UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Filed by the Registrant   ☒                             

Filed by a Party other than the Registrant   ☐

Check the appropriate box:

UNIFI, INC.

(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the ppropriate box):

UNIFI, INC.

Notice of Annual Meeting

and

Proxy Statement

2020 Annual Meeting of Shareholders

October 29, 2020

UNIFI, INC.

7201 West Friendly Avenue

Greensboro, North Carolina 27410

September 16, 2020

Dear Shareholder:

On behalf of the Board of Directors and the management of Unifi, Inc., I invite you to attend the 2020 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the “Annual Meeting”). The Annual Meeting will be held at 10:30 a.m., Eastern Time, on Thursday, October 29, 2020 at the Proximity Hotel located at 704 Green Valley Road, Greensboro, North Carolina 27408. Details regarding admission to the Annual Meeting and the business to be conducted are described in the accompanying Notice of 2020 Annual Meeting of Shareholders and Proxy Statement.

Whether or not you plan to attend the Annual Meeting in person, I strongly encourage you to vote as soon as possible to ensure that your shares are represented at the meeting. The accompanying Proxy Statement explains more about voting. Please read it carefully.

Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Albert P. Carey

Executive Chairman

UNIFI, INC.

7201 West Friendly Avenue

Greensboro, North Carolina 27410

(336) 294-4410

NOTICE OF 2020 ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

The 2020 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the “Annual Meeting”) of Unifi, Inc. (the “Company”) will be held at 10:30 a.m., Eastern Time, on Thursday, October 29, 2020 at the Proximity Hotel located at 704 Green Valley Road, Greensboro, North Carolina 27408, for the following purposes:

The Board of Directors recommends that you vote “FOR” Items 1, 2, 3, and 4. The proxy holders will use their discretion to vote on other matters that may properly arise at the Annual Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof.

Only shareholders of record as of the close of business on September 4, 2020 will be entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting.

Your vote is important. Whether or not you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, you are encouraged to vote as soon as possible to ensure that your shares are represented at the meeting. If you are a shareholder of record and received a paper copy of the proxy materials by mail, you may vote your shares by proxy using one of the following methods: (i) vote by telephone; (ii) vote via the Internet; or (iii) complete, sign, date, and return your proxy card in the postage-paid envelope provided. If you are a shareholder of record and received only a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials by mail, you may vote your shares by proxy at the Internet site address listed on your Notice. If you hold your shares through an account with a bank, broker, or similar organization, please follow the instructions you receive from the shareholder of record to vote your shares.

By Order of the Board of Directors,

Gregory K. Sigmon

General Counsel

Corporate Secretary

September 16, 2020

Table of Contents

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PROXY STATEMENT

The Board of Directors (the “Board of Directors” or the “Board”) of Unifi, Inc. (“UNIFI” or the “Company”) is providing these materials to you in connection with the 2020 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the “Annual Meeting”). The Annual Meeting will be held at 10:30 a.m., Eastern Time, on Thursday, October 29, 2020 at the Proximity Hotel located at 704 Green Valley Road, Greensboro, North Carolina 27408.

General Information

Why did I receive these materials?

You received these materials because the Board of Directors is soliciting your proxy to vote your shares at the Annual Meeting. This Proxy Statement includes information that UNIFI is required to provide you under the Securities and Exchange Commission rules and regulations (the “SEC rules”) and is designed to assist you in voting your shares.

What is a proxy?

The Board is asking for your proxy. This means you authorize persons selected by the Company to vote your shares at the Annual Meeting in the way that you instruct. All shares represented by valid proxies received and not revoked before the Annual Meeting will be voted in accordance with the shareholder’s specific voting instructions.

Why did I receive a one-page notice regarding Internet availability of proxy materials instead of a full set of proxy materials?

The SEC rules allow companies to choose the method for delivery of proxy materials to shareholders. For most shareholders, the Company has elected to mail a notice regarding the availability of proxy materials on the Internet (the “Notice of Internet Availability”), rather than sending a full set of these materials in the mail. The Notice of Internet Availability, or a full set of the proxy materials (including the Proxy Statement and form of proxy), as applicable, was sent to shareholders beginning September 16, 2020, and the proxy materials were posted on the investor relations portion of the Company’s website, www.unifi.com, and on the website referenced in the Notice of Internet Availability on the same day. Utilizing this method of proxy delivery expedites receipt of proxy materials by the Company’s shareholders and lowers the cost of the Annual Meeting. If you would like to receive a paper or e-mail copy of the proxy materials, you should follow the instructions in the Notice of Internet Availability for requesting a copy.

What is included in these materials?

These materials include:

If you received a paper copy of these materials by mail, these materials also include the proxy card or voting instruction form for the Annual Meeting.

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What items will be voted on at the Annual Meeting?

There are four proposals scheduled to be voted on at the Annual Meeting:

The Board is not aware of any other matters to be brought before the Annual Meeting. If other matters are properly raised at the Annual Meeting, the proxy holders may vote any shares represented by proxy in their discretion.

What are the Board’s voting recommendations?

The Board recommends that you vote your shares:

Who can attend the Annual Meeting?

Admission to the Annual Meeting is limited to:

Admission to the Annual Meeting will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Each shareholder may be asked to present valid photo identification, such as a driver’s license or passport, and proof of stock ownership as of the record date for admittance.

When is the record date and who is entitled to vote?

The Board set September 4, 2020 as the record date. As of the record date, 18,446,554 shares of common stock, par value $0.10 per share, of UNIFI (“Common Stock”) were issued and outstanding. Shareholders are entitled to one vote per share of Common Stock outstanding on the record date on any matter properly presented at the Annual Meeting.

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What is a shareholder of record?

A shareholder of record or registered shareholder is a shareholder whose ownership of Common Stock is reflected directly on the books and records of UNIFI’s transfer agent, American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC. If you hold Common Stock through an account with a bank, broker, or similar organization, you are considered the beneficial owner of shares held in street name and are not a shareholder of record. For shares held in street name, the shareholder of record is your bank, broker, or similar organization. UNIFI only has access to ownership records for the registered shares. If you are not a shareholder of record and you wish to attend the Annual Meeting, UNIFI will require additional documentation to evidence your stock ownership as of the record date, such as a copy of your brokerage account statement, a letter from the shareholder of record (e.g., your bank, broker, or other nominee), or a copy of your voting instruction form or Notice of Internet Availability.

How do I vote?

You may vote by any of the following methods:

How can I revoke my proxy or change my vote?

Shareholders of record. You may revoke your proxy or change your vote at any time prior to the taking of the vote at the Annual Meeting by (i) submitting a written notice of revocation to the Company’s Corporate Secretary at Unifi, Inc., 7201 West Friendly Avenue, Greensboro, North Carolina 27410; (ii) delivering a proxy bearing a later date using any of the voting methods described in the immediately preceding Q&A, including by telephone or via the Internet, and until the applicable deadline for each method specified in the accompanying proxy card or the Notice of Internet Availability; or (iii) attending the Annual Meeting and voting in person. Attendance at the Annual Meeting will not cause your previously granted proxy to be revoked unless you specifically make that request or vote in person at the meeting. For all methods of voting, the last vote cast will supersede all previous votes.

Beneficial owners of shares held in street name. You may revoke or change your voting instructions by following the specific instructions provided to you by the shareholder of record (e.g., your bank, broker, or other nominee), or, if you have obtained a legal proxy from the shareholder of record, by attending the Annual Meeting and voting in person.

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What happens if I vote by proxy and do not give specific voting instructions?

Shareholders of record. If you are a shareholder of record and you vote by proxy, by telephone, via the Internet, or by returning a properly executed and dated proxy card by mail, without giving specific voting instructions, then the proxy holders will vote your shares in the manner recommended by the Board on all matters presented in this Proxy Statement and as the proxy holders may determine in their discretion for any other matters properly presented for a vote at the Annual Meeting.

Beneficial owners of shares held in street name. If you are a beneficial owner of shares held in street name and you do not provide the organization that holds your shares with specific voting instructions, under the rules of various national and regional securities exchanges, the organization that holds your shares may generally vote on “routine” matters but cannot vote on “non-routine” matters. If the organization that holds your shares does not receive instructions from you on how to vote your shares on a “non-routine” matter, the organization that holds your shares will inform the inspector of election that it does not have the authority to vote on that matter with respect to your shares. This is referred to as a “broker non-vote.”

Proposals 1, 2, and 3, the election of directors, the advisory vote to approve the Company’s named executive officer compensation in fiscal 2020, and the approval of the Unifi, Inc. Second Amended and Restated 2013 Incentive Compensation Plan, respectively, are “non-routine” matters. Consequently, without your voting instructions, the organization that holds your shares cannot vote your shares on these proposals. Proposal 4, the ratification of the appointment of KPMG LLP to serve as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal 2021, is considered a “routine” matter.

What is the voting requirement to approve each of the proposals?

