EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT SAVINGS PLAN

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]

EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT SAVINGS PLAN

13) EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT SAVINGS PLAN

Established under Internal Revenue Code Section 401(k), the Valmont Employee Retirement Savings Plan (“VERSP”) is a defined contribution plan available to all eligible employees. Participants can elect to contribute up to 50% of annual pay, on a pretax and/or after-tax basis. The Company also makes contributions to the Plan and a non-qualified deferred compensation plan for certain Company executives. The 2016, 2015 and 2014 Company contributions to these plans amounted to approximately $10,900, $11,700 and $12,600 respectively.

(13) EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT SAVINGS PLAN (Continued)

The Company sponsors a fully‑funded, non-qualified deferred compensation plan for certain Company executives who otherwise would be limited in receiving company contributions into VERSP under Internal Revenue Service regulations. The invested assets and related liabilities of these participants were approximately $35,784 and $37,963 at December 31, 2016 and December 26, 2015, respectively. Such amounts are included in “Other assets” and “Deferred compensation” on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Amounts distributed from the Company’s non-qualified deferred compensation plan to participants under the transition rules of section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code were approximately $5,317 and $2,439 at December 31, 2016 and December 26, 2015, respectively. All distributions were made in cash.