Why Building a Safety Culture Is Important with Mike Cox

Why Building a Safety Culture Is Important with Mike Cox

From BUILD America by Kerry Smith

January 15, 2026 · 21 min · Episode 33

About this episode

Kerry Smith discusses the importance of safety culture with Mike Cox, highlighting its impact on company performance and employee well-being.

In this episode, Kerry Smith Buck speaks with Mike Cox, CEO of Crete United, about why safety is not a stand-alone program but a direct reflection of company culture. Mike shares how Crete United built an industry-leading safety record by focusing on non-punitive learning, near-miss reporting, field-first decision making and mental health awareness, while investing in dedicated safety leadership as the company scaled to over $1B in revenue. The conversation highlights how strong safety culture improves retention, reduces costs, strengthens acquisitions, and ultimately proves that when companies genuinely care for their people, safety performance and business results follow.

People in this episode

Host: Kerry Smith

Guest: Mike Cox

Topics covered

  • safety culture
  • company culture
  • non-punitive learning
  • mental health awareness
  • employee retention
  • business results

Keywords

  • safety culture
  • Crete United
  • company culture
  • employee retention
  • business performance
  • mental health
  • non-punitive learning

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Crete United

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