UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

(Amendment No.    )

Filed by the Registrant  ☒                            Filed by a Party other than the Registrant  ☐

Check the appropriate box:

GRACO INC.

88 Eleventh Avenue N.E.

Minneapolis, MN 55413

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

Dear Shareholder:

The 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders of Graco Inc. will be held on April 23, 2021, beginning at 1:00 p.m. Central Time. This year’s meeting will again be a completely virtual meeting of shareholders. Our virtual shareholder meeting format uses technology designed to increase shareholder access, save the Company and our shareholders time and money, and provide our shareholders with rights and opportunities to participate in the meeting similar to what they would have at an in-person meeting. In addition to online attendance, we provide shareholders with an opportunity to hear all portions of the official meeting as conducted by the Chairman of the Board and the Secretary, submit written questions and comments during the meeting, and vote online during the open poll portion of the meeting. You may attend the meeting, vote your shares and submit questions electronically during the meeting via live webcast by visiting www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/GGG2021. You will need the 16-digit control number that is printed in the box marked by the arrow on your Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials to enter the annual meeting. We recommend that you log in 15 minutes before the meeting to ensure you are logged in when the meeting starts.

At this meeting, shareholders will consider the following matters:

Shareholders of record at the close of business on February 22, 2021, are entitled to vote at this meeting or any adjournment.

We encourage you to join us via the Internet and vote at the meeting. Regardless of whether you plan on joining the meeting, we encourage you to vote by Internet, or by requesting a paper copy of the proxy card and voting by telephone or by returning your proxy card by mail, as described in further detail later in this Proxy Statement.

If you do not vote by Internet, telephone, returning a proxy card or voting your shares online during the meeting, you will lose your right to vote on matters that are important to you as a shareholder. Accordingly, please vote your shares in one of the methods identified above. Instructions on how to vote while participating in the meeting live via the Internet are posted at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/GGG2021.

Sincerely,
Patrick J. McHale		Karen Park Gallivan
President and Chief Executive Officer		Secretary
March 10, 2021
Minneapolis, Minnesota

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Graco Inc. 2021 Proxy Statement

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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GRACO INC.

88 Eleventh Avenue N.E.

Minneapolis, MN 55413

PROXY STATEMENT

FOR ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

TO BE HELD APRIL 23, 2021

Your proxy is solicited by the Board of Directors of Graco Inc. in connection with our Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on April 23, 2021, and any adjournments of that meeting (the “Meeting”). Throughout this Proxy Statement, we may refer to Graco Inc. as “us,” “we,” “Graco,” “our Company” or “the Company.”

We have provided you with access to our proxy materials on the Internet. We are providing a Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials (the “Notice”) to our shareholders of record and our beneficial owners. All shareholders will have the ability to access the proxy materials free of charge on the website identified in the Notice or request email or paper copies of the proxy materials. The Notice contains instructions on how to access the proxy materials through the Internet or request electronic or paper copies. If your shares are held by a broker, bank, broker-dealer or similar organization, you are the beneficial owner of shares held in “street name” and the Notice will be forwarded to you by that organization. As the beneficial owner, you have the right to direct the organization holding your shares how to vote the shares.

The costs of the solicitation, including the cost of preparing and mailing the Notice, Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders, and this Proxy Statement, will be paid by us. Solicitation will be primarily through Internet availability of this Proxy Statement to all shareholders entitled to vote at the Meeting. Proxies may be solicited by our officers personally, but at no compensation in addition to their regular compensation as officers. We may reimburse brokers, banks and others holding shares in their names for third parties for the cost of forwarding proxy material to, and obtaining proxies from, third parties. The Notice will be mailed to shareholders on or about March 10, 2021, and the proxy materials will be available at that time on www.proxyvote.com.

Proxies may be revoked at any time prior to being voted by giving written notice of revocation to our Secretary or by voting online during the meeting. All properly executed proxies received by management will be voted in the manner set forth in this Proxy Statement or as otherwise specified by the shareholder giving the proxy.

Shares voted as abstentions on any matter will be counted as shares that are present and entitled to vote for purposes of determining the presence of a quorum at the Meeting, and as unvoted (although present and entitled to vote) for purposes of determining the approval of each matter as to which the shareholder has abstained. If a broker submits a proxy which indicates that the broker does not have discretionary authority as to certain shares to vote on one or more matters, those shares will be counted as shares that are present and entitled to vote for purposes of determining the presence of a quorum at the Meeting, but will not be considered as present and entitled to vote with respect to such matters. The election of directors and the advisory vote on our executive compensation will be considered proposals on which your broker does not have discretionary authority to vote. Thus, if your shares are held in street name and you do not provide instructions as to how your shares are to be voted on these matters, your broker or other nominee will not be able to vote your shares in these matters. Accordingly, we urge you to provide instructions to your broker or nominee so that your votes may be counted on these matters. You should vote your shares by following the instructions provided on the voting instruction card that you receive from your broker.

The vote required for the election of directors in an uncontested election is a majority of votes cast, where the number of votes cast “for” a nominee exceeds the number of votes cast “against” a nominee. In a contested election, the vote required for the election of directors is a plurality of votes cast. In the event an incumbent director does not receive a sufficient number of the votes cast for re-election, our Corporate Governance Guidelines require that the director promptly offer to tender his or her resignation to the Board. The Governance Committee will make a recommendation to the Board on whether to accept or reject the offer. The Board, taking into account the recommendation of the Governance Committee, will decide whether to accept or reject the offer, and will publicly disclose its decision and the rationale behind it within 90 days after the date of the election. The vote required to ratify the appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year 2021 requires the approval of the greater of a majority of the shares present at the Meeting and entitled to vote, or a majority of the voting power of the minimum number of shares necessary to constitute a quorum. The vote on our executive compensation is advisory and non-binding. However, the Board will consider shareholders to have approved our executive compensation if the number of the votes cast “for” that proposal exceeds the number of votes cast “against” that proposal. An abstention will have no effect on the election of directors or the vote on our executive compensation, but will have the effect of a vote against the ratification of the appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP.

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Only shareholders of record as of the close of business on February 22, 2021, may vote at the Meeting. As of that date, there were 168,906,052 issued and outstanding common shares of the Company, the only class of securities entitled to vote at the Meeting. Each share registered to a shareholder of record is entitled to one vote. Cumulative voting is not permitted.

VOTING METHODS

Registered shareholders may vote by using any one of the following methods:

You may visit www.proxyvote.com to vote your shares on the Internet, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, prior to 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on April 22, 2021. Have your Notice or proxy card (if you have requested one) in front of you when you access the website, as they include information, including a unique shareholder control number, that is required to access the system.

You may request a paper proxy card by following the instructions on your Notice for requesting a copy of materials. After you receive your paper proxy card, you may call the toll-free phone number, 1-800-690-6903, listed on your proxy card to vote your shares, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, prior to 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on April 22, 2021. Have your proxy card or Notice in front of you when calling, as they include information, including a unique shareholder control number, which is required to access the system.

You may request a paper proxy card by following the instructions on your Notice for requesting a copy of materials. After you receive your paper proxy card, you may mark, date, and sign the proxy card, and return it to be received no later than April 22, 2021.

You may vote online during the Meeting through the link www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/GGG2021. The 16-digit control number provided on your Notice or proxy card is necessary to access this site. The Meeting will begin at 1:00 p.m. Central Time (with log-in beginning at 12:45 p.m. Central Time) on April 23, 2021.

If you own your shares through a broker, bank, broker-dealer or similar organization, you may vote by the methods made available to you through your broker. Follow the instructions describing the available processes for voting your stock that are provided to you by your broker.

ADDITIONAL MEETING INFORMATION

Shareholders of record at the close of business on February 22, 2021, may attend and participate in the Meeting. Shareholders will need to use their control number to log into the Meeting at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/GGG2021.

We encourage you to access the Meeting prior to the start time. Please allow sufficient time for online check-in, which begins at 12:45 p.m. Central Time. You may check your browser’s compatibility any time prior to the Meeting at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/GGG2021. If you experience any difficulties accessing the Meeting, please call (612) 623-6260 for assistance.

Shareholders who wish to submit questions may do so electronically before the Meeting (starting at the time of check-in) or during the Meeting. We will post any appropriate questions received during the Meeting and our answers on our Investor Relations website at https://investors.graco.com/webcast-presentation as soon as practical after the Meeting.

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Nominees and Continuing Directors

The following information is given with respect to the three nominees for election at the Meeting and the other seven directors whose terms of office will continue after the Meeting, and includes a description of the particular experience, qualifications, attributes or skills that led the Board to conclude that each of the nominees and directors should serve as members of the Board. Except as noted below, each of the nominees and directors has held the same position, or another executive position with the same employer, for the past five years. One of our directors, Jack W. Eugster, reached age 75 in October 2020, and will therefore retire from our Board effective as of the Meeting in accordance with the retirement standards set forth in our Corporate Governance Guidelines. Further, as previously announced, Patrick J. McHale will retire as President and Chief Executive Officer and a director of the Company effective June 10, 2021, and his successor, Mark W. Sheahan, the Company’s Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, will become President and Chief Executive Officer and a director effective June 10, 2021.

Nominees for election at the Meeting to terms expiring in 2024:

Brett C. Carter

Mr. Carter, 54, is Executive Vice President and Chief Customer and Innovation Officer of Xcel Energy Inc., a major U.S. electric and natural gas delivery company. He assumed this position in May 2018. Prior to that, Mr. Carter served as Senior Vice President and Shared Services Executive of Bank of America from October 2015 to May 2018, and as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Bank of America from March 2015 to October 2015. Before joining Bank of America, Mr. Carter held several leadership roles at Duke Energy Co. from 2005 to 2015, including most recently as Senior Vice President and Chief Distribution Officer from 2013 to March 2015. Mr. Carter has been a director of our company since February 2021. Among other qualifications, Mr. Carter brings to our Board substantial experience overseeing key business areas of operations, marketing, information technology, cyber and physical security, customer service and brand strategy at several major public companies.

R. William Van Sant

Mr. Van Sant, 82, has been a Senior Advisor at Yukon Partners II, LLC, a provider of mezzanine financing for middle-market private equity transactions, since 2014, and an Operating Partner at TJM Capital Partners, an operationally-focused private equity firm, since 2015. He also serves as Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of Builtrite Holdings, LLC, a portfolio company of TJM Capital, and as a director of RIE Coatings, LLC, a portfolio company of Brass Ring Capital. In addition to actively advising private equity funds and their portfolio companies, Mr. Van Sant may from time to time take ownership interests in the funds and portfolio companies he advises. From 2013 until June 2017, he was a Senior Operating Partner at Tenex Capital Management, L.P., a private equity firm, and from 2012 until 2013, he served as a Senior Advisor. During this time, he also served as the Chairman or as a director of several portfolio companies of Tenex. From 2008 until 2013, he was an Operating Partner of Stone Arch Capital, LLC, a private equity firm. From 2006 through 2007, he was President and Chief Executive Officer of Paladin Brands Holding, Inc., which manufactures attachments for construction equipment. From 2003 until 2006, Mr. Van Sant was Chairman, and from 2003 until 2005, he was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, of Paladin Brands, LLC. He was an operating partner with Norwest Equity Partners, a private equity firm, from 2001 through 2006. Mr. Van Sant has been a director of Graco since 2004 and is also a director of H.B. Fuller Company. Among other qualifications, Mr. Van Sant is an expert in management, finance and manufacturing operations, experience he has acquired over many years as an executive and/or director of various manufacturing companies, including those listed above as well as Nortrax, Inc., Lukens Inc., Blount, Inc., and Cessna Aircraft Company. He also held roles of increasing responsibility over a nearly thirty year career at John Deere Company. Mr. Van Sant’s strong leadership experience and seasoned business valuation skills make him a key contributor to our Board on strategy and growth topics, particularly with respect to mergers and acquisitions. He has been designated by our Board as an audit committee financial expert.

