New York › Manufacturing › 250 to 499 participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 1 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024
Unifrax Hourly Defined Benefit Pension Plan
Sponsored by Unifrax I LLC, Tonawanda, 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 31 Dec 2024, Unifrax Hourly Defined Benefit Pension Plan covered 283 participants and held $13.5M in net assets. The plan is a defined benefit pension plan sponsored by Unifrax I LLC of Tonawanda, New York.
Net assets came to $47,854 per participant, well below the $87,254 median for defined benefit plans with 250 to 499 participants and well below 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 $1.1M for the year ($8,378 per active participant) and benefits paid were $427K. 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 4 service provider organisations paid $5,000 or more, with reported compensation of $45K: $159 per participant, well below the same-size median of $413. Administrative expenses charged to the plan were $142K. 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 $2.6M in 2009 to $13.5M in 2024 (up 423%), and participants from 172 to 283 (up 65%).
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 | $47,854 | $87,254 | $67,961 | $86,221 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $8,378 | $11,032 | $6,915 | $10,244 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $159 | $413 | $299 | $344 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.33% | 0.51% | 0.47% | 0.42% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $501 | $596 | $498 | $527 |
Peer columns are medians for plan year 2024 across defined benefit plans with 100 or more participants: 250 to 499 participants (873 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 | 283 | $13.5M | $47,855 | $1.1M | — | $45K |
| 2023 | 286 | $12.9M | $45,024 | $671K | — | $82K |
| 2022 | 292 | $11.3M | $38,565 | $105K | — | $0 |
| 2021 | 296 | $13.9M | $47,098 | $6,000 | — | $0 |
| 2020 | 286 | $11.8M | $41,423 | $418K | — | $0 |
| 2019 | 278 | $10.3M | $37,165 | $1.0M | — | $0 |
| 2018 | 278 | $7.7M | $27,831 | $530K | — | $0 |
| 2017 | 289 | $7.8M | $27,066 | $463K | — | $0 |
| 2016 | 272 | $6.5M | $23,982 | $464K | — | $0 |
| 2015 | 292 | $6.0M | $20,500 | $340K | — | $0 |
| 2014 | 243 | $5.8M | $23,753 | $316K | — | $0 |
| 2013 | 216 | $5.1M | $23,722 | $312K | — | $0 |
| 2012 | 207 | $4.1M | $19,725 | $166K | — | $0 |
| 2011 | 188 | $3.6M | $19,319 | $349K | — | $0 |
| 2010 | 172 | $3.3M | $19,390 | $535K | — | $0 |
| 2009 | 172 | $2.6M | $15,064 | $81K | — | $0 |
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$12,877,175
- Employer contributions$1,063,970
- Participant contributions—
- Rollovers and other contributions—
- Total contributions$1,063,970
- Total income, including investment results$1,233,903
- Benefits paid$426,597
- Administrative expenses$141,744
- Total expenses$568,341
- Net income$665,562
- Net transfers$0
- Net assets, end of year$13,542,737
Participants
- Active participants127
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits53
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits94
- Total participants, end of year283
Fees and service providers
| Organisation | Services reported | Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clifton Larson Allen LLP | Accounting (including auditing) | $15,500 | $0 |
| Fiducient Advisors | Investment advisory (plan); Investment management | $14,351 | $0 |
| Principal Financial Group | Custodial (securities); Trustee (bank, trust company, or similar financial institution) | $8,734 | $0 |
| Bpas Actuarial & Pension Services | Actuarial; Consulting (pension) | $6,465 | $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
- Other administrative expenses$105,428
- Recordkeeping fees$15,500
- Investment advisory and management fees$14,351
- Actuarial fees$6,465
- Total administrative expenses$141,744
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)$12.9M · 95.1%
- Receivables$547K · 4.0%
- Cash (interest and non-interest bearing)$120K · 0.9%
Audit and compliance answers, as filed
- Accountant's opinionUnmodified (unqualified)
- Audit scope limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C)Yes
- Accounting firmCliftonLarsonAllen LLP
- Participant contributions reported as transmitted lateNo
- Covered by a fidelity bondYes, $500,000
- 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 327900: Other Nonmetallic Mineral Product Mfg.
Other plans of Unifrax I LLC
| Plan | Participants | Net assets |
|---|---|---|
| Alkegen 401(k) Plan | 2,648 | $263M |
Similar plans in New York
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anaren Microwave, Inc. Pension Plan | TTM Technologies, Inc. | 292 | $23.1M | $79,104 |
| Pension Plan for Employees of Diemolding Corporation | Diemolding Corporation | 282 | $7.5M | $26,682 |
| Madelaine Chocolate Novelties, Inc. Union Pension Plan Trust | Madelaine Chocolate Novelties, Inc. | 293 | $2.1M | $7,173 |
| Production Workers Pension Fund | Production Workers Pension Fund | 281 | $5.6M | $20,064 |
| Pension Plan for Hourly Employees Employed by the Hapco Division of Kearney-National, Inc. | Kearney-National, Inc. | 306 | $10.7M | $35,048 |
| Local One Photoengravers Pension Fund | Board of Trustees of Local One Photoengravers Pension Fund | 258 | −$6.3M | — |
Defined benefit plans in manufacturing closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is Unifrax Hourly Defined Benefit Pension Plan?
283 participants at the end of the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024, of whom 127 were active employees, with net assets of $13,542,737. Among defined benefit plans that places it in the 250 to 499 participants band, which held 873 plans in plan year 2024.
What does Unifrax I LLC contribute per participant?
The filing reports $1,063,970 in employer contributions for the year, which is $8,378 per active participant; the median for plans of the same type and size was $11,032 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 $45,050 in compensation to service provider organisations, $159 per participant or 0.33% of net assets. The same-size median among plans reporting any Schedule C compensation was $413 per participant. Administrative expenses on Schedule H were $141,744. 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 Unifrax I LLC. Investment advisory or management: Fiducient Advisors. Trustee or custodian: Principal Financial Group. 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 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 15 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 34-1535916, plan 160, received 15 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.