CUBA, MO - Missouri has celebrated Labor Day for over 100 years by recognizing the contributions made by working men and women to our state and local communities. In honor of this year’s Labor Day, the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DOLIR) is highlighting a Missouri business that has made safety their top priority and spread that vision to their employees.
On Thursday, August 30, Department Director Anna Hui visited McGinnis Wood Products, Inc. in Cuba, Missouri. McGinnis manufactures white oak barrels that are used as part of the spirit making process, particularly for bourbon and wine. With markets across the world, including Scotland, Japan and Australia, five generations of the McGinnis family know that a culture of safety and quality in their operations is important to their employees, community and customers.
In 2014, McGinnis earned the prestigious honor of joining the Missouri Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP), bestowed by Missouri’s On-Site Safety and Health Consultation Program. This made the fifty-year old company the only barrelmaker in the nation to be included in the SHARP program.
Four years later, the company continues to boast an excellent safety record and remains a prime example of what can happen when a business puts safety and health first. Since earning SHARP status, McGinnis Wood Products’ workers’ compensation insurance premiums have gone down, and they have been able to raise wages and give bonuses. By making safety a priority, employers and workers can all benefit. It’s that vision and attitude the Department of Labor wants to help spread across the state.
“Our vision is to support and promote economic vitality, safety and fairness for all businesses and workers in Missouri. This underscores our efforts to partner with businesses and employees to help them establish effective workplace safety and health programs,” says Department of Labor Director Anna Hui. “Businesses, like McGinnis Wood Products, exemplify how successful that partnership can be. Working better together, we can foster an economic climate in Missouri where businesses prosper while creating safe workplaces.
In honor of their continued efforts, Director Hui delivered a proclamation from Governor Michael Parson to McGinnis Wood Products, showing the state’s appreciation for their efforts and example.
To learn more about workplace safety or to schedule a no-cost, confidential safety consultation, visit us at www.labor.mo.gov/dls. You can also learn more about the Department’s growth, safety and opportunity initiatives by visiting strategicchange.mo.gov.
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