Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. Retirement and Stock Ownership Plan
Hilliard, OHManufacturing5,124 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$2,892Employer $ per active participant
$5,508Employee $ saved per active participant
0.05%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$1.1BNet plan assets, end of year
$178,419Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity21.1 / 5042th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost19.7 / 2579th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving6.5 / 1543th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score57 / 100 · Grade C
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (566 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 42th |
| Lower admin cost | 79th |
| Employee saving | 43th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 70% |
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Red flags from the filing
No red flags were reported on this filing's compliance questions.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Advanced Drainage Systems put in about $2,892 per active participant, below the typical peer ($3,452). Any match is still an instant return, so contribute enough to get all of it.
- 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 | $14,816,305 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $28,221,093 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $20,776,923 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $655,126 |
| Contract administrator fees | $525,018 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $91,608 |
| Benefits paid out | $192,357,497 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $1.5B / $1.1B |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 4,998 / 5,249 |
| Participants with account balances | 6,170 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | GBQ Partners, LLC |
| Employer stock held by plan | $562,418,649 |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Principal Life Insurance Company | $529,154 reported compensation |
| Bellwether Consulting LL | $90,000 reported compensation |
| GBQ Partners LLC | $36,500 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251113130733NAL0001076643001, received 2025-11-13, EIN 51-0105665, plan #001, plan year 2024-04-01 to 2025-03-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.