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Kansas Construction Trades Open End Pension Trust Fund
The Kansas Construction Trades Open End Pension Trust Fund operates from Topeka as a multiemployer defined-benefit plan serving union carpenters and...
Kansas Construction Trades Open End Pension Trust Fund
The Kansas Construction Trades Open End Pension Trust Fund operates from Topeka as a multiemployer defined-benefit plan serving union carpenters and construction workers across the state. Participating employers include Centuri Holdings and MasTec's Precision Pipeline unit, with covered local unions ranging from 750 to 2279 under the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America. The fund entered critical and declining status before the PBGC approved roughly $43.1 million in special financial assistance under the American Rescue Plan Act—funds allocated to ensure retirees continue receiving unreduced benefits. The fund's investment portfolio extends across private equity buyout funds, secondaries, and real estate. Recorded holdings include a direct interest in the Dublin Corporate Center in California and a position in the ARA Core Property Fund, alongside allocations to common and collective trust funds and a short-term investment vehicle. The private equity sleeve includes both fund-of-funds commitments and secondary market exposure, suggesting a preference for diversified, intermediated access rather than direct co-investment or single-GP concentration. May 2024: The PBGC disbursed the final tranche of the fund's approved special financial assistance, completing the multiyear relief package authorized under ARPA (per PBGC disclosures). The fund maintains memberships in the National Coordinating Committee for Multiemployer Plans and the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, aligning it with industry peers navigating similar funding challenges. The board of trustees, chaired by Richard Kendall, oversees strategy with Yvonne G. Brownell serving as plan administrator. What distinguishes the Kansas Construction Trades plan is its survival arc: a multiemployer fund that entered the PBGC's critical-status designation and used the ARPA assistance framework to restore solvency without benefit cuts. That posture—a pension fund operating as a going-concern recovery vehicle rather than a liquidation candidate—shapes its investment behavior, favoring existing GP relationships and secondary sales over new direct commitments during the stabilization period.
General information
Firm type
Pension Fund
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Topeka
Corporate office
Topeka, KS, United States
Principals
Richard Kendall
Chairman of the Board of Trustees
Yvonne G. Brownell
Plan Administrator
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
What is the current funded status of the Kansas Construction Trades pension plan?
The fund was designated as being in critical and declining status prior to receiving approximately $43.1 million in special financial assistance from the PBGC. That assistance, authorized under the American Rescue Plan Act, is structured to maintain benefit payments without reduction for many years into the future. The PBGC completed disbursement of the full approved amount by May 2024. No subsequent funding-status update has been publicly filed by the fund.
How does the fund invest its assets?
The portfolio includes private equity exposure through buyout funds, fund-of-funds vehicles, and secondary market purchases. Real estate holdings encompass a direct commercial property in Dublin, California, and an interest in the ARA Core Property Fund. The fund also maintains allocations to common and collective trust funds and a short-term investment fund for liquidity management.
Who runs investment decisions at the fund?
The board of trustees, chaired by Richard Kendall, is responsible for investment oversight and fiduciary decisions. Yvonne G. Brownell serves as the plan administrator handling day-to-day operations. The fund does not publicly identify a dedicated chief investment officer or external investment consultant.
Which employers and unions participate in this multiemployer plan?
Participating employers include Centuri Holdings and MasTec's Precision Pipeline subsidiary. The covered union locals fall under the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America and include Locals 750, 918, 1095, 1224, 1445, 1587, 1980, and 2279, serving approximately 8,145 participants in the Kansas construction trades.
What was the PBGC special financial assistance used for?
The $43.1 million in ARPA-allocated special financial assistance was designated to cover projected benefit payments and restore the plan's solvency without reducing accrued benefits. The PBGC structured the payments as a grant, not a loan, meaning no repayment is required—a feature specific to the ARPA multiemployer relief provisions targeting plans in critical and declining status.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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