UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 14A
(Rule 14a-101)
Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934
(Amendment No. )
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[ ] Definitive Proxy Statement
[ ] Definitive Additional Materials
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REX STORES CORPORATION |
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REX STORES
CORPORATION
2875 Needmore Road
Dayton, Ohio
45414
NOTICE OF ANNUAL
MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
To Be Held on June 9, 2010
The Annual Meeting of Shareholders of REX Stores Corporation will be held at the Dayton Racquet Club, Kettering Tower, 29th Floor, 40 N. Main Street, Dayton, Ohio on Wednesday, June 9, 2010, at 2:00 p.m., for the following purposes:
1. Election of seven members to the Board of Directors to serve until the next Annual Meeting of Shareholders and until their respective successors are elected and qualified.
2. Approval of a proposed amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation changing the name of the Company to REX American Resources Corporation.
3. Transaction of such other business as may properly come before the Annual Meeting or any adjournment thereof.
Only shareholders of record at the close of business on April 28, 2010 will be entitled to notice of and to vote at the Annual Meeting.
All shareholders are cordially invited to attend the Annual Meeting in person.
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By Order of the Board of Directors |
Dayton, Ohio
May 5, 2010
Important Notice Regarding the
Availability of Proxy Materials
for the Shareholders Meeting to be Held on June 9, 2010
The Proxy Statement, 2009 Annual
Report and other soliciting materials are
available at www.rextv.com by clicking on Investors and then clicking
on
the Corporate Governance 2009 Annual Report link.
WHETHER
OR NOT YOU PLAN TO ATTEND THE MEETING, PLEASE MARK, DATE, SIGN AND PROMPTLY
RETURN THE ENCLOSED PROXY IN THE ENVELOPE PROVIDED.
REX STORES
CORPORATION PROXY
STATEMENT Mailing Date GENERAL INFORMATION This Proxy Statement is furnished
in connection with the solicitation of proxies by the Board of Directors of REX Stores Corporation, a Delaware corporation
(REX or the Company), for use for the purposes set forth herein at our Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be
held on June 9, 2010 and any
adjournments thereof. All properly executed proxies will be voted as directed by the shareholder on the proxy card. If no direction
is given, proxies will be voted in accordance with the Board of Directors recommendations and, in the discretion of the proxy
holders, in the transaction of such other business as may
properly come before the Annual Meeting and any adjournments thereof. Any proxy may be revoked by a shareholder by delivering
written notice of revocation to the Company or in person at the Annual Meeting at any time prior to the voting thereof. We have one class of stock
outstanding, namely Common Stock, $.01 par value, of which there were shares
outstanding as of April 28, 2010. Only holders of Common Stock whose names appeared of record on the books of the Company at the
close of business on April 28, 2010 are entitled to notice of
and to vote at the Annual Meeting. Each shareholder is entitled to one vote per share. A majority of the outstanding
shares of Common Stock will constitute a quorum at the Annual Meeting. Abstentions and broker non-votes are counted for purposes of
determining the presence or absence of a quorum. Directors are elected by a plurality of the votes cast by the holders of Common
Stock at a
meeting at which a quorum is present. Abstentions and broker non-votes will not be counted toward a nominees achievement of a
plurality and thus will have no effect. A broker non-vote occurs when a broker submits a proxy with respect to shares held in a
fiduciary capacity (or street name) that indicates the
broker does not have discretionary authority to vote the shares on a particular matter. If you hold shares in street name,
you must vote by giving instructions to your broker or nominee. Without your instructions, your broker or nominee is permitted to use
its own discretion and vote your shares on certain routine matters but is not permitted to use discretion to vote on non-routine
matters, such
as item 1 and item 2 in the Notice of Annual Meeting. Prior to 2010, the election of directors was considered a routine matter for
which brokers were permitted to vote your shares. Beginning this year, brokers are no longer permitted to vote uninstructed shares in
the election of directors. We urge you to give
voting instructions to your broker on all voting items. Because item 2the proposal to approve an amendment to our
Certificate of Incorporation changing our namerequires the affirmative vote of holders of a majority of our outstanding Common
Stock, broker non-votes will have the same effect as votes against the
proposal. Fiscal Year All references in this Proxy
Statement to a particular fiscal year are to REXs fiscal year ended January 31. For example, fiscal 2009 means the
period February 1, 2009 to January 31, 2010.
2875 Needmore Road
Dayton, Ohio
45414
May 5,
2010
ELECTION OF
DIRECTORS Seven directors are to be elected
at the Annual Meeting to hold office until the next Annual Meeting of Shareholders and until their successors are elected and
qualified. Unless otherwise directed, it is the intention of the persons named in the accompanying proxy to vote each proxy for the
election of the
nominees listed below. All nominees are presently directors of REX. If at the time of the Annual
Meeting any nominee is unable or declines to serve, the proxy holders will vote for the election of such substitute nominee as the
Board of Directors may recommend. We have no reason to believe that any substitute nominee will be required. Set forth below is certain
information with respect to the nominees for director, including the experience, qualifications and skills we believe these
individuals bring to the Board and qualify them to serve as directors. STUART A. ROSE, 55, has been our
Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer since our incorporation in 1984 as a holding company to succeed to the ownership of
Rex Radio and Television, Inc., Kelly & Cohen Appliances, Inc. and Stereo Town, Inc. Prior to 1984, Mr. Rose was Chairman of the
Board and Chief Executive Officer of Rex Radio and Television, Inc., which he founded in 1980 to acquire the stock of a corporation
which operated four retail stores. Mr. Roses leadership as our Chief Executive Officer provides the Board with essential
knowledge of the Companys operations and strategic
opportunities. LAWRENCE TOMCHIN, 82, retired as
our President and Chief Operating Officer in 2004, a position he held since 1990, and remained a part-time employee and consultant
until January 31, 2006. From 1984 to 1990, he was our Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Tomchin has been a
director since 1984. Mr. Tomchin was Vice President and General Manager of the corporation which was acquired by Rex Radio and
Television, Inc. in 1980 and served as Executive Vice President of Rex Radio and Television, Inc. after the acquisition. Mr.
Tomchins service as our retired Chief Operating Officer
provides the Board with additional perspective of the Companys operations. ROBERT DAVIDOFF, 83, has been a
director since 1984. Mr. Davidoff has been a Managing Director of Carl Marks & Co., Inc., an investment banking firm, since 1990,
and the general partner of CMNY Capital II, L.P., a venture capital affiliate of Carl Marks & Co., since 1989. Mr. Davidoff is
currently also a
director of Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp. and formerly a director of Hubco Exploration, Inc. and Marisa Christina, Inc. Mr.
Davidoffs long career in investment banking and accounting background gives the Board seasoned, executive level financial
knowledge. EDWARD M. KRESS, 60, has been our
Secretary since 1984 and a director since 1985. Mr. Kress has been a partner of the law firm of Dinsmore & Shohl LLP (formerly
Chernesky, Heyman & Kress P.L.L.), our legal counsel, since 1988. Mr. Kress has practiced law in Dayton, Ohio since 1974. Mr.
Kress, a
lawyer and our legal counsel, provides the Board with critical legal advice and perspective. CHARLES A. ELCAN, 46, has been a
director since 2003. Mr. Elcan is a founder and President of China Healthcare Corporation, organized in May 2008 to build and operate
a hospital in China. Mr. Elcan was Executive Vice PresidentMedical Office Properties of Health Care Property Investors, Inc.
