SEAA Announces 2025 Award Winners for Safety and Craft Training Excellence

Top-performing companies recognized for elevating industry standards in safety and workforce development.

The Steel Erectors Association of America (SEAA) announces the winners of its 2025 Safety Excellence and Craft Training Excellence Awards. These honors highlight member companies who demonstrate exceptional performance in workplace safety and the training of ironworkers. Awards were presented at SEAA’s 2025 Convention & Trade Show in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, May 5-9, 2025.

“This year’s recipients demonstrate what’s possible when safety and training are treated as top priorities,” said Jason Farris, Chairman of SEAA’s Safety & Education Committee. “Their commitment to safety and workforce development is essential for the future of our trade. These are companies that lead by example, invest in their people, and prove that excellence is achievable at every level.”

Recipients are selected through a blind evaluation process led by the association’s Safety & Education Committee. Submissions are judged across multiple criteria including training investments, portability of credentials, incident rates, and overall safety performance.

Safety Excellence Awards
Fourteen SEAA member companies received Safety Excellence Awards in three categories; World Class, Premier, and Gold, for their outstanding 2024 safety records. Winners were evaluated based on EMR ratings, OSHA 300A logs, and safety program practices over a three-year period.
 
World Class

• Cooper Steel, Shelbyville, TN
• Derr & Gruenewald, LLC, Brighton, CO
• GMF Steel Group, Lakeland, FL
• High Plains Steel Services, LLC, Windsor, CO
• MAS Building & Bridge, Inc., Norfolk, MA

 
Premier

• Flex-Erect, Houston, TX
• Gardner Watson Decking, Oldsmar, FL
• Group Steel Erectors, Inc., Ridgeland, MS
• JPW Erectors, Inc., Syracuse, NY
• L.R. Willson & Sons, Inc., Gambrills, MD
• Piedmont Steel Company, LLC, Winston-Salem, NC
• S&R Enterprises, LLC, Harrisburg, PA

 
Gold

• Cubas Welding Construction, Inc., Charlotte, NC
• Shelby Erectors, Inc., Reddick, FL

 
Craft Training Excellence Awards
Three member companies were recognized for their workforce development programs. Evaluations considered credential portability, apprenticeship programs, training content, and recruitment efforts.
 
World Class

• GMF Steel Group, Lakeland, FL
• Derr & Gruenewald, LLC, Henderson, CO
• Shelby Erectors, Inc., Reddick, FL

 
“SEAA applauds all the recipients for their commitment to advancing the steel construction industry through safe practices, employee development, and exceptional project performance,” said R. Pete Gum, Executive Director, SEAA.
 
For more information about SEAA’s awards programs or to submit for the 2026 awards cycle, visit www.seaa.net/safetyaward.