<SEC-DOCUMENT>0001193125-18-175519.txt : 20180525
<SEC-HEADER>0001193125-18-175519.hdr.sgml : 20180525
<ACCEPTANCE-DATETIME>20180525172402
ACCESSION NUMBER:		0001193125-18-175519
CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE:	DEFA14A
PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT:		2
FILED AS OF DATE:		20180525
DATE AS OF CHANGE:		20180525
EFFECTIVENESS DATE:		20180525

FILER:

	COMPANY DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			RENT A CENTER INC DE
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0000933036
		STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:	SERVICES-EQUIPMENT RENTAL & LEASING, NEC [7359]
		IRS NUMBER:				450491516
		FISCAL YEAR END:			1231

	FILING VALUES:
		FORM TYPE:		DEFA14A
		SEC ACT:		1934 Act
		SEC FILE NUMBER:	001-38047
		FILM NUMBER:		18862447

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		5501 HEADQUARTERS DRIVE
		CITY:			PLANO
		STATE:			TX
		ZIP:			75024
		BUSINESS PHONE:		972-801-1100

	MAIL ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		5501 HEADQUARTERS DRIVE
		CITY:			PLANO
		STATE:			TX
		ZIP:			75024

	FORMER COMPANY:	
		FORMER CONFORMED NAME:	RENTERS CHOICE INC
		DATE OF NAME CHANGE:	19941128
</SEC-HEADER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>DEFA14A
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>d598776ddefa14a.htm
<DESCRIPTION>DEFA14A
<TEXT>
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<TITLE>DEFA14A</TITLE>
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 <P STYLE="line-height:1.0pt;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;border-bottom:1px solid #000000">&nbsp;</P>
<P STYLE="line-height:3.0pt;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:2pt;border-bottom:1px solid #000000">&nbsp;</P> <P STYLE="margin-top:6pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:18pt; font-family:Times New Roman" ALIGN="center"><B>UNITED STATES </B></P>
<P STYLE="margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:18pt; font-family:Times New Roman" ALIGN="center"><B>SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION </B></P>
<P STYLE="margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:Times New Roman" ALIGN="center"><B>Washington, D.C. 20549 </B></P> <P STYLE="font-size:6pt;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt">&nbsp;</P><center>
<P STYLE="line-height:6.0pt;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:2pt;border-bottom:1.00pt solid #000000;width:21%">&nbsp;</P></center> <P STYLE="margin-top:6pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:18pt; font-family:Times New Roman" ALIGN="center"><B>SCHEDULE 14A
</B></P> <P STYLE="margin-top:6pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:Times New Roman" ALIGN="center"><B>Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the </B></P>
<P STYLE="margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:12pt; font-family:Times New Roman" ALIGN="center"><B>Securities Exchange Act of 1934 </B></P> <P STYLE="font-size:6pt;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt">&nbsp;</P><center>
<P STYLE="line-height:6.0pt;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:2pt;border-bottom:1.00pt solid #000000;width:21%">&nbsp;</P></center> <P STYLE="margin-top:6pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:10pt; font-family:Times New Roman">Filed by the
Registrant&nbsp;&nbsp;&#9745;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Filed by a party other than the
Registrant&nbsp;&nbsp;&#9744;</P> <P STYLE="margin-top:6pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:10pt; font-family:Times New Roman">Check the appropriate box: </P> <P STYLE="font-size:6pt;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt">&nbsp;</P>
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<TD VALIGN="top">&#9744;</TD>
<TD VALIGN="bottom">&nbsp;</TD>
<TD VALIGN="bottom">Preliminary Proxy Statement</TD></TR>
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<TD VALIGN="top">&#9744;</TD>
<TD VALIGN="bottom">&nbsp;</TD>
<TD VALIGN="bottom"><B>Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2))</B></TD></TR>
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<TD VALIGN="top">&#9744;</TD>
<TD VALIGN="bottom">&nbsp;</TD>
<TD VALIGN="bottom">Definitive Proxy Statement</TD></TR>
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<TD VALIGN="top">&#9745;</TD>
<TD VALIGN="bottom">&nbsp;</TD>
<TD VALIGN="bottom">Definitive Additional Materials</TD></TR>
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<TD VALIGN="top">&#9744;</TD>
<TD VALIGN="bottom">&nbsp;</TD>
<TD VALIGN="bottom">Soliciting Material Under Rule 14a-12</TD></TR></TABLE> <P STYLE="margin-top:6pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:22pt; font-family:Times New Roman" ALIGN="center"><B>RENT-A-CENTER, INC.
</B></P> <P STYLE="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt" ALIGN="center">


