PORTLAND

At its recent annual meeting, workers’ compensation specialist MEMIC Group presented awards for workplace safety to 10 of its more than 20,000 policyholders, including four employers from Maine.

Karl Siegfried, MEMIC senior vice president of Loss Control and Safety Services, paid tribute to the following employers for their efforts at the Portland Museum of Art:

• A.H. Grover, Inc. of North Yarmouth, Maine

• Aspen Aerogels, Inc. of Northborough, Massachusetts

• Commonwealth Care of Roanoke, Inc. of Virginia

• Demoulas Super Markets, Inc. of Tewksbury, Massachusetts

• Dunbar & Brawn Construction of Bangor, Maine

• G.S. Precision, Inc. of Brattleboro, Vermont

• Iron Hill Brewery, LLC of Wilmington, Delaware

• R.H. Reny Inc. of Newcastle, Maine

• Richardson Brands Company, Inc. of Canajoharie, New York

• Smith’s Farm, Inc. of Presque Isle, Maine

Profiles of Maine employers

A.H. Grover, Inc. of North Yarmouth

A.H. Grover, Inc. is a family-owned excavating company specializing in site work, road and utility work and piping. Although their work presents several different safety exposures each day, they have not had a single work-related injury in more than seven years.

“They ensure that employees are provided with the best tools that are kept in utmost condition,” said MEMIC Safety Management Consultant Jayson Hebert. “Excellent planning prior to starting each and every job, caring for their employees to minimize their turnover and maintaining a strong safety culture across the entire organization, have all contributed to their remarkable success.”

President Alwin Grover established the company in 1973 and passed on his work and safety ethic to his sons, Ben and Matt. Ben started at the company at age 12 when it began and has been a laborer, driver/operator, foreman, estimator and now vice president. Matt started at age 13 and currently runs some of the company’s most difficult projects as site supervisor.

Dunbar & Brawn Construction of Bangor

Dunbar & Brawn Construction was started by Scott Dunbar and Alan Brawn in 2003 and has been a MEMIC policyholder since day one. They use innovative methods to raise the level in construction safety and reduce employee exposure to harmful airborne dusts such as silica, asbestos and lead.

“Our most important asset is our people,” said President and COO Scott Dunbar.

“Their dedication to safety is demonstrated in their proactive training and thorough equipment inspection process,” said MEMIC Safety Management Consultant Stephen Badger.

R.H. Reny Inc. of Newcastle

Established in 1949 by R.H. Reny, Renys is a family owned and operated department store with more than 550 employees and 17 locations in Maine, including Bath and Topsham. Renys has a formal injury management program that includes a strong return-to-work program involving all levels of leadership. Every store receives routine safety audits, all employees are involved with ongoing safety training and each store is represented on the executive safety/wellness committee.

“Renys has developed a unique family-like work environment where senior management makes the effort to meet and know the names of all employees,” said MEMIC Safety Management Consultant Hartley Webb. “Management expects every employee to be responsible for day-to-day safety and they work to raise the safety bar each year.”

Smith’s Farm, Inc. of Presque Isle

Since 1861, more than five generations of Smiths have farmed the land in northern Maine producing fresh broccoli, cauliflower and grains. If you go into a supermarket anywhere east of the Mississippi, odds are high the broccoli displayed in the fresh produce section came from one of their 4,000 acres of fields in Aroostook County. The best way to harvest broccoli is by hand, so Smith’s Farm knows people are their most valuable asset.

As safety administrator, Miles Williams has developed numerous policies and best practices for the operations with a strong and successful focus on injury prevention.

“Employees at all levels are involved in the day-today safety activities and all incidents are investigated thoroughly for root cause with corrective actions implemented,” said MEMIC Safety Management Consultant Dan Clark.

About MEMIC

• A SUPER-REGIONAL workers’ compensation specialty insurer rated “A” (excellent) by A.M. Best, MEMIC Group insures more than 20,000 employers and their estimated 300,000 employees. Licensed across the country with more than $1.2 billion in assets, MEMIC Group is a leading carrier in the Northeast with a growing profile across the Eastern Seaboard. Offices are located in New Hampshire, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Florida, in addition to the headquarters in Portland, Maine.