Note 11. Stockholders' Equity

Effective January 27, 2015, the Company’s Board of Directors adopted the 2015 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2015 Plan”) which provides for up to 1,250,000 common shares available for issuance to provide a long-term incentive plan for officers, employees, directors and/or consultants to directly link incentives to stockholder value. The 2015 Plan was approved by the Company’s stockholders in February 2015. The Company’s 2015 Plan provides for grants to executives in various forms including restricted shares of the Company’s common stock and stock options. Awards are discretionary and are determined by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors. Awards vest based upon service conditions. Non-vested restricted shares generally vest over requisite service periods of one to six years from the date of grant.

The Company recognizes stock-based compensation expense for (i) Board of Directors fees (generally paid in treasury stock), and (ii) other awards under the 2015 Plan (paid in restricted stock and stock options). Stock-based compensation expense is recognized in general and administrative expenses in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Stock Compensation - Board of Directors

The Board of Directors can either elect to receive stock compensation or cash for their fees for services provided. Stock-based compensation expense relating to the Board of Directors fees was approximately $222,000 and $666,000 for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2021, respectively, and approximately $175,000 and $530,000 for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2020, respectively.

Restricted Stock

On November 10, 2020, the Company awarded 5,885 restricted shares of the Company’s common stock (“Restricted Stock”) to certain executives and senior managers under the 2015 Plan at a weighted average fair value of $31.20 per common share, vesting on January 1, 2022.

Stock compensation expense related to the Restricted Stock of approximately $40,000 and $105,000 for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2021, respectively, and approximately $17,000 and $69,000 for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2020, respectively. There was approximately $79,000 and $0 of total unrecognized stock compensation costs related to unvested stock compensation for the Restricted Stock grants at June 30, 2021 and September 30, 2020, respectively.

Stock Option Grant

Stock option grants of 118,000 options to certain Officers and Managers of the Company (collectively the “2020 Option Grants”) were granted on October 11, 2019. The option exercise price was set at $33.96, the closing price on October 11, 2019. The 2020 Option Grants will vest as follows: (i) 25% of the options will vest if the price of the Company’s common stock during a consecutive 20-trading day period exceeds $35.00; (ii) 25% of the options will vest if the price of the Company’s common stock during a consecutive 20-trading day period exceeds $40.00; (iii) 25% of the options will vest if the price of the Company’s common stock during a consecutive 20-trading day period exceeds $45.00; and (iv) 25% of the options will vest if the price of the Company’s common stock during a consecutive 20-trading day period exceeds $50.00. If the applicable stock price hurdles have not been achieved by (A) the date that is 18 months following the termination of employment, if the employment is terminated due to death or disability, (B) the date that is 12 months following the termination of employment, if the employment is terminated by the Company without cause, by the employee with good reason, or due to the employee’s retirement, or (C) the date of the termination of employment for any other reason, then any unvested options will be forfeited. In addition, if the applicable stock price hurdles have not been achieved by December 31, 2022, then any unvested options will be forfeited. The 2020 Option Grants will also become vested to the extent that the applicable stock price hurdles are satisfied in connection with a change in control of the Company. During the nine months ended June 30, 2021, the stock did not trade above $40.00 per share for twenty consecutive days (the $35.00 per share threshold was met during fiscal year 2020 and thus 25% was previously vested); accordingly, no additional amounts of the 2020 Option Grants vested at June 30, 2021.

