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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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12.75 |
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 14A
Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No. )
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Filed by the Registrant þ |
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Filed by a Party other than the Registrant
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Check the appropriate box: |
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o 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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þ Definitive Proxy Statement |
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o Definitive Additional Materials |
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Soliciting Material Pursuant to §240.14a-12 |
CTS CORPORATION
(Name
of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)
(Name
of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the
Registrant)
Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):
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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. |
March 30,
2006
Dear CTS Shareholder:
You are cordially invited to attend the 2006 Annual Meeting of
Shareholders of CTS Corporation. The meeting will be held
on Wednesday, May 3, 2006, at 9:00 a.m. Pacific
Standard Time at Hyatt Westlake Plaza in Thousand Oaks, 880
South Westlake Boulevard, Westlake Village, California
91361-2905.
The official notice of meeting, proxy statement and proxy form
are enclosed. These materials were first mailed to shareholders
on March 30, 2006. We hope you will attend the meeting in
person. Whether you plan to attend the meeting or not, we
encourage you to read this proxy statement and vote your shares.
The vote of every shareholder is important.
We look forward to seeing you at the meeting.
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Donald K. Schwanz |
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Chairman of the Board, |
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President and Chief |
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Executive Officer |
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders
May 3, 2006
To CTS Shareholders:
The Annual Meeting of Shareholders of CTS Corporation will
be held at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Standard Time, Wednesday,
May 3, 2006, at Hyatt Westlake Plaza in Thousand Oaks, 880
South Westlake Boulevard, Westlake Village, California
91361-2905.
Only shareholders of record at the close of business on
March 17, 2006 may vote at this meeting or any adjournments
that may take place. At the meeting, we will:
1. Elect a Board of Directors; and
2. Attend to other business properly presented at the
meeting.
Your Board of Directors recommends that you vote in favor of the
proposal described in this proxy statement.
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By Order of the Board of Directors, |
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Richard G. Cutter |
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Secretary |
March 30, 2006
Your vote is important.
Please date, sign and mail promptly the enclosed proxy,
which requires no postage if mailed in the United States.
PROXY STATEMENT
ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
May 3, 2006
This proxy statement, which was first mailed to shareholders on
March 30, 2006, is furnished in connection with the
solicitation by the Board of Directors of CTS Corporation
of proxies to be voted at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders to
be held on Wednesday, May 3, 2006. Following is important
information in a question-and-answer format regarding the Annual
Meeting and this proxy statement.
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Q: |
What may I vote on? |
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The election of director-nominees to serve on the Board of
Directors. |
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How does the Board recommend I vote? |
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The Board recommends a vote FOR each of the
director-nominees identified in this proxy statement. |
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How will voting on any other business be conducted? |
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Although we do not know of any business to be considered at the
2006 Annual Meeting other than as described in this proxy
statement, if any other business is properly presented at the
Annual Meeting, your signed proxy card gives authority to Donald
K. Schwanz, CTS Chairman, President and Chief Executive
Officer, and Richard G. Cutter, CTS Vice President,
General Counsel and Secretary, to vote on those matters at their
discretion. |
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How many votes are needed for approval of each item? |
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Assuming that at least a majority of shares are present, either
in person or by proxy, at the Annual Meeting, the nine
director-nominees receiving the most votes will be elected. Only
votes cast for a nominee will be counted. Your proxy will be
voted for the nine director-nominees unless it contains contrary
instructions. Abstentions, broker non-votes and instructions on
your proxy to withhold authority to vote for one or more of the
nominees will result in those nominees receiving fewer votes. |
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Who is entitled to vote? |
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Shareholders as of the close of business on March 17, 2006,
(the Record Date) are entitled to vote at the Annual
Meeting. As of the Record Date, 35,881,265 shares of CTS
common stock were issued and outstanding. Every shareholder of
common stock is entitled to one vote for each share of common
stock held on the Record Date. |
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How do I vote? |
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Please sign and date each proxy card you receive and return it
at your earliest convenience in the prepaid envelope provided.
If you return your signed proxy card but do not mark the boxes
showing how you wish to vote, your shares will be voted FOR each
of the nominees. If you returned your proxy card, you have the
right to revoke your proxy or change your vote at any time
before the meeting by notifying CTS Secretary, returning a
later-dated proxy card, or voting in person at the meeting. |
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Q: |
How can I vote shares of stock that I hold under the
CTS Corporation Retirement Savings Plan (the 401(k)
Plan)? |
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JP Morgan Chase Bank, the 401(k) Plan Trustee (the
Trustee), will vote the shares in your account
according to your instructions. Follow the same procedures
described above for voting shares. If you return your signed
proxy card but do not mark the boxes showing how you wish to
vote, your shares will be voted FOR each of the nominees. You
may also change your instructions on how to vote your shares in
the manner described above. You may give instructions or change
instructions to the Trustee on how to vote your shares up until
April 27, 2006. On that date, your instructions will be
transmitted to the Trustee and cannot be changed. If you do not
instruct the Trustee on how to vote your shares, the Trustee
will vote your shares in the same proportion as the shares
properly voted by other participants who hold shares under the
401(k) Plan. |
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What does it mean if I get more than one proxy card? |
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It means you hold shares registered in more than one account.
Please sign and return all proxy cards you receive to ensure
that all your shares are voted. |
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Who solicits proxies and how much will this proxy
solicitation cost? |
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Georgeson & Co., Inc. was hired by CTS to solicit votes
for $6,000, plus reasonable expenses. CTS also reimburses
Georgeson for fees charged by banks, brokers and other
custodians, fiduciaries and nominees for their costs of sending
proxy and solicitation materials to our shareholders. Automatic
Data Processing, Inc. also distributes proxy materials on
CTS behalf and is reimbursed by CTS for mailing and
distribution expenses. In addition, proxies may be solicited by
executive officers of CTS, for which no additional compensation
is paid. |
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Other members of my household and I hold shares of CTS stock
in street name and we received only one copy of the proxy
statement and annual report. How can we receive additional
copies of these materials? |
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Under the Securities and Exchange Commissions
householding rules, a company or broker who provides
notice may deliver a single copy of the proxy statement and
annual report to shareholders who share an address unless a
shareholder submits contrary instructions. If you would prefer
to receive separate copies of these documents in the future, you
may notify your broker, you may direct a written or oral request
to CTS Corporation, Investor Relations, 905 West
Boulevard North, Elkhart, Indiana 46514, (574) 293-7511 or
you may send an e-mail
to shareholder.services@ctscorp.com. If your household is
currently receiving multiple copies of the proxy statement and
annual report to shareholders and you would prefer to receive
only a single copy in the future, you may notify your broker or
direct a request to the address, phone number or
e-mail address
immediately above. |
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How may a shareholder nominate a candidate for election to
the Board at CTS Annual Meeting of Shareholders? |
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Director candidates for 2007 may be nominated by shareholders by
sending a notice to CTS which must be received no earlier than
December 19, 2006, and no later than February 2, 2007.
The notice of nomination is required to contain certain
representations and information about the nominee, which are
described in CTS bylaws. Copies of the bylaws may be
obtained free of charge from CTS Secretary upon request or
from CTS website at http://www.ctscorp.com/governance
/bylaws.htm. In addition, in order to be included in next
years proxy statement, nominations must be submitted in
writing and received by CTS Secretary at CTS
Corporate Office no later than November 30, 2006. |
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When are shareholder proposals for the 2007 Annual Meeting
due? |
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All shareholder proposals to be considered for inclusion in next
years proxy statement must be submitted in writing and
received by the Secretary of CTS at CTS Corporate Office
no later than November 30, 2006. In addition, CTS
advance notice bylaw provisions require that in order to be |
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presented at the 2007 Annual Meeting, any shareholder proposal,
including the nomination of a candidate for director, must have
been submitted in writing to CTS Secretary at CTS
Corporate Office no earlier than December 19, 2006, and no
later than February 2, 2007. Certain information is
required to be included with shareholder proposals. This
information is described in CTS bylaws, which are located
on CTS website at
http://www.ctscorp.com/governance/bylaws.htm. A copy of the
bylaws may be obtained free of charge from CTS Secretary. |
PROPOSAL YOU MAY VOTE ON
ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
There are nine nominees for election. Detailed information on
each is provided on pages 4, 5 and 6. All directors
are elected annually and serve a one-year term.
Your Board recommends a vote FOR each of these
director-nominees.
ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
CTS Articles of Incorporation provide that the number of
directors will be between three and fifteen, as fixed from time
to time by the Board of Directors. The CTS Board of Directors
has established the current number of authorized directors at
nine. All directors are elected to one-year terms or until their
successors are elected and qualified.
Nominees For The Board of Directors. Each of the nominees
named below is currently a director of CTS. The ages shown are
as of the scheduled date for the 2006 Annual Meeting of
Shareholders. Each of the nominees has agreed to serve as a
director if elected by the shareholders. If one or more of the
nominees unexpectedly becomes unavailable for election, the
votes will be cast, pursuant to authority granted by the proxy,
for such person or persons as may be designated by the present
Board of Directors, or the authorized number of directors may be
reduced accordingly.
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WALTER S. CATLOW |
Director since 1999 |
Age 61
Mr. Catlow served as President of Ameritech Cellular
Services, a wireless communications service provider, from 1998
until his retirement in 2000. Mr. Catlow previously served
as Executive Vice President of Ameritech and as President of
Ameritech International, Inc., where he directed
Ameritechs international investments and was responsible
for global acquisitions and alliances. In 2005, Mr. Catlow
was a member of the Audit Committee of CTS Corporation.
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LAWRENCE J. CIANCIA |
Director since 1990 |
Age 63
Mr. Ciancia is a partner in Corporate Development
International, Inc., a corporate search firm specializing in
mergers, acquisitions and divestitures. He has served in this
capacity since 1998. Previously, he served as President of
Uponor ETI, a supplier of PVC pipe products, specialty chemicals
and PVC compounds. In 2005, Mr. Ciancia was a member of the
Audit Committee and Chairman of the Nominating and Governance
Committee of CTS Corporation.
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THOMAS G. CODY |
Director since 1998 |
Age 64
Mr. Cody has served as Vice Chairman of Federated
Department Stores, Inc., a nationwide department store retailer,
since February 2003. Prior to assuming this position, he served
as Executive Vice President, Legal and Human Resources of
Federated Department Stores, Inc. since 1992. Mr. Cody also
serves as a director of LCA-Vision, Inc. In 2005, Mr. Cody
was Chairman of the Compensation Committee and a member of the
Nominating and Governance Committee of CTS Corporation.
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GERALD H. FRIELING, JR. |
Director since 1982 |
Age 76
Mr. Frieling has served as President of Frieling &
Associates, a business consulting firm, since 1993. Previously,
Mr. Frieling served as Chairman of the Board, CEO and Vice
Chairman of the Board of Tokheim Corporation, a manufacturer of
electronic and mechanical petroleum marketing systems.