(HCP),
a real estate investment trust specializing in health care related real estate, from October 2003 to April 2008, and served as the
Chief Executive Officer and President of MedCap Properties, LLC, a real estate company located in Nashville, Tennessee that owned,
operated and developed real estate in the healthcare
field, from 1998 to October 2003. (HCP acquired MedCap Properties in October 2003.) From 1992 to 1997, Mr. Elcan was a founder and
investor in Behavioral Healthcare Corporation (now 2
Ardent Health Services LLC), a healthcare company that owns and operates
psychiatric and acute care hospitals. Mr. Elcan, a founder of health care real estate companies, brings to the Board entrepreneurial
experience and real estate expertise. DAVID S. HARRIS, 50, has been a
director since 2004. Mr. Harris has served as President of Grant Capital, Inc., a private investment company, since January 2002. Mr.
Harris served as a Managing Director of Tri-Artisan Partners, LLC, a private merchant banking firm engaged in investment banking and
principal investment activities, from January 2005 to June 2006. From May 2001 to December 2001, Mr. Harris served as a Managing
Director in the investment banking division of ABN Amro Securities LLC (ABN). From 1997 to May 2001, Mr. Harris served as a Managing
Director and Sector Head of the Retail,
Consumer and Leisure Group of ING Barings LLC (ING). The investment banking operations of ING were acquired by ABN in May 2001.
From 1986 to 1997 Mr. Harris served in various capacities as a member of the investment banking group of Furman Selz LLC. Furman Selz
was acquired by ING in 1997. Mr.
Harris is currently also a director of Steiner Leisure Limited. Mr. Harris experience in investment banking, corporate
finance and capital markets is valuable to the Board in developing strategy and evaluating senior management. MERVYN L. ALPHONSO, 69, has been a
director since 2007. Mr. Alphonso retired as Vice President for Administration and Chief Financial Officer of Central State
University in March 2007, a position he held since 2004. Mr. Alphonso has over 30 years of experience in the banking industry. He was
President, Dayton District, KeyBank National Association from 1994 to 2000 and held various management positions with KeyBank of
New York, N.A., Crocker National Bank and Bankers Trust Company. Mr. Alphonso served as a Peace Corps volunteer from 2001 to 2003.
Mr. Alphonsos experience in the
banking industry and as a chief financial officer provides the Board with financial management expertise. Board of Directors Our Board of Directors consists of
seven directors. The Board has determined that four of the seven directors, Robert Davidoff, Charles A. Elcan, David S. Harris and
Mervyn L. Alphonso, are independent within the meaning of Section 303A.02 of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) Listed
Company
Manual. To be considered independent, the
Board must determine that the director has no material relationship with the Company, either directly or as a partner, shareholder or
officer of an organization that has a relationship with the Company, including commercial, industrial, banking, consulting, legal,
accounting,
charitable and family relationships, among others. Our Board has established the following guidelines, consistent with Section
303A.02 of the NYSE listing standards, to assist it in determining independence of directors.
A director who is an employee, or whose immediate family member is an executive officer, of the Company is not independent
until three years after the end of such employment relationship. A director who receives, or whose immediate
family member receives, more than $120,000 during any 12-month period in direct compensation from the Company, other than director or
committee fees and pension or other forms of deferred compensation for prior service (not contingent in any way on
continued service), is not independent until three years after he or she ceases to receive more than $120,000 during any
12-month period in such compensation. (Compensation received by an immediate family member for service as a non-executive employee
need not be considered in determining
independence under this test.) 3
A director who is a partner or employee of the
Companys internal or external auditor, or whose immediate family member is a partner of such a firm, or an employee of such a
firm and personally works on the Companys audit, or a director or immediate family member who was within the last three years a
partner or employee of such a firm and personally worked on the Companys audit within that time, is not
independent. A director who is employed, or whose immediate
family member is employed, as an executive officer of another company where any of the Companys present executives at the same
time serve on that companys compensation committee is not independent until three years after the end of such
service or
the employment relationship. A director who is an employee, or whose
immediate family member is an executive officer, of a company that makes payments to, or receives payments from, the Company for
property or services in an amount which, in any single fiscal year, exceeds the greater of $1 million, or 2% of such other
companys
consolidated gross revenues, is not independent until three years after falling below such threshold. Messrs. Davidoff, Harris and
Alphonso have no relationships with the Company other than being a director. Mr. Elcan has only an indirect, immaterial relationship
with the Company. Elcan & Associates, Inc., a firm owned by Mr. Elcans brother, provides real estate brokerage services to
REX and has acted as
a finder in connection with our investments in synthetic fuel limited partnerships and facilities. Because Mr. Elcan has no
financial interest or involvement in Elcan & Associates, nor any involvement in REXs business activities with Elcan &
Associates, and the amount of our annual payments to Elcan & Associates falls
within our director independence guidelines, the Board has determined that the relationship is not a material relationship
affecting Mr. Elcans independence. Our Board of Directors held two
meetings during the fiscal year ended January 31, 2010. The average attendance by incumbent directors at Board and Board Committee
meetings was 100%. Directors are invited and
encouraged to attend our annual meeting of shareholders. All directors attended the 2009 Annual Meeting. The non-management directors have
the opportunity to meet at executive sessions without management following Audit Committee meetings. The presiding director for each
executive session is rotated among the chairs of the independent Board committees. Board Leadership Structure Our Chief Executive Officer serves
as the Chairman of the Board. The Board believes it is appropriate to combine the positions of Chief Executive Officer and Chairman
because our CEO is the director most familiar with the Companys business and is best suited to identify strategic opportunities
and
priorities. The Board also believes that combining the role of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer promotes efficiencies both in
communications between management and the Board and in executing business strategy, and is an appropriate board leadership structure
for a smaller public company. We have a
presiding director, or lead director, for each executive session of the non-management directors which position is rotated among
the chairs of the independent Board committees. Board Role in Risk Oversight The Board administers its risk
oversight function principally through the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee oversees financial, legal, regulatory and operational
risks and risk management. The 4
Committee receives periodic reports from members of senior management who
supervise day-to-day risk management activities on specific risks to the Company, risk management and risk mitigation. The Audit
Committee reports to the full Board as appropriate. The full Board reviews strategic risk and risk policy
as part of its overall monitoring responsibilities. Board Committees Our Board of Directors has four
standing committees: the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee, the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee and the Executive
Committee. Audit Committee. The Audit
Committee assists Board oversight of the integrity of the financial statements of the Company, our compliance with legal and
regulatory requirements, the independent accountants qualifications and independence, and the performance of the Companys
internal audit function and
independent accountants. The Audit Committee is directly responsible for the appointment, retention and oversight of the work of
the independent accountants. The Audit Committee acts pursuant to a written charter. The members of the Audit Committee are Messrs.
Harris (Chairman), Davidoff and Alphonso.
