XML 35 R21.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v3.22.0.1
Note 14 - Employee Benefit Plans
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2021
Notes to Financial Statements  
Retirement Benefits [Text Block]

(14)         Employee Benefit Plans

 

Sypris Technologies sponsors noncontributory defined benefit pension plans (the “Pension Plans”) covering certain of its employees. The Pension Plans covering salaried and management employees provide pension benefits that are based on the employees’ highest five-year average compensation within ten years before retirement. The Pension Plans covering hourly employees and union members generally provide benefits at stated amounts for each year of service. All of the Company’s pension plans are frozen to new participants and certain plans are frozen to additional benefit accruals. The Company’s funding policy is to make the minimum annual contributions required by the applicable regulations. The Pension Plans’ assets are primarily invested in equity securities and fixed income securities.

 

The following table details the components of pension (income) expense (in thousands):

 

  

Year ended December 31,

 
  

2021

  

2020

 

Service cost

 $4  $5 

Interest cost on projected benefit obligation

  774   1,084 

Net amortization of actuarial loss

  613   631 

Expected return on plan assets

  (773

)

  (987

)

Net periodic benefit cost

 $618  $733 

 

The net periodic cost of the defined benefit pension plans incurred during the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 are reflected in the following captions in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations (in thousands):

 

  

Year ended December 31,

 
  

2021

  

2020

 

Service cost:

        

Selling, general and administrative expenses

 $4  $5 

Other net periodic benefit costs:

        

Other expense, net

  614   728 

Total

 $618  $733 

 

The following are summaries of the changes in the benefit obligations and plan assets and of the funded status of the Pension Plans (in thousands):

 

  

December 31,

 
  

2021

  

2020

 

Change in benefit obligation

        

Benefit obligation at beginning of year

 $36,859  $36,050 

Service cost

  4   5 

Interest cost

  774   1,084 

Actuarial loss

  (2,245

)

  2,516 

Benefits paid

  (2,636

)

  (2,796

)

Benefit obligation at end of year

 $32,756  $36,859 

Change in plan assets:

        

Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year

 $32,353  $31,738 

Actual return on plan assets

  37   2,549 

Company contributions

  297   862 

Benefits paid

  (2,636

)

  (2,796

)

Fair value of plan assets at end of year

 $30,051  $32,353 
         

Underfunded status of the plans

 $(2,705

)

  (4,506

)

 

 

  

December 31,

 
  

2021

  

2020

 

Balance sheet assets (liabilities):

        

Other assets

 $595  $380 

Accrued liabilities

  (126

)

  (596

)

Other liabilities

  (3,174

)

  (4,290

)

Net amount recognized

 $(2,705

)

 $(4,506

)

 

Pension plans with accumulated benefit obligation in excess of plan assets:

        

Projected benefit obligation

 $22,846  $25,566 

Accumulated benefit obligation

  22,846   25,566 

Fair value of plan assets

  19,545   20,680 

 

Projected benefit obligation and net periodic pension cost assumptions:

            

Discount rate – projected benefit obligation

    2.70

%

    2.25

%

Discount rate – net periodic pension cost

    2.25     3.15 

Rate of compensation increase

    N/A     N/A 

Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets

  1.80-2.95   3.05-3.40 

 

 

  

December 31,

 
  

2021

  

2020

 

Weighted average asset allocation:

        

Equity securities

  16

%

  17

%

Debt securities

  81   80 

Other

  3   3 

Total

  100

%

  100

%

 

The fair values of our pension plan assets as of December 31, 2021 are as follows (in thousands):

 

  

Quoted Prices

In Active

Markets

(Level 1)

  

Significant

Other

Observable

Inputs

(Level 2)

 

Asset categories

        

Cash and cash equivalents

 $2,371  $0 

Equity securities:

      0 

U.S. Large Cap

  2,008   0 

U.S. Mid Cap

  863   0 

U.S. Small Cap

  169   0 

World Equity

  1,733   0 

Real Estate

  405   0 

Other

  547   0 

Fixed income securities

  6,814   15,141 

Total Plan Assets

 $14,910  $15,141 

 

The fair values of our pension plan assets as of December 31, 2020 are as follows (in thousands):

 

  

