SEAA has opened the submission forms for 2025 Project of the Year, Safety Excellence, and Craft Training Excellence awards.

The Project of the Year Award is for SEAA members that topped out a steel erection or miscellaneous metals project from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2024. Applications can be submitted using a simple online form and supporting documents. Structural steel projects will compete in one of four classes, determined by the dollar value of the erection contract. Miscellaneous metals projects will compete in one of two classes, based on contract value amount. Submissions are evaluated by an independent panel of judges based solely on information presented with each submission.

The Safety Excellence Award acknowledges SEAA members in good standing that go above and beyond in the effort to provide ironworkers a safe place to work, while the Craft Training Excellence Award is for companies that are playing a critical role in the development of skilled ironworkers. Winners are selected in blind presentation by SEAA’s Safety & Education Committee.

Winners are recognized during the Awards Ceremony at SEAA’s 2025 National Convention & Trade Show and will be invited to participate in panel discussions.

There is no cost for SEAA members to submit an application. The application deadline for Project of the Year is December 31, 2024, and the deadline for Safety Excellence and Craft Training Excellence awards is January 31, 2025.

Three of the five winning Projects of the Year– presented by SEAA in April 2024 to members from Arizona, Georgia, and Kentucky– shared common challenges of space constraints and difficult site access.

In Atlanta, Georgia, Porter Steel, Inc., had to deliver materials for an 8,625 lb AESS staircase to be installed between 9th and 10th floors of an office building using a 5 ft x 8 ft elevator. Likewise, All Things Metal faced setting structural steel by hand in the basement and upper floors of a 100 year-old building conversion into a posh boutique hotel. Located in downtown Phoenix, Arizona, the building was hemmed in on one side by a light rail line.

​At 691+ tons of steel erected, Cumberland Steel Company’s project was on a larger scale than the other two. However, they faced similar difficulties building an immersive sports, entertainment and arts venue in The Colony, Texas. The jobsite location was not much larger than the overall footprint of the structure itself, and had residential buildings on two sides, access roads that could not be shut down, and several other active projects surrounding it.

May 8, 2024 (Winston-Salem, N.C.) The Steel Erectors Association of America (SEAA) announces the recipients of its 2024 Safety Excellence and Craft Training Excellence Awards. Member companies received recognition for maintaining good safety records and having a comprehensive training program aligned with long-term career paths.

We’re just days away from the 2024 convention and trade show and the association is excited to announce the recipients of its 2024 awards programs! In all, 14 member companies received Safety Excellence Awards, three companies were awarded World Class recognition for their Craft Training programs, and five projects across multiple categories were awarded Project of the Year.

​SEAA's 2024 award winners will participate in panel discussions during convention next week and will be presented with awards during the Presidents Dinner.

For Project of the Year, entries could be submitted in four classes for Structural Steel and two classes for Miscellaneous Metals. Classes are based on contract value for that portion of the job. In all, six companies were recognized for effectively solving unique jobsite challenges while safely completing projects.  Project submissions are chosen by an independent panel of judges.

Winners will get the chance to participate in a peer panel discussion at AISC’s Steel Conference and SEAA’s Convention, and will also be featured in Connector throughout the year.

Worker safety is consistently one of the top priorities on any construction project, and with good reason. Since 2008, construction has experienced more total deaths than any other industry, and that figure doesn’t include fatalities from suicide. Our industry also has higher injury rates than most other professions, and unfortunately, safety costs.

The industry loses $5 billion annually due to construction-related deaths. The number is measured by lost productivity, loss of family income, and pain and suffering, according to the Midwest Economic Policy Institute.

However, today’s safety and training leaders recognize the impact of investing in creating a culture of safety. During a panel discussion at the 2023 Convention & Trade Show in St. Augustine, Florida, attendees were able to hear from the 2023 World Class Safety Excellence and Craft Training Excellence Winners.

The Safety Excellence Award went to seven SEAA member companies in three categories. Recipients were selected based on evaluations of their EMR ratings, OSHA 300 statistics, and safety program processes over the last three years.

Scoring was based on points assigned to a multi-criteria analysis, conducted in blind review by members of SEAA’s Safety & Education Committee. Applicants were evaluated on the portability of credentials, availability of apprenticeship programs, training, and recruitment efforts, in comparison to other companies of similar size.

“Good safety records, comprehensive training aligned with long-term career paths, and awards recognitions, are among the criteria that prospective employees consider when deciding where to apply. Beyond the inherent value of being a safe company, it’s also a great marketing tool in a highly competitive market,” said outgoing Safety & Education Committee Chairman Bryan McClure, during the panel. The following are excerpts from the panel discussion.