Great Northern Corporation 401(k) Review & Grade
Great Northern Corporation Retirement Savings Plan
Appleton, WIManufacturing1,360 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$10,469Employer $ per active participant
$6,140Employee $ saved per active participant
0.04%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$340.8MNet plan assets, end of year
$218,711Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity48.4 / 5097th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost22.4 / 2590th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving9.8 / 1565th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score91 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 500–2,499 active participants (2,376 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 97th |
| Lower admin cost | 90th |
| Employee saving | 65th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 59% |
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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
- Great Northern put in about $10,469 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 | $14,243,479 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $8,354,039 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,513,776 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $136,830 |
| Contract administrator fees | $136,830 |
| Benefits paid out | $28,989,354 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $305.4M / $340.8M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,355 / 1,366 |
| Participants with account balances | 1,558 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Wipfli, LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Principal Life Insurance Company | $136,830 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250902100407NAL0014138961001, received 2025-09-02, EIN 39-0990697, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.