Benefit Plans

401(k) Savings Plan: The Company’s 401(k) Retirement Plan covers all eligible U.S. employees. The Company matches employee contributions up to 4.0 percent of eligible earnings. The Company’s contributions for fiscal 2015, 2014 and 2013 totaled $8.2 million, $7.2 million and $6.6 million, respectively.

Stock-based Compensation Plans: The Plexus Corp. 2008 Long-Term Incentive Plan (the “2008 Plan”) is a stock-based, shareholder-approved incentive plan for officers, key employees and directors. The 2008 Plan includes provisions by which the Company may grant stock-based awards, including stock options, stock appreciation rights ("SARs"), restricted stock, restricted stock units (“RSUs”), unrestricted stock awards and performance stock awards (including awards that may be designated as performance stock units ("PSUs")), in addition to cash incentive awards, to directors, executive officers and other officers and key employees. The maximum number of shares of Plexus common stock which may be issued pursuant to the 2008 Plan is 5.5 million shares; in addition, cash incentive awards of up to $4.0 million per employee may be granted annually. The exercise price of each stock option and SAR granted must not be less than the fair market value on the date of grant. The Compensation and Leadership Development Committee (the “Committee”) of the Board of Directors may establish a term and vesting period for awards under the 2008 Plan as well as accelerate the vesting of such awards. Generally, stock options vest in two annual installments and have a term of ten years. SARs vest in two annual installments and have a term of seven years. RSUs granted to executive officers, other officers and key employees fully vest on the third anniversary of the grant date (assuming continued employment), which is also the date as of which the underlying shares will be issued. Vesting of PSUs is dependent on the relative performance of the Company's stock price as compared to the companies in the Russell 3000 Index in the three-year performance period. The Committee also grants RSUs to non-employee directors, which generally fully vest on the first anniversary of the grant date, which is also the date the underlying shares are issued (unless further deferred). Options issued to the members of the Board of Directors in fiscal 2013 vested immediately on the date of grant.

The 2008 Plan replaced the shareholder-approved 2005 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2005 Plan”). Outstanding awards under the 2005 Plan continue until exercise, expiration or forfeiture.

Individual stock option and SARs grants are determined annually, but granted on a quarterly basis. Grants of RSUs and PSUs are generally made only on an annual basis.

In fiscal 2015, the Company granted options to purchase 0.1 million shares of the Company’s common stock and 0.1 million stock-settled SARs. Additionally, the Company granted RSUs for 0.2 million shares of common stock and PSUs for 0.1 million shares (at target).

In fiscal 2014, the Company granted options to purchase 0.2 million shares of the Company’s common stock and 0.1 million stock-settled SARs. Additionally, the Company granted RSUs for 0.2 million shares of common stock and awards of PSUs for 0.1 million shares (at target).

In fiscal 2013, the Company granted options to purchase 0.4 million shares of the Company’s common stock and 0.1 million stock-settled SARs. Additionally, the Company granted RSUs for 0.3 million shares of common stock.

The Company recognized $13.3 million, $13.0 million and $11.8 million of compensation expense associated with share-based awards in fiscal 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively. No deferred tax benefits related to equity awards were recognized in fiscal 2015, 2014 or 2013.

A summary of the Company’s stock option and SAR activity follows:



	Number of Options/SARs (in thousands)		Weighted Average Exercise Price		Aggregate Intrinsic Value (in thousands)
Outstanding as of September 29, 2012	3,071		$	28.86
Granted	515		27.66
Canceled	(141	)	25.48
Exercised	(380	)	22.00
Outstanding as of September 28, 2013	3,065		$	29.27
Granted	318		41.39
Canceled	(105	)	32.44
Exercised	(1,008	)	27.41
Outstanding as of September 27, 2014	2,270		$	31.65
Granted	221		39.53
Canceled	(25	)	36.50
Exercised	(549	)	28.93
Outstanding as of October 3, 2015	1,917		$	33.27	$	11,191



	Number of Options/SARs (in thousands)	Weighted Average Exercise Price		Weighted Average Remaining Life (years)	Aggregate Intrinsic Value(in thousands)
Exercisable as of:
September 28, 2013	2,375	$	29.49
September 27, 2014	1,772	$	30.45
October 3, 2015	1,560	$	31.67	4.73	$	11,145

The following table summarizes outstanding stock option and SAR information as of October 3, 2015 (Options/SARs in thousands):



Range of Exercise Prices	Number of Options/SARs Outstanding (in thousands)	Weighted Average Exercise Price		Weighted Average Remaining Life (years)	Number of Options/SARs Exercisable (in thousands)	Weighted Average Exercise Price
$14.17 - $21.25	69	$	18.29	3.01	69	$	18.29
$21.26 - $31.89	843	$	27.38	5.05	843	$	27.38
$31.90 - $44.48	1,004	$	39.25	5.94	647	$	38.68
$14.17 - $44.48	1,917	$	33.27	5.42	1,560	$	31.67

The Company uses the Black-Scholes valuation model to value options and SARs. The Company used its historical stock prices as the basis for its volatility assumptions. The assumed risk-free rates were based on U.S. Treasury rates in effect at the time of grant with a term consistent with the expected option and SAR lives. The expected options and SARs lives represent the period of time that the options and SARs granted are expected to be outstanding and were based on historical experience.

