Retirement Plans

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Retirement Benefits [Abstract]

Retirement Plans

Retirement Plans

The Company has six defined contribution retirement plans covering substantially all salaried employees and nonunion hourly employees. On January 1, 2015, the Simpson Manufacturing Co., Inc. 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan for Salaried Employees was amended, restated and superseded by the Simpson Manufacturing Co., Inc. 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan (the “Restated Plan”), and the Simpson Manufacturing Co., Inc. 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan for Hourly Employees was merged with and incorporated into the Restated Plan. The Restated Plan, covering United States employees, provides for quarterly safe harbor contributions, limited to 3% of the employees quarterly eligible compensation and for annual discretionary contributions, subject to certain limitations, but in no event are total contributions more than the amounts permitted under the Internal Revenue Code as deductible expense. The discretionary amounts for 2016, 2017 and 2018 were equal to 7% of qualifying salaries or wages of the covered employees. The other four plans, covering the Company’s European and Canadian employees, require the Company to make contributions ranging from 3% to 15% of the employees’ compensation. The total cost for these retirement plans for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, was $15.8 million, $14.2 million and $10.1 million, respectively.

We participate in various multiemployer benefit plans that cover some of our employees who are represented by labor unions. We make periodic contributions to these plans in accordance with the terms of applicable collective bargaining agreements and laws but do not sponsor or administer these plans. We do not participate in any multiemployer benefit plans for which we consider our contributions to be individually significant. If we were to otherwise withdraw from participation in any of these plans, applicable law would require us to fund our allocable share of the unfunded vested benefits, which is known as a withdrawal liability. As of December 31, 2018, we believe that there was no probable withdrawal liability under the multiemployer benefit pension plans under the terms of collective-bargaining agreements that cover its union-represented employees.

Our total contribution to various industry-wide, union-sponsored pension funds and a statutorily required pension fund for employees in the U.S. and Europe were $4.5 million, $4.0 million and $3.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively.