We know business insurance. In fact, we鈥檝e been providing it to companies like yours for over a century. So when you choose to trust your business with us, you can be confident that we鈥檒l get to know your operations and your employees.

We encourage our members to leverage this expertise by exploring Sentry鈥檚 free resources and tapping into their experienced safety team. Their library offers a wealth of safety materials, including dozens of insightful articles.

Topics include: Establishing a Product Safety Process at Your Business, Document Management Program, Reporting an Incident or Claim: A Guide for Farm 婷婷激情五月天 Manufacturers and Loss Control Guidelines.

Does your business use cranes? If so, this webinar can help teach you about:

• Certain types of cranes
• Different types of cane inspections
• How to train employees in crane safety, including signaling
• Crane maintenance requirements
• Different types of rigging
• Rigging inspections and requirements

Webinar Offerings: For a complete list of webinars go to .

Sentry Resource Library: Members can find a comprehensive library of safety resources from Sentry at: FarmEquip.org/SentrySafetyLibrary.

| FEMA Member since 1974

Sentry Insurance 鈥� Sentry鈥檚 Farm 婷婷激情五月天 Manufacturers Program provides specialized insurance coverage and safety services designed specifically for the unique risks faced by farm equipment manufacturers, including product liability, property, workers鈥� compensation and more.

鈥� FEMA members can receive a complimentary, confidential 60-minute consultation on labor and employment matters, including HR policies, employee issues and other workplace-related legal questions.

鈥� Members can receive a complimentary, confidential 60-minute consultation focused on dealer contract law and related legal issues affecting equipment manufacturers and their distribution networks.

鈥� Gripp鈥檚 婷婷激情五月天 Relationship Management platform helps manufacturers, dealers and farm operations stay connected by linking equipment to communication, service information, issue reporting and workflows.

Evolv 鈥� Evolv helps FEMA members simplify payment processing, reduce costs and streamline transactions, while also offering digital marketing solutions to help businesses strengthen their online presence and reach more customers.

Take advantage of your FEMA membership. These endorsed services are available to help you address business challenges, reduce risk and find practical solutions. Visit the Endorsed Services section of the FEMA website to learn more about each program.

Join Sentry for a free, 60-minute webinar, During this informative session, industry experts will explore how evolving risks are affecting businesses and share practical strategies to help protect your facilities, employees and critical business data.

Topics include:

• The growing impact of severe weather and climate-related events on business operations
• Emerging cyber threats fueled by AI and increased digital connectivity
• Steps organizations can take to strengthen resilience and reduce risk

Whether you’re responsible for operations, safety, IT or business continuity, this webinar offers valuable insights to help your organization prepare for today’s rapidly changing risk landscape.

Register today and view Sentry’s full lineup of complimentary safety webinars at .

Sentry Resource Library: Members can also find a comprehensive library of safety resources from Sentry at: FarmEquip.org/SentrySafetyLibrary.

 | Member since 1974

Whether you鈥檙e a plan sponsor, administrator, or both, you鈥檙e considered the fiduciary of your company鈥檚 401(k) plan. This title comes with a lot of responsibility, but a good 401(k) provider can assist you in fulfilling those responsibilities.

A provider, generally known as a recordkeeper, handles participant data and accounts. This typically includes helping identify who鈥檚 eligible for your retirement plan and recordkeeping various aspects of the plan, such as participant deferral elections, contributions, participant investments, and distributions. A provider may also be tasked with:

• Producing quarterly participant account statements
• Producing tax reporting on distributions
• Offering resources and education for employees鈥� financial well-being
• Recording and distributing 401(k) loans and disbursements
• Updating you when the IRS or DOL announce regulation changes
• Producing participant notices required under federal regulations

Ensuring your 401(k) plan is legally compliant

One of your provider鈥檚 most important jobs is to help you ensure your plan is legally compliant. When changes are made to laws and regulations, your provider should communicate them to you鈥攁nd clearly outline any steps you need to take. In general, you should rely on your provider to assist with:

