Interstates Team Earns Regional Safety Award on Midwest Data Center Project

A group of construction workers in safety vests and hard hats stands inside a large industrial building. Several workers are wearing bright orange and yellow high-visibility gear, and one person in the center is holding a safety award plaque.

June 22, 2026

Interstates recently received an owner regional safety award for work on a hyperscale data center project in the Midwest. The recognition reflects the collective efforts of every trade partner on-site who worked together to build a culture where safety is shared, visible, and prioritized every day.

From project leadership to craft professionals in the field, the team focused on open communication, accountability, and continuous improvement. By creating space for honest conversations about risk and encouraging everyone to take ownership of safety, the team reinforced a culture where looking out for one another is simply part of how the work gets done every single day.  

What this Client Award Means 

This large regional safety award, presented to the entire job site, recognizes the collaboration of all trades and subs working on the project. 

  • "This award supports the client's number one value of safety, and drives continuous improvements in program and project safety, which ultimately makes everyone a winner." 
  • "The effort the winning teams put into developing and implementing a campus and project-specific safety system has paid dividends and created a culture that embodies safety and supports their culture of Zero Harm." 

What Our Client Noticed 

  • "Outstanding site safety collaboration and communication. This project is a model for the 'one team' approach, with honesty and openness being a value." 
  • "Commitment to being best-in-class. Compliance is seen as a minimum. This site truly strives to go above and beyond for safety." 
  • "This site has reduced its 12-month rolling average TRIR by 43% by focusing on trade partner engagement through listening sessions and driving personal responsibility for safety." 

What Our Team Members Say

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Austin Britt, Senior Project Manager 

This project has been honored with the client’s Regional Safety Award for the second year in a row**—an achievement that reflects the outstanding commitment of everyone involved. As Senior Project Manager, it means a great deal to me to see our team recognized for putting safety at the forefront of everything we do. This award is a direct result of the project team’s dedication, discipline, and daily focus on creating a safe work environment and taking care of each other. Interstates continues to play a key role in strengthening the on-site safety culture, and this recognition highlights the impact our people make through consistent excellence.  

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Donna Wise, Site Project Manager

I am extremely proud of the entire team for receiving this award for the second year in a row**, as it reflects our continued commitment to maintaining a safe and healthy job site. Safety is at the core of everything we do, and this recognition highlights the consistent hard work, vigilance, and teamwork of everyone involved—from site management to every crew member on the ground. Earning this award again reinforces our strong safety culture and our belief that protecting our people is essential to the success of every project.   

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Chris Kibby, Safety Tech III 

Receiving this safety award is something I’m genuinely grateful for, because it represents far more than a plaque or recognition—it reflects the daily choices the Interstates team makes to look out for one another. On this project, safety isn’t just a requirement; it’s a shared responsibility, and this award confirms the pride we take in doing the job the right way, every day. It means our team has stayed committed, communicated openly, and never cut corners, even when it was difficult. I’m proud of the culture we’ve built together and thankful to work alongside people who value getting home safely just as much as getting the work done.  

Earning this regional safety award on a hyperscale data center project speaks to the strength and professionalism of our field teams. Projects of this size and complexity push us to operate at the highest level—and they create meaningful opportunities for our people to grow.  

At Interstates, we intentionally pursue work that challenges and develops our teams. Whether it’s mastering advanced electrical systems or stepping into new leadership roles, projects like this reflect our commitment to creating opportunities that help our people build their skills, strengthen our culture, build morale and continue raising the standard for safety and performance.  

* TRIR (Total Recordable Incident Rate) is a standardized workplace safety metric based on OSHA recordable incidents and is used to measure the frequency of work-related injuries and illnesses. Lower TRIR values generally indicate stronger safety performance. 

** The same project team had previously received another award from the general contractor, further demonstrating their commitment to safety.