Emily C. White

Ms. White, 42, is President of Anthos Capital LP, a venture capital and private equity firm specializing in growth capital investments. She assumed this position in September 2018. Ms. White was Chief Operating Officer at Snap Inc., a photo messaging company, from 2014 through 2015. Prior to joining Snap, Ms. White held several leadership roles at Facebook, Inc., a social networking company, from 2010 to 2013, including Head of Business Operations for Instagram, Senior Director of Mobile Business Development and Partnerships, and Senior Director of Local. Ms. White also held leadership roles at Google from 2001 to 2010. She has been a director of Graco since February 2018 and is also a director of lululemon athletica inc. Ms. White served as a director of Zayo Group Holdings from April 2017 until March 2020. She is an advisor to Hyperloop One and VSCO, and serves on the Executive Advisory Council for the National Center for

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Women & Information Technology. Ms. White brings e-commerce and social media expertise to our Board as well as a wealth of business experience and judgment gained in her senior management positions at some of the world’s most successful technology companies.

Directors whose terms continue until 2022:

Eric P. Etchart

Mr. Etchart, 64, was Senior Vice President, Business Development of The Manitowoc Company, Inc., a manufacturer of cranes and foodservice equipment, from 2015 until his retirement in January 2016. Mr. Etchart served as President of Manitowoc Cranes and Senior Vice President of The Manitowoc Company, Inc. from 2007 until 2015. From 2001 to 2007, Mr. Etchart was Executive Vice President, Asia Pacific and President, Zhang Jia Gang Company of the Manitowoc Crane Group, in Shanghai, China. Prior to that, Mr. Etchart held various management positions at Potain S.A., until it was acquired by Manitowoc in 2001, and at PPM Cranes S.A. Mr. Etchart has been a director of Graco since 2010. He also serves as a director of Alamo Group Inc. and of WD-40 Company, and is Chair of the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee of Alamo Group Inc. and is Chair of the Corporate Governance Committee of WD-40 Company. Among other qualifications, Mr. Etchart brings to our Board over thirty years of global manufacturing experience, as well as extensive knowledge of and expertise in finance and marketing. Mr. Etchart, a French-national with over twenty years of experience in management positions outside of the U.S., including positions in China, Singapore, Italy, France and the Middle East, is particularly well-suited to provide an international perspective to the Board as we develop our business in global markets. Mr. Etchart is a National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) Board Leadership Fellow.

Jody H. Feragen

Ms. Feragen, 65, was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Hormel Foods Corporation, a multinational marketer and manufacturer of brand name food and meat products, from 2010 until her retirement in October 2016. She served as Hormel’s Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer from 2007 to 2010, and as Vice President of Finance and Treasurer from 2005 to 2007. She also served on Hormel’s board of directors from 2007 until October 2016. Ms. Feragen is a director and Chair of the Finance and Corporate Development Committee of Patterson Companies, Inc. Ms. Feragen has been a director of Graco since 2015. Ms. Feragen brings to our Board a wealth of financial expertise, business acumen, strong leadership skills and extensive public company experience. Our Board recognizes this expertise, leadership and experience through its designation of Ms. Feragen as one of our audit committee financial experts and by her appointment as Chair of the Audit Committee.

J. Kevin Gilligan

Mr. Gilligan, 66, was Chief Executive Officer of Capella Education Company, an online education provider, from 2009 until August 2018. He also served as a director of Capella Education from 2009 until August 2018, and as Chairman from 2010 until August 2018. Mr. Gilligan served as Executive Vice Chairman of Strategic Education, Inc. from August 2018 until July 2019 in connection with its merger with Capella Education, and has served as Vice Chairman of Strategic Education since August 2019. Mr. Gilligan was President and Chief Executive Officer of United Subcontractors, Inc., a national construction services company, from 2004 until 2009. Mr. Gilligan was President and Chief Executive Officer, Automation and Control Solutions, Honeywell International, Inc., a diversified technology and manufacturing company, from 2001 until 2004. Mr. Gilligan has been a director of Graco since 2001. From 2004 until 2009, Mr. Gilligan was a director of ADC Telecommunications, Inc., and served as lead director from 2008 until 2009. Among other qualifications, Mr. Gilligan brings to our Board over twenty-five years of global operational experience as well as comprehensive knowledge of the construction industry, one of the key industries Graco serves. Mr. Gilligan’s public company experience as both an executive and a director provides additional depth to our Board’s leadership capabilities. Our Board recognizes this experience and leadership by his appointment as Chair of the Management Organization and Compensation Committee.

Directors whose terms continue until 2023:

Patrick J. McHale

Mr. McHale, 59, is President and Chief Executive Officer of Graco Inc., a position he has held since 2007. He served as Vice President and General Manager, Lubrication Equipment Division of Graco from 2003 until 2007. He was Vice President, Manufacturing and Distribution Operations from 2001 until 2003. He served as Vice President, Contractor Equipment Division from 2000 to 2001. Prior to becoming Vice President, Lubrication Equipment Division in 1999, he held various manufacturing management positions in Minneapolis, Minnesota; Plymouth, Michigan; and Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Mr. McHale joined the Company in 1989 and has been a director since 2007. Mr. McHale has over thirty

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years of progressive experience in various manufacturing, sales and marketing roles while at Graco. He has extensive manufacturing experience and in-depth knowledge of financial and managerial accounting practices at Graco. Mr. McHale will be retiring as President and Chief Executive Officer and a director effective June 10, 2021.

Lee R. Mitau

Mr. Mitau, 72, was Executive Vice President and General Counsel of U.S. Bancorp, the fifth-largest commercial bank in the United States by assets, from 1995 until his retirement in 2013. Mr. Mitau has been a director of Graco since 1990. He served as Chairman of the Board of the Company from 2002 until 2006 and has been serving as Chairman of the Board of the Company since 2007. He also serves as Chairman of the Board of H.B. Fuller Company, a position he has held since 2006. Among other qualifications, Mr. Mitau brings to our Board extensive public company legal and governance expertise developed in his roles as an executive, a director and as the former chair of the corporate and securities practice of a global law firm. In addition, he is an expert in corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Mitau’s long service on our Board and his in-depth knowledge of our business, combined with his leadership and corporate governance skills, make him particularly well-qualified to be our Chairman and Chair of our Governance Committee.

Martha A. Morfitt

Ms. Morfitt, 63, is President and Chief Executive Officer of River Rock Partners, Inc., a business and cultural transformation consulting firm. She assumed this position in 2008. Ms. Morfitt formerly served as Chief Executive Officer of Airborne, Inc., a manufacturer of dietary supplements, from 2009 until 2012. Ms. Morfitt left her position at Airborne in 2012 as a result of the acquisition of Airborne by Schiff Nutrition Group. She also served as President and Chief Executive Officer of CNS, Inc., a manufacturer and marketer of consumer products, from 2001 until 2007. Ms. Morfitt left her position at CNS in 2007 as a result of the acquisition of CNS by GlaxoSmithKline plc. Ms. Morfitt has been a director of Graco since 1995 and is also a director of lululemon athletica inc. From May 2017 until June 2020, Ms. Morfitt served as a director of Mercer International, Inc.; from 2008 until 2015, she served as a director of Life Time Fitness, Inc.; from 1998 until 2007, she served as a director of CNS; from 2005 until 2006, she served as a director of Intrawest Corporation; and from 2007 until 2010, she served as a director of Solta Medical, Inc. f/k/a Thermage, Inc. Among other qualifications, Ms. Morfitt brings a wealth of global marketing and leadership skills to our Board. Her experience as CEO at River Rock Partners, Airborne and CNS, as well as her experience as a Vice President at Pillsbury Company, allow her to provide our Company with significant strategic and product marketing guidance. Ms. Morfitt’s long service on our Board and her considerable knowledge of our business make her well-suited to provide advice with respect to our strategic plans and marketing programs.

Kevin J. Wheeler

Mr. Wheeler, 61, is Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of A. O. Smith Corporation, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of residential and commercial water heating equipment and boilers, as well as a manufacturer of water treatment and air purification products. Mr. Wheeler was elected President and Chief Executive Officer effective September 2018, and before that served as President and Chief Operating Officer of A. O. Smith from June 2017 to August 2018. From 2013 to May 2017, Mr. Wheeler held the position of Senior Vice President of A. O. Smith and President and General Manager of its North America, India, Europe Water Heating and Export business, which was then A. O. Smith’s largest operating unit. Mr. Wheeler previously served as Managing Director of A. O. Smith’s European operations, where he had responsibility for its water heater business in Europe and the Middle East, and upon his return to the United States from the Netherlands, served as Vice President-International, with responsibility for all European and Asian operations, including China. Mr. Wheeler joined A. O. Smith in 1994, and has served as a director of A. O. Smith since July 2017 and as Chairman since May 2020. Mr. Wheeler has been a director of Graco since February 2020. Among other qualifications, Mr. Wheeler brings to our Board extensive sales, manufacturing and international experience, and his background as both an executive and a director of a public company provides additional depth to our Board’s leadership capabilities.

The Board appointed Mark W. Sheahan, the Company’s Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, to the position of President and Chief Executive Officer effective June 10, 2021. The Board also appointed Mr. Sheahan to the class of directors whose terms expire at the 2023 annual meeting of shareholders. Mr. Sheahan, 56, became Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer in June 2018. He was Vice President and General Manager, Applied Fluid Technologies Division from 2008 until June 2018. He served as Chief Administrative Officer from 2005 until 2008, and was Vice President and Treasurer from 1998 to 2005. Prior to becoming Treasurer in 1996, he was Manager, Treasury Services. Mr. Sheahan joined the Company in 1995.

Qualification Standards

Our Company will only consider as candidates for director individuals who possess a high level of ethics and integrity, and who are committed to representing the long-term interests of our shareholders. Such candidates must be able to make a significant

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contribution to the governance of our Company by virtue of their business and financial expertise, educational and professional background, and current or recent experience as a chief executive officer or other senior leader of a public company or other major organization. The business discipline that may be sought at any given time will vary depending on the needs and strategic direction of our Company and the disciplines represented by incumbent directors. In evaluating candidates for nomination as a director of Graco, the Governance Committee will also consider other criteria, including geographical representation, independence, practical wisdom, mature judgment and the ability of the candidate to represent the interests of all shareholders and not those of a special interest group. One or more of our directors is required to possess the education or experience required to qualify as an audit committee financial expert as defined in the applicable rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Once elected, all directors are subject to the standards set forth in our Corporate Governance Guidelines, which include, among others, the requirement to tender the director’s resignation if his or her employment status significantly changes, and the requirement to resign from the Board effective as of the date of the Annual Meeting of Shareholders next following the director’s 75^th birthday unless the director has current, substantial engagement in business activities that require skills relevant to Graco’s business and useful to the Board. In August 2020, Mr. Van Sant reached age 82. At its September 2020 meeting, the Board considered whether Mr. Van Sant had current, substantial engagement in business activities that require skills relevant to our Company’s business and useful to the Board. The Board once again unanimously determined that it would waive the mandated retirement of Mr. Van Sant, which waiver will be reviewed annually, because Mr. Van Sant’s current and substantial engagement with private equity firms and their portfolio companies requires skills relevant to Graco’s business and useful to the Board.

