Profit Sharing, Employee Stock Ownership, Employee Stock Purchase and Pension Plans

Company Sponsored Plans. The majority of our non-bargaining unit employees are eligible to participate in a company-sponsored profit sharing plan. Contributions are made at our discretion subject to a maximum amount allowed under the Internal Revenue Code (“IRC”). The profit sharing plan contribution level for each employee depends upon date of hire, with those employees hired after April 1, 2012 eligible to receive a contribution that is 50% of the contribution made for employees hired on or before April 1, 2012. Our contribution to the profit sharing plan for fiscal 2018, fiscal 2017 and fiscal 2016 was 5% of each employee’s eligible compensation for employees hired on or before April 1, 2012. In addition to the discretionary employer contribution described above, the profit sharing plan includes a 401(k) plan that allows employees to contribute pre-tax earnings up to the maximum amount allowed under the IRC, with an employer match of up to 5% of the employee’s eligible compensation.

We have an employee stock ownership plan (“ESOP”) covering the majority of our non-bargaining unit employees. Contributions are made at our discretion subject to a maximum amount allowed under the IRC. The ESOP contribution level for each employee depends upon date of hire, with those employees hired after April 1, 2012 eligible to receive a contribution that is 50% of the contribution made for employees hired on or before April 1, 2012. Our contribution to the ESOP for fiscal 2018, fiscal 2017 and fiscal 2016 was 5% of each employee’s eligible compensation for employees hired on or before April 1, 2012.

During fiscal 2017, we established a nonqualified deferred compensation plan covering employees who are classified as “highly compensated employees” as determined by IRS guidelines for the plan year and who were hired on or before April 1, 2012. Employees who are eligible for the nonqualified deferred compensation plan for any plan year are not eligible for the profit sharing plan contribution or the ESOP contributions described above for that plan year. Our contribution to the nonqualified deferred compensation plan for fiscal 2018 and 2017 was 10% of each employee’s eligible compensation, subject to the maximum amount allowed under the IRC.

We have an employee stock purchase plan (“ESPP”) covering substantially all of our employees. The ESPP allows employees to purchase newly-issued shares of the Company’s common stock at a discount from market. The number of new shares issued under the ESPP was 41,304 in fiscal 2018, 38,986 in fiscal 2017 and 33,550 in fiscal 2016.

In March 2013, concurrent with our withdrawal from a multiemployer pension plan described below, we established a retirement plan and ESOP for our collective bargaining unit employees. Each of these plans is subject to a maximum amount allowed under the IRC. The retirement plan provides for a contribution of 5% of each employee’s eligible wages annually for employees who were eligible to enter the plan on March 1, 2013, and a contribution of 2.5% of each employee’s eligible wages annually for employees who entered the plan after March 1, 2013. Additionally, the retirement plan includes a 401(k) plan that allows employees to contribute pre-tax earnings up to the maximum amount allowed under the IRC, with an employer match of up to 5% of the employee’s eligible compensation. The ESOP provides for contributions of 5% of each employee’s eligible wages annually for employees who were eligible to enter the plan on March 1, 2013, and a contribution of 2.5% of each employee’s eligible wages annually for employees who enter the plan after March 1, 2013.

The following represents the contribution expense for the company sponsored profit sharing, ESOP, ESPP and 401(k) plans for fiscal 2018, 2017 and 2016:



(In thousands)	2018		2017		2016
Non-bargaining unit employee plans:
Profit sharing	$	779	$	741	$	1,393
401(k) matching contributions	2,143		1,996		1,586
ESOP	779		741		1,393
Nonqualified deferred compensation plan	1,258		1,383		—
Bargaining unit employee plans	496		509		444
ESPP - all employees	364		364		274
Total contribution expense	$	5,819	$	5,734	$	5,090

Multiemployer Pension Plan. In the fiscal year ended March 31, 2013, we concluded negotiations with two collective bargaining units to discontinue our participation in the Central States, Southeast and Southwest Areas Pension Fund (“CSS” or “the plan”), a collectively bargained multiemployer pension plan. Payment of our share of the unfunded vested benefit liability is being made over 20 years and is subject to a cap. At the end of the 20-year period we will have no further liability, even if our share of the unfunded vested benefit liability has not yet been paid in full. The cash payments to be made total approximately $9.3 million, or $467,000 per year. Our payments began in the fiscal year ended March 30, 2014.