On Thursday, April 24th, the Coalition for Construction Safety (CCS) hosted its Annual Awards Celebration at the Scottish Rite Cathedral, bringing together leaders from across the construction and contractor maintenance industries to recognize outstanding achievements in construction safety.

In the weeks leading up to the event, a distinguished panel of judges carefully reviewed all award submissions. The judges were impressed by the dedication, innovation and commitment to worker safety demonstrated by every participating company. They especially noted the creative techniques and forward-thinking programs being implemented to enhance jobsite safety.

As part of the celebration, 16 companies that participated in the Excellence in Safety Program, which involved a formal presentation to the judges’ panel, were recognized with Safety Achievement Awards. These companies included:

Among these organizations, five were selected for special recognition with the Safety Leader Award:

• Pepper Construction Group of Indiana
• BMWC Constructors
• Tonn and Blank Construction
• Superheat FGH Services Inc.
• Industrial Electric Inc.

We are incredibly honored and proud to share that out of these Construction Safety Leaders, Tonn and Blank was unanimously selected by the judges as the Excellence in Safety Award winner.

Over the past decade Tonn and Blank has been dedicated to improving and evolving our safety culture – and the results speak for themselves. Backed by full leadership support, we empowered our Employee Safety Committee to launch impactful initiatives – just to name a few – including daily 5-minute lunch huddles, real-time QR hazard reporting, a dynamic new hire orientation video, and the S.E.E. behavior-based safety program. Tonn and Blank’s OSHA statistics have consistently remained well below industry standards, culminating in a record-setting stretch from 2023 through 2024, during which we worked 1.3 million man-hours without a single recordable injury – including 645,908 man-hours (one full calendar year) in 2024 alone, the first time in our company’s history. Our commitment to innovation, employee engagement, and relentless hazard awareness has not only earned us CCS/IOSHA partnership status but also fostered a true culture of safety ownership at every level of the company. This Excellence in Safety Award is a testament to the hard work, collaboration, and unwavering focus of every member of our team.

Join CCS on Wednesday, May 28th for the highly anticipated Safety Directors Forum, where we will spotlight the outstanding organizations recognized at this year’s CCS Awards. This event offers a unique opportunity to gain insight from industry leaders who exemplify excellence in safety performance and innovation. Tonn and Blank Construction, recipient of the prestigious Excellence in Safety Award, will share the foundational elements of their safety culture and key highlights from their award-winning submission.

“What an incredible honor,” said our President and CEO, Jon Gilmore. “I want to thank CCS not just for recognizing us with this award, but for fostering a community where we can all collaborate to achieve the most critical part of our work – keeping our people safe. A special thanks goes to our Safety Director, Jake Wheeler, for taking our program to the next level. And most importantly, thank you to every one of our employees. A sustainable safety culture only happens when everyone is fully engaged. For a long time, I didn’t think achieving zero injuries was possible. I honestly thought people were bending the truth. But we’ve proven it is possible. When you put your heart into it, believe in it, and work together, anything can be achieved.”

This prestigious recognition reflects the deep commitment of our entire team to maintaining a culture where safety is the highest priority. We are grateful to the Coalition for Construction Safety and the judges for this incredible honor, and we remain dedicated to continuously raising the bar for safety across every project we touch.