Massachusetts › Transportation and warehousing › 100 to 249 participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 1 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024
Sterling Employee Savings Plan
Sponsored by Sterling Corporation, Billerica, MA
Form 5500 information is as filed by the plan administrator with the Department of Labor and may be amended. Figures reflect the plan year shown, not current balances. Form 5500 contains no individual account balances. Look up the original filing at EFAST2.
In the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024, Sterling Employee Savings Plan covered 181 participants and held $18.6M in net assets. The plan is a 401(k) plan sponsored by Sterling Corporation of Billerica, Massachusetts.
Net assets came to $103,005 per participant, well above the $60,185 median for defined contribution plans with 100 to 249 participants and well above the $32,883 median for defined contribution plans in transportation and warehousing. The figure is an average across everyone in the plan, including former employees with small balances; Form 5500 holds no individual account data.
The employer contributed $99K during the year, or $746 per active participant against a same-size median of $2,447; participants contributed $827K and $157K arrived as rollovers and other contributions. Benefits paid out totalled $816K.
Schedule C lists 1 service provider organisation paid $5,000 or more, with reported compensation of $98K: $542 per participant, well above the same-size median of $194. Administrative expenses charged to the plan were $106K. Schedule C does not capture every cost: fees netted from fund returns and fees the employer pays directly are outside it.
Across the filings on record, net assets went from $5.2M in 2009 to $18.6M in 2024 (up 257%), and participants from 158 to 181 (up 15%).
The independent accountant's opinion on the financial statements was unmodified (unqualified), from an audit whose scope was limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C) to exclude investment information certified by a bank or insurer.
Compared with similar plans
| Measure | This plan | Same size | Same industry | All US DC plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net assets per participant | $103,005 | $60,185 | $32,883 | $53,102 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $746 | $2,447 | $1,396 | $2,175 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $542 | $194 | $113 | $123 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.53% | 0.32% | 0.33% | 0.26% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $586 | $176 | $97.79 | $116 |
Peer columns are medians for plan year 2024 across defined contribution plans with 100 or more participants: 100 to 249 participants (21,996 plans), transportation and warehousing (1,909) and all US plans (63,460). Fee medians cover plans that report an amount.
Trend by plan year
| Plan year | Participants | Net assets | Per participant | Employer contributions | Participant contributions | Schedule C compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 181 | $18.6M | $103,006 | $99K | $827K | $98K |
| 2023 | 195 | $16.9M | $86,456 | $101K | $809K | $96K |
| 2022 | 206 | $15.2M | $73,748 | $95K | $759K | $73K |
| 2021 | 132 | $11.3M | $85,530 | — | $346K | $68K |
| 2020 | 107 | $10.0M | $93,308 | — | $307K | $53K |
| 2019 | 113 | $9.0M | $79,655 | — | $283K | $54K |
| 2017 | 105 | $8.9M | $84,486 | — | $315K | $46K |
| 2016 | 106 | $7.8M | $73,481 | — | $284K | $41K |
| 2012 | 105 | $5.5M | $52,848 | — | $229K | $25K |
| 2011 | 119 | $5.4M | $45,538 | — | $268K | $30K |
| 2010 | 131 | $5.7M | $43,206 | — | $235K | $42K |
| 2009 | 158 | $5.2M | $33,089 | — | $270K | $30K |
Years in which the plan filed the full Form 5500 with 100 or more participants, from 2009. Plan year is the year in which the plan year began.
Statement for the year
- Net assets, beginning of year$16,859,043
- Employer contributions$98,534
- Participant contributions$827,089
- Rollovers and other contributions$157,270
- Total contributions$1,082,893
- Total income, including investment results$2,706,640
- Benefits paid$815,571
- Administrative expenses$106,133
- Total expenses$921,704
- Net income$1,784,936
- Net transfers$0
- Net assets, end of year$18,643,979
Participants
- Active participants132
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits0
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits49
- Participants with account balances168
- Total participants, end of year181
Fees and service providers
| Organisation | Services reported | Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edelman Financial Engines, LLC | Contract Administrator; Recordkeeping and information management; Investment management; Investment advisory (plan) | $98,083 | $0 |
Schedule C, Part I line 2: providers that received $5,000 or more, with the form's own service codes. Individuals named on Schedule C (plan employees, individual trustees) are never shown and their compensation is excluded. Eligible indirect compensation disclosed by formula carries no dollar amount. See how to read Schedule C fees.
