Clayco just made Fast Company’s 2021 list of Best Workplaces for Innovators, amongst other industry leaders such as Google, Gensler, and Oracle and this is an honor that we’re really proud of. Recognizing the leading organizations around the world that are empowering their employees to improve processes, create new products, or invent new ways of doing business, the annual list highlights the companies that have continued to excel by innovating during a period of so many challenges. We’re the only builder to make the list, and it shows that we are really the best at what we do.

When I started Clayco, finding innovative ways to do business was at the core of the company’s foundation, and it still is after over 37 years. From the people we bring on to the projects we build, innovation defines our culture, our values, and our mission. We have found that our practice fosters innovation that goes beyond the bounds of tradition, and this is why we’ve been able to hire the best and brightest in the industry and create a culture where everyone can thrive.

One of the greatest ways we’ve set an example for others recently has to do with the improvements we’ve brought to workplace safety. Last year, we took a long and hard look at reducing worksite falls, which is the leading cause of death among construction workers. We worked with Clayco’s Project Superintendent Kile Nuehring to develop the fall arrest acknowledgment system (FAAS), which is now patented and being installed on all of our boom and scissor lifts to better protect our team members.

We’ve also chosen to take on projects that are making a real impact. From designing and building Pfizer’s research and development laboratory and facility in Chesterfield, Missouri, to developing Fulton East in Chicago as the first office building for a post-Covid-19 world, we are always adapting our business and practices to innovate with the changing times.

I want to thank our outstanding team members at Clayco who helped make this recognition possible, as well as all of the other leading businesses we’re sharing this distinction with. Innovation has sustained us since the very beginning, and it will continue to strengthen us well into the future.

To see the full list of Fast Company’s 2021 Best Workplaces for Innovators, click here.