Stock option grants of 10,000 options to Mr. John Kiernan (the “2019 Option Grants”) were granted on October 25, 2018. The option exercise price for these options was set at $33.34, the closing price on October 25, 2018. The 2019 Option Grants will vest as follows: (i) 3,333 of the options will vest if the price of the Company’s common stock during a consecutive 20-trading day period exceeds $40.00; (ii) 3,333 of the options will vest if the price of the Company’s common stock during a consecutive 20-trading day period exceeds $45.00; and (iii) 3,334 of the options will vest if the price of the Company’s common stock during a consecutive 20-trading day period exceeds $50.00. If the applicable stock price hurdles have not been achieved by (A) the date that is 18 months following Mr. Kiernan’s termination of employment, if Mr. Kiernan’s employment is terminated due to death or disability, (B) the date that is 12 months following Mr. Kiernan’s termination of employment, if Mr. Kiernan’s employment is terminated by the Company without cause, by Mr. Kiernan with good reason, or due to Mr. Kiernan’s retirement, or (C) the date of the termination of Mr. Kiernan’s employment for any other reason, then any unvested options will be forfeited. In addition, if the applicable stock price hurdles have not been achieved by December 31, 2021, then any unvested options will be forfeited. The 2019 Option Grants will also become vested to the extent that the applicable stock price hurdles are satisfied in connection with a change in control of the Company. Since the date of grant the stock did not trade above $40.00 per share for twenty consecutive days; accordingly, none of the 2019 Option Grants are vested at June 30, 2021.

Stock option grants of 210,000 options to Mr. Remy Trafelet and 90,000 options to Mr. John Kiernan (collectively, the “2018 Option Grants”) were granted on September 7, 2018. The option exercise price for these options was set at $33.60, the closing price on September 7, 2018. The 2018 Option Grants will vest as follows: (i) 25% of the options will vest if the price of the Company’s common stock during a consecutive 20-trading day period exceeds $35.00; (ii) 25% of the options will vest if the price of the Company’s common stock during a consecutive 20-trading day period exceeds $40.00; (iii) 25% of the options will vest if the price of the Company’s common stock during a consecutive 20-trading day period exceeds $45.00; and (iv) 25% of the options will vest if the price of the Company’s common stock during a consecutive 20-trading day period exceeds $50.00. If the applicable stock price hurdles have not been achieved by (A) the date that is 18 months following the respective Executive’s termination of employment, if the respective Executive’s employment is terminated due to death or disability, (B) the date that is 12 months following the respective Executive’s termination of employment, if the respective Executive’s employment is terminated by the Company without cause, by the respective Executive with good reason, or due to the respective Executive’s retirement, or (C) the date of the termination of the respective Executive’s employment for any other reason, then any unvested options will be forfeited. In addition, if the applicable stock price hurdles have not been achieved by December 31, 2021, then any unvested options will be forfeited. The 2018 Option Grants will also become vested to the extent that the applicable stock price hurdles are satisfied in connection with a change in control of the Company. During the nine months ended June 30, 2021, the stock did not trade above $40.00 per share for a consecutive twenty days (the $35.00 per share threshold was met during fiscal year 2020 and thus 25% was previously vested); accordingly, no additional stock options of Mr. Kiernan's 2018 Option Grants vested at June 30, 2021. As set forth below, more than a majority of the 2018 Option Grants issued to Mr. Trafelet were forfeited, vesting conditions of the remainder were modified, all pursuant to the Alico Settlement Agreement, and as noted below, such Option Grants issued to Mr. Trafelet have subsequently all been forfeited.

A stock option grant of 300,000 options in the case of Mr. Trafelet and 225,000 options in the case of each of Mr. Henry Slack and Mr. George Brokaw (collectively, the “2016 Option Grants”) were granted on December 31, 2016.  The option price was set at $27.15, the closing price on December 31, 2016.  The 2016 Option Grants will vest as follows: (i) 25% of the options will vest if the price of the Company’s common stock during a consecutive 20-trading day period exceeds $60.00; (ii) 25% of the options will vest if such price during a consecutive 20-trading day period exceeds $75.00; (iii) 25% of the options will vest if such price during a consecutive 20-trading day period exceeds $90.00; and (iv) 25% of the options will vest if such price during a consecutive 20-trading day period exceeds $105.00. If the applicable stock price hurdles have not been achieved by (A) the second anniversary of the Executive’s termination of employment, if the Executive’s employment is terminated due to death or disability, (B) the date that is 18 months following the Executive’s termination of employment, if the Executive’s employment is terminated by the Company without cause, by the Executive with good reason, or due to the Executive’s retirement, or (C) the date of the termination of the Executive’s employment for any other reason, then any unvested options will be forfeited. In addition, if the applicable stock price hurdles have not been achieved by the fifth anniversary of the grant date (or the fourth anniversary of the grant date, in the case of the tranche described in clause (i) above), then any unvested options will be forfeited. The 2016 Option Grants will also become vested to the extent that the applicable stock price hurdles are satisfied in connection with a change in control of the Company. Since the date of grant the stock did not trade above $60.00 per share for twenty consecutive days; accordingly, none of the 2016 Option Grants are vested at June 30, 2021. All the 2016 Option Grants issued to Mr. Trafelet were forfeited pursuant to the Alico Settlement Agreement, as defined below.

