Korte & Luitjohan Contractors, Inc. (K & L) has received a Merit Award for jobsite safety in 2021 from the Southern Illinois Builders Association (SIBA). K & L received the recognition for having no recordable accidents on jobsites resulting in lost time. Korte & Luitjohan logged 81,963 manhours last year. The award was recently accepted by John Whitworth, K & L Vice President, during a SIBA board meeting.
William Blechinger, CHST, K & L’s Safety Director, commended the field team for their commitment to safety. “It begins with our job superintendents who work hard to make sure everyone on the site follows good safety practices.” This includes regular “Toolbox Talks” at the jobsite, covering safety topics from equipment safety to recognizing the signs of heat stroke. Blechinger also makes unannounced safety audit visits.
“This safety award is a team accomplishment and every employee here can be proud of it,” explained K & L President Gregg Korte. “We don’t achieve such a prize without sincere effort on everyone’s part. And I see it every day. We all do our best to look out for each other’s wellbeing. Because, while it is a great thing to work with people you like, doing work you like, it is even more important that we all go home healthy and whole, because we have families to support and personal lives to enjoy.”
K & L is a full-service, design-build, construction management, and general contracting firm based in Highland, Illinois. Since its founding in 1958, the company has provided quality construction throughout the Metro St. Louis area and Southern and Central Illinois. SIBA, founded in 1945, serves commercial contractors in the southern-most 39 counties in Illinois in areas ranging from labor relations to safety and education.
