Pennsylvania › Manufacturing › 1,000 to 4,999 participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 1 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024
Msa Pension Plan
Sponsored by Msa Worldwide, LLC, Cranberry Township, PA
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.
Msa Pension Plan is a defined benefit pension plan sponsored by Msa Worldwide, LLC of Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania. For the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024 it reported 4,981 participants, 1,686 of them active, and net assets of $575M.
Net assets came to $115,430 per participant, well above the $87,935 median for defined benefit plans with 1,000 to 4,999 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.
Schedule C lists 12 service provider organisations paid $5,000 or more, with reported compensation of $2.2M: $449 per participant, well above the same-size median of $325. Administrative expenses charged to the plan were $2.7M. 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 $408M in 2014 to $575M in 2024 (up 41%), and participants from 4,502 to 4,981 (up 11%).
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 | $115,430 | $87,935 | $67,961 | $86,221 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | — | $10,593 | $6,915 | $10,244 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $449 | $325 | $299 | $344 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.39% | 0.41% | 0.47% | 0.42% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $551 | $513 | $498 | $527 |
Peer columns are medians for plan year 2024 across defined benefit plans with 100 or more participants: 1,000 to 4,999 participants (1,540 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 | 4,981 | $575M | $115,430 | — | — | $2.2M |
| 2023 | 4,979 | $542M | $108,770 | — | — | $2.1M |
| 2022 | 4,974 | $493M | $99,183 | — | — | $2.1M |
| 2021 | 4,786 | $628M | $131,270 | — | — | $2.0M |
| 2020 | 4,498 | $545M | $121,134 | — | — | $3.8M |
| 2019 | 4,532 | $478M | $105,511 | — | — | $2.1M |
| 2018 | 4,526 | $407M | $89,894 | — | −$3,000 | $2.2M |
| 2017 | 4,462 | $452M | $101,222 | — | — | $2.2M |
| 2016 | 4,447 | $398M | $89,490 | — | — | $2.0M |
| 2015 | 4,524 | $386M | $85,293 | — | — | $1.9M |
| 2014 | 4,502 | $408M | $90,547 | — | — | $1.9M |
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$541,564,727
- Employer contributions—
- Participant contributions—
- Rollovers and other contributions—
- Total contributions—
- Total income, including investment results$58,626,578
- Benefits paid$22,491,996
- Administrative expenses$2,742,865
- Total expenses$25,234,861
- Net income$33,391,717
- Net transfers$0
- Net assets, end of year$574,956,444
Participants
- Active participants1,686
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits2,192
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits734
- Total participants, end of year4,981
Fees and service providers
| Organisation | Services reported | Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sanders Capital, LLC | Investment advisory (plan) | $476,918 | $0 |
| Aon Consulting Inc. | Actuarial | $435,252 | $0 |
| Alliance Bernstein, LP | Investment advisory (plan) | $332,456 | $0 |
| PNC Bank, NA | Trustee (bank, trust company, or similar financial institution); Actuarial; Investment advisory (plan) | $303,434 | $0 |
| Acadian Asset Management LLC | Investment advisory (plan) | $285,450 | $0 |
| G W & K Investment | Investment advisory (plan) | $154,525 | $0 |
| Robert Baird & Co. | Investment advisory (plan) | $110,626 | $0 |
| Northern Trust Company | Trustee (bank, trust company, or similar financial institution); Investment advisory (plan) | $54,525 | $0 |
| Bilkey Katz Investment | Investment advisory (plan) | $45,000 | $0 |
| Baker Tilly | Accounting (including auditing) | $15,750 | $0 |
| Global Tax Management | Investment advisory (plan) | $11,980 | $0 |
| Reed Smith LLP | Legal | $10,828 | $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$1,471,481
- Other administrative expenses$505,945
- Actuarial fees$435,252
- Other trustee fees and expenses$303,609
- IQPA audit fees$15,750
- Legal fees$10,828
- Total administrative expenses$2,742,865
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.
- Corporate stocks$394M · 68.6%
- Common/collective trusts$56.8M · 9.9%
- U.S. Government securities$44.1M · 7.7%
- 103-12 investment entities$41.0M · 7.1%
- Corporate debt instruments$31.6M · 5.5%
- Cash (interest and non-interest bearing)$5.1M · 0.9%
- Receivables$1.6M · 0.3%
- Other investments$315K · 0.1%
Audit and compliance answers, as filed
- Accountant's opinionUnmodified (unqualified)
- Audit scope limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C)Yes
- Accounting firmBaker Tilly 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
1ABenefits are primarily pay related1BBenefits are primarily flat dollar (includes dollars per year of service)1ECode section 401(h) arrangement3HPlan 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 327900: Other Nonmetallic Mineral Product Mfg.
Other plans of Msa Worldwide, LLC
| Plan | Participants | Net assets |
|---|---|---|
| Msa Retirement Savings Plan | 2,817 | $415M |
Similar plans in Pennsylvania
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agere Systems Pension Plan | Lsi Corporation | 5,181 | $909M | $175,509 |
| Harsco Employees Pension Plan | Enviri Corporation | 4,249 | $183M | $43,158 |
| Te Connectivity Legacy Pension Plan | Te Connectivity Corporation | 5,231 | $112M | $21,338 |
| Arconic Corp. Pension Plan a | Arconic Corporation | 4,139 | $539M | $130,246 |
| Tyco Electronics Pension Plan | Te Connectivity Corporation | 5,404 | $504M | $93,196 |
| Pension Plan for Certain Hourly Ees of Alcoa USA Corp. | Alcoa USA Corp. | 4,018 | $409M | $101,800 |
Defined benefit plans in manufacturing closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is Msa Pension Plan?
4,981 participants at the end of the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024, of whom 1,686 were active employees, with net assets of $574,956,444. Among defined benefit plans that places it in the 1,000 to 4,999 participants band, which held 1,540 plans in plan year 2024.
What does Msa Worldwide, LLC 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 $2,236,744 in compensation to service provider organisations, $449 per participant or 0.39% of net assets. The same-size median among plans reporting any Schedule C compensation was $325 per participant. Administrative expenses on Schedule H were $2,742,865. 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 Msa Worldwide, LLC. Investment advisory or management: Sanders Capital, LLC, Alliance Bernstein, LP and PNC Bank, NA. Trustee or custodian: PNC Bank, NA and Northern Trust Company. The financial statements were audited by Baker Tilly 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 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024, received by the Department of Labor on 14 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 46-4914866, plan 001, received 14 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.