Korellis was recognized today by the Indiana Department of Labor for operating exemplary safety and health management systems. The state granted Korellis the INSHARP (Indiana Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program) Certification, joining only 49 other companies in the entire state of Indiana.
INSHARP is designed to commend small and high-hazard Hoosier employers for the highest level of excellence in workplace safety and health. Commissioner for the Indiana Department of Labor, Joseph Hoage, presented Pete Korellis, CEO of Korellis, and John Ziolkowski, president of Korellis, with the certificate and INSHARP banner.
“There’s a vibe at this company,” said Hoage. “[The commitment to safety] isn’t just corporate speak, it means a lot to you and a lot to these employees. This is truly amazing.”
Joel Barnes, the full-time safety manager at Korellis, runs monthly safety meetings within the company, and once a year hosts “Safety Fest,” a full day of seminars and workshops ensuring the employees are familiar with many aspects of on the job safety. They also make use of a comprehensive on-site Training Facility, where lessons are learned well before anyone steps onto a worksite.
“This great team we have in the office, and the phenomenal team we have out in the field are what makes this so easy,” said Ziolkowski. “Safety is our culture here, we speak it, we live it, we sleep it.”
Korellis’ operating philosophy is to put their employees first - and that means an absolute commitment to getting them home safe every day. Korellis noted that such commitment also leads to great opportunity.
“I never expected that our commitment to safety would open up so many doors for us,” he said. “You need to invest in it because it’s the right thing to do, but I never really realized how much additional business it can bring you. Safety isn’t expensive, it makes you money as an unintended consequence.”
Along with the INSHARP certification, Korellis has been honored on a local and state level with regards to safety. Aside from Safety Fest and their monthly meetings, Korellis also hosts weekly job-site toolbox talks and keeps employees trained on all the latest OSHA requirements.
As an additional commitment to health and safety, Korellis also runs an extensive substance abuse prevention program - taking pride in all of their employees supporting a drug-free workplace.
“If there’s a legacy here for Korellis, I want it to be that we were a safe company,” Korellis said. “That’d be a great legacy to have.”
The recognition celebration, hosted in Korellis’ atrium, brought out a full array of spectators from around the office and the field - the team that made the recognition possible.
“Thanks again to everyone that has made this day what it is,” Ziolkowski said. “It’s a very special day, and one I think everybody will remember.”
To learn more about Korellis and their commitment to safety, visit korellis.com
