---
schema_version: "secwatch.filing_event.v1"
accession: "0001193125-26-409777"
form_type: "8-K"
ticker: "AVD"
cik: "0000005981"
company_name: "AMERICAN VANGUARD CORP"
filed_at: "2026-10-01T10:50:06+00:00"
generated_at: "2026-10-12T14:13:51.481524+00:00"
event_type: "leadership"
sentiment: "neutral"
materiality_score: 0.55
calibrated_materiality_score: 0.55
confidence: "high"
source: SEC EDGAR
---

# American Vanguard appoints Matthew Horwath CFO; David Johnson moves to Chief Accounting Officer

## Summary
- New CFO Matthew Horwath receives $450,000 base salary, 60% target bonus, 150,000 stock options and 100,000 restricted shares vesting evenly over three years
- Horwath also gets a $6,667 monthly relocation bonus and $10,000 monthly travel allowance, each paid over 15 months
- David Johnson ceased as CFO and became Chief Accounting Officer, serving through the FY2026 10-K (expected March 2027) and in a non-executive role until Sept 30, 2027
- Johnson's transition agreement sets base salary of $20,834 per month and severance of 1.5x salary plus average cash incentive, 18 months health coverage and up to $10,000 outplacement
- Horwath was previously CFO at Kustom US and FARO Technologies (Nasdaq: FARO), which AMETEK acquired in July 2025; he is a CPA and ex-Ernst & Young audit manager

## SEC filing metadata
- accession: 0001193125-26-409777
- form_type: 8-K
- ticker: AVD
- cik: 0000005981
- company_name: AMERICAN VANGUARD CORP
- filed_at: 2026-10-01T10:50:06+00:00
- event_type: leadership
- sentiment: neutral
- materiality_score: 0.55
- calibrated_materiality_score: 0.55
- confidence: high
- sec_items: 5.02, 7.01, 9.01
- EDGAR index: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/5981/000119312526409777/0001193125-26-409777-index.htm
- EDGAR primary document: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/5981/000119312526409777/d197526d8k.htm

## Machine-readable alternates
- HTML: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001193125-26-409777
- JSON: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001193125-26-409777.json
- Plain text: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001193125-26-409777.txt

This AI-assisted summary is a reading aid. Review the linked SEC EDGAR filing before relying on any specific claim.