Mr. Frieling also serves as a director of
Mossberg & Company. In 2005, Mr. Frieling was a
member of the Finance Committee, Audit Committee and Nominating
and Governance Committee of CTS Corporation.
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ROGER R. HEMMINGHAUS |
Director since 2000 |
Age 69
Mr. Hemminghaus is the retired Chairman and Chief Executive
Officer of Ultramar Diamond Shamrock Corporation, a company that
refined and marketed petroleum products on a retail and
wholesale basis, serving from 1996 until 2000.
Mr. Hemminghaus served as Chairman and Chief Executive
Officer of Ultramar Diamond Shamrock, Inc. from 1996 until 1999.
Mr. Hemminghaus is a past Chairman of the Federal Reserve
Bank of Dallas. Mr. Hemminghaus also serves as a Director
of Tandy Brand Accessories, Inc. and Xcel Energy, Inc. In 2005,
Mr. Hemminghaus was a member of the Compensation Committee
and Chairman of the Finance Committee of CTS Corporation.
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MICHAEL A. HENNING |
Director since 2000 |
Age 66
Mr. Henning served as Deputy Chairman of Ernst &
Young LLP from 1999 to 2000. Previously, he served as Chief
Executive Officer of Ernst & Young International, Inc.
from 1993 until 1999. Mr. Henning also serves as a Director
of Omnicom Group, Inc. In 2005, Mr. Henning was a member of
the Finance Committee and Chairman of the Audit Committee of
CTS Corporation.
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ROBERT A. PROFUSEK |
Director since 1998 |
Age 56
Mr. Profusek is a partner in Jones Day, a global law firm.
Mr. Profusek has been a Jones Day lawyer since 1975, except
for May 2000 through August 2002 during which time he served as
Executive Vice President of Omnicom Group, Inc., a global
communications company. Mr. Profusek also serves as a
Director of Valero Energy Corporation. In 2005,
Mr. Profusek was a member of the Compensation Committee and
the Finance Committee of CTS Corporation.
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DONALD K. SCHWANZ |
Director since 2001 |
Age 62
Donald K. Schwanz is Chairman of the Board, President and Chief
Executive Officer of CTS. Mr. Schwanz was named Chief
Executive Officer effective October 1, 2001 and was
appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors on January 1,
2002. In January 2001, Mr. Schwanz was elected President
and Chief Operating Officer of CTS. Prior to joining CTS in
January 2001, he was President of the Industrial Control
Business at Honeywell, Inc., an aerospace company, since 1999,
and previously was President of Honeywells Space and
Aviation Business.
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PATRICIA K. VINCENT |
Director since 2003 |
Age 47
Ms. Vincent is President and Chief Executive Officer of
Public Service Company of Colorado, an Xcel Energy subsidiary, a
utility company serving electricity and natural gas customers.
She has served in this capacity since November 2005. Prior to
assuming this position, she had served as President of Customer
and Field Operations of Xcel Energy from July of 2003 and as
President of the Retail Services Group of Xcel Energy since
March 2001, and as Vice President of Marketing and Sales of Xcel
Energy from August 2000 to March 2001. Previously, she was Vice
President of Marketing and Sales of NCE from January 1999 to
August 2000. In 2005, Ms. Vincent was a member of the
Compensation Committee and the Nominating and Governance
Committee.
Your Board recommends a vote FOR each of these
director-nominees.
SECTION 16(a) BENEFICIAL
OWNERSHIP REPORTING COMPLIANCE
Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
requires CTS directors, executive officers and certain
persons who beneficially own more than 10% of CTS common
stock to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission and
the New York Stock Exchange initial reports of ownership and
reports of changes in ownership of CTS common stock. Executive
officers, directors and greater than 10% shareholders are
required to furnish CTS with copies of all Section 16(a)
reports they file.
CTS Corporation prepares and files Section 16(a)
reports on behalf of directors and executive officers. Due to an
administrative error, reports on Form 4 disclosing that
shares were deducted from awards to Donald R. Schroeder and H.
Tyler Buchanan, executive officers, to satisfy taxes due upon
vesting and distribution of restricted stock units were not
filed until January 17, 2006. Those awards vested and were
distributed on December 9, 2005.
Based solely on written representations from directors and
executive officers and on our review of Section 16(a)
reports provided by directors and executive officers, CTS
believes that all other required Section 16(a) filings were
completed in a timely manner with respect to 2005.
CERTAIN BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS
Jones Day is a law firm which CTS has retained for specific
legal services, on a case-by-case basis, for over ten years. The
fees paid by CTS to Jones Day during 2005 were substantially
less than .1% of Jones Days gross revenues for 2005.
Mr. Profusek, a director standing for re-election, is a
partner in Jones Day. Mr. Profusek satisfies the
independent director criteria under the New York Stock Exchange
Corporate Governance Listing Standards and the
CTS Corporation Corporate Governance Guidelines.
COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD
Compensation Committee
The Compensation Committee is a standing committee of the Board
of Directors. Directors Cody, Hemminghaus, Profusek and Vincent
are the current members of the Compensation Committee. Each
member of the Committee is an independent director as defined by
the New York Stock Exchange Corporate Governance Listing
Standards and the CTS Corporation Corporate Governance
Guidelines. The Committee held five meetings in 2005. A copy of
the Compensation Committee Charter may be
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obtained free of charge from the CTS Secretary upon request or
from CTS website at
http://www.ctscorp.com/governance/compensationcharter.htm.
The Committee establishes executive compensation policies and
reviews and approves senior executive salaries, incentive
opportunity levels and employment agreements. The Committee
reviews and approves corporate goals and objectives relevant to
the CEOs compensation, evaluates the CEOs
performance against those objectives and makes recommendations
to the Board of Directors regarding CEO compensation. The
Committee administers the CTS Corporation Management
Incentive Plan and the CTS Corporation 2004 Omnibus
Long-Term Incentive Plan.
Finance Committee
The Finance Committee is a standing committee of the Board of
Directors. Directors Frieling, Hemminghaus, Henning and Profusek
are the current members of the Finance Committee. The Committee
held three meetings in 2005. A copy of the Finance Committee
Charter may be obtained free of charge from the CTS Secretary
upon request or from CTS website at
http://www.ctscorp.com/governance/financecharter.htm.
The Committee reviews and makes recommendations to the Board of
Directors concerning financing arrangements, tax strategies,
dividend policy, financial structure and similar matters.
Additionally, the Committee reviews and approves capital project
appropriation requests for capital projects that are above
certain prescribed limits.
Nominating and Governance Committee
The Nominating and Governance Committee is a standing committee
of the Board of Directors. Directors Cody, Ciancia, Frieling and
Vincent are the current members of the Committee. Each member of
the Committee is an independent director as defined by the New
York Stock Exchange Corporate Governance Listing Standards and
the CTS Corporation Corporate Governance Guidelines. The
Committee held four meetings in 2005. A copy of the Nominating
and Governance Committee Charter may be obtained free of charge
from the CTS Secretary upon request or from CTS website at
http://www.ctscorp.com/governance/governancecharter.htm.
The Committee reviews and makes recommendations to the Board
concerning the CTS Corporation Corporate Governance
Guidelines and matters of corporate governance. The Committee
recommends candidates for membership on the Board. CTS
bylaws describe the process for nominating a candidate for
election to the Board of Directors at the Annual Meeting of
Shareholders. CTS bylaws are located on CTS website
at http://www.ctscorp.com/governance/bylaws.htm. A copy of the
bylaws may be obtained free of charge from the CTS Secretary.
CTS does not have a formal policy concerning whether the
Committee will consider director candidates recommended by
shareholders. CTS did not receive any requests for the Committee
to consider any director candidate at the Annual Meeting. At
this time, the Board of Directors does not believe a formal
policy is necessary, because CTS bylaws provide a process
for nomination of directors and no shareholder nominations for
director have been received in past years.
The Committee reviews with the Board, on an annual basis, the
requisite skills and director characteristics of new Board
members as well as the composition of the Board as a whole. This
review includes an assessment of whether each non-management
director qualifies as independent and consideration of the
diversity, age, skills and experience of the directors in the
context of the needs of the Board. Although the Committee has
not established any specific minimum criteria or qualifications
that a candidate must possess, the Committee seeks candidates
who possess the experience necessary to make a valuable
contribution to the Board. The Committee may retain search firms
for the purpose of identifying and evaluating director
candidates, but does not currently have any firm on retainer.
The Committee considers director candidates identified by
management and by non-management directors.
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The Nominating and Governance Committee charter provides that it
is responsible for reviewing and making recommendations to the
Board concerning CEO succession planning. In 2005, the Committee
delegated this authority to an ad hoc Leadership Continuity
Committee of the Board which has responsibility for assisting
the Board in overseeing managements implementation of an
overall Management Development and Succession process for
executive officers, as well as responsibility for leading the
Board in the CEO succession planning process.
Audit Committee
The Audit Committee is a standing committee of the Board of
Directors. Directors Catlow, Ciancia, Frieling and Henning are
the current members of the Audit Committee. Each member of the
Committee is financially literate and meets the independence
standards applicable to audit committee members under the New
York Stock Exchange Corporate Governance Listing Standards, as
well as the CTS Corporation Corporate Governance Guidelines
and the Audit Committee Charter. Mr. Henning qualifies as
an audit committee financial expert under the criteria set forth
in Item 401(h) of
Regulation S-K.
The Audit Committee held nine meetings in 2005. A copy of the
Audit Committee Charter may be obtained free of charge from
CTS Secretary upon request or from the CTS website
at http://www.ctscorp.com/governance/auditcharter.htm, and is
attached hereto as Exhibit A.
The Audit Committee is responsible for appointing the
independent auditor, approving engagement fees and all non-audit
engagements, and reviewing the independence and quality of the
auditor. The Committee reviews audit plans, audit reports and
recommendations of the independent auditor and internal audit
department. The Committee reviews systems of internal accounting
controls and audit results. The Committee reviews and discusses
with management CTS financial statements, earnings press
releases and earnings guidance. The Committee also reviews
CTS compliance with legal requirements and the CTS Code of
Ethics.
FURTHER INFORMATION CONCERNING THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
During 2005, the Board of Directors had seven meetings. In 2005,
all of the directors attended 100% of the meetings of the Board
of Directors and the committees of which they were members. It
is the policy of the Board of the Directors that each director
endeavor to attend the annual meeting of shareholders, unless
exigent circumstances arise. Each of the directors standing for
re-election at the 2005 Annual Meeting attended the meeting.
The Board of Directors has determined that each non-management
director is an independent director and has no material
relationship with CTS, apart from his or her service as a
director. The independent directors are Walter S. Catlow,
Lawrence J. Ciancia, Thomas G. Cody, Gerald H.
