CALABASAS, CA — ValleyCrest Landscape Cos. has rewarded four of its many safe employees with new trucks. ValleyCrest celebrated its 2012 National Safety Awareness Day by presenting new work trucks to four deserving employees. It was the featured part of safety events the company held across the country, where more than 10,000 employees gathered to recognize superior performance in workplace safety.
“ValleyCrest’s commitment to safety began when the company was founded more than 63 years ago. To this day, ensuring employees go home safe every night remains our top priority,” says Roger Zino, CEO of ValleyCrest. “We firmly believe that our success over the years is a result of putting our people first by making safety one of ValleyCrest’s core values. I’m proud to say we had a record number of eligible workers qualify for the truck drawing this year. Congratulations to all winners, and great job to everyone who plays a role in our safety successes at ValleyCrest.”
That’s a demanding task that requires diligence and attention to details every day. In a typical day, ValleyCrest crews are out on the road in more than 4,400 trucks, pulling more than 2,500 trailers to thousands of customer job sites where they’ll operate some 9,000 pieces of equipment.
This year marks the 10th year that ValleyCrest has awarded new trucks, during which time 51 trucks have been given to workers. Since 2002, the company’s overall claims (at-fault, auto liability claims and OSHA recordable workers compensation claims) have decreased 50% over the 10-year period.
As part of a model safety incentive program, the annual Safety Awareness Day truck giveaway reinforces ValleyCrest’s deep commitment to workplace safety by encouraging employees to perform throughout the year accident free. This year, a record 4,600 employees across four different U.S. safety regions were eligible to enter a drawing for a new truck. To qualify, full-time field employees must complete one year of service with no accidents and be employed by a branch that meets or exceeds the company’s threshold safety standards.
The four new truck winners for 2012 include:
- Domingo Cruz Hernandez, a crew leader in the Maintenance Division in Palo Alto, CA., who’s been with the company for 14 years.
- Angel Hernandez-Ayala, a gardener in the Maintenance Division in Phoenix, who’s been with the company for five years.
- Amelia Lopez, a gardener in the Maintenance Division in Tampa, FL, who’s been with the
- company for seven years.
- Jose M. Carrillo, a crew leader in the Maintenance Division in Delray Beach, FL, who’s been with the company for four years.
“Employees truly appreciate and respect the safety program because they realize ValleyCrest cares about their well-being. It is not just empty words when we back it up by rewarding our safest workers with new trucks,” says Mike Dingman, senior vice president, a 33-year company veteran who oversees ValleyCrest’s safety program. “Workplace safety is a top priority because it is mutually beneficial for employees and for business. We also know commercial real estate customers appreciate it because they understand our crews keep safety top of mind and that helps reduce risks at their property.”
Safety is a significant component of ValleyCrest’s highly regarded training program. The company earned recognition again in 2012 as No. 114 of Training Magazine’s Top 125 companies for training, an annual ranking that honors organizations around the world that offer outstanding employer-sponsored workforce training and development.
ValleyCrest’s employees must follow a stringent safety program to meet the challenges faced every day on thousands of customer’s job sites across the United States. ValleyCrest’s aggressive and proactive safety training initiatives include a new-hire safety orientation; monthly training sessions for all supervisory field management; weekly safety conference calls; safety training compliance; a toll-free safety hotline and weekly tailgate meetings. In addition, the company offers quarterly safety incentives for safe work habits culminating in this annual truck giveaway – a tradition that despite a challenging economy continues to reward deserving individuals for their role in ValleyCrest’s safety successes.
