The Company sponsors a noncontributory defined benefit (pension) plan covering certain current and former U.S. employees. The plan for salaried and hourly employees is based on a formula using the participant’s years of service and compensation or using the participant’s years of service and a dollar amount. The plan was closed to new participants and pay for active plan participants for benefit calculations was frozen as of December 31, 2007. As of January 31, 2018, the plan no longer accrued benefits associated with crediting employees for service, thereby freezing all future benefits under the plan.

The components of net periodic benefit cost for the pension and other post-retirement benefit programs reflected in the consolidated statements of income are shown below:



	Pension Benefits						Other Post-Retirement Benefits
	Three Months Ended September 30,						Three Months Ended September 30,
(In thousands)	2018			2017			2018			2017
Service cost	$	7		$	29		$	7		$	7
Interest cost	2,818			3,103			65			73
Expected return on plan assets	(3,736		)	(3,743		)	—			—
Amortization of prior service costs, (gains) losses and net transition asset	3,565			2,996			(75		)	(84		)
Net periodic benefit cost	$	2,654		$	2,385		$	(3	)	$	(4	)
	Pension Benefits						Other Post-Retirement Benefits
	Nine Months Ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2018			2017			2018			2017
Service cost	$	17		$	145		$	27		$	25
Interest cost	8,582			9,431			203			226
Expected return on plan assets	(11,258		)	(11,216		)	—			—
Amortization of prior service costs, (gains) losses and net transition asset	10,421			9,241			(183		)	(207		)
Net periodic benefit cost	$	7,762		$	7,601		$	47		$	44

Pension and other post-retirement liabilities were $89.8 million and $99.5 million at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively ($0.6 million included in “Accrued expenses” at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, with the remainder included in “Pension and other postretirement benefit obligations, net” in the consolidated balance sheets). The Company’s required contributions are expected to be $8.4 million in 2018. Contributions to the pension plan during the first nine months of 2018 were $7.0 million. Tredegar funds its other post-retirement benefits (life insurance and health benefits) on a claims-made basis; for 2018, the Company anticipates the amount will be consistent with amounts paid for the year ended December 31, 2017, or $0.3 million.