Frieling, Jr., Roger R. Hemminghaus, Michael A. Henning,
Robert A. Profusek, and Patricia K. Vincent. The Board of
Directors made this determination by reference to the definition
of an independent director contained in the New York Stock
Exchange Corporate Governance Listing Standards and by reference
to the standards set forth in the CTS Corporation Corporate
Governance Guidelines. The CTS Corporation Corporate
Governance Guidelines provide that an independent director is
one who:
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Is not an employee of the corporation and has not been an
employee of the corporation for at least five years; |
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Is not an employee or affiliate of the corporations
present auditing firm or an auditing firm retained by the
corporation within the past five years and has not been an
employee or affiliate of such a firm for at least five years; |
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Is not an employee of a company on whose board an executive of
the corporation presently serves as a director or has served as
a director within the past five years and has not been an
employee of such a company for at least five years; |
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Is not an employee of a company that accounts for at least 2% or
$1 million, whichever is greater, of the corporations
consolidated gross revenues, and has not been an employee of
such a company for at least five years; |
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Is not an employee of any company for which the corporation
accounted for at least 2% or $1 million, whichever is
greater, of the companys consolidated gross revenues; and
has not been an employee of such a company for at least five
years; |
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Is not an employee or director of any company that makes direct
material investments or trades in CTS stock or that regularly
advises investors concerning CTS stock; |
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Does not presently receive any direct or material indirect
compensation from the corporation other than the standard
directors compensation package; |
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Has not received more than $100,000 per year in direct
compensation from the company, excluding the standard
directors compensation package, during the past five years; |
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Does not have any other relationship with the corporation or any
other entity, including charitable and civic organizations that
in the opinion of the Board could be considered to effect the
directors ability to exercise his independent judgment as
a director; |
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Is not an immediate family member of any individual who would
fail to meet the criteria for independence set forth above. |
A copy of the Corporate Governance Guidelines may be obtained
free of charge from the CTS Secretary upon request or from
CTS website at http://www.ctscorp.com/governance/
guidelines.htm.
The CTS Corporate Governance Guidelines encourage all directors
to participate in director continuing education programs. The
corporation reimburses directors for attendance at such
programs. In addition, management monitors and reports to the
directors regarding significant corporate governance
initiatives. The directors also receive a presentation on new
developments in corporate governance no less frequently than
annually.
The Board of Directors has adopted CTS stock ownership
guidelines that apply to non-employee directors and executives
in order to align their interests with those of shareholders and
promote enduring shareholder value. The guidelines are
administered by the Compensation Committee. A copy of the
guidelines may be obtained free of charge from CTS
Secretary upon request or from CTS website at
http://www.ctscorp.com/governance/stockog.htm.
CTS has adopted a Code of Ethics that applies to all of its
employees, including its principal executive officer, principal
financial officer and principal accounting officer or
controller. A copy of the CTS Code of Ethics may be obtained
free of charge from CTS Secretary upon request or from
CTS website at
http://www.ctscorp.com/governance/code_of_ethics.htm.
It is the policy of the Board of Directors to hold an executive
session of non-management directors at each regular scheduled
Board of Directors meeting. Chairmanship of the executive
sessions is rotated among all non-management directors on an
alphabetical basis.
Shareholders may address written communications to individual
directors, including non-management directors, or to the Board
of Directors as a whole, in care of CTS Secretary at
CTS Corporate Office, 905 West Boulevard North,
Elkhart, Indiana, 46514. Such communications must include the
name and address of the shareholder, as they appear on the
record books of CTS and the name and address of the beneficial
owner, if any, on whose behalf the communication is submitted.
The Secretary will compile such communications and forward them
to the directors on a periodic basis. However, the Secretary has
9
authority to disregard any communication which is primarily an
advertisement or solicitation or which is threatening, obscene
or similarly inappropriate in nature. Communications that have
been disregarded for these reasons may be reviewed by any
non-management director upon request.
DIRECTOR COMPENSATION
Employee directors receive no additional compensation for
serving on the Board of Directors or Board Committees.
Non-employee directors receive the following fees for their
service on the Board: annual board retainer $25,000;
annual retainer for each Audit Committee member
$5,000; annual retainer for each Finance, Nominating and
Governance and Compensation Committee member $3,000;
additional annual retainer for Audit Committee
Chairman $5,000; additional annual retainer for
Compensation Committee Chairman $4,000; additional
annual retainer for Finance and Nominating and Governance
Chairman $3,000; meeting fee for each Board or
Committee Meeting $1,500. All committee meetings,
including special meetings called by committee chairmen, are
compensated at the regular meeting fee rate. Special activity by
the committee chairmen, as well as any special activity by
another committee member that is requested or approved by a
committee chairman, is also compensated at the regular meeting
fee rate. Non-employee directors are reimbursed by the
corporation for reasonable travel expenses related to their
performance of services and for director education programs. CTS
established an ad hoc Leadership Continuity Committee in 2005.
The annual retainer for each member is $4,000 and the additional
annual retainer for the chairman is $4,000.
In 1990, CTS adopted the Stock Retirement Plan for Non-Employee
Directors. Under that plan, a deferred stock unit account was
established for each non-employee director. Through January
2004, 800 common stock units and additional units representing
dividends on CTS common stock paid were credited annually to
each non-employee directors account. When a non-employee
director retires from the Board, he or she receives one share of
CTS common stock for each deferred stock unit credited to his or
her account. On December 1, 2004, the Board of Directors
amended the plan to preclude crediting any additional units to
the deferred stock unit accounts. On December 1, 2004, each
non-employee director received a grant of restricted stock units
under the CTS Corporation 2004 Omnibus Long-Term Incentive
Plan equivalent to the number of deferred stock units which
would have been credited to the director for 2004 service under
the Stock Retirement Plan for Non-Employee Directors. Under the
terms of this award, each non-employee director will receive one
share of CTS common stock for each restricted stock unit upon
retirement from the Board.
In 2002, the Board established a $30,000 annual stock-based
compensation target for each non-employee director. For 2006,
the stock-based compensation target was achieved by awarding
each non-employee director 2,500 restricted stock units under
the CTS Corporation 2004 Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan.
The awards were granted on December 7, 2005 and became
distributable on January 10, 2006 absent a deferral
election by the non-employee director. Upon distribution, one
share of CTS common stock for each restricted stock unit is
transferred to the non-employee director.
10
STOCK OWNERSHIP INFORMATION
Five Percent Owners of Common Stock. The table below
lists information about the persons known by CTS to beneficially
own at least 5% of CTS common stock as of March 17,
2006. This information is derived solely from the most recent
Schedules 13G and
Form 13F-HR filed
by these persons with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Name and Address |
|
Number of Shares |
|
Percent of Class |
|
|
|
GAMCO Investors, Inc.(1) |
|
|
3,297,770 |
|
|
|
9.2% |
|
|
|
One Corporate Center |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rye, New York 10580-1435 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dimensional Fund Advisors, Inc.(2) |
|
|
3,156,100 |
|
|
|
8.8% |
|
|
|
1299 Ocean Avenue |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
11th Floor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Santa Monica, California 90401 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FMR Corp.(3) |
|
|
2,220,000 |
|
|
|
6.2% |
|
|
|
82 Devonshire Street |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Boston, Massachusetts 02109 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Columbia Wanger |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Asset Management L.P. et al.(4) |
|
|
2,102,000 |
|
|
|
5.9% |
|
|
|
227 West Monroe Street |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Suite 3000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chicago, Illinois 60606 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Barclays Global Investors, N.A. et al.(5) |
|
|
2,009,401 |
|
|
|
5.6% |
|
|
|
45 Fremont Street |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
San Francisco, California 94105 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1) |
As reported in the Form 13F-HR filed February 13,
2006, Gabelli Funds LLC has sole power to vote and dispose of
525,000 shares; GAMCO Investors, Inc. has sole power to
vote 2,440,070 shares and sole power to dispose of
2,772,770 shares. |
|
(2) |
As reported in the Schedule 13G/A filed February 6,
2006, Dimensional Fund Advisors, Inc. has sole power to vote and
dispose of the shares. |
|
(3) |
As reported in the Schedule 13G/A filed February 14,
2006, FMR Corp. and Edward C. Johnson 3d each has sole
power to dispose of the shares. |
|
(4) |
As reported in the Schedule 13G filed February 14,
2006, Columbia Wanger Asset Management, L.P. has shared power to
vote and shared power to dispose of the shares. |
|
(5) |
As reported in the Schedule 13G filed January 26,
2006, Barclays Global Fund Advisors has sole power to vote
and dispose of 890,815 shares and Barclays Global
Investors, N.A. has sole power to vote 906,261 shares
and sole power to dispose of 1,118,586 shares. |
Directors and Officers Stock Ownership. The
following table shows how much CTS common stock each Named
Executive Officer, as identified in footnote(1) to the Summary
Compensation Table set forth under Executive
Compensation, and each director-nominee beneficially owned
as of March 17, 2006, including shares covered by stock
options exercisable within 60 days of March 17, 2006.
Please note that, as reported in this table, beneficial
ownership includes those shares a director or officer has the
power to vote or transfer, as well as shares owned by immediate
family members that reside in the same household with the
director or officer. The shares shown as beneficially owned by
all current directors and officers do not include
1,458,900 shares held by the Northern Trust Company as
Trustee of the CTS Corporation Employee Benefit Plans
Master Trust. The CTS Corporation Employee Benefit Plan
Investment Committee has voting and investment authority over
those shares. James L. Cummins and another executive
officer are members of that committee.
