17. Employee Benefit Plans

Retirement Plans

The Company has defined benefit pension plans covering certain current and former employees both inside and outside of the U.S. The Company’s pension plan for U.S. salaried employees was frozen as of December 31, 2007, and participants in the plan ceased accruing future benefits. The Company’s pension plan for U.S. hourly employees was frozen for substantially all participants as of July 31, 2013, and replaced with a defined contribution benefit plan. During fiscal 2015, the Society of Actuaries released new mortality tables that reflect increased life expectancy over the previous tables. The company incorporated these new tables into the 2015 measurement of its U.S. pension obligations.

Net periodic benefit cost for U.S. and non-U.S. plans included the following components (in thousands):

	U.S. Plans Year Ended June 30,									Foreign Plans Year Ended June 30,
	2016			2015			2014			2016			2015			2014
Service Cost	$	70		$	211		$	233		$	34		$	44		$	46
Interest Cost		11,489			10,476			11,241			1,428			1,618			1,723
Expected return on plan assets		(13,864	)		(13,954	)		(13,513	)		(1,294	)		(1,474	)		(1,532	)
Recognized net actuarial loss		3,979			3,945			3,941			835			750			819
Amortization of prior service cost (benefit)		14			54			57			(49	)		(53	)		(60	)
Curtailment		-			244			-			-			-			-
Net periodic benefit cost (benefit)	$	1,688		$	976		$	1,959		$	954		$	885		$	996

The following table sets forth the funded status and amounts recognized as of June 30, 2016 and 2015 for our U.S. and foreign defined benefit pension plans (in thousands):

	U.S. Plans Year Ended June 30,						Foreign Plans Year Ended June 30,
	2016			2015			2016			2015
Change in benefit obligation
Benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	252,215		$	240,426		$	43,681		$	44,278
Service cost		70			211			34			44
Interest cost		11,489			10,476			1,428			1,618
Actuarial loss (gain)		20,964			16,570			3,929			3,996
Benefits paid		(15,576	)		(15,468	)		(1,686	)		(1,455	)
Foreign currency exchange rate		-			-			(5,566	)		(4,800	)
Projected benefit obligation at end of year	$	269,162		$	252,215		$	41,820		$	43,681
Change in plan assets
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	$	204,710		$	216,043		$	37,366		$	37,487
Actual return on plan assets		8,510			3,900			3,670			3,410
Employer contribution		206			235			1,264			1,336
Benefits paid		(15,576	)		(15,468	)		(1,686	)		(1,455	)
Foreign currency exchange rate		-			-			(5,607	)		(3,412	)
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	$	197,850		$	204,710		$	35,007		$	37,366

Funded Status	$	(71,312	)	$	(47,505	)	$	(6,813	)	$	(6,315	)
Amounts recognized in the consolidated balance sheets consists of:
Prepaid Benefit Cost	$	-		$	-		$	422		$	107
Current liabilities		(248	)		(199	)		(286	)		(313	)
Non-current liabilities		(71,064	)		(47,306	)		(6,949	)		(6,109	)
Net amount recognized	$	(71,312	)	$	(47,505	)	$	(6,813	)	$	(6,315	)

Unrecognized net actuarial loss	$	137,053		$	114,715		$	10,122		$	10,655
Unrecognized prior service cost		-			14			(81	)		(130	)
Accumulated other comprehensive income, pre-tax	$	137,053		$	114,729		$	10,041		$	10,525

The accumulated benefit obligation for all defined benefit pension plans was $310.4 million and $295.0 million at June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

The estimated actuarial net loss and prior service benefit for the defined benefit pension plans that will be amortized from accumulated other comprehensive income into net periodic benefit cost over the next fiscal year are $5.8 million and less than $0.1 million, respectively.

