Michigan › Construction › 5,000 to 24,999 participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 1 May 2024 to 30 Apr 2025
Operating Engineers' Local 324 Pension Fund
Sponsored by Joint Board of Trustees Operating Engineers Local 324, Troy, MI
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.
Operating Engineers' Local 324 Pension Fund is a defined benefit pension plan sponsored by Joint Board of Trustees Operating Engineers Local 324 of Troy, Michigan. For the plan year ending 30 Apr 2025 it reported 21,246 participants, 8,819 of them active, and net assets of $1.92B. It is a multiemployer plan, maintained under collective bargaining agreements with more than one employer.
Net assets came to $90,160 per participant, close to the $87,623 median for defined benefit plans with 5,000 to 24,999 participants and below the $100,593 median for defined benefit plans in construction. 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 $177M for the year ($20,056 per active participant) and benefits paid were $171M. 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 15 service provider organisations paid $5,000 or more, with reported compensation of $18.5M: $869 per participant, well above the same-size median of $232. Administrative expenses charged to the plan were $21.8M. 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 $1.10B in 2009 to $1.92B in 2024 (up 74%), and participants from 17,561 to 21,246 (up 21%).
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 DB plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net assets per participant | $90,160 | $87,623 | $100,593 | $86,221 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $20,056 | $9,468 | $13,292 | $10,244 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $869 | $232 | $443 | $344 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.96% | 0.30% | 0.46% | 0.42% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $1,024 | $396 | $596 | $527 |
Peer columns are medians for plan year 2024 across defined benefit plans with 100 or more participants: 5,000 to 24,999 participants (651 plans), construction (655) 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 | 21,246 | $1.92B | $90,160 | $177M | — | $18.5M |
| 2023 | 21,490 | $1.80B | $83,533 | $175M | — | $11.1M |
| 2022 | 20,276 | $1.63B | $80,241 | $162M | — | $11.3M |
| 2021 | 19,458 | $1.63B | $83,710 | $153M | — | $18.2M |
| 2020 | 18,542 | $1.65B | $89,035 | $142M | — | $13.5M |
| 2019 | 18,477 | $1.27B | $68,470 | $131M | — | $9.8M |
| 2018 | 18,226 | $1.31B | $71,985 | $119M | — | $11.7M |
| 2017 | 17,970 | $1.29B | $71,726 | $120M | — | $13.8M |
| 2016 | 17,619 | $1.20B | $68,026 | $103M | — | $10.7M |
| 2015 | 17,493 | $1.11B | $63,586 | $93.9M | — | $10.3M |
| 2014 | 17,269 | $1.21B | $69,938 | $86.2M | — | $10.3M |
| 2013 | 17,158 | $1.18B | $68,969 | $73.7M | — | $11.2M |
| 2012 | 17,146 | $1.15B | $67,201 | $71.4M | — | $8.0M |
| 2011 | 17,268 | $1.11B | $64,224 | $64.5M | — | $10.9M |
| 2010 | 17,216 | $1.18B | $68,621 | $64.4M | — | $10.9M |
| 2009 | 17,561 | $1.10B | $62,688 | $52.1M | — | $11.8M |
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$1,795,113,544
- Employer contributions$176,872,786
- Participant contributions—
- Rollovers and other contributions—
- Total contributions$176,872,786
- Total income, including investment results$313,369,192
- Benefits paid$171,176,770
- Administrative expenses$21,762,537
- Total expenses$192,939,307
- Net income$120,429,885
- Net transfers$0
- Net assets, end of year$1,915,543,429
Participants
- Active participants8,819
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits6,020
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits3,113
- Total participants, end of year21,246
Fees and service providers
| Organisation | Services reported | Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ares Commercial Real Estate Managem | Investment management | $2,403,442 | $0 |
| Pgim | Investment management | $1,517,890 | $0 |
| Blackstone Infrastructure Partners | Investment management | $970,293 | $0 |
| Earnest Partners, LLC | Investment management | $904,051 | $0 |
| Permira Credit Solutions Managed Ac | Investment management | $877,091 | $0 |
| Schroder Investment Management Nort | Investment management | $784,101 | $0 |