• Conducting required annual compliance testing: The IRS requires plan administrators to conduct nondiscrimination testing annually to ensure retirement plans don鈥檛 unfairly benefit company owners or highly compensated employees.
• Preparing your Form 5500: The IRS and DOL require this form annually for all retirement plans. In part, this form helps document the financial health of your company鈥檚 401(k) plan.
• Providing annual audit support: Generally, for plans with 100 or more participants with a balance on the first day of the plan year, you鈥檒l have to undergo a legally required audit. Your company will need to provide documentation, such as payroll data and time-stamped communications to ensure your plan meets regulations.

What you need to do

While there are many tasks your 401(k) provider can help you with, there are some you鈥檒l need to complete on your own or with another qualified entity or individual. Many times, your provider will have relationships with a qualified entity that鈥檚 integrated with their product offering to help you with tasks like:

• Giving investment advice to participants
• Taking fiduciary responsibility for the plan鈥檚 investment selection and monitoring
• Making plan design decisions
• Signing your Form 5500
• Assuming liability for contributions being timely and accurate
• Monitoring incomplete or missing participant data

A strong 401(k) plan can help you attract and retain talent鈥攁nd help your employees meet their retirement goals. That starts with choosing a good provider, one that鈥檚 reliable, trustworthy, and can guide you through the ins and outs of serving as a plan fiduciary.

Eric O鈥橠onnell is a director of retirement product development for Sentry Insurance. Sentry provides cyber liability, property, casualty, life insurance, and retirement products to dealers and other businesses. Learn more at .

Risks to businesses are constantly changing. Climate change and cyber security are two of the most pressing challenges for business owners today. Rising temperatures, floods, and severe storms that were once infrequent are now common occurrences. The emergence of AI and our increased hyperconnectivity also creates new challenges. During this session we鈥檒l discuss these risks and how to protect infrastructure, employees, and business information.

Check out all of Sentry’s upcoming safety webinars at

| FEMA Member Since 1974

Fiduciaries play pivotal roles in ensuring the integrity of a retirement plan. Generally, fiduciaries are defined as individuals who have discretionary authority over the plan or control over plan assets.

Federal law assigns certain responsibilities to plan fiduciaries. Fiduciaries are held to a legally defined standard, and many plan sponsors don鈥檛 have the expertise needed to meet all of their fiduciary responsibilities.

It’s up to you to hire service providers and consult experts to help guide your decisions. However, you鈥檙e ultimately responsible for the decisions you make鈥攅ven if you鈥檙e following the guidance of an expert.

Here are seven main responsibilities you have as a fiduciary:

1. Operate in the best interest of plan participants

Fiduciaries must avoid conflicts of interest and act solely in the interest of plan participants and their beneficiaries. Documenting key decision factors can help prevent the perception of favoring others at the expense of participants at the expense of participants.

2. Follow the plan documents

Plan documents are the foundation of your plan, outlining important terms and conditions. You should be familiar with the plan documents and ensure the plan operates based on its established terms. If you don鈥檛 follow the terms precisely, it could be considered a breach of your fiduciary duties, and your plan may experience an operational failure.

3. Make timely disclosures

You鈥檙e required to distribute annual鈥攁nd sometimes mid-year鈥攏otifications to your participants. These disclosures/notifications generally need to be made within 30 days of their due date. Events like the beginning of a new plan year or changes to investments trigger these required disclosures.

4. Diversify investments

As a plan fiduciary, your retirement plan investment lineup must be diversified to help reduce the risk of large investment losses. You should consider each plan investment as part of the plan鈥檚 entire portfolio and monitor the fund performance regularly. Make sure to document these investment decisions and the reasons behind them. It may be helpful to work with an expert to conduct the investment selection and monitoring process or guide you in your decision-making.