The Governance Committee is responsible for the identification and recruitment of suitable prospective director candidates and has the sole authority to hire an outside search firm to identify director candidates. In 2020, Mr. Carter was identified and recommended for consideration as a director on our Board by an independent search firm retained by the Governance Committee. The Governance Committee may retain an outside search firm as a resource for future candidate sourcing and succession planning as the Governance Committee deems appropriate.

Qualifications of Current Directors

All of our directors meet the qualification standards and expectations described above. In addition to possessing a high level of ethics, integrity and values, excellent judgment and a commitment to representing the long-term interests of our shareholders, each of our directors brings a particular set of skills and experience that enable him or her to make a significant contribution to the governance of our Company.

Board Diversity

In considering whether to recommend an individual for election to our Board, the Governance Committee considers diversity of experience, geographical representation, gender and race, in addition to the other qualifications described in the “Qualification Standards” section above. The Committee views diversity expansively and considers, among other things, functional areas of business and financial expertise, educational and professional background, and those competencies that it deems appropriate to develop a cohesive Board such as ethics, integrity, values, practical wisdom, mature judgment and the ability of the candidate to represent the interests of all shareholders and not those of a special interest group.

Our Board of Directors and each of its committees engage in an annual self-evaluation process. As part of that process, directors, including our President and Chief Executive Officer, provide feedback on, among other things, whether the Board has the right set of skills, diversity, experience and expertise. This evaluation encompasses a consideration of diversity as described above.

Nominee Selection Process

The selection process for director candidates reflects guidelines established from time to time by the Governance Committee. A shareholder seeking to recommend a prospective candidate for the Governance Committee’s consideration should submit such recommendation in writing, addressed to the Governance Committee in care of the Secretary of the Company at our Company’s corporate headquarters.

To nominate a director, our bylaws provide that timely notice must be received by the Secretary not less than 90 days prior to the anniversary of the date of our Annual Meeting of Shareholders. The nominations must set forth: (i) the name, age, business and residential addresses and principal occupation or employment of each nominee proposed in such notice; (ii) the name and address of the shareholder giving the notice and any beneficial owner on whose behalf the nomination is made, as they appear in our Company’s stock register; (iii) the number of shares of capital stock of our Company which are beneficially owned by, or any other direct or indirect interest in the capital stock of our Company held by, each such nominee and such shareholder; and (iv) such other information concerning each such nominee as would be required under the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission in a proxy statement soliciting proxies for the election of such nominee. Such notice must also include a signed

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consent of each such nominee to serve as a director of our Company, if elected. Shareholder nominees will be evaluated in the same manner as nominees from other sources.

DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE

Our Board of Directors has determined that Mr. Carter, Mr. Etchart, Mr. Eugster, Ms. Feragen, Mr. Gilligan, Mr. Mitau, Ms. Morfitt, Mr. Van Sant, Mr. Wheeler and Ms. White are independent directors. The independent directors constitute a majority of the Board, and the only director who is not independent is Mr. McHale, the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer. In making its determination regarding the independence of the directors, our Board noted that each independent director meets the standards for independence set out in the New York Stock Exchange corporate governance rules, and that there is no material business relationship between our Company and any independent director, including any business entity with which any independent director is affiliated.

In making its determination, our Board reviewed information provided by each of the independent directors and information gathered by our management, and determined that none of the independent directors, other than Mr. Carter, have any relationship with our Company other than as a director and shareholder. The Board specifically considered that Mr. Carter serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Customer and Innovation Officer of Xcel Energy Inc. In 2020, our Company paid Xcel Energy approximately $4.2 million for electric services to some of our facilities in Minnesota and South Dakota. Xcel Energy did not provide any advisory services to the Company. Our relationship with Xcel Energy predates Mr. Carter’s service on our Board, and Mr. Carter has never been personally involved in any way in our transactions or relationship with Xcel Energy. The total amount our Company paid to Xcel Energy in 2020 falls significantly below two percent of Xcel Energy’s 2020 gross revenues, which is the threshold for determining independence under the New York Stock Exchange’s independence standards. The Board determined that neither the nature of the relationship between Xcel Energy and our Company nor the amount of payments was material to either the Company or Xcel Energy, and that Mr. Carter does not have a material interest in the foregoing transactions because he was not directly involved in the transactions and he does not derive any special benefit related to the transactions.

BOARD LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE

Our Corporate Governance Guidelines provide for the position of Chairman of the Board of Directors, who may or may not be the same person who serves as our President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Mitau has served as our independent Chairman of the Board from May 2002 until April 2006 and again since June 2007. Our Board currently believes that separating the roles of Chairman of the Board and CEO is appropriate for our Company because it is desirable to have our CEO focused on the management and operation of our business without the additional responsibilities of Chairman. Moreover, Mr. Mitau has significant public company and governance experience. Our Corporate Governance Guidelines set forth several responsibilities of the Chairman of the Board, including setting agendas for board meetings and presiding at executive sessions of non-employee directors.

BOARD OVERSIGHT OF RISK

Our Board of Directors takes an active role in oversight of our Company’s risk by assessing risks inherent in our Company’s decisions and key strategies. The Audit Committee specifically discusses policies with respect to risk assessment and risk management as part of its responsibility to oversee our Company’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. The Audit Committee actively oversees the Company’s cybersecurity risks and strategy, with management providing regular reports to the Audit Committee and the Board on cybersecurity risks facing the Company and the systems management has put in place to identify, mitigate and manage those risks.

Our Company engages in an Enterprise Risk Management (“ERM”) process. The ERM process consists of periodic risk assessments performed by each division, region and functional group during the year, including an annual risk assessment on the Company’s executive compensation program (as discussed in more detail on page 19) and an annual assessment of the Company’s cybersecurity risks. Executive management periodically reviews the divisional, regional and functional risk assessments. These assessments are presented to the Audit Committee each September to ensure completeness, appropriate oversight and review. We believe that the active oversight role played by our Audit Committee, which consists solely of independent directors, provides the appropriate level of independent oversight of risk within our Company.

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Graco Inc. 2021 Proxy Statement

MEETINGS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

During 2020, our Board of Directors met five times. Attendance of our directors at all Board and committee meetings averaged 99%. During 2020, every director attended at least 75% of the aggregate number of meetings of the Board and all committees of the Board on which he or she served. Our Corporate Governance Guidelines require that each director make all reasonable efforts to attend the Company’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders. In 2020, all of the directors attended the Annual Meeting of Shareholders. Each regularly scheduled meeting of the Board includes an executive session of only non-employee directors. Mr. Mitau, Chairman of the Board, presides at the executive sessions.

COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The Board of Directors has an Audit Committee, a Governance Committee, and a Management Organization and Compensation Committee. Membership as of February 22, 2021, the record date, was as follows:

Mr. Carter was appointed to serve as a member of the Audit Committee and the Management Organization and Compensation Committee upon his appointment to the Board effective February 11, 2021.

Audit Committee (8 meetings in fiscal year 2020)

The Audit Committee is composed entirely of directors who meet the independence requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. All of the Audit Committee members are, in the judgment of the Board, financially literate. Our Board has determined that Ms. Feragen and Mr. Van Sant are audit committee financial experts.

The Audit Committee assists the Board in its oversight of the integrity of our financial statements, our compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, the qualification and independence of the independent auditor, and the performance of the internal audit function and the independent auditors.

The responsibilities of the Audit Committee are set forth in a written charter. The Audit Committee has reviewed and reassessed the adequacy of its charter and concluded that the charter satisfactorily states the responsibilities of the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee Charter was most recently approved by the Board on February 16, 2018.

Governance Committee (4 meetings in fiscal year 2020)

The Governance Committee is composed entirely of directors who meet the independence requirements of the New York Stock Exchange. The Governance Committee has the following functions:

The responsibilities of the Governance Committee are fully set forth in its written charter, which was most recently approved by the Board on February 16, 2018.

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Graco Inc. 2021 Proxy Statement

Management Organization and Compensation Committee (3 meetings in fiscal year 2020)

The Management Organization and Compensation Committee is composed entirely of directors who meet the independence requirements of the New York Stock Exchange. The Management Organization and Compensation Committee has the following functions:

The responsibilities of the Management Organization and Compensation Committee are fully set forth in its written charter, which was most recently approved by the Board on February 14, 2020.

COMPENSATION COMMITTEE INTERLOCKS AND INSIDER PARTICIPATION

None of the members of the Board who served on the Management Organization and Compensation Committee during 2020 has ever been an officer or employee of our Company or any of its subsidiaries.

DIRECTOR COMPENSATION

A non-employee director may elect to receive shares of our common stock instead of cash for all or part of the director’s annual retainers. A director may choose to receive the shares currently or defer receipt until the director leaves the Board, at which time the director may receive the shares in a lump sum or installments. Payments, whether in a lump sum or by installments, will be made in shares of common stock, plus cash in lieu of any fractional share. When our Board declares a dividend, the director’s deferred stock account is credited with additional shares of deferred stock in an account held by a trustee in the name of the non-employee director equivalent to the number of shares that could be purchased with the dividends at the current fair market value of the shares.

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Graco Inc. 2021 Proxy Statement

Non-employee directors receive an annual option grant. In 2020, non-employee directors received an annual option grant of 13,770 shares on the date of the Company’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders. The number of shares granted was based on a Black-Scholes value of $9.44 per share on April 23, 2020, and an economic value of approximately $130,000. At its September 2020 meeting, our Governance Committee changed the date on which non-employee directors receive their annual option grant to align with the date on which our executive officers and key employees receive their annual option grant. Thus, on February 12, 2021, non-employee directors received an annual option grant of 7,360 shares. The number of shares granted was based on a Black-Scholes value of $17.66 per share on February 11, 2021, and an economic value of approximately $130,000. Upon first joining the Board, non-employee directors are also eligible to receive an initial option grant with an economic value equal to that of the most recent option grant for non-employee directors. Mr. Wheeler received an initial option grant of 11,750 shares on February 28, 2020, upon his appointment to the Board. The number of shares granted to Mr. Wheeler was based on a Black-Scholes value of $10.63 on February 27, 2020, and an economic value of approximately $125,000. Mr. Carter received an initial option grant of 7,360 shares on February 11, 2021, upon his appointment to the Board. The number of shares granted to Mr. Carter was based on a Black-Scholes value of $17.64 on February 10, 2021, and an economic value of approximately $130,000. Options granted to non-employee directors are issued under the Graco Inc. 2019 Stock Incentive Plan (the “Plan”). The options are non-statutory, have a 10-year duration and become exercisable in equal installments over four years, beginning with the first anniversary of the date of the grant. The option exercise price is the fair market value of the stock on the date of grant, as defined in the Plan. The Plan defines “fair market value” as the closing sales price of the stock on the principal securities market on which it trades on the date immediately preceding the date of grant.

