Choate Construction Company is pleased to announce it received the STEP Platinum Award by the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Carolinas chapter. Presented at the 22^nd annual ABC Carolinas Construction Convention in Wilmington, North Carolina, this award honors companies that demonstrate exemplary safety performance across the construction industry.

“We are honored to receive another Platinum Level STEP Safety Award from ABC Carolina’s Chapter! This award would not be possible without the dedication and commitment of our employee-owners and steadfast trade partners to Choate Construction’s OneLife safety mentality,” says Senior Safety Manager, Will Southerland.

In earning the STEP Platinum Award, Choate has proven to be 619% safer than the industry average provided by the National Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Among additional safety performance criteria, companies awarded Platinum recognition must have an incident rate of at least 25% below the BLS national average.

Recognition with this Platinum Award is only achieved by the faithful commitment to Choate’s OneLife safety mission of preserving safety across jobsites and office locations. Working in tandem with the North and South Carolinas’ Occupational Safety and Health Administrations (OSHA) through partnership programs, Choate takes a proactive approach to mitigate and eliminate serious hazards onsite, while enhancing overall workplace health and safety practices.

“Our trade partners are critical to this recognition by the ABC Carolinas. In addition to our project teams, superintendents, and safety managers, the fact that our trade partners are fully engaged in our OneLife identity on each and every project is what makes this a standout safety program,” says Chad Hart, Choate Corporate Safety Director.

About Choate Construction

Choate Construction Company is one of the largest nationally recognized general contractors in the southeast with offices in Atlanta, Charleston, Charlotte, Nashville, Raleigh, and Savannah. Founded in 1989, 100% employee-owned Choate Construction specializes in both ground-up and interior construction, believing success is driven by its relationships and reputation. Choate has built a resume of projects large and small, across the nation in multiple market sectors. From its innovative OneLife safety program to its efforts to “Build Up” the communities in which it serves, the heart of Choate is its people. Please visit www.choateco.com for more information.

About Associated Builders and Contractors

Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) is a national construction industry trade association representing more than 21,000 members. Founded on the merit shop philosophy, ABC and its 69 Chapters help members develop people, win work, and deliver that work safely, ethically, and profitably for the betterment of the communities in which ABC and its members work. Learn more here: https://www.abccarolinas.org/

About STEP

Founded in 1989 as a safety benchmarking and improvement tool, STEP has evolved into a world-class safety management system that dramatically improves safety performance among participants regardless of company size or type of work. Participating ABC member firms measure their safety processes and policies on 25 key components through a detailed questionnaire with the goal of implementing or enhancing safety programs that reduce jobsite incidents. Visit http://www.abcstep.org/ to learn more about the program.