5. Evaluate plan fees

When evaluating fees paid by the plan, focus on the value a recordkeeper or other service providers offer instead of focusing solely on the actual cost. As the fiduciary, you must determine whether fees are reasonable in relation to the services provided. An easy way to do that is by reviewing your plan鈥檚 fee disclosure notifications. Overall, you鈥檒l want to understand the fees you have, who鈥檚 paying them, and to whom they鈥檙e paid.

6. Review your process

The Department of Labor (DOL) recommends fiduciaries establish and follow a formal review process for assessing service providers at reasonable intervals, but for large plans, the DOL recommends assessing every three to five years.

Additionally, be sure to evaluate your service provider, reviewing their:

• Overall performance
• Ongoing support, including any reviews or reports they鈥檝e provided
• Actual fees charged, including any notices of upcoming changes to their compensation

7. Protect your plan

Explore how your service provider protects your data by implementing security measures that are suggested by the DOL, such as:

• Multi-factor authentication for participant logins
• Encrypting plan data
• Providing participants with cybersecurity education, including:
  • How to make strong, unique passwords
  • Beware of free wi-fi and phishing
  • Using antivirus software and more

All these steps are essential components of meeting your fiduciary responsibilities鈥攁nd providing a valuable retirement plan to your participants.

Eric O鈥橠onnell is a director of retirement product development for Sentry Insurance. Sentry provides cyber liability, property, casualty, life insurance, and retirement products to dealers and other businesses. Learn more at .

As you assess your spray booth safety plan, refer to the tips below to help you meet the requirements and guidelines outlined in National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 33: Standard for Spray Application Using Flammable or Combustible Materials.

Design and construction

• Use non-combustible materials (e.g., 18-gauge metal or masonry).
• Ensure doors are vapor-tight with gaskets or sills high enough to contain vapors.
• Install automatic shutoffs that interlock with spray guns if doors are opened or if ventilation fails.
• Keep interiors smooth to prevent residue buildup and make cleaning easier.
• Maintain adequate access and exits for employees working in the booth.

Ventilation

• Ensure ventilation systems can remove vapors and confine combustible dust and deposits.
• Keep vapors below 25% of the lower explosive limit (LEL).
• Maintain a velocity of 100 cubic feet per minute across the face of the booth.
• Use spark-resistant fans with non-ferrous blades.
• Continue running ventilation fans during and after spraying until all vapors are gone.

Electrical wiring

• Ensure components inside the spray booth and within three feet of it are UL-listed and Class 1, Division 1 rated (NFPA 70E).
• Use explosion-proof lighting that鈥檚 sealed behind wired glass and a vapor-tight seal.
• Ensure all metal elements, including ducts and other equipment, are properly grounded.

Fire suppression

• Install a professional automatic sprinkler or fire suppression system and have it serviced annually.
• Protect sprinkler heads or nozzles from overspray residue with lightweight paper bags, and replace bags often.
• Keep a Class B, dry chemical, or CO₂ fire extinguisher nearby.

Incorporating these strategies into your spray booth operations can help make your workplace safer for everyone.

As a FEMA member, you have access to Sentry鈥檚 collection of safety resources at farmequip.org/member-resources/safety. You鈥檒l need your member log-in credentials to access these resources. Sentry also has several safety webinars offered throughout the year that you can register to attend. To review the full list of webinar topics, go to . 

For questions regarding Sentry鈥檚 safety resources or webinars, please contact Bryant Hintz at bryant.hintz@sentry.com.

Safety services are provided by an affiliate of Sentry Insurance Company, Stevens Point, WI. For a complete listing of companies, visit sentry.com.

The information contained in this document is of a general nature and is not intended to address the circumstances of any particular individual. IT IS DISTRIBUTED 鈥淎S-IS,鈥� WITHOUT ANY WARRANTIES. NO MEMBER OF SENTRY INSURANCE GROUP WILL BE LIABLE TO ANY PERSON OR ENTITY WITH RESPECT TO ANY LOSSES OR DAMAGES CAUSED, OR ALLEGED TO HAVE BEEN CAUSED, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY BY THIS DOCUMENT, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER SUCH CLAIM IS BASED ON CONTRACT, WARRANTY, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE AND FOR PROPERTY DAMAGE AND DEATH) OR OTHER GROUNDS.