11
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Options |
|
Shares |
|
Directors |
|
|
|
|
Shares |
|
Exercisable |
|
Held in |
|
Deferred |
|
|
|
% of |
|
|
|
|
Beneficially |
|
Within |
|
401(k) |
|
Common |
|
|
|
Shares |
|
|
Name |
|
Owned |
|
60 Days |
|
Plan |
|
Stock Units |
|
Total |
|
Outstanding |
|
|
|
H. Tyler Buchanan |
|
|
22,867 |
|
|
|
42,000 |
|
|
|
10,086 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
74,953 |
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
Walter S. Catlow |
|
|
7,639(1) |
|
|
|
10,000 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
4,098 |
|
|
|
21,737 |
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
Lawrence J. Ciancia |
|
|
8,756(1) |
|
|
|
10,000 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
16,365 |
|
|
|
35,121 |
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
Thomas G. Cody |
|
|
6,645(1) |
|
|
|
10,000 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
4,722 |
|
|
|
21,367 |
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
James L. Cummins |
|
|
79,745(2) |
|
|
|
29,200 |
|
|
|
902 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
109,847 |
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
Gerald H. Frieling, Jr. |
|
|
11,783(1) |
|
|
|
10,000 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
19,020 |
|
|
|
40,803 |
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
Roger R. Hemminghaus |
|
|
9,632(1) |
|
|
|
10,000 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
3,267 |
|
|
|
22,899 |
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
Michael A. Henning |
|
|
6,631(1) |
|
|
|
10,000 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
3,267 |
|
|
|
19,898 |
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
Vinod M. Khilnani |
|
|
22,825 |
|
|
|
45,775 |
|
|
|
1,580 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
70,180 |
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
Robert A. Profusek |
|
|
8,445(1)(3) |
|
|
|
10,000 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
4,722 |
|
|
|
23,167 |
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
Donald R. Schroeder |
|
|
65,857 |
|
|
|
39,025 |
|
|
|
41,124 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
146,006 |
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
Donald K. Schwanz |
|
|
28,752 |
|
|
|
275,250 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
304,002 |
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
Patricia K. Vincent |
|
|
5,607(1) |
|
|
|
1,600 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
800 |
|
|
|
8,007 |
|
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
All Current Directors and Officers as a Group
(17 persons) |
|
|
304,249 |
|
|
|
550,250 |
|
|
|
59,722 |
|
|
|
56,261 |
|
|
|
970,482 |
|
|
|
2.7 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
(1) |
Includes restricted stock units that are distributable upon the
directors separation from service and convert on a
one-to-one basis to
shares of CTS common stock upon distribution. |
|
(2) |
Includes 1,800 shares held by Mr. Cummins sons
and 1,863 shares held by Mr. Cummins spouse in
the 401(k) plan. Mr. Cummins disclaims any beneficial
interest with respect to these shares. |
|
(3) |
Includes 1,800 shares held by Mr. Profuseks
daughter. Mr. Profusek disclaims any beneficial interest
with respect to these shares. |
12
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Summary Compensation Table
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Annual | |
|
Long-Term | |
|
|
|
|
Compensation | |
|
Compensation | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Restricted | |
|
Securities | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other Annual | |
|
Stock | |
|
Underlying | |
|
All Other | |
|
|
|
|
Salary | |
|
Bonus | |
|
Compensation | |
|
Award(s)(3)(4) | |
|
Options | |
|
Compensation(5) | |
|
|
Name and Principal Position (1) |
|
Year | |
|
($) | |
|
($) | |
|
($)(2) | |
|
($) | |
|
(#) | |
|
($) | |
|
|
|
Donald K. Schwanz |
|
|
2005 |
|
|
$ |
747,221 |
|
|
$ |
364,270 |
|
|
$ |
93,887 |
|
|
$ |
499,950 |
|
|
|
50,000 |
|
|
$ |
13,824 |
|
|
|
Chairman, President |
|
|
2004 |
|
|
$ |
693,477 |
|
|
$ |
658,905 |
|
|
$ |
89,010 |
|
|
$ |
452,640 |
|
|
|
37,000 |
|
|
$ |
13,524 |
|
|
|
and Chief Executive Officer |
|
|
2003 |
|
|
$ |
651,538 |
|
|
$ |
534,947 |
|
|
$ |
86,170 |
|
|
$ |
97,800 |
|
|
|
72,000 |
|
|
$ |
10,902 |
|
|
|
|
Vinod M. Khilnani |
|
|
2005 |
|
|
$ |
336,372 |
|
|
$ |
113,526 |
|
|
$ |
62,842 |
|
|
$ |
522,340 |
|
|
|
22,000 |
|
|
$ |
6,300 |
|
|
|
Senior Vice President and |
|
|
2004 |
|
|
$ |
306,585 |
|
|
$ |
201,670 |
|
|
$ |
61,280 |
|
|
$ |
198,720 |
|
|
|
17,500 |
|
|
$ |
6,000 |
|
|
|
Chief Financial Officer |
|
|
2003 |
|
|
$ |
286,846 |
|
|
$ |
163,049 |
|
|
$ |
38,850 |
|
|
$ |
90,360 |
|
|
|
20,000 |
|
|
$ |
6,000 |
|
|
|
|
Donald R. Schroeder |
|
|
2005 |
|
|
$ |
306,388 |
|
|
$ |
20,681 |
|
|
$ |
121,356 |
|
|
$ |
188,870 |
|
|
|
20,000 |
|
|
$ |
10,526 |
|
|
|
Executive Vice President |
|
|
2004 |
|
|
$ |
284,423 |
|
|
$ |
153,513 |
|
|
$ |
56,140 |
|
|
$ |
215,280 |
|
|
|
10,500 |
|
|
$ |
10,056 |
|
|
|
and President of CTS |
|
|
2003 |
|
|
$ |
272,269 |
|
|
$ |
77,367 |
|
|
$ |
33,955 |
|
|
$ |
58,680 |
|
|
|
18,000 |
|
|
$ |
10,902 |
|
|
|
Electronics Manufacturing |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Solutions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
H. Tyler Buchanan |
|
|
2005 |
|
|
$ |
244,779 |
|
|
$ |
78,038 |
|
|
$ |
56,779 |
|
|
$ |
155,540 |
|
|
|
8,000 |
|
|
$ |
8,922 |
|
|
|
Senior Vice President |
|
|
2004 |
|
|
$ |
227,885 |
|
|
$ |
101,614 |
|
|
$ |
54,198 |
|
|
$ |
176,640 |
|
|
|
8,000 |
|
|
$ |
8,622 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2003 |
|
|
$ |
222,808 |
|
|
$ |
25,330 |
|
|
$ |
40,831 |
|
|
$ |
58,680 |
|
|
|
18,000 |
|
|
$ |
8,622 |
|
|
|
|
James L. Cummins |
|
|
2005 |
|
|
$ |
236,652 |
|
|
$ |
79,870 |
|
|
$ |
46,342 |
|
|
$ |
144,430 |
|
|
|
9,700 |
|
|
$ |
8,646 |
|
|
|
Senior Vice President |
|
|
2004 |
|
|
$ |
220,508 |
|
|
$ |
145,049 |
|
|
$ |
50,984 |
|
|
$ |
143,520 |
|
|
|
7,200 |
|
|
$ |
7,710 |
|
|
|
Administration |
|
|
2003 |
|
|
$ |
210,486 |
|
|
$ |
119,645 |
|
|
$ |
33,628 |
|
|
$ |
48,900 |
|
|
|
14,500 |
|
|
$ |
7,710 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1) |
The persons named in this table are referred to as the Named
Executive Officers. |
|
(2) |
The components of this column are as follows: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Personal Use | |
|
|
|
Cash | |
|
Temporary | |
|
Use and | |
|
|
|
Restricted | |
|
|
|
|
of Company | |
|
Financial | |
|
Perquisite | |
|
Living | |
|
Purchase of | |
|
Tax | |
|
Stock Cash | |
|
Executive | |
Officer |
|
Year | |
|
Plane | |
|
Planning | |
|
Allowance | |
|
Allowance | |
|
Company Car* | |
|
Preparation | |
|
Bonus** | |
|
Physical | |
| |
|
Mr. Schwanz |
|
|
2005 |
|
|
$ |
2,442 |
|
|
$ |
12,000 |
|
|
$ |
16,400 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
3,360 |
|
|
$ |
54,264 |
|
|
$ |
5,421 |
|
|
|
|
2004 |
|
|
$ |
2,408 |
|
|
$ |
12,000 |
|
|
$ |
15,600 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
2,690 |
|
|
$ |
56,312 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2003 |
|
|
$ |
3,832 |
|
|
$ |
12,000 |
|
|
$ |
15,600 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
20,875 |
|
|
$ |
1,950 |
|
|
$ |
26,130 |
|
|
$ |
5,783 |
|
|
|
Mr. Khilnani |
|
|
2005 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
15,200 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
47,642 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2004 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
14,400 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
46,880 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2003 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
14,400 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
22,500 |
|
|
$ |
1,950 |
|
|
|
Mr. Schroeder |
|
|
2005 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
5,400 |
|
|
$ |
15,200 |
|
|
$ |
69,700 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
4,060 |
|
|
$ |
26,996 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2004 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
5,400 |
|
|
$ |
14,400 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
1,760 |
|
|
$ |
34,580 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2003 |
|
|
$ |
111 |
|
|
$ |
4,800 |
|
|
$ |
10,800 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
4,335 |
|
|
$ |
1,400 |
|
|
$ |
12,509 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mr. Buchanan |
|
|
2005 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
4,800 |
|
|
$ |
15,200 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
875 |
|
|
$ |
35,904 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2004 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
4,800 |
|
|
$ |
14,400 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
950 |
|
|
$ |
34,048 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2003 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
3,375 |
|
|
$ |
14,400 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
950 |
|
|
$ |
22,106 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mr. Cummins |
|
|
2005 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
4,800 |
|
|
$ |
15,200 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
2,975 |
|
|
$ |
22,526 |
|
|
$ |
841 |
|
|
|
|
2004 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
4,800 |
|
|
$ |
14,400 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
1,760 |
|
|
$ |
30,024 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2003 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
4,500 |
|
|
$ |
14,400 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
1,820 |
|
|
$ |
10,199 |
|
|
$ |
2,709 |
|
|
|
|
* |
For Mr. Schwanz in 2003, this amount reflects $2,299 for
personal use of a company car and $18,576, which represents the
difference between the CTS book value and the Kelly Blue Book
private party value of the car that Mr. Schwanz purchased
from CTS. For Mr. Schroeder in 2003, this amount reflects
$1,092 for personal use of a company car and $3,243, which
represents the difference between the CTS book value and the
Kelly Blue Book private party value of the car that
Mr. Schroeder purchased from CTS. |
|
** |
Represents cash payments in connection with the lapse of
transfer restrictions on restricted shares. |
|
(3) |
The amounts shown in this column for 2005 and 2004 reflect
grants of restricted stock units. Except as noted below, these
restricted stock unit awards vest in installments of
20% per year beginning on the first anniversary of the
grant and one share of CTS common stock for each restricted
stock unit is |
13
|
|
|
distributed to the grantee upon vesting. The grantee does not
receive dividends on restricted stock units. |
|
|
In 2005, Named Executive Officers received the following numbers
of restricted stock units: Donald K. Schwanz, 45,000 restricted
stock units; Vinod M. Khilnani, 19,000 restricted stock units
and 25,000 restricted stock units; Donald R. Schroeder, 17,000
restricted stock units; H. Tyler Buchanan, 14,000 restricted
stock units; and James L. Cummins, 13,000 restricted stock
units. Mr. Schwanzs award will vest in installments
of 20%, 20% and 60% on June 8, 2006, June 8, 2007 and
December 30, 2007. His award will be distributed in
installments of 20% per year beginning on the first
anniversary of the grant. Mr. Khilnanis award of
25,000 restricted stock units will vest and be distributed in
its entirety on the fourth anniversary of the grant date. At
December 31, 2005, no portion of the restricted stock unit
awards described above had vested, and the net values of those
restricted stock units were as follows: Donald K. Schwanz,
$497,700; Vinod M. Khilnani, $210,140 and $276,500; Donald R.