All members of the Audit Committee are independent within the meaning of applicable NYSE listing standards and rules of the
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The Board has determined that Mr. Harris and Mr. Davidoff are each an audit
committee financial expert as defined by applicable SEC
rules and that all members of the Audit Committee are financially literate within the meaning of NYSE listing standards. The Audit
Committee met four times during fiscal 2009. Compensation Committee. The
Compensation Committee has direct responsibility to review and approve CEO compensation, makes recommendations to the Board with
respect to non-CEO compensation and compensation plans, and administers the Companys stock option plans. The Compensation
Committee acts pursuant to a written charter. The members of the Compensation Committee are Messrs. Davidoff (Chairman), Elcan,
Harris and Alphonso. All members of the Compensation Committee are independent within the meaning of applicable NYSE listing
standards. The Compensation Committee met
once during fiscal 2009. Nominating/Corporate Governance
Committee. The Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee identifies individuals qualified to become Board members consistent with
criteria approved by the Board, recommends for the Boards selection a slate of director nominees for election to the Board at
the
annual meeting of shareholders, develops and recommends to the Board the Corporate Governance Guidelines applicable to the Company,
and oversees the evaluation of the Board and management. The Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee acts pursuant to a written
charter. The members of the
Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee are Messrs. Davidoff, Elcan, Harris and Alphonso. All members of the Nominating/Corporate
Governance Committee are independent within the meaning of applicable NYSE listing standards. The Nominating/Corporate Governance
Committee took informal action
once during fiscal 2009. The Board seeks director candidates
who possess the background, skills and expertise to make a significant contribution to the Board, the Company and shareholders. In
identifying and evaluating director candidates, the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee may consider a number of attributes,
including experience, skills, judgment, accountability and integrity, financial literacy, time, industry knowledge,
networking/contacts, leadership, independence from management and other factors it deems relevant. The Nominating/Corporate
Governance Committee reviews the desired experience, mix of skills and
other qualities to assure appropriate Board composition, taking into account the 5
current directors and specific needs of the Company and the Board. The
Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee may solicit advice from the CEO and other members of the Board. The Nominating/Corporate Governance
Committee considers diversity of professional experience, skills and individual qualities and attributes in identifying director
candidates. The Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee does not have a formal policy with respect to diversity. The Nominating/Corporate Governance
Committee will consider director candidates recommended by our shareholders. Shareholders must submit the name of a proposed
shareholder candidate to the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee at our corporate offices by the date specified under
Shareholder Proposals. Executive Committee. The
Executive Committee is empowered to exercise all of the powers and authority of the Board of Directors between meetings of the Board,
other than the power to fill vacancies on the Board or on any Board committee and the power to declare dividends. The members of the
Executive Committee are Messrs. Rose and Tomchin. The Executive Committee met informally throughout the year and took formal action
by unanimous written consent two times during fiscal 2009. Code of Ethics, Corporate Governance Guidelines
and Committee Charters We have adopted a Code of Business
Conduct and Ethics applicable to our employees, officers and directors. A copy of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics has been
filed as an exhibit to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 31, 2004 and is posted on our website www.rextv.com. We have adopted a set of Corporate
Governance Guidelines addressing director qualification standards, director responsibilities, director access to management and
independent advisors, director compensation and other matters. A copy of the Corporate Governance Guidelines is posted on our website
www.rextv.com. The charters of the Audit
Committee, Compensation Committee and Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee are posted on our website www.rextv.com. Procedures for Contacting Directors Shareholders and interested parties
may communicate with the Board, the non-management directors as a group, or a specific director by writing to REX Stores Corporation,
2875 Needmore Road, Dayton, Ohio 45414, Attention: Board of Directors, Non-Management Directors or [Name of Specific Director].
All communications will be forwarded as soon as practicable to the specific director, or if addressed to the Non-Management
Directors to the Chairman of the Audit Committee, or, if addressed to the Board, to the Chairman of the Board or other director
designated by the Board to receive such communications. PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO CERTIFICATE
OF INCORPORATION On March 26, 2010, our Board of
Directors approved an amendment to the Companys Certificate of Incorporation to change the Companys name from REX
Stores Corporation to REX American Resources Corporation and authorized the amendment to be submitted to
stockholders for approval at the
Annual Meeting. 6
TO CHANGE THE COMPANYS NAME
Reasons for Name Change Historically, we were a specialty
retailer in the consumer electronics/appliance industry. We began investing in various alternative energy entities beginning with
synthetic fuel partnerships in 1998 and later with ethanol production facilities in 2006. Following an evaluation of strategic
alternatives for our retail
segment in fiscal 2007, we began closing unprofitable and marginally profitable stores and monetizing our retail-related assets,
eventually winding down our retail operations during 2008 and closing our remaining retail locations in September 2009. We are
currently invested in four entities that own and operate
ethanol production facilities and we are considering making additional investments in the alternative energy segment in fiscal
2010. Our management and Board of
Directors believe the corporate name change to REX American Resources Corporation will better reflect our business and strategy and
help investors and the marketplace to better associate us with our alternative energy business. Implementation and Effect If the amendment is approved by
stockholders, Section 1 of our Certificate of Incorporation will be amended to read The name of the corporation is REX American
Resources Corporation. The name change will become effective upon filing a Certificate of Amendment to our Certificate of
Incorporation
with the Delaware Secretary of State. The change of our name will not
affect in any way the validity or transferability of currently outstanding certificates for our Common Stock or the trading of our
Common Stock on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Stockholders will not be required to surrender or exchange their existing stock
certificates. Stockholders may continue to hold their existing certificates or receive new certificates reflecting the name change
by delivering their existing certificates to our transfer agent. If stockholders approve the name
change, we plan to change the ticker symbol of our Common Stock on the NYSE to REX. Required Vote Approval of the amendment requires
the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of our Common Stock. Abstentions and broker non-votes
will have the effect of votes against the proposal. The Board of Directors recommends a vote for approval of the proposed
amendment. 7
EXECUTIVE
COMPENSATION Compensation Discussion and
Analysis The objectives of our executive
compensation program are to motivate and retain our key employees, to tie annual cash bonuses to corporate performance and
profitability, and to provide long-term incentives for executives to create shareholder value. Elements of Executive Compensation The elements of our executive
compensation program are discussed below. Base Salary. Base
salaries of our executive officers are set at a level to provide basic economic security, with consideration given for past
contributions and length of service. Base salary levels also reflect individual cash bonus opportunities, with salaries set lower
where cash bonus opportunities are higher. The
base salary of our CEO is set at a level below that of salaries paid to CEOs of other public companies in the ethanol industry in
recognition of his annual cash bonus opportunities and prior stock option awards. Base salaries are reviewed annually and adjusted
from time to time to reflect individual responsibilities
and corporate performance. For comparative purposes, we review base salaries paid by companies in our industry peer group,
including Pacific Ethanol, Inc. and BioFuel Energy Corp., recognizing that our executive officers base salaries generally are
below those levels. We do not engage in benchmarking in setting
or adjusting base salaries. Executive salaries were not increased in fiscal 2009 based on our financial performance. Annual Cash Bonus Program.
Our annual cash bonus program is designed to reward executive officers for corporate performance and to incentify those
individuals to contribute to corporate profitability. Annual cash bonuses are based on corporate performance and profitability
measures. There are no
individual performance goals or objectives. The annual cash bonus programs of
our CEO, Mr. Rose, and our former President and COO, Mr. Bearden, are set forth in their employment agreements. Mr. Roses
annual cash bonus is based upon both (1) earnings before income taxes of our retail business, or Retail EBT, and determined by a
specific dollar
amount for achieving specified levels of Retail EBT and (2) earnings before income taxes of our synthetic fuel or other alternative
energy investments, or Energy Investment EBT, determined as a specific percentage of Energy Investment EBT, subject to an aggregate
maximum $1 million cash bonus in any fiscal
year. Mr. Beardens annual cash bonus, previously based upon Retail EBT, was replaced in fiscal 2009 with a cash bonus to be
earned upon completion of the transition of our retail stores to Appliance Direct, Inc. For fiscal 2009, the cash bonuses
for our Vice President, Mr. Rizvi, and our CFO, Mr. Bruggeman, were based upon (1) performance of our ethanol and synthetic fuel
investments and determined as a specific percentage of ethanol and synthetic fuel investment pre-tax income and (2) pre-tax income of
our
retail operations and determined as a specific percentage of retail pre-tax operating income. The annual cash bonuses for our other
Vice Presidents were generally based upon pre-tax income of our retail operations and determined as a specific dollar amount for
achieving specified levels of retail pre-tax income. We define pre-tax income from
ethanol and synthetic fuel investments (and retail operations for periods prior to fiscal 2009) for purposes of our bonus program as
essentially equivalent to segment profit, the measure we use to evaluate the performance of our reportable business segments.
