Illinois › Wholesale trade › 500 to 999 participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 1 Sep 2024 to 31 Aug 2025
Essendant Union Employees' Pension Plan
Sponsored by Essendant Co., Lincolnshire, IL
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.
Essendant Union Employees' Pension Plan is a defined benefit pension plan sponsored by Essendant Co. of Lincolnshire, Illinois. For the plan year ending 31 Aug 2025 it reported 957 participants, 222 of them active, and net assets of $56.5M.
Net assets came to $59,010 per participant, well below the $86,583 median for defined benefit plans with 500 to 999 participants and close to the $61,809 median for defined benefit 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.
Schedule C lists 5 service provider organisations paid $5,000 or more, with reported compensation of $318K: $333 per participant, below the same-size median of $377. Administrative expenses charged to the plan were $416K. 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 $22.3M in 2009 to $56.5M in 2024 (up 154%), and participants from 1,379 to 957 (down 31%).
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 | $59,010 | $86,583 | $61,809 | $86,221 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | — | $10,758 | $8,409 | $10,244 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $333 | $377 | $346 | $344 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.56% | 0.48% | 0.54% | 0.42% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $435 | $591 | $540 | $527 |
Peer columns are medians for plan year 2024 across defined benefit plans with 100 or more participants: 500 to 999 participants (873 plans), wholesale trade (157) 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 | 957 | $56.5M | $59,010 | — | — | $318K |
| 2023 | 966 | $57.0M | $59,019 | — | — | $389K |
| 2022 | 1,272 | $61.2M | $48,110 | — | — | $366K |
| 2021 | 1,282 | $61.3M | $47,821 | $10.0M | — | $417K |
| 2020 | 1,486 | $66.1M | $44,514 | $4.0M | — | $349K |
| 2019 | 1,074 | $53.7M | $49,993 | — | — | $272K |
| 2018 | 1,488 | $53.1M | $35,661 | — | — | $359K |
| 2017 | 1,459 | $53.1M | $36,400 | — | — | $217K |
| 2016 | 1,444 | $50.4M | $34,908 | — | — | $272K |
| 2015 | 1,394 | $46.5M | $33,326 | $5.0M | — | $174K |
| 2014 | 1,395 | $39.5M | $28,349 | $3.0M | — | $208K |
| 2013 | 1,481 | $40.7M | $27,481 | $2.0M | — | $171K |
| 2012 | 1,503 | $35.0M | $23,260 | $2.0M | — | $132K |
| 2011 | 1,530 | $31.5M | $20,620 | $3.7M | — | $30K |
| 2010 | 1,412 | $26.8M | $18,961 | $3.0M | — | $0 |
| 2009 | 1,379 | $22.3M | $16,150 | $3.5M | — | $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$57,011,985
- Employer contributions—
- Participant contributions—
- Rollovers and other contributions—
- Total contributions$0
- Total income, including investment results$2,333,092
- Benefits paid$2,456,303
- Administrative expenses$415,877
- Total expenses$2,872,180
- Net income−$539,088
- Net transfers$0
- Net assets, end of year$56,472,897
Participants
- Active participants222
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits327
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits362
- Total participants, end of year957
Fees and service providers
| Organisation | Services reported | Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|---|---|
| October Three Consulting LLC | Actuarial | $190,889 | $0 |
| Aon Hewitt | Investment advisory (plan) | $69,003 | $0 |
| Principal | Trustee (bank, trust company, or similar financial institution) | $25,979 | $0 |
| RSM US LLP | Accounting (including auditing) | $20,402 | $0 |
| Vedder Price PC | Legal | $12,039 | $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
- Actuarial fees$190,889
- Other administrative expenses$97,566
- Investment advisory and management fees$69,003
- Trustee and custodial fees$25,979
- IQPA audit fees$20,402
- Legal fees$12,038
- Total administrative expenses$415,877
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.
- Common/collective trusts$51.4M · 91.1%
- 103-12 investment entities$3.2M · 5.7%
- Cash (interest and non-interest bearing)$1.8M · 3.2%
- Receivables$6,492 · 0.0%
Audit and compliance answers, as filed
- Accountant's opinionUnmodified (unqualified)
- Audit scope limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C)Yes
- Accounting firmRSM US LLP
- Participant contributions reported as transmitted lateNo
- Covered by a fidelity bondYes, $10,000,000
- 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
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 423990: Other Miscellaneous Durable Goods.
Other plans of Essendant Co.
| Plan | Participants | Net assets |
|---|---|---|
| Essendant 401(k) Savings Plan | 4,151 | $413M |
| Essendant Pension Plan | 1,889 | $65.7M |
Similar plans in Illinois
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local 703, I.b of T., Grocery & Food Employees' Pension Plan | Trustees of Local 703, I.B. of T., Grocery & Food Employees' Pension P | 1,498 | $170M | $113,517 |
| Liquor and Allied Workers Union Local No. 3 Pension Fund | Trustees of Liquor & Allied Workers Union Local No. 3 Pension Fund | 757 | $32.9M | $43,521 |
| Essendant Pension Plan | Essendant Co. | 1,889 | $65.7M | $34,763 |
| True Value Company Defined Lump Sum Pension Plan | True Value Company | 652 | $22.4M | $34,338 |
| Beer Industry - Local Union No. 703 Pension Fund | Beer Industry - Local Union No. 703 Pension Fund Trustees | 2,061 | $125M | $60,491 |
| Hitachi High-Tech America, Inc. Retirement Plan | Hitachi High-Tech America, Inc. | 576 | $74.0M | $128,410 |
Defined benefit plans in wholesale trade closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is Essendant Union Employees' Pension Plan?
957 participants at the end of the plan year ending 31 Aug 2025, of whom 222 were active employees, with net assets of $56,472,897. Among defined benefit plans that places it in the 500 to 999 participants band, which held 873 plans in plan year 2024.
What does Essendant Co. 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 $318,312 in compensation to service provider organisations, $333 per participant or 0.56% of net assets. The same-size median among plans reporting any Schedule C compensation was $377 per participant. Administrative expenses on Schedule H were $415,877. 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 Essendant Co.. Investment advisory or management: Aon Hewitt. Trustee or custodian: Principal. The financial statements were audited by RSM US 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 Sep 2024 to 31 Aug 2025, received by the Department of Labor on 15 Jun 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 36-2431718, plan 009, received 15 Jun 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.