Breaking Barriers. Boosting Participation.

Challenge

Blazer Modular Construction was built on values and innovation. Since 1976, this family-run company has grown to a team of 160, constructing schools, offices, businesses, and homes in its 135,000 square foot facility in Aumsville, Oregon.

The company’s previous retirement plan was run by a small broker and a
reliable third-party administrator. It was a solid plan with high service levels and participants were happy with it. The trouble was participation had plateaued and employees that prefer to receive technical financial advice in Spanish found it difficult to understand their benefits and how to take full advantage of features such as the plan’s Roth option.

Blazer needed a retirement plan advisor who could offer one-on-one support and education to assist their Spanish speakers.

Objective

Language is a major barrier for many employees. Rather than risk misunderstanding, many people opt out of investing. For an employer who cares about helping employees build wealth to retire comfortably, it can be painful to see some of the team standing on the sidelines.

Fisher\SMB’s multilingual counselors offer support in English and Spanish, plus translation services in other languages. Experienced retirement specialists who are native Spanish speakers can meet with employees in-person or by phone so that no one who’s eligible is left out.

Solution

Blazer Modular Construction had a good retirement plan, but over time, Blazer leadership realized they wanted to provide more 401(k) resources to employees whose first language was Spanish.

“We were well taken care of from a plan maintenance and investment standpoint, but we struggled to communicate retirement concepts to our Spanish-speaking employees,” Greg Smith, Admin VP, recalls. “Fisher\SMB changed that by offering native Spanish-speaking retirement specialists who could meet our team where they are—literally and linguistically.”

Fisher\SMB offers more than translation. As trained retirement specialists, they provide customized education and answer questions in person or over the phone so that no employees walk away confused or reluctant to save for retirement.

Blazer employees also receive educational materials in English and Spanish, each piece branded with the Blazer logo, helping make clear that Blazer is there to support them as they save for retirement. The company also uses auto-enrollment and auto-escalation features to help employees start strong and keep growing “I juggle a variety of responsibilities and our 401(k) isn’t top of mind every day,” says Smith. “With Fisher\SMB, I know it’s being handled. That peace of mind is invaluable.”