Segment 8
profit excludes income taxes, interest expense, discontinued operations,
indirect interest income and certain other items that are not included in net income determined in accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles. With the exit of our retail business during fiscal 2009, the realignment of our
reportable business segments and the classification of all retail related activities in discontinued operations, the retail
component of our bonus program for fiscal 2009 was based on all other (non-ethanol) pre-tax income. See Note 18 Discontinued
Operations and Note 20 Segment Reporting to our consolidated
financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2010. We chose the foregoing measures to
incentivize our executive officers to grow operating profits. Specific quantitative corporate performance factors and measures for
determining individual annual cash bonuses are described under Employment Agreements and Annual Cash Bonus
Program following the
Summary Compensation Table. Annual bonus opportunities for
certain executives reflect the individuals contribution to and responsibility for certain aspects of our business. Mr.
Roseoverall retail operations and alternative energy investments, Mr. Beardenretail operations and Mr. Rizviethanol
investments. Annual cash bonuses are determined
and paid on a formula basis without discretion to increase or decrease bonus amounts. Long-Term Incentive
Awards. Long term incentive awards historically were made in the form of stock option grants under our 1995 and 1999 Omnibus
Stock Incentive Plans. Stock appreciation rights, restricted stock and other stock-based awards are authorized, but have not been
granted, under the Plans. Statement of Financial Accounting
Standards No. 123 (revised 2004), Share-Based Payment (FAS 123R), requires us to recognize compensation cost for all
share-based payments, including stock options, in our financial statements. Due to the significant impact on our results of
operations from the adoption of
FAS 123R, we have discontinued granting stock options. We have not granted stock options since 2004 and we have no current plans to
grant stock options or other stock-based incentive awards. Our executive officers currently hold vested stock options, and shares
acquired upon exercise of stock options, granted
in prior years in amounts that we believe align our executives long-term interests with the interests of shareholders and
provide incentive to create shareholder value. Option Grant Practices In past years, all stock options
were granted at an exercise price equal to the average of the high and low market prices on the date of grant, unless a higher price
was required to qualify the option as an incentive stock option. Option grants were made annually at times approved by the
Compensation
Committee or in connection with executive officers entering into new employment agreements. All annual option grants were made to
executive and non-executive employees on the same date. The number of options granted to each employee was determined by the
Compensation Committee based upon the
recommendation of our CEO with consideration that the options were intended to provide both long-term incentive and retirement
compensation as we do not maintain a defined benefit or supplemental executive retirement plan. Annual option grants typically vested
in 20% installments for five years while
options granted in connection with new employment agreements typically vested in one-third installments for three years. All
outstanding options have a ten year term from the date of grant. The annual grant dates approved by the Compensation Committee varied
from year to year. We have no program, plan or
practice to time option grants to our executives or other employees in 9
connection with the release of material non-public information and we have not
timed nor plan to time the release of material non-public information to affect the value of executive compensation. Role of Executive Officers in Determining
Executive Compensation The Compensation Committee of our
Board of Directors determines the compensation paid to our CEO. Our CEO determines base salary levels and annual cash bonus
opportunities for executive officers other than himself. All cash bonus payments to executive officers are approved by the
Compensation
Committee. Change in Control Payments In January 2009 we entered into an
agreement with Appliance Direct, Inc. pursuant to which we agreed to sell certain appliance inventory, furniture fixtures and
equipment, leased 37 owned store locations to Appliance Direct, and entered into leases or subleases for two leased store locations
in connection
with winding down our retail operations and exiting the consumer electronics and appliance retailing business in fiscal
2009. Following our agreement with
Appliance Direct, Mr. Beardens employment agreement was amended to provide for a cash bonus of $1 million to be earned upon
completion of the transition of operational control of retail stores to Appliance Direct. See Employment AgreementsDavid
L. Bearden. Messrs. Bruggeman, Magby, Fuchs and
Rizvi were eligible for a cash bonus of $200,000, $200,000, $50,000 and $50,000, respectively, to be earned upon completion of the
retail store transition to Appliance Direct. This bonus opportunity reflected that these individuals would be involved, to varying
degrees, in
the transaction. In July 2009 our agreement with
Appliance Direct was amended to reduce the number of stores leased from 38 to 16. In September 2009 Appliance Direct vacated the 16
properties leased from us and we agreed to release and discharge each other from all claims or actions, including claims relating to
the
leases. As a result, retail store transition bonuses were paid based on the percentage of stores initially transitioned to
Appliance Direct. The automatic acceleration of all
unvested options granted under our stock options plans upon a change in control is intended to enable option holders to realize the
full value of their stock options upon the occurrence of an event outside of their control. The change in control provision of our
stock option
agreements was not triggered by the transaction with Appliance Direct. Severance Payments All salaried and hourly employees,
other than salespeople and executive officers with employment agreements, who were terminated as a result of winding down our retail
operations and closing our remaining retail locations in fiscal 2009 received a severance payment of one week base pay for each full
year of
service. 10
Internal Revenue Code Section
162(m) Section 162(m) of the Internal
Revenue Code disallows a federal income tax deduction to a public company for compensation paid in excess of $1 million in any
taxable year to the companys chief executive officer or any of its other four highest paid executive officers. This limitation
does not apply to
performance-based compensation, as defined under federal tax laws, under a plan approved by shareholders. The annual bonus payable to Messrs.
Rose, Bruggeman and Rizvi, including the retail transition bonus, is subject to an aggregate $1 million annual maximum. Depending
upon an executives salary, bonus, other compensation, and exercise of previously granted stock options under plans not approved
by
shareholders, the individuals annual compensation could exceed the $1 million limitation. The Compensation Committee
considers anticipated tax treatment when reviewing executive compensation, but does not limit executive compensation to amounts
deductible under Section 162(m) in order to maintain flexibility to structure compensation programs. Compensation Committee Report The Compensation Committee of the
Board of Directors of REX Stores Corporation has reviewed and discussed the Compensation Discussion and Analysis with management.
Based on that review and discussion, the Compensation Committee recommended that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be
included in the proxy statement for our 2010 annual meeting of shareholders. ROBERT DAVIDOFF, Chairman Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider
Participation Charles A. Elcan, a member of the
Compensation Committee, has an indirect relationship with the Company. Elcan & Associates, Inc., a firm owned by Mr. Elcans
brother, provides real estate brokerage services to REX and has acted as a finder in connection with our investments in synthetic
fuel limited
partnerships and facilities. These transactions are described under Certain Relationships and Related
Transactions. 11
CHARLES A. ELCAN
DAVID S. HARRIS
MERVYN L. ALPHONSO
Summary Compensation Table The following table sets forth the
compensation of our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and our other most highly compensated executive
officers. Name and Principal
Position
Year
Salary ($)
Bonus (1)($)
All Other
Total ($) Stuart A.
Rose
2009
154,500
459,760
9,750
624,010 Chairman of the Board
and
2008
154,500
26,507
9,750
190,757 Chief Executive
Officer
2007
154,500
1,000,000
11,818
1,166,318 David L.
Bearden(3)
2009
103,846
226,537
330,383 President and Chief
Operating
2008
200,000
3,100
203,100 Officer
2007
200,000
118,000
3,100
321,100 Douglas L.
Bruggeman
2009
225,700
248,475
200
474,375 Vice
PresidentFinance, Chief
2008
227,600
39,760
200
267,560 Financial Officer and
Treasurer
2007
226,700
104,499
200
331,399 Zafar A.
Rizvi
2009
149,070
330,460
200
479,730 Vice
President
2008
150,570
45,451
200
196,221
2007
150,070
630,646
200
780,916 David
Fuchs(4)
2009
104,038
21,050
82,315
207,403 Vice
PresidentManagement
2008
179,850
10,328
200
190,378 Information
Systems
2007
179,350
60,000
200
239,550 Keith B.
