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Unit Based Awards - Long-Term Incentive Plans
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Share-Based Payment Arrangement [Abstract]  
Unit Based Awards - Long-Term Incentive Plans UNIT BASED AWARDS - LONG-TERM INCENTIVE PLANS
The Partnership recognizes compensation cost related to unit-based awards to both employees and non-employees in its consolidated and condensed financial statements in accordance with certain provisions of ASC 718. Amounts recognized in operating expense and selling, general, and administrative expense in the consolidated and condensed financial statements with respect to these plans are as follows:
Three Months Ended September 30,Nine Months Ended September 30,
2024202320242023
Restricted unit Awards
Employees$— $— $— $— 
Non-employee directors42 37 145 127 
Phantom unit Awards
Employees1,619 484 2,839 (691)
Non-employee directors— — — — 
   Total unit-based compensation expense$1,661 $521 $2,984 $(564)
Long-Term Incentive Plans
    
      The Partnership's general partner has long-term incentive plans for employees and directors of the general partner and its affiliates who perform services for the Partnership.

Phantom Unit Plan

On July 21, 2021, the board of directors of the general partner of the Partnership and the compensation committee of the general partner's board of directors (the "Compensation Committee") approved the Martin Midstream Partners L.P. 2021 Phantom Unit Plan (the “Plan”), effective as of the same date. The Plan permits the awards of phantom units and phantom unit appreciation rights (collectively, "phantom unit awards") to any employee or non-employee director of the Partnership, including its executive officers. The awards may be time-based or performance-based and will be paid, if at all, in cash.

The award of a phantom unit entitles the participant to a cash payment equal to the value of the phantom unit on the vesting date or dates, which value is the fair market value of a common unit of the Partnership (a “Unit”) on such vesting date or dates. The award of a phantom unit appreciation right entitles the recipient to a cash payment equal to the difference between the value of a phantom unit on the vesting date or dates in excess of the value assigned by the Compensation Committee to the phantom unit as of the grant date. Phantom units and phantom unit appreciation rights granted to participants do not confer upon participants any right to a Unit.

On July 21, 2021, the Compensation Committee approved forms of time-based award agreements for phantom units and phantom unit appreciation rights, both of which awards vest in full on the third anniversary of the grant date. The grant date value of a phantom unit under a phantom unit appreciation right award is equal to the average of the closing price for a Unit during the 20 trading days immediately preceding the grant date of the award.

Generally, vesting of an award is subject to a participant remaining continuously employed with the Partnership through the vesting date. However, if prior to the vesting date (i) a participant is terminated without cause (as defined in the award agreement) or terminates employment after the participant has attained both the age of 65 and ten years of employment (“retirement-eligible”), a prorated portion of the award will vest and be paid in cash no later than the 30th day following such termination date (subject to a six-month delay in payment for certain retirement-eligible participants) or (ii) there is a change in control of the Partnership (as defined in the Plan), the award will vest in full and be paid in cash no later than the 30th day following the date of the change of control; provided, that the participant has been in continuous employment through the termination or change in control date, as applicable.

On July 21, 2021, 620,000 phantom units and 1,245,000 phantom unit appreciation rights were granted to employees of the general partner and its affiliates who perform services for the Partnership. On April 20, 2022, the board of directors of the general partner of the Partnership and the Compensation Committee approved the First Amendment to the Plan, effective as of the same date, which amendment increased the total number of phantom units available for grant under the Plan from 2,000,000 units to 5,000,000 units. On April 20, 2022, 365,000 phantom units and 1,097,500 phantom unit appreciation rights were granted to employees of the general partner and its affiliates who perform services for the Partnership. On July 19, 2023, 1,179,500 phantom units and 505,500 phantom unit appreciation rights were granted to employees of the general partner and its affiliates who perform services for the Partnership.

Phantom unit awards are recorded in operating expense and selling, general and administrative expense based on the fair value of the vested portion of the awards on the balance sheet date. The fair value of these awards is updated at each balance sheet date and changes in the fair value of the vested portions of the awards are recorded as increases or decreases to compensation expense within operating expense and selling, general and administrative expense in the Consolidated and Condensed Statements of Operations. All of the Partnership's outstanding phantom unit awards at September 30, 2024, met the criteria to be treated under liability classification in accordance with ASC 718, given that these awards will settle in cash on the vesting date.