Plan Assets and Assumptions

The fair values of the Company’s pension plan assets at June 30, 2016 and 2015 by asset category, as classified in the three levels of inputs described in Note 1 under the caption

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

, are as follows (in thousands):

	June 30, 201 6
	Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
Cash and cash equivalents	$	6,924	$	511	$	6,413	$	-
Common and preferred stocks		91,536		17,227		74,309		-
U.S. Government securities		15,032		-		15,032		-
Corporate bonds and other fixed income securities		107,520		6,328		101,192		-
Other		11,845		-		11,845		-
	$	232,857	$	24,066	$	208,791	$	-

	June 30, 2015
	Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
Cash and cash equivalents	$	4,051	$	451	$	3,600	$	-
Common and preferred stocks		101,725		17,716		84,009		-
U.S. Government securities		14,469		-		14,469		-
Corporate bonds and other fixed income securities		112,297		6,238		106,059		-
Other		9,534		-		9,534		-
	$	242,076	$	24,405	$	217,671	$	-

Asset allocation at June 30, 2016 and 2015 and target asset allocations for 2016 are as follows:

	U.S. Plans Year Ended June 30,						Foreign Plans Year Ended June 30,
Asset Category	2016			2015			2016			2015
Equity securities	31		%		33	%		26	%		24	%
Debt securities	34		%		31	%		57	%		75	%
Global balanced securities	25		%		26	%		13	%		0	%
Other	10		%		10	%		4	%		1	%
Total		100	%		100	%		100	%		100	%

	2016
Asset Category – Target	U.S.			U.K.
Equity securities	32		%		25	%
Debt and market neutral securities	33		%		60	%
Global balanced securities	25		%		12	%
Other	10		%		3	%
Total		100	%		100	%

Our investment policy for the U.S. pension plans targets a range of exposure to the various asset classes. Standex rebalances the portfolio periodically when the allocation is not within the desired range of exposure. The plan seeks to provide returns in excess of the various benchmarks. The benchmarks include the following indices: S&P 500; Citigroup PMI EPAC; Citigroup World Government Bond and Barclays Aggregate Bond. A third party investment consultant tracks the plan’s portfolio relative to the benchmarks and provides quarterly investment reviews which consist of a performance and risk assessment on all investment managers and on the portfolio.

Certain managers within the plan use, or have authorization to use, derivative financial instruments for hedging purposes, the creation of market exposures and management of country and asset allocation exposure. Currency speculation derivatives are strictly prohibited.

Year Ended June 30	2016				2015				2014
Plan assumptions - obligation
Discount rate		1.50	-	4.00%		2.30	-	4.70%		2.90	-	4.50%
Rate of compensation increase			3.30%				3.80%				3.80%

Plan assumptions - cost
Discount rate		2.30	-	4.70%		2.90	-	4.50%		3.50	-	5.10%
Expected return on assets		3.90	-	7.10%		4.20	-	7.25%		4.60	-	7.25%
Rate of compensation increase			3.75%				3.80%				3.90%

Included in the above are the following assumptions relating to the obligations for defined benefit pension plans in the United States at June 30, 2016; a discount rate of 4.0% and expected return on assets of 7.10%. The U.S. defined benefit pension plans represent the majority of our pension obligations. The expected return on plan assets assumption is based on our expectation of the long-term average rate of return on assets in the pension funds and is reflective of the current and projected asset mix of the funds. The discount rate reflects the current rate at which pension liabilities could be effectively settled at the end of the year. The discount rate is determined by matching our expected benefit payments from a stream of AA- or higher bonds available in the marketplace, adjusted to eliminate the effects of call provisions.

Expected benefit payments for the next five years are as follows: 2017, $17.1 million; 2018, $17.1 million; 2019, $17.2 million; 2020, $17.4 million; 2021, $17.2 million and thereafter, $89.1 million. The Company expects to make $1.4 million of contributions to its pension plans in 2017.

The Company operates a defined benefit plan in Germany which is unfunded.

