Contractor also receives three additional awards at annual CAF/NWIBRT Banquet

PORTAGE, Ind. (May 23, 2024) — Superior Construction, an American family-owned infrastructure contractor, won four awards at the annual joint Construction Advancement Foundation (CAF) and Northwest Indiana Business Roundtable (NWIBRT) Awards Banquet held May 9. These awards celebrate the best in regional construction excellence and outstanding company safety performance.

Superior won the Industrial Capital Project of the Year Award for its Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) Oakdale Dam floodgates and stoplogs replacement project. Superior partnered with engineering firm Enspect, Inc., Chicago Underwater, Inc., and Hard Rock Concrete Cutters to address the environmental challenges of safely rehabilitating the Oakdale Hydro Plant. The project team designed, built and installed a cofferdam system, creating a wall that allowed construction crews to work safely 30 feet below the level of Lake Freeman, which discharges 4,010 cubic feet of water per second.

Due to the potential dangers of working near an operating hydroelectric dam and the infrastructure’s value to the community, this project required considerable coordination and attention to detail. Superior dismantled the existing superstructure and installed its replacement using a crane fixed to a mobile marine barge. Employing this highly technical method improved the quality of the work and enhanced safety. They also contracted professional divers with Chicago Underwater, Inc. to complete underwater repairs.

The contractor also received CAF’s Excellence in Professional Development Award, which recognizes contractors who demonstrate an outstanding commitment to enhancing the quality and skills of their workforce through proactive and comprehensive professional development initiatives. 

“Our Midwest team has continuously improved Superior’s internal training program through creative initiatives, external collaborations with training providers, and using data and technology to evaluate the program’s strengths and weaknesses,” said Bobby Greer, CSP, CHST, Superior’s corporate HSE director. “They never rest on their laurels, and seeing their devotion recognized by both these respected organizations is fantastic.”

CAF award winners are selected by a third-party panel that reviews and audits finalists based on their application evaluation and overall contributions to Northwest Indiana’s safety culture. 

Superior also received NWIBRT’s Safety Recognition Award for companies whose OSHA Days Away from Work (DAFW) Rate, Days Away Restricted and Transferred Rate (DART), and Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) are below the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ most current national industry average.

Finally, Superior’s Joe Finney won the NWIBRT Outstanding Craft Persons Safety Leader Award. He was one of 23 individuals across Northwest Indiana who received the award given to safety professionals who prioritize job site safety.

Finney works on all Superior’s Industrial Petrochemical Division projects, managing equipment and worker scheduling, training employees, and providing clients with cost-saving solutions. He also assists project managers throughout the bidding process and collaborates with craft superintendents to generate revenue.

Finney’s division manager, Jesse Hanson, says he has a great attitude and never stops working hard. 

“He makes people feel comfortable and confident about themselves,” Hanson said. “I wish we had a hundred Joe Finneys!”