Annual report [Section 13 and 15(d), not S-K Item 405]

Employee Benefit Plans

v3.26.1
Employee Benefit Plans
12 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2026
Retirement Benefits [Abstract]  
Employee Benefit Plans

Note 12 – Employee Benefit Plans:

Retirement Plans

The Company has a qualified defined benefit plan covering Batavia based employees hired prior to January 1, 2003, which is non-contributory. Benefits are based on the employee's years of service and average earnings for the five highest consecutive calendar

years of compensation in the ten-year period preceding retirement. The Company's funding policy for the plan is to contribute the amount required by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended.

The components of pension cost are:

 

 

 

Year ended March 31,

 

 

 

2026

 

 

2025

 

 

2024

 

Service cost during the period

 

$

253

 

 

$

252

 

 

$

252

 

Interest cost on projected benefit obligation

 

 

1,295

 

 

 

1,292

 

 

 

1,312

 

Expected return on assets

 

 

(1,688

)

 

 

(1,778

)

 

 

(1,851

)

Amortization of:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Actuarial loss

 

 

851

 

 

 

781

 

 

 

843

 

Net pension cost

 

$

711

 

 

$

547

 

 

$

556

 

 

The components of net pension cost other than the service cost component are included in Other expense, net in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

 

The weighted average actuarial assumptions used to determine net pension cost are:

 

 

 

Year ended March 31,

 

 

 

2026

 

 

2025

 

 

2024

 

Discount rate

 

 

5.53

%

 

 

5.27

%

 

 

5.03

%

Rate of increase in compensation levels

 

 

3.00

%

 

 

3.00

%

 

 

3.00

%

Long-term rate of return on plan assets

 

 

5.75

%

 

 

5.75

%

 

 

5.75

%

 

The expected long-term rate of return is based on the mix of investments that comprise plan assets and external forecasts of future long-term investment returns, historical returns, correlations and market volatilities.

The Company does not expect to make any contributions to the plan during the fiscal year ended March 31, 2026.

Changes in the Company's benefit obligation, plan assets and funded status for the pension plan are presented below:

 

 

 

Year ended March 31,

 

 

 

2026

 

 

2025

 

Change in the benefit obligation

 

 

 

 

 

 

Projected benefit obligation at beginning of year

 

$

23,876

 

 

$

25,042

 

Service cost

 

 

253

 

 

 

252

 

Interest cost

 

 

1,295

 

 

 

1,292

 

Actuarial gain

 

 

(587

)

 

 

(384

)

Benefit payments

 

 

(780

)

 

 

(868

)

Liability released through annuity purchase

 

 

(1,056

)

 

 

(1,458

)

Projected benefit obligation at end of year

 

$

23,001

 

 

$

23,876

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Change in fair value of plan assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year

 

$

29,826

 

 

$

31,438

 

Actual return on plan assets

 

 

1,643

 

 

 

714

 

Benefit and administrative expense payments

 

 

(780

)

 

 

(868

)

Annuities purchased

 

 

(1,056

)

 

 

(1,458

)

Fair value of plan assets at end of year

 

$

29,633

 

 

$

29,826

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Funded status

 

 

 

 

 

 

Funded status at end of year

 

$

6,633

 

 

$

5,950

 

Amount recognized in the Consolidated Balance Sheets

 

$

6,633

 

 

$

5,950

 

 

The weighted average actuarial assumptions used to determine the benefit obligation are:

 

 

 

March 31,

 

 

 

2026

 

 

2025

 

Discount rate

 

 

5.67

%

 

 

5.53

%

Rate of increase in compensation levels

 

 

3.00

%

 

 

3.00

%

 

During fiscal 2026 and fiscal 2025, the pension plan released liabilities for vested benefits of certain participants through the purchase of nonparticipating annuity contracts with a third-party insurance company. As a result of these transactions, in fiscal 2026 and fiscal 2025, the projected benefit obligation and plan assets decreased $1,056 and $1,458, respectively. The projected benefit obligation is the actuarial present value of benefits attributable to employee service rendered to date, including the effects of estimated future pay increases. The accumulated benefit obligation reflects the actuarial present value of benefits attributable to employee service rendered to date, but does not include the effects of estimated future pay increases. The accumulated benefit obligation as of March 31, 2026 and 2025 was $21,208 and $21,351, respectively. At March 31, 2026 and 2025, the pension plan was fully funded on an accumulated benefit obligation basis.

Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of income tax, consist of:

 

 

 

March 31,

 

 

 

2026

 

 

2025

 

Net actuarial loss

 

$

5,680

 

 

$

6,767

 

 

The increase in accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of income tax, consists of:

 

 

 

March 31,

 

 

 

2026

 

 

2025

 

Net actuarial (gain) loss arising during the year

 

$

(431

)

 

$

522

 

Amortization of actuarial loss

 

 

(656

)

 

 

(602

)

 

 

$

(1,087

)

 

$

(80

)

The following benefit payments, which reflect future service, are expected to be paid during the fiscal years ending March 31:

 

2027

 

$

972

 

2028

 

 

1,042

 

2029

 

 

1,044

 

2030

 

 

1,187

 

2031

 

 

1,506

 

2032-2036

 

 

9,106

 

Total

 

$

14,857

 

 

The weighted average asset allocation of the plan assets by asset category is as follows:

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 31,

 

Asset Category

 

Target Allocation

 

 

2026

 

 

2025

 

Equity securities

 

 

20

%

 

 

21

%

 

 

22

%

Debt securities

 

 

80

%

 

 

79

%

 

 

78

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

100

%

 

 

100

%

 

The investment strategy of the plan is to generate a consistent total investment return sufficient to pay present and future plan benefits to retirees, while minimizing the long-term cost to the Company. Target allocations for asset categories are used to earn a reasonable rate of return, provide required liquidity and minimize the risk of large losses. Targets are adjusted when considered necessary to reflect trends and developments within the overall investment environment.

The fair values of the Company's pension plan assets at March 31, 2026 and 2025, by asset category, are as follows:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fair Value Measurements Using

 

Asset Category

 

At
March 31, 2026

 

 

Quoted prices in
active markets for
identical assets
(Level 1)

 

 

Significant other
observable inputs
(Level 2)

 

 

Significant
unobservable inputs
(Level 3)

 

Cash

 

$

104

 

 

$

104

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Equity securities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

U.S. companies

 

 

4,245

 

 

 

4,245

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

International companies

 

 

1,950

 

 

 

1,950

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fixed income:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Corporate bond funds

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Long-term

 

 

23,334

 

 

 

23,334

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

29,633

 

 

$

29,633

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fair Value Measurements Using

 

Asset Category

 

At
March 31, 2025

 

 

Quoted prices in
active markets for
identical assets
(Level 1)

 

 

Significant other
observable inputs
(Level 2)

 

 

Significant
unobservable inputs
(Level 3)

 

Cash

 

$

238

 

 

$

238

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Equity securities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

U.S. companies

 

 

4,033

 

 

 

4,033

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

International companies

 

 

2,549

 

 

 

2,549

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fixed income:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Corporate bond funds

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Long-term

 

 

23,006

 

 

 

23,006

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

29,826

 

 

$

29,826

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

The fair value of Level 1 pension assets is obtained by reference to the last quoted price of the respective security on the market which it trades. See Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

On February 4, 2003, the Company closed the defined benefit plan to all employees hired on or after January 1, 2003. In place of the defined benefit plan, these employees participate in the Company's domestic defined contribution plan. The Company contributes a fixed percentage of employee compensation to this plan on an annual basis for these employees. The Company's contribution to the defined contribution plan for these employees in fiscal 2026, fiscal 2025 and fiscal 2024 was $1,502, $1,382 and $1,237, respectively.

The Company has an unfunded Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan ("SERP") which provides retirement benefits associated with wages in excess of the legislated qualified plan maximums. Pension expense recorded in fiscal 2026, fiscal 2025, and fiscal 2024 related to this plan was $43, $54 and $54, respectively. The weighted average discount rate used to determine pension expense for this plan was 5.50%, 5.26% and 5.01% for fiscal 2026, fiscal 2025 and fiscal 2024, respectively. The weighted average rate of increase in compensation levels used to develop pension expense for this plan was 3% in each of fiscal 2026, fiscal 2025 and fiscal 2024. At March 31, 2026 and 2025, the projected benefit obligation was $993 and $1,019, respectively, and is included in the caption "Accrued Pension and Postretirement Benefit Liabilities" in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of income tax, consist of a net actuarial loss of ($89) at March 31, 2026 and 2025, respectively.

The Company has a domestic defined contribution plan (401(k)) covering substantially all employees. The Company provides matching contributions equal to 100% of the first 3% of an employee's salary deferral and 50% of the next 2% percent of an employee’s salary deferral. Company contributions are immediately vested. Contributions were $2,900 in fiscal 2026, $2,455 in fiscal 2025 and $1,914 in fiscal 2024.