By Russ Jackson
Construction is an industry where risk is measured in inches, seconds, and decisions. Safety can't be a metric but a mindset. For nearly four decades, the Associated General Contractors of America has elevated that mindset through its Construction Safety Excellence Awards, recognizing companies who refine the standards, not just comply with them. Recently, among the nation's top-performing contractors, Southern Air earned second place in the Specialty Division with 1-2.2 Million Manhours worked in 2025 at the prestigious Willis Tower Awards. Think of this as the "Super Bowl" of Safety Awards and Southern Air as a team you don't want to meet in the playoffs.
A Five-Year Track Record at the National Level
We've earned three 2nd place finishes and one 1st place in the last five years and a distinction placing Southern Air among the elite in American commercial construction safety.
What the Award Actually Measures
These awards are earned through rigorous evaluation of:
- Safety culture
- Leadership
- Risk management
- Innovation
…not just incident rates. Southern Air's recognition reflects a deeply embedded approach where safety is planned early, communicated clearly, and owned by every team member. It's the same standard our project managers reinforce through ongoing jobsite audits, and the same standard we celebrate internally through our Yeti Awards program.
Why This Matters on Complex Jobsites
With increasingly complex jobsite environments, this consistency sets us apart. Through alignment with the Associated General Contractors of America mission to protect workers and advance industry standards, Southern Air proves safety is more than compliance but a practiced, intentional discipline. This is reflected across our commercial portfolio of work.
Built Into the Culture, Not Bolted On
This achievement is not just performance, but our culture and a continued commitment to lead from the front. It's also why we invest so heavily in developing the next generation of tradespeople through our apprenticeship program and why people build long careers with Southern Air.
Congratulations, Southern Air teams for continuing to demonstrate the integrity, accountability, and character that define our company and validate who we are every day.