Substantially all employees in the U.S. are covered by a defined contribution 401(k) retirement plan. The tax qualified defined contribution plan is maintained, and contributions are made, in accordance with the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended ("ERISA"). The Company also provides certain eligible executives benefits pursuant to its Benefit Restoration Plan ("BRP") equal to amounts that would have been available under the tax qualified ERISA plan, but were subject to the limitations of ERISA, tax laws and regulations. Company expenses for these plans, a portion of which are discretionary, totaled $40.4 million, $34.0 million and $47.0 million for 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively, of which $14.3 million, $7.2 million and $25.5 million was recorded in SG&A expenses during 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively, and $26.1 million, $26.8 million and $21.5 million was recorded in cost of goods sold during 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively, in the Company's consolidated statements of earnings.

The deferred compensation liability under the BRP was $48.2 million and $43.1 million at August 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, of which $41.1 million and $40.0 million, respectively, was included in other noncurrent liabilities, and $7.1 million and $3.1 million, respectively, was included in accrued expenses and other payables on the Company's consolidated balance sheets. Though under no obligation to fund the BRP, the Company has segregated assets in a trust with a value of $60.1 million and $57.9 million at August 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, and such assets were included in other noncurrent assets on the Company's consolidated balance sheets. The net holding gain on these segregated assets was $5.0 million in 2023, compared to a net holding loss of $7.1 million and a net holding gain of $10.1 million in 2022 and 2021, respectively, and was included in net sales in the Company's consolidated statements of earnings.

Following the acquisition of Tensar, the Company assumed the TGL Pension Plan in the United Kingdom (the "U.K.") (the "U.K. Pension Plan"), a defined benefit pension plan. The U.K. Pension Plan provides retirement benefit payments for participating retired employees and their spouses, and was closed to new participants prior to the acquisition of Tensar. Upon acquisition, the excess of projected U.K. Pension Plan assets over the U.K. Pension Plan benefit obligation was recognized as an asset on the Company's consolidated balance sheet and previously existing deferred actuarial gains and losses and unrecognized service costs or benefits were eliminated. The Company’s funding policy for the U.K. Pension Plan is to contribute annually the amount necessary to provide for benefits based on accrued service and meet at least the minimum contributions required by applicable regulations.

In 2019, the Company acquired a partially funded defined benefit pension plan (the "U.S. Pension Plan"), which was closed to new participants prior to the acquisition. In October 2022, the Company terminated its U.S. Pension Plan. As part of the termination, the Company made a contribution of $4.1 million. Plan assets were liquidated to purchase annuity contracts with an insurance company for all participants. The Company recognized a $4.2 million settlement charge as a result of the termination, including an immaterial non-cash charge for unrecognized losses within AOCI as of the termination date. The $4.2 million settlement charge was recognized within SG&A expenses in the consolidated statement of earnings during the year ended August 31, 2023. No benefit obligation or plan assets related to the U.S. Pension Plan remain.

The following tables include a reconciliation of the beginning and ending balances of the pension benefit obligation and the fair value of plan assets resulting from the U.K. Pension Plan and the U.S. Pension Plan and the related amounts recognized in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets as of August 31, 2023 and 2022:


	U.K. Pension Plan
(in thousands)	2023		2022
Benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	52,042	$	—
Acquisition	—		68,966

Interest cost	2,261		635


Actuarial gain	(5,354)		(11,107)
Benefits paid	(2,529)		(942)
Foreign currency translation	4,480		(5,510)
Benefit obligation at end of year	$	50,900	$	52,042

Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	$	60,454	$	—
Acquisition	—		83,586

Actual loss on plan assets	(13,533)		(15,718)

Employer contributions	297		73

Benefits paid	(2,529)		(942)
Foreign currency translation	4,833		(6,545)
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	$	49,522	$	60,454
Funded status at end of year (net asset (liability) recognized in the consolidated balance sheets as of August 31,)	$	(1,378)	$	8,412

Amounts recognized in AOCI as of August 31,
Net actuarial loss	$	16,477	$	5,666


	U.S. Pension Plan
(in thousands)	2023		2022
Benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	26,568	$	33,687


Interest cost	—		709


Actuarial gain	(47)		(6,010)
Benefits paid	(466)		(1,818)

Settlement	(26,055)		—
Benefit obligation at end of year	$	—	$	26,568

Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	$	24,440	$	34,126

Actuarial gain	(47)		—
Actual loss on plan assets	(1,966)		(7,407)
Administrative expenses	—		(461)
Employer contributions	4,094		—

Benefits paid	(466)		(1,818)

Settlement	(26,055)		—
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	$	—	$	24,440
Funded status at end of year (net liability recognized in the consolidated balance sheets as of August 31,)	$	—	$	(2,128)

Amounts recognized in AOCI as of August 31,
Net actuarial loss	$	—	$	2,278

The pension accumulated benefit obligation represents the actuarial present value of benefits based on employee service and compensation as of the measurement date and does not include an assumption about future compensation levels.

