UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) December 15, 2006
ROCKY BRANDS, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
         
Ohio   0-21026   31-1364046
 
(State or other jurisdiction   (Commission   (IRS Employer
of incorporation)   File Number)   Identification No.)
     
39 East Canal Street, Nelsonville, Ohio   45764
 
(Address of principal executive offices)   (Zip Code)
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code (740) 753-1951
Not Applicable
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):
o Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
o Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers
Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits
SIGNATURES
EXHIBIT INDEX
EX-10.1
EX-10.2
EX-10.3

Item 5.02   Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
      (e)  On December 15, 2006, the Compensation Committee (the “Compensation Committee”) of the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Rocky Brands, Inc. (the “Company”) approved and adopted the Company’s Bonus Plan for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2007 (the “2007 Bonus Plan”). The material terms of the 2007 Bonus Plan are attached as Exhibit 10.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and are incorporated herein by reference.
Item 7.01   Regulation FD Disclosure.
     On December 15, 2006, the Compensation Committee recommended, and the Board approved and adopted, the annual compensation for the directors who are not also employees or officers of the Company, effective January 1, 2007. The schedule of outside director compensation is furnished as Exhibit 10.2 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated into this Item 7.01 of Form 8-K by reference.
     On December 15, 2006, the Compensation Committee also approved and adopted base salaries of the “named executive officers” of the Company (as defined by Item 402(a)(3) of Regulation S-K for purposes of the Company’s proxy statement for the 2007 annual meeting of shareholders). The schedule of base salaries of the named executive officers is furnished as Exhibit 10.3 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated into this Item 7.01 of Form 8-K by reference.
     The information in this Item 7.01 of Form 8-K is being furnished and shall not be deemed to be “filed” for the purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of such section, nor shall such information be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Exchange Act, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such a filing.
Item 9.01   Financial Statements and Exhibits.
      (d)  Exhibits .
         
Exhibit No.   Description
       
 
  10.1    
Description of the Material Terms of Rocky Brands, Inc.’s Bonus Plan for the Fiscal Year Ending December 31, 2007
       
 
  10.2    
Schedule of Outside Director Fees as of January 1, 2007
       
 
  10.3    
Schedule of Named Executive Officer Base Salaries as of January 1, 2007

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SIGNATURES
     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
         
  Rocky Brands, Inc.
 
 
Date: December 21, 2006  By:   /s/ James E. McDonald    
    James E. McDonald,   
    Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer  
 

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EXHIBIT INDEX
         
Exhibit No.   Description
  10.1    
Description of the Material Terms of Rocky Brands, Inc.’s Bonus Plan for the Fiscal Year Ending December 31, 2007
       
 
  10.2    
Schedule of Outside Director Fees as of January 1, 2007
       
 
  10.3    
Schedule of Named Executive Officer Base Salaries as of January 1, 2007

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Exhibit 10.1
Description of the Material Terms of Rocky Brands, Inc.’s
Bonus Plan for the Fiscal Year Ending December 31, 2007
     Messrs. Brooks, Sharp, McDonald and Morrison (the “Executive Officers”) are eligible to receive cash bonuses under the Company’s Bonus Plan for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2007 (the “2007 Bonus Plan”), based upon the attainment of certain Adjusted Operating Income targets. For purposes of the 2007 Bonus Plan, Adjusted Operating Income is calculated as the Company’s operating income excluding (i) operating income attributable to military sales, and (ii) bonuses payable under the 2007 Bonus Plan. If the Adjusted Operating Income performance targets are met, the Executive Officers will receive cash bonuses based on a percentage of their base salaries in accordance with the table below (with bonus amounts to be interpolated between the performance levels):
                         
    Payout as a Percentage of Base Salary
    Threshold   Target   Goal
Mike Brooks
    0 %     75 %     175 %
Chairman of the Board and
Chief Executive Officer
                       
 
                       
David Sharp
    0 %     60 %     140 %
President and Chief Operating Officer
                       
 
                       
James E. McDonald
    0 %     50 %     115 %
Executive Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer
                       
 
                       
Thomas R. Morrison
    0 %     30 %     60 %
Senior Vice President of Wholesale Sales
                       
     No payment will be made for performance below the Threshold amount of Adjusted Operating Income, and no payment will be required for performance above the Goal amount of Adjusted Operating Income; provided , however , that to the extent Adjusted Operating Income exceeds the Goal amount for fiscal 2007, 10% of all Adjusted Operating Income in excess of the Goal amount will go into a pool to be distributed to any or all plan participants, including, but not limited to, the Executive Officers of the Company, at the discretion of the Compensation Committee.
     In addition to the foregoing, assuming that at least the Threshold amount of Adjusted Operating Income is attained, 10% of any operating income attributable to military sales during fiscal 2007 will go into a pool to be distributed, at the discretion of the Compensation Committee of the Board, to any or all of the plan participants, including, but not limited to, the Executive Officers of the Company, at the discretion of the Compensation Committee.

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     If Mr. Brooks becomes eligible to receive a cash bonus under the 2007 Bonus Plan exceeding $10,000, at the time scheduled for payment of the bonus, he may choose to receive any portion of his bonus in the form of the issuance of restricted shares of common stock of the Company, which shares will vest immediately but will not be tradable in the public markets for one year (the “Restricted Stock”). If Messrs. Sharp and McDonald become eligible to receive a cash bonus under the 2007 Bonus Plan exceeding $10,000, at the time scheduled for payment of the bonus, a minimum of 35% of the bonus shall be paid in shares of Restricted Stock of the Company, and each of Messrs. Sharp and McDonald may choose to receive any additional portion of his bonus in the form of shares of Restricted Stock. If Mr. Morrison becomes eligible to receive a cash bonus exceeding $10,000, at the time scheduled for payment of the bonus, a minimum of 10% of the cash bonus shall be paid in shares of Restricted Stock of the Company, and Mr. Morrison may choose to receive any additional portion of his bonus in the form of Restricted Stock.

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Exhibit 10.2
Schedule of Outside Director Fees
(as of January 1, 2007)
     Beginning on January 1, 2007, fees for non-employee members of the Company’s Board of Directors will be as follows:
    an annual retainer of $50,000 for service on the Board of Directors, 35% of which is payable in restricted shares of the Company’s common stock issued on the first day of January each year, which shares shall be fully vested immediately but not tradable in the public markets for one year, and 65% of which is payable in cash quarterly;
 
    the Audit Committee Chairman shall receive an additional annual retainer of $8,000, payable in cash quarterly;
 
    the Compensation Committee Chairman shall receive an additional annual retainer of $6,000, payable in cash quarterly;
 
    the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Chairman shall receive an additional annual retainer of $4,000, payable in cash quarterly; and
 
    each board member shall be reimbursed for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with his or her attendance at a board or committee meeting.

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Exhibit 10.3
Schedule of Named Executive Officer Base Salaries
(as of January 1, 2007)
     Effective January 1, 2007, the base salaries of the “named executive officers” of the Company (as defined by Item 402(a)(3) of Regulation S-K for purposes of the Company’s proxy statement for the 2007 annual meeting of shareholders) shall be as follows:
         
Name   2007 Base Salary
Mike Brooks
  $ 475,000  
Chairman of the Board and
Chief Executive Officer
       
 
       
David Sharp
  $ 385,000  
President and Chief Operating Officer
       
 
       
James E. McDonald
  $ 280,000  
Executive Vice President and Chief
Financial Officer
       
 
       
Thomas R. Morrison
  $ 220,000  
Senior Vice President of Wholesale Sales
       

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