UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

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FORM 8-K

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CURRENT REPORT

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

January 24, 2008

Date of report (Date of earliest event reported)

 

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Hawkins, Inc.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

 

 

 

 

Telephone Number: 612-331-6910

(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)

 

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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))

 

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On February 4, 2008, we announced the appointment of Kathleen P. Pepski to serve as Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Secretary and Treasurer, effective March 3, 2008.

 

Ms. Pepski, age 53, most recently served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at PNA Holdings, LLC and Katun Corporation, a privately-held global distribution company. She was responsible for all credit, financial reporting and controls, financial planning, information technology and treasury functions in that capacity from 2003 to 2007. From 2002 to 2003, Ms. Pepski served as Vice President of Finance at Hoffman Enclosures, a manufacturing subsidiary of Pentair, Inc. From 2000 to 2001, she served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at BMC Industries, Inc., a publicly-held global manufacturing company. From 1994 to 2000, Ms. Pepski was the Vice President and Controller at The Valspar Corporation, a publicly-held global manufacturing company. From 1993 to 1994, Ms. Pepski was the Vice President of Finance and Administration of the School Products Group at Jostens, Inc, a consumer products company. From 1986 to 1993, she served in various roles at Noram Energy Corp., a publicly-held diversified natural gas company, including Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Arkla Pipeline Group and Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer of EF Johnson, a subsidiary of Noram Energy Corp., among others. Ms. Pepski has more than thirty years of accounting and financial management experience, and she holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in accounting from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota.

 

We have offered, and Ms. Pepski has accepted, certain terms of her employment via an offer letter, dated January 24, 2008. Ms. Pepski’s employment with us will commence on or before March 3, 2008 and will continue at-will until terminated by either the Company or Ms. Pepski. Her annual base salary will be $205,000, reviewed annually. In addition, we have agreed that Ms. Pepski will be eligible to participate in our benefit plans according to their terms, including our ESOP and Money Purchase Pension plan and participation in the incentive bonus plan detailed in our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 24, 2007. Because March 2008 is the end of one of the six-month bonus periods, she will receive a prorated amount of her target bonus for that period.

 

 

We issued a press release, dated February 4, 2008, announcing the appointment of Kathleen P. Pepski to serve as our Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Secretary and Treasurer, attached hereto as Exhibit 10.

 

 

(d)   Exhibits

 

 

 

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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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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EXHIBIT INDEX

 

 

 

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Exhibit 10

 

HAWKINS, INC. ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENT

OF NEW CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

 

Minneapolis, MN, February 4, 2008 – Hawkins, Inc. (Nasdaq: HWKN) today announced the appointment of Kathleen P. Pepski as the Company’s Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Secretary and Treasurer effective March 3, 2008.

 

“We are delighted to add an individual of Kathy’s caliber to our management team. Her financial management experience and proven management skills will be strong assets to Hawkins,” commented Chief Executive Officer, John R. Hawkins. “With more than 20 years of experience as an accounting and financial officer, Kathy has provided valuable leadership across a wide breadth of financial functions in diverse industries. She has demonstrated expertise in guiding financial reporting, analysis, treasury, information technology and strategic planning initiatives. Kathy is also well versed in Enterprise Resource Planning implementation and administration.”

 

Ms. Pepski was most recently Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at PNA Holdings, LLC and Katun Corporation, a privately held global distribution company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In that position she was responsible for all financial reporting and controls, financial planning, information technology and treasury functions. Ms. Pepski was also instrumental in their ERP selection and implementation.

 

Ms. Pepski previously served as Vice President of Finance at Hoffman Enclosures, a manufacturing subsidiary of Pentair, Inc., and as Vice President and Controller at Valspar Corporation, a $1.0 billion publicly held global manufacturing company.

 

Ms. Pepski holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in accounting from Concordia College, Moorhead, MN.

 

About Hawkins, Inc.

Hawkins, Inc. provides a full range of bulk industrial products complemented with the technical competence and innovation to formulate and blend specialty chemicals. The Company sells and services related products and equipment to safely dispense chemicals in highly controlled environments.

 

Hawkins serves customers in a wide range of industries, including chemical processing, electronics, energy, environmental services, food processing, metal finishing, pharmaceutical, medical devices, pulp and paper, and water treatment.

 

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Hawkins is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Company operates eighteen facilities in Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, South and North Dakota and Wisconsin and services customers in Upper Michigan and Wyoming as well.

 

The discussion above contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements by their nature involve substantial risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially depending on a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, the following: our ability to pass through cost increases in raw materials and energy, competition from other chemical companies, seasonality and weather conditions, costs and difficulties with our new enterprise resource planning system, the hazards of chemical manufacturing, natural disasters, downturns in our customers’ industries, actual growth in our products’ markets, changes in our customers’ products, compliance with applicable laws and regulations, our ability to meet quality specifications, the adequacy of our insurance coverage, our ability to attract and retain key personnel, our ability to complete and integrate future acquisitions, and future terrorist attacks. Additional information with respect to the risks and uncertainties faced by Hawkins may be found in, and the prior discussion is qualified in its entirety by, the Risk Factors contained in Part I, Item 1A of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended April 1, 2007, as updated by subsequent SEC filings.

 

 

 

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