PORTLAND, Maine, June 16, 2011—At the company’s Annual Meeting of the Policyholders this week, workers’ compensation insurer MEMIC presented Policyholder Recognition Awards to seven of its nearly 18,000 policyholders for outstanding performance in their workers' compensation programs.

At the Portland Museum of Art, Assistant Vice President for Loss Control and Safety Karl Siegfried, paid tribute to the following employers for their efforts in workplace safety:

• Buck Construction, Inc., Mapleton, Maine
• Duratherm Window Corporation and York Spiral Stair, Vassalboro, Maine
• G & E Roofing, Augusta, Maine
• Textiles Coated International, Manchester, New Hampshire
• Vermont State Employees Credit Union, South Burlington, Vermont
• Vic Firth, Inc., Newport, Maine
• York Water District, York, Maine

"These seven businesses truly stand out in the crowd,” said Siegfried. “They exemplify in their own unique way how smart businesses operate by putting worker safety first.”

The awardees included:

Buck Construction, Inc.
A 42-person general construction contractor company, Buck Construction’s focus is on concrete work, steel erection, carpentry and earth work. John Morrissey runs a successful safety program with annual training programs, an ergonomic policy, documented job hazard assessments and buy-in from owners and employees alike.

Duratherm Window Corporation and York Spiral Stair
Makers of high-end wood framed windows, doors and spiral staircases, Duratherm Window Corporation and York Spiral Stair controls their many hazards through an excellent safety program that builds upon training, enforcement of standards, high-tech safety devices and an excellent relationship with their medical provider.

G & E Roofing
Established in 1975, G & E Roofing refocused its safety efforts over the last two years to winning results: 800 days without a lost-time injury—despite 60 to 80 roofers working long hours. Stretch breaks, safety meetings and trainings, an ergonomic program with a part-time physical therapist on staff, and hiring practices all attribute to this company’s success.

Textiles Coated International
Textiles Coated International employs 100 people in an around-the-clock manufacturing operation making high performance polytetrafluoroethylene composites and laminates used in the automotive and food industries, to name a few. Similarly, their safety program is also high performance, running the full spectrum from ergonomic efforts to hazard assessments and from regular safety committee meetings to on-site medical management when an injury occurs.

Vermont State Employees Credit Union
Vermont Sate Employees Credit Union (VSECU) is a full-service credit union with six branches in central and northern Vermont. VSECU is praised for “owning its safety program, working with employees and fostering a culture that is focused on injury prevention, not just injury management.”

Vic Firth, Inc.
Vic Firth has been designing and making drummers’ tools for over 40 years, capturing the market as the number one drumstick and mallet company in the world. Every year they find ways to improve their safety program: yearly decrease in number and severity of injuries, SHARP certification candidate and new environmental safety and health coordinator on staff.

York Water District
Providing drinking water for over 100 years and a MEMIC customer for four years, York Water District is the only water district given The SHAPE Award from Maine Department of Labor—an award that recognizes employers who maintain an exemplary safety and health management system.

Short videos about these companies and their success stories can be viewed online at www.memicannualreport.com.

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About MEMIC

Specializing in workers' compensation insurance, MEMIC insures nearly 18,000 employers and their estimated 170,000 employees. Based in the Northeast, MEMIC is the leading workers' compensation insurer in Maine through Maine Employers’ Mutual Insurance Company which is rated A (Excellent) by A.M. Best. The company is the parent of MEMIC Indemnity Company, rated “A” (Excellent) by A.M. Best, with offices in Manchester, NH; Glastonbury, CT; and Albany, NY. MEMIC Indemnity Company is licensed to write workers' compensation in 45 states plus the District of Columbia.