financial
statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2005.
In addition, we have discussed with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, U.S. Concretes
independent registered public accounting firm, the matters required to be discussed by Statement of
Auditing Standards No. 61, Communication with Audit Committees, as amended, issued by the Auditing
Standards Board of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. We have also reviewed
and discussed with management and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP managements report and
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLPs report and attestation on U.S. Concretes internal control over
financial reporting in accordance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
We have received and reviewed the written disclosures and the letter from
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP required by Independent Standards Boards Standard No. 1, Independence
Discussions with Audit Committees, as amended, and we have discussed with that firm its
independence from U.S. Concrete. In addition, we concluded that PricewaterhouseCoopers LLPs
provision of services that are not related to the audit of U.S. Concretes financial statements was
compatible with that firms independence from U.S. Concrete.
Based on the reviews and discussions referred to above, we recommended to the Board of
Directors of U.S. Concrete that the audited financial statements referred to above be included in
U.S. Concretes annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005 for filing with the
Securities and Exchange Commission.
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The Audit Committee |
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Mary P. Ricciardello, Chairperson |
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John R. Colson |
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Murray S. Simpson |
21
REPORT OF THE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE
REGARDING EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
The compensation committee of the Board of Directors of U.S. Concrete, Inc. (the Committee)
administers U.S. Concretes executive compensation program. The Committee is responsible for
establishing appropriate compensation goals for executive officers and evaluating the performance
of executive officers in meeting those goals. No member of the Committee is a current or former
employee or officer of U.S. Concrete.
The Committee seeks to reward senior management for building long-term stockholder value. In
addition, the Committee designs executive compensation programs to provide the ability to attract,
motivate and retain the management personnel necessary to U.S. Concretes success by providing an
executive compensation program comparable to that offered by competitive companies to their
management personnel. Finally, the Committee believes we must compensate our executive officers
fairly for their contributions to our short-term and long-term performance. The Committee uses
annual base salaries, annual bonuses and equity incentives to achieve these goals. In setting each
executives base salary and annual bonus, and in awarding any long-term incentive compensation, the
Committee considers comparative compensation information for equivalent positions from peer
companies, using benchmark and market practice data collected and prepared both by U.S. Concretes
management and by its executive compensation consultant.
Base Salary
Base salaries for executives are determined initially by evaluating the levels of
responsibility, prior experience and breadth of knowledge of the executives, internal equity issues
and external pay practices. The Committee reviews executive salaries annually based on a variety of
factors, including individual scope of responsibility and accountability, individual performance,
general levels of market salary increases and U.S. Concretes overall results. The Committee grants
salary increases within a pay-for-performance framework. The Committee assesses performance for
base salary purposes on a qualitative, rather than a quantitative, basis and does not use any
specific performance formula or weighting of factors in determining base salary levels. It
considers individual performance in achieving predetermined goals set jointly by the employee and
his or her immediate supervisor in establishing base salary increases for executives. Mr. Martineau
received a base salary of $573,832 during 2005, which was an increase from 2004. The increase in
Mr. Martineaus base salary reflects the Committees assessment of Mr. Martineaus leadership and
significant personal contribution to U.S. Concretes business. In addition, the percentage increase
in Mr. Martineaus base salary from 2004 to 2005 was generally consistent with the annual base
salary percentage increases granted in 2005 to several other U.S. Concrete salaried employees.
Annual Bonus
The Committee considers awarding cash bonuses to executive officers on an annual basis. For
2005, the Committee adopted a cash bonus plan designed to provide salaried employees, including
executive officers, with additional performance incentives for meeting certain financial and
individual goals during 2005. Pursuant to the plan, a portion of each executive officers annual
bonus was determined based on achieving predetermined earnings targets. The remainder of each
executive officers bonus was based on individual performance in achieving predetermined goals
established by the employee and approved by a supervisor. Bonus levels varied in accordance with
an employees level of responsibility. Mr. Martineau earned a cash bonus of $300,000 during 2005,
which U.S. Concrete paid in 2006.
Incentive Compensation and Restricted Stock Awards
U.S. Concrete uses awards of stock options and restricted stock as forms of compensation for
its executive officers. Restricted stock awards may include a bonus element for service in the
prior year. The Committee currently intends to continue to make greater use of restricted stock in
the future and correspondingly reduce U.S. Concretes reliance on stock options as the primary form
of long-term incentive compensation. Among the factors the Committee uses in establishing the size
of a stock option or restricted stock award include an executives responsibility and prior
performance.
The Committee approved grants of 99,000 and, as of the date of this proxy statement, 96,000
shares of restricted stock to the named executive officers during 2005 and 2006, respectively,
which related to their respective service in 2004 and 2005 and as an incentive to achieve U.S.
Concretes future objectives. The Committee did not grant any stock options to the named executive
officers in 2005.
Mr. Martineau was granted 42,500 shares of restricted stock in 2005, valued at $6.90 per
share, and 40,000 shares of restricted stock in 2006, valued at $13.98 per share (in each case the
fair market value of a share of common stock as of the date of grant), that relate to his
respective service in 2004 and 2005 and as an incentive to achieve U.S. Concretes future
22
objectives. In determining the number of restricted shares granted to Mr. Martineau, the
Committee considered numerous subjective factors, including his experience in the industry and
commitment to the success of U.S. Concrete.
As of March 29, 2006, Mr. Martineau owned 560,076 shares of common stock (186,682 of which are
restricted shares) and held options to purchase a total of 515,000 shares. The Committee believes
that this equity interest provides an appropriate link to the interests of our companys
stockholders.
The Committee reviewed perquisites provided to U.S. Concretes executive officers in 2005. For
each of U.S. Concretes named executive officers, those perquisites had a total value of less than
5% of that officers 2005 salary. The Committee concluded that those perquisites were reasonable
and not excessive.
Compliance with Internal Revenue Code Section 162(m)
Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code generally disallows a deduction to public
companies to the extent of excess annual compensation over $1 million paid to certain executive
officers, except for qualified performance-based compensation. U.S. Concrete had no nondeductible
compensation expense for the year ended December 31, 2005. The Committee plans to review this
matter as appropriate and take action as may be necessary to preserve the deductibility of
compensation payments to the extent reasonably practical and consistent with U.S. Concretes
compensation objectives.
This report is furnished by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors.
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John R. Colson, Chairman |
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Vincent D. Foster |
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T. William Porter |
23
PERFORMANCE GRAPH
The following graph compares, for the period from December 31, 2000 to December 31, 2005,
the cumulative stockholder return on our common stock with the cumulative total return on the
Standard & Poors 500 Index and a peer group index we selected that includes six public companies
within our industry. The comparison assumes that (1) $100 was invested on December 31, 2000 in our
common stock, the S&P 500 Index and the peer group index and (2) all dividends were reinvested.
The companies that comprise the peer group index are Lafarge North America, Inc., Texas
Industries, Inc., Florida Rock Industries, Inc., Eagle Materials Inc., Martin Marietta Materials,
Inc. and Vulcan Materials Company. This group is the same as the group we used in the proxy
statement for our 2005 annual meeting of stockholders.
Comparison of Cumulative Total Return
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12/31/00 |
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12/31/01 |
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12/31/02 |
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12/31/03 |
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12/31/04 |
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12/31/05 |
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U.S. Concrete |
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100.00 |
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105.60 |
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87.52 |
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103.04 |
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122.72 |
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151.68 |
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S&P500 |
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100.00 |
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88.12 |
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68.64 |
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88.33 |
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97.94 |
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102.75 |
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Peer Group |
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100.00 |
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118.18 |
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97.14 |
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135.04 |
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178.78 |
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222.62 |
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24
PROPOSAL NO. 3
RATIFICATION OF APPOINTMENT OF
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
The audit committee of our Board has selected PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP to serve as our
independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2006.
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP has audited our financial statements since May 16, 2002. Although we are
not required to seek your approval of this appointment, it is customary practice to do so. No
determination has been made as to what action the audit committee and the Board would take if you
fail to ratify the appointment. Even if the appointment is ratified, the audit committee retains
discretion to appoint a new independent audit firm if the audit committee concludes such a change
would be in the best interests of U.S. Concrete. We expect representatives of
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP to be present at the meeting and available to respond to appropriate
questions by stockholders. They will have the opportunity to make a statement if they so desire.