Magby(5)
2009
88,671
84,200
53,517
226,388 Vice
PresidentOperations
2008
165,200
15,492
200
180,892
2007
164,700
90,000
200
254,900
(1)
Amounts in this column reflect (i) cash bonuses earned under our annual cash bonus program and (ii) retail store transition
cash bonuses earned in 2009. See Annual Cash Bonus Program. (2) Amounts in this column reflect (i) $200 matching
contribution on behalf of each named executive officer other than Mr. Rose, Mr. Bearden, and in 2009 Messrs. Fuchs and Magby and (ii)
value of use of a company automobile for Mr. Rose ($9,750) and Mr. Bearden ($1,537). Amounts in this column for 2009
also reflect severance payments to Mr. Bearden ($225,000), Mr. Fuchs ($82,315) and Mr. Magby ($53,517) in connection with
termination of employment. (3) Mr. Beardens employment terminated as of
June 30, 2009. (4) Mr. Fuchs employment terminated as of July
31, 2009. (5) Mr. Magbys employment terminated as of
July 10, 2009. Employment Agreements Stuart A. Rose, our
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, has an employment agreement with Rex Radio and Television, Inc. that provides for an annual
salary of $154,500 and annual cash bonuses based upon (i) the earnings before income taxes of our retail business, or Retail EBT,
starting at $5,000 for
each $1 million of Retail EBT up to $5 million and increasing incrementally to $15,000 for each $1 million of Retail EBT over $20
million and (ii) the earnings before income taxes of our synthetic fuel or other alternative energy investments, or Energy Investment
EBT, equal to 3% of the Energy Investment EBT
for the fiscal year, but in no event will Mr. Rose receive a total cash bonus exceeding $1 million in any fiscal year. Mr. Rose is
also eligible to participate in all employee benefit plans. 12
Compensation (2)($)
Mr. Roses employment agreement is for a term of
two years and one month commencing January 1, 2006 and continuing through January 31, 2008 and is automatically renewed for
additional one-year terms unless earlier terminated by resignation, death, total disability or termination for cause, or unless
terminated by either party upon 180 days notice. Termination for cause means Mr. Roses repeated failure or
refusal to perform his duties under the agreement, violation of any material provision of the agreement, or clear and intentional
violation of law involving a felony which has a materially adverse effect on
us. If Mr. Roses employment is terminated by us without cause, he is entitled to the balance of his annual salary plus all
rights to the bonuses based on Retail EBT and Energy Investment EBT for the remainder of the employment period. If Mr. Roses
employment is terminated for any other reason, he is entitled
to a pro rata portion of his annual salary and cash bonuses based upon the date of termination. David L. Bearden, our
former President and Chief Operating Officer, had an employment agreement with Rex Radio and Television, Inc. that provided for an
annual salary of $200,000. Effective February 2009, the agreement was amended to provide for a cash bonus of $1 million to be earned
upon
completion of the transition of operational control of our retail stores to Appliance Direct, Inc. as determined by our Chief
Executive Officer in his sole discretion on or before June 30, 2009. This transition bonus replaced any annual cash bonus for fiscal
2008 and beyond and a $1 million change of ownership award
if our retail business was sold during or within one year after termination of employment previously provided for in Mr.
Beardens employment agreement. Mr. Bearden was eligible to participate in all employee benefit plans and was furnished a
company owned automobile for use during his employment. Mr. Beardens employment with
REX terminated as of June 30, 2009. In September 2009 Mr. Beardens employment agreement was amended to provide that,
notwithstanding that our Chief Executive Officer determined that transition of operational control of retail stores to Appliance
Direct had not occurred
as of June 30, 2009, we agreed to pay Mr. Bearden, in lieu of any other payment pursuant to his employment agreement, a severance
payment of $450,000, payable in two equal installments on or before January 31, 2010 and January 31, 2011, respectively, subject to
execution of a severance agreement and release of
claims. Annual Cash Bonus Program The annual cash bonus program for
Mr. Rose is set forth in his employment agreement described above. For fiscal 2009, the annual cash
bonus program for Zafar A. Rizvi, our Vice President, was based upon (1) performance of our ethanol and synthetic fuel investments
determined at 2% of ethanol and synthetic fuel pre-tax income, (2) 0.5% of retail pre-tax operating income and (3) cash bonus of
$50,000 upon
transition of our retail operations, subject to an aggregate maximum $1 million cash bonus for the year. The annual cash bonus
program for Douglas L. Bruggeman, our Vice PresidentFinance and Chief Financial Officer, was based upon (1) performance of
our ethanol and synthetic fuel investments determined at
1% of ethanol and synthetic fuel pre-tax income, (2) 0.75% of all pre-tax income other than from ethanol and synthetic fuel
investments and (3) cash bonus of $200,000 upon transition of our retail operations, subject to an aggregate maximum $1 million cash
bonus for the year. The annual cash bonus programs for
David Fuchs, our former Vice PresidentManagement Information Systems and Keith B. Magby, our former Vice
PresidentOperations, were based upon pre-tax income of retail operations determined at $5,000 ($7,500 for Mr. Magby) per
$1 million of retail pre-tax operating 13
income, with Mr. Fuchs and Mr. Magby eligible for a cash bonus of $50,000
and $200,000, respectively, upon transition of our retail operations. Mr. Rose earned a bonus of $459,760
for fiscal 2009 based on achieving $14,992,000 ethanol pre-tax income and $1,194,000 all other pre-tax income. Mr. Bruggeman earned a
bonus of $164,275 based on achieving $14,992,000 ethanol pre-tax income and $1,194,000 all other pre-tax income. Mr. Rizvis cash
bonus of $309,410 for fiscal 2009 was based on achieving $14,992,000 ethanol pre-tax income and $1,194,000 all other pre-tax
income. Messrs. Magby and Fuchs did not earn bonuses based on pre-tax income as their employment terminated mid-year. With the exit
of our retail business during fiscal 2009, the
realignment of our reportable business segments and the classification of all retail related activities in discontinued operations,
the retail component of annual cash bonuses was calculated using all other pre-tax income which includes extended service contract
revenues and gains on sale of real estate. Cash bonuses upon transition of our
retail operations to Appliance Direct were earned at 42.1% of target amount based upon 16 of 38 stores initially being transitioned
to Appliance Direct. Amounts earned were Mr. Bruggeman $84,200, Mr. Rizvi $21,050, Mr. Magby $84,200 and Mr. Fuchs $21,050. Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal 2009
Year-End The following table sets forth
information concerning unexercised options for each named executive officer outstanding as of the end of fiscal 2009. Name
Option Awards
Number of
Number of
Option
Option Stuart A.
Rose
David L.
Bearden
Douglas L.
Bruggeman
56,250
8.01
4/17/11
35,000
14.745
4/30/12
35,000
13.01
9/30/13
35,000
12.45
6/7/14 Zafar A.
Rizvi
56,250
8.01
4/17/11
35,000
14.745
4/30/12
35,000
13.01
9/30/13
35,000
12.45
6/7/14 David Fuchs
Keith B.
Magby
14
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options (#)
Exercisable
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options (#)
Unexercisable
Exercise
Price ($)
Expiration
Date
Option Exercises and Vested Stock for Fiscal
2009 The following table sets forth
information concerning exercise of stock options during fiscal 2009 for each named executive officer.
Name
Option Awards
Number of
Value Stuart A.
Rose
1,147,500
5,832,232 David L.
Bearden
Douglas L.
Bruggeman
22,500
84,150 Zafar A.
Rizvi
22,500
84,150 David Fuchs
152,937
411,257 Keith B.
