Illinois › Manufacturing › 100 to 249 participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 1 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024
Sterling Spring, L.L.C. Retirement Plan
Sponsored by Sterling Spring, L.L.C., Chicago, 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.
Sterling Spring, L.L.C. of Chicago, Illinois sponsors Sterling Spring, L.L.C. Retirement Plan, a defined benefit pension plan. Its Form 5500 for the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024 shows 106 participants (103 active) and $11.1M in net assets.
Net assets came to $104,873 per participant, well above the $80,635 median for defined benefit plans with 100 to 249 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 $1.2M for the year ($11,650 per active participant) and benefits paid were $438K. 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.
The filing reports no service provider compensation on Schedule C. That is common where fees are paid by the employer or taken from investment returns, neither of which appears there. Administrative expenses charged to the plan were $28K.
Across the filings on record, net assets went from $5.8M in 2016 to $11.1M in 2024 (up 90%), and participants from 143 to 106 (down 26%).
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 | $104,873 | $80,635 | $67,961 | $86,221 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $11,650 | $9,975 | $6,915 | $10,244 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | — | $451 | $299 | $344 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | — | 0.52% | 0.47% | 0.42% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $261 | $582 | $498 | $527 |
Peer columns are medians for plan year 2024 across defined benefit plans with 100 or more participants: 100 to 249 participants (1,156 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 | 106 | $11.1M | $104,877 | $1.2M | $0 | $0 |
| 2023 | 111 | $9.9M | $88,937 | $615K | — | $0 |
| 2022 | 116 | $9.2M | $79,069 | $1.8M | $0 | $0 |
| 2021 | 117 | $9.8M | $83,863 | $283K | $0 | $0 |
| 2020 | 129 | $10.9M | $84,705 | $600K | — | $0 |
| 2019 | 138 | $10.6M | $76,449 | $1.9M | — | $0 |
| 2018 | 136 | $7.9M | $57,765 | $1.4M | $0 | $8,000 |
| 2017 | 140 | $7.0M | $49,971 | $800K | $0 | $7,000 |
| 2016 | 143 | $5.8M | $40,839 | $800K | $0 | $7,000 |
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$9,872,106
- Employer contributions$1,200,000
- Participant contributions$0
- Rollovers and other contributions$0
- Total contributions$1,200,000
- Total income, including investment results$1,709,784
- Benefits paid$437,683
- Administrative expenses$27,656
- Total expenses$465,339
- Net income$1,244,445
- Net transfers$0
- Net assets, end of year$11,116,551
Participants
- Active participants103
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits0
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits3
- Total participants, end of year106
Fees and service providers
| Organisation | Services reported | Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fifth Third Bank | Trustee (bank, trust company, or similar financial institution) | $0 | $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
- Investment advisory and management fees$27,656
- Total administrative expenses$27,656
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)$6.0M · 54.3%
- U.S. Government securities$2.3M · 20.4%
- Insurance company general account$1.9M · 16.8%
- Corporate stocks$381K · 3.4%
- Cash (interest and non-interest bearing)$306K · 2.7%
- Corporate debt instruments$239K · 2.1%
- Receivables$17K · 0.2%
Audit and compliance answers, as filed
- Accountant's opinionUnmodified (unqualified)
- Audit scope limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C)Yes
- Accounting firmPorte Brown LLC
- 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
1ABenefits are primarily pay related3BPlan covering self-employed individuals3DPre-approved pension plan
Codes entered on Form 5500 line 8a, with the labels from the official instructions. Business code 332610: Spring & Wire Product Mfg.
Similar plans in Illinois
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metal Engravers Union Local 34 Pension Plan | BD of Trustees Metal Engravers | 118 | $4.9M | $41,564 |
| Local 3 Tire and Plastic Division Pension Fund | Trustees of Local 3 Tire and Plastic Division Pension Fund | 118 | −$186K | — |
| Winpak Portion Packaging, Inc. - Pension Plan | Winpak Portion Packaging Inc. | 120 | $18.5M | $154,038 |
| United Steelworkers of America & Velsicol Chemical Corp. Amended & Restated Pension | Velsicol Chemical, LLC | 122 | $3.0M | $24,989 |
| Sipi Metals Corp. Hourly and Collective Bargaining Unit Employees Retirement Plan | Sipi Metals Corp. | 127 | $2.7M | $21,585 |
| Advancion Corporation Defined Benefit Plan | Advancion Corporation | 128 | $10.5M | $82,218 |
Defined benefit plans in manufacturing closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is Sterling Spring, L.L.C. Retirement Plan?
106 participants at the end of the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024, of whom 103 were active employees, with net assets of $11,116,551. Among defined benefit plans that places it in the 100 to 249 participants band, which held 1,156 plans in plan year 2024.
What does Sterling Spring, L.L.C. contribute per participant?
The filing reports $1,200,000 in employer contributions for the year, which is $11,650 per active participant; the median for plans of the same type and size was $9,975 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 no provider compensation for the year. Administrative expenses on Schedule H were $27,656. 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 Sterling Spring, L.L.C.. Trustee or custodian: Fifth Third Bank. The financial statements were audited by Porte Brown LLC. 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 13 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 36-4119269, plan 001, received 13 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.