Additionally, 187,500 shares of the 2016 Option Grants made to each of Messrs. Slack and Brokaw were forfeited on September 5, 2018, and no replacement options were granted.

Pursuant to an Alico Settlement Agreement dated February 11, 2019 (described in Note 13. “Related Party Transactions”), which was unanimously approved by the Board of Directors, Mr. Trafelet agreed to voluntarily resign from his roles as President and Chief Executive Officer and a director of the Company. Under the Settlement Agreement, Mr. Trafelet forfeited (i) all of the 2016 Option Grants granted to him and (ii) all of the 2018 Option Grants granted to him in September 2018, other than 26,250 stock options that were to vest if the minimum price of Alico's common stock over 20 consecutive trading days exceeded $35.00 per share and 26,250 stock options that were to vest if the minimum price of Alico's common stock over 20 consecutive trading days exceeded $40.00 per share (“2019 Modified Option Grant”), in each case, by the first anniversary of the date of the Alico Settlement Agreement (collectively, the "Retained Options"). Any Retained Options that vest in accordance with their terms were to expire on the date that is six months following the date on which the Retained Option vests, and any Retained Options that do not vest by the first anniversary of the Alico Settlement Agreement were to be forfeited as of

such first anniversary. Although, by the first anniversary of the Alico Settlement Agreement, the Company’s common stock traded above $35.00 per share for a consecutive twenty days and thus 26,250 stock options from the 2019 Modified Options Grant vested, such Retained Options were not exercised within six months following the date on which such Retained Options vested, and accordingly they were forfeited. Additionally, since the stock did not trade above $40.00 per share for a consecutive twenty days by the first anniversary of the date of the Alico Settlement Agreement, the other 26,250 stock options from the 2019 Modified Option Grants never vested and were forfeited.

Forfeitures of all stock options were recognized as incurred.

Stock compensation expense related to the options of approximately $60,000 and $181,000 was recognized for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2021, respectively, and approximately $60,000 and $443,000 was recognized for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2020, respectively. At June 30, 2021 and September 30, 2020, there was approximately $195,000 and $376,000, respectively, of total unrecognized stock compensation costs related to unvested share-based compensation for the option grants. The total unrecognized compensation cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 0.97 years.

The fair value of the 2020 and 2019 Option Grants was estimated on the date of grant using a Monte Carlo valuation model that uses the assumptions noted in the following table. The expected term of options granted is derived from the output of the option valuation model and represents the period of time that options granted are expected to be outstanding; the range given below results from different timeframes for the various market conditions being met.

The weighted-average grant-date fair value of the 2020 Option Grant was $3.20. There were no additional stock options granted or exercised for the nine months ended June 30, 2021.

The weighted-average grant-date fair value of the 2019 Modified Option Grant was $1.40.

The weighted-average grant-date fair value of the 2019 Option Grants was $7.10.

Stock Repurchase Authorizations

On October 10, 2019, the Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to 7,000 shares of the Company’s common stock from 734 Investors in a privately negotiated repurchase of shares; and on October 15, 2019, the Company entered into a repurchase agreement to repurchase a total of 7,000 shares of the Company’s common stock from 734 Investors, effective October 15, 2019.

The following table illustrates the Company’s treasury stock activity for the nine months ended June 30, 2021: