CHARLESTON, S.C. – Following strict adherence to federal and state safety regulations and workplace best practices, the Knight’s Companies Richmond Hill precast plant showed no recordable incidents for 2025.
An OSHA recordable incident is a work-related injury or illness requiring medical treatment beyond first-aid, days away from work, restricted work, job transfer, loss of consciousness or death.
Alec Stewart-Evans, plant manager at the Richmond Hill precast plant, believes one of the biggest factors relating to their positive safety scores is his employees’ familiarity with a variety of Knight’s roles.
“A lot of these people have worked in numerous roles while at Knight’s, so they’re really familiar with the different things needed to get our jobs done,” he said.
Another positive contributing factor is the longevity of many Knight’s employees.
“Some of my guys have been here for a decade or more, which really says something about the company we work for,” he added.
Describing his workplace environment, Stewart-Evans said everyone at his plant works extremely well together.
He said one of his plant’s biggest strengths is identifying “pinch points,” or factors that could lead to safety violations or injuries and learning the best ways to address them.
An example of this strategy is hosting weekly “Toolbox Talks” that go over safety protocols and equipment safety.
“Since we aren’t the largest precast plant, we are able to have more sit-down, interpersonal meetings with the whole team. People can ask questions, and if someone doesn’t feel safe about something, we can discuss it and find alternative solutions,” he added.
Stewart-Evans attributed his plant’s lack of safety violations to his team’s hard work and diligence. He also believes that the culture surrounding his job is part of the reason for their success.
“I realized pretty quickly at Knight’s that I would think ‘I’m not upset that I have to go to work,’ and that is one of the things that kept me here instead of finishing my Registered Nurse degree,” he said.
Having been with Knight’s since April 2017, Stewart-Evans has worked in a variety of company positions prior to his current role. These include everything from “box builder” production associate to Quality Control (QC) manager.
After earning his Department of Transportation (DOT) certification, he then earned his “Master Precaster” certification through the National Precast Concrete Association (NPCA) in early 2022 before becoming plant manager of Richmond Hill precast in July 2022.
As plant manager, Stewart-Evans oversees production, orders materials and coordinates with shipping and production associates to prepare for upcoming jobs.
“This is a place where people stick around,” he added. “And I’m so proud of my team for putting safety first every day.”
To learn more about Knight’s Companies and its precast options, visit knightscompanies.com.