As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 23, 2024
File No. 333-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM S-8
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
GRAPHIC PACKAGING HOLDING COMPANY
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Delaware | 26-0405422 | |
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) | |
| 1500 Riveredge Parkway, Suite 100 Atlanta, Georgia |
30328 | |
| (Address of Principal Executive Offices) | (Zip Code) | |
Graphic Packaging Holding Company 2024 Omnibus Incentive Compensation Plan
(Full title of the plan)
Lauren S. Tashma, Esq.
Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
1500 Riveredge Parkway, Suite 100
Atlanta, Georgia 30328
(770) 240-7200
(Name, address, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
With a copy to:
John B. Shannon, Esq.
Alston & Bird LLP
1201 West Peachtree Street
Atlanta, Georgia 30309
(404) 881-7000
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one)
| Large accelerated filer | ☒ | Accelerated filer | ☐ | |||
| Non-accelerated filer | ☐ | Smaller reporting company | ☐ | |||
| Emerging growth company | ☐ | |||||
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Graphic Packaging Holding Company (the “Company” or the “Registrant”) has filed this Registration Statement on Form S-8 (this “Registration Statement”) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), to register (i) 11,200,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, $0.01 par value per share (“Common Stock”), that may be issued under the Graphic Packaging Holding Company 2024 Omnibus Incentive Compensation Plan (the “Plan”); and (ii) such additional shares that may become issuable in accordance with the adjustment and anti-dilution provisions of the Plan.
PART I
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS
Items 1 and 2. Plan Information; Registrant Information and Employee Plan Annual Information.
(a) The documents constituting Part I of this registration statement on Form S-8 (this “Registration Statement”) will be delivered to participants in the Plan as specified by Rule 428(b)(1) under the Securities Act. These documents and the documents incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement pursuant to Item 3 of Part II of this form, taken together, constitute a prospectus that meets the requirements of Section 10(a) of the Securities Act.
(b) Upon written or oral request, the Company will provide, without charge, the documents incorporated by reference in Item 3 of Part II of this Registration Statement. The documents are incorporated by reference in the Section 10(a) prospectus. The Company will also provide, without charge, upon written or oral request, other documents required to be delivered to participants pursuant to Rule 428(b). Requests for the above-mentioned information should be directed to our corporate headquarters at the following address: 1500 Riveredge Parkway, Suite 100, Atlanta, Georgia 30328, Attn: Lauren S. Tashma, Esq., Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, or by calling (770) 240-7200.
PART II
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT
| Item 3. | Incorporation of Documents by Reference. |
The following documents, filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), are incorporated herein by reference and deemed to be a part hereof (excluding any portions of such documents that are deemed to be “furnished” but not “filed” for purposes of the Exchange Act):
| (a) | The Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, filed on February 21, 2024; |
| (b) | The Company’s Current Reports on Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on February 20, 2024, February 20, 2024, April 30, 2024, May 6, 2024, May 6, 2024, and May 13, 2024; |
| (c) | The description of the Company’s Common Stock set forth in our Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange Act on March 10, 2008, and any amendment or report filed with the Commission for the purpose of updating such description; and |
| (d) | All reports filed by the Company pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) since December 31, 2023 (excluding any portions of such documents that are deemed to be “furnished” but not “filed” for purposes of the Exchange Act). |
In addition, all reports and other documents subsequently filed (but not furnished) by the Company pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act, prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment that indicates that all securities offered have been sold or that deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement and to be a part hereof from the date of filing of such documents with the Commission. Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent that a statement contained in this Registration Statement, or in any other subsequently filed document that also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement, modifies or supersedes such prior statement. Any statement contained in this Registration Statement shall be deemed to be modified or superseded to the extent that a statement contained in a subsequently filed document that is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement modifies or supersedes such prior statement. Any statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement.
No document or information deemed to be furnished and not filed in accordance with rules of the Commission shall be deemed to be incorporated herein by reference unless such document or information expressly provides to the contrary.
| Item 4. | Description of Securities. |
Not applicable.
| Item 5. | Interests of Named Experts and Counsel. |
Not applicable.
| Item 6. | Indemnification of Directors and Officers. |
Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, or the DGCL, provides that a corporation may indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation) by reason of the fact that he is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if he acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his conduct was unlawful. Section 145 further provides that a corporation similarly may indemnify any such person serving in any such capacity who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that he is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorney’s fees) actually and reasonably incurred in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit if he acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation and except that no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Delaware Court of Chancery or such other court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all of the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Delaware Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper.
The Company’s Restated Certificate of Incorporation provides for the indemnification of directors, officers and employees to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL. In addition, as permitted by the DGCL, the certificate of incorporation provides that the Company’s directors shall have no personal liability to the Company or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except (1) for any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the Company or its stockholders, (2) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or knowing violation of law, (3) under Section 174 of the DGCL or (4) for any transaction from which a director derived an improper personal benefit.
The Company’s By-Laws provide for the indemnification of all current and former directors and all current or former officers to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, except that the Company is not obligated to indemnify a director, officer or employee in respect of any proceeding (or part thereof) instituted by such person, unless such proceeding (or part thereof) has been authorized by the Company’s board of directors.
| Item 7. | Exemption from Registration Claimed. |
Not applicable.
| Item 8. | Exhibits. |
| * | Filed herewith. |
| Item 9. | Undertakings. |
(a) The Company hereby undertakes:
(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:
(i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;
(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of this Registration Statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in this Registration Statement; and
(iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in this Registration Statement or any material change to such information in this Registration Statement;
Provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) of this section do not apply if this Registration Statement is on Form S-8, and the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the Company pursuant to section 13 or section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement;
(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof; and
(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.
(b) The undersigned Company hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the Company’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(h) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Company pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Company has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Company of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Company in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Company will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Company certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Atlanta, State of Georgia, on this 23rd day of May, 2024.
| GRAPHIC PACKAGIING HOLDING COMPANY | ||
| By: | /s/ Lauren S. Tashma | |
| Lauren S. Tashma | ||
| Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary | ||
POWER OF ATTORNEY
KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Michael P. Doss, Stephen R. Scherger and Lauren S. Tashma, and each of them acting alone, his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, each with full power of substitution and reconstitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments, including post-effective amendments, to this Registration Statement, including any additional registration statement relating to the registration of additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that each of said attorneys-in-fact and agents or any of them, or their substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
| Signature |
Title |
Date | ||
| /s/ Michael P. Doss Michael P. Doss |
President, Chief Executive Officer and Director (Principal Executive Officer) |
May 23, 2024 | ||
| /s/ Stephen R. Scherger Stephen R. Scherger |
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer) |
May 23, 2024 | ||
| /s/ Charles D. Lischer Charles D. Lischer |
Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer (Principal Accounting Officer) |
May 23, 2024 | ||
| /s/ Aziz Aghili Aziz Aghili |
Director | May 23, 2024 | ||
| /s/ Laurie Brlas Laurie Brlas |
Director | May 23, 2024 | ||
| /s/ Robert A. Hagemann Robert A. Hagemann |
Director | May 23, 2024 | ||
| /s/ Philip R. Martens Philip R. Martens |
Director | May 23, 2024 | ||
| /s/ Mary K. Rhinehart Mary K. Rhinehart |
Director | May 23, 2024 | ||
| /s/ Dean A. Scarborough Dean A. Scarborough |
Director | May 23, 2024 | ||
| /s/ Larry M. Venturelli Larry M. Venturelli |
Director | May 23, 2024 | ||
| /s/ Lynn A. Wentworth Lynn A. Wentworth |
Director | May 23, 2024 | ||