Ohio › Wholesale trade › 100 to 249 participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 1 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024
GBS Corp. & Subsidiaries Employee Stock Ownership Plan & Trust
Sponsored by GBS Corp., North Canton, 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 31 Dec 2024, GBS Corp. & Subsidiaries Employee Stock Ownership Plan & Trust covered 209 participants and held $122M in net assets. The plan is an employee stock ownership plan sponsored by GBS Corp. of North Canton, Ohio.
Net assets came to $583,303 per participant, well above the $60,185 median for defined contribution plans with 100 to 249 participants and well above the $65,557 median for defined contribution plans in wholesale trade. 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 $1.2M during the year, or $5,845 per active participant against a same-size median of $2,447; participants contributed —. Benefits paid out totalled $12.8M.
Schedule C lists 2 service provider organisations paid $5,000 or more, with reported compensation of $40K: $190 per participant, close to the same-size median of $194. Administrative expenses charged to the plan were $40K. 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 $27.0M in 2009 to $122M in 2024 (up 351%), and participants from 308 to 209 (down 32%).
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 | $583,303 | $60,185 | $65,557 | $53,102 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $5,845 | $2,447 | $2,107 | $2,175 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $190 | $194 | $153 | $123 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.03% | 0.32% | 0.27% | 0.26% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $190 | $176 | $147 | $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), wholesale trade (3,526) 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 | 209 | $122M | $583,301 | $1.2M | — | $40K |
| 2023 | 196 | $111M | $565,923 | $1.1M | — | $41K |
| 2022 | 206 | $102M | $494,932 | $1.0M | — | $33K |
| 2021 | 208 | $104M | $501,298 | $1.0M | — | $29K |
| 2020 | 223 | $94.5M | $423,668 | $1.2M | — | $43K |
| 2019 | 217 | $85.5M | $393,829 | $1.1M | — | $32K |
| 2018 | 232 | $67.0M | $288,810 | $971K | — | $27K |
| 2017 | 233 | $66.6M | $285,901 | $971K | — | $27K |
| 2016 | 246 | $59.9M | $243,317 | $927K | — | $19K |
| 2015 | 250 | $52.0M | $207,872 | $1.0M | — | $20K |
| 2014 | 259 | $58.1M | $224,239 | $919K | — | $20K |
| 2013 | 255 | $51.1M | $200,431 | $859K | — | $11K |
| 2012 | 277 | $47.3M | $170,686 | $754K | — | $13K |
| 2011 | 296 | $43.4M | $146,679 | $702K | — | $12K |
| 2010 | 296 | $39.0M | $131,899 | $721K | — | $10K |
| 2009 | 308 | $27.0M | $87,734 | $824K | — | $20K |
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$110,921,485
- Employer contributions$1,168,972
- Participant contributions—
- Rollovers and other contributions—
- Total contributions$1,168,972
- Total income, including investment results$23,853,470
- Benefits paid$12,824,783
- Administrative expenses$39,779
- Total expenses$12,864,562
- Net income$10,988,908
- Net transfers$0
- Net assets, end of year$121,910,393
Participants
- Active participants200
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits9
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits—
- Participants with account balances209
- Total participants, end of year209
Fees and service providers
| Organisation | Services reported | Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chartwell Financial Advisory, Inc. | Valuation (appraisals, etc.) | $25,500 | $0 |
| CliftonLarsonAllen LLP | Accounting (including auditing) | $14,279 | $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
- Valuation and appraisal fees$25,500
- IQPA audit fees$14,279
- Total administrative expenses$39,779
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$124M · 98.5%
- Receivables$1.2M · 0.9%
- Registered investment companies (mutual funds)$686K · 0.5%
Audit and compliance answers, as filed
- Accountant's opinionUnmodified (unqualified)
- Audit scope limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C)No
- Accounting firmCliftonLarsonAllen LLP
- Participant contributions reported as transmitted lateNo
- Covered by a fidelity bondYes, $2,000,000
- 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
2OESOP other than a leveraged ESOP2QThe employer maintaining this ESOP is an S corporation
Codes entered on Form 5500 line 8a, with the labels from the official instructions. Business code 424100: Paper & Paper Products.
Similar plans in Ohio
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loth Holdings, LLC Profit Sharing and 401(k) Plan | Loth Holdings, LLC | 211 | $12.8M | $60,549 |
| Lake City Plating 401(k) Plan | Lake City Plating | 208 | $2.8M | $13,404 |
| Bobcat Enterprises, Inc. 401(k) Retirement Plan | Bobcat Enterprises, Inc. | 212 | $14.6M | $69,023 |
| Vendors Exchange International LLC Amended and Restated Non-Union 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan and Trust | Vendors Exchange International LLC. | 207 | $9.7M | $46,836 |
| The Capital Tire Group Profit Sharing and 401(k) Plan | Capital Tire, Inc. | 213 | $9.2M | $43,177 |
| Freeman Manufacturing & Supply Company Employee Capital Accumulation Plan | The Freeman Manufacturing & Supply Company | 207 | $11.8M | $57,158 |
Defined contribution plans in wholesale trade closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is GBS Corp. & Subsidiaries Employee Stock Ownership Plan & Trust?
209 participants at the end of the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024, of whom 200 were active employees, with net assets of $121,910,393. 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 GBS Corp. contribute per participant?
The filing reports $1,168,972 in employer contributions for the year, which is $5,845 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 $39,779 in compensation to service provider organisations, $190 per participant or 0.03% of net assets. The same-size median among plans reporting any Schedule C compensation was $194 per participant. Administrative expenses on Schedule H were $39,779. 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 GBS Corp.. The financial statements were audited by CliftonLarsonAllen 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 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024, received by the Department of Labor on 29 Sep 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 34-1084079, plan 003, received 29 Sep 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.