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Sheet Metal Workers Local #20 Gary Area
The Sheet Metal Workers Local #20 Gary Area Pension Fund is the retirement vehicle for members of SMART Local 20, covering sheet metal workers across Northwest...
Sheet Metal Workers Local #20 Gary Area
The Sheet Metal Workers Local #20 Gary Area Pension Fund is the retirement vehicle for members of SMART Local 20, covering sheet metal workers across Northwest Indiana. The fund operates from offices in Portage and Merrillville, with Business Manager Trent L. Todd serving as the key fiduciary. It is a classic multi-employer Taft-Hartley plan, jointly governed by union and employer trustees including Gary Business Representative Kreg Homoky. The fund's roots lie in the industrial unionism of the Great Lakes region, where skilled trades pensions became a cornerstone of retirement security. The fund's investment strategy centers on direct real estate ownership alongside traditional institutional allocations. Confirmed properties include the fund's own administrative office at 2111 West Lincoln Highway in Merrillville and the Local 20 Training Center on Union Street in Hobart — both held as income-producing assets. The pension plan also maintains a relationship with the Legacy Foundation, a Lake County community philanthropy, suggesting co-investment or community development exposure. Asset management functions for the welfare and benefit fund are administered out of Indianapolis. The fund's posture is conservative, typical for union defined-benefit plans: long-duration, income-oriented, with a preference for tangible assets over venture. The fund's governance sits within the broader SMART international union structure and the Northeast Indiana Building & Construction Trades Council, where Local 20 leadership holds executive roles. These interlocking labor relationships shape trustee selection and, by extension, the fund's approach to manager selection — favoring relationships built through labor networks rather than open RFPs. The plan's scale is not publicly disclosed, but Northwest Indiana multi-employer plans of this type typically range from $50 million to $200 million in assets, an Altss estimate based on regional peer plan data. The fund's structural differentiator is its hybrid direct-ownership model. Unlike most Taft-Hartley plans that outsource all real asset exposure to REITs or fund managers, Local 20 holds direct title to commercial and industrial properties in its own geography. This gives the trustees — who know the local market intimately — direct control over lease negotiations, maintenance capital, and long-term asset strategy, a governance feature more common among single-family offices than union pension plans.
General information
Firm type
Pension Fund
Year founded
—
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Portage
Corporate office
Portage, IN, United States
Additional offices
Merrillville, IN, United States · Hobart, IN, United States
Principals
Trent L. Todd
Business Manager and Financial Secretary/Treasurer
Kreg Homoky
Gary Business Representative and Employer Trustee
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at the Sheet Metal Workers Local #20 fund?
Investment oversight rests with the joint board of trustees, a governance structure standard for Taft-Hartley plans where union and contributing employers share fiduciary duty. Business Manager Trent L. Todd acts as the senior union-side fiduciary. Day-to-day asset management is typically outsourced to institutional consultants and managers, though the trustees retain direct control over directly held real estate assets.
What does this pension fund actually own?
The plan holds a mix of directly owned real estate and traditional institutional allocations. Confirmed direct holdings include the plan's administrative office in Merrillville, Indiana, and the union training center in Hobart. The fund is connected to the Sheet Metal Workers Local Union No 20 Welfare and Benefit Fund and the Gary Area Pension Fund, with certain assets administered from Indianapolis. The specific mix of public equities, fixed income, and alternatives is not publicly disclosed.
Does this fund invest in private equity or venture capital?
There is no public evidence of venture capital commitments. The fund's tagged strategy points to buyout exposure, but the specific vehicle — likely through an institutional fund-of-funds or separate account — is not disclosed. Small to mid-sized Taft-Hartley plans in the Midwest typically run conservative allocations with limited alternative exposure beyond core real estate and infrastructure.
How is the pension fund related to the union and employer groups?
The plan is jointly sponsored by SMART Local 20 and contributing sheet metal contractors in Northwest Indiana. Kreg Homoky serves as an employer trustee. The fund exists solely to provide defined-benefit retirement income to union members; it does not invest in union operations or political activities. Governance is shared between union-appointed and employer-appointed trustees as required under ERISA.
Who are the key people a GP should know to build a relationship here?
Trent L. Todd, as Business Manager and Financial Secretary/Treasurer, is the central figure. Trustee Kreg Homoky represents employer interests. The fund's consultant — whose identity is not public — would serve as the initial gatekeeper for any manager introduction. Cold outreach is unlikely to succeed; introductions through regional labor networks, the Northeast Indiana Building Trades Council, or existing manager relationships are the standard path.
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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