40-1870 | 5224841 | 2/25/2026

| Member since 1974

Sentry announced a 6% dividend share for product liability policies for the year.

Dividends are tiered. First year policy holders will receive 2% Second year policy holders will receive 4%. Policy holders who have been with Sentry for three years or more will receive 6%.

The dividends are possible because members who hold Sentry product liability policies have had another successful year with respect to losses. This speaks well of FEMA members, and it speaks well of Sentry, which provides its policyholders with outstanding safety advice and when there is a claim, outstanding representation.

In addition to product liability, Sentry offers a package policy program which can include property, inland marine, crime, premises liability, auto, cyber liability, umbrella, employment practices liability and workers compensation.

Did you know? Sentry offers 401(k) plans and comprehensive retirement services to members of FEMA. To learn how Sentry helps members build a stronger financial future, contact Matt Beigel at (715) 346-8523 or Matt.Beigel@Sentry.com or Trent Waltenberg at (715) 346-8405 or Trent.Waltenberg@Sentry.com.

by Eric O’Donnell at Sentry

Increased demand for financial education and personalized engagement

Employees today expect advice tailored to them. Participant engagement improves when they receive advice that aligns with their individual financial goals and career stages鈥攅specially when done through their preferred channels, whether that鈥檚 online or through an app. Regular, accessible education helps participants feel more confident in their savings.

In tandem with education, personalized communication with participants increases engagement rates, especially for employees who may be new to retirement planning.

Growing use of auto-enrollment and self-service tools by employers

Auto-enrollment continues to gain traction as one of the most effective ways to increase participation. According to the How America Saves 2024 Report, plans with automatic enrollment had a 94% participation rate last year, while voluntary enrollment plans only had a 67% participation rate 1.

At the same time, participants have come to expect digital self-service options. Features like auto-enrollment, tools and calculators, mobile plan management, and simplified dashboards make retirement planning more intuitive and help increase participation rates.

Focus on financial wellness鈥攂eyond the retirement account

Participants increasingly expect plan sponsors to help support their financial stability across the board, including providing resources for debt management, emergency savings, and budgeting. This approach not only boosts plan satisfaction but may also increase contributions over time.

Awareness around the future of Social Security

Gen-Z and millennials are increasingly pessimistic about the future of Social Security, with many expecting to receive just over half of their scheduled benefits, according to Morningstar 2. They鈥檙e deciding to focus more on their personal retirement savings to prepare for this possible scenario. This shift has energized many plan sponsors, driving them to offer more competitive and well-supported retirement benefits and educate participants about these benefits and the opportunities they present.

Retirement planning in 2025 is becoming more participant-driven. In a world of evolving benefits expectations, employees want tools and education that:
鈥� Reflect their personal financial journeys
鈥� Include easily digestible investment education
鈥� Offer on-demand dedicated support
鈥� Provide guidance toward long-term financial security

Acknowledging these trends and taking actionable lessons from them can help plan sponsors like you increase participant education and engagement.

Eric O鈥橠onnell is a director of retirement product development for Sentry Insurance. Sentry provides cyber liability, property, casualty, life insurance, and retirement products to dealers and other businesses. Learn more at .

1How America Saves 2024. (2024). Vanguard.
2Brandus, P. (2025). Stress about Social Security and the economy has seniors taking benefits early. Morningstar.

The 婷婷激情五月天 extends its gratitude to the generous sponsors of the 2024 Marketing & Distribution Convention in Addison, TX. Your contributions played an essential role in making this event possible, ensuring its success and enhancing the experience for all attendees.

We value your unwavering support and are proud to have your partnership. Your commitment helps us bring together industry leaders, build connections, and promote innovation in the farm equipment manufacturing community.

Thank you for your dedication and for being an important part of our Association. We look forward to continuing this partnership for years to come.