LAS VEGAS, March 2011 – Randall Basham, owner of Basham Construction and Rental based in Fairdale, Kentucky, was honored as a Contractor of the Year finalist, and received the Contractor of the Year Safety Award from construction equipment manufacturer Caterpillar during a March 5 event in Las Vegas.
Basham was among 12 national finalists for Contractor of the Year 2011, sponsored by Caterpillar and leading trade magazine Equipment World. The award was presented by Tara Cox of Caterpillar Safety Services. Jeff Burton, driver of the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing participated in the event by sharing his perspective of safety within NASCAR during an industry roundtable at the event.
In consideration for the safety award, Contractor of the Year finalists were judged by their firm’s lost time incident rate, experience mod rate, accountability, engagement, culture and reinforcement, as well as safety-related contributions to the construction industry.
In addition to regularly scheduled OSHA training and weekly safety meetings, Basham’s commitment to sustaining a culture of safety is notable by creating an environment where employees feel empowered to make decisions based on safety. Daily reinforcement is key for Basham, whose company motto reflects his systemic approach to safety: “We need you at work tomorrow and your family needs you at home tonight.” As well as employee’s continuous improvement ideas, the company has an independent safety consultant who performs surprise jobsite inspections and provides detailed findings in audit reports. Basham then uses this information to enhance the safety program. “A strong safety culture implemented as a process gives employees the ability to be confident in working with their crew,” he says.
Each Contractor of the Year finalist is selected on the basis of company achievements, endorsements from customers and vendors and contributions the company has made to the construction industry. All finalists received a four-day trip to Las Vegas and attended the NASCAR Sprint Cup race courtesy of Caterpillar.
Basham Construction and Rental specializes in sanitary sewer, storm sewer and water projects in the Louisville area.
“Equipment World magazine is honored to recognize the integrity, hard work, and dedication of these exemplary men and women,” said Dan Tidwell, senior vice president, group publisher of Equipment World magazine. “This group of finalists represents the best of the construction industry. Their success is evidence of the perseverance, drive and strong values they embody.”
Now in its 11th year, the Contractor of the Year program is sponsored by Caterpillar, the world’s largest maker of construction and mining equipment; Caterpillar Safety Services, which offers an extensive offering of industry-specific safety resources; and Equipment World magazine, the construction industry’s leading trade publication.
