Document:

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                                                                 EXHIBIT 10.20

                     2000 BONUS PLAN FOR CERTAIN EXECUTIVES

                  OF BACOU USA, INC. AND BACOU USA SAFETY, INC.

                                 JANUARY 1, 2000

The Board of Directors of Bacou USA, Inc. (the "Board") has approved and adopted
a 2000 Bonus Plan (the "Bonus Plan") for certain executives of Bacou USA, Inc.
(the "Company") and Bacou USA Safety, Inc. The following is a list of the
executives who are eligible to participate in the Bonus Plan: Jeffrey T. Brown,
Barry Kadets, Winfield W. Major, Steven P. Tolisano and Michael J. Vittoria
(together the "Eligible Employees"). In order to receive an award, an Eligible
Employee must be employed by the Company or one of its affiliates at the date of
payment. The Bonus Plan will be administered by the Compensation Committee of
the Board in its discretion, and all determinations by such Committee shall be
final and not subject to appeal. Additions to the list of Eligible Employees
shall be made only upon vote of the Compensation Committee of the Board.

Under the Bonus Plan, Eligible Employees shall be entitled to cash bonuses for
2000 in the range of 0% to 50% of salary received in 2000 based upon three
criteria:

-    A bonus of 0% to 17.5% shall be paid depending upon the compound annual
     growth rate (CAGR) of net income of the Company as provided in Schedule A
     attached hereto.
-    A bonus of 0% to 17.5% shall be paid depending upon the compound annual
     growth rate (CAGR) of earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and
     amortization (EBITDA) of the Company as provided in Schedule A attached
     hereto.
-    A bonus of 0% to 15% shall be paid depending upon the Executive's
     attainment of two or three personal objectives as provided in Schedule A
     attached hereto.

For this purpose, the amount of net income and EBITDA of Company for any year
shall be determined on the basis of the Company's audited financial statements;
provided, however, that actual net earnings and EBITDA shall be adjusted to
reflect operating earnings and EBITDA in a manner consistent with the methods
historically used by the Company's published sell-side analysts. For example, in
order to make meaningful comparisons from year-to-year, such methods have
excluded the effect of acquisition-related non-recurring charges and adjustments
such as the write-off of purchased in-process research and development expenses
and the step-up of inventory values to fair market value under applicable
purchase accounting rules. For purposes of the Bonus Plan, 1998 net earnings of
$25,793,000 and EBITDA of $60,614,000 shall be utilized for the base period on
which the compound annual growth rates will be determined for 2000. This will
result in a two-year CAGR for 2000.

Schedule B attached hereto shows the range of expectations for net earnings and
EBITDA of the Company's sell-side analysts for 1999 and 2000 as of October 16,
1999, as well as the two-year CARGs that would result for the year 2000.

<PAGE>   2

                                   SCHEDULE A
                     2000 BONUS PLAN FOR CERTAIN EXECUTIVES
                  OF BACOU USA, INC. AND BACOU USA SAFETY, INC.

                      BONUS FACTOR 1: GROWTH OF NET INCOME

------------------------------ ------------------------ ------------------------
                                        CAGR                     % BONUS
------------------------------ ------------------------ ------------------------
------------------------------ ------------------------ ------------------------
      NET INCOME GROWTH               UNDER 1%                      0
------------------------------ ------------------------ ------------------------
------------------------------ ------------------------ ------------------------
      NET INCOME GROWTH               1% TO 5%                    2.5%
------------------------------ ------------------------ ------------------------
------------------------------ ------------------------ ------------------------
      NET INCOME GROWTH               5% TO 8%                    5.0%
------------------------------ ------------------------ ------------------------
------------------------------ ------------------------ ------------------------
      NET INCOME GROWTH               8% TO 12%                   10.0%
------------------------------ ------------------------ ------------------------
------------------------------ ------------------------ ------------------------
      NET INCOME GROWTH               OVER 12%                    17.5%
------------------------------ ------------------------ ------------------------

                        BONUS FACTOR 2: GROWTH OF EBITDA

---------------------------- -------------------------- ------------------------
                                       CAGR                      % BONUS
---------------------------- -------------------------- ------------------------
---------------------------- -------------------------- ------------------------
       EBITDA GROWTH                 UNDER 1%                       0
---------------------------- -------------------------- ------------------------
---------------------------- -------------------------- ------------------------
       EBITDA GROWTH                 1% TO 4%                     2.5%
---------------------------- -------------------------- ------------------------
---------------------------- -------------------------- ------------------------
       EBITDA GROWTH                 4% TO 7%                     5.0%
---------------------------- -------------------------- ------------------------
---------------------------- -------------------------- ------------------------
       EBITDA GROWTH                 7% TO 10%                    10.0%
---------------------------- -------------------------- ------------------------
---------------------------- -------------------------- ------------------------
       EBITDA GROWTH                 OVER 10%                     17.5%
---------------------------- -------------------------- ------------------------

                       BONUS FACTOR 3: PERSONAL OBJECTIVES

Two or three projects will be identified for each executive as personal
objectives for achievement in 2000. Each objective will carry a bonus percentage
that shall be earned if successfully completed during 2000. The total potential
bonus percentage attributable to the personal objectives will be 10% in the
aggregate. The immediate supervisor of the eligible executive ("Supervisor")
shall set the objectives and communicate them in writing to Executive not later
than March 15, 2000. Following the conclusion of 2000, the Supervisor shall
propose a bonus percentage for each executive ranging between 0% and 15%, with
up to 10% depending upon the achievement of the written objectives and 5% being
discretionary depending upon executive's overall performance. The CEO of Bacou
USA, Inc. shall submit the bonus proposals for all Eligible Employees to the
Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of Bacou USA, Inc. for final
determination of the amount of each executive's bonus.