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What is the quorum for the Annual Meeting? How are abstentions and broker non-votes treated?

The presence, in person or by proxy, of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote is necessary for the transaction of business at the Annual Meeting. Your shares are counted as being present if you vote in person at the Annual Meeting, by telephone, via the Internet, or by returning a properly executed and dated proxy card or voting instruction form by mail. Abstentions and broker non-votes are counted as present for the purpose of determining a quorum for the Annual Meeting.

With respect to Proposal 1, the election of directors, you may vote “for” or “against” each of the nominees for the Board, or you may “abstain” from voting for one or more nominees. Abstentions and broker non-votes are not considered votes cast for the foregoing purpose and will therefore have no effect on the election of director nominees.

With respect to Proposals 2, 3, and 4, the advisory vote to approve the Company’s named executive officer compensation in fiscal 2020, the approval of the Unifi, Inc. Second Amended and Restated 2013 Incentive Compensation Plan, and the ratification of the appointment of KPMG LLP to serve as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal 2021, respectively, you may vote “for” or “against” these proposals, or you may “abstain” from voting on these proposals. For Proposals 2 and 4, abstentions and broker non-votes are not considered votes cast for the foregoing purposes and will therefore have no effect on the vote for these proposals. For Proposal 3, under the New York Stock Exchange rules (the “NYSE rules”), abstentions are considered votes cast for the foregoing purpose and will therefore have the effect of votes “against” this proposal, whereas broker non-votes are not considered votes cast for the foregoing purpose and will therefore have no effect on the vote for this proposal. As discussed above, because Proposal 4, the ratification of the appointment of KPMG LLP to serve as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal 2021, is considered a “routine” matter, the Company does not expect any broker non-votes with respect to this proposal.

Who are the proxy holders and how will they vote?

The persons named as attorneys-in-fact in the proxies, Edmund M. Ingle and Gregory K. Sigmon, were selected by the Board and are officers, and with respect to Mr. Ingle, a director, of the Company. If you are a shareholder of record and you return a properly executed and dated proxy card but do not provide specific voting instructions, your shares will be voted on the proposals as follows:

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If other matters properly come before the Annual Meeting and you do not provide specific voting instructions, your shares will be voted on such matters in the discretion of the proxy holders.

Who pays for solicitation of proxies?

The Company is paying the cost of soliciting proxies and will reimburse brokerage firms and other custodians, nominees, and fiduciaries for their reasonable out-of-pocket expenses for sending proxy materials to shareholders and obtaining their proxies. In addition to soliciting the proxies by mail and the Internet, certain of the Company’s directors, officers, and employees, without compensation, may solicit proxies personally or by telephone, facsimile, and e-mail.

Where can I find the voting results of the Annual Meeting?

The Company will announce preliminary or final voting results at the Annual Meeting and publish final results in a Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) within four business days of the completion of the meeting.

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Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management

The table below provides information about the beneficial ownership of Common Stock as of September 4, 2020, by each person known by the Company to beneficially own more than 5% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock as well as by each director, director nominee, and named executive officer and by all directors and executive officers as a group. In computing the number of shares beneficially owned by a person and the ownership percentage of that person, shares deemed outstanding include (i) shares of Common Stock subject to stock options held by that person that are currently exercisable or exercisable within 60 days of September 4, 2020 and (ii) restricted stock units and vested share units that are currently vested. However, these shares or units are not deemed outstanding for the purposes of computing the ownership percentage of any other person. The ownership percentage is based on 18,446,554 shares of Common Stock outstanding as of September 4, 2020. Except as otherwise indicated in the footnotes below, each of the persons named in the table has sole voting and investment power with respect to the securities indicated as beneficially owned by such person, subject to community property laws where applicable. Unless otherwise indicated in the footnotes below, the address for each of the beneficial owners is c/o Unifi, Inc., 7201 West Friendly Avenue, Greensboro, North Carolina 27410.

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Proposal 1:

Election of Directors

The Board of Directors currently consists of 10 members and has no vacancies. James D. Mead is not standing for reelection. On August 4, 2020, Mr. Mead notified the Company of his resignation from the Board, effective October 29, 2020. Effective on the date of the Annual Meeting, the size of the Board will be reduced to nine members.

On the recommendation of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee, the Board has nominated the nine persons listed below for election as directors at the Annual Meeting. If elected, each nominee (except for Thomas H. Caudle, Jr. who will retire from the Company effective June 27, 2021) will serve until his or her term expires at the 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders or until his or her successor is duly elected and qualified. All of the nominees are currently serving as directors and were elected to the Board at the 2019 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, except for Edmund M. Ingle who was elected to the Board effective June 15, 2020. Each nominee has agreed to be named in this Proxy Statement and to serve if elected.

Although the Company knows of no reason why any of the nominees would not be able to serve, if any nominee is unavailable for election, the proxy holders intend to vote your shares for any substitute nominee proposed by the Board.

The Board of Directors recommends that you vote “FOR” the election of each of the nine nominees listed below. Unless otherwise specified, proxies will be voted “FOR” the election of each of the nine nominees listed below.

Director Nominees

Listed below are the nine persons nominated for election to the Board of Directors. The following paragraphs include information about each director nominee’s business background, as furnished to the Company by the nominee, and additional experience, qualifications, attributes, or skills that led the Board of Directors to conclude that the nominee should serve on the Board.

Robert J. Bishop

Mr. Bishop founded Impala Asset Management LLC, a private investment management firm, in 2004 and is the Managing Principal of the firm and manages the Impala, Waterbuck, and Alpha Funds and other managed accounts. From 2002 to 2003, he was Chief Investment Officer at Soros Fund Management overseeing the Quantum Endowment Fund. From 1998 to 2002, he was a principal at Maverick Capital. Mr. Bishop was a portfolio manager at Kingdon Capital from 1995 to 1998 and, from 1992 to 1995, he was Managing Director of Tiger Management. From 1986 to 1992, Mr. Bishop was an equity analyst at Salomon Brothers and, from 1980 to 1984, he worked as a legislative assistant/director for Congressmen Don Ritter and Toby Roth.

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Mr. Bishop brings valuable financial and managerial expertise to the Board through his extensive experience in investment and asset management.

Albert P. Carey

Mr. Carey has served as Executive Chairman of the Board of UNIFI since April 2019. Mr. Carey previously served as Non-Executive Chairman of the Board of the Company from January 2019 to March 2019. In March 2019, Mr. Carey retired from PepsiCo, Inc., a consumer products company, after a 38-year career with the company in which he held a number of senior leadership roles, including Chief Executive Officer of PepsiCo North America from March 2016 to January 2019, Chief Executive Officer of PepsiCo North America Beverages from July 2015 to March 2016, Chief Executive Officer of PepsiCo Americas Beverages from September 2011 to July 2015, and President and Chief Executive Officer of Frito-Lay North America from June 2006 to September 2011. Mr. Carey joined PepsiCo in 1981 after spending seven years with The Procter & Gamble Company. Mr. Carey also serves on the board of directors of The Home Depot, Inc. and the board of trustees at the University of Maryland, and volunteers at the Bridgeport Rescue Mission in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Mr. Carey brings to the Board more than 40 years of experience with consumer product companies. In addition, having served in a number of senior executive positions at PepsiCo, Mr. Carey brings to the Board valuable leadership and strategic management skills.

Thomas H. Caudle, Jr.

Mr. Caudle has served as President & Chief Operating Officer of UNIFI since August 2017. Previously, he was President of the Company from April 2016 to August 2017, Vice President of Manufacturing of the Company from October 2006 to April 2016, and Vice President of Global Operations of the Company from April 2003 to October 2006. Mr. Caudle joined UNIFI in 1982 and, since that time, has served in a variety of other leadership roles, including Senior Vice President in charge of manufacturing for the Company and Vice President of Manufacturing Services.

Mr. Caudle’s more than 35 years of experience with UNIFI give him a comprehensive knowledge of the Company and the textile industry. He also brings important managerial and operational expertise to the Board.

Archibald Cox, Jr.

Mr. Cox has served as Chairman of Sextant Group, Inc., a financial advisory and private equity firm, since 1993. Mr. Cox is the former Chairman of Barclays Americas, a position he held from May 2008 to June 2011. Mr. Cox was a director of Hutchinson Technology Incorporated from May 1996 to September 2009. He was also Chairman of Magnequench, Inc., a manufacturer of magnetic material, from September 2005 to September 2006 and President and Chief Executive Officer of Magnequench, Inc. from October 1995 to August 2005. Mr. Cox was Chairman of Neo Material Technologies Inc., a manufacturer of rare earth, zirconium, and magnetic materials, from September 2005 to September 2006. Mr. Cox also serves on the boards of several private companies and as Chairman of two of these companies. Since July 2012, Mr. Cox has served on the board of trustees of St. Paul’s School, a secondary educational institution located in Concord, New Hampshire, where he currently serves as board president. Mr. Cox has served as Lead Independent Director of UNIFI since August 2019.