<IMG SRC="g598776g67c70.jpg" ALT="LOGO">
 </P> <P STYLE="margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:8pt; font-family:Times New Roman" ALIGN="center"><B>(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter) </B></P>
<P STYLE="margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:8pt; font-family:Times New Roman" ALIGN="center"><B>(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant) </B></P>
<P STYLE="margin-top:6pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:10pt; font-family:Times New Roman">Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box): </P>
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<TD VALIGN="top">&#9745;</TD>
<TD VALIGN="bottom">&nbsp;</TD>
<TD VALIGN="top" COLSPAN="3">No fee required.</TD></TR>
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<TD VALIGN="top">&#9744;</TD>
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<TD VALIGN="top" COLSPAN="3">Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11.</TD></TR>
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<TD VALIGN="top">(1)</TD>
<TD VALIGN="bottom">&nbsp;</TD>
<TD VALIGN="top"> <P STYLE="margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:10pt; font-family:Times New Roman">Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies:</P> <P STYLE="font-size:6pt;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt">&nbsp;</P>
<P STYLE="margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:1pt; border-bottom:1px solid #000000; font-size:10pt; font-family:Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</P></TD></TR>
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<TD VALIGN="bottom">&nbsp;</TD>
<TD VALIGN="top">(2)</TD>
<TD VALIGN="bottom">&nbsp;</TD>
<TD VALIGN="top"> <P STYLE="margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:10pt; font-family:Times New Roman">Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies:</P> <P STYLE="font-size:6pt;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt">&nbsp;</P>
<P STYLE="margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:1pt; border-bottom:1px solid #000000; font-size:10pt; font-family:Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</P></TD></TR>
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<TD VALIGN="top">(3)</TD>
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<TD VALIGN="top"> <P STYLE="margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:10pt; font-family:Times New Roman">Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which the filing
fee is calculated and state how it was determined):</P> <P STYLE="font-size:6pt;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt">&nbsp;</P>
<P STYLE="margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:1pt; border-bottom:1px solid #000000; font-size:10pt; font-family:Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</P></TD></TR>
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<TD VALIGN="top">(4)</TD>
<TD VALIGN="bottom">&nbsp;</TD>
<TD VALIGN="top"> <P STYLE="margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:10pt; font-family:Times New Roman">Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction:</P> <P STYLE="font-size:6pt;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt">&nbsp;</P>
<P STYLE="margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:1pt; border-bottom:1px solid #000000; font-size:10pt; font-family:Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</P></TD></TR>
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<TD VALIGN="bottom">&nbsp;</TD>
<TD VALIGN="top">(5)</TD>
<TD VALIGN="bottom">&nbsp;</TD>
<TD VALIGN="top"> <P STYLE="margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:10pt; font-family:Times New Roman">Total fee paid:</P> <P STYLE="font-size:6pt;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt">&nbsp;</P>
<P STYLE="margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:1pt; border-bottom:1px solid #000000; font-size:10pt; font-family:Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</P></TD></TR>
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<TD VALIGN="top">&#9744;</TD>
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<TD VALIGN="top" COLSPAN="3">Fee paid previously with preliminary materials.</TD></TR>
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<TD VALIGN="top">&#9744;</TD>
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<TD VALIGN="top" COLSPAN="3">Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement
number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing:</TD></TR>
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<TD VALIGN="top">(1)</TD>
<TD VALIGN="bottom">&nbsp;</TD>
<TD VALIGN="top"> <P STYLE="margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:10pt; font-family:Times New Roman">Amount previously paid:</P> <P STYLE="font-size:6pt;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt">&nbsp;</P>
<P STYLE="margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:1pt; border-bottom:1px solid #000000; font-size:10pt; font-family:Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</P></TD></TR>
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<TD VALIGN="top">(2)</TD>
<TD VALIGN="bottom">&nbsp;</TD>
<TD VALIGN="top"> <P STYLE="margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:10pt; font-family:Times New Roman">Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No:</P> <P STYLE="font-size:6pt;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt">&nbsp;</P>
<P STYLE="margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:1pt; border-bottom:1px solid #000000; font-size:10pt; font-family:Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</P></TD></TR>
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<TD VALIGN="top"> <P STYLE="margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:10pt; font-family:Times New Roman">Filing party:</P> <P STYLE="font-size:6pt;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt">&nbsp;</P>
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<TD VALIGN="top"> <P STYLE="margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:10pt; font-family:Times New Roman">Date Filed:</P> <P STYLE="font-size:6pt;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt">&nbsp;</P>
<P STYLE="margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:1pt; border-bottom:1px solid #000000; font-size:10pt; font-family:Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</P></TD></TR>
</TABLE> <P STYLE="font-size:6pt;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt">&nbsp;</P> <P STYLE="line-height:1.0pt;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;border-bottom:1px solid #000000">&nbsp;</P>
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<HR  SIZE="3" style="COLOR:#999999" WIDTH="100%" ALIGN="CENTER">

