Nashua, NH – DECCO, Inc. announced it has earned a National Safety Excellence Award from Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), which was presented at the 34th annual Excellence in Construction Awards during ABC Convention 2024 in Kissimmee, Fla. on March 14.
(l-r): DECCO’s Edwin Jones; Kyle Reagan; and Kevin Rush, field safety manager
DECCO received an Excellence Award for its unwavering dedication to jobsite safety. Representatives of DECCO say this recognition is a testament to the company’s exceptional safety performance and outstanding safety programs, as deemed exemplary by the ABC National Health and Safety Committee. DECCO was one of the select 45 contractors nationwide to receive the award.
“Safety is essential for each employee-partner at DECCO, and it’s the heartbeat of our organization. A company culture focused on safety cannot exist without leadership choosing daily to never compromise on the safety and the well-being of everyone. We are honored to be recognized among the safest specialty contractors in the nation and will continue to innovate and learn about ways to set the industry standard for safety best practices,” said Edwin Jones, DECCO’s senior director of environmental health & safety.
The 2023 National Safety Excellence Award winners were selected from ABC member firms that achieved Diamond, Platinum or Gold status in ABC’s STEP Safety Management System in 2023, reflective of their 2022 safety performance data. During the selection process, contractors were judged on self-evaluation scores, lost workday case rates, total recordable incident rates, leading indicator use, process and program innovations, and interviews conducted by members of ABC’s National Health and Safety Committee.
Owen Kepple accepted the bronze medal in the TIG welding category at the ABC National Craft Championships.
“Health and safety are core values for DECCO deeply integrated into the company’s actions and decision-making processes,” said 2024 National Chair of the ABC board of directors Buddy Henley, president of Henley Construction Co. Inc. “DECCO does not compromise on safety, relentlessly ensuring every employee arrives and leaves the jobsite in the same or better condition every day.”
DECCO also announced that second-year apprentice, Owen Kepple, clinched the bronze medal in the TIG welding category at the ABC National Craft Championships (NCC). The award ceremony took place at the ABC Convention held in Kissimmee. Two other DECCO apprentices also showcased their skills at the championships. Jordan Payne, a third-year apprentice, and Spencer Cunningham, a second-year apprentice, competed in the pipe welding and pipefitting categories, respectively.
(l-r): Jordan Payne, Spencer Cunningham, and Owen Kepple
“Our success at the National Craft Championship is a testament to our instructors, the DECCO training facilities, and the apprentices themselves. Owen is our 10th national medalist and we’re proud of the work he and his fellow apprentices put in every day to further their merit shop career. Competing against the best talent in the country and winning a medal is something Owen will always remember,” said CEO Kyle Reagan.
Participants of this year’s NCC first qualified at their Local Craft Championship to advance on to the NCC. The ABC Massachusetts Chapter and the Gould Construction Institute sponsored the participants from DECCO.
