New York › Construction › 1,000 to 4,999 participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 1 Jul 2024 to 30 Jun 2025
Buffalo Laborers Pension Fund
Sponsored by Board of Trustees Buffalo Laborers Pension Fund, Cheektowaga, NY
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 30 Jun 2025, Buffalo Laborers Pension Fund covered 1,759 participants and held $130M in net assets. The plan is a defined benefit pension plan sponsored by Board of Trustees Buffalo Laborers Pension Fund of Cheektowaga, New York. It is a multiemployer plan, maintained under collective bargaining agreements with more than one employer.
Net assets came to $74,145 per participant, below the $87,935 median for defined benefit plans with 1,000 to 4,999 participants and well below the $100,593 median for defined benefit plans in construction. The figure is an average across everyone in the plan, including former employees with small balances; Form 5500 holds no individual account data.
Employer contributions were $8.7M for the year ($14,016 per active participant) and benefits paid were $11.3M. In a defined benefit plan the employer's contribution follows funding rules rather than a match formula, so it can swing widely from year to year.
Schedule C lists 13 service provider organisations paid $5,000 or more, with reported compensation of $663K: $377 per participant, above the same-size median of $325. Administrative expenses charged to the plan were $1.1M. 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 $78.3M in 2009 to $130M in 2024 (up 67%), and participants from 2,025 to 1,759 (down 13%).
The independent accountant's opinion on the financial statements was unmodified (unqualified).
Compared with similar plans
| Measure | This plan | Same size | Same industry | All US DB plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net assets per participant | $74,145 | $87,935 | $100,593 | $86,221 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $14,016 | $10,593 | $13,292 | $10,244 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $377 | $325 | $443 | $344 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.51% | 0.41% | 0.46% | 0.42% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $616 | $513 | $596 | $527 |
Peer columns are medians for plan year 2024 across defined benefit plans with 100 or more participants: 1,000 to 4,999 participants (1,540 plans), construction (655) and all US plans (5,308). 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 | 1,759 | $130M | $74,146 | $8.7M | — | $663K |
| 2023 | 1,708 | $121M | $70,777 | $7.7M | — | $863K |
| 2022 | 1,704 | $113M | $66,512 | $7.1M | — | $781K |
| 2021 | 1,697 | $110M | $64,879 | $7.1M | — | $818K |
| 2020 | 1,723 | $127M | $73,703 | $7.2M | — | $754K |
| 2019 | 1,729 | $102M | $58,837 | $6.9M | — | $801K |
| 2018 | 1,766 | $105M | $59,601 | $7.0M | — | $893K |
| 2017 | 1,795 | $105M | $58,612 | $7.7M | — | $872K |
| 2016 | 1,791 | $101M | $56,371 | $7.6M | — | $733K |
| 2015 | 1,826 | $92.7M | $50,775 | $8.4M | — | $640K |
| 2014 | 1,833 | $94.6M | $51,603 | $8.9M | — | $966K |
| 2013 | 1,905 | $95.1M | $49,925 | $7.8M | — | $862K |
| 2012 | 1,983 | $88.1M | $44,432 | $6.6M | — | $862K |
| 2011 | 2,030 | $82.7M | $40,722 | $7.3M | — | $845K |
| 2010 | 1,996 | $86.8M | $43,468 | $6.0M | — | $1.2M |
| 2009 | 2,025 | $78.3M | $38,663 | $5.6M | — | $784K |
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$120,887,418
- Employer contributions$8,717,707
- Participant contributions—
- Rollovers and other contributions—
- Total contributions$8,717,707
- Total income, including investment results$21,959,977
- Benefits paid$11,342,328
- Administrative expenses$1,083,461
- Total expenses$12,425,789
- Net income$9,534,188
- Net transfers$0
- Net assets, end of year$130,421,606
Participants
- Active participants622
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits761
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits205
- Total participants, end of year1,759
Fees and service providers
| Organisation | Services reported | Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proskauer Rose LLP | Legal | $171,944 | $0 |
| Horizon Actuarial Services LLC | Actuarial; Consulting (pension) | $85,320 | $0 |
| Schultheis & Panettieri LLP | Accounting (including auditing) | $70,214 | $0 |
| Mariner Institutional LLC | Investment advisory (plan) | $68,000 | $0 |
| JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. | Investment advisory (plan); Investment management | $52,946 | $0 |
| LSV Asset Management | Investment management | $48,711 | $0 |
| Lumsden & McCormick, LLP | Accounting (including auditing) | $43,000 | $0 |
| Victory Capital Management | Investment management | $36,986 | $0 |
| Gorlick Kravitz & Listhaus PC | Legal | $27,701 | $0 |
| Joseph McCarthy & Associates | Accounting (including auditing) | $27,228 | $0 |
| Loomis Sayles | Investment management | $14,503 | $0 |
| M&T Bank | Direct payment from the plan; Account maintenance fees | $9,239 | $0 |
Schedule C, Part I line 2: providers that received $5,000 or more, with the form's own service codes. 1 smaller rows are not shown. 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
- Other administrative expenses$405,551
- Investment advisory and management fees$228,014
- Legal fees$199,645
- IQPA audit fees$103,000
- Actuarial fees$85,320
- Recordkeeping fees$61,931
- Total administrative expenses$1,083,461
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)$61.5M · 46.2%
- Partnership/joint venture interests$25.3M · 19.0%
- Common/collective trusts$20.5M · 15.4%
- Receivables$9.5M · 7.1%
- 103-12 investment entities$8.3M · 6.3%
- Corporate stocks$5.1M · 3.8%
- Cash (interest and non-interest bearing)$1.9M · 1.4%
- Real estate$950K · 0.7%
- Buildings and other property used in plan operation$118K · 0.1%
- Corporate debt instruments$36K · 0.0%
Audit and compliance answers, as filed
- Accountant's opinionUnmodified (unqualified)
- Audit scope limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C)No
- Accounting firmSchultheis & Panettieri, LLP
- Participant contributions reported as transmitted lateNo
- Covered by a fidelity bondYes, $3,000,000
- 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
1BBenefits are primarily flat dollar (includes dollars per year of service)
Codes entered on Form 5500 line 8a, with the labels from the official instructions. Business code 236200: Nonresidential Building Construction.
Similar plans in New York
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| International Union of Operating Engineers Local 14-14B Pension FD | Board of Trustees I.U.O.E. Local 14-14B Pension Fund | 1,784 | $351M | $196,946 |
| IBEW Local No. 86 Pension Fund | IBEW Local No. 86 Pension Fund Board of Trustees | 1,748 | $285M | $162,906 |
| Plumbers & Steamfitters Local 21 Pension Fund | Board of Trustees P&S Local 21 Pension Fund | 1,813 | $295M | $162,732 |
| Plumbers Local Union No. 200 Pension Fund | Plumbers Local Union No 200 Pension Fund Board of Trustees | 1,664 | $136M | $81,881 |
| Tile Layers Union Local No. 52 NY Pension Fund | Board of Trustees Tile Layers Union Local No. 52 NY Pension Fund | 1,823 | $165M | $90,546 |
| IBEW Local Union 363 Pension | IBEW Lu 363 Pension | 1,621 | $157M | $96,975 |
Defined benefit plans in construction closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is Buffalo Laborers Pension Fund?
1,759 participants at the end of the plan year ending 30 Jun 2025, of whom 622 were active employees, with net assets of $130,421,606. Among defined benefit plans that places it in the 1,000 to 4,999 participants band, which held 1,540 plans in plan year 2024.
What does Board of Trustees Buffalo Laborers Pension Fund contribute per participant?
The filing reports $8,717,707 in employer contributions for the year, which is $14,016 per active participant; the median for plans of the same type and size was $10,593 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 $662,660 in compensation to service provider organisations, $377 per participant or 0.51% of net assets. The same-size median among plans reporting any Schedule C compensation was $325 per participant. Administrative expenses on Schedule H were $1,083,461. 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 Board of Trustees Buffalo Laborers Pension Fund. Investment advisory or management: Mariner Institutional LLC, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. and LSV Asset Management. The financial statements were audited by Schultheis & Panettieri, LLP. 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. 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 Jul 2024 to 30 Jun 2025, received by the Department of Labor on 14 Apr 2026. 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 16-0845094, plan 002, received 14 Apr 2026; 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.