Schroeder, $188,020; H. Tyler Buchanan, $154,840; and James L.
Cummins, $143,780. |
|
|
In 2004, Named Executive Officers received the following numbers
of restricted stock units: Donald K. Schwanz, 41,000 restricted
stock units; Vinod M. Khilnani, 18,000 restricted stock units;
Donald R. Schroeder, 3,500 restricted stock units and 16,000
restricted stock units; H. Tyler Buchanan, 2,000 restricted
stock units and 14,000 restricted stock units; and James L.
Cummins, 13,000 restricted stock units. At December 31,
2005, the net values of the non-vested portion of the restricted
stock unit awards described immediately above were as follows:
Donald K. Schwanz, $362,768; Vinod M. Khilnani, $159,264; Donald
R. Schroeder, $141,568; H. Tyler Buchanan, $123,872; and James
L. Cummins, $115,024. |
|
(4) |
The amounts shown in this column for 2003 reflect grants of the
following numbers of shares: Donald K. Schwanz,
10,000 shares; Vinod M. Khilnani, 3,000 shares and
7,000 shares; Donald R. Schroeder, 6,000 shares; H.
Tyler Buchanan, 6,000 shares; and James L. Cummins,
5,000 shares. Restricted stock awards vest in installments
of 20% per year beginning on the first anniversary of the
grant. Dividends are paid on restricted stock at the same rate
applicable to unrestricted shares. At December 31, 2005,
the number and net value of restricted shares held by Named
Executive Officers on which transfer restrictions had not lapsed
were as follows: Donald K. Schwanz, 10,200, $112,812; Vinod M.
Khilnani, 9,200, $101,752; Donald R. Schroeder 5,766, $63,772;
H. Tyler Buchanan 6,200, $68,572; and James L. Cummins 4,766,
$52,712. |
|
(5) |
The components of this column for 2005 are as follows: Donald K.
Schwanz, $6,300 CTS match under 401(k) Plan, $7,524 imputed
income on term life insurance; Vinod M. Khilnani, $6,300 CTS
match under 401(k) Plan; Donald R. Schroeder, $6,300 CTS match
under 401(k) Plan, $4,226 imputed income on term life insurance;
H. Tyler Buchanan, $6,300 CTS match under 401(k) Plan, $2,622
imputed income on term life insurance; and James L. Cummins,
$6,300 CTS match under 401(k) Plan, $2,346 imputed income on
term life insurance. |
Employment Agreement with Donald K. Schwanz.
Mr. Schwanz has an employment agreement with CTS which
provides that for five years beginning on October 1, 2001
(the Term), Mr. Schwanz will be employed by CTS
as President and Chief Executive Officer, at an initial annual
salary of $630,000. During the Term of the agreement, if
Mr. Schwanzs employment is terminated as a result of
his death or disability, for good reason (as defined in the
agreement) or by CTS without cause (as defined in the
agreement), Mr. Schwanz will receive severance benefits
equal to his then current annual salary for the remainder of the
Term, plus an annual bonus for each year remaining in the Term
equal to the largest cash and stock bonus that he received for
any year during the Term, but no less than $330,000. In
addition, if Mr. Schwanzs employment is terminated by
Mr. Schwanz for good reason or by CTS without cause,
Mr. Schwanz may instead receive a lump sum equal to
31/3
times the sum of his then current annual salary and the largest
cash and stock bonus that he received for any year during the
Term, but no less than $330,000. Any payments to
Mr. Schwanz upon a change in control are increased to
compensate Mr. Schwanz for any excise tax payable by him
pursuant to Section 280G of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986, as amended (the Code). The payments and
benefits to Mr. Schwanz under his employment
14
agreement are reduced automatically by any corresponding
payments or benefits under his severance agreement described
below.
Mr. Schwanzs employment agreement also provides for
an enhanced pension benefit under which for every year of
service he accrues after June 30, 2002, an extra year will
be credited to him for pension calculation purposes.
Employment Agreement with Vinod M. Khilnani. On
October 4, 2005, CTS entered into an employment agreement
with Mr. Khilnani. The term of the agreement is four years.
The agreement provides that if CTS terminates
Mr. Khilnanis employment without cause (as defined in
the agreement) within two years after the time a successor CEO
to Mr. Schwanz is appointed, CTS will provide
Mr. Khilnani with compensation, equal to his current base
salary and his target incentive compensation for the calendar
year prior to termination, for a period of two years following
his termination date. Termination of his employment under any
other circumstances, including death, disability, voluntary
termination or termination by CTS for cause (as defined in the
agreement), will terminate the employment agreement without the
payment of benefits under this employment agreement. In the
event Mr. Khilnani is eligible to receive greater benefits
under another agreement or policy, he may elect to receive such
benefits in lieu of benefits under his employment agreement.
Benefits received under the employment agreement will be reduced
by any benefits received under another agreement or policy.
Change in Control Severance Agreements. Each of the
active Named Executive Officers has executed a severance
agreement with CTS, which becomes operative only upon a change
in control of CTS. Severance benefits are provided if within
three years of a change in control, a covered executive
terminates his employment for good reason (as defined in the
agreement) or his employment is terminated for any reason other
than cause (as defined in the agreement), disability or death.
Severance benefits include: (i) a lump sum equal to three
times the sum of the greater of base salary at the time of the
change in control or average base salary over the three years
prior to termination plus the greater of average incentive pay
over the three years prior to the change in control or target
incentive pay for the year in which the change in control
occurred; (ii) continued participation for 36 months
following termination in welfare benefit plans and similar
benefit programs; (iii) a lump sum payment equal to the
increase in actuarial value of the benefits under CTS
qualified and supplemental retirement plans that the executive
would have received had he remained employed; (iv) a lump
sum payment ($105,000 for Mr. Schwanz and $67,500 for the
other Named Executive Officers) in lieu of any perquisites the
executive would otherwise have been provided;
(v) outplacement services; (vi) reimbursement of
legal, tax and estate planning expense related to the severance
agreement; (vii) reimbursement of relocation expenses
incurred during the 36 month period following termination;
(viii) a lump sum payment equal to target incentive pay for
the year in which the termination occurs, prorated based on
actual service during the year; and (ix) accelerated
vesting, exercise rights and lapse of restrictions on equity
based compensation awards. In addition, if any payments made to
a covered executive are subject to excise tax under
Section 4999 of the Code, CTS will make an additional
payment to put the executive in the same after-tax position as
if no excise tax had been imposed. In September 2005, CTS
notified each of the Named Executive Officers that his severance
agreement would not automatically renew on January 1, 2006.
Therefore, each agreement will expire on December 31, 2007.
STOCK OPTIONS
The following table reflects information about stock options
awarded to the Named Executive Officers in 2005. These stock
options are exercisable in four substantially equal annual
installments commencing on June 8, 2006, in accordance with
the terms set forth in the stock option agreements, over a term
of ten years. Upon termination of employment due to death or
total and permanent disability, the option would continue to
vest on its schedule and would be exercisable for one year
following the termination date. Upon termination of employment
due to qualified retirement (as defined in the stock option
agreements), the option would continue to vest on its schedule
and would be exercisable through the end of the option term.
15
Upon termination of employment for any other reason, the option
would be exercisable within the three month period following the
termination date, but only to the extent vested as of the
termination date.
Option Grants in Last Fiscal Year
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Potential Realizable | |
|
|
|
|
Value at Assumed | |
|
|
|
|
Annual Rates | |
|
|
Individual Grants | |
|
Of Stock Price | |
|
|
|
|
Appreciation for | |
|
|
|
|
Number of | |
|
% of Total | |
|
|
|
Option Term (1) | |
|
|
|
|
Securities | |
|
Options | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Underlying | |
|
Granted to | |
|
Exercise | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Options | |
|
Employees | |
|
Price | |
|
Expiration | |
|
|
|
|
Name |
|
Granted | |
|
In 2005 | |
|
($)/ Share | |
|
Date | |
|
5% | |
|
10% | |
|
|
|
Donald K. Schwanz
|
|
|
50,000 |
|
|
|
36.6 |
% |
|
$ |
11.11 |
|
|
|
6-7-2015 |
|
|
$ |
349,351 |
|
|
$ |
885,324 |
|
|
|
|
Vinod M. Khilnani
|
|
|
22,000 |
|
|
|
16.1 |
% |
|
$ |
11.11 |
|
|
|
6-7-2015 |
|
|
$ |
153,714 |
|
|
$ |
389,543 |
|
|
|
|
Donald R. Schroeder
|
|
|
20,000 |
|
|
|
14.6 |
% |
|
$ |
11.11 |
|
|
|
6-7-2015 |
|
|
$ |
139,740 |
|
|
$ |
354,130 |
|
|
|
|
H. Tyler Buchanan
|
|
|
8,000 |
|
|
|
5.9 |
% |
|
$ |
11.11 |
|
|
|
6-7-2015 |
|
|
$ |
55,896 |
|
|
$ |
141,652 |
|
|
|
|
James L. Cummins
|
|
|
9,700 |
|
|
|
7.1 |
% |
|
$ |
11.11 |
|
|
|
6-7-2015 |
|
|
$ |
67,774 |
|
|
$ |
171,753 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1) |
Potential realizable value is determined by assuming an initial
value equal to the option price per share, the market closing
price for CTS common stock on the date of grant, and applying
the stated annual appreciation rate compounded annually for the
remaining term of the option, subtracting the exercise price and
multiplying the remainder by the number of shares subject to
options granted. Actual gains, if any, on stock option exercises
are dependent on the future performance of the common stock and
overall stock market conditions. |
AGGREGATED OPTION EXERCISES IN LAST FISCAL YEAR
AND FISCAL YEAR-END OPTION VALUES
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number of | |
|
Value of | |
|
|
|
|
Securities Underlying | |
|
Unexercised | |
|
|
|
|
Shares | |
|
|
|
Unexercised Options | |
|
In-the-Money Options | |
|
|
|
|
Acquired | |
|
Value | |
|
at Fiscal Year-End (#) | |
|
at Fiscal Year-End ($) | |
|
|
|
|
On Exercise | |
|
Realized | |
|
|
|
|
Name |
|
(#) | |
|
($) | |
|
Exercisable | |
|
Unexercisable | |
|
Exercisable | |
|
Unexercisable | |
|
|
|
Donald K. Schwanz(1)
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
275,250 |
|
|
|
128,750 |
|
|
$ |
197,465 |
|
|
$ |
97,035 |
|
|
|
|
Vinod M. Khilnani
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
45,775 |
|
|
|
48,725 |
|
|
$ |
51,191 |
|
|
$ |
25,158 |
|
|
|
|
Donald R. Schroeder
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
39,025 |
|
|
|
40,475 |
|
|
$ |
49,876 |
|
|
$ |
23,773 |
|
|
|
|
H. Tyler Buchanan
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
42,000 |
|
|
|
26,000 |
|
|
$ |
41,800 |
|
|
$ |
21,720 |
|
|
|
|
James L. Cummins
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
29,200 |
|
|
|
25,200 |
|
|
$ |
39,748 |
|
|
$ |
19,276 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1) |
On December 15, 2005, CTS entered into agreements with
Mr. Schwanz and certain other employee stock option holders
to accelerate the vesting of certain
out-of-the-money
stock options. The vesting acceleration allows CTS to avoid
recognizing pre-tax compensation expense associated with these
options in its future income statements as a result of the
adoption of FASB Statement No. 123R. In order to prevent
unintended personal benefits to the option holders, the
agreements provide that shares received upon exercise of an
accelerated option may not be transferred until the original
vesting date. Absent this acceleration, the number of securities
underlying unexercised options shown in the above table for
Mr. Schwanz would be as follows: 208,583 exercisable,
195,417 unexercisable. |
PENSION PLAN
The following table shows the estimated annualized retirement
benefits payable to a covered participant in the
CTS Corporation Pension Plan (the Plan) who is
a salaried employee. The benefit formula is
16
calculated as 1.25% of average monthly pay during the highest
three calendar years of a participants last ten calendar
years of service, multiplied by a participants credited
service to arrive at the annualized benefit below.