Our Board’s philosophy is to target retainer compensation at a level approximately comparable to the median of the market, and to target equity compensation in the form of stock options at a level approximately comparable to the 75^th percentile of the market, in order to attract and retain capable Board members, to encourage above-market Company performance, and to strengthen the link between our director compensation program and the interests of our shareholders in Graco stock performance.

Our Governance Committee retained Willis Towers Watson to conduct a peer group comparison of director compensation and present such data at its February 2020 meeting. The peer companies used for the 2020 benchmarking study matched the peer group identified for executive compensation on page 23 of the Compensation Discussion and Analysis section of the Proxy Statement for the 2020 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. In reviewing the peer group comparison, the Governance Committee concluded that total director cash compensation fell below the median of the peer group, and director equity compensation fell below the 75^th percentile of the peer group. As a result, the Board of Directors, upon recommendation of the Governance Committee, determined that, effective May 1, 2020, the annual committee retainer for the Audit Committee would increase from $10,000 to $12,500, the annual committee retainer for the Management Organization and Compensation Committee would increase from $5,000 to $7,500, and the annual committee retainer for the Governance Committee would increase from $5,000 to $6,000. The Board of Directors, upon recommendation of the Governance Committee, further determined that, effective immediately, the economic value of the next annual option grant for each non-employee director would increase from $125,000 to $130,000. As a result of the foregoing adjustments, non-employee director cash and equity compensation were approximately at the 50^th and 75^th percentiles of the peer group, respectively.

Our Governance Committee requested that the Graco Compensation Department conduct a peer group comparison of director compensation and present such data at its February 2021 meeting. The peer companies selected for the comparison matched the peer group identified for executive compensation on page 22 of the Compensation Discussion and Analysis section of this Proxy Statement. In reviewing the peer group comparison, the Governance Committee concluded that its current retainer compensation is approximately at the median of the peer group, and that its equity compensation is approximately at the 75^th percentile of the peer group, so no changes were proposed for 2021.

Share ownership guidelines for our directors require each of our non-employee directors to own a minimum of approximately five times the total value of their annual retainers in Company stock. Shares of common stock directly and beneficially owned, as well as deferred stock shares, are used to calculate each director’s ownership level; stock options are not used. Directors have five years from their initial date of appointment to reach the minimum ownership level. All of our directors who have served for at least five years exceed this ownership requirement.

In February 2001, our Board terminated the retirement benefit for non-employee directors, which provided that, upon cessation of service, a non-employee director who has served for five full years or more will receive payments for five years at a rate equal to the director’s annual retainer in effect on the director’s last day of service on the Board. The annual retainer calculation is set at the rate then in effect for the non-Chairman annual retainer and does not include Committee Chair retainer fees. Such retirement payments will be prorated and made quarterly. Payments will be made in accordance with this retirement benefit to Mr. Mitau and Ms. Morfitt upon their respective retirements.

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Graco Inc. 2021 Proxy Statement

Director Compensation Table for Fiscal Year Ended December 25, 2020

The following table summarizes the total compensation paid to or earned by our non-employee directors for their service during the fiscal year ended December 25, 2020:

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COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE BOARD

Our Board of Directors welcomes the submission of any comments or concerns from shareholders or other interested parties. These communications will be delivered directly to the Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. If a communication does not relate in any way to Board matters, she will deal with the communication as appropriate. If the communication does relate to any matter of relevance to our Board, she will relay the message to the Chairman of the Governance Committee, who will determine whether to relay the communication to the entire Board or to the non-employee directors. The Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary will keep a log of all communications addressed to the Board that she receives. If you wish to submit any comments or express any concerns to our Board, you may use one of the following methods:

Board of Directors

Graco Inc.

c/o Karen Park Gallivan, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary

P.O. Box 1441

Minneapolis, Minnesota 55440-1441

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Graco Inc. 2021 Proxy Statement

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE DOCUMENTS

The charters of the Audit, Governance, and Management Organization and Compensation Committees, as well as our Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines and Code of Ethics and Business Conduct, are available on our website at www.graco.com and may be found by selecting the “For Investors” tab and then clicking on “Corporate Governance.”

AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT

Report of the Audit Committee

The Audit Committee has reviewed and discussed the audited financial statements of our Company for the fiscal year ended December 25, 2020 (the “Financial Statements”) with both the Company’s management and its independent registered public accounting firm, Deloitte & Touche LLP. The Audit Committee has discussed with Deloitte & Touche LLP the matters required to be discussed by the applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Our management has represented to the Audit Committee that the Financial Statements were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

The Audit Committee has received from Deloitte & Touche LLP the written disclosure and the letter required by applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding the independent accountant’s communications with the Audit Committee concerning independence, and the Audit Committee has discussed with Deloitte & Touche LLP its independence. The Audit Committee has also received written material addressing Deloitte & Touche LLP’s internal quality control procedures and other matters, as required by the New York Stock Exchange listing standards. The Audit Committee has considered the effect of non-audit fees on the independence of Deloitte & Touche LLP and has concluded that such non-audit services are compatible with the independence of Deloitte & Touche LLP.

Based on these reviews and discussions, the Audit Committee recommended to our Board of Directors that the Financial Statements for the fiscal year ended December 25, 2020, be included in the Company’s 2020 Annual Report on Form 10-K for filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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Graco Inc. 2021 Proxy Statement

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm Fees and Services

The following table sets forth the aggregate audit fees incurred by Graco Inc. and its subsidiaries from our Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, Deloitte & Touche LLP, the member firms of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu and their respective affiliates (collectively, the “Deloitte Firms”), and the fees paid to the Deloitte Firms for services in the other fee categories during the fiscal years ended December 25, 2020, and December 27, 2019. The Audit Committee has considered the scope and fee arrangements for all services provided by the Deloitte Firms to our Company, taking into account whether the provision of non-audit services is compatible with maintaining the Deloitte Firms’ independence. The Audit Committee pre-approved 100% of the services described below.

Pre-Approval Policies

The Audit Committee’s policy on approval of services performed by the independent registered public accounting firm is to pre-approve all audit and permissible non-audit services to be provided by the independent registered public accounting firm during the fiscal year. The Audit Committee reviews each non-audit service to be provided and assesses the impact of the service on the firm’s independence.

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Graco Inc. 2021 Proxy Statement

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Compensation Discussion and Analysis

Overview

In 2020, the Company continued to invest in its four core strategies for growth and long-term value creation: new product development; new markets; global expansion; and acquisitions. During the year, net sales were $1.65 billion (flat with 2019), diluted net earnings per share were $1.92 (down 4% from 2019), dividends paid per share were $0.70 (up 9.4% from 2019 - our 21^st consecutive annual increase), and share repurchases totaled $102 million. Total shareholder return during the period was 40%. Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy, the Management Organization and Compensation Committee (for purposes of this Executive Compensation section, the “MOCC”) did not make any changes to the performance targets or plan designs for the Company’s incentive programs. The Company’s short-term cash incentive plan continued to use net sales and earnings per share as the sole metrics to reward top- and bottom-line performance. The earnings per share metrics used for 2020 were adjusted to exclude certain items as defined by the MOCC as described in more detail on page 24, which we refer to as “Incentive EPS.” For 2020, Incentive EPS were $2.01. The following charts detail the Company’s net sales and Incentive EPS results against targets and prior year performance.

The Company’s named executive officers (“Named Executive Officers” or “NEOs”) for 2020 were:

Consideration of “Say-on-Pay” Voting Results

The MOCC targets a competitive and equitable executive compensation program that rewards executives based upon Company and individual performance, and for certain executives, region or division performance as well. In making executive compensation decisions, the MOCC considers the results of the most recent advisory, non-binding vote on the compensation paid to our NEOs. At the Annual Meeting of Shareholders in April of 2019, our shareholders approved the compensation paid to our NEOs by over 93%. The MOCC believes this favorable outcome reflects our shareholders’ strong support of the Company’s executive compensation philosophy, program and practices. As a result, the MOCC determined it was not necessary to make any material changes to the Company’s executive compensation program for 2020. Our executive compensation received nearly 91% support at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders in April of 2020.

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Graco Inc. 2021 Proxy Statement

Compensation Philosophy

Compensation Risk Assessment

The Company’s Internal Audit Department conducts an annual risk assessment on the Company’s executive compensation program and presents its findings to the MOCC and the Audit Committee. The risk assessment identifies, among other things, certain potential risks in the Company’s short- and long-term incentive plans and the Company’s severance and change of control arrangements, and various factors that serve to mitigate those risks. Such mitigating factors include those set forth above, as well as the annual plan design and benchmarking review by the independent compensation consultant and the MOCC, the MOCC’s review and approval of incentive awards, the Company’s internal controls, and the use of “double-triggers” in severance and change of control arrangements. At its September 2020 meeting, the MOCC reviewed and discussed the risk assessment and determined that the Company’s executive compensation program is not likely to have a material adverse impact on the Company, and recommended that the Audit Committee make the same determination as well. As a result, the MOCC did not make any changes to the Company’s executive compensation program.

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Graco Inc. 2021 Proxy Statement

Executive Officer Compensation Processes

The MOCC uses the following resources, processes and procedures to help it effectively perform its responsibilities:

Executive Compensation Consultant

The MOCC has the authority under its charter to engage the services of outside consultants, to determine the scope of the consultants’ services and to terminate such consultants’ engagement. The MOCC retained Willis Towers Watson as its independent outside executive compensation consultant to advise the MOCC on matters relating to the determination of base salary, short-term incentive and long-term incentive programs for the Company’s executive officers.

In its capacity as the executive compensation consultant, Willis Towers Watson advises the MOCC on the following matters:

Our Company’s management engaged Willis Towers Watson to perform certain non-executive compensation services in 2020. The total fees for these services were less than $120,000.

The MOCC reviews the independence of the executive compensation consultant on an annual basis. In evaluating Willis Towers Watson’s independence, the MOCC considers all factors relevant to Willis Towers Watson’s independence from management, including the following:

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Graco Inc. 2021 Proxy Statement

Based on its review, the MOCC concluded there was no conflict of interest that impaired Willis Towers Watson’s independence.

Role of Management in Executive Compensation Decisions

Our management is involved in the following executive compensation processes:

Benchmarking

The MOCC annually retains Willis Towers Watson to provide survey market data of companies with similar revenues for all executive officer positions, with a focus on the manufacturing industry. The MOCC meets in the fall of each year to review this market data. The market data is derived from Willis Towers Watson’s database and is statistically adjusted to reflect variation in revenues among the companies. The MOCC is presented with data showing total direct compensation amounts at the 50^th and 75^th percentiles of the market data. In addition, the MOCC considers data from this survey reflecting the general mix of compensation elements among base salary, short-term incentives and long-term incentives. At the same time, the MOCC reviews information showing the relative positioning of the compensation of the Company’s executive officers in relation to the market data. When reviewing the relative positioning of each executive officer’s total direct compensation level, the MOCC compares each executive officer to generally comparable positions identified within the market data. The purpose of this annual review is to gather a general sense for whether the Company’s compensation levels and mix of compensation elements are generally consistent with this market data, with a general expectation that total direct compensation should be between the 50^th and the 75^th percentiles of the market data depending on Company and individual performance. At the same time, Willis Towers Watson provides general information to the MOCC about market trends and expected compensation level changes for the upcoming fiscal year (“Market Increase Projection”).

