New Jersey › Manufacturing › 25,000 or more participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 1 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024
U. S. Retirement Plan
Sponsored by Mars, Incorporated, Hackettstown, NJ
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.
Mars, Incorporated of Hackettstown, New Jersey sponsors U. S. Retirement Plan, a cash balance pension plan. Its Form 5500 for the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024 shows 26,885 participants (8,193 active) and $5.09B in net assets.
Net assets came to $189,155 per participant, well above the $88,040 median for defined benefit plans with 25,000 or more participants and well above the $67,961 median for defined benefit plans in manufacturing. 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 $7,743 for the year ($1 per active participant) and benefits paid were $301M. 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 15 service provider organisations paid $5,000 or more, with reported compensation of $16.2M: $604 per participant, well above the same-size median of $143. Administrative expenses charged to the plan were $17.0M. 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 $3.26B in 2009 to $5.09B in 2024 (up 56%), and participants from 18,435 to 26,885 (up 46%).
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 DB plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net assets per participant | $189,155 | $88,040 | $67,961 | $86,221 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $1 | $6,524 | $6,915 | $10,244 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $604 | $143 | $299 | $344 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.32% | 0.26% | 0.47% | 0.42% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $633 | $306 | $498 | $527 |
Peer columns are medians for plan year 2024 across defined benefit plans with 100 or more participants: 25,000 or more participants (215 plans), manufacturing (1,532) 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 | 26,885 | $5.09B | $189,155 | $8,000 | — | $16.2M |
| 2023 | 27,552 | $5.31B | $192,889 | $9,000 | $0 | $31.0M |
| 2022 | 28,471 | $5.42B | $190,425 | $391K | — | $45.0M |
| 2021 | 29,147 | $6.42B | $220,134 | $42K | — | $36.6M |
| 2020 | 30,423 | $6.01B | $197,425 | $26K | — | $31.5M |
| 2019 | 34,541 | $5.54B | $160,411 | $66K | — | $39.2M |
| 2018 | 34,095 | $5.11B | $149,775 | $118K | — | $32.0M |
| 2017 | 33,011 | $5.42B | $164,206 | $7,000 | — | $32.8M |
| 2016 | 25,002 | $4.33B | $173,045 | $11K | — | $32.7M |
| 2015 | 24,117 | $4.22B | $174,822 | $350K | — | $29.2M |
| 2014 | 25,144 | $4.44B | $176,608 | — | — | $30.1M |
| 2013 | 22,920 | $4.27B | $186,385 | $114K | — | $23.9M |
| 2012 | 22,252 | $3.96B | $177,915 | — | — | $22.1M |
| 2011 | 21,458 | $3.65B | $170,243 | $47K | — | $21.1M |
| 2010 | 20,818 | $3.51B | $168,630 | — | — | $14.4M |
| 2009 | 18,435 | $3.26B | $177,014 | — | — | $16.1M |
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$5,314,470,805
- Employer contributions$7,743
- Participant contributions—
- Rollovers and other contributions—
- Total contributions$7,743
- Total income, including investment results$88,880,460
- Benefits paid$300,890,275
- Administrative expenses$17,019,613
- Total expenses$317,909,888
- Net income−$229,029,428
- Net transfers$0
- Net assets, end of year$5,085,441,377
Participants
- Active participants8,193
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits8,120
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits9,375
- Total participants, end of year26,885
Fees and service providers
| Organisation | Services reported | Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sig | Investment advisory (plan) | $3,772,489 | $0 |
| Willis Towers Watson US LLC | Actuarial; Consulting (general); Recordkeeping and information management | $2,071,747 | $0 |
| Arrowstreet, LP | Investment management | $1,726,812 | $0 |
| Trust Company of West | Accounting (including auditing); Plan Administrator | $0 | $1,025,955 |
| Boldhaven Management LLP | Investment management | $0 | $974,260 |
| Trexquant Offshore Fund | Investment management; Recordkeeping and information management; Other services | $0 | $814,954 |
| Northern Trust | Trustee (bank, trust company, or similar financial institution) | $762,389 | $0 |
| Lba Realty LLC | Investment management | $0 | $533,477 |
| Acadian Asset Management | Investment management | $450,720 | $0 |
| JP Morgan Chase Bank | Investment management; Investment advisory (plan); Trustee (discretionary) | $384,967 | $0 |
| Performance Venture Capital | Investment management | $318,809 | $0 |
| Greystar Investment Group, LLC | Investment management; Other services | $0 | $311,778 |
Schedule C, Part I line 2: providers that received $5,000 or more, with the form's own service codes. 3 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
- Investment advisory and management fees$7,224,138
- Other administrative expenses$6,562,784
- Recordkeeping fees$1,537,484
- Trustee and custodial fees$762,389
- Actuarial fees$534,263
- Legal fees$274,107
- IQPA audit fees$143,023
- Total administrative expenses$17,019,613
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.