Compensation expense for the phantom awards is based on the fair value of the units as of the balance sheet date as further discussed below, and such costs are recognized ratably over the service period of the awards. As the fair value of liability awards is required to be re-measured each period end, stock compensation expense amounts recognized in future
periods for these awards will vary. The estimated future cash payments of these awards are presented as liabilities within "Other current liabilities" and "Other long-term obligations" in the Consolidated and Condensed Balance Sheets. As of September 30, 2024, there was a total of $3,493 of unrecognized compensation costs related to non-vested phantom unit awards. These costs are expected to be recognized over a remaining life of 1.69 years.

The fair value of the phantom unit awards was estimated using a Monte Carlo valuation model as of the balance sheet date. The Monte Carlo valuation model is based on random projections of stock price paths and must be repeated numerous times to achieve a probabilistic assessment. Expected volatility was calculated based on the historical volatility of the Partnership’s common units as well as set of peer companies.
Restricted Unit Plan    

On May 26, 2017, the unitholders of the Partnership approved the Martin Midstream Partners L.P. 2017 Restricted Unit Plan (the "2017 LTIP"). The 2017 LTIP currently permits the grant of awards covering an aggregate of 3,000,000 common units, all of which can be awarded in the form of restricted units. The 2017 LTIP is administered by the Compensation Committee.
 A restricted unit is a unit that is granted to grantees with certain vesting restrictions, which may be time-based and/or performance-based. Once these restrictions lapse, the grantee is entitled to full ownership of the unit without restrictions. The Compensation Committee may determine to make grants under the 2017 LTIP containing such terms as the Compensation Committee shall determine under the 2017 LTIP. With respect to time-based restricted units ("TBRUs"), the Compensation Committee will determine the time period over which restricted units granted to employees and directors will vest. The Compensation Committee may also award a percentage of restricted units with vesting requirements based upon the achievement of specified pre-established performance targets ("Performance Based Restricted Units" or "PBRUs"). The performance targets may include, but are not limited to, the following: revenue and income measures, cash flow measures, net income before interest expense and income tax expense ("EBIT"), net income before interest expense, income tax expense, and depreciation and amortization ("EBITDA"), distribution coverage metrics, expense measures, liquidity measures, market measures, corporate sustainability metrics, and other measures related to acquisitions, dispositions, operational objectives and succession planning objectives. PBRUs are earned only upon our achievement of an objective performance measure for the performance period. PBRUs which vest are payable in common units.  Unvested units granted under the 2017 LTIP may or may not participate in cash distributions depending on the terms of each individual award agreement.

The restricted units issued to directors generally vest in equal annual installments over a four-year period. Restricted units issued to employees generally vest in equal annual installments over three years of service. All of the Partnership's outstanding restricted unit awards at September 30, 2024, met the criteria to be treated under equity classification.

In February 2024, the Partnership issued 28,760 TBRUs to each of the Partnership's three independent directors under the 2017 LTIP.  These restricted common units vest in equal installments of 7,190 units on January 24, 2025, 2026, 2027, and 2028.


    The restricted units are valued at their fair value at the date of grant, which is equal to the market value of common units on such date. A summary of the restricted unit activity for the nine months ended September 30, 2024, is provided below:
Number of UnitsWeighted Average Grant-Date Fair Value Per Unit
Non-vested, beginning of period141,390 $2.99 
Granted (TBRU)86,280 $2.26 
Vested(58,806)$2.86 
Forfeited— $— 
Non-Vested, end of period168,864 $2.65 
Aggregate intrinsic value, end of period$616 
    A summary of the restricted units’ aggregate intrinsic value (market value at vesting date) and fair value of units vested (market value at date of grant) during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, is provided below:
Three Months Ended September 30,Nine Months Ended September 30,
2024202320242023
Aggregate intrinsic value of units vested$— $— $46 $89 
Fair value of units vested— — 168 178 

    As of September 30, 2024, there was $335 of unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested restricted units. That cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.57 years.