(March 13, 2014) - Gray Construction of Lexington, Ky. was named the nation’s safest construction company in 2013 by the Associated General Contractors of America. The association, which oversees the Willis Construction Safety Excellence Awards, an annual ranking of construction safety programs, noted that 51 other companies were selected as winners for the quality of their safety programs. "Proper safety is paramount to the success of any construction project and the strength of any construction company," said Paul Diederich, the association’s president and president of Grand Forks, N.D.-based Industrial Builders Inc. "By demonstrating exceptional commitment to the safety of their employees and their outstanding projects, these deserving companies represent the best our industry has to offer." Diederich said Gray Construction was selected as this year’s Grand Prize winner because of its exceptional leadership in safety. He noted that the company was dedicated to the development and implementation of premier safety and loss prevention programs. The company presented outstanding guidance in safety and occupation health management, risk control, safety training, work site hazard identification and control, and safety program innovation, Diederich added. Diederich noted that there are multiple winners because the awards are distributed for a number of categories, based on the size of the company, the amount of work performed and the type of work performed. He added that the AGC-Willis Construction Safety Excellence Award winners are selected by a panel of five independent safety professionals within the government, corporate and insurance industries. Final judging for the awards program took place during last week’s annual convention for the contractors’ association.