 <P STYLE="margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:10pt; font-family:Times New Roman">Institutional Shareholder Services (&#147;ISS&#148;) and Glass Lewis, the two principal proxy advisory services,
have issued guidance to stockholders of Rent-A-Center, Inc. (&#147;Rent-A-Center&#148; or the &#147;Company&#148;) for the Company&#146;s upcoming annual meeting being held on June 5, 2018. In all but one instance, these services recommended that
the Company&#146;s stockholders vote &#147;for&#148; each of the proposals to be addressed at the annual meeting, including the Company&#146;s initiative to declassify its board of directors. While Glass Lewis recommended that Rent-A-Center&#146;s
stockholders vote &#147;for&#148; the Company&#146;s proposed Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation (the &#147;Say-On-Pay Proposal&#148;), ISS has recommended against this proposal based on the Company&#146;s employment agreement with Mitchell E.
Fadel, the Company&#146;s CEO, because his employment arrangement provides a single-trigger change-in-control provision under which he would receive a lump-sum payment <U>only</U> <U>if</U> the Company is sold or control of the Company otherwise
rests with a new party. </P> <P STYLE="margin-top:12pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:10pt; font-family:Times New Roman">Rent-A-Center is providing the following additional disclosures in response to the negative recommendation by ISS regarding the
Say-On-Pay Proposal to provide further perspective on its Compensation Committee&#146;s deliberations regarding the new CEO&#146;s employment agreement: </P> <P STYLE="font-size:6pt;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt">&nbsp;</P>
<TABLE STYLE="BORDER-COLLAPSE:COLLAPSE; font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:10pt" BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="100%">
<TR style = "page-break-inside:avoid">
<TD WIDTH="5%">&nbsp;</TD>
<TD WIDTH="2%" VALIGN="top" ALIGN="left">&#149;</TD>
<TD WIDTH="1%" VALIGN="top">&nbsp;</TD>
<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top">Mr. Fadel became CEO of Rent-A-Center on January 2, 2018 following the departure of the Company&#146;s founder, Mark Speese, on December 30, 2017, and during the pendency of the Company&#146;s ongoing review of
strategic and financial alternatives announced in the fourth quarter of last year. </TD></TR></TABLE> <P STYLE="font-size:6pt;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt">&nbsp;</P>
<TABLE STYLE="BORDER-COLLAPSE:COLLAPSE; font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:10pt" BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="100%">
<TR style = "page-break-inside:avoid">
<TD WIDTH="5%">&nbsp;</TD>
<TD WIDTH="2%" VALIGN="top" ALIGN="left">&#149;</TD>
<TD WIDTH="1%" VALIGN="top">&nbsp;</TD>
<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top">Because Mr. Fadel assumed the leadership role for Rent-A-Center&#146;s management group during a critical time for the Company, the Compensation Committee considered the importance of securing and retaining him as the
Company&#146;s chief executive officer given his industry experience, 30-plus years of involvement with the Company, and extensive knowledge of the Company and its operations. </TD></TR></TABLE>
<P STYLE="font-size:6pt;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt">&nbsp;</P>
<TABLE STYLE="BORDER-COLLAPSE:COLLAPSE; font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:10pt" BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="100%">
<TR style = "page-break-inside:avoid">
<TD WIDTH="5%">&nbsp;</TD>
<TD WIDTH="2%" VALIGN="top" ALIGN="left">&#149;</TD>
<TD WIDTH="1%" VALIGN="top">&nbsp;</TD>
<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top">As Mr. Fadel was named CEO during the ongoing strategic review process, the Compensation Committee believed it was important to properly incentivize him both in the near term while the strategic review is ongoing and in
the longer term following the completion of that review. </TD></TR></TABLE> <P STYLE="font-size:6pt;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt">&nbsp;</P>
<TABLE STYLE="BORDER-COLLAPSE:COLLAPSE; font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:10pt" BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="100%">
<TR style = "page-break-inside:avoid">