Magby
70,000
85,719 Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in
Control Pursuant to Mr. Roses
employment agreement, if he is terminated without cause, as defined in his agreement, we must pay him the balance of his annual
salary plus bonuses based on Retail EBT and Energy Investment EBT for the remainder of the employment period. We agreed to pay Mr.
Rose the balance
of his salary and bonus because a termination without cause would not be reflective of his individual performance. Under these
circumstances, we believe he should receive his full contractual compensation. Salary payments for the first six months are paid in a
lump sum in the seventh month following termination
and no less frequently than monthly thereafter, and bonus payments are paid in annual installments corresponding to the performance
period. Assuming the employment of
Mr. Rose was terminated without cause on January 31, 2010, and assuming equivalent bonus amounts for fiscal 2009 and 2010,
Mr. Rose would be entitled to a cash payment of $614,260. If Mr. Roses employment is terminated for any reason other than
without cause, we must pay
him a pro rata portion of his annual salary and cash bonuses based upon the date of termination. Mr. Beardens employment with
REX terminated as of June 30, 2009. We agreed to pay Mr. Bearden, in lieu of any other payment pursuant to his employment agreement,
a severance payment of $450,000. See Employment AgreementsDavid L. Bearden. Mr. Rose and Mr. Bearden are
subject to non-competition provisions for periods of two years and one year, respectively, following termination of employment for
any reason, as well as confidentiality provisions, in their employment agreements. All unvested options granted under
our stock option plans automatically vest upon a change in control. There were no unvested options outstanding at January 31,
2010. Director Compensation for Fiscal
2009 The following table sets forth
information concerning the compensation of our non-employee directors for fiscal 2009. 15
Shares
Acquired
on Exercise (#)
Realized
on Exercise ($)
Name
Fees Earned
Total ($) Lawrence
Tomchin
45,000
45,000 Robert
Davidoff
45,000
45,000 Edward M.
Kress
Charles A.
Elcan
45,000
45,000 David S.
Harris
50,000
50,000 Mervyn L.
Alphonso
45,000
45,000 Director Compensation Arrangements Directors who are not officers or
employees of REX are paid an annual retainer of $20,000 per year (plus reasonable travel expenses) and a $5,000 per year retainer if
they serve on one or more Board committees. The Chairman of the Audit Committee is paid an additional $5,000 per year
retainer. Non-employee directors are eligible
to receive grants of stock options under our 1999 Omnibus Stock Incentive Plan. Under the Plan, on the date of each annual meeting of
shareholders, each non-employee director is awarded a nonqualified stock option to purchase a number of shares of our common stock
such that the exercise price of the option multiplied by the number of shares subject to the option is as near as possible to
$100,000, but in no event more than 10,000 shares. The exercise price of each nonqualified option is the fair market value of the
common stock on the date of grant. The options are exercisable
in five equal annual installments commencing on the first anniversary of the date of grant and expire ten years from the date of
grant. Directors who are not officers or
employees are paid an additional $20,000 per year for each year such director waives his right to the grant of stock options pursuant
to the 1999 Omnibus Stock Incentive Plan. The non-employee directors waived their right to the grant of stock options under the Plan
for fiscal
2009. Compensation Policies and Risk We believe the compensation
policies and practices for our employees do not encourage excessive or inappropriate risk taking and are not reasonably likely to
have a material adverse effect on the Company. Our compensation program consists
of fixed and variable components. The fixed portion, base salary, provides stable income regardless of Company performance or stock
price. The variable portion, annual cash bonus and stock options, awards both short-term and long-term corporate
performance. Our annual cash bonus program is
based on earnings before income taxes of each of our business segments. We believe that basing annual cash bonuses on pre-tax
operating income encourages executives to focus on growing operating profits rather than other measures such as gross revenues which
may
incentivize executives to increase sales without regard to operating costs. We cap each executives total annual cash bonus at
$1 million, which we believe reduces the incentive to engage in excess risk taking as bonus payments are limited. We have used
pre-tax operating income as our bonus performance measure
for several years without evidence that it has increased our risk profile. Long-term performance is reflected
in stock option awards. Option grants typically vested in installments over five years and have value only if our stock price
increases over time. We believe that 16
or Paid in
Cash ($)
our stock option awards create a disincentive to engage in short-term risk
taking which could ultimately harm the Companys long-term performance and stock price. Equity Compensation Plan
Information Plan
Category
Number of Securities
Weighted-Average
Number of Securities Equity compensation plans
approved by security holders(1)
$
108,011 Equity compensation plans
not approved by security holders(2)
824,421
$
10.14
2,302,425 Total
824,421
$
10.14
2,410,436
(1)
Includes the REX Stores Corporation 1995 Omnibus Stock Incentive Plan. (2) Includes the REX Stores Corporation 1999 Omnibus
Stock Incentive Plan and the 2001 Nonqualified Executive Stock Options. Under the 1999 Omnibus Plan, awards in the form
of nonqualified stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, other stock-based awards and cash incentive awards may be
granted to officers and key employees. The 1999 Omnibus Plan also allows for yearly grants of nonqualified stock options to
non-employee directors. The exercise price of each option must be at least 100% of the fair market value of the Common Stock on
the date of grant. A maximum of 4,500,000 shares are authorized for issuance under the 1999 Omnibus Plan, of which 2,302,425 shares
remained available for issuance at January
31, 2010. The 2001 Nonqualified Executive Stock Options
are individual compensation arrangements. On April 17, 2001, nonqualified stock options for 1,462,500 shares were granted to Messrs.
Rose and Tomchin at an exercise price of $8.01 per share, which represented the market price on the date of grant, in
connection with their entering into new three year employment agreements. These options are fully exercisable and a total of
337,500 shares were outstanding at January 31, 2010. 17
to be Issued Upon
Exercise of
Outstanding Options,
Warrants and
Rights
(a)
Exercise Price of
Outstanding Options,
Warrants and Rights
(b)
Remaining Available for
Future Issuance Under
Equity Compensation Plans
(Excluding
Securities
Reflected in Column(a))
(c)
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN
BENEFICIAL The following table sets forth, as
of April 28, 2010 (the record date for the Annual Meeting), certain information with respect to the beneficial ownership of REX
Common Stock by each director and nominee for director, each named executive officer, all directors and executive officers as a group
and those
persons or groups known by us to own more than 5% of our Common Stock. For purposes of this table, a
person is considered to beneficially own any shares if the person, directly or indirectly, through any contract,
arrangement, understanding, relationship, or otherwise, has (or has the right to acquire within 60 days after April 28, 2010) sole or
shared power (i) to vote or to direct the
voting of the shares or (ii) to dispose or to direct the disposition of the shares. Unless otherwise indicated, voting power and
investment power are exercised solely by the named person or shared with members of his household. Name and
Address
Common Stock
Number
Percent(1) Stuart A.
Rose(2)
1,992,758
20.2
% 2875 Needmore Road Dayton, Ohio 45414 Lawrence
Tomchin(3)
524,449
5.2
% 2875 Needmore Road
Dayton, Ohio 45414
Robert
Davidoff(4)
294,574
3.0
% 900 Third Avenue, 33rd
Floor New York, New York 10022
Edward M.
Kress(5)
110,953
1.1
% 1100 Courthouse Plaza
S.W. Dayton, Ohio 45402
Charles A.
Elcan(6)
16,515
* 3100 West End Avenue,
Suite 500 Nashville, Tennessee
37203 David S.
Harris(7)
8,210
* 24 Avon Road
Bronxville, New York
10708 Mervyn L.
Alphonso
1,500
* 5 Royal Birkdale
Drive Springboro, Ohio
45066 Douglas L.
Bruggeman(8)
201,850
2.0
% 2875 Needmore Road
Dayton, Ohio 45414
Zafar A.
Rizvi(9)
206,250
2.1
% 2875 Needmore Road
Dayton, Ohio 45414
All directors and
executive officers as a group (9 persons)(10)
3,357,059
31.6
% 18
OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT
Beneficially Owned
Name and Address
Common Stock
Number
Percent(1) FMR LLC(11)
1,375,000
14.0
% 82 Devonshire Street
Boston, Massachusetts
02109 Dimensional Fund Advisors
LP(12)
962,542
9.8
% Palisades West, Building
One 6300 Bee Cave
Road Austin, Texas 78746
Royce & Associates,
LLC(13)
899,300
9.1
% 745 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York 10151
Nery Capital Partners,
L.P.(14)
620,000
6.3
% 263 Stratford
Road Asheville, North Carolina
28804
*
One percent or less. (1) Percentages are calculated on the basis of the
number of shares outstanding on April 28, 2010 plus the number of shares issuable upon the exercise of options held by the person or
group which are exercisable within 60 days after April 28, 2010. (2) Includes 686,854 shares held by the Stuart Rose
Family Foundation, an Ohio nonprofit corporation of which Mr. Rose is the sole member, chief executive officer and one of three
members of the board of trustees, the other two being members of his immediate family. (3) Includes 12,388 shares held by Mr.
Tomchins wife and 337,500 shares issuable upon the exercise of options. (4) Includes 42,898 shares issuable upon the
exercise of options. (5) Includes 4,775 shares held by Mr. Kress as
trustee of two trusts for the benefit of his children and 42,898 shares issuable upon the exercise of options. (6) Includes 16,515 shares issuable upon the
exercise of options. (7) Includes 8,210 shares issuable upon the exercise
of options. (8) Includes 161,250 shares issuable upon the
exercise of options. (9) Includes 161,250 shares issuable upon the
exercise of options. (10) Includes 770,521 shares issuable upon the
exercise of options. (11) Based on a Schedule 13G filing dated February
13, 2008. Fidelity Management & Research Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of FMR LLC and a registered investment adviser, is
the beneficial owner of 1,375,000 shares of Common Stock as a result of acting as investment adviser to various registered
investment companies. One investment company, Fidelity Low Priced Stock Fund, owns 1,375,000 shares. Edward C. Johnson 3d
(Chairman of FMR LLC), FMR LLC, through its control of Fidelity Management & Research Company, and the funds each has sole power
to dispose of the 1,375,000 shares owned
by the funds, while the sole power to vote or direct 19
Beneficially Owned
the voting of the shares owned directly by the Fidelity funds resides with the funds boards of trustees. (12) Based on a Schedule 13G filing dated February
10, 2010. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP, a registered investment adviser, furnishes investment advice to four registered investment
companies and serves as investment manager to certain other commingled group trusts and separate accounts. In its role as
investment adviser or manager, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP has sole power to vote and dispose of 962,542 shares owned by these
funds. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP disclaims beneficial ownership of all such shares. (13) Based on a Schedule 13G filing dated January 26,
2010. Royce & Associates, LLC, a registered investment adviser, has sole power to vote or direct the voting and sole power to
dispose or direct the disposition of 899,300 shares. (14) Based on a Schedule 13G filing dated February 9,
2009. Nery Capital Partners, L.P. (the Fund) has power to vote and dispose of 620,000 shares. Nery Capital Management,
L.L.C., general partner of the Fund, Nery Asset Management, L.L.C., investment advisor to the Fund, and Michael A. Nery have
shared power to vote and dispose of the 620,000 shares held by the Fund. Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting
Compliance Section 16(a) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 requires our directors and executive officers to file reports of ownership and changes of ownership of REX
Common Stock with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We believe that during fiscal 2009 all filing requirements applicable to
our directors
and executive officers were met. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED
TRANSACTIONS Rex Radio and Television, Inc.
leased 10,000 square feet for a store in a strip shopping center in Beavercreek, Ohio, from Stuart Rose/Beavercreek, Inc. under a net
lease dated December 12, 1994. The shareholders of Stuart Rose/Beavercreek, Inc. are Stuart A. Rose and Lawrence Tomchin.
Mr. Rose, our
CEO, and Mr. Tomchin are members of our Board of Directors. Base rent was $92,500 per year. The lease was terminated as of June 15,
2009. Rex Radio and Television, Inc. paid Stuart Rose/Beavercreek, Inc. $34,687 in rent and $18,935 for its pro rata portion of
common area maintenance, real estate taxes and
utilities under the lease in fiscal 2009. During fiscal 2009, REX paid the
law firm of Dinsmore & Shohl LLP, of which Edward M. Kress is a partner, a total of $419,448 for legal services. Mr. Kress is a
member of our Board of Directors. Elcan & Associates, Inc., a
real estate brokerage firm owned by Dan Elcan, has an exclusive listing agreement with REX to sell or lease 35 of our former store
locations until January 1, 2011, and has acted as a finder in connection with our investments in synthetic fuel limited partnerships
and facilities. Dan
Elcan is the brother of Charles Elcan, a member of our Board of Directors. During fiscal 2009, REX paid or accrued to Elcan &
Associates $148,605 in real estate and leasing commissions. We believe the lease with Stuart
Rose/Beavercreek, Inc., fees paid to Dinsmore & Shohl LLP for legal services, and amounts paid to Elcan & Associates, Inc. in
real estate and leasing commissions were comparable to terms that we could have obtained from unaffiliated third parties. Dan Elcan acquired minority
interests in Rex Investment, LLC and Rex Investment I, LLC as compensation for finder services in connection with our investments in
Colona SynFuel Limited 20
Partnership, L.L.L.P. and Somerset SynFuel, L.P. in fiscal 1998, and our
purchase of the Gillette synthetic fuel plant in fiscal 2002. We have sold our entire interests in the Colona and Somerset
partnerships and the Gillette facility and generally received payments from the sales through 2007, subject to production
levels. We do not expect to receive additional income from our investments in Colona and Somerset. For the Gillette facility,
payments for production after September 2006 through December 2007, if any, are expected after the related tax credits are allowed
under IRS audit or the statute of limitations for an IRS
audit has expired. REX and Dan Elcan receive the benefit of these payments on a pro rata basis from their ownership of equity
interests in Rex Investment and Rex Investment I. Dan Elcan acquired his equity interests in these entities before Charles Elcan
became a director of REX in 2003. Review and Approval of Transactions with Related
Persons We review all financial
transactions, arrangements or relationships between REX and our directors, executive officers, their immediate family members and our
significant shareholders to determine the materiality of the related persons interest, whether it creates a conflict of
interest, and whether it is on terms
comparable to arms length dealings with an unrelated party or otherwise fair to us. We have developed internal controls and
processes for identifying related party transactions, including annual director and officer questionnaires. All related party
transactions are reviewed by our legal counsel for disclosure in our
proxy statement. Related party transactions are reviewed and approved by our CEO, unless our legal counsel determines that the
amount involved, persons involved, significance or other aspects of the transaction require review and approval by the disinterested
members of our Board of Directors. INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC
ACCOUNTING FIRM Deloitte & Touche LLP served as
REXs independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2010, and has served in that capacity
since 2002. It is anticipated that representatives of Deloitte & Touche LLP will be present at the Annual Meeting to respond to
appropriate questions
from shareholders and to make a statement if they desire to do so. The Board of Directors annually
appoints the independent registered public accounting firm for the Company after receiving the recommendations of the Audit
Committee, typically following the Annual Meeting. No recommendation of the Audit Committee has been made concerning the appointment
of the
independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending January 31, 2011. Audit and Non-Audit Fees The following table sets forth the
aggregate fees billed REX for the fiscal years ended January 31, 2010 and 2009 by Deloitte & Touche LLP:
Fiscal
Fiscal Audit
Fees(1)
$
360,000
$
615,000 Audit-Related
Fees(2)
14,000
13,000 Tax Fees(3)
284,100
159,813 All Other
Fees(4)
3,852
3,852 Total
$
661,952
$
791,665 21
2009
2008
(1)
Audit Fees consist of fees billed for professional services rendered for the audit of our annual financial statements and
review of the interim financial statements included in our quarterly reports and services that are normally provided by Deloitte
& Touche LLP in connection with statutory and regulatory filings
or engagements. This category included fees related to the audit of our internal control over financial reporting required by
Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. (2) Audit-Related Fees consist of fees billed for
assurance and related services that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of our financial statements and
are not reported under Audit Fees. This category included fees related to the audit of the financial statements of an
