JB Marine Receives Safety Award

Chosen recently from 1,300 nationwide members of The American Equity Underwriters Inc. (AEU), J.B. Marine Service was named the winner of the AEU 2018 Safety Award. The award is given each year to companies in various categories with a superlative record and commitment to safety. AEU presented the award, for companies in the small shipyard bracket, to J.B. Marine at a luncheon August 28 at the firm’s repair yard in St. Louis.

Addressing the shipyard workers before handing the award to J.B. Marine’s owner George Foster, Holly Chapman, chief financial officer of American Equity, said, “We rate our members on the frequency and severity of incidents and then on the overall commitment of the company to safety.” Terry Guidry, senior loss control manager for AEU, explained that they look for a team commitment and a culture of safety that is practiced day in and day out, from top to bottom. “We judged J.B. Marine to be ‘the best of the best,’” he said.

In accepting the award “on behalf of all of you,” Foster expressed his gratitude and congratulations to the workers who had gathered on the office barge for lunch and to witness the award presentation.

J.B. Marine Service is located at Mile 168 where it maintains four drydocks and accompanying equipment and shops for the repair of boats and barges. It has a workforce of about 100.

AEU, based in Mobile, Ala., is a leading provider of longshore and harbor workers’ compensation. In the case of J.B. Marine Service, the company works in concert with Aon Risk Solutions, represented at the event by Meg Moore.

Caption for photo: Terry Guidry, Holly Chapman and George Foster. (Photo by H. Nelson Spencer)