Mon, October 11, 2010 11:53 am EST

Builders Association Awards Stellar with ‘Platinum’ Safety Certification

Stellar secures 15th STEP Award, fourth AQC Award

CONTACT: Allison Korman Shelton at 904-899-9818 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Oct. 11, 2010) - Stellar, a construction, design, engineering and mechanical services firm, won the construction industry's safety benchmark award - the Associated Builders and Contractors' (ABC) Safety Training Evaluation Process (STEP) certification - for the 15th year. In addition, for the fourth year in a row the company secured ABC's Accredited Quality Contractor (AQC) certification, an award that recognizes best practices. The certifications were presented by the Florida First Coast Chapter of ABC, one of the nation's leading organizations representing America's business community and the U.S. construction industry.

"The ABC certifications publicly acknowledge Stellar's commitment to safety and dedication to implementing best practices within our industry," said Phil Hinrichs, Stellar's vice president of risk management. "We are very proud that our well-established safety program has been recognized by the construction industry's top professional association for more than a decade."

Safety Training Evaluation Process (STEP)

The STEP program offers an objective and organized method for analyzing and developing safety and loss prevention programs and measuring safety program improvements. STEP achievement falls into four categories: Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum. Stellar has met the STEP Platinum level of achievement, the highest offered, for six consecutive years. Application for the STEP Platinum level is only open to organizations that achieved Gold or Platinum recognition in the immediate year prior and whose safety measures - including incidence rates, DART rates ("days away, restricted or transferred") and EMRs ("experience modification rate") - are significantly better than the national averages.

Accredited Quality Contractor (AQC)

Launched in 1993, the AQC accreditation program serves to publicly recognize and honor construction firms that have documented their commitment in four key areas of corporate responsibility: safety (STEP Gold or Platinum-level achievement is required), employee benefits, training and community relations. The designation is recognized as a benchmarking tool for construction industry best practices.

Stellar is a charter member of the ABC Florida First Coast Chapter, which was chartered in 1993 and consists of more than 205 member companies representing thousands of northeast Florida construction industry professionals. ABC is a national association representing 25,000 merit shop construction and construction-related firms in 77 chapters across the United States. The Florida First Coast Chapter serves contractors, subcontractors, suppliers and associates in Baker, Bradford, Clay, Columbia, Duval, Flagler, Hamilton, Nassau, Putnam, St. Johns and Union counties.