Ohio › Construction › 1,000 to 4,999 participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 1 Oct 2024 to 30 Sep 2025
Messer Inc. Employee Stock Ownership Plan
Sponsored by Messer Inc., Cincinnati, OH
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 Sep 2025, Messer Inc. Employee Stock Ownership Plan covered 1,103 participants and held $651M in net assets. The plan is an employee stock ownership plan sponsored by Messer Inc. of Cincinnati, Ohio.
Net assets came to $589,888 per participant, well above the $50,295 median for defined contribution plans with 1,000 to 4,999 participants and well above the $54,962 median for defined contribution 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.
The employer contributed $2.1M during the year, or $2,123 per active participant against a same-size median of $2,045; participants contributed —. Benefits paid out totalled $48.3M.
Schedule C lists 8 service provider organisations paid $5,000 or more, with reported compensation of $371K: $336 per participant, well above the same-size median of $82.08. Administrative expenses charged to the plan were $374K. 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 $100M in 2009 to $651M in 2024 (up 548%), and participants from 507 to 1,103 (up 118%).
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 DC plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net assets per participant | $589,888 | $50,295 | $54,962 | $53,102 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $2,123 | $2,045 | $2,728 | $2,175 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $336 | $82.08 | $162 | $123 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.06% | 0.17% | 0.33% | 0.26% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $339 | $82.20 | $166 | $116 |
Peer columns are medians for plan year 2024 across defined contribution plans with 100 or more participants: 1,000 to 4,999 participants (10,207 plans), construction (4,204) 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 | 1,103 | $651M | $589,888 | $2.1M | — | $371K |
| 2023 | 1,010 | $577M | $570,837 | $2.1M | — | $330K |
| 2022 | 1,015 | $509M | $501,953 | $2.1M | — | $371K |
| 2021 | 952 | $469M | $492,662 | $2.1M | — | $487K |
| 2020 | 921 | $466M | $505,847 | $2.1M | — | $437K |
| 2019 | 853 | $389M | $456,569 | $3.6M | $0 | $379K |
| 2018 | 748 | $367M | $491,278 | $3.2M | $0 | $353K |
| 2017 | 690 | $318M | $461,423 | $2.6M | $0 | $384K |
| 2016 | 674 | $265M | $393,043 | $2.5M | $0 | $364K |
| 2015 | 637 | $222M | $349,089 | $2.9M | $0 | $296K |
| 2014 | 581 | $185M | $317,744 | $1.7M | $0 | $256K |
| 2013 | 548 | $158M | $287,865 | $796K | — | $300K |
| 2012 | 522 | $141M | $270,941 | $1.1M | $0 | $310K |
| 2011 | 508 | $121M | $238,059 | $1.1M | $0 | $315K |
| 2010 | 502 | $107M | $212,984 | $1.1M | — | $310K |
| 2009 | 507 | $100M | $197,992 | $891K | $0 | $188K |
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$576,544,936
- Employer contributions$2,083,148
- Participant contributions—
- Rollovers and other contributions—
- Total contributions$2,083,148
- Total income, including investment results$131,006,049
- Benefits paid$48,299,776
- Administrative expenses$373,694
- Total expenses$50,043,650
- Net income$80,962,399
- Net transfers−$6,860,743
- Net assets, end of year$650,646,592
Participants
- Active participants981
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits2
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits119
- Participants with account balances1,083
- Total participants, end of year1,103
Fees and service providers
| Organisation | Services reported | Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jpmcb | Investment management | $82,845 | $0 |
| Principal Financial Group | Recordkeeping and information management | $57,571 | $0 |
| Alix Partners | Valuation (appraisals, etc.) | $56,674 | $0 |
| Mariner Institutional LLC | Investment management | $47,500 | $0 |
| Sawgrass | Investment management | $46,767 | $0 |
| The Plante & Moran, PLLC | Other services | $35,000 | $0 |
| PNC | Custodial (other than securities) | $28,181 | $0 |
| Blueridge ESOP Associates | Recordkeeping and information management | $16,050 | $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
- Investment advisory and management fees$205,292
- Contract administrator fees$57,201
- Valuation and appraisal fees$56,673
- IQPA audit fees$28,500
- Recordkeeping fees$16,050
- Legal fees$9,453
- Other administrative expenses$525
- Total administrative expenses$373,694
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.
- Employer securities$549M · 78.9%
- Registered investment companies (mutual funds)$146M · 21.0%
- Cash (interest and non-interest bearing)$94K · 0.0%
- Receivables$34K · 0.0%
- Corporate stocks$2 · 0.0%
Audit and compliance answers, as filed
- Accountant's opinionUnmodified (unqualified)
- Audit scope limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C)No
- Accounting firmPlante & Moran, 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
2IStock bonus2PLeveraged ESOP2QThe employer maintaining this ESOP is an S corporation3IPlan requiring that all or part of employer contributions be invested and held in employer securities
Codes entered on Form 5500 line 8a, with the labels from the official instructions. Business code 236200: Nonresidential Building Construction.
Similar plans in Ohio
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erie Construction Mid-West, Inc. 401(k) Retirement Plan | Erie Construction Mid-West, Inc. | 1,140 | $12.1M | $10,602 |
| IBEW Local Union 573 Profit Sharing Plan and Trust | Profit Sharing Plan and Trust IBEW No. 573 Pension Trust Fund | 1,059 | $29.4M | $27,803 |
| Johnson Electric 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan | Johnson Electric North America Holding Inc. | 1,143 | $79.8M | $69,850 |
| Romanoff Group Retirement Savings Plan | Romanoff Electric, Inc. | 1,044 | $15.3M | $14,670 |
| Ironworkers Local No 55 Profit Sharing Annuity Plan and Trust Fund | Board of Trustees Ironworkers Lu No 55 Profit Sharing | 1,162 | $75.6M | $65,024 |
| Danis & Affiliates Retirement Plan | Danis Building Construction Company | 1,011 | $97.7M | $96,657 |
Defined contribution plans in construction closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is Messer Inc. Employee Stock Ownership Plan?
1,103 participants at the end of the plan year ending 30 Sep 2025, of whom 981 were active employees, with net assets of $650,646,592. Among defined contribution plans that places it in the 1,000 to 4,999 participants band, which held 10,207 plans in plan year 2024.
What does Messer Inc. contribute per participant?
The filing reports $2,083,148 in employer contributions for the year, which is $2,123 per active participant; the median for plans of the same type and size was $2,045 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 $370,588 in compensation to service provider organisations, $336 per participant or 0.06% of net assets. The same-size median among plans reporting any Schedule C compensation was $82.08 per participant. Administrative expenses on Schedule H were $373,694. 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 Messer Inc.. Recordkeeping or administration: Principal Financial Group and Blueridge ESOP Associates. Investment advisory or management: Jpmcb, Mariner Institutional LLC and Sawgrass. Trustee or custodian: PNC. The financial statements were audited by Plante & Moran, 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. 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 Oct 2024 to 30 Sep 2025, received by the Department of Labor on 10 Jul 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 20-1963972, plan 001, received 10 Jul 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.