Stock-Based Compensation

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2023

Share-Based Payment Arrangement [Abstract]

We have the following stock-based compensation plans:

Restricted Stock Units

In February 2014, our stockholders approved and adopted at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders the 2014 Equity Incentive Plan (the 2014 Plan), which replaced our 2006 Equity Compensation Plan (2006 Plan). Persons eligible to receive awards under the 2014 Plan include our officers and employees. The 2014 Plan authorizes stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units (RSUs) and performance-based awards, as well as certain other awards. On February 15, 2023, at the 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, our stockholders approved an amendment to the 2014 Plan that extended the term of the 2014 Plan by five years and increased the number of shares of common stock that may be issued under the plan by 600,000 shares for a total of 1,350,000 shares.

In accordance with the 2014 Plan, the Compensation Committee has authorized grants of RSUs to certain officers and key employees of the Company. The fair value of the RSUs is based on the price of our common stock as reported on the NASDAQ Global Market on the grant dates. Typically, these grants vest over a three-year period from the date of issuance and are a blend of time-based and performance-based shares. Fifty percent of the grant is time-based and vests over a three-year period on each anniversary of the grant date, based on continued employment. The remaining fifty percent of the grant is earned based on the three-year earnings and safety performance of the Company following the grant date. At September 30, 2023, there were 292,497 RSUs outstanding. The RSUs do not have voting rights but do receive dividend equivalents upon vesting which are accrued quarterly. Additionally, the shares of common stock underlying the RSUs are not considered issued and outstanding until vested and common stock is issued.

Total RSU activity (number of shares) for the past fiscal year is summarized below:


	Number of Restricted Stock Units	Weighted Average Grant Value Per Share
Outstanding at September 30, 2022	239,862	$	26.11
Granted	147,100	21.26
Vested	(79,004)	29.24
Forfeited/cancelled	(15,461)	37.91
Outstanding at September 30, 2023	292,497	$	22.90

Restricted Stock

In February 2022, our stockholders approved an amendment to the 2014 Non-Employee Director Equity Incentive Plan (the 2014 Director Plan) that extended the term of the 2014 Director Plan by ten years and increased the number of shares of common stock that may be issued under the 2014 Director Plan by 200,000 shares for a total of 350,000 shares. The plan is administered by the Compensation Committee. Eligibility to participate in the plan is limited to those individuals who are members of the Board of Directors of the Company and who are not employees of the Company or any affiliate of the Company.

Under the terms of the 2014 Director Plan, the maximum number of shares that may be granted during any calendar year to any individual is 12,000 shares. The total number of shares that may be issued for awards to any single participant during a calendar year for other stock-based awards (excluding stock options and stock appreciation rights) is 4,000 shares. The Compensation Committee has determined that each non-employee director will receive 2,400 restricted shares of the Company’s common stock annually. Fifty percent of the restricted stock granted to each of our non-employee directors vests immediately, while the remaining fifty percent vests on the anniversary of the grant date. Compensation expense is recognized immediately for the first fifty percent of the restricted stock granted, while compensation expense for the remaining fifty percent is recognized over the remaining vesting period.

Under this 2014 Director Plan, in February 2023, 16,800 shares of restricted stock were issued to our non-employee directors at a price of $43.22 per share. In February 2022, we issued 16,800 shares of restricted stock to our non-employee directors at a price of $23.09 per share. The total number of shares of common stock available for future awards under the 2014 Director plan was 190,600 shares as of September 30, 2023. At September 30, 2023 and 2022, there were 8,400 shares and 7,200 shares, respectively, of unvested restricted stock outstanding.

Compensation Expense

Total compensation expense related to restricted stock grants under all plans was $0.6 million, $0.4 million and $0.5 million for the years ended September 30, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Total compensation expense related to RSUs under all plans was $4.0 million, $3.7 million and $2.0 million for the years ended September 30, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

We record the amortization of non-vested restricted stock and restricted stock units as an increase to additional paid-in capital. As of September 30, 2023 and 2022, amounts of deferred compensation expense not yet recognized related to non-vested stock and RSUs totaled $1.4 million and $1.2 million, respectively. As of September 30, 2023, the total weighted average remaining contractual life of our non-vested restricted stock and RSUs is approximately six months and 1.5 years, respectively.