Wisconsin › Manufacturing › 250 to 499 participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 1 Jan 2025 to 31 Dec 2025
Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery Retirement Savings Plan
Sponsored by Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery, Ellsworth, WI
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.
Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery of Ellsworth, Wisconsin sponsors Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery Retirement Savings Plan, a 401(k) plan. Its Form 5500 for the plan year ending 31 Dec 2025 shows 302 participants (251 active) and $15.9M in net assets.
Net assets came to $47,848 per participant in plan year 2024, close to the $48,746 median for defined contribution plans with 250 to 499 participants and well below the $62,303 median for defined contribution 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.
The employer contributed $722K during the year, or $2,878 per active participant against a same-size median of $2,017; participants contributed $929K and $8,307 arrived as rollovers and other contributions. Benefits paid out totalled $2.1M.
Schedule C lists 3 service provider organisations paid $5,000 or more, with reported compensation of $62K: $204 per participant, well above the same-size median of $141. Administrative expenses charged to the plan were $62K. 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 $3.8M in 2015 to $15.9M in 2025 (up 319%), and participants from 120 to 302 (up 152%).
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, plan year 2024 | This plan | Same size | Same industry | All US DC plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net assets per participant | $47,848 | $48,746 | $62,303 | $53,102 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $2,890 | $2,017 | $2,187 | $2,175 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $204 | $141 | $136 | $123 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.43% | 0.30% | 0.24% | 0.26% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $204 | $133 | $131 | $116 |
Peer columns are medians for plan year 2024 across defined contribution plans with 100 or more participants: 250 to 499 participants (17,456 plans), manufacturing (11,377) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 302 | $15.9M | $52,526 | $722K | $929K | $62K |
| 2024 | 291 | $13.9M | $47,849 | $699K | $984K | $59K |
| 2023 | 294 | $11.2M | $37,963 | $621K | $918K | $49K |
| 2022 | 284 | $9.1M | $32,056 | $515K | $849K | $53K |
| 2021 | 250 | $10.2M | $40,668 | $469K | $742K | $53K |
| 2020 | 263 | $8.6M | $32,658 | $372K | $612K | $42K |
| 2019 | 206 | $6.9M | $33,345 | $325K | $513K | $36K |
| 2018 | 163 | $6.0M | $36,865 | $285K | $411K | $36K |
| 2017 | 109 | $5.5M | $50,606 | $184K | $229K | $28K |
| 2016 | 110 | $4.4M | $40,309 | $189K | $225K | $25K |
| 2015 | 120 | $3.8M | $31,525 | $169K | $218K | $20K |
| 2014 | 108 | — | — | — | — | — |
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$13,923,752
- Employer contributions$722,337
- Participant contributions$929,078
- Rollovers and other contributions$8,307
- Total contributions$1,659,722
- Total income, including investment results$4,044,250
- Benefits paid$2,056,669
- Administrative expenses$61,999
- Total expenses$2,118,668
- Net income$1,925,582
- Net transfers$13,401
- Net assets, end of year$15,862,735
Participants
- Active participants251
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits0
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits51
- Participants with account balances266
- Total participants, end of year302
Fees and service providers
| Organisation | Services reported | Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Excel Financial | Investment advisory (participants); Investment advisory (plan) | $38,344 | $0 |
| Alerus Financial | Contract Administrator | $15,629 | $0 |
| DWC Erisa Consultants | Recordkeeping and information management; Participant loan processing | $7,747 | $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$38,344
- Recordkeeping fees$15,629
- Contract administrator fees$8,026
- Total administrative expenses$61,999
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)$15.6M · 98.4%
- Receivables$257K · 1.6%
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 lateYes, $242
- 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
2EProfit-sharing plan2FERISA section 404(c) plan2GTotal participant-directed account plan2JCode section 401(k) feature2KCode section 401(m) arrangement2TTotal or partial participant-directed account plan with a default investment account3DPre-approved pension plan3HPlan sponsor(s) is (are) a member(s) of a controlled group
Codes entered on Form 5500 line 8a, with the labels from the official instructions. Business code 311500: Dairy Product Mfg.
Similar plans in Wisconsin
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weldall Mfg., Inc. Profit Sharing 401(k) Savings Plan | Weldall Mfg., Inc. | 304 | $16.3M | $53,603 |
| Blast Cleaning Technologies 401(k) Plan | Blast Cleaning Technologies, Inc. | 299 | $12.6M | $42,259 |
| Skana Aluminum Company 401(k) Retirement Plan | Skana Aluminum Company | 305 | $4.5M | $14,772 |
| Kikkoman Foods, Inc. 401(k) Plan | Kikkoman Foods, Inc. | 298 | $22.1M | $74,199 |
| Jagemann Stamping Co. 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan and Trust | Jagemann Stamping Co. | 305 | $24.4M | $80,048 |
| Radius Packaging, Inc. 401 (K) Plan | Radius Packaging, Inc. | 294 | $9.7M | $33,015 |
Defined contribution plans in manufacturing closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery Retirement Savings Plan?
302 participants at the end of the plan year ending 31 Dec 2025, of whom 251 were active employees, with net assets of $15,862,735. Among defined contribution plans that places it in the 250 to 499 participants band, which held 17,456 plans in plan year 2024.
What does Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery contribute per participant?
The filing reports $722,337 in employer contributions for the year, which is $2,878 per active participant; the median for plans of the same type and size was $2,017 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 $61,720 in compensation to service provider organisations, $204 per participant or 0.39% of net assets. The same-size median among plans reporting any Schedule C compensation was $141 per participant. Administrative expenses on Schedule H were $61,999. 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 Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery. Recordkeeping or administration: Alerus Financial and DWC Erisa Consultants. Investment advisory or management: Excel Financial. 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 2025 to 31 Dec 2025, received by the Department of Labor on 20 Jul 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 39-0262200, plan 002, received 20 Jul 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.