Administrative expenses on Schedule H
- Contract administrator fees$102,808
- Other administrative expenses$3,325
- Total administrative expenses$106,133
Investment structure
Assets at year end by Schedule H category. The form shows the kind of vehicle holding the money, not the funds on the menu.
- Registered investment companies (mutual funds)$18.0M · 96.4%
- Common/collective trusts$241K · 1.3%
- Cash (interest and non-interest bearing)$185K · 1.0%
- Participant loans$137K · 0.7%
- Receivables$99K · 0.5%
Audit and compliance answers, as filed
- Accountant's opinionUnmodified (unqualified)
- Audit scope limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C)Yes
- Accounting firmCaron & Bletzer, PLLC
- Participant contributions reported as transmitted lateNo
- Covered by a fidelity bondYes, $1,000,000
- Blackout period during the yearNo
These are the plan administrator's own answers on Schedule H, Part IV. A reported late transmittal is the filer's disclosure of a timing lapse, usually corrected through the Department of Labor's voluntary program; the amount is the total involved, not a loss.
Plan characteristics
2EProfit-sharing plan2GTotal participant-directed account plan2FERISA section 404(c) plan2JCode section 401(k) feature2KCode section 401(m) arrangement3HPlan sponsor(s) is (are) a member(s) of a controlled group3DPre-approved pension plan
Codes entered on Form 5500 line 8a, with the labels from the official instructions. Business code 484110: General Freight Trucking, Local.
Similar plans in Massachusetts
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C.H. Powell 401(k) Incentive Savings Plan | C.H. Powell Company | 197 | $18.7M | $95,141 |
| XNG Retirement Plan | Xpress Natural Gas, LLC | 179 | $5.1M | $28,438 |
| Regency Transportation, Inc. 401(k) Plan | Regency Transportation, Inc. | 210 | — | — |
| Tighe Warehousing & Distribution, Inc. 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan | Tighe Warehousing & Distribution, Inc. | 174 | $4.8M | $27,312 |
| Cape Cod Express 401(k) Plan | Cape Cod Express, LLC | 213 | $14.3M | $67,150 |
| Montachusett Regional Transit Authority 401(k) Plan | Montachusett Regional Transit Authority | 163 | $5.5M | $33,888 |
Defined contribution plans in transportation and warehousing closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is Sterling Employee Savings Plan?
181 participants at the end of the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024, of whom 132 were active employees, with net assets of $18,643,979. Among defined contribution plans that places it in the 100 to 249 participants band, which held 21,996 plans in plan year 2024.
What does Sterling Corporation contribute per participant?
The filing reports $98,534 in employer contributions for the year, which is $746 per active participant; the median for plans of the same type and size was $2,447 in plan year 2024. Form 5500 reports the total only. It does not state the match formula, and the per-participant figure is an average, not any one person's contribution.
What fees does the plan pay and how do they compare?
Schedule C reports $98,083 in compensation to service provider organisations, $542 per participant or 0.53% of net assets. The same-size median among plans reporting any Schedule C compensation was $194 per participant. Administrative expenses on Schedule H were $106,133. Investment costs deducted inside mutual funds and other pooled vehicles are not itemised on Form 5500, so these figures are a floor rather than a full cost.
Who runs the plan?
The sponsor is Sterling Corporation. Recordkeeping or administration: Edelman Financial Engines, LLC. Investment advisory or management: Edelman Financial Engines, LLC. The financial statements were audited by Caron & Bletzer, PLLC. Form 5500 also names the plan administrator's signer and other individuals; this site publishes organisations only.
Was the audit opinion unqualified?
The filing reports an unmodified (unqualified) opinion from a limited-scope audit, in which the accountant did not audit investment information certified by a bank or insurance company. Unmodified (formerly "unqualified") is the standard clean opinion.
How current is this, and does it show my balance?
This is the Form 5500 for the plan year 1 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024, received by the Department of Labor on 31 Jul 2025. Filings are due seven months after the plan year ends, or nine and a half with an extension, so the public record always runs a year or more behind. It contains plan-level totals only: no individual balances, contributions or names of participants exist in the data.
Provenance
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Form 5500 research files (Form 5500, Schedule H, Schedule C) for plan years 2009 to 2025, public domain, with filings received through 24 Aug 2026. This page shows the latest filing on record for EIN 04-2890273, plan 001, received 31 Jul 2025; an amended filing replaces it at the next build. Medians and percentiles are computed by this site; see the methodology. Report an error through corrections.