Mr. Cox brings to the Board executive decision-making skills, operating and management experience, expertise in finance, and investment and business development experience. In addition, Mr. Cox brings to the Board considerable experience with financial and strategic planning matters critical to the oversight of the Company’s financial reporting, compensation practices, and business strategy implementation.

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Edmund M. Ingle

Mr. Ingle has served as Chief Executive Officer of UNIFI since June 2020. From May 2019 to June 2020, he served as Chief Executive Officer of the Recycling group of Indorama Ventures, a global chemicals company and a global integrated leader in PET and fibers serving major customers in diversified end-use markets. From May 2018 to June 2020, he was Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer of Indorama’s Wellman International division. Prior to that, Mr. Ingle was with UNIFI for approximately 30 years, during which time he held various key leadership positions, including Vice President of Global Corporate Sustainability, Vice President of Supply Chain, General Manager of the Company’s Flake and Chip business, Vice President and General Manager of REPREVE^® Polymers, General Manager of the Company’s Nylon business, and Director of Global Procurement.

Mr. Ingle brings to the Board a deep understanding of UNIFI’s operations and the textile industry, gained through his approximately 30 years of experience with the Company. He also brings important executive leadership and strategic management skills to the Board.

James M. Kilts

Mr. Kilts is the founding partner of Centerview Capital, a private equity firm which was founded in 2006. Mr. Kilts served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Gillette Company from 2001, and as President from 2003, until it merged with The Procter & Gamble Company in 2005, at which time he became Vice Chairman of The Procter & Gamble Company. Prior to Gillette, Mr. Kilts served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Nabisco Group Holdings Corporation from 1998 until its acquisition by the Philip Morris Companies in 2000. Before joining Nabisco, Mr. Kilts was an Executive Vice President of the Philip Morris Companies from 1994 to 1997 and headed the Worldwide Food Group. In that role, Mr. Kilts was responsible for integrating Kraft and General Foods and for shaping the group’s domestic and international strategy. Mr. Kilts has served as a member of the board of directors of Pfizer Inc. since 2007, Chairman of The Simply Good Foods Company (formerly known as Conyers Park Acquisition Corp.) since 2016, and Executive Chairman of Conyers Park II Acquisition Corp. since 2019. Mr. Kilts was also Chairman of Nielsen Holdings N.V. until 2013, Chairman of Nielsen Company B.V. until 2014, Chairman of Big Heart Pet Brands until 2015, a director of MeadWestvaco Corporation until 2014, a director of Nielsen Holdings plc until 2017, and a director of MetLife, Inc. until June 2020.

As Chief Executive Officer of Gillette and Nabisco and as Vice Chairman of Procter & Gamble, Mr. Kilts developed valuable business, leadership, and strategic management skills, including expertise in cost management, value creation, and resource allocation, which he brings to the Board. Mr. Kilts also brings to the Board valuable experience with consumer product companies.

Kenneth G. Langone

Mr. Langone has been President and Chief Executive Officer of Invemed Associates LLC, an investment banking firm, since 1974. From 2011 to 2013, he served as Chief Executive Officer, President, and Chairman of Geeknet, Inc., a retailer of a wide range of products aimed at technology enthusiasts. Mr. Langone was a co-founder, and served as a director from 1978 to 2008, of The Home Depot, Inc. Mr. Langone was a director of ChoicePoint Inc. from 2002 to 2008, Geeknet, Inc. from 2010 to 2015, General Electric Company from 1999 to 2005, and YUM! Brands, Inc. from 1997 to 2012.

Mr. Langone brings to the Board extensive operating and management experience, including as Chief Executive Officer of a financial services business, financial expertise, and public company directorship and committee experience. In addition, Mr. Langone’s extensive service on the Board of Directors provides a valuable historical perspective through which it can contextualize and direct the Company’s performance and strategic planning.

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Suzanne M. Present

Ms. Present is a co-founder and has been a principal of Gladwyne Partners, LLC, a private partnership fund manager, since 1998. Ms. Present served as Executive Director, from 2014 to 2020, of Ken’s Krew, Inc., a non-profit organization that provides training and other support services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to assist with entering the workforce and now serves as Chairman and Treasurer, positions she assumed in 2020. Ms. Present was a director of Anshe Chung Studios, Limited, a privately held Chinese-based developer of content for virtual worlds, until 2019 and Geeknet, Inc. until 2010.

Through her experiences at Gladwyne Partners and service on various boards of directors, Ms. Present developed extensive financial expertise important to the oversight of the Company’s audit functions and analysis of business strategies, which she brings to the Board.

Eva T. Zlotnicka

Ms. Zlotnicka is a co-founder and has been a Managing Partner and a member of the Management Committee of Inclusive Capital Partners, L.P., a San-Francisco-based investment firm, since July 2020. Prior to that, she was Managing Director of the ValueAct Spring Fund and Head of Stewardship at ValueAct Capital, a San-Francisco-based investment firm, from January 2020 to July 2020, and a Vice President of Value Act Capital from February 2018 to December 2019. Prior to joining ValueAct Capital in February 2018, Ms. Zlotnicka was an Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) equity research analyst for nearly seven years. Previously, Ms. Zlotnicka was U.S. lead for the Sustainability Research team at Morgan Stanley, a global financial services firm, from January 2015 to February 2018, and held a similar role at UBS Investment Bank, a division of UBS Group AG, a Swiss multinational investment bank and financial services company, from July 2011 to January 2015. Prior to becoming an ESG equity research analyst, she spent five years at Morgan Stanley primarily focused on fixed income securities and derivatives. Ms. Zlotnicka is a director of Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc. Ms. Zlotnicka also serves as a member of the Investor Advisory Group for the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) and is a member of the Advisory Board of the Institute for Corporate Governance and Finance at the New York University School of Law. Ms. Zlotnicka also co-founded Women Investing for a Sustainable Economy (WISE), a global professional community.

Ms. Zlotnicka brings to the Board valuable expertise in sustainable investing and multinational ESG initiatives. Ms. Zlotnicka also brings to the Board extensive experience in a number of critical areas, including investment management and finance.

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Corporate Governance

The Board of Directors

The Company is governed by the Board of Directors and its various committees. The Board and its committees have general oversight responsibility for the affairs of the Company. In exercising its fiduciary duties, the Board represents and acts on behalf of UNIFI’s shareholders. The Board has adopted written corporate governance policies, principles, and guidelines, known as the Corporate Governance Guidelines. The Board also has adopted (i) a Code of Ethics for Senior Financial and Executive Officers (the “Code of Ethics for Senior Financial and Executive Officers”), which applies to the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Vice President & Treasurer, Vice President of Finance, and other senior financial and executive officers and employees; (ii) a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (the “Code of Ethics”), which applies to the Company’s directors, officers, and employees; and (iii) an Ethical Business Conduct Policy Statement (the “Ethics Policy Statement”), which applies to the Company’s directors, officers, and employees. The Code of Ethics for Senior Financial and Executive Officers, the Code of Ethics, and the Ethics Policy Statement include guidelines relating to the ethical handling of actual or potential conflicts of interest, compliance with laws, accurate financial reporting, and other related topics.

Documents Available

All of the Company’s corporate governance materials, including the charters for the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee, and the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee, as well as the Corporate Governance Guidelines, the Code of Ethics for Senior Financial and Executive Officers, the Code of Ethics, and the Ethics Policy Statement, are published on the investor relations portion of the Company’s website at www.unifi.com. These materials are also available in print free of charge to any shareholder upon request by contacting the Company in writing at Unifi, Inc., 7201 West Friendly Avenue, Greensboro, North Carolina 27410, Attention: Investor Relations, or by telephone at (336) 294-4410. Any modifications to these corporate governance materials will be reflected, and the Company intends to post any amendments to, or waivers from, the Code of Ethics for Senior Financial and Executive Officers (to the extent required to be disclosed pursuant to Form 8-K), on the investor relations portion of the Company’s website at www.unifi.com. By referring to the Company’s website, www.unifi.com, or any portion thereof, including the investor relations portion of the Company’s website, the Company does not incorporate its website or its contents into this Proxy Statement.

Director Independence

The Board believes that a majority of its members are independent under the applicable NYSE rules and SEC rules. The NYSE rules provide that a director does not qualify as “independent” unless the board of directors affirmatively determines that the director has no material relationship with the company (either directly or as a partner, shareholder, or officer of an organization that has a relationship with the company). The NYSE rules recommend that a board of directors consider all of the relevant facts and circumstances in determining the materiality of a director’s relationship with a company. The Board has adopted Director Independence Standards, which incorporate the independence standards of the NYSE rules, to assist the Board in determining whether a director has a material relationship with UNIFI. The Director Independence Standards are available on the investor relations portion of the Company’s website, www.unifi.com, as an appendix to the Corporate Governance Guidelines.

