Tennessee › Retail trade › 500 to 999 participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 27 Oct 2024 to 25 Oct 2025
Stepherson, Incorporated Employee Stock Ownership Plan
Sponsored by Stepherson, Incorporated, Memphis, TN
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.
In the plan year ending 25 Oct 2025, Stepherson, Incorporated Employee Stock Ownership Plan covered 580 participants and held $13.5M in net assets. The plan is an employee stock ownership plan sponsored by Stepherson, Incorporated of Memphis, Tennessee.
Net assets came to $23,311 per participant, well below the $46,267 median for defined contribution plans with 500 to 999 participants and well below the $36,708 median for defined contribution plans in retail trade. 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 $1.3M during the year, or $2,727 per active participant against a same-size median of $1,934; participants contributed —. Benefits paid out totalled $596K.
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 $60.
Across the filings on record, net assets went from $666K in 2009 to $13.5M in 2024 (up 1930%), and participants from 209 to 580 (up 178%).
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 DC plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net assets per participant | $23,311 | $46,267 | $36,708 | $53,102 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $2,727 | $1,934 | $999 | $2,175 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | — | $113 | $121 | $123 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | — | 0.25% | 0.36% | 0.26% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $0.10 | $109 | $114 | $116 |
Peer columns are medians for plan year 2024 across defined contribution plans with 100 or more participants: 500 to 999 participants (10,588 plans), retail trade (3,794) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 580 | $13.5M | $23,310 | $1.3M | — | $0 |
| 2023 | 493 | $23.1M | $46,874 | $1.2M | — | $0 |
| 2022 | 450 | $27.7M | $61,562 | $1.0M | — | $0 |
| 2021 | 487 | $25.0M | $51,355 | $201K | — | $0 |
| 2020 | 488 | $7.7M | $15,818 | $1.1M | — | $0 |
| 2019 | 495 | −$4.7M | −$9,578 | $726K | $0 | $0 |
| 2017 | 412 | $4.8M | $11,680 | $653K | $0 | $0 |
| 2016 | 389 | $5.2M | $13,375 | $557K | $0 | $0 |
| 2015 | 361 | $4.5M | $12,512 | $589K | $0 | $0 |
| 2014 | 323 | $3.9M | $12,031 | $577K | $0 | $0 |
| 2013 | 312 | $3.2M | $10,359 | $580K | $0 | $0 |
| 2012 | 310 | $2.4M | $7,871 | $576K | $0 | $0 |
| 2011 | 285 | $1.5M | $5,351 | $495K | — | $0 |
| 2010 | 257 | $1.2M | $4,490 | $495K | $0 | $0 |
| 2009 | 209 | $666K | $3,187 | $654K | $0 | $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$23,109,381
- Employer contributions$1,259,840
- Participant contributions—
- Rollovers and other contributions—
- Total contributions$1,259,840
- Total income, including investment results−$8,820,088
- Benefits paid$596,488
- Administrative expenses$60
- Total expenses$769,073
- Net income−$9,589,161
- Net transfers$0
- Net assets, end of year$13,520,220
Participants
- Active participants462
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits11
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits90
- Participants with account balances568
- Total participants, end of year580
Fees and service providers
No service provider organisations are listed on Schedule C for this plan year.
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
- Other administrative expenses$60
- Total administrative expenses$60
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.
- Employer securities$27.7M · 98.2%
- Receivables$388K · 1.4%
- Cash (interest and non-interest bearing)$134K · 0.5%
Audit and compliance answers, as filed
- Accountant's opinionUnmodified (unqualified)
- Audit scope limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C)No
- Accounting firmReynolds, Bone & Griesbeck PLC
- 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
2PLeveraged ESOP2QThe employer maintaining this ESOP is an S corporation3IPlan requiring that all or part of employer contributions be invested and held in employer securities
Codes entered on Form 5500 line 8a, with the labels from the official instructions. Business code 445110: Supermarkets and Other Grocery (except Convenience) Stores.
Similar plans in Tennessee
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gossett Motors 401(k) Plan | Gossett Motors | 686 | $14.9M | $21,778 |
| Jim Keras 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan | Jim Keras Buick Co., Inc. | 559 | $13.9M | $24,890 |
| Memphis Goodwill Inc. 403(b) Retirement Plan | Memphis Goodwill Inc. | 703 | $1.8M | $2,565 |
| Friendship Enterprises 401(k) Plan | Friendship Automotive, Inc. | 551 | $11.3M | $20,543 |
| NRB Group, LLC 401(k) Plan | NRB Group, LLC | 836 | $21.7M | $25,980 |
| H.Y.B., Inc. DBA Harper's Retirement Program | H.Y.B., Inc. DBA Harper's | 499 | $10.8M | $21,578 |
Defined contribution plans in retail trade closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is Stepherson, Incorporated Employee Stock Ownership Plan?
580 participants at the end of the plan year ending 25 Oct 2025, of whom 462 were active employees, with net assets of $13,520,220. Among defined contribution plans that places it in the 500 to 999 participants band, which held 10,588 plans in plan year 2024.
What does Stepherson, Incorporated contribute per participant?
The filing reports $1,259,840 in employer contributions for the year, which is $2,727 per active participant; the median for plans of the same type and size was $1,934 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 $60. 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 Stepherson, Incorporated. The financial statements were audited by Reynolds, Bone & Griesbeck PLC. 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 27 Oct 2024 to 25 Oct 2025, received by the Department of Labor on 17 Aug 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 62-0536130, plan 002, received 17 Aug 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.