Messer North America Inc 401(k) Review & Grade
Messer Retirement Savings Plan
Bridgewater, NJManufacturing2,150 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$9,652Employer $ per active participant
$7,117Employee $ saved per active participant
0.19%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$397.3MNet plan assets, end of year
$166,937Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity48.0 / 5096th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost14.0 / 2556th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving11.1 / 1574th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score80 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 500–2,499 active participants (2,376 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 96th |
| Lower admin cost | 56th |
| Employee saving | 74th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 59% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $3,225 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Messer North America put in about $9,652 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($2,320). Contribute at least enough to collect the full match. Skipping it leaves part of your pay on the table.
- The filing shows total dollars, not the match formula. Ask HR for the Summary Plan Description so you know the exact match and vesting schedule.
- Fund expense ratios aren't in the filing. Look them up in your 404(a)(5) fee disclosure and favor low-cost index or target-date funds.
- The plan auto-enrolls employees. Check your default contribution rate. Defaults are often lower than what it takes to get the full match.
- Changing jobs? You can usually leave the money in the plan, move it to your new employer's plan, or roll it into an IRA. Don't cash out: you'd owe taxes and possibly a 10% penalty.
The raw numbers from the filing
| Employer contributions | $20,747,340 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $15,297,714 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $3,555,938 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $710,474 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $245,315 |
| Other admin expenses | $400 |
| Benefits paid out | $43,414,029 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $351.3M / $397.3M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 2,156 / 2,143 |
| Participants with account balances | 2,380 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Rea and Associates, Inc |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Empower Annuity Insurance Company | $436,759 reported compensation |
| Sageview Advisory Group, LLC | $245,315 reported compensation |
| Rea & Associates Inc | $28,000 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251014115011NAL0003839216001, received 2025-10-14, EIN 20-1043281, plan #070, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.