Eight employers recognized for best practices in workforce safety and injury management

(Portland, ME) – The MEMIC Group, workers’ compensation insurance specialists, has announced its 2023 selections for The MEMIC Awards, which honor companies and individuals demonstrating best practices in workforce safety, injury management, and workforce partnership.

Founded in 1994 and nominated annually by MEMIC safety consultants, recipients of The MEMIC Award for Excellence in Safety are considered among the best of more than 20,000 MEMIC policyholders at deeply integrating workforce safety into their culture to prevent on-the-job injuries, increase labor productivity, and relentlessly improve work practices at all levels.

Award criteria include participation in safety workshops and on-site training, clear and consistent communication with employees about safety expectations, and investments proven to reduce injuries such as mechanization, machine guarding, providing personal protective equipment, and defensive driver training.

The 2023 recipients of The MEMIC Award for Excellence in Safety are:

• Sullivan and Merritt Constructors, Inc., of Hermon, Maine
• Hollywood Chrysler Plymouth, Inc., of Miami Lakes, Fla.
• Canterbury Woods, of Williamsville, N.Y.
• Merlin Industries, Inc., of Trenton, N.J.

Honorable Mention for Excellence in Safety was awarded to:

• UltraFab Inc., of Farmington, N.Y.
• Numa Tool Company, of Thompson, Conn.
• Community College System of New Hampshire, of Concord, N.H.
• Star Snacks Co. LLC, of Jersey City, N.J.
• Mitchell Auto Group, of Simsbury, Conn.
• Safety Products Inc., of Lakeland, Fla.
• Norsk Titanium, of Plattsburgh, N.Y.
• VK Health Facilities, of Valley Stream, N.Y.
• Regional School District 10, of Burlington, Conn.
• Horch Roofing, of South Portland, Maine

Created in 2021 and nominated annually by MEMIC claim specialists, winners of The MEMIC Award for Excellence in Injury Management exhibit diligence, transparency, and partnership in caring for workers in the event they become injured.

Award criteria include timely reporting of injuries using tools such as MEMIC’s First Call 24/7 Injury Triage & Telehealth hotline, securing appropriate care, promoting a strong return-to-work culture, and collaborating with MEMIC to mitigate risks, avoid costly litigation, and prevent similar injuries in the future.

The 2023 recipients of The MEMIC Award for Excellence in Injury Management are:

• Rick Case Enterprises Inc., of Sunrise, Fla.
• Chevy Chase Club Inc., of Chevy Chase, Md.
• Rome Memorial Hospital, of Rome, N.Y.
• Sugarloaf Mountain Corporation, of Carrabassett Valley, Maine

Honorable Mention for Excellence in Injury Management was awarded to:

• Deep Foods Co., Inc., of Union, N.J.
• Metzler Forest Products, of Reedsville, Pa.

Founded in 2021, the third-ever MEMIC Award for Workforce Partnership was presented to Claude Rwaganje, founder and executive director of ProsperityME: The Center for Financial Education, a refugee-led nonprofit based in Maine that empowers members of refugee and immigrant communities to build financial stability, careers, businesses, and wealth.

Rwaganje was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo and became a refugee in Central Africa in the early 1990s. In addition to his leadership of ProsperityME for more than a decade, Rwaganje also was elected to a three-year term to the Westbrook City Council. He also just completed his three-year term on the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston’s Community Development Advisory Council (CDAC).

While he has received numerous honors and recognition from many organizations, perhaps the most descriptive was being named by the Portland Press Herald as one of 10 Mainers to be thankful for; “people who work diligently, often without recognition, to comfort, protect, nurture, and inspire, and to make our world a better place.”

“The MEMIC Awards perfectly exemplify the partnership between MEMIC and our policyholders when it comes to workers’ compensation,” The MEMIC Group Senior Vice President of External Affairs Tony Payne said. “At the end of the day, the relationship with our policyholders is more about protecting the health and safety of their most important asset – their people – than it is about insurance.

“No one wants workers to get hurt, or if they do get hurt, to lose their livelihoods over it,” Payne said. “That’s the MEMIC difference. We relentlessly partner with our policyholders to instill best practices appropriate to their industries to avoid injuries, save money, and create a caring workplace culture. The people we’re recognizing with MEMIC Awards do it all.”

Nominees for all awards are MEMIC-insured employers recommended by their Safety Management Consultants and Claims specialists, their independent agents, and MEMIC management. All awards are given annually.

The MEMIC Awards were handed out to Maine-based winners at the Annual Meeting of Policyholders in Portland on June 12, and also will be a part of regional recognition ceremonies at several winners’ worksites this summer.

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About MEMIC
The MEMIC Group includes MEMIC Indemnity Company, MEMIC Casualty Company, and parent company Maine Employers’ Mutual Insurance Company; all rated “A” (Excellent) by A.M. Best. The MEMIC Group holds licenses to write workers’ compensation across the entire country. The group insures and serves more than 20,000 employers and their estimated 300,000 employees with dedicated safety and injury management service teams from Maine to Florida.