NOTE 20 – Stock-Based Compensation

Compensation cost is recognized for stock options and restricted stock awards issued to employees and non-employee directors. Compensation cost is measured as the fair value of these awards on their date of grant. A Black-Scholes model is utilized to estimate the fair value of stock options, while the market price of the Company’s common stock at the date of grant is used as the fair value of restricted stock awards. Compensation cost is recognized over the required service period, generally defined as the vesting period for stock option and restricted stock awards.

The Company’s stock incentive programs are long-term retention programs intended to attract, retain, and provide incentives for key employees and non-employee directors in the form of incentive and non-qualified stock options and restricted stock.

Stock-based compensation expense was recorded as follows:


	For the years ended December 31,
(dollars in thousands)		2017		2016	2015
Stock option expense		$	959	746	556
Restricted stock grant expense			299	286	203
Total stock-based compensation expense		$	1,258	1,032	759

Stock Options
On March 21, 2000, the Company adopted a stock option plan under which the board of directors could grant up to 436,424 options at an exercise price per share not less than the fair market value on the date of grant. The options expire 10 years from the grant date, but expired or forfeited options may be reissued. Under the terms of the 2000 stock option plan any awards remaining and granted after March 2010 are accounted for as non-qualified stock options. As of January 2011, all available options under the 2000 stock option plan had been granted.

On May 18, 2010, the Company adopted the 2010 Incentive Plan, making available for issuance 366,025 stock options (adjusted for the 10% stock dividends in 2013, 2012, and 2011). The options may be exercised at an exercise price per share based on the fair market value and determined on the date of grant and expire 10 years from the grant date. On May 20, 2014, the Company amended the 2010 Incentive Plan to add an additional 200,000 shares of common stock to be issuable as stock options, for a total of 566,025 shares. As of December 31, 2017, there were 14,375 options available for grant under the 2010 Incentive Plan.

On May 17, 2016, the Company adopted the 2016 Equity Incentive Plan, making available for issuance 400,000 stock options. The options may be exercised at an exercise price per share based on the fair market value and determined on the date of grant and expire 10 years from the grant date. As of December 31, 2017, there were 345,315 options available for grant under the 2016 Equity Incentive Plan.

A summary of the status of the stock option plan and changes for the period is presented below:


	For the years ended December 31,
	2017						2016					2015
		Shares		Weighted average exercise price		Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life	Shares		Weighted average exercise price		Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life	Shares		Weighted average exercise price		Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life
Outstanding at beginning of year		642,203		$	11.77		693,954		$	8.94		667,479		$	7.83
Granted		110,950			35.34		109,500			23.65		93,511			17.15
Exercised		(74,437	)		9.48		(152,751	)		7.19		(67,036	)		9.36
Forfeited or expired		(15,875	)		23.49		(8,500	)		15.69		-			-
Outstanding at end of year		662,841		$	15.70	5.6 years	642,203		$	11.77	5.9 years	693,954		$	8.94	6.0 years
Options exercisable at year-end		419,766		$	9.20	4.1 years	399,256		$	7.62	4.4 years	457,895		$	6.74	4.9 years
Weighted average fair value of options granted during the year				$	14.14				$	10.96				$	9.09
Shares available for grant		359,690					454,765					155,767

The aggregate intrinsic value (the difference between the Company’s closing stock price on the last trading day of the year and the exercise price, multiplied by the number of in-the-money options) of 662,841 and 642,203 stock options outstanding at December 31, 2017 and 2016 was $16.9 million and $15.6 million, respectively. The aggregate intrinsic value of 419,766 and 399,256 stock options exercisable at December 31, 2017 and 2016 was $13.5 million and $11.4 million, respectively.

The fair value of the option grant is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The following assumptions were used for grants:


	2017	2016	2015
Dividend yield	-	-	-
Expected life	7 years	7 years	7 years
Expected volatility	34.63%	43.22%	51.24%
Risk-free interest rate	2.04%	1.65%	1.63%

At December 31, 2017, there was $2.0 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to nonvested stock option grants. The cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.6 years. The fair value of stock option grants that vested during 2017, 2016, and 2015 was $775,000, $593,000 and $491,000, respectively.

Restricted Stock Grants
In 2006, the Company adopted a restricted stock plan for the benefit of the directors, officers and employees. Under the restricted stock plan, 13,310 shares of restricted stock (adjusted for the stock dividends in 2011 and 2012) were authorized for issuance. As of December 31, 2012 all shares of restricted stock, authorized under the plan had been granted.

In May 2010, the Company adopted the 2010 Incentive Plan which included a provision for the issuance of 79,860 shares of restricted stock (adjusted for all subsequent stock dividends). On May 19, 2015, the Company amended the 2010 Incentive Plan to add an additional 25,000 shares of common stock to be issuable as restricted stock grants, for a total of 104,860 shares. As of December 31, 2017, there were 9,424 shares of restricted stock available for grant.

On May 17, 2016, the Company adopted the 2016 Equity Incentive Plan which included a provision for the issuance of 50,000 shares of common stock to be issuable as restricted stock grants. As of December 31, 2017, all shares of restricted stock were available for grant.

Shares of restricted stock granted to employees under the stock plans are subject to restrictions as to continuous employment for a specified time period following the date of grant. During this period, the holder is entitled to full voting rights and dividends.

A summary of the status of the Company’s nonvested restricted stock and changes for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015 is as follows:


	December 31,
	2017					2016				2015
				Weighted				Weighted				Weighted
				Average				Average				Average
		Restricted		Grant-Date		Restricted		Grant-Date		Restricted		Grant-Date
		Shares		Fair Value		Shares		Fair Value		Shares		Fair Value
Nonvested at beginning of year		36,125		$	20.13	33,749		$	12.92	49,000		$	11.83
Granted		6,500			35.14	22,000			23.91	3,000			20.65
Vested		(17,625	)		16.73	(17,749	)		11.68	(18,251	)		11.28
Forfeited		-			-	(1,875	)		14.72	-			-
Nonvested at end of year		25,000		$	26.43	36,125		$	20.13	33,749		$	12.92

At December 31, 2017, there was $502,000 of total unrecognized compensation cost related to nonvested restricted stock grants. The cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.6 years.