AGC of California announces winners of Construction Safety Excellence Awards

The Associated General Contractors (AGC) of California, based in Sacramento, has announced the winners of the 38^th annual Construction Safety Excellence Awards (CSEA), held in partnership with HammerTech Systems Inc., a global construction safety company headquartered in Australia. Winners were announced Oct. 9 during the Construct Annual Conference in Indian Wells, California.

The 2025 awards and their respective winners include:

• Building Division Under 500,000 Worker Hours: Blach Construction Co.
• Building Division 500,000-1 Million Worker Hours: Clark Construction Group
• Building Division Over 1 Million Worker Hours: Hensel Phelps
• Heavy Civil/Highway Under 275,000 Worker Hours: Nova Group Inc.
• Heavy Civil/Highway 275,000-1 Million Worker Hours: Shanska
• Heavy Civil/Highway Over 1 Million Worker Hours: Granite Construction Inc.
• Individual Safety Effort of a Frontline Foreman: Richard Castro, Hensel Phelps
• Individual Safety Effort of a Project Superintendent: Armando Hernandez, Isec Inc.
• Safety on a High Hazard Project: Granite Construction’s Los Angeles Airport Runway 6L-24R North Airfield Exit Taxiways and Runway Rehabilitation Project
• Specialty Division Under 300,000 Worker Hours: Aldridge Electric
• Specialty Division 300,000-1 Million Worker Hours: Isec Inc.
• Specialty Division Over 1 Million Worker Hours: Murray Co.

In 2025, the CSEA program experienced a significant rise in both applicants and finalists, according to the AGC of California. The event brought together several hundred industry professionals, including construction executives, safety leaders and student chapter members.

“The growth of this year’s program is a testament to the deep-rooted culture of safety that defines California’s construction industry,” says Peter Tateishi, CEO of the AGC of California. “The companies honored through CSEA exemplify the highest standards of professionalism and care—showing that safety is a protocol and a shared value that drives innovation, strengthens our workforce and ensures every worker goes home safely.”

The AGC of California will present its Harry Eckstein Safety Professional of the Year Award during the Installation & Awards Gala on Jan. 30, 2026, in San Francisco.

“As an industry, our mission remains centered on ensuring every worker returns home safely to their families,” says Ryan Aukerman, president-elect of the AGC of California and president of Griffith Co., Brea, California. “Safety is at the heart of everything we do—not just on the job site, but in how we support the mental and physical well-being of every employee. We know that safety is more than just procedures and equipment; it’s also about promoting mental health and creating an environment where everyone feels supported. Together, we are elevating safety conversations, implementing new initiatives and raising the bar for what it means to protect the whole worker.”