<TD WIDTH="5%">&nbsp;</TD>
<TD WIDTH="2%" VALIGN="top" ALIGN="left">&#149;</TD>
<TD WIDTH="1%" VALIGN="top">&nbsp;</TD>
<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top">In the Compensation Committee&#146;s view, the overall employment arrangement for Mr. Fadel was appropriately fair, conservative and near the low-range of the compensation scale as compared to like-situated industry
executives. </TD></TR></TABLE> <P STYLE="font-size:6pt;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt">&nbsp;</P>
<TABLE STYLE="BORDER-COLLAPSE:COLLAPSE; font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:10pt" BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="100%">
<TR style = "page-break-inside:avoid">
<TD WIDTH="5%">&nbsp;</TD>
<TD WIDTH="2%" VALIGN="top" ALIGN="left">&#149;</TD>
<TD WIDTH="1%" VALIGN="top">&nbsp;</TD>
<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top">The Compensation Committee determined that Mr. Fadel&#146;s compensation arrangement properly balanced the needs of the Company given the circumstances at the time with the Committee&#146;s general performance-based
approach to executive compensation. </TD></TR></TABLE> <P STYLE="font-size:6pt;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt">&nbsp;</P>
<TABLE STYLE="BORDER-COLLAPSE:COLLAPSE; font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:10pt" BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="100%">
<TR style = "page-break-inside:avoid">
<TD WIDTH="5%">&nbsp;</TD>
<TD WIDTH="2%" VALIGN="top" ALIGN="left">&#149;</TD>
<TD WIDTH="1%" VALIGN="top">&nbsp;</TD>
<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top">Mr. Fadel did not receive a signing bonus or an up-front equity grant at the time his employment with the Company commenced, and only later received equity grants in the ordinary course when such grants were made to
other members of management in February of this year. </TD></TR></TABLE> <P STYLE="font-size:6pt;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt">&nbsp;</P>
<TABLE STYLE="BORDER-COLLAPSE:COLLAPSE; font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:10pt" BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="100%">
<TR style = "page-break-inside:avoid">
<TD WIDTH="5%">&nbsp;</TD>
<TD WIDTH="2%" VALIGN="top" ALIGN="left">&#149;</TD>
<TD WIDTH="1%" VALIGN="top">&nbsp;</TD>
<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top">While his employment arrangement provides a single-trigger change-in-control provision, the lump-sum payment due to him in the event of a change-in-control within the first twelve months of his employment (during which
time, the Company&#146;s strategic alternatives review will have concluded) is only one times his annual base salary, below the multiple commonly afforded executives under similar circumstances. </TD></TR></TABLE>
<P STYLE="font-size:6pt;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt">&nbsp;</P>
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<TD WIDTH="2%" VALIGN="top" ALIGN="left">&#149;</TD>
<TD WIDTH="1%" VALIGN="top">&nbsp;</TD>
<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top">In light of the factors noted above, the Compensation Committee determined that the compensation arrangement put in place for Mr. Fadel was stockholder-friendly and did not position him to receive an outsized payment
should the Company&#146;s strategic alternatives review process ultimately result in a change-in-control. </TD></TR></TABLE> <P STYLE="font-size:6pt;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt">&nbsp;</P>
<TABLE STYLE="BORDER-COLLAPSE:COLLAPSE; font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:10pt" BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="100%">
<TR style = "page-break-inside:avoid">
<TD WIDTH="5%">&nbsp;</TD>
<TD WIDTH="2%" VALIGN="top" ALIGN="left">&#149;</TD>
<TD WIDTH="1%" VALIGN="top">&nbsp;</TD>
<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top">The Company&#146;s compensation practices have generally been well received by its stockholders and the proxy advisory community in the past. At the Company&#146;s 2017 annual stockholders meeting, for example, over 94%
of the shares present and entitled to vote at that meeting voted in favor of its proposal regarding executive compensation. </TD></TR></TABLE>
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