Assuming the presence of a quorum, the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast
on the proposal is necessary to ratify the selection of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as our
independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2006. The enclosed
form of proxy provides a means for you to vote for the ratification of the selection of independent
registered public accounting firm, to vote against it or to abstain from voting for or against it.
If you execute and return a proxy, but do not specify how to vote the shares represented by your
proxy, the persons named as proxies will vote FOR the ratification of the selection of
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm. In determining
whether this item has received the requisite number of affirmative votes, abstentions and broker
non-votes will not affect the vote.
Our Board recommends a vote FOR the ratification of the appointment of
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for 2006.
Fees Incurred by U.S. Concrete to Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
The following table sets forth the fees we incurred for services provided by our
independent registered public accounting firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, during 2004 and 2005.
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Fee Category |
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2005 |
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2004 |
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Audit Fees |
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$ |
732,200 |
(1) |
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$ |
827,290 |
(1) |
Audit-Related Fees |
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109,400 |
(2) |
Tax Fees |
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All Other Fees |
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1,400 |
(3) |
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1,599 |
(3) |
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Total |
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$ |
733,600 |
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$ |
938,289 |
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(1) |
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Audit fees relate to professional services rendered in connection with the audit of our
annual financial statements, quarterly review of financial statements included in our Forms
10-Q and audit services provided in connection with other statutory and regulatory filings. |
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(2) |
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Audit-related fees include professional services related to consultation on accounting
standards or transactions and audits of our 401(k) plan. |
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(3) |
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All other fees consist of fees for products and services other than the services reported
above. In 2005 and 2004, these fees consisted of licensing fees for accounting research
software. |
Policy on Pre-Approval by Audit Committee of Services Performed by Independent Auditors
The audit committees policy is to pre-approve all audit and permissible non-audit
services provided by the independent auditors. The audit committee generally will pre-approve
specific audit services for the upcoming or current fiscal year, subject to a specified cost level.
Any service that is not included among the pre-approved audit services and any non-audit service
must be separately pre-approved by the Audit Committee Chairperson. The Chairperson reports any
pre-approval decisions to the audit committee at its next scheduled meeting. The audit committee
does not delegate to management any of its responsibilities to pre-approve services performed by
our independent auditors.
None of the services related to the audit-related fees, tax fees or other fees described
above was approved by the audit committee pursuant to the waiver of pre-approval provisions set
forth in applicable rules of the SEC.
25
EXPENSES RELATING TO THIS PROXY SOLICITATION
We will pay all expenses relating to this proxy solicitation. In addition to this
solicitation by mail, our officers, directors and regular employees may solicit proxies by
telephone without extra compensation for that activity. We also expect to reimburse banks, brokers
and other persons for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses in forwarding proxy material to beneficial
owners of our common stock and obtaining the proxies of those owners.
OTHER INFORMATION
Date for Submission of Stockholder Proposals
Under rules the SEC has established, any stockholder who wishes to have a qualified
proposal considered for inclusion in our proxy statement for our 2007 Annual Meeting of
Stockholders must send notice of the proposal to our Corporate Secretary at our principal executive
offices, 2925 Briarpark, Suite 1050, Houston, Texas 77042, so that we receive that notice by no
later than the close of business on , 2006. If you submit a stockholder proposal, you must
provide your name and address, the number of shares of common stock you hold of record or
beneficially, the date or dates on which you acquired those shares and documentary support for any
claim of beneficial ownership.
In addition, our bylaws establish an advance-notice procedure for stockholder proposals
to be brought before an annual meeting. The procedure provides that stockholders must submit
proposals to us in writing containing certain information specified in our bylaws no earlier than
the 180 th day and no later than the close of business on the
90 th day prior to the first anniversary of our preceding years annual
meeting. These requirements are in addition to the SECs requirements with which a stockholder must
comply to have a stockholder proposal included in our proxy statement. Stockholders may obtain a
copy of our bylaws by making a written request to our Corporate Secretary.
Under these bylaw provisions, we must receive stockholder proposals for our 2007 Annual
Meeting of Stockholders no earlier than
November , 2006 and no later than the close of business
on February , 2007. Stockholders must deliver the proposals to Corporate Secretary, U.S.
Concrete, Inc., 2925 Briarpark, Suite 1050, Houston, Texas 77042.
We received no stockholder proposals and no stockholder director nominations for the 2006
Annual Meeting of Stockholders.
Householding of Annual Meeting Materials
In accordance with notices previously sent to many stockholders who hold their shares
through a bank, broker or other holder of record (street-name stockholders) and share a single
address, only one annual report and proxy statement is being delivered to that address unless
contrary instructions from any stockholder at that address were received. This practice, known as
householding, is intended to reduce our printing and postage costs. However, any such street-name
stockholder residing at the same address who wishes to receive a separate copy of this proxy
statement or the accompanying annual report to stockholders may request a copy by contacting the
bank, broker or other holder of record, or by contacting us by telephone at 713-499-6200, by e-mail
to corporatesecretary@us-concrete.com or by mail to: U.S. Concrete, Inc., 2925 Briarpark, Suite
1050, Houston, Texas 77042, Attention: Corporate Secretary. The voting instruction sent to a
street-name stockholder should provide information on how to request (1) householding of our future
materials or (2) separate materials if only one set of documents is being sent to a household. If
it does not, a stockholder who would like to make one of these requests should contact us as
indicated above.
26
Other Matters
The Board of Directors does not intend to bring any other matters before the annual
meeting and has not been informed that any other matters are to be presented by others. If any
other matters properly come before the annual meeting, the persons named in the enclosed form of
proxy will vote all proxies according to their best judgment. The form of proxy provides that the
persons named as proxies have discretionary authority to vote on matters not known or determined on
the date of this proxy statement.
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By Order of the Board of Directors |
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Donald C. Wayne |
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Vice President, General Counsel and
Corporate Secretary |
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Houston, Texas |
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April , 2006 |
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27
APPENDIX I
AMENDED AND RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
of
U.S. CONCRETE, INC.
U.S. Concrete, Inc. (the Corporation), a corporation organized and existing under and by
virtue of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the DGCL), hereby adopts this
Restated Certificate of Incorporation, which accurately restates and integrates the provisions of
the existing Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation as heretofore amended (as so amended,
the Certificate of Incorporation) and does hereby further certify that:
1. The name of the Corporation is U.S. Concrete, Inc. The original certificate of
incorporation of the Corporation was filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on
July 15, 1997 under the original name Main Street Equity III, Inc.
2. The Board of Directors of the Corporation has duly adopted this Restated Certificate of
Incorporation in accordance with Section 245 of the DGCL and without a vote of the Corporations
stockholders. This Restated Certificate of Incorporation only restates and integrates and does not
further amend the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation, and no discrepancy exists between
those provisions and the provisions hereof.
3. The Certificate of Incorporation is hereby restated to read in its entirety as follows:
RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
First: The name of the Corporation is U.S. Concrete, Inc.
Second: The address of the registered office of the Corporation in the State of
Delaware is 1013 Centre Road, in the City of Wilmington, County of New Castle. The name of the
Corporations registered agent at that address is the Corporation Service Company.
Third: The purpose of the Corporation is to engage in any lawful business, act or
activity for which corporations may be organized under the General Corporation Law of the State of
Delaware or any successor statute (the DGCL).
Fourth: The aggregate number of shares of capital stock which the Corporation will
have authority to issue is Seventy Million and One (70,000,001), divided into Sixty Million
(60,000,000) shares of common stock, par value $.001 per share (Common Stock), One (1) share of
Class A common stock, par value $.001 per share (Class A Stock), and Ten Million (10,000,000)
shares of preferred stock, par value $.001 per share (Preferred Stock). The Corporation may
issue shares of any class of its capital stock for such consideration and for such corporate
purposes as the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the Board of Directors) may from time to
time determine.
Except as applicable law otherwise provides, the holder of the share of Class A Stock and the
holders of the Common Stock will vote together as a single class on all matters on which holders of
Common Stock are entitled to vote. The share of Class A Stock will be entitled to 2,000,000 votes
on each such matter, and each share of Common Stock will be entitled to one vote on each such
matter.
Prior to the effective time of the first acquisition by the Corporation of an operating
business (the Effective Time), the share of Class A Stock will be deemed to have converted into
2,000,000 issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock prior to the record date the Corporation
fixes for determining the holders of shares of Common Stock entitled to participate in any dividend
the Corporation declares to be paid on the outstanding Common Stock or to share in the assets of
the Corporation in the event of any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the affairs of the
Corporation, and, on the basis of that deemed conversion, the holder of the Class A Stock and the
holders of all outstanding shares of Common Stock will so participate and so share ratably on a
share for share basis. Immediately prior to the Effective Time, the Class A Stock automatically
will convert into 1,602,255 shares of Common Stock. Once the Class A Stock has been converted into
Common Stock, it will be cancelled and not reissued.
The Preferred Stock may be divided into and issued from time to time in one or more series as
may be fixed and determined by the Board of Directors. The relative rights and preferences of the
Preferred Stock of each series will be such as are stated in any resolution or resolutions adopted
by the Board of Directors setting forth the designation of that series and fixing and determining
the relative rights and preferences thereof, any such resolution or resolutions being herein called
a Directors Resolution. The Board of Directors hereby is authorized to fix and determine the
powers, designations, preferences, and relative, participating, optional or other rights
(including, without limitation, voting powers, full or limited, preferential rights to receive
dividends or assets on liquidation, rights of conversion or exchange into Common Stock, Preferred
Stock of any series or other securities, any right of the Corporation to exchange or convert shares
into Common Stock, Preferred Stock of any series or other securities, or redemption provisions or
sinking fund provisions) as between series and as between or among series of Preferred Stock and as
between the Preferred Stock or any series thereof and the Common Stock, and the qualifications,
limitations or restrictions thereof, if any, all as shall be stated in a Directors Resolution, and
the shares of Preferred Stock or any series thereof may have full or limited voting powers, or be
without voting powers, all as shall be stated in a Directors Resolution.
Consistent with this Article FOURTH and applicable law, any of the voting powers,
designations, preferences, rights and qualifications, limitations or restrictions of any series of
Preferred Stock may be dependent on facts ascertainable outside this Restated Certificate of
Incorporation (this Certificate of Incorporation) or any amendment hereto, or outside resolutions
of the Board of Directors pursuant to authority expressly vested in it by this Certificate of
Incorporation. Except as applicable law or this Certificate of Incorporation otherwise may
require, the terms of any series of Preferred Stock may be amended without
consent of the holders
of any other series of Preferred Stock or of any class of capital stock of the Corporation.
No stockholder will, by reason of the holding of shares of any class or series of capital
stock of the Corporation, have a preemptive or preferential right to acquire or subscribe for any
shares or securities of any class, whether now or hereafter authorized, which may at any time be
issued, sold or offered for sale by the Corporation, unless a Directors Resolution specifically so
provides with respect to a series of Preferred Stock.
Cumulative voting of shares of any class or series of capital stock having voting rights is
prohibited unless specifically provided for in a Directors Resolution with respect to a series of
Preferred Stock.
Fifth:
(a) Directors. The business and affairs of the Corporation will be managed
by or under the direction of the Board of Directors. In addition to the authority and powers
conferred on the Board of Directors by the DGCL or by the other provisions of this Certificate of
Incorporation, the Board of Directors hereby is authorized and empowered to exercise all such
powers and do all such acts and things as may be exercised or done by the Corporation, subject to
the provisions of the DGCL, this Certificate of Incorporation and any Bylaws adopted by the
stockholders of the Corporation; provided, however, that no Bylaws hereafter adopted by the
stockholders of the Corporation, or any amendments thereto, will invalidate any prior act of the
Board of Directors that would have been valid if such Bylaws or amendment had not been adopted.
(b) Number, Election and Terms of Directors. The number of directors which will constitute the
whole Board of Directors shall be fixed from time to time by a majority of the directors then in
office, subject to an increase in the number of directors by reason of any provisions contained in
or established pursuant to Article FOURTH, but in any event will not be less than three. Each
director shall be elected to serve a term of one year, with each directors term to expire at the
annual meeting next following the directors election. The foregoing notwithstanding, each
director will serve until his successor shall have been duly elected and qualified or until his
earlier death, resignation or removal.
Election of directors need not be by written ballot unless the Bylaws of the Corporation so
provide.
(c) Removal of Directors. Any director of the Corporation may be removed from office
as a director, by vote or other action of the stockholders or otherwise, with or without cause by
the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the voting power of all outstanding
shares of capital stock of the Corporation generally entitled to vote in the election of directors,
voting together as a single class. Notwithstanding the foregoing, whenever holders of outstanding
shares of one or more series of Preferred Stock are entitled to elect members of the Board of
Directors pursuant to the provisions applicable in the case of arrearages in the payment of
dividends or other defaults contained in the Directors Resolution providing for the establishment
of any series of Preferred Stock, any such director of the Corporation so elected may be removed in
accordance with the provisions of that Directors Resolution.
(d) Vacancies. Except as a Directors Resolution providing for the establishment of any
series of Preferred Stock may provide otherwise, newly created directorships resulting from any
increase in the number of directors and any vacancies on the Board of Directors resulting from
death, resignation, removal or other cause will be filled by the affirmative vote of a majority of
the remaining directors then in office, even though less than a quorum of the Board of Directors.
Any director elected in accordance with the preceding sentence will hold office for the remainder
of the full term of the class of directors in which the new directorship was created or the vacancy
occurred and until that directors successor shall have been elected and qualified or until his
earlier death, resignation or removal. No decrease in the number of directors constituting the
Board of Directors will shorten the term of any incumbent director.
Sixth: From and after the first date as of which the Corporation has a class or
series of capital stock registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, except as
a Directors Resolution may establish with respect to any series of Preferred Stock, any action
required or permitted to be taken by the stockholders of the Corporation must be effected at an
annual or special meeting of stockholders of the Corporation and may not be effected by any consent
in writing by those stockholders. Except as applicable law requires, or as a Directors Resolution may prescribe,
special meetings of stockholders of the Corporation may be called only by (i) the Chairman of the
Board of Directors or (ii) the Board of Directors pursuant to a resolution a majority of the entire
Board of Directors approves by an affirmative vote.
Seventh: No director of the Corporation will be personally liable to the Corporation
or any of its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director;
provided, however, that the foregoing provisions will not eliminate or limit the liability of a
director (a) for any breach of that directors duty of loyalty to the Corporation or its
stockholders, (b) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct
or a knowing violation of law, (c) under Section 174 of the DGCL, as the same exists or as that
provision hereafter may be amended, supplemented or replaced, or (d) for any transactions from
which that director derived an improper personal benefit. If the DGCL is amended after the filing
of this Certificate of Incorporation to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting
the personal liability of directors, then the liability of a director of the Corporation, in
addition to the limitation on personal liability provided herein, will be limited to the fullest
extent permitted by that law, as so amended. Any repeal or modification of this Article
Seventh by the stockholders of the Corporation will be prospective only and will not
adversely affect any limitation on the personal liability of a director of the Corporation existing
at the time of that repeal or modification.
Eighth: In furtherance of, and not in limitation of, the powers conferred by statute,
the Board of Directors is expressly authorized to adopt, amend or repeal the Bylaws of the
Corporation, or adopt new Bylaws, without any action on the part of the stockholders, except as
applicable law or the Bylaws of the Corporation may provide otherwise.
Ninth: Whenever a compromise or arrangement is proposed between the Corporation and
its creditors or any class of them and/or between the Corporation and its stockholders or any class
of them, any court of equitable jurisdiction within the State of
Delaware may, on the application
in a summary way of the Corporation or of any creditor or stockholder thereof, or on the
application of any receiver or receivers appointed for the Corporation under Section 291 of Title 8
of the Delaware Code, or on the application of trustees in dissolution or of any receiver or
receivers appointed for the Corporation under Section 279 of Title 8 of the Delaware Code, order a
meeting of the creditors or class of creditors, and/or of the stockholders or class of stockholders
of the Corporation, as the case may be, to be summoned in such manner as the said court directs.
If the majority in number representing three-fourths in value of the creditors or class of
creditors, and/or of the stockholders or class of stockholders, of the Corporation, as the case may
be, agree to any compromise or arrangement and to any reorganization of the Corporation as a
consequence of that compromise or arrangement, the said compromise or arrangement and the said
reorganization will, if sanctioned by the court to which the said application has been made, be
binding on all the creditors or class of creditors, and/or on all the stockholders or class of
stockholders, of the Corporation, as the case may be, and also on the Corporation.
U.S. CONCRETE, INC.
PROXY FOR THE ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
TO BE HELD ON MAY , 2006
THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The undersigned hereby appoints Michael W. Harlan and Donald C. Wayne, and each of them, with full
power of substitution and resubstitution, to represent the undersigned and to vote all the shares
of Common Stock in U.S. Concrete, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the Company), which the
undersigned is entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of the Company to be held on
May , 2006 and at any adjournment or postponement thereof (1) as hereinafter specified upon the
proposals listed on the reverse side and as more particularly described in the Proxy Statement of
the Company dated April , 2006 (the Proxy Statement) and (2) in their discretion upon such
other matters as may properly come before the meeting.
ALL SHARES OF COMMON STOCK REPRESENTED HEREBY WILL BE VOTED AS SPECIFIED. IF NO SPECIFICATION IS
MADE, THOSE SHARES WILL BE VOTED FOR PROPOSAL NO. 1 AND FOR THE NOMINEES LISTED IN PROPOSAL NO. 2.
THOSE SHARES ALSO WILL BE VOTED FOR PROPOSAL NO. 3.
(Continued and to be signed on the reverse side).
(Back of Card)
U.S. CONCRETE, INC.
C/O AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER &
TRUST COMPANY
6201 15TH AVE., 2ND FLOOR
BROOKLYN, NY 11219
VOTE BY MAIL
Mark, sign and date your proxy card and return it in the postage-paid envelope we have provided or
return to U.S. Concrete, Inc., c/o ADP, 51 Mercedes Way, Edgewood, NY 11717.
TO VOTE, MARK BLOCKS BELOW IN BLUE OR BLACK INK AS FOLLOWS: [X]
THIS PROXY CARD IS VALID ONLY WHEN SIGNED AND DATED.
U.S. CONCRETE, INC.
PROPOSAL NO. 1 Approve an amendment to the Companys certificate of incorporation to declassify
the Board of Directors so that each director will stand for re-election on an annual basis and to
provide that directors can be removed with or without cause.
PROPOSAL NO. 2. In the event Proposal No. 1 is approved, elect the following persons to serve as
directors until the next Annual Meeting of Stockholders or, in the event Proposal No. 1 is not
approved, elect only the first two nominees listed below to the Board of Directors to serve until
the 2009 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and the third nominee listed below to the Board of
Directors to serve until the 2008 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, in each case until their
respective successors are duly elected and qualified:
NOMINEES:
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01)
Eugene P. Martineau
02) T. William Porter, III
03) Michael W. Harlan
04) Vincent D. Foster
05) Mary P. Ricciardello
06) Murray S. Simpson
07) Robert S. Walker |
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For All Nominees |
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For All |
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Withhold All |
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Except As Written |
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Nominees |
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Nominees |
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Below |
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To withhold authority to vote for any individual nominee(s),
mark For All Nominees Except As Written Below and write the
number of such nominee(s) on the line below:
PROPOSAL NO. 3. To ratify the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the Companys
independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2006
In their discretion, the proxies are authorized to vote on such other matters as may properly come
before the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, including procedural and other
matters relating to the conduct of the meeting.
Please mark this box with an X if your address has changed and print the new address below.
The undersigned hereby revokes all previous proxies given by the undersigned with respect to
the shares represented hereby in connection with the Companys 2006 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.
This Proxy may be revoked at any time prior to a vote thereon. Receipt of the accompanying Proxy
Statement and Annual Report of the Company for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2005 is hereby
acknowledged.
Please sign exactly as your name appears hereon. When shares are held by joint tenants, both should
sign. When signing as attorney, executor, administrator, trustee, guardian or other similar
capacity, please give your full title as such. If a corporation, please sign in full corporate
name by the President or other authorized officer. If a partnership, please sign in partnership
name by an authorized person.
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Signature
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Signature (Joint Owner)
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Date |