                                       2<PAGE>   1
                                                                   EXHIBIT 10.21

                 BONUS PLAN FOR EXECUTIVES OF SUBSIDIARIES AND
                      DIVISIONS OF BACOU USA, INC. FOR 2000

                                OCTOBER 16, 1999

The Board of Directors of Bacou USA, Inc. has approved and adopted a bonus Plan
for certain executives of its operating subsidiaries and divisions who serve at
the President, General Manager or Vice President levels. In order to be eligible
to receive any amount under this Plan, an executive must be designated a
participant pursuant to a written employment arrangement and be employed at a
subsidiary or division of Bacou USA during part or all of the year for which the
bonus is determined, and at the date of payment of the bonus (which occurs
within 90 days following the conclusion of the year for which the bonus is
determined). The Bonus Plan will be administered by the Compensation Committee
of the Board of Directors of Bacou USA, Inc. in its discretion, and all
determinations by such Committee shall be final and not subject to appeal.

The annual bonus for each covered executive will be determined based upon the
criteria described below. Any percentage to be applied pursuant to this Plan
shall be applied to the amount of base salary paid by the subsidiary or division
of Bacou USA (not including any unaffiliated predecessor business) to the
executive during the fiscal year for which the bonus is paid. If the executive
is employed at a subsidiary with more than one operating division, the criteria
will reflect the financial results of either the subsidiary or one or more of
its divisions, depending upon the executive's employment agreement, hiring
letter or job description. If the subsidiary or division was not affiliated with
Bacou USA, Inc. for part of the applicable fiscal year or part or all of the
prior fiscal year, then predecessor results will be used by Bacou USA, Inc. to
prepare comparable pro forma results for purposes of applying this Plan. The
criteria are as follows:

1.       The growth of the subsidiary's, divisions' or division's net sales,
         determined by comparing the net sales for the bonus year against net
         sales for the prior fiscal year, with a bonus percentage equal to one
         of the following amounts:

<TABLE>
<S>                                     <C>
         - up to 5.0%                   = no bonus is being paid under this criteria
         - above 5%, up to 10%          = 5% of base salary will be paid
         - above 10%, up to 15%         = 7% of base salary will be paid
         - above 15%                    = 10% of base salary will be paid
</TABLE>

2.       The growth of the subsidiary's, divisions' or division's operating
         profit (as defined below in bonus factor #3), determined by comparing
         the operating profit for the bonus year against the prior fiscal year,
         with an additional bonus percentage equal to one of the following
         amounts:

<TABLE>
<S>                                     <C>
         - growth up to 5%              = no bonus is being paid under this criteria
         - growth above 5%, up to 10%   = 5% of base salary will be paid
         - growth above 10%, up to 15%  = 10% of base salary will be paid
         - growth above 15%             = 15% of base salary will be paid
</TABLE>

<PAGE>   2

Bonus Plan for Executives of Subsidiaries and Divisions of Bacou USA, Inc. for
2000
October 16, 1999
Page Two

3.       The operating profit of either the subsidiary, divisions or division
         which employs the executive shall be determined in accordance with
         GAAP; provided, however, that operating profit shall be determined
         before amortization of intangible assets established pursuant to
         purchase accounting rules, before interest on intercompany debt and
         before income taxes. The operating profit expressed as a percentage of
         sales shall be the third bonus factor.

         This criterion shall result in an additional bonus percentage of one of
         the following amounts, depending upon the applicable operating profit
         percentage from the following chart:

<TABLE>
<S>                                     <C>
         - up to 5%                     = no bonus is being paid under this criteria
         - above 5%, up to 10%          = 5% of base salary will be paid
         - above 10%, up to 15%         = 10% of base salary will be paid
         - above 15%, up to 20%         = 15% of base salary will be paid
         - above 20%, up to 25%         = 20% of base salary will be paid
         - above 25%, up to 30%         = 25% of base salary will be paid
         - above 30%, up to 35%         = 30% of base salary will be paid
         - above 35%                    = 35% of base salary will be paid
</TABLE>

4.       The amount of bonus determined pursuant to factors #1, #2, and #3 above
         will be modified to take into account the utilization of working
         capital by the subsidiary or division at which the executive is
         employed. Following completion of the budget process for the year 2000
         and the preparation of a final consolidating balance sheet for the year
         1999, the CEO of Bacou USA, Inc. will set a working capital goal for
         each subsidiary and division on a quarterly basis. At the end of each
         quarter, the actual working capital of the subsidiary or division will
         be measured against the goal for the quarter and any excess utilization
         expressed as a percentage. The percentages for the four quarters will
         be averaged. The bonus determined pursuant to factors #1, #2, and #3
         will be multiplied by a factor depending on the average quarterly
         excess over working capital goal, as follows:

<TABLE>
<S>                                                         <C>
         -------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------
         Avg. Quarterly Excess Over Goal                    Factor Applied to Bonus
         -------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------
         -------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------
         10% or less                                                    100%
         -------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------
         -------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------
         Above 10% but not more than 20%                                 80%
         -------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------
         -------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------
         Above 20% but not more than 30%                                 60%
         -------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------
         -------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------
         Above 30% but not more than 40%                                 40%
         -------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------
         -------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------
         Above 40%                                                       20%
         -------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------
</TABLE>

5.       The CEO of Bacou USA, Inc. may recommend, and the Compensation
         Committee may make, discretionary adjustment to the bonus calculated
         under paragraphs 1 - 4 either for engagements in addition to an
         executive's main job, or to reflect conditions which would make the
         calculated bonus unfairly high or low in relation to applicable
         circumstances.

                                      -2-

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