# West MI Plumbers Fitters & Service Trades Local 174 Health & Benefits Plan

West MI Plumbers Fitters & Service Trades Local 174 Health & Benefits Plan is a Pension Fund based in Coopersville, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Pension Fund
- **Headquarters:** Coopersville, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** 1008 O'Malley Dr, Coopersville, MI 49404, United States
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** ua174.org

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

The West MI Plumbers Fitters & Service Trades Local 174 Health & Benefits Plan operates as a defined-benefit plan for members of UA Local 174, a union deeply embedded in West Michigan's mechanical contracting industry. Ryan Bennett, the Business Manager, oversees the plan alongside other trustees, ensuring that retirement and health-care obligations are met for a workforce trained at the union's Coopersville, Michigan, facility. The plan is a direct outgrowth of a century-old trade local that covers Kent, Muskegon, Ottawa, and nine other counties, serving as the financial backbone for members who maintain critical infrastructure from hospitals to power plants. The plan's investment strategy is focused on meeting long-term defined-benefit liabilities through a conservative, liability-driven approach typical of multi-employer pension funds. While specific allocations are not publicly disclosed, such plans commonly invest across fixed income, public equities, and real assets. The fund is closely tied to the operations of UA Local 174, which partners with regional mechanical contractors to dispatch labor for projects ranging from manufacturing facilities to residential systems. This operational integration means the plan's health is directly linked to construction cycles in West Michigan. Managed from the union's headquarters at 1008 O'Malley Drive, the plan operates without a separate investment office — trustee oversight is provided by union leadership including Ryan Bennett and Cary Stamas. The organization is affiliated with the United Association (UA) internationally and the Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council locally, though the plan functions independently for its beneficiaries. The union also manages a training center on the same campus, coordinated by Chris Phillips, which feeds the skilled labor pool whose dues and hours fund the plan's assets. No recent operational events specific to the plan's investment posture were publicly verifiable within the last 24 months. The plan's structural differentiator is its direct link to a single local union's active membership base. Unlike large state-wide or corporate pension systems, this fund's asset pool and benefit obligations fluctuate with the dispatch hours of plumbers and pipefitters working on West Michigan job sites. Liability management is not abstract — it reflects the actual health-care usage and retirement timelines of a known group of tradespeople, making the plan's time horizon and liquidity needs highly specific to this labor market.

## People

- Ryan Bennett — Business Manager / Trustee
- Cary Stamas — Trustee / Representative
- Chris Phillips — Training Coordinator

## Questions

### What is the relationship between the Health & Benefits Plan and UA Local 174 itself?

The plan is a separate fiduciary entity designed to provide health and retirement benefits to members of UA Local 174. The local union is a chapter of the United Association, representing plumbers, pipefitters, and HVAC service technicians across 12 West Michigan counties. While the union leadership provides trustee oversight, the plan's assets are held independently for the exclusive benefit of participants.

### What geographic area does the plan cover?

The plan covers eligible members working within the jurisdiction of UA Local 174, which spans 12 counties in West Michigan. This includes major population centers like Kent County (Grand Rapids), Ottawa County, and Muskegon County, along with more rural areas including Lake, Manistee, and Osceola counties. Any signatory contractor performing covered work in this territory makes contributions to the plan on behalf of their workers.

### Is this health and benefits plan open to investors outside the union?

No. This is not a commercial investment fund. It is a multi-employer defined-benefit plan exclusively serving the plumbers, pipefitters, and service trades members of UA Local 174 and their beneficiaries. External investment is not accepted — the plan's pool of capital comes solely from contractual employer contributions tied to union labor hours.

## Related profiles

- [Plumbers & Steamfitters Local 118 Pension Plan](https://altss.com/profile/plumbers-and-steamfitters-local-118-pension-plan)
- [Richards, Layton & Finger P.A. Retirement & Savings Plan](https://altss.com/profile/richards-layton-and-finger-pa-retirement-and-savings-plan)

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

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