Pension Plan Table
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Years of Service |
Annual |
|
|
Compensation |
|
15 |
|
20 |
|
25 |
|
30 |
|
35 |
|
$ |
200,000 |
|
|
$ |
37,500 |
|
|
$ |
50,000 |
|
|
$ |
62,500 |
|
|
$ |
75,000 |
|
|
$ |
87,500 |
|
|
$ |
300,000 |
|
|
$ |
56,250 |
|
|
$ |
75,000 |
|
|
$ |
93,750 |
|
|
$ |
112,500 |
|
|
$ |
131,250 |
|
|
$ |
400,000 |
|
|
$ |
75,000 |
|
|
$ |
100,000 |
|
|
$ |
125,000 |
|
|
$ |
150,000 |
|
|
$ |
175,000 |
|
|
$ |
600,000 |
|
|
$ |
112,500 |
|
|
$ |
150,000 |
|
|
$ |
187,500 |
|
|
$ |
225,000 |
|
|
$ |
262,500 |
|
|
$ |
800,000 |
|
|
$ |
150,000 |
|
|
$ |
200,000 |
|
|
$ |
250,000 |
|
|
$ |
300,000 |
|
|
$ |
350,000 |
|
|
$ |
1,000,000 |
|
|
$ |
187,500 |
|
|
$ |
250,000 |
|
|
$ |
312,500 |
|
|
$ |
375,000 |
|
|
$ |
437,500 |
|
|
$ |
1,200,000 |
|
|
$ |
225,000 |
|
|
$ |
300,000 |
|
|
$ |
375,000 |
|
|
$ |
450,000 |
|
|
$ |
525,000 |
|
|
$ |
1,400,000 |
|
|
$ |
262,500 |
|
|
$ |
350,000 |
|
|
$ |
437,500 |
|
|
$ |
525,000 |
|
|
$ |
612,500 |
|
|
Covered compensation is essentially equal to the salary and
bonus columns in the Summary Compensation Table, together with
the cash payments received in connection with the lapse of
transfer restrictions on restricted shares as described in
footnote (3) to the Summary Compensation Table. These
benefits are not subject to any deduction for social security or
other offsets. The years of service credited to the Named
Executive Officers as of December 31, 2005 are: Donald K.
Schwanz 5.56 years; Vinod M.
Khilnani 4.78 years; Donald R.
Schroeder 33.44 years; James L.
Cummins 28.78 years; and H. Tyler
Buchanan 28.78 years.
Section 415(b)(1) of the Code, placed a limit of $170,000
for 2005 on the amount of annual pension benefits that may be
paid from the Plan. Section 401(a)(17) of the Code limits
the amount of annual compensation that may be taken into account
in calculating a benefit under the Plan to $210,000 for 2005.
The Plan includes a supplemental benefit for named participants
that allows for payment of benefit amounts, to the extent
permitted by the Code in excess of the benefit amounts that
would be permitted by those provisions. Each of the Named
Executive Officers also participates in an unfunded supplemental
retirement plan adopted in 2003 that provides that the
participant will receive a benefit equal to the difference
between his actual benefit under the Plan and the benefit that
would have been payable under the Plan without regard to these
limits, and, with the exception of Mr. Schwanz, the
participants benefit is enhanced by increasing the
percentage of compensation included in the benefit formula by
..1% for each full year of participation in the unfunded plan to
a maximum of 1.75% of average monthly pay during the highest
three calendar years of a participants last ten calendar
years of service. As described on page 14 under the heading
Employment Agreement with Donald K. Schwanz, the
unfunded supplemental retirement plan will be used to pay an
enhanced pension benefit under which for every year of service
Mr. Schwanz accrues after June 30, 2002, an extra year
will be credited to him for pension calculation purposes.
REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE
The Audit Committee acts pursuant to its written charter adopted
by the Board of Directors, a copy of which is attached hereto as
Appendix A. All members of the Audit Committee are
financially literate and independent as defined in the New York
Stock Exchange Corporate Governance Listing Standards.
The Audit Committee has reviewed and discussed with CTS
management and Grant Thornton LLP (Grant Thornton),
CTS independent registered public accounting firm, the
audited consolidated financial
17
statements of the Company for 2005; has discussed with the
independent registered public accounting firm the matters
required to be discussed by Statement on Auditing Standards
No. 61; has received from the independent registered public
accounting firm the written disclosures and letter required by
Independence Standards Board Standard No. 1; and has
discussed with the independent registered public accounting firm
its independence. Based on the review and discussions described
above, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board of Directors
that the financial statements be included in CTS Annual
Report on
Form 10-K for the
fiscal year ended December 31, 2005, for filing with the
Securities and Exchange Commission.
CTS CORPORATION 2005 AUDIT COMMITTEE
|
|
|
Michael A. Henning, Chairman
|
|
Walter S. Catlow |
Lawrence J. Ciancia
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Gerald H. Frieling, Jr. |
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
CTS dismissed PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as its independent
registered public accounting firm on June 3, 2005. The
decision was recommended and unanimously approved by CTS
Audit Committee.
The reports of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP on CTS financial
statements for the years ended December 31, 2004 and 2003
contained no adverse opinion or disclaimer of opinion and were
not qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope, or
accounting principle. During the years ended December 31,
2004 and 2003, and through June 3, 2005, there were no
disagreements with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP on any matter of
accounting principles or practices, financial statement
disclosure, or auditing scope or procedure, which disagreements,
if not resolved to the satisfaction of PricewaterhouseCoopers
LLP would have caused PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP to make
reference thereto in its report on the CTS financial
statements for such years. During the years ended
December 31, 2004 and 2003, and through June 3, 2005,
there were no reportable events (as defined in
Item 304(a)(1)(v) of
Regulation S-K).
CTS appointed Grant Thornton as its new independent registered
public accounting firm as of June 3, 2005. During the two
most recent fiscal years and through June 3, 2005, CTS did
not consult with Grant Thornton regarding either (i) the
application of accounting principles to a specified transaction,
either completed or proposed; or the type of audit opinion that
might be rendered on CTS financial statements, and Grant
Thornton did not provide a written report or oral advice to CTS
which Grant Thornton concluded was an important factor
considered by CTS in reaching a decision as to the accounting,
auditing or financial reporting issue, or (ii) any matter
that was either the subject of a disagreement, as that term is
defined in Item 304(a)(1)(iv) or
Regulation S-K and
the related instructions to Item 304 of
Regulation S-K, or
a reportable event, as that term is defined in
Item 304(a)(1)(v) of
Regulation S-K.
Grant Thornton representatives will attend the Annual Meeting to
be available to respond to appropriate questions by shareholders
and to have the opportunity to make statements, if they desire.
The following table presents fees for professional audit
services and other services provided by Grant Thornton and
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP to CTS for the year ended
December 31, 2005 and by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP for the
year ended December 31, 2004.
The Audit Committees policy is to pre-approve all audit
and non-audit services provided by the independent registered
public accounting firm. The Audit Committee annually reviews
audit and non-audit services proposed to be rendered by Grant
Thornton during the fiscal year. The Audit Committee has
delegated authority to the Audit Committee Chairman to grant
pre-approval of services by the independent registered public
accounting firm, provided that the Chairman reports on any such
pre-approval decisions at the next scheduled meeting of the
Audit Committee. None of the services rendered by Grant Thornton
or PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP were approved by the Audit
Committee after the services were rendered
18
pursuant to the de minimis exception established under the rules
of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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Audit-Related | |
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All Other | |
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Audit Fees(1) | |
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Fees(2) | |
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Tax Fees(3) | |
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Fees(4) | |
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2005
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$ |
1,045,191 |
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$ |
201,123 |
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$ |
225,282 |
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$ |
1,743 |
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2004
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$ |
1,239,000 |
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$ |
68,511 |
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$ |
217,038 |
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$ |
2,559 |
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(1) |
For 2005, Audit Fees consist of $117,306 billed by
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP for Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404
services and audit services and $927,885 billed by Grant
Thornton for Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404 services and audit
services. For 2004, audit fees consist of $498,000 billed by
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP for services related to compliance
with Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404 and $741,000 billed by
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP for audit services. |
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(2) |
Grant Thornton did not bill CTS for any audit-related services
in 2005. For 2005, Audit-Related Fees consist of $47,392 for
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLPs audit of CTS employee
benefit plans, $80,500 for fees related to the SMTEK
acquisition, $50,000 for services related to CTS
convertible debt offering, $20,000 for review of a current
report on form 8-K
and audit transition services and $3,231 for services related to
a Thai Board of Investments certification. For 2004,
audit-related fees consist of $68,511 for services related to
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLPs audit of CTS employee
benefit plans. |
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(3) |
Tax Fees consist of fees for domestic and international tax
services such as tax compliance, tax planning and tax advice.
Grant Thornton did not bill CTS for any tax services in 2005.
For 2005 and 2004, these include fees billed by
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP for services related to the
reorganization of CTS subsidiary structure, services
related to tax returns and applications for determination of
plan qualification status, and advice regarding transfer pricing
and other tax issues. |
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(4) |
All Other Fees consist of fees for routine, permissible
non-audit services that the Audit Committee has determined do
not impair the independence of the auditor. Grant Thornton did
not bill CTS for any non-audit services in 2005. For 2005 and
2004, these include PricewaterhouseCoopers LLPs fees for
research related services. |
COMPENSATION COMMITTEE INTERLOCKS
AND INSIDER PARTICIPATION
Directors Cody, Hemminghaus, Profusek and Vincent served as
members of the Compensation Committee during 2005.
