PLANSPONSOR - May/June 2024 - 31

PARTICIPANTS: 744. PARTICIPATION RATE: 96%.
AVERAGE DEFERRAL RATE: 10%. EMPLOYER
CONTRIBUTION: 5%, tiered.
At Coffman Engineers, a multidiscipline
consulting engineering firm, participants
choose from a menu of active
and passive investment options, in four
tiers. To ensure participants understand
the investments and such concepts
as compounding, the firm focuses on
education, holding a 401(k) session for
new employees, and annual sessions for
all with its recordkeeper and adviser; it
sends monthly educational emails, plus
offers personalized wellness coaching
via Your Money Line.
David Evans
Enterprises, Inc.
Amy DeWallace, human
resources business partner,
corporate
LOCATION: Portland, Oregon. PLAN TYPES:
401(k); employee stock ownership plan;
nonqualified plans. PLAN ASSETS: $185.8mm,
401(k). PARTICIPANTS: 931. PARTICIPATION
RATE: 95.1%. AVERAGE DEFERRAL RATE: 10.3%.
EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTION: 50% of 6%, 401(k) +
about 1.5% of compensation, ESOP.
David Evans Enterprises has an employee
stock ownership plan to supplement its
401(k) plan. According to this transportation
engineering and land development
firm, the ESOP component contributes to
both participants' retirement savings and
their connection to company achievement.
New employees are automatically enrolled
in the 401(k) after one month of service
and, unless they opt out, will be automatically
escalated up to 15% of earnings.
HCBeck Ltd.
Elizabeth Haynie, health and
wellness benefits manager
LOCATION: Dallas, Texas. PLAN
TYPE: 401(k). PLAN ASSETS:
$182.4mm. PARTICIPANTS: 1,182. PARTICIPATION
RATE: 93.9%. AVERAGE DEFERRAL RATE: 8.8%.
EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTION: 100% of 6% + annual
discretionary.
HCBeck stresses getting a high
percentage of employees into its plan.
Summer interns at this commercial
construction and architectural firm may
participate, as may the company's weekly
nonunion employees. Since many of
the latter rely on Spanish, the firm has
Spanish materials to explain the plan, and
a bilingual financial consultant presents
educational content. The firm also offers
multiple financial wellness resources.
Maine Employers'
Mutual Insurance
Company
Michelle Allen, senior vice
president/chief human
resources officer
LOCATION: Portland, Maine. PLAN TYPE: 401(k);
457(f). PLAN ASSETS: $112mm. PARTICIPANTS:
702. PARTICIPATION RATE: 99%. AVERAGE
DEFERRAL RATE: 7.8%. EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTION:
100% of up to 5% + 6% nonelective + 5.8%
profit sharing.
Maine Employers' Mutual Insurance
Company, a private insurer specializing
in workers' compensation, emphasizes
employee wellness as much as policyholder
safety. It has instituted various
plan design initiatives, to help ensure
retirement savings success, plus comprehensive
wellness support. It includes
environmental, social and governance
fund options, Gradifi student loan assistance
and an Internal Revenue Code
Section 127 tuition reimbursement
program, acknowledging the needs of its
young workers.
Swanson Group Inc.
MacKenzie Perry,
chief financial officer/vice
president of finance
LOCATION: Roseburg,
Oregon. PLAN TYPE: 401(k). PLAN ASSETS:
$60.9mm. PARTICIPANTS: 993. PARTICIPATION
RATE: 95.4%. AVERAGE DEFERRAL RATE: 6.2%.
EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTION: 100% of 4% + 2%
discretionary.
Swanson Group, a sawmill and forest products
company, has modernized its plan,
" incorporating the power of behavioral
finance " by adding automatic features, etc.
Eighteen-year-olds may participate. For the
50-plus group, the sponsor and its adviser
are studying its savings and elections, to
assess and improve its " retirement health. "
Since many of the company's workers in
the field have no computer knowledge, the
employer brings education to them.
Corporate DC
>$200mm - $500mm
Finalists
Artisan Partners
Keith Noller, director
LOCATION: Milwaukee,
Wisconsin. PLAN TYPE: 401(k).
PLAN ASSETS: $320.3mm.
PARTICIPANTS: 530. PARTICIPATION RATE: 98%.
AVERAGE DEFERRAL RATE: 11.6%. EMPLOYER
CONTRIBUTION: 100% match to IRS limit.
Despite not using automatic enrollment
or automatic escalation, the plan for
investment management firm Artisan
Partners has very high participation, with
66% contributing to the IRS limit. These
strengths owe to the sponsor's effective
use of financial education and success
at onboarding new hires. Working with
Fiducient Advisors, the sponsor offers
diversified investment options in-plan,
which help employees save more, and a
self-directed brokerage window.
ASM Research LLC
Tammy Lassiter, senior
retirement plan administrator
and compensation analyst
LOCATION: Fairfax, Virginia.
PLAN TYPE: 401(k). PLAN ASSETS: $205.6mm.
PARTICIPANTS: 2,172. PARTICIPATION RATE:
95%. AVERAGE DEFERRAL RATE: 9.1%. EMPLOYER
CONTRIBUTION: 50% of up to 6%, annually
capped at $2,300 + discretionary.
Employees at ASM Research, a provider
of digital application solutions, span a
wide range of investment expertise. So
the sponsor has made significant investment
in easy-to-understand education,
plus personalized education through
a financial wellness coach. All participants
actively employed by ASM on the
last day of the year are eligible for the
annual discretionary contribution, even
if not otherwise contributing to the
retirement plan.
PLANSPONSOR.COM May - June 2024 31
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PLANSPONSOR - May/June 2024

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