At the MOCC’s last meeting of each fiscal year, the MOCC sets base salaries for executive officers for the upcoming fiscal year. The decisions about the specific base salary levels are based on individual performance and budgetary constraints, and are guided by the 50^th percentile of the market data without a specific market position targeted.

At the MOCC’s first meeting of each fiscal year, the MOCC approves short-term incentive targets and long-term incentive awards. The target short-term cash award is determined as a percentage of base salary for the executive officer annual incentive plan, which percentage has been consistent for many years. The MOCC targets the value of the long-term incentive awards for the NEOs at the 75^th percentile for comparable positions within the Willis Towers Watson database, although the number of shares granted may be adjusted downward based on the Company’s stock dilution guidelines and internal equity. The reason for targeting the 75^th percentile is to encourage above-market performance. In addition, the MOCC believes that the opportunity for above-market compensation should be primarily earned in the area of long-term performance. Once the value of the long-term incentive award is determined, the number of shares subject to the equity awards granted to each executive officer is determined

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by dividing the long-term incentive award value by a projected Black-Scholes value based on assumptions used for financial accounting purposes.

Refer to the discussions of each compensation element below, as well as the “Compensation of Individual Named Executive Officers” section below, for specific information on how this benchmarking process applied to specific compensation decisions for our NEOs for 2020.

Our Company’s Peer Group

The Company’s peer group (the “Graco Peer Group”) was updated in 2019 with the assistance of Willis Towers Watson to ensure the group is large enough to maintain reliable market outcomes and is appropriately aligned with the Company in terms of industry, size, life cycle stage, labor market, and revenue and market capitalization characteristics. The following table lists the companies that were in the Graco Peer Group when the MOCC set 2020 compensation levels for the executive officers, and includes financial and headcount data for the Company and the median of the Graco Peer Group:

(1)    Represents most recent fiscal year data available from Equilar as of January 25, 2021.

Given that compensation data for the CEO and CFO positions of the Graco Peer Group are readily available in securities filings, the MOCC used the applicable Graco Peer Group as a primary source of data when setting 2020 and 2021 compensation levels for the Company’s CEO and CFO. Compensation data for all other executive officer positions in the Graco Peer Group are limited to those executive officers identified in securities filings, which positions may or may not correspond to the positions held by, and responsibilities of, our other executive officers. Therefore, the MOCC used the Willis Towers Watson survey data as a primary source of data, and the relevant Graco Peer Group as a secondary source of data to the extent applicable, when setting 2020 and 2021 compensation levels for the Company’s other executive officers.

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Components of the Executive Compensation Program

Our executive compensation program is designed to reward short-term results and motivate long-term performance through the use of three primary total compensation components: base salary; short-term incentives; and long-term incentives. The following table summarizes each of these components of compensation:

In addition to reviewing the benchmark data described above, the MOCC reviews compensation and benefits tally sheets for our projected NEOs showing their current and potential total compensation and benefits components. The tally sheets also display estimated compensation and benefits for hypothetical change of control and involuntary and voluntary terminations. Specifically, the tally sheets reviewed by the MOCC in September 2020 provided actual compensation for 2018 and 2019 and target annual compensation for 2020. These tally sheets also provided retirement balances as of December 31, 2019, projected to normal retirement age or the age at which the benefit is not subject to reduction, deferred compensation balances and the projected value of stock awards based on assumptions regarding stock price appreciation.

The MOCC strives to maintain a reasonable and competitive balance between fixed and variable elements of compensation. The MOCC believes the compensation mix and amount paid to each of our executive officers is market-based, reasonable and competitive. The 2020 pay mix at target for our CEO and other NEOs is displayed below. The percentage allocation among each pay element may vary based on an individual’s experience, responsibilities, performance and corporate/division/region results. The “at risk” pay components comprised between 63% and 88% of the total target annual direct compensation for 2020 to align our NEOs’ compensation with the performance of the Company and the creation of shareholder value.

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Graco Inc. 2021 Proxy Statement

Base Salary

Base salary is fixed compensation. Annual salary increases are based on individual performance and budgetary constraints, and are guided by the 50^th percentile market data.

For 2020, the merit increase decisions for the NEOs were based on the criteria identified above. Additional information on individual salary adjustments for 2020 is provided in the “Compensation of Individual Named Executive Officers” section below.

Short-Term Incentives (STI)

The Graco Inc. Incentive Bonus Plan (the “Incentive Bonus Plan”) is designed to motivate the executive officers of the Company to improve the overall performance of the Company and to reward them when the Company achieves specific measurable results. The Incentive Bonus Plan provides cash rewards to executive officers to encourage them to produce a strong return for the Company’s shareholders and to encourage them to remain employees of the Company. The MOCC has the discretion to designate executive officers and other employees of the Company as participants in the Incentive Bonus Plan. The Incentive Bonus Plan also permits the MOCC to establish performance periods based on a performance period of any length. Potential payouts under the Incentive Bonus Plan are expressed as a percentage of base salary, which percentages have remained constant within each level (CEO and other executive officers) for many years. Specific financial performance thresholds must be attained in order for the executive officers to earn an incentive payment. If specified performance levels are not achieved or exceeded, there is no payout. The annual incentives, to the extent earned, are typically paid in cash in March following the calendar year-end and are based upon the MOCC’s determination of financial performance against pre-established targets.

At its meeting in February 2020, the MOCC approved participation of the CEO and other executive officers in the Incentive Bonus Plan for 2020. The threshold, target and maximum payout levels as a percent of target and as a percent of base salary for 2020 are displayed below. Achievement of performance levels between threshold and target, and target and maximum, result in a payout that is interpolated based on the level of performance, and permit a partial payout as soon as the threshold level of achievement has been exceeded.

The MOCC established two financial measures for the Incentive Bonus Plan: net sales and Incentive EPS growth over the prior year. Net sales and Incentive EPS growth were selected as the metrics against which to measure the executive officers’ performance for the Incentive Bonus Plan because the MOCC desires to motivate the officers to achieve profitable business growth consistent with our long-term financial objectives. The MOCC utilized projected global gross domestic product (GDP) growth rates as a guide in setting the 2020 target performance levels. At the time the MOCC established the 2020 target performance levels, the MOCC once again determined that final bonus payout calculations for corporate, worldwide division and region Incentive EPS would exclude certain purchase accounting and one-time transaction costs related to acquisitions and divestitures, the initial valuation of acquisitions and potential earn out adjustments, and the effects of excess tax benefits from stock option exercises. Final Incentive EPS calculations for 2020 bonus payouts did exclude these items. The MOCC believes these adjustments provide a better measure of operating performance in 2020. In addition to these recurring adjustments, the MOCC has the authority to adjust Incentive Bonus Plan awards based on unanticipated or special circumstances. Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy, the MOCC elected not to make any adjustments to performance targets, bonus payouts or the design of the Incentive Bonus Plan.

The 2020 incentive award payouts were based upon the achievement of specified levels of net sales and Incentive EPS at the

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corporate and division/region levels. Financial performance levels and actual results for the 2020 Incentive Bonus Plan were as follows:

The 2020 financial results produced below target payouts for the Incentive Bonus Plan for each of the NEOs other than Mr. D. Johnson, whose payout was above target due to strong divisional performance. The Incentive Bonus Plan targets as a percentage of base salary, awards at target, performance achievements, actual payouts and payouts as a percentage of base salary for each NEO were as follows:

The MOCC also has the authority to award special bonuses outside of the Incentive Bonus Plan to individual executive officers, but no such special bonuses were awarded for 2020.

Long-Term Incentives (LTI)

The MOCC typically grants long-term incentive awards in the form of stock options to each executive officer at its regularly scheduled February meeting based on a review of the market data. The MOCC is guided by the 75^th percentile of the market data for comparable groupings of positions to determine the economic value of such awards. The stock option awards are designed to promote the interests of the Company and its shareholders through the attraction and retention of experienced and capable leaders. The MOCC considers, except in the case of the award to the CEO, the recommendation of the CEO for such awards. The MOCC also considers the dilutive effect on our shareholders in determining the number of stock options granted to each executive officer.

As part of its review of the market data and trends in executive compensation, the MOCC periodically considers whether to utilize other long-term incentive vehicles in addition to or in lieu of stock options. While the MOCC has on rare occasions granted restricted stock to certain executive officers, the MOCC has determined that the use of stock options as the sole long-term incentive vehicle for the executive officer compensation program has successfully motivated the executive officers to attain long-term goals and operational growth for the Company, and has aligned the executive officers’ interests with our shareholders’

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interests in creating long-term shareholder value. The MOCC has utilized stock options as the sole long-term incentive vehicle for the executive officer compensation program for 27 years. Over the past 27 years, the Company’s cumulative total shareholder return has been 11,442% versus 694% for the S&P 500 and 704% for the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Assuming all dividends were reinvested, a $1,000 investment in the Company’s common stock at the beginning of the 27-year period would have been worth $115,423 on December 25, 2020, while a $1,000 investment in each of the S&P 500 Index and the Dow Jones Industrial Average Index would have been worth $7,939 and $8,045, respectively, on December 25, 2020. The MOCC does not believe that changing the design of the long-term incentive program at this time would motivate our executive officers to create long-term shareholder value more effectively than the current design.

Under the terms of the Graco Inc. 2019 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2019 Plan”), the MOCC must approve all stock option grants to executive officers. In February 2020, executive officers were awarded non-qualified stock options with an exercise price equal to the fair market value of our common stock on the grant date, defined in the 2019 Plan as the last sale price of the stock on the day immediately preceding the grant date. Each option has a 10-year term and becomes exercisable in equal installments over four years, beginning with the first anniversary of the grant date. Additionally, the 2019 Plan prohibits the repricing of stock options.

In 2020, the MOCC granted the following stock option awards to the NEOs under the 2019 Plan:

The MOCC elected not to make any adjustments to the 2019 Plan design or the stock option awards granted to the Company’s executive officers, despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy.

Compensation of Individual Named Executive Officers

Patrick J. McHale

President and Chief Executive Officer

Mr. McHale’s base salary as of December 2019 was below the median of the 2019 Willis Towers Watson survey data. In December 2019, the MOCC approved a base salary increase of 3% to $866,200 for 2020 based on Mr. McHale’s relative position in the market and individual performance. The increase was in line with the Market Increase Projection. Based on 2020 corporate net sales and corporate Incentive EPS performance, Mr. McHale received a $687,823 bonus payout under the Incentive Bonus Plan. Mr. McHale’s bonus payout represented 79% of his target award. Based on the process described above for setting long-term incentive awards, Mr. McHale received a stock option award of 441,410 shares in February 2020.

