Mitch Hutchcraft
About Mitch Hutchcraft
Mitch Hutchcraft (age 58) serves as Executive Vice President of Real Estate at Alico, Inc., appointed in May 2024. He previously spent 17 years as Vice President of Real Estate at King Ranch and earlier served as Regional Vice President at Bonita Bay Group (2001–2007), with deep expertise in land acquisition, entitlement, permitting, and value enhancement of large-scale real estate assets . Company-level 2025 transformation milestones tied to his remit include establishment of the Corkscrew Grove Stewardship District (June 25, 2025) and ongoing entitlement progress for Corkscrew Grove Villages; management reiterated FY2025 Adjusted EBITDA guidance of approximately $20 million while executing land sales and real estate pipeline build-out .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| King Ranch | Vice President of Real Estate | ~17 years | Led land acquisition, regulatory risk mitigation, long-term value enhancement, public policy engagement, and operational upgrades via real estate projects |
| Bonita Bay Group | Regional Vice President | 2001–2007 | Responsible for acquisition, strategy, entitlements, permitting, site design, community establishment, product positioning, builder relations, governmental affairs across planned communities |
External Roles
- None disclosed for Hutchcraft in company filings reviewed. (No data in 2025 DEF 14A executive officer bio beyond employment history) .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Terms |
|---|---|
| Base Salary | $335,000 base (as of FY2025), with +$25,000 annual increase beginning FY2026 |
| Annual Cash Bonus (Discretionary) | Up to $40,000 per year based on general corporate objectives |
Performance Compensation
| Incentive Type | Metric/Trigger | Payout/Structure | Vesting/Timing | Special/Termination Treatment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real Estate Incentive Bonuses (annual) | Company real estate project milestones | ≥75% cash; up to 25% in fully vested RSUs under the 2015 Plan | Paid after each fiscal year-end | Not specified beyond standard plan mechanics |
| Performance-Based RSU Award (Hutchcraft PSU Award) | Completion of all necessary permits to entitle the East Corkscrew Grove Villages AND all permits for the entire Corkscrew Grove Villages, by no later than Sept 30, 2035 (“Completion Date”) | Number of shares = $1,000,000 ÷ Alico 10-trading-day average price immediately preceding Completion Date | Vests upon permit completion (as above) | If terminated by Company without Cause, or by Hutchcraft for Good Reason following a Change in Control, or due to death: award remains outstanding and eligible to vest for up to 5 years post-termination (or through Sept 30, 2035, if earlier); upon death, Company may settle in cash at its discretion |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
- Beneficial ownership: The Security Ownership table lists directors and NEOs individually; Hutchcraft (executive officer, not a director/NEO in FY2024) is not individually enumerated; the group total for all current executive officers and directors is 636,652 shares (8.3%) as of Jan 3, 2025 . A delinquent Section 16 note disclosed one late-filed Form 3 for Hutchcraft, confirming insider status .
- Anti-hedging: Company prohibits hedging transactions (e.g., prepaid forwards, swaps, collars, exchange funds) for directors/officers/employees and their controlled entities .
- Pledging: Plan documents restrict pledging of restricted stock during the restriction period; broader pledging policy for common shares beyond awards is not explicitly disclosed in filings reviewed .
- Clawback: Company has an incentive compensation clawback policy compliant with SEC/Nasdaq rules .
- Ownership guidelines: Specific guidelines disclosed for CEO ($250,000) and directors ($200,000); no executive officer guideline disclosure for EVPs in filings reviewed .
Employment Terms
| Term | Details |
|---|---|
| Contract Term | Extended through Sept 30, 2030, with automatic one-year extensions unless either party gives 60 days’ notice of non-extension |
| Severance Economics | Not disclosed in the Hutchcraft Amendment; underlying May 28, 2024 Employment Agreement definitions of “Cause,” “Good Reason,” and “Change in Control” govern PSU treatment; cash severance multiples not specified in public filings reviewed |
| Change-of-Control Treatment (Equity) | PSU remains outstanding and eligible to vest post-termination if Good Reason resignation occurs on/after a Change in Control; general plan-level CIC mechanics provide double-trigger protection for replacement awards and accelerated vesting if awards are not replaced |
| Non-Compete/Non-Solicit | Not specified in publicly filed Hutchcraft Amendment; no additional detail in DEF 14A excerpts reviewed for his agreement |
Performance & Track Record (role-relevant company milestones)
| Indicator | FY2025 Progress/Level |
|---|---|
| Adjusted EBITDA guidance | “Approximately $20 million” reiterated by management for FY2025 |
| Land sales execution | $23.5 million year-to-date through Q3 FY2025; potential additional ~$25 million before year-end (timing subject to closing) |
| Cash and Net Debt (6/30/2025) | Cash: $42.073 million; Net Debt: $43.157 million |
| Regulatory milestone enabling Corkscrew | Florida enacted Corkscrew Grove Stewardship District on June 25, 2025, supporting financing and administration of infrastructure |
| Corkscrew entitlement timeline (company disclosure) | East Village application submitted; final Board of County Commissioners decision anticipated in 2026; potential construction start 2028/2029 if approvals granted |
Compensation Structure Analysis
- Shift toward long-dated, project-gated equity: The $1 million performance RSU award vests only upon achieving full entitlement milestones for Corkscrew (East Village plus all project permits) by 2035, tightly aligning payout with value-creation milestones and extending retention duration .
- Balanced cash/equity mix for annual real estate milestones: Annual real estate incentives (≥75% cash, up to 25% RSUs) allow recognition of interim project progress while preserving equity-linked alignment .
- Conservative cash bonus lever: Annual discretionary cash bonus up to $40,000 is modest relative to base and the strategic scope, with larger upside contingent on milestone equity .
- Governance: Company-level anti-hedging and clawback policies apply; plan-level CIC mechanics favor double-trigger vesting when replacement awards are provided .
Risk Indicators & Red Flags
- Section 16 compliance note: One late-filed Form 3 for Hutchcraft disclosed (administrative/process risk, not economic) .
- Award concentration in a single mega-project: PSU vesting depends on multi-agency entitlements for Corkscrew, exposing compensation to regulatory and timing risk (as disclosed in the company’s real estate strategy and filings) .
Investment Implications
- Alignment and retention: The milestone PSU (up to $1 million in stock, share count set at completion price) and contract term through 2030 with auto-renewals provide strong retention and alignment with entitlement delivery; vesting tied to permitting reduces short-term selling pressure and links value realization to de-risking events .
- Execution leverage: Annual real estate milestone incentives and the structural creation of the Corkscrew Grove Stewardship District indicate organizational and regulatory momentum; however, incentive realizations depend on multi-year approvals and market conditions (real estate cycle sensitivity) .
- Governance backdrop: Anti-hedging and clawback policies, plus plan-level CIC protections, mitigate misalignment risk and support investor confidence in incentive outcomes .