employee
benefit plan. (3) Tax Fees consist of fees billed for professional
services rendered for tax compliance, tax advice and tax planning. (4) All Other Fees consist of fees paid for a web
based accounting research tool. Policy on Audit Committee Pre-Approval of Audit
and Non-Audit Services The Audit Committees policy
is to pre-approve all audit and non-audit services provided by our independent registered public accounting firm. The Audit Committee
will generally pre-approve a list of specific services and categories of services, including audit, audit-related, tax and other
services, for the
upcoming or current fiscal year, subject to a specified dollar limit. Any material service not included in the approved list of
services, and all services in excess of the pre-approved dollar limit, must be separately pre-approved by the Audit Committee. Our
independent registered public accounting firm and
management are required to periodically report to the Audit Committee all services performed and fees charged to date by the firm
pursuant to the pre-approval policy. None of the fees billed by our independent registered public accounting firm for Audit-Related,
Tax and Other Services described above were
approved by the Audit Committee after the services were rendered pursuant to the de minimus exception under SEC rules. Audit Committee Report The Audit Committee assists Board
oversight of the integrity of the financial statements of the Company. The Audit Committee is comprised of nonemployee directors who
meet the independence and financial experience requirements of applicable NYSE listing standards and SEC rules. The Audit Committee
operates under a written charter. Management has the primary
responsibility for the financial statements and the reporting process, including the Companys systems of internal controls. In
fulfilling its oversight responsibilities, the Committee reviewed the audited financial statements in the Annual Report on Form 10-K
with management,
including a discussion of the quality and the acceptability of the Companys financial reporting and controls. The Committee reviewed with the
Companys independent registered public accounting firm, Deloitte & Touche LLP, who are responsible for expressing an
opinion on the conformity of those audited financial statements with generally accepted accounting principles, their judgments as to
the quality and the
acceptability of the Companys financial reporting and such other matters as are required to be discussed with the Committee
under Statement on Auditing Standards No. 61, as amended (AICPA, Professional Standards, Vol. 1. AU Section 380), as adopted
by the Public Company 22
Accounting Oversight Board in Rule 3200T. In addition, the Committee has
discussed with the independent registered public accounting firm the firms independence from management and the Company,
including the matters in the independent registered public accounting firms written disclosures and letter
required by applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding the independent accountants
communications with the audit committee concerning independence. The Committee also discussed with
the Companys independent registered public accounting firm the overall scope and plans for their respective audits. The
Committee meets periodically with the independent registered public accounting firm, with and without management present, to discuss
the results of
their examinations, their evaluations of the Companys internal controls, and the overall quality of the Companys
financial reporting. Based on the review and discussions
referred to above, the Committee recommended to the Board of Directors that the audited financial statements be included in the
Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2010 for filing with the Securities and Exchange
Commission. AUDIT
COMMITTEE 23
DAVID S. HARRIS, Chairman
ROBERT DAVIDOFF
MERVYN L. ALPHONSO
OTHER BUSINESS Solicitation of Proxies The Company will bear the entire
expense of this proxy solicitation. Arrangements will be made with brokers and other custodians, nominees and fiduciaries to send
proxy solicitation materials to their principals and the Company will, upon request, reimburse them for their reasonable expenses in
so doing.
Officers and other regular employees of the Company may solicit proxies by mail, in person or by telephone. Other Matters The Board of Directors does not
know of any matters to be presented at the Annual Meeting other than those mentioned above. However, if other matters should properly
come before the Annual Meeting or any adjournments thereof, the proxy holders will vote the proxies thereon in their
discretion. Shareholder Proposals Proposals by shareholders intended
to be presented at REXs 2011 Annual Meeting of Shareholders must, in accordance with applicable regulations of the Securities
and Exchange Commission, be received by the Secretary of the Company at 2875 Needmore Road, Dayton, Ohio 45414 on or before January 5,
2011 in order to be considered for inclusion in our proxy materials for that meeting. Shareholder proposals intended to be
submitted at the 2011 Annual Meeting outside the processes of Rule 14a-8 will be considered untimely under Rule 14a-4(c)(1) if not
received by us at our corporate offices on or before March
21, 2011. If we do not receive timely notice of such proposal, the proxy holders will vote on the proposal, if presented at the
meeting, in their discretion. Shareholder recommendations for
director candidates must be received by the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee at our corporate offices on or before January
5, 2011 to be considered for nomination in connection with the 2011 Annual Meeting. Names submitted after this deadline will not be
considered.
By Order of the Board of Directors May 5, 2010 24
EDWARD
M. KRESS
Secretary
Dayton, Ohio
ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS OF
REX STORES CORPORATION
June 9, 2010
NOTICE OF INTERNET AVAILABILITY OF PROXY MATERIAL:
The Notice of Meeting, proxy statement and proxy card
are available at
www.rextv.com
Please sign, date and mail
your proxy card in the
envelope provided as soon
as possible.
Please detach along perforated line and mail in the envelope provided.
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20730000000000000000 5 060910 |
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THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE FOR THE ELECTION OF DIRECTORS |
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1. |
ELECTION OF DIRECTORS |
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NOMINEES: |
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FOR ALL NOMINEES |
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Stuart A. Rose |
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Lawrence Tomchin |
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WITHHOLD AUTHORITY |
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Robert Davidoff |
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Edward M. Kress |
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Charles A. Elcan |
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FOR ALL EXCEPT |
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David S. Harris |
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Mervyn L. Alphonso |
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INSTRUCTIONS: |
To withhold authority to vote for any individual nominee(s), mark FOR ALL EXCEPT and fill in the circle next to each nominee you wish to withhold, as shown here: = |
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To change the address on your account, please check the box at right and indicate your new address in the address space above. Please note that changes to the registered name(s) on the account may not be submitted via this method. |
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PROPOSAL to approve amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation changing the name of the Company to REX American Resources Corporation. |
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IN THEIR DISCRETION the proxies are authorized to vote upon such other business as may properly come before the Meeting. |
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This proxy is solicited on behalf of the Board of Directors and will be voted as directed herein. If no direction is given, this proxy shall be voted FOR Proposals 1 and 2. |
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Signature of Shareholder |
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Date: |
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Signature of Shareholder |
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Date: |
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Note: |
Please sign exactly as your name or names appear on this Proxy. When shares are held jointly, each holder should sign. When signing as executor, administrator, attorney, trustee or guardian, please give full title as such. If the signer is a corporation, please sign full corporate name by duly authorized officer, giving full title as such. If signer is a partnership, please sign in partnership name by authorized person. |
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The undersigned hereby appoints Stuart A. Rose and Lawrence Tomchin and each of them proxies for the undersigned, with full power of substitution, to vote all the shares of Common Stock of REX STORES CORPORATION, a Delaware corporation (the Company), which the undersigned is entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders of the Company to be held on Wednesday, June 9, 2010, at 2:00 p.m. and any adjournments thereof.
(Continued, and to be signed, on the other side)
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14475 |
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