Mark W. Sheahan

Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

Mr. Sheahan’s base salary as of December 2019 was below the median of the 2019 Willis Towers Watson survey data. In December 2019, the MOCC approved a base salary increase of 7% to $449,400 for 2020 based on Mr. Sheahan’s relative position in the market and individual performance. Based on 2020 corporate net sales and corporate Incentive EPS performance, Mr. Sheahan received a $249,798 bonus payment under the Incentive Bonus Plan. Mr. Sheahan’s bonus payout represented 79% of his target award. Based on the process described above for setting long-term incentive awards, Mr. Sheahan received a stock option award of 60,190 shares in February 2020.

Dale D. Johnson

President, Worldwide Contractor Equipment Division

Mr. Johnson’s base salary as of December 2019 was above the median of the 2019 Willis Towers Watson survey data. His highly competitive base compensation is based on key factors such as long tenure, strong past performance and individual contributions to the Company. In December 2019, the MOCC approved a 4% increase to Mr. Johnson’s base salary to $494,000 for 2020 based on individual performance and internal pay relationships. Based on 2020 corporate net sales, corporate Incentive EPS, worldwide Contractor Equipment Division net sales, and worldwide Contractor Equipment Division Incentive EPS performance, Mr. Johnson received a $396,645 cash bonus payout under the Incentive Bonus Plan. Mr. Johnson’s bonus payout represented 115% of his target award. Based on the process described above for setting long-term incentive awards, Mr. Johnson

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received a stock option award of 42,130 shares in February 2020.

Christian E. Rothe

President, Worldwide Applied Fluid Technologies Division

Mr. Rothe’s base salary as of December 2019 was above the median of the 2019 Willis Towers Watson survey data. In December 2019, the MOCC approved a 3% increase to Mr. Rothe’s base salary to $485,200 for 2020 based on his relative position in the market and individual performance. Based on 2020 corporate net sales, corporate Incentive EPS, worldwide Applied Fluid Technologies Division net sales, and worldwide Applied Fluid Technologies Division Incentive EPS performance, Mr. Rothe received a $197,741 bonus payout under the Incentive Bonus Plan. Mr. Rothe’s bonus payout represented 58% of his target award. Based on the process described above for setting long-term incentive awards, Mr. Rothe received a stock option award of 40,120 shares in February 2020.

Jeffrey P. Johnson

President, Electric Motor Division

Mr. Johnson’s base salary as of December 2019 was above the median of the 2019 Willis Towers Watson survey data. In December 2019, the MOCC approved a base salary increase of 3% to $377,804 for 2020 based on Mr. Johnson’s relative position in the market and individual performance. Based on 2020 corporate net sales and corporate Incentive EPS, Mr. Johnson received a $210,002 bonus payment under the Incentive Bonus Plan. Mr. Johnson’s bonus payout represented 79% of his target award. Based on the process described above for setting long-term incentive awards, Mr. Johnson received a stock option award of 38,120 shares in February 2020.

Compensation Decisions for 2021

In December of 2020, the MOCC increased the base salaries of each of the NEOs between 3% and 10% effective January 1, 2021. At its February 2021 meeting, the MOCC kept each NEO’s target annual cash incentive payout as a percent of base salary the same for 2021, and granted under the 2019 Plan stock option awards of 50,960 shares to Mr. Sheahan, 32,550 shares to Mr. D. Johnson, 28,310 shares to Mr. Rothe, and 28,310 shares to Mr. J. Johnson. The MOCC did not grant a stock option award to Mr. McHale due to his impending retirement. On February 26, 2021, the MOCC granted an award of 25,000 restricted stock units (“RSUs”) to Mr. D. Johnson for retention purposes in light of the transition in leadership of the Company. The RSUs will vest in full on December 31, 2024, subject to Mr. Johnson’s continued employment through that date. If Mr. D. Johnson’s employment terminates for any reason other than death, disability or termination by the Company without cause, all RSUs will be forfeited. In the event of Mr. D. Johnson’s death or disability, termination of employment by the Company without cause, or a change of control, all unvested RSUs will vest immediately. Upon vesting, the RSUs will be settled by issuing 25,000 shares of common stock to Mr. D. Johnson.

Benefits and Perquisites

In an effort to attract and retain talented employees, we offer retirement, health and welfare programs competitive within our local markets (the “Benefit Programs”). The only Benefit Programs offered to our U.S. executive officers, either exclusively or with terms different from those offered to other eligible employees, are the following:

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Severance and Change of Control Arrangements

We have entered into Key Employee Agreements with the CEO and each of the other NEOs, the terms of which are described below under “Change of Control and Post-Termination Payments.” The MOCC believes it is in the best interests of our Company and its shareholders to design compensation programs that:

Accordingly, the agreements generally provide for certain benefits if the executive officer’s employment or service is involuntarily terminated by our Company without cause prior to a change of control or if, within two years after a change of control, the executive officer’s employment or service is terminated involuntarily by the Company without cause or the executive officer resigns for good reason. The current form of Key Employee Agreement was approved by the MOCC in December 2007 after reviewing the Key Employee Agreements previously in effect and current market practices related to severance arrangements and benefit levels related thereto. The MOCC reviews the form of Key Employee Agreement on a periodic basis in consultation with the executive compensation consultant and legal advisors.

The MOCC believes it is imperative to diminish any potential distraction of the executive officers by the personal uncertainties and risks created by a pending or threatened change of control. By offering an agreement that will financially protect the executive officer in the event his or her employment or service is involuntarily terminated or terminated by the executive officer for good reason following a change of control, the MOCC believes each executive officer’s full attention and dedication to our Company will be enhanced. The MOCC also believes the officers’ dedication will help the Company appropriately evaluate and complete a change of control transaction, and facilitate an orderly transition. In the event of a change of control of our Company, the agreements provide benefits only if the executive officer’s employment or service is terminated involuntarily without cause or if the executive officer resigns for good reason, including by reason of material demotion, decrease in compensation, relocation or increased travel, within two years after the change of control. The MOCC believes this “double-trigger” approach is most consistent with the objectives described above. The MOCC believes a termination by an executive officer for good reason may be conceptually the same as termination by our Company without cause, and that a potential acquirer would otherwise have an incentive to constructively terminate the executive’s employment to avoid paying severance benefits. Thus, the Key Employee Agreements provide severance benefits in the case of resignation for good reason following a change of control.

The MOCC believes it is important to attract and retain our executive officers by agreeing to provide certain benefits if the executive officer’s employment or service is terminated without cause prior to a change of control. In addition, the MOCC believes these benefits are appropriate to compensate these executive officers for agreeing not to work with competitors for a specified period of time following termination of employment, and that compensation enhances the enforceability of these non-compete covenants. The MOCC also believes the Company benefits from obtaining a release of any claims from these former executive officers and the severance payments provide consideration for obtaining the release.

Our equity awards for executive officers and certain key managers provide for accelerated vesting or lapse of restrictions upon a change of control. The MOCC believes that acceleration upon a change of control is appropriate to minimize the risk that executive officers might favor a transaction based on the likely impact on the executive officers’ equity awards, to increase the likelihood that the employees will remain with us after becoming aware of a pending or threatened change of control, and due to the increased likelihood that employees may be terminated by a successor through no fault of their own.

Hedging and Pledging

The Company’s directors, executive officers and certain employees who may have access and exposure to information about the Company’s financial performance prior to it being released to the public are prohibited from hedging Company stock.

The Company’s directors and executive officers may pledge Company stock, but only in very limited circumstances. We believe

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our shareholders benefit when our directors and executive officers have “skin-in-the-game” and are encouraged to both purchase Company stock out of their own pockets and to retain shares they have been granted, and that a blanket policy prohibiting pledging may discourage our directors and executive officers from doing either. Therefore, any pledges of Company stock by a director or an executive officer (other than the CEO or the General Counsel) must be approved in advance by the CEO and the General Counsel in consultation with the Chair of the Governance Committee. Any pledges of Company stock by the CEO or the General Counsel must be approved in advance by the Governance Committee. All approvals of pledges of Company stock, if granted, will be on a discretionary basis, considering the following criteria:

We believe the limitations on pledging set forth above are carefully crafted to help ensure that the benefits of stock ownership by our directors and executive officers outweigh any potential risks that may be associated with pledging.

During 2020, there were no Company shares pledged or hedged by directors or executive officers.

Tax Implications of Executive Compensation

Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code places a limit of $1 million in compensation per year on the amount public companies may deduct with respect to certain executive officers. Our pay-for-performance philosophy is central to our compensation program, and the MOCC believes shareholder interests are best served if its discretion and flexibility in structuring and awarding compensation is not restricted even though some compensation awards may result in non-deductible compensation expense to the Company.

Report of the Management Organization and Compensation Committee

The Management Organization and Compensation Committee of the Company has reviewed and discussed the Compensation Discussion and Analysis required by Item 402(b) of Regulation S-K with management, and based on such review and discussions, the Management Organization and Compensation Committee recommended to the Board that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in this Proxy Statement.

The Members of the Management Organization and Compensation Committee

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Summary Compensation Table

The table below summarizes the total compensation for the last three fiscal years awarded to, earned by or paid to individuals who served as our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer during fiscal year 2020 and each of the other three most highly compensated Named Executive Officers who were serving as executive officers at the end of fiscal year 2020.

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The Other Perquisites consist of Company-provided incremental cost for long-term disability coverage, financial planning, spousal travel, miscellaneous travel and an executive physical. None of these individual perquisite categories exceeded the greater of $25,000 or 10% of the total perquisite amount.

Grants of Plan-Based Awards in 2020

On February 14, 2020, the MOCC awarded a non-qualified stock option to each executive officer, including the NEOs, under the Graco Inc. 2019 Stock Incentive Plan. The amounts shown in the table below in the column entitled “All Other Option Awards: Number of Securities Underlying Options” reflect the number of common shares covered by the stock option granted to each NEO. Each option has a 10-year term and becomes exercisable in equal installments over four years, beginning with the first anniversary of the grant date.

Under the Incentive Bonus Plan, the payout upon achievement of applicable financial measures ranges from a minimum of 0% to a maximum of 150% of base salary for Mr. McHale and a minimum of 0% to a maximum of 105% of base salary for the other NEOs.

Grants of Plan-Based Awards for Fiscal Year Ended December 25, 2020

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Outstanding Equity Awards at 2020 Fiscal Year End

The following table summarizes the outstanding equity awards held by each Named Executive Officer on December 25, 2020:

Option Exercises and Stock Vested in 2020

The following table summarizes the options exercised by each Named Executive Officer in 2020:

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Change of Control and Post-Termination Payments

Summary of the Key Employee Agreement

The Key Employee Agreement provides for payment of the following benefits if the Company terminates the employment of an executive officer involuntarily without Cause (as defined below) prior to a Change of Control (as defined below):

The Key Employee Agreement provides for payment of the following benefits if, within two years after a Change of Control, the Company without Cause terminates an executive officer’s employment involuntarily or if the executive officer resigns for Good Reason (as defined below):

The definition of “Change of Control” in the Key Employee Agreements generally includes: (i) acquisition of beneficial ownership by a person or group which results in aggregate beneficial ownership of 30% or more of voting power or common stock, subject to certain exceptions; (ii) change of 50% or more of the Board members, without Board approval; and (iii) consummation of a merger or other business combination unless our Company’s shareholders own a majority of the voting power and common stock of the surviving corporation and other conditions are satisfied.

