Safety Shines

ClarkDietrich wins 2025 Joan Kovach Safety Leadership Award

ClarkDietrich Building Systems has been named the recipient of the 2025 Joan Kovach Safety Leadership Award.

The award is presented by the Youngstown/Warren (OH) Regional Chamber’s Mahoning Valley Safety Council, in partnership with City Machine Technologies Inc.

The annual award, named in memory of Joan Kovach, co-founder of City Machine Technologies, recognizes a company in Mahoning, Trumbull or Columbiana counties that demonstrates exceptional commitment to safety training, operations, funding and communications.

“We are proud to celebrate ClarkDietrich and all our finalists, because each one has made workplace safety a No. 1 priority,” said Claudia Kovach, vice president of City Machine Technologies. “ClarkDietrich’s dedication to keeping employees safe exemplifies the spirit of this award and honors the legacy of my mother, Joan Kovach.”

Pictured at top: From left are Todd Piros, director of environmental, health and safety at ClarkDietrich; Jim Maass, plant manager at ClarkDietrich; Claudia Kovach, vice president of City Machine Technologies; Kenneth VonBergen, safety manager at ClarkDietrich; Collette Frank, HR business partner at ClarkDietrich; and Amanda Waggoner, HRIS Analyst at Clark Dietrich.

ClarkDietrich, the largest manufacturer of cold-formed steel framing in North America, operates facilities in Vienna and Warren. The company exemplifies safety leadership through extensive new-hire training, monthly safety committee meetings, near-miss reporting and creative initiatives such as a companywide “safety dojo” and a family-engaged safety calendar, a news release states. These programs and investments, including more than $500,000 allocated for new safety equipment, illustrate the company’s deep dedication to protecting its workforce, the release states.

“ClarkDietrich has always strived to be leader in every aspect of our business, including safety. Our team at the Vienna … plant prides itself on providing a safe work environment for not only our employees but for everyone who walks into our facility,” said Kenneth VonBergen, safety manager. “ClarkDietrich is always striving to improve safety, and we invest large amounts of capital each year to do so. We have several projects that we are currently working on to help reduce/eliminate risks and increase hazard awareness on the production floor.”

VonBergen said ClarkDietrich is “proud of what we have accomplished,” but the plant isn’t finished. “We are always looking to see what we can do to improve the health and safety of our employees.”

This year’s finalists also include:

• The Anderson-Dubose Co.: The food-service distributor’s founder and CEO, Warren Anderson, prioritizes employee welfare, fostering a workplace where people come first.

• Hitch-Hiker Manufacturing: The leading U.S. manufacturer of custom concession trailers is operated by second-generation owners Jeff and Holly Swartz, who emphasize a family-oriented and safety-conscious culture.

• Iron City Wood Products: Tina and DJ Yanssens, owners of the largest family-owned pallet management and recycling facility in northeastern Ohio, along with their sons, Tucker and Andrew, have created a safe and inclusive workplace in a typically hazardous industry, even overcoming language barriers through bilingual staffing.