Quoted Prices

In Active

Markets

(Level 1)

  

Significant

Other

Observable

Inputs

(Level 2)

 

Asset categories

        

Cash and cash equivalents

 $2,744  $0 

Equity securities:

      0 

U.S. Large Cap

  2,272   0 

U.S. Mid Cap

  867   0 

U.S. Small Cap

  224   0 

World Equity

  2,256   0 

Real Estate

  391   0 

Other

  600   0 

Fixed income securities

  6,304   16,695 

Total Plan Assets

 $15,658  $16,695 

 

Investments in our defined benefit plans are stated at fair value. The following valuation methods were used to value our pension assets:

 

Equity securitiesThe fair value of equity securities is determined by either direct or indirect quoted market prices. When the value of assets held in separate accounts is not published, the value is based on the underlying holdings, which are primarily direct quoted market prices on regulated financial exchanges.
  
Fixed income securitiesThe fair value of fixed income securities is determined by either direct or indirect quoted market prices. When the value of assets held in separate accounts is not published, the value is based on the underlying holdings, which are primarily direct quoted market prices on regulated financial exchanges.
  
Cash and cash equivalentsThe fair value of cash and cash equivalents is set equal to its cost.

 

The methods described above may produce a fair value calculation that may not be indicative of net realizable value or reflective of future fair values. Furthermore, while the Company believes the valuation methods are appropriate and consistent with other market participants, the use of different methodologies or assumptions to determine the fair value of certain financial instruments could result in a different fair value measurement at the reporting date.

 

The Company uses December 31 as the measurement date for the Pension Plans. Total estimated contributions expected to be paid to the plans during 2022 is $109,000, which represents the minimum funding amounts required by federal law. The expected long-term rates of return on plan assets for determining net periodic pension cost for 2021 and 2020 were chosen by the Company from a best estimate range determined by applying anticipated long-term returns and long-term volatility for various assets categories to the target asset allocation of the plan. The target asset allocation of plan assets is equity securities ranging 0-55%, fixed income securities ranging 35-100% and non-traditional/other of 0-10% of total investments.

 

When establishing the expected long-term rate of return on our U.S. pension plan assets, the Company considered historical performance and forward looking return estimates reflective of our portfolio mix and investment strategy. Based on the most recent analysis of projected portfolio returns, the Company concluded that the use of 1.80% for the Louisville Hourly Plan, 2.95% for the Marion Plan and 2.60% for the Louisville Salaried Plan as the expected return on our U.S. pension plan assets for 2021 was appropriate.

 

Actuarial gains and losses, which are primarily the result of changes in the discount rate and other assumptions and differences between actual and expected asset returns, are deferred in Accumulated other comprehensive loss and amortized to expense following the corridor approach. We use the average remaining service period of active participants unless almost all of the plan’s participants are inactive, in which case we use the average remaining life expectancy for all active and inactive participants. Accumulated other comprehensive loss at December 31, 2021 includes $11,207,000 of unrecognized actuarial losses that have not yet been recognized in net periodic pension cost. The actual loss reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss for 2021 and 2020 was $613,000 and $631,000, respectively.

 

At December 31, 2021, the benefits expected to be paid in each of the next five fiscal years, and in aggregate for the five fiscal years thereafter are as follows (in thousands):

 

2022

  $2,616 

2023

   2,546 

2024

   2,486 

2025

   2,416 

2026

   2,326 
2027-2031   10,409 

Total

  $22,799 

 

The Company sponsors a defined contribution plan (the “Defined Contribution Plan”) for substantially all domestic employees of the Company. The Defined Contribution Plan is intended to meet the requirements of Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code. The Defined Contribution Plan allows the Company to match participant contributions up to 3% and provide discretionary contributions. In connection with the matching contributions, the Company recognized compensation expense of approximately $361,000 and $350,000 in 2021 and 2020, respectively.

 

In addition, certain of the Company’s non-U.S. employees are covered by various defined benefit and defined contribution plans. The Company’s expenses for these plans totaled approximately $232,000 and $199,000 in 2021 and 2020, respectively. The aggregate benefit plan obligations of these plans, which are unfunded, were $1,473,000 and $1,440,000 at December 31, 2021 and 2020 were included within other liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.