In August 2020, the Board of Directors, with the assistance of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee, conducted an evaluation of director independence based on the Director

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Independence Standards, the NYSE rules, and the SEC rules. The Board considered all relationships and transactions between each director (and his or her immediate family members and affiliates) and each of UNIFI, its management, and its independent registered public accounting firm, as well as the transactions described below under “—Related Person Transactions.” As a result of this evaluation, the Board determined those relationships that do exist or did exist within the last three fiscal years (except for Messrs. Ingle’s, Caudle’s, and Carey’s relationships as employees of UNIFI) all fall below the thresholds in the Director Independence Standards. Consequently, the Board of Directors determined that each of Messrs. Bishop, Cox, Kilts, Langone, and Mead and Mses. Present and Zlotnicka is an independent director under the Director Independence Standards, the NYSE rules, and the SEC rules. The Board also determined that each member of the Audit, Compensation, and Corporate Governance and Nominating Committees (see membership information below under “—Board Committees”) is independent, including that each member of the Audit Committee is “independent” as that term is defined under Rule 10A-3(b)(1)(ii) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”).

Board Leadership Structure

The Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines provide the Board with flexibility to select the appropriate leadership structure at a particular time based on what the Board determines to be in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders. The Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines provide that the Board has no established policy with respect to combining or separating the offices of Chairman of the Board and principal executive officer.

The Company currently has separated the roles of Chairman of the Board and principal executive officer. Albert P. Carey serves as the Executive Chairman of the Board and Edmund M. Ingle, as Chief Executive Officer, serves as the Company’s principal executive officer. The Company previously combined the roles of Chairman of the Board and principal executive officer and, in the future, the Board may determine in certain circumstances that it is in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders for the same person to hold the positions of Chairman of the Board and principal executive officer. The Board, however, believes that the Company’s present leadership structure is appropriate for the Company at the current time, as it allows Mr. Ingle to focus on the day-to-day operation of the business, while allowing Mr. Carey to focus on overall leadership and strategic direction of UNIFI, guidance of the Company’s senior management, and leadership of the Board.

The Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines further provide that if the Chairman is not determined by the Board as independent, the independent directors may determine that the Board should have a Lead Independent Director. In the event that the independent directors make such a determination, the Lead Independent Director is appointed by a majority of the independent directors. In October 2019, the independent directors reappointed Archibald Cox, Jr. to serve as Lead Independent Director.

The duties of the Lead Independent Director include: (i) providing leadership to the Board; (ii) chairing Board meetings in the absence of the Chairman; (iii) organizing, setting the agenda for, and leading executive sessions of the independent directors without the attendance of management; (iv) serving as a liaison between management and the independent directors; (v) consulting with the Chairman to approve the agenda for each Board meeting and the information that shall be provided to the directors for each scheduled meeting; (vi) approving meeting schedules to assure that there is sufficient time for discussion of all agenda items; (vii) meeting with the Chairman between Board meetings as appropriate in order to facilitate Board meetings and discussions; (viii) advising the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee on the selection of committee chairpersons; and (ix) having the authority to call meetings of the independent directors.

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Board Committees

The Board of Directors has a standing Audit Committee, Compensation Committee, and Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee. Committee members and committee chairs are appointed by the Board. The members and chairs of these committees are identified in the following table:

Each committee of the Board of Directors functions pursuant to a written charter adopted by the Board. The following table provides information about the operation and key functions of these committees:

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The Board may also establish other committees from time to time as it deems necessary.

Director Meeting Attendance

The Board of Directors held nine meetings during fiscal 2020. Each incumbent director attended 75% or more of the aggregate number of meetings of the Board and committees of the Board on which the director served during fiscal 2020. It is the Board’s policy that the directors should attend the Company’s annual meeting of shareholders absent extenuating circumstances. All of the Company’s nine directors in office at the time attended the 2019 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.

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Pursuant to the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines, the independent directors meet in regularly scheduled executive sessions without management. Archibald Cox, Jr., as the Lead Independent Director, presides over these executive sessions.

Director Nomination Process

The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee is responsible for identifying and evaluating individuals qualified to become members of the Board and for recommending to the Board the individuals for nomination as members. In considering whether to recommend any particular candidate for inclusion in the Board’s slate of recommended director nominees, the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee considers the following criteria, in addition to other factors it may determine appropriate: (i) the candidate’s roles and contributions valuable to the business community; (ii) the candidate’s diversity, integrity, accountability, informed judgment, financial literacy, passion, creativity, and vision; (iii) the candidate’s knowledge about the Company’s business or industry; (iv) the candidate’s independence; (v) the candidate’s willingness and ability to devote adequate time and effort to Board responsibilities in the context of the existing composition and needs of the Board and its committees; and (vi) the NYSE rules.

Neither the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee nor the Board has a specific policy with regard to the consideration of diversity in identifying director nominees. However, the Board believes that men and women of different ages, races, and ethnic and cultural backgrounds can contribute different and useful perspectives, and can work effectively together to further the Company’s objectives, and, as noted above, a candidate’s diversity is one of the criteria that the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee considers in evaluating potential director nominees.

The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee may, at its discretion, hire third parties to assist in the identification and evaluation of director nominees.

Shareholder Recommendations of Director Candidates

Recommendations by shareholders for director candidates to be considered for the 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders must be in writing and received by the Company’s Corporate Secretary at Unifi, Inc., 7201 West Friendly Avenue, Greensboro, North Carolina 27410 no earlier than July 1, 2021 and no later than July 31, 2021. However, if the date of the 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders is more than 30 days before or more than 90 days after October 29, 2021, then the written notice must be received by the Company’s Corporate Secretary no earlier than 120 days prior to the date of the 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders and no later than the close of business on the later of (i) 90 days prior to the date of such annual meeting or (ii) 10 days following the day on which the Company first announced publicly (or mailed notice to the shareholders of) the date of such meeting.

The notice must contain certain information about the nominee and the shareholder submitting the nomination as set forth in the Company’s Amended and Restated By-laws. With respect to the nominee, the notice must contain, among other things, (i) the nominee’s name, age, and business and residence addresses; (ii) the nominee’s background and qualification, including, the principal occupation or employment of the nominee; (iii) the class and number of shares or other securities of the Company owned of record or beneficially by the nominee or any Shareholder Associated Person (as defined in the Company’s Amended and Restated By-laws); (iv) any derivative positions held of record or beneficially by the nominee or any Shareholder Associated Person related to, or the value of which is derived in whole or in part from, the value of any class of the Company’s shares or other securities and whether and the extent to which any hedging or other transaction or series of transactions has been entered into by or on behalf of, or any other agreement, arrangement, or understanding has been made, the effect or intent of which is to mitigate loss to, or to manage the risk

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or benefit from share price changes for, or to increase or decrease the voting power of, the nominee or any Shareholder Associated Person with respect to the Company’s shares or other securities; (v) a written statement executed by the nominee (A) acknowledging that as a director of the Company, the nominee will owe a fiduciary duty under New York law with respect to the Company and its shareholders; (B) disclosing whether the nominee is a party to an agreement, arrangement, or understanding with, or has given any commitment or assurance to, any person or entity as to how the nominee, if elected as a director of the Company, will act or vote on any issue or question; (C) disclosing whether the nominee is a party to an agreement, arrangement, or understanding with any person or entity other than the Company with respect to any direct or indirect compensation, reimbursement, or indemnification in connection with the nominee’s service or action as a director of the Company; (D) agreeing to update continually the accuracy of the information required by the immediately preceding clauses (B) and (C) for as long as the nominee is a nominee or a director of the Company; and (E) agreeing, if elected as a director of the Company, to comply with all codes of conduct and ethics, corporate governance, conflict of interest, confidentiality, and stock ownership and trading policies and guidelines of the Company applicable to directors; and (vi) any other information regarding the nominee or any Shareholder Associated Person that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings required to be made in connection with a contested solicitation of proxies for the election of directors or that the Company may reasonably require to determine the eligibility of the nominee to serve as a director of the Company. With respect to the shareholder submitting the nomination, the notice must contain: (1) the name and address, as they appear on the Company’s books, of such shareholder and any Shareholder Associated Person; (2) the class and number of shares or other securities of the Company owned of record or beneficially by such shareholder or any Shareholder Associated Person; (3) any derivative positions held of record or beneficially by such shareholder or any Shareholder Associated Person related to, or the value of which is derived in whole or in part from, the value of any class of the Company’s shares or other securities and whether and the extent to which any hedging or other transaction or series of transactions has been entered into by or on behalf of, or any other agreement, arrangement, or understanding has been made, the effect or intent of which is to mitigate loss to, or to manage the risk or benefit from share price changes for, or to increase or decrease the voting power of, such shareholder or any Shareholder Associated Person with respect to the Company’s shares or other securities; (4) any other information regarding such shareholder or any Shareholder Associated Person that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings required to be made in connection with a contested solicitation of proxies for the election of directors; and (5) a representation whether either such shareholder or any Shareholder Associated Person intends to, or is part of a group which intends to, deliver a proxy statement and/or form of proxy to holders of at least the percentage of the Company’s outstanding capital stock required to elect the nominee and/or otherwise to solicit proxies from shareholders in support of such nomination.

