STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION AND STOCK OWNERSHIP PLANS

The Company’s current stock ownership plans allow for issuance of stock options to acquire shares of Class A common stock by key executives and non-employee directors. Current plans also allow for issuance of shares of restricted stock, restricted stock units or stock appreciation rights in lieu of stock options.

Under the Company’s 2010 Long-Term Stock Incentive Plan and the 2012 Non-Employee Director Stock Ownership Plan (the only two plans where shares remain available for future equity incentive awards) there were a total of 586,860 shares of the Company’s Class A common stock available for future grant to key executives and non-employee directors at December 29, 2017.

Non-vested Stock

All shares of non-vested stock awarded by the Company have been granted in the form of shares of Class A common stock at their fair market value on the date of grant and vest four years after the grant date. The fair value at date of grant is based on the number of shares granted and the average of the Company’s high and low Class A common stock price on the date of grant or, if the Company’s Class A shares did not trade on the date of grant, the average of the Company’s high and low Class A common stock price on the last preceding date on which the Company’s Class A shares traded.

A summary of non-vested stock activity for the three months ended December 29, 2017 related to the Company’s stock ownership plans is as follows:



	Shares		Weighted Average Grant Price
Non-vested stock at September 29, 2017	95,068		$	27.68
Non-vested stock grants	6,532		70.39
Restricted stock vested	(54,824	)	25.36
Non-vested stock at December 29, 2017	46,776		36.37

Non-vested stock grantees may elect to reimburse the Company for withholding taxes due as a result of the vesting of shares by tendering a portion of the vested shares back to the Company. Shares tendered back to the Company were 9,377 and 17,832 during the three month periods ended December 29, 2017 and December 30, 2016, respectively.

Stock compensation expense, net of forfeitures, related to non-vested stock was $182 and $283 for the three month periods ended December 29, 2017 and December 30, 2016, respectively. Unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested stock as of December 29, 2017 was $1,011, which amount will be amortized to expense through November 2020 or adjusted for changes in future estimated or actual forfeitures.

The fair value of restricted stock vested during the three month periods ended December 29, 2017 and December 30, 2016 was $3,948 and $3,219, respectively.

Restricted Stock Units

All restricted stock units (RSUs) awarded by the Company have been granted in the form of units payable in shares of Class A common stock upon vesting. The units are valued at the fair market value of a share of Class A common stock on the date of grant and vest within one year from date of grant for RSUs granted to directors and three years from the date of grant for RSUs granted to employees. The fair value at date of grant is based on the number of units granted and the average of the Company’s high and low Class A common stock trading price on the date of grant or, if the Company’s Class A shares did not trade on the date of grant, the average of the Company’s high and low Class A common stock trading price on the last preceding date on which the Company’s Class A shares traded.

A summary of RSU activity for the three months ended December 29, 2017 follows:



	Number of RSUs		Weighted Average Grant Price
RSUs at September 29, 2017	60,642		$	31.85
RSUs granted	19,888		70.39
RSUs vested	(1,257	)	35.81
RSUs at December 29, 2017	79,273		39.12

Stock compensation expense, net of forfeitures, related to RSUs was $345 and $221 for the three months ended December 29, 2017 and December 30, 2016, respectively. Unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested RSUs as of December 29, 2017 was $1,847, which amount will be amortized to expense through November 2020 or adjusted for changes in future estimated or actual forfeitures.

Compensation expense related to units earned by employees is based upon the attainment of certain financial goals related to cumulative net sales and cumulative operating profit over a three-year performance period. Awards are only paid if at least 80% of the target levels are met and maximum payouts are made if 120% of more of target levels are achieved. The payouts for achievement of the threshold levels of performance are equal to 50% of the target award amount. The payouts for achievement of maximum levels of performance are equal to 150% of the target award amount. To the extent earned, awards are issued in shares of Company common stock after the end of the three year performance period.

Employees’ Stock Purchase Plan

The Company’s shareholders have adopted the Johnson Outdoors Inc. 2009 Employees’ Stock Purchase Plan, which was most recently amended on March 2, 2017, and which provides for the issuance of shares of Class A common stock at a purchase price of not less than 85% of the fair market value of such shares on the date of grant or on the date of purchase, whichever is lower.

During the three month period ended December 29, 2017, the Company issued no shares of Class A common stock and recognized $11 of expense in connection with the Employees' Stock Purchase Plan. During the three months ended December 30, 2016, the Company issued no shares of Class A common stock and recognized no expense in connection with the Employees' Stock Purchase Plan.