Mr. Profusek is a partner in Jones Day, a law firm which
CTS has retained for specific legal services on a case-by-case
basis for over ten years. During 2005, no executive officer of
CTS served as a director of any other entity for which any CTS
director was an executive officer. Each member of the
Compensation Committee is an independent director under the New
York Stock Exchange Corporate Governance Listing Standards and
the CTS Corporation Corporate Governance Guidelines.
REPORT OF THE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE
The Committees Responsibilities: The Compensation
Committee of the Board has responsibility for setting and
administering CTS executive compensation policies. The
Committee is composed entirely of independent directors. Reports
of the Committees actions and decisions are presented to
the full Board. The Committee approves senior executive
compensation and makes recommendations to the full Board
concerning CEO compensation, which is subject to approval by the
full Board. The purpose of this report is to summarize the
principles, specific program objectives and other factors
considered by the Committee in making determinations and
recommendations regarding executive compensation.
19
Compensation Philosophy: The Committee has implemented
executive compensation programs which are intended to:
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Encourage strong financial and operational performance of CTS; |
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Link compensation to the interests of shareholders; |
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Emphasize performance-based compensation; |
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Provide a competitive level of total compensation necessary to
attract and retain talented and experienced executives. |
Compensation Methodology: The Committee believes that
CTS executive compensation programs reflect this
philosophy and provide executives with strong incentives to
maximize CTS performance and enhance shareholder value.
The executive compensation programs consist of both annual and
long-term components and include performance-based and
equity-based components. Historically, the Committee has
reviewed market data and assesses CTS competitive position
in the area of executive compensation. CTS also retains
independent compensation and benefits consultants to assist in
evaluating executive compensation programs. The Committee uses
an independent consultant to provide additional assurance that
CTS executive compensation programs are reasonable and
appropriate.
Components of Compensation:
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Base Salary: Annual base salary is designed to compensate CTS
executives for their qualifications, responsibilities and
performance. The Committees objective is to compensate
executives at approximately the fiftieth percentile of base
salaries paid for similar positions at similarly situated
companies. |
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Annual Incentives: CTS has maintained an annual management
incentive plan for a number of years which provides cash
compensation incentives based on the financial performance of
CTS. The Committee establishes the performance measures and
approves the payouts under the plan for each executive officer.
Under the 2005 Management Incentive Plan, the committee
established specific financial objectives based on CTS
Earnings Per Share (EPS) and/or the contribution to EPS of
specific business units. For 2005, CTS achieved an established
EPS target and certain business units achieved their established
contribution to EPS targets. Each of the executive officers
qualified for a bonus under the terms of the 2005 Management
Incentive Plan. |
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Long-Term, Stock-Based Compensation: CTS historically used two
forms of long-term, stock-based incentives, restricted stock
grants with an associated cash bonus and stock options, under
shareholder- approved plans. Since 2004, CTS has used restricted
stock unit grants under the shareholder-approved
CTS Corporation Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan in place
of restricted stock and cash bonus. CTS has continued to grant
stock options under the 2004 Omnibus Plan on a more limited
basis. The Committee believes that stock ownership and
stock-based compensation are valuable tools for motivating
employees to improve the long-term performance of CTS. The
Committee also believes that they are the best way to tie a
significant amount of an executives potential income to
enhanced shareholder value. CTS stock compensation plans
have change of control provisions under which, upon a change of
control of CTS, benefits thereunder accelerate and vest
immediately. |
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The Committee has generally awarded stock options which provide
for a purchase price equal to market value of the stock on the
date of the grant and which vest over a four-year period. During
2005, the Committee granted options for a total of
109,700 shares to the Named Executive Officers, as
described in the chart entitled Option Grants in Last Fiscal
Year on page 16 of this proxy statement. During 2005, the
Committee granted a total of 133,000 restricted stock units to
Named Executive Officers, as described in the Summary
Compensation Table on page 13 of this proxy statement.
Restricted stock unit awards distribute to the recipient one
share of CTS common stock |
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for each unit upon vesting. Most of these awards vest in
installments over five years. To recognize significant
individual contributions, the Committee may grant individual
awards using alternative vesting schedules or distribution
options. |
Compensation for the Chief Executive Officer
(CEO): The Committee annually reviews the
CEOs compensation. The Committee strives to establish the
midpoint of the base salary for the CEO at approximately the
fiftieth percentile of CEO base salaries paid by similarly
situated companies. In September 2001, Donald K.
Schwanz entered into an employment agreement to serve as Chief
Executive Officer of CTS, the terms of which are summarized on
pages 14 and 15 of this proxy statement. At that time, use
of CEO comparative compensation data supplied by Towers Perrin
led to the establishment of Mr. Schwanzs base salary
at $630,000. The Committee annually reviews
Mr. Schwanzs base salary. In 2002, the Committee made
no adjustment to Mr. Schwanzs base salary. The
Committee increased Mr. Schwanz annual base salary to
$670,000 in 2003 and to $713,600 in 2004. In 2005, the Committee
increased Mr. Schwanzs annual base salary by 5%, to
$749,280. CTS annual management incentive plan provides
cash bonuses based on the financial performance of CTS.
Mr. Schwanz received a bonus of $364,270 for fiscal year
2005 under the 2005 Management Incentive Plan. In determining
long-term, stock-based compensation, the Committee considers
CTS financial performance and relative shareholder return,
the value of similar awards to CEOs at comparable companies and
the awards given to the CEO in past years. In order to align
Mr. Schwanzs compensation with the success of the
SMTEK acquisition, the Committee increased the share of his
total compensation comprised by stock-based compensation. In
2005, Mr. Schwanz received stock options on
50,000 shares and a grant of 45,000 restricted stock units.
Deductibility of Certain Executive Compensation: Federal
income tax law caps at $1,000,000 the deductible compensation
per year for each of the Named Executive Officers in the proxy
statement, subject to certain exceptions. In developing and
implementing executive compensation policies and programs, the
Compensation Committee considers whether particular payments and
awards are deductible for federal income tax purposes, along
with other relevant factors. Consistent with this policy, the
Committee has taken what it believes to be appropriate steps to
maximize the deductibility of executive compensation. While it
is the general intention of the Committee to meet the
requirements for deductibility, the Committee may approve
payment of non-deductible compensation from time to time if
circumstances warrant. The Committee will continue to review and
monitor its policy with respect to the deductibility of
compensation.
CTS CORPORATION 2005 COMPENSATION COMMITTEE
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Thomas G. Cody, Chairman |
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Robert A. Profusek |
Roger R. Hemminghaus |
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Patricia K. Vincent |
21
STOCK PERFORMANCE GRAPH
Comparison of Five-Year Cumulative Return
The following graph compares the cumulative total shareholder
return on CTS common stock with the Standard &
Poors 500 Stock Index and the Standard &
Poors 500 Information Technology Stock Index for the years
2001 through 2005. The graph assumes that $100 was invested on
December 31, 2000 in each of CTS common stock, the S&P
500 Stock Index and the S&P 500 Information Technology Stock
Index.
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INDEXED RETURNS | |
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Base | |
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Year Ending | |
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Company/Index |
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2000 | |
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2001 | |
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2002 | |
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2003 | |
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2004 | |
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2005 | |
CTS CORP
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100 |
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43.94 |
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21.73 |
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32.66 |
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38.10 |
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32.03 |
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S&P 500 INDEX
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100 |
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88.11 |
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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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S&P 500 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
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100 |
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74.13 |
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46.40 |
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68.31 |
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70.06 |
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70.75 |
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2005 Annual Report on
Form 10-K
Upon receipt of the written request of a CTS shareholder owning
shares of common stock on the Record Date addressed to Richard
G. Cutter, Secretary of CTS Corporation, 905 West
Boulevard North, Elkhart, Indiana 46514, CTS will provide to
such shareholder, without charge, a copy of its 2005 Annual
Report on
Form 10-K,
including the financial statements and financial statement
schedule. The report is also available on CTS website at
http://www.ctscorp.com.
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By Order of the Board of Directors, |
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Richard G. Cutter |
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Secretary |
Elkhart, Indiana
March 30, 2006
22
Exhibit A
CTS CORPORATION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
AUDIT COMMITTEE CHARTER
PURPOSE:
The purposes of the Audit Committee are to (a) assist the
Board of Directors in fulfilling the Boards oversight
responsibilities with respect to (i) the integrity of the
Companys financial statements, (ii) the
Companys compliance with legal and regulatory
requirements, (iii) the independent auditors
qualifications and independence, and (iv) the performance
of the independent auditors and the Companys internal
audit function; and (b) oversee the preparation of the
Committees report, made pursuant to the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (the Exchange Act), to be
included in the Companys annual proxy statement (the
Audit Committee Report).
COMPOSITION:
The Committee shall be solely comprised of a minimum of three
(3) and a maximum of five (5) independent members of
the Board whose qualifications shall be as follows:
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1) Each Committee member shall meet the independence
criteria of (a) the rules of the New York Stock Exchange,
Inc., as such requirements are interpreted by the Board in its
business judgment and (b) Section 301 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the Act) and any rules
promulgated thereunder by the Securities and Exchange Commission
(SEC). |
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2) Each Committee member shall be financially literate or
shall become financially literate within a reasonable period of
time after his or her appointment to the Committee.
Additionally, at least one member of the Committee shall have
accounting or related financial management expertise and shall
meet the criteria of a financial expert within the meaning of
Section 407 of the Act and any rules promulgated thereunder
by the SEC. The Board shall determine, in its business judgment
and upon the recommendation of the Nominating and Governance
Committee, whether a member is financially literate and whether
at least one member has the requisite accounting or financial
expertise and meets the financial expert criteria. |
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3) Each Committee member shall only receive, as
compensation from the Company, directors fees (which
includes all forms of compensation paid to directors of the
Company for service as a director or member of a Board
Committee). |
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4) Each Committee member shall serve on no more than two
audit committees of public companies unless the Board of
Directors has made an affirmative determination that such
service would not detract from that Committee members
ability to give adequate time to the Committee. |
The Board shall appoint the members and the Chairman of the
Committee based on nominations made by the Companys
Nominating and Governance Committee. Committee members shall
serve at the pleasure of the Board and for such term or terms as
the Board may determine.
RESPONSIBILITIES AND AUTHORITY:
1) Retain Independent Auditors: Have the sole
authority to (a) retain and terminate the Companys
independent auditors (b) approve all audit engagement fees,
terms and services, and (c) approve all non-audit
engagements with the Companys independent auditors. Such
authority shall be exercised in a manner consistent with the
provisions of the Act. The Chairman of the Committee shall have
authority to grant any pre-approvals required by the Act,
subject to the Chairman reporting any such pre-approvals to the
Committee at its next scheduled meeting.