As used in the Key Employee Agreement, “Cause” means: (i) conviction of, or guilty or no contest plea to, any felony or other criminal act involving moral turpitude; (ii) gross misconduct or any act of fraud, disloyalty or dishonesty related to or connected with the executive officer’s employment or otherwise likely to cause material harm to our Company or its reputation; (iii) a willful and material violation of our Company’s written policies or codes of conduct; (iv) wrongful appropriation of our Company’s funds or property or other material breach of the executive officer’s fiduciary duties to our Company; or (v) the willful and material breach of the Key Employee Agreement by the executive officer.

As used in the Key Employee Agreement, “Good Reason” means: (i) assignment of duties materially inconsistent with, or other material diminution of, the executive officer’s position, duties or responsibilities as in effect immediately prior to the Change of Control; (ii) material reduction, in the aggregate, to the compensation and benefit plans, programs and perquisites applicable to the executive officer in effect immediately prior to the Change of Control; (iii) relocation of the executive officer to a location more than 50 miles from where the executive officer was based immediately prior to the Change of Control, or requiring the

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executive to travel to a substantially greater extent; or (iv) failure by our Company to sign the Key Employee Agreement to a successor.

Under the Key Employee Agreement, the executive officers agree to protect our Company’s confidential information, and not to compete with our Company or solicit employees for two years after termination of employment (or, if the executive officer’s employment is terminated involuntarily other than for Cause prior to a Change of Control, the non-compete covenant may expire after the executive officer is no longer receiving severance payments). The non-compete restriction does not apply if the executive officer’s employment is terminated involuntarily without Cause or voluntarily for Good Reason within two years after a Change of Control. In order to receive severance, the executive officer must sign a release of claims in favor of our Company and be in compliance with the terms of the Key Employee Agreement. The term of the Key Employee Agreement for each Named Executive Officer is three years, followed by automatic annual renewals, unless either party gives six months’ notice of non-renewal.

Except as indicated above with respect to the CEO, the same form of agreement has been provided to each Named Executive Officer.

Other Compensation and Benefits Payable Upon a Change of Control or Certain Terminations

Each NEO is eligible for the benefits described in this section as part of our Company’s standard practice or policy; however, the benefits are not triggered by any specific termination reason. Incremental amounts for each of these benefits are disclosed in the Summary Compensation Table, Potential Payments Upon Termination or Following a Change of Control table, or Pension Benefits table.

Pursuant to the Incentive Bonus Plan, each participant is eligible to receive a prorated bonus based on the amount of base salary earned during the fiscal year and the bonus percentage actually paid for that year for an employment termination due to death, disability or retirement. Unvested stock option awards provided to any executive officer will automatically accelerate and the options will become fully vested in the event of a Change of Control of our Company or if the executive officer’s employment is terminated due to death, disability or retirement. All unvested restricted stock provided to any executive officer will automatically be accelerated and fully vested in the event of a Change of Control of our Company or if the executive officer’s employment is terminated due to death or disability.

Participants in the Graco Employee Retirement Plan and the Graco Restoration Plan are entitled to receive the accumulated pension benefits over their lifetime, over a specific defined time or at the time of their retirement. These amounts are reflected in the Present Value of Accumulated Benefit column of the Pension Benefits table.

Upon any termination of employment, all employees are eligible to receive payment for any credited but unused paid time off. Each Named Executive Officer would receive reimbursement for any miscellaneous travel and spousal travel perquisites and associated tax gross-up payments incurred during the fiscal year.

The following table discloses the potential payments and benefits, other than those available generally on a nondiscriminatory basis to all U.S. salaried employees, provided upon a Change of Control or termination of employment for each of the Named Executive Officers, calculated as if the Change of Control or termination of employment had occurred on December 25, 2020:

Potential Payments Upon Termination or Following a Change of Control at December 25, 2020

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Retirement Benefits

Graco Employee Retirement Plan

The Graco Employee Retirement Plan – Blue (2017 Statement) (the “Retirement Plan”) is a funded defined benefit plan designed to coordinate with Social Security benefits to provide a basic level of retirement benefits for all eligible employees. Eligible executive officers participate in our tax-qualified defined benefit pension plan on the same terms as the rest of our eligible employees. The Retirement Plan was created in late 2017 when the Company restructured the Graco Employee Retirement Plan (2016 Restatement) (the “Original Plan”), which was frozen to employees newly hired on or after January 1, 2006. Each of the Named Executive Officers was eligible for benefits under the Original Plan except for Mr. Rothe and Mr. J. Johnson as they were hired by the Company after January 1, 2006. In restructuring the Original Plan, the Company spun off a portion of the Original Plan’s benefits (and associated assets) into the Retirement Plan and one other newly created defined benefit plan that has no active employees. After the spin-off, the Company transferred the remaining benefits (and associated assets) from the Original Plan to an annuity provider and then terminated the Original Plan. The terms and conditions of the Retirement Plan are identical in all material respects to the terms and conditions of the Original Plan.

Benefits for those eligible under the Retirement Plan consist of a fixed benefit, which is designed to provide a retirement income at age 65 of 43.5% of a participant’s average monthly compensation, less 18% of Social Security-covered compensation (calculated in a life annuity option) for an employee with 30 years of service. Average monthly compensation is defined as the average of the five consecutive highest years’ cash compensation during the last ten years of service, divided by sixty. The Retirement Plan defines eligible cash compensation as base salary, holiday pay, income earned outside of the United States but paid in the United States, annual bonus, CEO award, sales incentive, area differential, short-term disability payments, vacation pay, paid out accrued vacation, deferrals made under a cash or deferred agreement under Code Section 401(k), contributions to a

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plan established under Code Section 125, and transit and parking reimbursements made under Code Section 132. Benefits under the Retirement Plan vest upon five years of benefit service. Normal retirement age is defined as age 65 or age 62 with at least 30 years of service. Early retirement is available to participants age 55 or older with 5 years of vesting service. The monthly amount of a participant’s benefit when retiring prior to age 65, or age 62 with less than 30 years of benefit service, will be reduced by one-half of one percent (0.5%) for each month by which a participant’s benefit is to begin prior to the participant turning age 65 (or age 62, as the case may be). If a participant continues in employment with the Company after the participant’s normal retirement date, payment of the benefit shall be suspended for each calendar month during which the participant continues employment.

The default form of pension benefit is a single life annuity that provides a monthly benefit for the life of the participant. A participant may elect an optional form of payment. The optional forms available are a joint and survivor annuity or a term certain annuity. A joint and survivor annuity is an annuity that is payable monthly to and for the lifetime of the participant with a survivor annuity that is payable monthly after the participant dies to and for the lifetime of a participant’s designated joint annuitant in an amount equal to 50%, 66 2/3%, 75% or 100% (as elected by the participant) of the amount payable during the joint lives of the participant and the designated joint annuitant. The value of the amounts payable in the joint and survivor annuity form of pension shall be actuarially equivalent to the value of the amounts payable in the single life annuity form of pension. A term certain annuity is a form of annuity that is payable monthly to and for the lifetime of the participant or, if longer, for 120 or 180 months, as elected by the participant before the participant’s pension is to begin.

Graco Restoration Plan

Because the Internal Revenue Code limits the pension benefits that can be accrued under a tax-qualified defined benefit pension plan, we have established the Graco Restoration Plan (2005 Statement) (the “Graco Restoration Plan” or the “Restoration Plan”). This plan is a nonqualified excess benefit plan designed to provide retirement benefits to eligible executives and other highly compensated employees as a replacement for the retirement benefits limited under the Retirement Plan by operation of Section 415 and Section 401(a)(17) of the Code or who have experienced a reduction in benefits due to participant contributions to the Graco Deferred Compensation Plan. The Restoration Plan provides comparable level retirement benefits as a percentage of compensation as those provided to other employees.

An employee who is a participant in the Retirement Plan and who has experienced a legislative reduction in benefits under the Retirement Plan due to limitations imposed by Section 415 of the Code, Section 401(a)(17) of the Code, or who has experienced a reduction in benefits due to participant contributions to the Graco Deferred Compensation Plan (2005 Restatement), and is selected for participation, is eligible to participate in the Restoration Plan.

Benefits under the Restoration Plan supplement the benefits under the Retirement Plan. The Restoration Plan will pay to a participant as a benefit the amount by which the benefit under the Retirement Plan is exceeded by the benefit to which the participant would have been entitled under the Retirement Plan if the benefit limitations under Section 415 of the Code and the compensation limitations of Section 401(a)(17) of the Code did not apply. The Restoration Plan provides for several default forms of distribution. If the participant is single at the time distribution of the participant’s benefit is to commence, the participant’s benefit is to be paid in a single life annuity. If the participant is married at the time distribution of the participant’s benefit is to commence, the participant’s benefit is to be paid in the form of a joint and survivor annuity. The joint and survivor annuity will be paid over the life of the participant and the participant’s spouse, with a reduced annuity paid to the survivor after the death of the participant or the participant’s spouse. Alternatively, a participant may elect any of the distribution options available under the Retirement Plan or a lump sum option. A participant may elect to change the form of distribution to one of the optional forms of distribution. If the participant’s form of payment prior to electing one of the alternate forms is an annuity and the alternate form elected is an actuarially equivalent annuity, the benefit will commence on the same date that the benefit would have been paid but for the election to change the form. If a participant wishes to elect the lump sum option or any option which does not meet the conditions listed above, the election will not take effect until the date that is twelve months after the date on which the participant made the election, and the distribution will be delayed for at least five years after the distribution would have otherwise been made absent the election unless the participant elected a lump sum for the prospective benefits earned after December 31, 2010.

A participant’s benefit will commence on the first day of the month after the later of: (i) the date the participant attains age 62; or (ii) the participant separates from service. In the case of a distribution to a specified employee (as defined in Section 409A of the Code), where commencement is based on the specified employee’s separation from service, the date that the distribution will commence will be the first day of the month following the date that is six months after the specified employee’s separation from service.

If the value of a participant’s benefit under the Restoration Plan is $10,000 or less as of the date the benefit of a participant is to commence, the benefit will be paid in a single lump sum. There is no cap on the maximum benefits under the Restoration Plan.

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The actuarial present values of accumulated benefits as of December 25, 2020, for both the Retirement Plan and Restoration Plan are reflected in the Present Value of Accumulated Benefit column of the Pension Benefits table below. The actuarial present values are based on the valuation method and the assumptions applied in the calculations referenced in footnote 1 to the Pension Benefits table.

Pension Benefits at 2020 Fiscal Year End

Nonqualified Deferred Compensation

The Graco Inc. Deferred Compensation Plan (2005 Statement) (the “Deferred Compensation Plan”) is a nonqualified, unfunded deferred compensation plan intended to meet the requirements of Section 409A of the Code. Our Company has purchased insurance contracts on the lives of certain employees who are eligible to participate in the Restoration Plan and the Deferred Compensation Plan to fund the Company’s liability under these plans. These insurance contracts are held in trust and are available to general creditors in the event of the Company’s insolvency. Only a select group of management and highly compensated employees are eligible to participate in the Deferred Compensation Plan.