A shareholder who is interested in recommending a director candidate should request a copy of the Company’s Amended and Restated By-laws by writing to the Company’s Corporate Secretary at Unifi, Inc., 7201 West Friendly Avenue, Greensboro, North Carolina 27410. Recommended candidates will be subject to a background check by a qualified firm of the Company’s choosing. Appropriate submission of a recommendation by a shareholder does not guarantee the selection of the shareholder’s candidate or the inclusion of the candidate in the Company’s proxy materials; however, the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee will consider any such candidate in accordance with the director nomination process described above.

Annual Evaluation of Directors and Board Committee Members

The Board of Directors evaluates the performance of each director, each committee of the Board, the Chairman, the Lead Independent Director, and the Board of Directors as a whole on an annual basis. In connection with this annual self-evaluation, each director records his or her views on the

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performance of each director standing for reelection, each committee of the Board, the Chairman, the Lead Independent Director, and the Board of Directors as a whole. The entire Board of Directors reviews the results of these reports and determines what, if any, actions should be taken in the upcoming year to improve its effectiveness and the effectiveness of each director and committee.

Prohibitions Against Hedging, Pledging, or Short Selling

UNIFI maintains policies that apply to all directors, officers, and employees that prohibit hedging or short selling (profiting if the market price decreases) of Company securities. Such policies also prohibit all directors, officers, and employees from pledging any Company securities, purchasing any Company securities on margin, or incurring any indebtedness secured by a margin or similar account in which Company securities are held, without the prior approval of the Audit Committee of the Board.

Policy for Review of Related Person Transactions

Pursuant to the Company’s Related Persons Transactions Policy, which is available on the investor relations portion of the Company’s website at www.unifi.com, the Company reviews relationships and transactions in which the Company and its directors and executive officers or their immediate family members are participants to determine whether such related persons have a direct or indirect material interest in the relationships or transactions. The Company’s executive management is primarily responsible for developing and implementing processes and controls to obtain information from the directors and executive officers with respect to related person transactions and for then determining, based on the facts and circumstances, whether a related person has a direct or indirect material interest in any such transaction. As required under the SEC rules, transactions that are determined to be directly or indirectly material to a related person are disclosed in this Proxy Statement. In addition, the Audit Committee reviews and, if appropriate, approves or ratifies any related person transaction that is required to be disclosed under the SEC rules. As set forth in the Audit Committee’s charter, which is available on the investor relations portion of the Company’s website at www.unifi.com, in the course of its review and, if appropriate, approval or ratification of a disclosable related person transaction, the Audit Committee considers the relevant facts and circumstances, including the material terms of the transaction, risks, benefits, costs, availability of other comparable services or products, and, if applicable, the impact on a director’s independence.

Related Person Transactions

In fiscal 2020, the Company paid Salem Leasing Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Salem Holding Company, approximately $3.8 million in connection with leases of tractors and trailers and for related transportation services. Kenneth G. Langone, a director of the Company, owns a non-controlling 33% equity interest in, and is a director and the Non-Executive Chairman of, Salem Holding Company. Mr. Langone is not an employee of Salem Holding Company or any of its subsidiaries and is not involved in the day-to-day operations of any such company. The terms of the Company’s leases with Salem Leasing Corporation are, in the Company’s opinion, no less favorable than the terms the Company would have been able to negotiate with an independent third party. The foregoing transaction was approved under UNIFI’s Related Persons Transactions Policy.

The Board’s Role in Risk Oversight

The Board of Directors oversees the Company’s risk profile and management’s processes for assessing and managing risk, both as a whole Board and through its committees. The full Board reviews strategic risks and opportunities facing the Company. Among other areas, the Board is involved in overseeing risks related to the Company’s overall strategy, business results, capital

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structure, capital allocation and budgeting, and executive officer succession. Certain other important categories of risk are assigned to designated Board committees (which are compromised solely of independent directors) that report back to the full Board. In general, the committees oversee the following risks:

The Board believes that its leadership structure supports the Company’s governance approach to risk oversight as both the Executive Chairman and the principal executive officer are involved directly in risk management as members of the Company’s management team, while the committee chairpersons, in their respective areas, maintain oversight roles as independent members of the Board.

Compensation Committee Advisors

The Compensation Committee has sole authority under its charter to retain compensation consultants and other advisors and to approve such consultants’ and advisors’ fees and retention terms. The Compensation Committee has retained Korn Ferry to serve as its independent advisor and to provide it with advice and support on executive compensation issues.

The Compensation Committee has reviewed and confirmed the independence of Korn Ferry as the Compensation Committee’s compensation consultant. Neither Korn Ferry nor any of its affiliates provides any services to UNIFI except for services provided to the Compensation Committee. In addition to Korn Ferry, the Compensation Committee has reviewed the independence of each other outside advisor in advance of receiving advice from such advisor.

Communications with the Board of Directors

Shareholders and other interested parties can communicate directly with any of the Company’s directors, by sending a written communication to a director at Unifi, Inc. c/o Corporate Secretary, 7201 West Friendly Avenue, Greensboro, North Carolina 27410. Shareholders and other interested parties wishing to communicate with Archibald Cox, Jr., as Lead Independent Director, or with the independent directors as a group may do so by sending a written communication to Mr. Cox at the above address. In addition, any party who has concerns about accounting, internal controls, or auditing matters may contact the Audit Committee directly by sending a written communication to the Chair of the Audit Committee at the above address or by calling toll-free 1-800-514-5265. Such communications may be confidential or anonymous. All such communications are promptly reviewed before being forwarded to the addressee. Any concerns relating to accounting, internal controls, auditing matters, or officer conduct are sent immediately to the Chair of the Audit Committee. UNIFI generally will not forward to directors a shareholder communication that it determines to be primarily commercial in nature, relates to an improper or irrelevant topic, or requests general information about the Company.

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Director Compensation

Pursuant to the Company’s Director Compensation Policy, each director who is considered “independent” within the meaning of the Director Independence Standards adopted by the Board of Directors, which incorporate the independence standards of the NYSE rules, receives compensation for his or her service on the Board, while each non-independent director receives no compensation for his or her service as a director. In fiscal 2020, the Company’s non-independent directors were Messrs. Ingle, Caudle, and Carey. The following table sets forth the compensation paid to each independent director who served on the Board in fiscal 2020:

2020 Director Compensation Table

The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee reviews the form and amount of director compensation and makes recommendations to the Board of Directors for its consideration and approval. The Board approved the Company’s Director Compensation Policy on October 30, 2019. The compensation for UNIFI’s independent directors is as follows:

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A director may be issued stock units, in lieu of shares of Common Stock, which would be payable upon the director’s cessation of service as a member of the Board. The number of any shares of Common Stock or stock units granted to a director shall be determined based on the fair market value of the Common Stock on the date of the director’s election to the Board, and the number of shares of Common Stock underlying any stock option granted to a director shall be determined based on the Black-Scholes value of the Common Stock on the option grant date.

Any independent director who is initially appointed or elected to the Board other than at the annual meeting of shareholders will receive his or her annual retainer calculated on a pro rata basis based upon the period between the date of such appointment or election and the anticipated date of the next annual meeting of shareholders.

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Information about our Executive Officers

Set forth below are the names, ages, and professional backgrounds of the Company’s executive officers, including all positions and offices with the Company held by each such person and each such person’s principal occupation or employment during at least the past five years. Each executive officer of UNIFI is elected by the Board and holds office from the date of election until thereafter removed by the Board.

Edmund M. Ingle. Mr. Ingle, age 55, has served as Chief Executive Officer of UNIFI and a member of the Board of Directors since June 2020. From May 2019 to June 2020, he served as Chief Executive Officer of the Recycling group of Indorama Ventures, a global chemicals company and a global integrated leader in PET and fibers serving major customers in diversified end-use markets. From May 2018 to June 2020, he was Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer of Indorama’s Wellman International division. Prior to that, Mr. Ingle was with UNIFI for approximately 30 years, during which time he held various key leadership positions, including Vice President of Global Corporate Sustainability, Vice President of Supply Chain, General Manager of the Company’s Flake and Chip business, Vice President and General Manager of REPREVE^® Polymers, General Manager of the Company’s Nylon business, and Director of Global Procurement. Additional information about Mr. Ingle can be found under “Proposal 1: Election of Directors—Director Nominees” beginning on page 10 of this Proxy Statement.