| Apogem Capital, LLC | Investment management | $686,127 | $0 |
| Sierra Investment Partners, Inc. | Investment management | $638,308 | $0 |
| National Investment Services of Ame | Investment management | $624,452 | $0 |
| Westport Capital Partners LLC | Investment management | $574,011 | $0 |
| GCM Grosvenor L.P. | Investment management | $458,053 | $0 |
| Bentallgreenoak | Investment management | $435,688 | $0 |
Schedule C, Part I line 2: providers that received $5,000 or more, with the form's own service codes. 3 smaller rows are not shown. 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$14,210,986
- Other administrative expenses$4,656,458
- Legal fees$772,584
- Salaries and allowances$489,628
- Contract administrator fees$423,700
- Recordkeeping fees$408,721
- IQPA audit fees$359,185
- Actuarial fees$264,666
- Trustee and custodial fees$132,632
- Other trustee fees and expenses$39,477
- Valuation and appraisal fees$4,500
- Total administrative expenses$21,762,537
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$847M · 43.7%
- Partnership/joint venture interests$466M · 24.1%
- Corporate stocks$299M · 15.4%
- 103-12 investment entities$167M · 8.6%
- Registered investment companies (mutual funds)$73.5M · 3.8%
- Cash (interest and non-interest bearing)$60.3M · 3.1%
- Receivables$19.7M · 1.0%
- Other investments$4.2M · 0.2%
Audit and compliance answers, as filed
- Accountant's opinionUnmodified (unqualified)
- Audit scope limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C)No
- Accounting firmPlante & Moran, PLLC
- Participant contributions reported as transmitted lateNo
- Covered by a fidelity bondYes, $1,000,000
- 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 237310: Highway, Street, & Bridge.
Similar plans in Michigan
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carpenters' Pension Trust Fund - Detroit and Vicinity | Board of Trustees of Carpenters' Pension Trust Funddetroit&vicinity | 22,212 | $1.34B | $60,204 |
| Indiana State Council of Carpenters Pension Fund | Board of Trustees Indiana State Council of Carpenters Pension Fund | 17,170 | $1.35B | $78,607 |
| Michigan Laborers' Pension Plan | Board of Trustees Michigan Laborers' Pension Fund | 28,837 | $1.33B | $46,125 |
| Indiana/kentucky/ohio Regional Council of Carpenters Pension Fund | Board of Trustees Indiana/kentucky/ohio Regional Council Carpenters Pe | 13,860 | $1.78B | $128,465 |
| Ohio Carpenters' Pension Plan | Trustees of Ohio Carpenters' Pension Plan | 31,115 | $2.12B | $68,151 |
| Laborers Pension Trust Fund - Detroit and Vicinity | Board of Trustees,laborers Pension Trust Fund-Detroit and Vicinity | 11,153 | $884M | $79,267 |
Defined benefit plans in construction closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is Operating Engineers' Local 324 Pension Fund?
21,246 participants at the end of the plan year ending 30 Apr 2025, of whom 8,819 were active employees, with net assets of $1,915,543,429. Among defined benefit plans that places it in the 5,000 to 24,999 participants band, which held 651 plans in plan year 2024.
What does Joint Board of Trustees Operating Engineers Local 324 contribute per participant?
The filing reports $176,872,786 in employer contributions for the year, which is $20,056 per active participant; the median for plans of the same type and size was $9,468 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 $18,467,535 in compensation to service provider organisations, $869 per participant or 0.96% of net assets. The same-size median among plans reporting any Schedule C compensation was $232 per participant. Administrative expenses on Schedule H were $21,762,537. 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 Joint Board of Trustees Operating Engineers Local 324. Investment advisory or management: Ares Commercial Real Estate Managem, Pgim and Blackstone Infrastructure Partners. The financial statements were audited by Plante & Moran, PLLC. 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 May 2024 to 30 Apr 2025, received by the Department of Labor on 13 Feb 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 38-1900637, plan 001, received 13 Feb 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.