News & Highlights

Three Riggs Cat locations receive Award for Safety

June 16, 2009

In a process that began over four years ago, Mike Patton, Safety and Loss Control Specialist for Riggs Cat, requested that these locations be considered for participation in the Department of Labor’s Safety and Health Achievement Program (SHARP). This program recognizes employers who operate businesses that comply with the strictest of health and safety guidelines, as mandated by the Department of Labor.

“We felt this was the right thing to do,” said Patton, “for the welfare of our employees as well as the company. By focusing on a safe and healthy work environment, everyone wins by reducing the number of injuries and days away. Our goal for Riggs Cat is to be better than the industry standard and, with the continued focus and commitment of our employees, we should have no problem achieving."

When asked about the benefits of the SHARP program and award, Russellville Service Supervisor Lee Vann said, “Our folks have learned to watch over each other and are very proud of what they do. I guess this is the first place I have ever worked where the owners are so involved in safety. This makes me very proud to work at Riggs Cat and is one of the reasons I have put so much effort into the safety and training of our employees.” Texarkana Rental Manager Marc Wake said, “We have great employees who take pride in their jobs and continually try to keep our operations up to OSHA specifications. Our priority is safety – we watch out for each other. We are very lucky to have owners who are so involved in providing a safe work environment for their employees. There is no doubt that the monthly safety program has helped us to achieve the SHARP award.”

Accepting the award from James L. Salkeld, Director of the Arkansas Department of Labor, on behalf of Riggs Cat, was Keith Riggs, Vice President of Corporate Development. According to Mr. Riggs, “Our goal is to have all of our locations in either the OSHA SHARP or VPP (Voluntary Protection Program). It is a great commitment from the owners, officers and employees to work toward a safety culture that focuses attention to the details of how to do a job both properly and safely.”

Once all SHARP requirements are met, and the facility re-inspected, the work place is then recommended for final SHARP approval and certification. Currently there are only 53 job sites with Department of Labor Safety and Health Achievement Program certification in the state of Arkansas; three of the 53 are Riggs Cat locations – Russellville, Texarkana and Springdale.

As one of the oldest Caterpillar dealerships in the United States, Riggs Cat has been proudly serving Arkansas since 1927 and employs over 400 people statewide. The company currently operates ten facilities across the state: Little Rock, West Memphis, Texarkana, Fort Smith, Jonesboro, El Dorado, Springdale, Harrison, Russellville, and Searcy. Riggs Cat provides sales, parts, service and rental needs for construction equipment as well as truck engine and power generation.