Thomas H. Caudle, Jr. Mr. Caudle, age 68, has served as President & Chief Operating Officer of UNIFI since August 2017 and a member of the Board of Directors since 2016. Previously, he was President of the Company from April 2016 to August 2017, Vice President of Manufacturing of the Company from October 2006 to April 2016, and Vice President of Global Operations of the Company from April 2003 to October 2006. Additional information about Mr. Caudle can be found under “Proposal 1: Election of Directors—Director Nominees” beginning on page 10 of this Proxy Statement.

Albert P. Carey. Mr. Carey, age 69, has served as Executive Chairman of the Board of UNIFI since April 2019 and a member of the Board of Directors since 2018. Mr. Carey previously served as Non-Executive Chairman of the Board of the Company from January 2019 to March 2019. In March 2019, Mr. Carey retired from PepsiCo, Inc., a consumer products company, after a 38-year career with the company in which he held a number of senior leadership roles, including Chief Executive Officer of PepsiCo North America from March 2016 to January 2019, Chief Executive Officer of PepsiCo North America Beverages from July 2015 to March 2016, Chief Executive Officer of PepsiCo Americas Beverages from September 2011 to July 2015, and President and Chief Executive Officer of Frito-Lay North America from June 2006 to September 2011. Additional information about Mr. Carey can be found under “Proposal 1: Election of Directors—Director Nominees” beginning on page 10 of this Proxy Statement.

Craig A. Creaturo. Mr. Creaturo, age 50, has served as Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer of UNIFI since September 2019. Mr. Creaturo served as Chief Financial Officer & Vice President-Administration of Chromalox, Inc., an advanced thermal technologies manufacturing company, from February 2015 to March 2019. Prior to that, he served as Chief Financial Officer of II-VI Incorporated (“II-VI”), a publicly traded global leader in engineered materials and opto-electronic components, from 2004 to 2014, Treasurer of II-VI from 2000 to 2014, and Corporate Controller of II-VI from 1998 to 2000. From 1992 to 1998, he held a variety of audit roles at Arthur Andersen LLP.

Hongjun Ning. Mr. Ning, age 53, has served as an Executive Vice President of UNIFI since July 2020, President of Unifi Textiles (Suzhou) Co. Ltd. (“UTSC”) (UNIFI’s subsidiary in China) since March 2020, and President of Unifi Asia Pacific (Hong Kong) Company, Limited (“UAP”) (UNIFI’s subsidiary in Hong

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Kong) since June 2017. Previously, he served as Vice President of UTSC from September 2013 to June 2017, Director of Sales & Marketing of UTSC from August 2008 to September 2013, and General Manager, Sales & Marketing of a former UNIFI joint venture in China from January 2006 to August 2008.

Lucas de Carvalho Rocha. Mr. Rocha, age 63, has served as an Executive Vice President of UNIFI since July 2020 and Vice President of Unifi Latin America (“ULA”) (UNIFI’s subsidiary in Colombia) and President of Unifi do Brasil, Ltda. (“UdB”) (UNIFI’s subsidiary in Brazil) since January 2018. Previously, he served as Director of Operations of UdB from April 1999 to January 2018. Prior to his career with UNIFI, Mr. Rocha also spent time at the following textile entities in Brazil: Fairway Filamentos SA (Rhodia & Hoechst J.V.), Textuval Indústria Têxtil Ltda., Rhodia SA (Rhone Poulenc Group), and Polyenka SA (ex-AKZOGroup).

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Compensation Discussion and Analysis

This Compensation Discussion and Analysis provides an overview of the Company’s executive compensation program, including:

Executive Summary

Company Performance Highlights

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company’s operations were achieving incremental sales volume growth from both (i) continued demand for sustainable products with the REPREVE^® platform and (ii) market share recapture from recent trade initiatives that were finalized in January 2020. Additionally, fiscal 2020 was characterized by (A) a more favorable polyester raw material cost environment and (B) a more favorable underlying effective tax rate compared to recent fiscal years. However, for fiscal 2020, the Company reported a net loss of $57.2 million, or $3.10 per share. These results primarily reflect (1) a $45.2 million impairment charge recorded for the divestiture of the Company’s 34% minority interest in Parkdale America, LLC and (2) the adverse impact of the economic downturn during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020 caused by the global pandemic.

The Company experienced full year fiscal 2020 sales volume and gross profit pressures due to the global pandemic, but momentum was achieved in certain of the Company’s U.S. and Asian markets.

The Company’s selling, general, and administrative expenses (“SG&A”) for fiscal 2020 were demonstrably lower than in recent prior fiscal years, resulting from actions taken in fiscal 2019.

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Leading up to the pandemic, performance metrics improved consistent with expectations during the first nine months of fiscal 2020 and significant operating cash flows were generated. However, the global pandemic adversely impacted the Company’s business beginning in April 2020 and significantly reduced product demand across all business segments during the fourth fiscal quarter. Accordingly, fixed cost absorption and facility utilization were significantly impacted and profitability declined. Despite these significant headwinds, the Company continued to generate positive operating cash flows in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020 and the full fiscal year 2020, exhibiting substantial year-over-year improvements in operating cash flows compared to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2019 and the full fiscal year 2019, respectively.

Executive Compensation Highlights

As described in greater detail below, the Company believes its executive compensation program should attract top executive talent, follow a pay-for-performance compensation model, and link executive retention to long-term shareholder value. Accordingly, the Company took the following actions during fiscal 2020 with respect to the compensation of its NEOs:

Compensation Philosophy, Principles, and Policies

The Company’s executive compensation philosophy is to:

Therefore, the focus of the Company’s executive compensation program and the Compensation Committee is to ensure that an appropriate relationship exists between executive pay and the creation of shareholder value, while at the same time enabling the Company to attract, retain, reward, and motivate talented and experienced executives. The Compensation Committee monitors the results of its executive compensation policy to ensure that compensation payable to executive officers creates proper incentives to enhance shareholder value, rewards superior performance, is justified by returns available to shareholders, and discourages employees from taking unnecessary or excessive risks that could ultimately threaten the value of the Company.

In establishing compensation for the NEOs, the following principles and policies guide the Company’s executive compensation decisions:

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The Compensation Committee reviews and approves all components of the NEOs’ compensation. The Compensation Committee also monitors the compensation levels in general for all other senior level employees of the Company. In addition, the Compensation Committee has the discretion to hire compensation and benefits consultants to assist in developing and reviewing overall executive compensation strategies.

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Overview of Compensation Components

The Compensation Committee views executive compensation in four component parts:

A brief description of each of these components is provided below, together with a summary of its objectives:

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Compensation Mix

Consistent with the philosophy, principles, and policies of the Company’s executive compensation program, the program places approximately 60% of total executive compensation “at risk” based on the performance of the Company and the executive through an annual cash bonus incentive program and equity-based long-term incentive awards. The Company currently uses the Unifi, Inc. Amended and Restated 2013 Incentive Compensation Plan (the “Amended 2013 Plan”) to provide those equity-based awards. The Company believes the substantial weighting of performance-based compensation encourages its executives to achieve near-term and long-term operating performance goals designed to create or enhance shareholder value.

Control by the Compensation Committee

The Compensation Committee reviews and approves corporate goals and objectives relevant to the compensation of each NEO, evaluates each NEO’s performance in light of these goals and objectives (with input from the principal executive officer for NEOs other than the principal executive officer), and sets each NEO’s compensation level based on this evaluation and consultation. The Compensation Committee also advises senior management with respect to the range of compensation to be paid to other employees of the Company, administers and makes recommendations to the Board concerning benefit plans for the Company’s directors, officers, and employees, and recommends benefit programs and future goals and objectives for the Company.

As in the past, the Compensation Committee continued to consider a wide range of factors in making its fiscal 2020 compensation decisions for the Company’s NEOs, including the historical practices of the Company; the individual NEO’s leadership and role in advancement of the Company’s long-term strategy, plans, and objectives; the individual NEO’s performance and contribution to the Company’s success; budget guidelines established by the Board; and an assessment of the Company’s financial condition. Additionally, the Compensation Committee considered the Company’s fiscal 2019 operating and Adjusted EBITDA results, along with the current economic climate. Based on this information and these factors, the Compensation Committee set executive compensation for fiscal 2020.

During fiscal 2020, the Compensation Committee engaged Korn Ferry as an independent advisor to assist the Compensation Committee with the administration of the Company’s executive compensation program. The Compensation Committee does not believe it is appropriate to tie executive compensation directly to the compensation awarded by other companies or to a particular survey or

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group of surveys. Instead, the Compensation Committee consults with Korn Ferry to gain a general understanding of compensation practices and trends of similarly situated companies. The Compensation Committee members use that knowledge as a tool in considering the overall compensation of the Company’s executives. No specific compensation decision for any individual was based on or justified by any market comparison reports or information.