The weighted average fair value per share of options and SARs granted for fiscal 2015, 2014 and 2013 were $14.55, $15.78 and $11.88, respectively. The fair value of each option and SAR grant was estimated at the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model based on the assumption ranges below:



	2015	2014	2013
Expected life (years)	4.50 - 5.70	4.50 - 5.00	4.40 - 5.00
Risk-free interest rate	1.52 - 1.64%	1.24 - 1.86%	0.57 - 2.71%
Expected volatility	37 - 38%	38 - 47%	45 - 51%
Dividend yield	—	—	—

The fair value of options and SARs vested for fiscal 2015, 2014 and 2013 was $5.5 million, $6.1 million and $7.3 million, respectively.

For fiscal 2015, 2014 and 2013, the total intrinsic value of options and SARs exercised was $7.7 million, $13.5 million and $4.3 million, respectively.

As of October 3, 2015, there was $3.4 million of unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested options and SARs that is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 1.9 years.

A summary of the Company’s PSU and RSU activity follows:



	Number of Shares (in thousands)		Weighted Average Fair Value at Date of Grant		Aggregate Intrinsic Value (in thousands)
Units outstanding as of September 29, 2012	466		$	31.78
Granted	329		26.16
Canceled	(47	)	31.26
Vested	(94	)	26.59
Units outstanding as of September 28, 2013	654		$	29.73
Granted	302		40.76
Canceled	(92	)	31.89
Vested	(134	)	41.06
Units outstanding as of September 27, 2014	730		$	31.97
Granted	325		41.46
Canceled	(43	)	35.15
Vested	(216	)	37.52
Units outstanding as of October 3, 2015	796		$	38.18	$	30,231

The Company uses the fair value at the date of grant to value RSUs. As of October 3, 2015, there was $12.2 million of unrecognized compensation cost related to RSUs that is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 1.6 years.

The Company uses the Monte Carlo valuation model to determine the fair value of PSUs at the date of grant. The PSUs are payable in shares and vest based on the relative total shareholder return of the Company's common stock as compared to the Russell 3000 Index over a three year performance period. The number of shares that may be issued pursuant to PSUs ranges from zero to 0.2 million. The Company recognizes stock-based compensation expense over the PSUs’ vesting period. No PSUs vested during the fiscal year ended October 3, 2015. There were 0.1 million PSUs granted during both fiscal 2015 and 2014, and no PSUs were granted during fiscal 2013.

As of October 3, 2015, there was $2.8 million of unrecognized compensation cost related to PSUs that is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 2.0 years.

Deferred Compensation Arrangements: The Company has agreements with certain former executive officers to provide nonqualified deferred compensation. Under these agreements, the Company agrees to pay these former executives, or their designated beneficiaries upon such executives’ deaths, certain amounts annually for the first 15 years subsequent to their retirement. As of October 3, 2015 and September 27, 2014, the related deferred compensation liability associated with these arrangements totaled $1.3 million and $2.0 million, respectively.

The Company maintains investments in a trust account to fund required payments under the deferred compensation plan. As of October 3, 2015 and September 27, 2014, the total value of the assets held by the trust totaled $8.9 million and $8.5 million, respectively, and were recorded at fair value on a recurring basis. These assets were classified as Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy discussed in Note 1, "Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies." During fiscal 2015, 2014 and 2013, the Company made payments to the participants in the amount of $0.9 million, $0.8 million and $0.8 million, respectively.

Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan: The Company also maintains a supplemental executive retirement plan (the “SERP”) as an additional deferred compensation plan for executive officers. Under the SERP, a covered executive may elect to defer some or all of the participant’s compensation into the plan, and the Company may credit the participant’s account with a discretionary employer contribution. Participants are entitled to payment of deferred amounts and any related earnings upon termination or retirement from Plexus.

The SERP operates under a rabbi trust arrangement (the “Trust”). The Trust allows investment of deferred compensation held on behalf of the participants into individual accounts and, within these accounts, into one or more designated investments. Investment choices do not include Plexus stock. During fiscal 2015, 2014 and 2013, the Company made contributions to the participants’ SERP accounts in the amount of $0.5 million, $0.7 million and $0.4 million, respectively.

As of October 3, 2015 and September 27, 2014, the SERP assets held in the Trust totaled $8.3 million and $10.9 million, respectively, and the related liability to the participants totaled approximately $6.9 million and $6.6 million as of October 3, 2015 and September 27, 2014, respectively. As of October 3, 2015 and September 27, 2014, the SERP assets held in the Trust were recorded at fair value on a recurring basis, and were classified as Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy discussed in Note 1, "Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies."

The Trust assets are subject to the claims of the Company’s creditors. The deferred compensation and Trust assets and the related liabilities to the participants are included in non-current “Other assets” and non-current “Other liabilities,” respectively, in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Other: The Company currently does not, and is not obligated to, provide any postretirement medical or life insurance benefits to employees.