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Stock Based Incentive Compensation
12 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2021
Employee Stock Purchase Plan  
Stock Based Incentive Compensation

15.    Stock Based Incentive Compensation

In 2015, the Company adopted the 2015 Stock Incentive Plan (the "2015 Plan") and authorized 300,000 shares of common stock to be reserved for issuance pursuant to the 2015 Plan. During 2019 an additional 300,000 shares of common stock were authorized to be reserved for issuance pursuant to the 2015 Plan. As of September 30, 2021, there were 140,215 shares available to be granted under the 2015 Plan. Under all of the stock incentive plans, both incentive stock options and non-qualified stock options may be granted to officers, key employees and other persons providing services to the Company. All of the Company’s stock incentive plans have a ten-year life.

Awards issued under any of the stock option plans are not affected by termination of the plan. The Company issues stock options at their fair market value on the date of grant. Vesting of stock options granted pursuant to the Company’s stock incentive plans is determined by the Company’s compensation committee. Generally, options granted to employees vest over four years and expire ten years from the date of grant. Options granted to non-employee directors have historically included cliff vesting after six months from the date of grant and expire three years from the date of grant. In fiscal years 2016 through 2021, the Company granted certain officers including its Chief Executive Officer and non-employee directors, and key employees shares of nonvested common stock instead of stock options. The vesting periods for the officers’, the Chief Executive Officer’s and the non-employee directors’ nonvested stock awards are four years, three years and one year, respectively. The vesting period for the key employees’ awards is four years or awards vest immediately.

We measure and recognize compensation expense for all stock-based payment awards made to employees and directors including employee stock options and awards of nonvested stock based on estimated fair values, as described in Note 1 Summary of Significant Accounting Policies. Stock-based compensation expense incurred and recognized for the years ended September 30, 2021 and 2020 related to stock options and nonvested stock granted to employees and non-employee directors under the Company’s stock incentive and employee stock purchase plans totaled approximately $981 thousand and $982 thousand, respectively. The classification of the cost of stock-based compensation, in the consolidated statements of operations, is consistent with the nature of the services being rendered in exchange for the share-based payment.

The following table summarizes stock-based compensation expense in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations:

Years Ended

September 30, 

September 30, 

    

2021

    

2020

(Amounts in thousands)

Cost of sales

$

5

$

8

Engineering and development

 

38

 

83

Selling, general and administrative

 

938

 

891

Total

$

981

$

982

For the year ended September 30, 2021, the Company granted 42,457 nonvested shares to certain key employees, 41,000 nonvested shares to certain officers including 30,000 shares granted to the Chief Executive Officer, and 20,000 nonvested shares to its non-employee directors. For the year ended September 30, 2020, the Company granted 36,750 nonvested shares to certain key employees, 40,000 nonvested shares to certain officers including 30,000 shares granted to the Chief Executive Officer, and 20,000 nonvested shares to its non-employee directors.

The Company measures the fair value of nonvested stock awards based upon the market price of its common stock as of the date of grant. The Company used the Black-Scholes option-pricing model to value stock options. The Black-Scholes model requires the use of a number of assumptions including volatility of the Company’s stock price, the weighted average risk-free interest rate and the weighted average expected life of the options, at the time of grant. The expected dividend yield is equal to the divided per share declared, divided by the closing share price on the date the

options were granted. All equity compensation awards granted for the years ended September 30, 2021 and September 30, 2020 were nonvested stock awards.

As stock-based compensation expense recognized in the consolidated statements of operations is based on awards ultimately expected to vest, expense for grants beginning upon adoption on October 1, 2005 has been reduced for estimated forfeitures. Forfeitures are estimated at the time of grant and revised, if necessary, in subsequent periods if actual forfeitures differ from those estimates. The forfeiture rates for the years ended September 30, 2021 and 2020 were based on actual forfeitures.

No cash was used to settle equity instruments granted under share-base payment arrangements in any of the years in the two-year period ended September 30, 2021.

The following tables provide summary data of stock option award activity:

Weighted

Weighted

Average

Aggregate

average

Remaining

Intrinsic

Number

exercise

Contractual

Value

    

of Options

    

price

    

Term

    

(in thousands)

Outstanding at September 30, 2019

 

2,000

$

3.75

 

 

Granted

 

 

 

 

Expired

 

(500)

$

3.85

 

 

Forfeited

 

 

 

 

Exercised

 

(500)

 

3.85

 

 

Outstanding at September 30, 2020

 

1,000

$

3.64

 

 

Granted

 

 

 

 

Expired

 

(500)

3.85

 

 

Forfeited

 

 

 

 

Exercised

 

 

 

Outstanding at September 30, 2021

 

500

 

.29 Years

$

4

Exercisable at September 30, 2021

 

500

$

3.43

 

.29 Years

$

4

Vested and expected to vest at September 30, 2021

 

500

$

3.43

 

.29 Years

$

4

There were no stock options granted in the years ended September 30, 2021 and 2020. No stock options were exercised during the year ended September 30, 2021. The aggregate intrinsic value of stock options exercised during the year ended September 30, 2020 was $5 thousand. The following table provides summary data of nonvested stock award activity:

Weighted

Weighted

Average

Average

Aggregate

Number of 

grant date

Remaining

Intrinsic

nonvested

Fair

Contractual

Value

    

shares

    

Value

    

Term

    

(in thousands)

Nonvested shares outstanding at September 30, 2019

 

190,735

$

10.12

 

2.21 Years

$

2,560

Activity in fiscal year 2020:

Granted

 

96,750

$

13.28

 

 

Vested

 

(84,743)

$

9.66

 

 

Forfeited

 

$

 

 

Nonvested shares outstanding at September 30, 2020

 

202,742

$

11.82

 

2.21 Years

$

1,750

Activity in fiscal year 2021:

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

Granted

 

103,465

$

8.60

 

 

Vested

 

(90,395)

$

11.79

 

 

Forfeited

 

(18,750)

$

10.37

 

 

Nonvested shares outstanding at September 30, 2021

 

197,063

$

10.28

 

2.15 Years

$

1,760

As of September 30, 2021, there was $1.4 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to nonvested stock-based compensation arrangements (including nonvested stock awards) granted under the Company’s stock incentive plans. This cost is expected to be expensed over a weighted average period of approximately 2.32 years. The total fair value of shares vested during the years ended September 30, 2021 and 2020 was $1.1 million and $0.8 million, respectively.