James City County Economic Development Director Keith Taylor (second from left) and county Administrator Sandy Wanner (second from right) join officials from the Barré Company and the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry as the Department of Labor and Industry presents the SHARP Award to the Barré Company.
Carolyn Prosise, Regional Director of the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry, presented the Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) Award to Fred Barré, Owner and Chairman of the Barré Company, in a ceremony earlier this week at the Barré Plant at Stonehouse Commerce Park in Toano.
The SHARP Award recognizes worksites that operate exemplary safety and health programs that result in immediate and long-term prevention of job related injuries and illnesses. According to Ms. Prosise, Barré is one of fewer than 100 small businesses in Virginia to achieve this safety recognition.
The Barré Company, a precision fabricator of sheet metal products for the electronics industry, has been in operation in Toano since July of 1998.
On hand for the presentation were VOSH Industrial Safety Consultants Clark Brinkmeyer and David Lundt who worked with Barré's Toano Plant Manager Thomas Price to establish a comprehensive health and safety program for the plant. The Barré plant currently has 29 employees and has worked 483 consecutive workdays without a time lost accident or illness. James City County Administrator Sandy Wanner and Economic Development Director Keith Taylor were also on hand for the ceremony. Sandy Wanner applauded the efforts of the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry Safety consultants in helping James City County businesses provide safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. He said, "The efforts of the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry parallel efforts made by the County to safeguard the health and well being of its citizens." Barré Company President, Paul Kalamaras thanked the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry Officials commenting that, "Voluntary safety programs such as SHARP make it easy for Virginia businesses to do the right thing for their employees." Thomas Price, Barré Plant Manager.