Multi-Employer Pension Plans

We contribute to a number of multiemployer defined benefit plans under the terms of collective bargaining agreements that cover our union-represented employees. These plans generally provide for retirement, death and/or termination benefits for eligible employees within the applicable collective bargaining units, based on specific eligibility/participation requirements, vesting periods and benefit formulas. The risks of participating in these multiemployer plans are different from single-employer plans in the following aspects:

●

Assets contributed to the multiemployer plan by one employer may be used to provide benefits to employees of other participating employers.

●

If a participating employer stops contributing to the multiemployer plan, the unfunded obligations of the plan may be borne by the remaining participating employers.

●

If we choose to stop participating in some of our multiemployer plans, we may be required to pay those plans an amount based on the underfunded status of the plan, referred to as a withdrawal liability. However, cessation of participation in a multiemployer plan and subsequent payment of any withdrawal liability is subject to the collective bargaining process.

The following table outlines the Company’s participation in multiemployer pension plans for the periods ended June 30, 2016, 2015, and 2014, and sets forth the yearly contributions into each plan. The “EIN/Pension Plan Number” column provides the Employer Identification Number (“EIN”) and the three-digit plan number. The most recent Pension Protection Act zone status available in 2016 and 2015 relates to the plans’ two most recent fiscal year-ends. The zone status is based on information that we received from the plans’ administrators and is certified by each plan’s actuary. Among other factors, plans certified in the red zone are generally less than 65% funded, plans certified in the orange zone are both less than 80% funded and have an accumulated funding deficiency or are expected to have a deficiency in any of the next six plan years, plans certified in the yellow zone are less than 80% funded, and plans certified in the green zone are at least 80% funded. The “FIP/RP Status Pending/Implemented” column indicates whether a financial improvement plan (“FIP”) for yellow/orange zone plans, or a rehabilitation plan (“RP”) for red zone plans, is either pending or has been implemented. For all plans, the Company’s contributions do not exceed 5% of the total contributions to the plan in the most recent year.

			Pension Protection Act Zone Status			Contributions
Pension Fund	EIN/Plan Number		2016	2015	FIP/RP Status	2016		2015		2014		Surcharge Imposed?	Expiration Date of Collective Bargaining A greement
New England Teamsters and Trucking Industry Pension Fund		04-6372430-001	Red	Red	Yes/ Implemented	$	485	$	437	$	541	No	4/15/2018
IAM National Pension Fund, National Pension Plan		51-6031295-002	Green	Green	No		575		633		659	No	10/04/2016 - 05/31/2018
						$	1,060	$	1,070	$	1,200

Retirement Savings Plans

The Company has two primary employee savings plans, one for salaried employees and one for hourly employees. Substantially all of our full-time domestic employees are covered by these savings plans. Under the provisions of the plans, employees may contribute a portion of their compensation within certain limitations. The Company, at the discretion of the Board of Directors, may make contributions on behalf of our employees under the plans. Company contributions were $4.0 million, $3.8 million, and $4.0 million for the years ended June 30, 2016, 2015, and 2014, respectively. At June 30, 2016, the salaried plan holds approximately 84,000 shares of Company common stock, representing approximately 7% of the holdings of the plan.

Postretirement Benefits Other Than Pensions

The Company sponsors an unfunded postretirement medical plan covering certain full-time employees who retire and have attained the requisite age and years of service. Retired employees are required to contribute toward the cost of coverage according to various established rules.

The accumulated benefit obligation of the post-retirement medical plan was less than $0.2 million at both June 30, 2016 and June 30, 2015. The plan holds no assets as the Company makes contributions as benefits are due. Contributions for each of the last two fiscal years were less than $0.1 million. The net periodic benefit cost for each of the last three fiscal years was less than $0.1 million. A 1% increase in the assumed health care cost trend rate does not impact either the accumulated benefit obligation or the net postretirement cost, as the employer contribution for each participant is a fixed amount.