A participant in the Deferred Compensation Plan may elect to defer 1% to 50% of his or her base salary or advance sales incentive and/or 1% to 100% of his or her annual bonus and year-end sales incentive award. The Deferred Compensation Plan uses measurement funds to value the performance of the participants’ accounts. Participants can select one or more measurement funds and allocate their accounts in whole percentages. Participants have the ability to change their measurement funds on a daily basis. Participants are fully vested in the funds credited to their account at all times.

Upon enrollment in the Deferred Compensation Plan, the participant elects the year distributions are to begin and the form of distribution. The participant may elect a one-time change to the year in which the distribution is to begin. A change will delay the first distribution date for at least five years after the date the distributions would have begun under the original election. Participants have the ability to select between the following distribution forms: lump sum or annual installments for five, ten or fifteen years. In the event of a separation from service, the account will be distributed as soon as administratively possible in the January next following the date of separation from service. For a specified employee (as defined by Code Section 409A) distributions where the timing of the distribution is based on a separation from service, the date of distribution will be the first of the month following the date that is six months after the date the specified employee separated from service.

Nonqualified Deferred Compensation at 2020 Fiscal Year End

As of December 25, 2020, no NEOs were contributing to the Deferred Compensation Plan.

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CEO Succession Planning

Our Board is responsible for reviewing and approving, upon recommendation of the Management Organization and Compensation Committee, management’s succession plan for key executive positions and for establishing a succession plan for our CEO position. Our Management Organization and Compensation Committee is responsible for reviewing and making recommendations to the Board on the executive management organization. Annually, our CEO, together with our Executive Vice President HR, present to our Board an overview of our talent management program and processes, including the identification of key individuals, their readiness for certain executive positions, and development actions to be taken to prepare them for these positions over a period of time. In addition, our Board annually reviews and discusses succession planning for our CEO position. In doing so, the Board considers our Company’s current and future business and leadership needs, the identification of candidates who may be able to serve as our principal executive officer in an emergency, the development of potential candidates who may be able to serve as our principal executive officer in the longer-term, and progress made by those potential candidates in their development over the past year. Our Board has access to senior executives and key managers from time to time through presentations to the full Board and one-on-one meetings with individual directors.

CEO Pay Ratio

As required by Section 953(b) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and Item 402(u) of Regulation S-K, we are providing the ratio of the annual total compensation of our CEO to the median of the annual total compensation of our employees (excluding our CEO). In 2020, the annual total compensation of our CEO was $8,992,789, as set forth in the Summary Compensation Table, and the annual total compensation of our median employee was $65,523, resulting in a ratio of approximately 137 to 1.

In accordance with Instruction 2 to Item 402(u) of Regulation S-K, in calculating our pay ratio for 2020 we used the same median employee that was identified in 2018 as there has been no change in our employee population or employee compensation arrangements that we reasonably believe would significantly impact our pay ratio disclosure. We calculated the total annual compensation of the median employee for 2020 using the same methodology we used to calculate the annual total compensation of our CEO in the Summary Compensation Table. For information regarding the process we used to identify our median employee in 2018, please see our Proxy Statement for the 2019 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.

The SEC’s rules for identifying the median employee, calculating the median employee’s annual total compensation, and calculating the pay ratio based on that employee’s annual total compensation allow companies to adopt a variety of methodologies, to apply certain exclusions, and to make reasonable estimates and assumptions that reflect their employee populations and compensation practices. As a result, the pay ratio reported by other companies may not be comparable to the pay ratio reported above, as other companies have different employee populations and compensation practices and may utilize different methodologies, exclusions, estimates and assumptions in calculating their own pay ratios.

EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION

The following table provides information about shares that may be issued under our Company’s various stock option and purchase plans as of December 25, 2020:

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Graco Inc. 2021 Proxy Statement

BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SHARES

Director and Executive Officer Beneficial Ownership

The following table shows the number of common shares of our Company beneficially owned by each director, each nominee for election as director, the Named Executive Officers and by all current directors and executive officers as a group as of February 22, 2021. Except as otherwise indicated, the persons listed have sole voting and investment power.

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Principal Shareholder Beneficial Ownership

The following table identifies each person or group known to our Company to beneficially own, as of December 31, 2020, more than 5% of the outstanding common stock of the Company, the only class of security entitled to vote at the Meeting:

Delinquent Section 16(a) Reports

Our Company’s executive officers, directors, and 10% shareholders are required under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and regulations promulgated thereunder to file initial reports of ownership of the Company’s securities and reports of changes in that ownership with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of these reports must also be provided to the Company.

Based upon its review of the reports and any amendments made thereto furnished to our Company, or written representations that no reports were required, management believes that all reports were filed on a timely basis by reporting persons during and with respect to 2020.

RELATED PERSON TRANSACTION APPROVAL POLICY

In February 2007, our Board of Directors adopted a written related person transaction approval policy which sets forth our Company’s policies and procedures for the review, approval or ratification of any transaction required to be reported in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Our policy, as amended from time to time, applies to any transaction, arrangement or relationship or any series of similar transactions, arrangements or relationships in which our Company is a participant and in which a related person has a direct or indirect interest, other than the following:

The Audit Committee of our Board of Directors must approve any related person transaction subject to this policy before commencement of the related person transaction or, if it is not practicable to approve the transaction before commencement, the transaction will be submitted to the Audit Committee or Chair of the Audit Committee for ratification as soon as possible. The

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Audit Committee or its Chair will analyze the following factors, in addition to any other factors the Audit Committee deems appropriate, in determining whether to approve a related person transaction:

The Audit Committee or its Chair may, in its, his or her sole discretion, approve or deny any related person transaction. Approval of a related person transaction may be conditioned upon our Company and the related person following certain procedures designated by the Audit Committee or its Chair.

PROPOSAL 1

ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

The number of directors of our Company is set at eleven, and will be set at ten effective as of the Meeting coincident with Mr. Eugster’s retirement. There are currently eleven directors. The directors are divided into three classes, each class being as equal in number as reasonably possible. Vacancies may be filled by a majority vote of the directors then in office, though less than a quorum, and directors so chosen are subject to election by the shareholders at the next Annual Meeting of Shareholders. Directors elected at an Annual Meeting of Shareholders to succeed directors whose terms expire are elected for three-year terms. Once elected, all directors are subject to the standards set forth in our Corporate Governance Guidelines, which include, among others, the requirement to tender the director’s resignation if his or her employment status significantly changes, and the requirement to resign from the Board effective as of the date of the Annual Meeting of Shareholders next following the director’s 75^th birthday unless the director has current, substantial engagement in business activities that require skills relevant to Graco’s business and useful to the Board. At the Meeting, three persons will be nominated for election to our Board of Directors.

Upon recommendation of the Governance Committee, which acts as the nominating committee of the Board, the Board has nominated Brett C. Carter, R. William Van Sant and Emily C. White for three-year terms expiring in the year 2024. Mr. Van Sant and Ms. White, whose current terms expire at the Meeting, have previously been elected as directors by the shareholders of our Company. Mr. Carter was appointed a director by the Board effective February 11, 2021. For additional information about the nominees, please see the “Nominees and Continuing Directors” section of this Proxy Statement beginning on page 6.

Unless otherwise instructed not to vote for the election of directors, proxies will be voted to elect the nominees. A director nominee must receive the vote of a majority of the votes cast at the Meeting in order to be elected. In the event that an incumbent director does not receive a majority of the votes cast, our Corporate Governance Guidelines require that the director promptly offer to tender his or her resignation to the Board. The Governance Committee will make a recommendation to the Board on whether to accept or reject the offer. The Board, taking into account the recommendation of the Governance Committee, will decide whether to accept or reject the offer, and will publicly disclose its decision and the rationale behind it within 90 days after the date of the election. Unless the Board reduces the number of directors, your proxy will be voted to elect any replacement nominee designated by the Board in the event that a nominee is unable or unwilling to serve.

The Board of Directors, upon recommendation of the Governance Committee, recommends that shareholders vote FOR the election of Mr. Carter, Mr. Van Sant and Ms. White to terms expiring in 2024.

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PROPOSAL 2

RATIFICATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

Deloitte & Touche LLP has acted as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Company since we first went public in 1969. The Audit Committee of the Board, which has selected Deloitte & Touche LLP as the independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal year 2021, recommends ratification of the selection by the shareholders. If the shareholders do not ratify the selection of Deloitte & Touche LLP, the selection of the independent auditors will be reconsidered by the Audit Committee. A representative of Deloitte & Touche LLP will be present at the Meeting and will have the opportunity to make a statement if so desired and will be available to respond to any appropriate shareholder questions.

The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors recommends a vote FOR ratification of the appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as the independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal year 2021.

PROPOSAL 3

ADVISORY VOTE ON OUR EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

The Company is providing shareholders with an annual advisory, non-binding vote on the executive compensation of the Named Executive Officers (commonly referred to as a “say on pay”). Accordingly, shareholders will vote on approval of the following resolution:

RESOLVED, that the shareholders approve, on an advisory basis, the compensation of the Company’s Named Executive Officers as disclosed in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis section, the compensation tables and the related narrative disclosure in this Proxy Statement.

This vote is non-binding. The Board of Directors and the Management Organization and Compensation Committee expect to take the outcome of the vote into account when considering future executive compensation decisions to the extent they can determine the cause or causes of any significant negative voting results.

As described in detail under the Compensation Discussion and Analysis section of this Proxy Statement, our compensation programs are designed to achieve the Company’s goal of attracting, developing and retaining global business leaders who can drive financial and strategic growth objectives that are intended to build long-term shareholder value. Our executive compensation framework includes the following elements:

Shareholders are encouraged to read the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, the accompanying compensation tables, and the related narrative disclosure to better understand the compensation of our Named Executive Officers.

The Board of Directors, upon recommendation of the Management Organization and Compensation Committee, recommends that shareholders vote FOR approval, on an advisory basis, of the compensation paid to our Named Executive Officers as disclosed in this Proxy Statement.

SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS FOR THE ANNUAL MEETING IN THE YEAR 2022

Any shareholders wishing to have a matter considered for inclusion in the proxy statement for the Annual Meeting in the year 2022 must follow the procedures provided in Rule 14a-8 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and submit such proposal in writing to the Secretary of the Company at the address shown on page 1 of this Proxy Statement no later than November 10, 2021.

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Graco Inc. 2021 Proxy Statement

Any shareholder proposal for the Annual Meeting in year 2022 not included in the Proxy Statement must be submitted by written notice to the Secretary of the Company by January 23, 2022, to be considered and must comply with the other provisions in our bylaws.

OTHER MATTERS

Our Board is not aware of any matter, other than those stated above, which will or may properly be presented for action at the Meeting. If any other matters properly come before the Meeting, it is the intention of the persons named in the available form of proxy to vote the shares represented by such proxies in accordance with their best judgment.

For the Board of Directors,

Karen Park Gallivan

Secretary

Dated March 10, 2021

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Graco Inc. 2021 Proxy Statement

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Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Annual Meeting:

The Notice and Proxy Statement and 2020 Overview and Annual Report on Form 10-K are available at

www.proxyvote.com.

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