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 $46.6 million, $46.9 million and $40.4 million for 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively, of which $28.3 million, $27.7 million and $26.1 million were recorded in cost of goods sold and the remainder was recorded in SG&A expenses in the consolidated statements of earnings.

The deferred compensation liability under the BRP was $43.4 million and $48.8 million at August 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively, of which $38.0 million and $44.3 million, respectively, was included in other noncurrent liabilities, and the remainder was included in other accrued expenses and payables on the consolidated balance sheets. Though under no obligation to fund the BRP, the Company has segregated assets in a trust with a value of $67.5 million and $67.0 million at August 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively, and such assets were included in other noncurrent assets on the consolidated balance sheets. The net holding gain on these segregated assets was $10.1 million, $8.5 million and $5.0 million in 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively, and was included in net sales in the consolidated statements of earnings.

In 2022, the Company acquired a partially funded defined benefit pension plan in the United Kingdom (the "U.K.") (the "U.K. 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. 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 the minimum contributions required by applicable regulations.

In 2019, the Company acquired a partially funded defined benefit pension plan in the U.S. (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 accumulated other comprehensive loss as of the termination date. The $4.2 million settlement charge was included in SG&A expenses in the consolidated statements of earnings during 2023. All other components of net periodic benefit cost recognized in the consolidated statements of earnings and changes in plan assets and benefits obligations recorded in OCI were immaterial in 2023. No benefit obligation or plan assets related to the U.S. Pension Plan remain.

The following tables present 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 related amounts recognized in the consolidated balance sheets as of August 31, 2025 and 2024:


	U.K. Pension Plan
(in thousands)	2025		2024
Benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	53,192	$	50,900
Interest cost	2,539		2,615
Actuarial (gain) loss	(6,613)		794
Benefits paid	(3,195)		(2,958)
Foreign currency translation	1,269		1,841
Benefit obligation at end of year	$	47,192	$	53,192

Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	$	51,415	$	49,522
Actual (loss) return on plan assets	(3,096)		2,733
Employer contributions	342		339
Benefits paid	(3,195)		(2,958)
Foreign currency translation	1,264		1,779
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	$	46,730	$	51,415
Funded status at end of year liability recognized in the consolidated balance sheets as of August 31,	$	(462)	$	(1,777)

Amounts recognized in AOCL as of August 31,
Net actuarial loss	$	13,711	$	15,981

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


	U.K. Pension Plan
	Year Ended August 31,
(in thousands)	2025		2024		2023
Interest cost	$	2,539	$	2,615	$	2,261
Expected return on plan assets	(1,895)		(2,065)		(2,589)
Amortization of unrecognized net actuarial loss	648		622		—
Total net periodic benefit cost (gain)	$	1,292	$	1,172	$	(328)

Other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in OCI
Net actuarial (gain) loss arising during measurement period	$	(2,270)	$	(496)	$	10,811

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 equivalent to applying the full yield curve approach to each future year's projected benefit cash flow.

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. The single equivalent discount rate does not affect the measurement of the total benefit obligation.

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 that 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 are 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:

Investments are stated at fair value. Fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability at the measurement date. Fixed income securities are valued at the yields currently available on comparable securities of issuers with similar credit ratings. 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. Non-interest-bearing cash is valued at cost, which approximates fair value.

The following table presents the fair value of the plan assets by asset class for the U.K. Pension Plan as of August 31, 2025 and 2024. Level 1 assets consist of cash and cash equivalents. Level 2 assets include funds invested in bonds and fixed income securities. The Company had no level 3 assets as part of its U.K. Pension Plan as of August 31, 2025 or 2024.


			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, 2025:
Fixed income securities	$	46,201	$	—	$	46,201	$	—
Cash	529		529		—		—
Fair value of U.K. Pension Plan assets	$	46,730

As of August 31, 2024:
Fixed income securities	$	51,194	$	—	$	51,194	$	—
Cash and other	221		—		221		—
Fair value of U.K. Pension Plan assets	$	51,415