Note 9 — Stock Based Compensation

Stock Options issued to Employees, Officers and Directors

The Optex Systems Holdings 2009 Stock Option Plan provides for the issuance of up to 75,000 shares to the Company’s officers, directors, employees and to independent contractors who provide services to Optex Systems Holdings as either incentive or non-statutory stock options determined at the time of grant. There were no new grants of stock options during the twelve months ended October 2, 2022. As of October 2, 2022, there are zero stock options outstanding.

Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units issued to Officers and Employees

The following table summarizes the status of Optex Systems Holdings’ aggregate non-vested restricted stock and restricted stock units, with the latter granted under the Company’s 2016 Restricted Stock Unit Plan:

Schedule of Aggregate Non-vested Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units Granted

On January 2, 2019, the Company granted 150,000 and 50,000 restricted stock units with a January 2, 2019 grant date to Danny Schoening and Karen Hawkins, respectively, vesting as of January 1 each year subsequent to the grant date over a three-year period at a rate of 34% in year one, and 33% each year thereafter. The stock price at grant date was $1.32 per share. Effective December 1, 2021, the vesting terms of Danny Schoening’s Restricted Stock Unit (RSU) grant from January 2019 were revised as described below. The Company amortizes the grant date fair value of $264 thousand to stock compensation expense on a straight-line basis across the three-year vesting period beginning on January 2, 2019. As of October 2, 2022, there was no unrecognized compensation cost relating to this award.

The Company entered into an amended and restated employment agreement with Danny Schoening dated December 1, 2021. The updated employment agreement also served to amend Mr. Schoening’s RSU Agreement, dated January 2, 2019, by changing the third and final vesting date for the restricted stock units granted under such agreement from January 1, 2022 to the “change of control date,” that being the first of the following to occur with respect to the Company: (i) any “Person,” as that term is defined in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), with certain exclusions, is or becomes the “Beneficial Owner” (as that term is defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing fifty percent (50%) or more of the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding securities; or (ii) the Company is merged or consolidated with any other corporation or other entity, other than: (A) a merger or consolidation which would result in the voting securities of the Company outstanding immediately prior thereto continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being converted into voting securities of the surviving entity) more than fifty percent (50%) of the combined voting power of the voting securities of the Company or such surviving entity outstanding immediately after such merger or consolidation; or (B) the Company engages in a merger or consolidation effected to implement a recapitalization of the Company (or similar transaction) in which no “Person” (as defined above) acquires fifty percent (50%) or more of the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding securities. The amended RSU Agreement contains certain exceptions to the definition of change of control.

As of the December 1, 2021 modification date related to the third and final vesting date of the 49,500 unvested restricted stock units held by Danny Schoening, there was no change in the fair value of the modified award as compared to the original award immediately prior to the modification date. The restricted stock units initially were certain to vest on January 1, 2022, but due to the modification, they are less certain to vest, contingent on a “change in control” occurring, which change in control, in case Mr. Schoening is terminated by the Company without cause or he resigns with good reason prior to such change in control, must occur prior to March 13, 2023. As of the modification date, there was $5 thousand of unrecognized compensation cost associated with the original award. As a matter of expediency, the unrecognized compensation expense as of the modification date was fully expensed through January 1, 2022. There is no additional compensation expense associated with the modification of the restricted stock unit agreement.

On November 28, 2022, the Company entered into a new employment agreement with Danny Schoening which amended Mr. Schoening’s RSU Agreement, dated January 2, 2019, which had been previously amended as of December 1, 2021, by changing the third and final vesting date for the restricted stock units granted under such agreement from the “change of control date” to January 1, 2023. See also Note 14 “Subsequent Events”.

On February 17, 2020, the Company granted 50,000 restricted stock units to Bill Bates, General Manager of the Applied Optics Center. The restricted stock units vest as of January 1 each year subsequent to the grant date over a three-year period at a rate of 34% in year one, and 33% each year thereafter. The stock price at grant date was $2.13 per share. The Company will amortize the grant date fair value of $107 thousand to stock compensation expense on a straight-line basis across the three-year vesting period beginning on February 17, 2020.

On April 30, 2020, the Optex Systems Holdings, Inc. Board of Directors held a meeting and voted to increase the annual board compensation for the three independent directors from $22,000 to $36,000 with an effective date of January 1, 2020, in addition to granting 100,000 restricted shares to each independent director which shall vest at a rate of 20% per year (20,000 shares) each January 1^st, over the next five years, through January 1, 2025. The total market value for the 300,000 shares is $525 thousand based on the stock price of $1.75 as of April 30, 2020. The Company amortizes the grant date fair value to stock compensation expense on a straight-line basis across the five-year vesting period beginning on April 30, 2020. On each of January 1, 2021 and January 1, 2022, 60,000 of the restricted director shares vested. As of October 2, 2022, there were 180,000 unvested restricted shares.

On January 2, 2021, the Company issued 58,392 common shares to directors and officers, net of tax withholding of $44 thousand, in settlement of 83,000 restricted stock units which vested on January 1, 2021.

On January 4, 2022, the Company issued 23,216 common shares to officers, net of tax withholding of $19 thousand, in settlement of 33,000 restricted stock units which vested on January 1, 2022.

As of October 2, 2022, there were 66,000 unvested restricted stock units consisting of 16,500 unvested restricted stock units for Bill Bates, which will vest on January 1, 2023, and 49,500 unvested restricted stock units for Danny Schoening, vesting on January 1, 2023.

There were no new grants of restricted stock or restricted stock units during the twelve months ended October 2, 2022.

Stock Based Compensation Expense

Equity compensation is amortized to general and administrative expenses based on a straight-line basis across the vesting or service period as applicable. The recorded compensation costs for restricted shares granted and restricted stock units awarded as well as the unrecognized compensation costs are summarized in the table below:

Schedule of Unrecognized Compensation Costs

The unrecognized compensation expense for restricted shares and restricted stock units as of October 2, 2022, is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.25 years and 0.25 years, respectively.