2009

Nov.6, 2009

Minebea Co., Ltd.

Introduction of "Trust-type Employee Shareholding Incentive Plan (E-Ship®)"

The Company announces that it has resolved at its board of directors' meeting held on November 6, 2009, to introduce the "Trust-type Employee Shareholding Incentive Plan (E-Ship®)" (the "Plan") to the Company, in order to provide the Company group's employees with incentives to increase the enterprise value of the Company, and to promote the benefit and welfare of the employees of the Company group and others.

1. Purpose and Outline of the Introduction

The Plan is an incentive plan, in which all employees of the Company group who are members of the "Minebea Employee Stock Holding Partnership" ("Stock Holding Partnership") (a Company group employee who is a member of the Stock Holding Partnership is hereinafter referred to as an "Employee") may participate. In the Plan, the "Minebea Employee Stock Holding Partnership Exclusive Trust Account" ("Trust"), which is to be established for the purpose of securing the Company shares for the Stock Holding Partnership to effect purchases, will borrow money from banks for a considerable number of Company shares that are expected to be acquired by the Stock Holding Partnership during approximately the next five years and four months, and acquire Company shares in a number equal to such borrowings from the market at the time the Plan is introduced. Subsequently, the Trust is to continuously transfer the Company shares to the Stock Holding Partnership in accordance with certain plans (conditions and methods) and terminate, e.g. if all of the Company shares belonging to the trust assets of the Trust are transferred. If any capital gains, such as gains on sale of the Company shares, accumulate within the Trust by the time of its termination, and if any money remains within the Trust after repaying all the debts such as borrowings to be borne by the Trust, then such money is to be distributed as residual assets to those Employees that fulfill the requirements for eligible beneficiaries.
In order to guarantee the Trust's borrowings for the acquisition of Company shares, if any amount equal to loss on sale of shares accumulates within the Trust due to decline in the price of Company shares, and if there are any remaining borrowings equivalent to such loss on sale of shares within the Trust at the time of the termination of the Trust, the Company is to repay the remaining borrowings pursuant to a guarantee agreement.

As the Company focuses on its stock price in its management policy, one of the objectives of the Plan is to provide the Employees with incentives for medium to long term growth of the Company's performance, and therefore, the Company's value by "riding in the same boat" with its management and shareholders. At the same time, the plan support Employees' asset accumulation as a benefit and welfare promoting measure. Furthermore, the Company is of the opinion that since a trust administrator, who represents the Employees' interests, gives instructions on exercise of voting rights that reflect the Employee's intentions concerning the Company shares held within the Trust, the Employees will be better able to reflect their intentions regarding the operation of the Company and to monitor the operation of the Company as shareholders; therefore, the Plan also has the effect of furthering the progress of the Company's corporate governance. The Plan also enables the Stock Holding Partnership to effectively purchase the Company shares without being affected by market liquidity.

2. Structure of the Plan

Note: Solid lines (except for (6) ) show transfer of money and dotted lines show transfer of shares.

• (1) The Company establishes the Trust (a third party benefit trust) for those Employees that fulfill the requirements as eligible beneficiaries by leaving money in trust.
• (2) The Trust takes out a loan from a bank in the amount necessary for the acquisition of the Company shares. With respect to the loan, the Company, Trust, and bank enter into a guarantee agreement. The Company guarantees the Trust's borrowings pursuant to the guarantee agreement and receives a guarantee charge from the Trust as consideration.
• (3) From the market, the Trust acquires a considerable number of Company shares the Stock Holding Partnership is expected to acquire within the trust period.
• (4) Throughout the trust period, the Trust continuously transfers the Company shares to the Stock Holding Partnership at the current market price in accordance with certain plans (conditions and methods).
• (5) The Trust appropriates the share transfer proceeds received as a result of the transfer of the Company shares to the Stock Holding Partnership, and the received dividends concerning the Company shares that it holds, for the repayment of the principal and interest of the borrowings from the bank.
• (6) A trust administrator, who is appointed for the beneficiaries, instructs on the administration of the Trust assets, e.g. by exercising voting rights, throughout the trust period.
• (7) If there are any residual assets within the Trust at the time of the termination of the Trust, such assets are to be distributed to those Employees that fulfill the requirements as eligible beneficiaries.
• (8) If there remains any debt at the time of the termination of the Trust, the Company is to repay such debt pursuant to the guarantee agreement.

3. Outline of the Trust

4. Outline of the Acquisition of Company Shares by the Trust

(Reference) The "Trust-type Employee Shareholding Incentive Plan" is a new incentive plan for employees developed by Nomura Securities Co., Ltd. and The Nomura Trust and Banking Co., Ltd. by applying the employee stock holding partnership system with reference to the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), which has been adopted widely in the United States. E-Ship® is an abbreviation for the trust-type Employee Shareholding Incentive Plan, and it is a registered trademark of Nomura Securities Co., Ltd.

Back to Press Release List

It ends about main text.