California › Professional, scientific and technical services › 100 to 249 participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 1 Apr 2024 to 31 Mar 2025
Hart Howerton Employee Stock Ownership Plan
Sponsored by Hart Howerton Holdings, Ltd., San Francisco, CA
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.
Hart Howerton Holdings, Ltd. of San Francisco, California sponsors Hart Howerton Employee Stock Ownership Plan, an employee stock ownership plan. Its Form 5500 for the plan year ending 31 Mar 2025 shows 182 participants (121 active) and $26.3M in net assets.
Net assets came to $144,541 per participant, well above the $60,185 median for defined contribution plans with 100 to 249 participants and well above the $73,951 median for defined contribution plans in professional, scientific and technical services. The figure is an average across everyone in the plan, including former employees with small balances; Form 5500 holds no individual account data.
Schedule C lists 2 service provider organisations paid $5,000 or more, with reported compensation of $43K: $234 per participant, above the same-size median of $194. Administrative expenses charged to the plan were $43K. 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 $7.4M in 2018 to $26.3M in 2024 (up 255%), and participants from 135 to 182 (up 35%).
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 | $144,541 | $60,185 | $73,951 | $53,102 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | — | $2,447 | $3,219 | $2,175 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $234 | $194 | $148 | $123 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.16% | 0.32% | 0.22% | 0.26% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $234 | $176 | $140 | $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), professional, scientific and technical services (9,776) 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 | 182 | $26.3M | $144,544 | — | — | $43K |
| 2023 | 185 | $29.4M | $159,168 | $0 | — | $56K |
| 2022 | 206 | $25.3M | $122,956 | $610K | — | $88K |
| 2021 | 196 | $18.8M | $95,668 | $1.3M | — | $67K |
| 2020 | 176 | $10.7M | $60,886 | $1.3M | — | $29K |
| 2019 | 156 | $7.1M | $45,551 | $1.6M | — | $0 |
| 2018 | 135 | $7.4M | $54,933 | $1.4M | — | $0 |
| 2017 | 119 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2016 | 108 | — | — | — | — | — |
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$29,445,851
- Employer contributions—
- Participant contributions—
- Rollovers and other contributions—
- Total contributions$0
- Total income, including investment results−$2,084,132
- Benefits paid$1,012,539
- Administrative expenses$42,668
- Total expenses$1,055,207
- Net income−$3,139,339
- Net transfers$0
- Net assets, end of year$26,306,512
Participants
- Active participants121
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits15
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits46
- Participants with account balances179
- Total participants, end of year182
Fees and service providers
| Organisation | Services reported | Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mah & Associates, LLP | Accounting (including auditing) | $25,000 | $0 |
| Blue Ridge ESOP Associates | Accounting (including auditing) | $17,668 | $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
- IQPA audit fees$25,000
- Recordkeeping fees$17,668
- Total administrative expenses$42,668
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$26.2M · 99.7%
- Cash (interest and non-interest bearing)$90K · 0.3%
Audit and compliance answers, as filed
- Accountant's opinionUnmodified (unqualified)
- Audit scope limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C)No
- Accounting firmMah & Associates, LLP
- 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 ESOP3FPlan sponsor(s) received services of leased employees3IPlan 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 541310: Architectural Services.
Similar plans in California
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ecology Action 401(k) Plan | Ecology Action | 182 | $17.6M | $96,777 |
| Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles 403(b) Plan | Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California | 182 | $11.5M | $63,320 |
| The Hotwire US 401(k) Plan | Hotwire Public Relations Group, LLC | 182 | $9.7M | $53,402 |
| Placeworks 401(k) Plan | Placeworks, Inc. | 182 | $27.4M | $150,312 |
| Exponential Interactive, Inc. 401(k) Savings Plan | Exponential Interactive, Inc. | 183 | $21.7M | $118,428 |
| Duffy Kruspodin, LLP 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan | Duffy Kruspodin, LLP | 182 | $18.1M | $99,534 |
Defined contribution plans in professional, scientific and technical services closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is Hart Howerton Employee Stock Ownership Plan?
182 participants at the end of the plan year ending 31 Mar 2025, of whom 121 were active employees, with net assets of $26,306,512. 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 Hart Howerton Holdings, Ltd. contribute per participant?
This filing has no Schedule H financial statement, so employer contributions are not reported here.
What fees does the plan pay and how do they compare?
Schedule C reports $42,668 in compensation to service provider organisations, $234 per participant or 0.16% of net assets. The same-size median among plans reporting any Schedule C compensation was $194 per participant. Administrative expenses on Schedule H were $42,668. 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 Hart Howerton Holdings, Ltd.. The financial statements were audited by Mah & Associates, 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 Apr 2024 to 31 Mar 2025, received by the Department of Labor on 10 Dec 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 27-4085152, plan 002, received 10 Dec 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.