Net periodic benefit costs (gains) are recorded in SG&A expenses within the consolidated statements of earnings. Components of net periodic benefit costs (gains) and other supplemental information are detailed below:


	U.K. Pension Plan
	Year Ended August 31,
(in thousands)	2023		2022


Interest cost	$	2,261	$	635
Expected return on plan assets	(2,589)		(1,067)


Total net periodic benefit gain	$	(328)	$	(432)

Other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in other comprehensive income
Net actuarial loss arising during measurement period	$	10,811	$	5,666


	U.S. Pension Plan
	Year Ended August 31,
(in thousands)	2023		2022		2021

Expected administrative expenses	$	—	$	50	$	290
Interest cost	—		709		724
Expected return on plan assets	—		(1,579)		(1,493)

Settlement	4,245		—		—
Total net periodic benefit (gain) cost	$	4,245	$	(820)	$	(479)

Other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in other comprehensive income
Net actuarial (gain) loss arising during measurement period	$	(2,278)	$	3,388	$	(4,344)

The Company determines the discount rates used to measure liabilities as of the August 31 measurement date, which is also the date used for the related annual measurement assumptions. The discount rates reflect the current rate at which the associated liabilities could be effectively settled at the end of the year. For the U.K. Pension Plan, the Company sets its discount rate by

reference to a corporate bond yield curve derived from AA rated U.K. corporate bonds. The single equivalent discount rate is derived as equivalent to applying the full yield curve approach to each future year's projected benefit cash flow. For the U.S. Pension Plan, the Company used the full yield curve approach and set its rates to reflect the yield of a portfolio of high-quality corporate bonds that would produce cash flows sufficient in timing and amount to settle projected future benefits.

The expected return assumptions are based on the strategic asset allocation of each plan and long-term capital market return expectations. For the U.K. Pension Plan, the interest cost calculation is determined by applying the single equivalent discount rate to the discounted value of the year-by-year projected benefit payments. For the U.S. Pension Plan, the Company measured interest cost using the full yield curve approach. The interest cost calculation was determined by applying duration-specific spot rates to the year-by-year projected benefit payments. Neither the single equivalent discount rate nor the full yield curve approach affect the measurement of the total benefit obligations.

Plan assets consist primarily of public equity, corporate and government bonds. The principal investment objectives are to achieve, over the long term, a return on the plan assets which is consistent with the assumptions made by the plan actuaries in determining the funding of the plans, to ensure that sufficient liquid assets are available to meet benefit payments as they fall due and to consider the interest of the Company in relation to the size and volatility of the Company's contribution requirements. Each asset class has broadly diversified characteristics. Asset and benefit obligation forecasting studies are conducted periodically, generally every two to three years, or when significant changes have occurred in market conditions, benefits, participant demographics or funded status.

The U.K. Pension Plan's weighted average target allocation ranges and actual allocations as a percentage of plan assets, including the notional exposure of future contracts by asset categories, are detailed below:

Purchases and sales of securities are recorded as of the trade date. Realized gains and losses on sales of securities are determined based on average cost. Interest income is recognized on the accrual basis. Dividend income is recognized on the ex-dividend date.

The following table sets forth the fair value of the plan assets by asset class for the U.K. Pension Plan as of August 31, 2023 and 2022. Level 1 assets consist of cash and cash equivalents. Level 2 assets include funds invested in bonds and fixed income securities. Level 3 assets are measured at fair value using significant unobservable inputs and consist primarily of Secured Finance and Multistrategy Funds that invest in debt, loan and structured financial instruments in both public and private secured


			Fair Value at Measurement Date Using
(in thousands)	Total		Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
As of August 31, 2023:
Fixed income securities	$	43,654	$	—	$	40,497	$	3,157

Cash and other	5,868		376		5,356		136
Fair value of U.K. Pension Plan assets	$	49,522

As of August 31, 2022:
Fixed income securities	$	43,160	$	—	$	35,849	$	7,311
Equity securities	7,514		—		7,514		—
Cash and other	9,780		530		7,676		1,574
Fair value of U.K. Pension Plan assets	$	60,454

The changes in U.K. Pension Plan Level 3 assets related to actual return on plan assets, sales, transfers and foreign currency translation were immaterial from the Tensar Acquisition Date to August 31, 2022. The following table provides a reconciliation of U.K. Pension Plan Level 3 assets from August 31, 2022 to August 31, 2023:


(in thousands)	Level 3 Plan Assets
Balance at August 31, 2022	$	8,885
Sales	(4,997)
Actual return on plan assets:
Assets held as of the reporting date	134
Assets sold during the year	256
Transfers out of Level 3	(1,541)
Foreign currency translation	556
Balance at August 31, 2023	$	3,293

The following table sets forth the fair value of the plan assets by asset class for the U.S. Pension Plan as of the August 31, 2022 measurement date. All securities were traded on a national securities exchange and therefore were Level 1 assets in the fair value hierarchy.