- Partnership/joint venture interests$3.26B · 64.0%
- U.S. Government securities$1.02B · 20.1%
- Common/collective trusts$405M · 8.0%
- Real estate$305M · 6.0%
- Corporate stocks$48.9M · 1.0%
- 103-12 investment entities$29.7M · 0.6%
- Receivables$20.7M · 0.4%
- Other investments$869K · 0.0%
- Corporate debt instruments$287K · 0.0%
- Cash (interest and non-interest bearing)$130K · 0.0%
Audit and compliance answers, as filed
- Accountant's opinionUnmodified (unqualified)
- Audit scope limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C)Yes
- Accounting firmPricewaterhouseCoopers
- Participant contributions reported as transmitted lateNo
- Covered by a fidelity bondYes, $35,000,000
- Blackout period during the year—
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
1ABenefits are primarily pay related1CCash balance or similar plan1ECode section 401(h) arrangement3FPlan sponsor(s) received services of leased employees3HPlan sponsor(s) is (are) a member(s) of a controlled group3JU.S.-based plan that covers residents of Puerto Rico and is qualified under both codes
Codes entered on Form 5500 line 8a, with the labels from the official instructions. Business code 311300: Sugar & Confectionary Product Mfg.
Other plans of Mars, Incorporated
| Plan | Participants | Net assets |
|---|---|---|
| Mars Veterinary Health 401(k) Savings Plan | 66,642 | $2.56B |
| U.S. Associate Savings Plan | 20,530 | $3.38B |
| Mars Deferred Compensation Plan | 1,877 | $598M |
| U.S. Associate Savings Advantage Plan | 1,242 | $22.7M |
Similar plans in New Jersey
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merck US Pension Plan | Merck & Co., Inc. | 71,380 | $10.1B | $141,357 |
| BD Retirement Plan | Becton Dickinson and Company | 22,288 | $1.57B | $70,463 |
| Nokia Retirement Income Plan | Nokia of America Corporation | 81,332 | $12.9B | $158,046 |
| Cwa/itu Negotiated Pension Plan | Board of Trustees Cwa/itu Negotiated Pension Plan | 21,312 | $1.02B | $48,084 |
| Retirement Plan of Johnson and Johnson | Johnson and Johnson | 82,100 | $21.1B | $256,743 |
| Lucent Technologies Inc. Pension Plan | Nokia of America Corporation | 15,169 | $4.03B | $265,724 |
Defined benefit plans in manufacturing closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is U. S. Retirement Plan?
26,885 participants at the end of the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024, of whom 8,193 were active employees, with net assets of $5,085,441,377. Among defined benefit plans that places it in the 25,000 or more participants band, which held 215 plans in plan year 2024.
What does Mars, Incorporated contribute per participant?
The filing reports $7,743 in employer contributions for the year, which is $1 per active participant; the median for plans of the same type and size was $6,524 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 $16,243,260 in compensation to service provider organisations, $604 per participant or 0.32% of net assets. The same-size median among plans reporting any Schedule C compensation was $143 per participant. Administrative expenses on Schedule H were $17,019,613. 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 Mars, Incorporated. Recordkeeping or administration: Willis Towers Watson US LLC, Trust Company of West and Trexquant Offshore Fund. Investment advisory or management: Sig, Arrowstreet, LP and Boldhaven Management LLP. Trustee or custodian: Northern Trust and JP Morgan Chase Bank. The financial statements were audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers. 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 6 Oct 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 22-1594774, plan 001, received 6 Oct 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.