Department of Labor Recognizes Local Companies for Safety
For Immediate Release
Contact: Renee Whitener, Director of Public Relations, Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation, (828) 758-2383, Ext. 3213; or E-mail: Renee Whitener
Lenoir, North Carolina (May 16, 2008) – Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation and its heating fuels subsidiary, Blue Ridge Energies, were recognized for outstanding safety records in 2007 during North Carolina Department of Labor’s annual Western North Carolina Safety Awards Banquet held recently in Morganton.
Employee teams at the various offices throughout their service areas lead the safety program at Blue Ridge Electric and Blue Ridge Energies. Oversight and coordination for the Blue Ridge companies is provided by Ronnie Jewell, safety and training manager.
The companies received several gold awards for employees in various offices working the entire year without a lost time accident and no restricted work duty. Two silver awards were given to two offices for working the entire year without a lost time accident with only one case of restricted work duty.
Blue Ridge Electric offices receiving gold awards were: Corporate Office, Lenoir, ninth consecutive year; Caldwell district office; Ashe district office, twelfth consecutive year; and Sparta district office.
Blue Ridge Energies offices receiving gold awards were: Ashe office, second consecutive year; and the Conover office, sixth consecutive year.
Blue Ridge Electric’s Watauga district office received a silver award and Blue Ridge Energies’ Watauga office also received a silver award.
Blue Ridge Electric is a not-for-profit electric cooperative serving some 73,000 members in the northwest North Carolina counties of Caldwell, Watauga, Ashe, Alleghany, Wilkes, Avery and Alexander. Its subsidiary, Blue Ridge Energies, serves homes and businesses with propane, home heating fuels and gas logs, fireplaces, and other hearth products from offices in Lenoir, Boone, West Jefferson, Sparta and Conover.