Establishment of a Peer Group

The Compensation Committee periodically compares the Company’s compensation practices to those of other companies within its U.S. geographical footprint and industry (or related industries from which UNIFI might seek, or to which UNIFI possibly could lose, management talent). Such comparisons have been done with the assistance of Korn Ferry. The Compensation Committee believes the comparison data provides useful information for the administration of the Company’s executive compensation program.

In fiscal 2020, the Compensation Committee sought to supplement the comparison of the Company’s compensation practices with the establishment of a peer group that shares similarities to the unique nature of the Company’s business model. The Compensation Committee aims to use comparison data, Company performance, and peer group data to direct and inform the Company’s executive compensation program in the future.

In developing the peer group, the Compensation Committee considered the population of U.S.-based, publicly traded companies that are:

In addition to industry and competitive considerations, the Compensation Committee filtered companies by revenues and market capitalization, generally focusing on companies with revenues between approximately one half (50%) and twice (200%) the Company’s fiscal 2020 revenues. Companies with higher revenues are included in the peer group since the Company competes with such other companies for executive talent. Companies with a higher market capitalization are included in the peer group since the Company’s market capitalization has recently declined. Companies that included the Company in the construction of their own peer group were also considered as potential peers.

The Compensation Committee established a peer group that includes the following 10 companies:

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While the Compensation Committee believes the peer group data will be helpful in monitoring and benchmarking the Company’s compensation practices, the peer group was not established until after fiscal 2020 executive compensation programs were established. The peer group will allow the Compensation Committee to monitor the compensation practices of the Company’s primary competitors for executive talent. However, the Compensation Committee will not target any specific pay percentile of the peer group for the Company’s executive officers. Instead, this information will be used to provide a general overview of market practices and to ensure the Compensation Committee makes informed decisions regarding the Company’s executive compensation programs.

Detailed Review of Compensation Components

Base Salary

The Compensation Committee believes in maintaining a close relationship between the Company’s performance and the base salary component of the compensation for each NEO. The factors considered by the Compensation Committee in setting the NEOs’ base salaries include:

In addition to reviewing the above factors, the Compensation Committee also believes that strong and effective communication with management helps the Company adhere to its compensation philosophy, principles, and policies. Therefore, the Compensation Committee consults with the principal executive officer and reviews his recommendations regarding the compensation of all NEOs (other than the principal executive officer) before making its final compensation decisions. Periodically, the principal executive officer meets with the other NEOs regarding their performance.

The Compensation Committee made no adjustments to the base salaries of the NEOs during fiscal 2020, because their base salaries were either (i) evaluated during the hiring process (for new executives) or (ii) appropriate based on the executive’s role during fiscal 2020.

Annual Incentive Compensation

To encourage executives to achieve near-term operating performance goals, the Company has established an annual incentive compensation plan in the form of a cash bonus. All NEOs employed during the fiscal year are eligible to earn annual bonuses based on the Company’s fiscal year performance provided they remain employed through the last day of the fiscal year. Any bonus payouts for NEOs employed after the beginning of a fiscal year are prorated.

The Compensation Committee uses EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization), adjusted to exclude certain items, such as equity in loss (earnings) of Parkdale America, LLC (prior to the Company’s disposition of its interest therein), and other operating or non-operating income or expense items necessary to understand and compare the underlying results of the Company (“Adjusted EBITDA”), as a performance measure for the annual incentive compensation plan because the Compensation Committee believes Adjusted EBITDA serves as a high-level proxy for cash generated from operations, which is a key performance indicator of the Company’s operating results generally. Accordingly, the Compensation Committee elected to use Adjusted EBITDA as the sole

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metric by which annual incentive compensation was calculated for fiscal 2020, which was a change from the fiscal 2019 plan that included Global Sales and Global Premium Value-Added Sales as metrics for certain NEOs.

The Compensation Committee believes that the single performance measure of Adjusted EBITDA is appropriate for each NEO because each NEO plays a vital role in the overall success of the Company. Therefore, the Compensation Committee believes that the annual variable compensation received by the NEOs should reflect the Company’s near-term operating performance. In accordance with this belief, the annual incentive compensation for the U.S.-based NEOs was based on Global Adjusted EBITDA for the Company and the annual incentive compensation for Messrs. Ning and Rocha was based on Adjusted EBITDA for the subsidiaries over which each serves as president, as described below.

For fiscal 2020, the Compensation Committee set the Global Adjusted EBITDA target for the Company at $50.0 million. The target Global Adjusted EBITDA level for the Company was based on the Board-approved business plan for fiscal 2020 and represented an increase from the Company’s actual fiscal 2019 Global Adjusted EBITDA of $36.3 million. Mr. Ning’s annual incentive compensation was based on an Adjusted EBITDA level of 70.6 million Chinese Renminbi (“RMB”) for UAP and Mr. Rocha’s annual incentive compensation was based on an Adjusted EBITDA level of 62.5 million Brazilian Real (“BRL”) for UdB.

The annual incentive bonus awarded to NEOs may be decreased by the Compensation Committee as a result of the individual’s performance and/or contribution to the Company’s achievement of its financial objectives. Each NEO’s performance, including the principal executive officer’s, is evaluated against specific financial goals prior to payment of bonuses, and the final bonus payment may be adjusted relative to the achievement of those goals. The performance criteria in the annual incentive compensation plan may be adjusted by either the Compensation Committee or the Board to account for unusual events, such as extraordinary transactions, asset dispositions and purchases, and mergers and acquisitions, if, and to the extent, either the Compensation Committee or the Board considers the effect of such events indicative of the Company’s performance. Additionally, either the Compensation Committee or the Board has the discretion to award additional bonus compensation even if a NEO would not be entitled to any bonus based on the targets previously determined.

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For fiscal 2020, the Compensation Committee set annual incentive opportunities, threshold, target, and maximum performance levels, and corresponding potential annual incentive payments to the eligible NEOs (based on percentages of base salary) as set forth in the tables below. Mr. Gerstein was not eligible for annual or long-term incentive compensation for fiscal 2020 because his service as an executive officer ended prior to the end of the fiscal year.

The following table shows the threshold, target, and maximum performance levels established by the Compensation Committee for fiscal 2020 as well as the Company’s actual performance in fiscal 2020.

The fiscal 2020 Global Adjusted EBITDA performance shown above reflects the Company’s publicly reported results. The Company’s Global Adjusted EBITDA and UdB Adjusted EBITDA for fiscal 2020 of $16.6 million and 34.1 million BRL, respectively, were each below the threshold performance level resulting in no payout for that performance measure. Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial performance measure. A reconciliation of Net loss, which is the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure, to Adjusted EBITDA is presented in Appendix A to this Proxy Statement.

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Based on the performance measure established by the Compensation Committee for fiscal 2020 and the Company’s actual performance (adjusted as described above), the only annual incentive compensation award earned by the NEOs for fiscal 2020 is shown in the table below.

Long-Term Incentive Compensation

The Compensation Committee believes that stock-based compensation is essential to align the interests of the Company’s management and its shareholders in enhancing the long-term value of the Company’s equity and to encourage executives to retain their employment with the Company. Among the varied types of equity awards the Compensation Committee is authorized to use under the Amended 2013 Plan, the Compensation Committee has determined that an equal blend of incentive stock options and restricted stock units is appropriate for covered officers (as defined below under “—Officers Stock Ownership Policy”) to provide a mix composed of awards whose value depends upon a future increase in the value of the Common Stock (incentive stock options) and awards that serve primarily as a retention or recruitment tool (restricted stock units). For other key employees, the Compensation Committee has determined that restricted stock units are preferable, because they serve as important retention or recruiting tools.

Consistent with those determinations, in fiscal 2020, the Compensation Committee awarded stock options and restricted stock units to the NEOs on October 29, 2019 (except as otherwise noted) as shown in the Grants of Plan-Based Awards table beginning on page 42.

The stock option awards vest and become exercisable 25% on the first anniversary of the grant date, 25% on the second anniversary of the grant date, and 50% on the third anniversary of the grant date. As “incentive stock options” (to the applicable maximum permitted under the Amended 2013 Plan), these stock options offer the NEO the opportunity to receive favorable tax treatment if he retains the shares acquired upon exercise for at least one year. The restricted stock units vest 25% 30 days after the first anniversary of the grant date, 25% on the second anniversary of the grant date, and 50% on the third anniversary of the grant date.

Perquisites and Other Benefits

Perquisites.    The Compensation Committee’s general philosophy is to provide executives, including the NEOs, with only limited perquisites. Therefore, the Company does not provide its NEOs (other than Mr. Ning) with perquisites, such as car allowances, reimbursements for car expenses, or payment of country club dues. In fiscal 2020, Mr. Ning (i) was reimbursed for the cost of one personal trip to the United States, (ii) was reimbursed for the cost of rental housing in China, and (iii) received a tax equalization payment, all in accordance with the duties he performs on behalf of the Company as an expatriate.