2) Review Auditors Quality Control: At least
annually, obtain and review reports concerning all
communications required by the Act and the rules of the New York
Stock Exchange.
3) Review Independence of Auditors: In connection
with the retention of the Companys independent auditors,
at least annually review the information provided by management
and the auditors relating to the independence of the audit firm,
including, among other things, information related to the
non-audit services provided and expected to be provided by the
auditors. The Committee is responsible for (a) ensuring
that the independent auditors submit at least annually to the
Committee a formal written statement delineating all
relationships between the auditors and the Company consistent
with Independence Standards Board Standard No. 1,
(b) actively engaging in a dialogue with the auditors with
respect to any disclosed relationship or services that may
impact the objectivity and independence of the auditors and
(c) taking appropriate action in response to the
auditors report to satisfy itself of the auditors
independence. In connection with the Committees evaluation
of the auditors independence, the Committee shall also
review and evaluate the lead partner of the independent auditors
and take such steps as may be required by law with respect to
the regular rotation of the lead audit partner and the reviewing
audit partner of the independent auditors.
4) Set Hiring Policies: Set hiring policies for
employees or former employees of the independent auditors which
shall include the restrictions set forth in the Act.
5) Review Audit Plan: Review with the independent
auditors its plans for, and the scope of its annual audit, and
other examinations.
6) Conduct of Audit: Discuss with the independent
auditors the matters required to be discussed by Statement on
Auditing Standards No. 61 (as amended) relating to the
conduct of the audit, as well as any audit problems or
difficulties and managements response, including
(a) any restriction on audit scope or on access to
requested information, (b) any disagreements with
management and (c) significant issues discussed with the
independent auditors national office. Unresolved
disagreements between management and the independent auditors
regarding financial reporting shall be decided by the Committee.
7) Discuss Financial Statements: Discuss with
appropriate officers of the Company and the independent auditors
the annual audited and quarterly financial statements of the
Company, including (a) the Companys disclosures under
Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial
Condition and Results of Operations, and (b) the
disclosures regarding internal controls and other matters
required to be reported to the Committee by the Act and any
rules promulgated thereunder by the SEC.
8) Discuss Earnings Press Releases: Discuss earnings
press releases, as well as financial information and earnings
guidance provided to analysts and rating agencies (including any
use of pro forma or adjusted non-GAAP
information).
9) Review Internal Audit Plans: Review internal
audit plans for and the scope of ongoing audit activities.
10) Review Internal Audit Reports: Review the annual
report of the audit activities, examinations and results thereof
of the internal auditing department.
11) Review Systems of Internal Accounting Controls:
Review the adequacy of the Companys internal accounting
controls, the Companys auditing organization and
personnel, and the Companys policies and compliance
procedures with respect to business practices which shall
include the disclosures regarding internal controls and matters
required to be reported to the Committee by the Act and any
rules promulgated hereunder by the SEC.
12) Review Recommendations of Independent Auditors:
Review with the senior internal auditing executive and the
appropriate members of management recommendations made by the
independent auditors and the senior internal auditing executive,
as well as such other matters, if any, as such persons or other
officers of the Company may desire to bring to the attention of
the Committee.
13) Review Audit Results: Review with the
independent auditors (A) the report of their annual audit,
or proposed report of their annual audit, (B) the
accompanying management letter, if any, (C) the reports of
their reviews of the Companys interim financial statements
conducted in accordance with Statement on Auditing Standards
No. 71, and (D) the reports of the results of such
other examinations outside of the course of the independent
auditors normal audit procedures that the independent
auditors may from time
to time undertake. The foregoing shall include the reports
required by the Act and, as appropriate, (a) a review of
major issues regarding (i) accounting principles and
financial statement presentations, including any significant
changes in the Companys selection or application of
accounting principles and (ii) the adequacy of the
Companys internal controls and any special audit steps
adopted in light of material control deficiencies, (b) a
review of analyses prepared by management and/or the independent
auditors setting forth significant financial reporting issues
and judgments made in connection with the preparation of the
financial statements, including analyses of the effects of
alternative GAAP methods on the financial statements and
(c) a review of the effect of regulatory and accounting
initiatives, as well as off-balance sheet structures, on the
financial statements of the Company.
14) Exchange Act: Obtain from the independent
auditors assurance that they will inform Company management
concerning any information indicating that an illegal act has or
may have occurred that could have a material effect on the
Companys financial statements and insure that such
information has been communicated by management to the Audit
Committee.
15) Review Risk Management Policies: Review policies
and procedures with respect to risk assessment and risk
management to oversee the internal controls utilized by
management in handling the Companys exposure to risk. The
Committee should discuss the Companys major financial risk
exposures and the steps management has taken to monitor and
control these exposures.
16) Obtain Reports Regarding Conformity With Legal
Requirements and the Companys Code of Ethics: Review
with management, the general counsel, the Companys senior
internal auditing executive and the independent auditor that the
Company and its subsidiary/foreign affiliated entities are in
conformity with applicable legal requirements and the
Companys Code of Ethics. Advise the Board with respect to
the Companys policies and procedures regarding compliance
with applicable laws and regulations and with the Companys
Code of Ethics. Establish procedures for the receipt, retention,
and treatment of complaints received by the Company regarding
accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing matters and
procedures for the confidential, anonymous submission by
employees of concerns regarding questionable accounting or
auditing matters.
17) Discuss With General Counsel Matters Regarding
Financial Statements or Compliance Policies: Discuss with
the Companys General Counsel legal matters that may have a
material impact on the financial statements or the
Companys compliance policies.
18) Review Other Matters: Review such other matters
in relation to the accounting, auditing and financial reporting
practices and procedures of the Company as the Committee may, in
its own discretion, deem desirable in connection with the review
functions described above.
19) Board Reports: Report its activities regularly
to the Board in such manner and at such times as the Committee
and the Board deem appropriate, but in no event less than once a
year. Such report shall include the Committees conclusions
with respect to its evaluation of the independent auditors.
MEETINGS OF THE COMMITTEE:
The Committee shall meet in person or telephonically at least
quarterly, or more frequently as it may determine necessary, to
comply with its responsibilities as set forth herein. The
Chairman of the Committee shall, in consultation with the other
members of the Committee, the Companys independent
auditors and the appropriate officers of the Company, be
responsible for calling meetings of the Committee, establishing
agenda therefor and supervising the conduct thereof. The
Committee may also take any action permitted hereunder by
unanimous written consent.
The Committee may request any officer or employee of the Company
or the Companys outside legal counsel or independent
auditors to attend a meeting of the Committee or to meet with
any members of, or consultants to, the Committee. It is expected
that the Committee shall routinely work with and through
management to fulfil its roles and responsibilities except as
required or prohibited by law. However, the Committee shall meet
periodically in separate private sessions with management, the
independent auditors, and the internal auditors to discuss such
matters as either party deems appropriate. Additionally, the
Committee may elect to meet in separate private session with any
other party they deem appropriate for private discussions.
RESOURCES AND AUTHORITY OF THE COMMITTEE:
The Committee shall have the resources and authority appropriate
to discharge its responsibilities and carry out its duties as
required by law, including the authority to engage outside
auditors for special audits, reviews and other procedures and to
engage independent counsel and other advisors, experts or
consultants. The Audit Committee may also, to the extent it
deems necessary or appropriate, meet with the Companys
investment bankers or financial analysts who follow the Company.
AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT:
The Committee shall prepare, with the assistance of management,
the independent auditors and outside resources (as deemed
necessary), the Audit Committee Report.
ANNUAL REVIEW OF CHARTER:
The Committee shall conduct and review with the Board annually
an evaluation of this Charter and recommend any changes to the
Board. The Charter evaluation shall be conducted by the
Committee in such manner as the Committee, in its business
judgment, deems appropriate.
ANNUAL PERFORMANCE EVALUATION:
The Committee shall conduct and review with the Board annually
an evaluation of the Committees performance with respect
to the requirements of this Charter. This evaluation shall also
set forth the goals and objectives of the Committee for the
upcoming year. The performance evaluation shall be conducted by
the Committee in such manner as the Committee, in its business
judgment, deems appropriate.
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CTS CORPORATION |
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c/o National City Bank
Corporate Trust Operations
Locator 5352
P. O. Box 92301
Cleveland, OH 44101-4301
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Proxy card must be signed and dated below.
ò Please fold and detach card at perforation before mailing. ò
CTS CORPORATION
THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
FOR THE ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS ON MAY 3, 2006.
The undersigned, having received the Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders and the Proxy
Statement hereby appoints Donald K. Schwanz and Richard G. Cutter as proxies, each with the power
to appoint his substitute, and hereby authorizes them to represent and to vote, as designated on
the reverse, all shares of Common Stock of CTS Corporation held of record by the undersigned on
March 17, 2006, at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders originally convened on May 3, 2006 and at any
adjournment thereof.
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Signature |
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Signature (if held jointly) |
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Please sign exactly as shown
hereon. When shares are held by
joint tenants, both must sign. When
signing as attorney, executor,
administrator, trustee or guardian,
please give full title as such. If
a corporation, please sign in full
corporate name by president or other
authorized officer. If partnership,
please sign in partnership name by
authorized person.
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Dated:
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2006. |
PLEASE DATE, SIGN AND RETURN THE PROXY CARD PROMPTLY, USING THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE.
YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT
Please sign and date this proxy card and return it promptly in the enclosed
postage-paid envelope, or otherwise to National City Bank, P.O. Box 535300,
Pittsburgh, PA 15230, so that your shares may be represented at the Annual Meeting.
òPlease
fold and detach card at perforation before mailing. ò
This Proxy, when properly executed, will be voted in the manner directed herein. If not
otherwise marked, this Proxy will be voted FOR the election of all nominees listed below.
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE FOR ALL NOMINEES LISTED BELOW.
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1. |
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ELECTION OF
DIRECTORS |
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Nominees: |
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W. S. Catlow
L. J. Ciancia
T. G. Cody
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G. H. Frieling, Jr.
R. R. Hemminghaus
M. A. Henning
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R. A. Profusek
D. K. Schwanz
P. K. Vicent |
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q FOR all nominees listed above |
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q WITHHOLD AUTHORITY to vote |
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(except as marked to the contrary below) |
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for all nominees listed above. |
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To withhold authority to vote for any individual nominee, write that nominees name below: |
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2. |
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In their discretion, the Proxies are authorized to vote upon such other business as may
properly come before the meeting, or any adjournment thereof. |
IMPORTANTTHIS PROXY MUST BE SIGNED AND DATED ON THE REVERSE SIDE