icon Proudly Sponsors Inaugural AGCMO Safety Champion Award

icon Mechanical is honored to be the inaugural sponsor of the AGCMO Safety Champion Award, a recognition dedicated to celebrating field employees of AGCMO member companies who go above and beyond to uphold safety on the frontlines. Our industry’s field professionals are working in the trenches, on the scaffolds, in the equipment, and alongside their crews, ensuring that safety isn’t just a policy but a practiced commitment every single day.

At the 2025 AGCMO Safety Banquet (February 20, 2025), the inaugural AGCMO Safety Champion Award was presented to Kellen Busiek, a Foreman (Laborers) for Castle Contracting, in recognition of his exceptional leadership and proactive approach to jobsite safety. Kellen was chosen from a highly competitive pool of nominees, with a national judging panel selecting him for his outstanding contributions to safety on the SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital project in St. Louis.

A New Award Designed for Those on the Frontlines

Historically, the AGCMO Safety Banquet award honorees have been recognized through gifts, prizes and giveaways,  ensuring that those who make jobsite safety a priority are celebrated. However, the Safety Champion award was developed to go even further…to not just recognize, but to truly reward. Rather than a material item, the vision became to gift the recipient an experience, something they can enjoy with their loved ones, allowing them to unplug, recharge, and create lasting memories.

Thanks to a corporate sponsorship from icon Mechanical, the 2025 AGCMO Safety Champion Award recipient walked away with a $4,500 travel voucher package, encouraging a memorable experience rather than a physical token of appreciation. As a vow of our commitment to this annual recognition program, icon has pledged to sponsor this award for the next four years, ensuring that future safety champions receive the same memorable experience. We invite others to join us in sponsoring over the next several years!

Kellen Busiek: A Safety Champion Who Leads by Example

Kellen Busiek exemplifies what it means to be a Safety Champion. His work at the SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital project presented unique challenges, including major site utility installations in a high-traffic, urban environment near light rail systems, hospital access points, and interstate routes. Recognizing the complexities and potential hazards, Kellen went beyond the project’s traffic control plan, proactively improving signage and wayfinding to enhance safety for pedestrians, drivers, and construction crews alike.

Kellen’s impact wasn’t limited to just his own crew; His commitment to communication, coordination, and continuous improvement benefited multiple trade contractors, the general contractor, and the public. His leadership was even recognized by OSHA officials during a site visit, where they commended his expertise, professionalism, and dedication to safety on-site.

Beyond the jobsite, Kellen’s leadership in safety extends to Castle Contracting’s Safety Committee, where he has actively contributed to improving safety protocols and refining best practices. His work on redesigning a dead man anchor for trench and excavation safety is just one example of how his insights and field expertise have influenced industry standards and enhanced worker protection.

Our Why: icon Mechanical’s Commitment to Recognizing Safety Leadership

icon Mechanical believes that safety starts in the field, with the men and women who put in the work every day to ensure that jobsites are safe, productive, and incident-free. This belief is what drove icon’s Safety Director, Joe Shryock, COSS, STSC (who also serves on the AGCMO Executive Safety Committee and Safety Banquet Sub-Committee), to be a driving force in creating this award. Joe has long advocated for recognizing the field employees who make safety their priority, and icon Mechanical is proud to be part of this initiative.

“The AGCMO Safety Champion Award is more than just a trophy, it is a statement’ said Shryock. “It tells every field worker that their efforts matter, that their commitment to safety is seen, and that going above and beyond is worth celebrating.”

This year, Kellen Busiek’s story was heard, his dedication was acknowledged, and his impact was honored. icon Mechanical is proud to have played a role in amplifying his achievements and ensuring he received the recognition he deserves.

“Kellen, congratulations on being the first-ever AGCMO Safety Champion!” stated Shryock. “Your leadership, initiative, and dedication to safety are an inspiration to us all.”