Retirement Benefits.    In order to provide employees at all levels with greater incentives, the Company makes available to all U.S.-based employees, including the NEOs (except for Mr. Rocha due to his citizenship outside of the United States), the opportunity to make contributions to the Unifi, Inc. Retirement Savings Plan (the “401(k) Plan”), under which employees may elect to defer up to 75% of their total compensation, not to exceed the amount allowed by applicable Internal Revenue Service regulations. Pursuant to the 401(k) Plan, in fiscal 2020, the Company matched contributions equal to 100% of the employee’s first 3% of compensation contributed to the 401(k) Plan and 50% of the next 2% of compensation contributed to the 401(k) Plan. Due to his citizenship, Mr. Rocha receives similar

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retirement plan matching contributions in his local jurisdiction based on the applicable laws and regulations therein.

Health Plan, Life Insurance, and Other Benefits.    The Company makes available health and insurance benefits to all employees (subject to standard eligibility waiting periods), including the NEOs. The cost of the health plans is covered partially through employee payroll deductions, with the remainder covered by the Company. Disability and life insurance benefits are paid by the Company for all salaried employees; however, the currently employed NEOs, with the exception of Messrs. Carey and Smosna, currently receive or will receive additional life insurance coverage provided by the Company.

Supplemental Key Employee Retirement Plan.    As an additional means of attracting top executive talent and encouraging executives to remain employed with the Company, the Company maintains the Unifi, Inc. Supplemental Key Employee Retirement Plan (the “SERP”). Participation in the SERP is limited to a select group of management employees who are selected by the Compensation Committee. As described in greater detail preceding the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation table on page 46, the SERP provides additional retirement benefits payable to the Company’s NEOs following their termination of employment.

Employment Agreements.    The Company is party to employment agreements with each of Messrs. Ingle, Caudle, Carey, Creaturo, Ning, and Rocha.    With the exception of Mr. Carey, each employment agreement provides that each executive will (i) receive an annual base salary at the annual rate set forth in the agreement, (ii) be eligible to receive bonuses and to participate in compensation plans of the Company in accordance with any plan or decision that the Board may determine from time to time, (iii) be paid or reimbursed for business expenses, and (iv) be entitled to participate in other employment benefits generally available to other executives of the Company. Each employment agreement (with the exception of Mr. Carey’s agreement) also contains provisions regarding the termination of the executive’s employment and related severance obligations. Mr. Carey’s employment agreement provides that he will (A) receive an annual base salary at the annual rate set forth in the agreement and (B) be paid or reimbursed for business expenses. Mr. Carey’s employment agreement does not provide eligibility for bonus plan or other employment benefits generally available to other executives of the Company. The executives agreed in their employment agreements to neither compete with the Company or its affiliated entities nor solicit their respective customers, suppliers, or employees for the 12 months immediately following termination of employment.

Calculations of the estimated severance payments and benefits payable under the employment agreements are set forth under “Executive Compensation Tables—Potential Payments Upon Termination of Employment or Change in Control” beginning on page 47. In connection with his separation effective August 30, 2019, Mr. Gerstein was entitled to and received severance payments and health and welfare benefits consistent with the terms of his employment agreement.

Policy on Executive Officer and Employee Incentive Compensation Recoupment

The Company has a written policy to address the recoupment of performance-based compensation awarded to or earned by an executive officer if there is a restatement of the Company’s financial results due to material noncompliance of the Company with any financial reporting requirement under the federal securities laws. In the event of a restatement, the Board shall review the performance-based compensation awarded to or earned by the executive officers for the three-year period prior to the restatement event and, if the Board determines in its reasonable discretion that any such performance-based compensation would not have been awarded to or earned by an executive officer based on the restated financial results, the Board shall seek to recover from such executive officer any portion of the performance-based compensation that is greater than that which would have been awarded or earned had it been calculated on the basis of the restated financial results.

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The Company’s recoupment policy also addresses the recoupment of performance-based compensation awarded to or earned by any current or former employee if such employee engaged in certain misconduct (e.g., embezzlement, fraud, or theft or unethical behavior that harms the Company’s business, reputation, or other employees). In such event, the Board may require reimbursement of compensation granted, earned, or paid under any Company annual incentive or long-term incentive cash plans to such employee and cancellation of outstanding equity awards and reimbursement of any gains realized on the exercise, settlement, or sale of equity awards held by such employee at any time during the three-year period ending on the date on which such misconduct is discovered.

Officers Stock Ownership Policy

The Company has adopted an Officers Stock Ownership Policy to enhance the Company’s ongoing objective to align the compensation paid to its officers with the long-term interests of shareholders. The policy applies to any NEO and any person who holds the position of Vice President or higher with the Company, its primary operating subsidiary, and possible other significant operating subsidiaries (“VP-Level Personnel”) (for purposes of the policy, collectively, “covered officers”). The policy provides for a ramp-up period for complying with the expected stock ownership levels, both upon the initial implementation of the policy and thereafter upon each person first becoming a NEO or other covered officer. If a covered officer fails to comply with the stock ownership expectation, the Compensation Committee considers that fact in setting future salary, bonus, or other compensation for the covered officer. The Company tests for compliance with the stock ownership expectation at the end of the fiscal year.

The stock ownership expectation, the calculation of shares of Common Stock counted towards the ownership expectation, and the valuation of shares of Common Stock for purposes of the policy are as set forth below. All covered officers were in compliance with their respective stock ownership expectations under the terms of the policy at the end of fiscal 2020.

If an officer falls below the applicable minimum ownership guideline due solely to a decline in the value of the Common Stock, the officer will not be required to acquire additional shares to meet the guideline; however, the officer will be required to retain all shares then held (except for shares withheld to pay withholding taxes or the exercise price of options) until such time that the officer again satisfies the policy’s minimum ownership requirements.

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Tax Impact on Compensation

The Compensation Committee considers the tax and accounting effects of compensation elements when designing the Company’s incentive and equity compensation plans. However, the Compensation Committee has not adopted a policy that all compensation must be deductible for federal income tax purposes.

Under Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), as amended by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in December 2017, the Company may not deduct compensation in excess of $1 million paid to “covered individuals” (as defined in Section 162(m)). Therefore, compensation in excess of $1 million paid to the covered NEOs is not deductible by the Company for federal income tax purposes unless it qualifies for a transition relief provision included in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act for certain arrangements in place as of November 2, 2017.

Risk Analysis of Compensation Programs and Practices

While the Company’s compensation programs and practices are designed to motivate its employees and encourage performance that improves the Company’s financial and other operating results, the Company and the Compensation Committee also seek to design and implement compensation programs and practices that discourage employees from taking unnecessary or excessive risks that could ultimately threaten the value of the Company or otherwise have a material adverse effect on the Company. Management and the Compensation Committee periodically review and assess potential risks associated with the Company’s compensation programs and practices. Management and the Compensation Committee believe that the Company’s incentive compensation programs and practices are appropriately balanced between value created indirectly by the performance of the Common Stock and payments resulting from the achievement of specific financial performance objectives, so as to minimize the likelihood of unnecessary or excessive risk-taking by Company employees. Management and the Compensation Committee have concluded that any risks from such programs and practices are not reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company. The Compensation Committee reached its conclusion after considering a number of features of the Company’s compensation structure that are designed to mitigate risk, such as:

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Shareholder Say-on-Pay Vote

At the 2019 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, the Company’s shareholders had the opportunity to vote, on an advisory basis, on a proposal to approve the compensation of the NEOs for fiscal 2019. This is referred to as a “say-on-pay” proposal. Approximately 82% of the votes cast at the 2019 Annual Meeting of Shareholders on the say-on-pay proposal were voted in favor of the proposal. The Compensation Committee believes this vote result reflects the general concurrence by the Company’s shareholders with the Company’s philosophy and approach to executive compensation. Therefore, the Company has continued its philosophy and approach to executive compensation as discussed above. The Company acknowledges that shareholder say-on-pay support declined from fiscal 2018 to fiscal 2019. In response, management had discussions with approximately 100 current or potential shareholders, including attendance at eight conferences or organized events, in order to facilitate feedback from the investment community. The Company received no negative feedback on its named executive officer compensation practices during this shareholder engagement initiative, but management will continue to have open, transparent communications with the investment community throughout fiscal 2021. At the Annual Meeting, shareholders will have the opportunity to indicate their views on the Company’s NEO compensation for fiscal 2020. For additional information, see “Proposal 2: Advisory Vote to Approve Named Executive Officer Compensation.” The Compensation Committee will continue to consider the vote results for say-on-pay proposals in future years when making compensation decisions for the Company’s NEOs.

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Executive Compensation Tables

The following tables, narratives, and footnotes describe the total compensation and benefits for the NEOs for fiscal 2020, as well as the total compensation and benefits for the NEOs for the two preceding fiscal years.

Summary Compensation Table

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Grants of Plan-Based Awards

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Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End