Loader Operator in North Carolina Always Willing to Help

It is evident that Andy Lucas Hernandez (right) comes to work with a positive attitude and is a real team player, earning him the 2025 Year-End Safety Excellence Achievement Award from Safety Manager Tommy Trent (left).

Even though Andy Lucas Hernandez has only been with Gaines for not even two years, the mark he is making on the company is evident. He lifts his team up every day through his positive team attitude and safe work. Because of this, Andy righteously earned the 2025 Year-End Safety Excellence Achievement Award.

Recipient: Andy Lucas Hernandez

Title: Loader Operator

2025 Year-End Safety Excellence Achievement Awardee – North Carolina

Back in Q2 of 2025, Gaines and Company recognized Andy with the Safety Excellence Achievement Award. At that time, he had only been with Gaines for 10 months. Throughout the rest of the year, Andy continued to bring forth a team mentality rooted in safe work. He has significantly developed his skills and has earned the respect of his crew, making him a true asset to the team.

Andy’s Foreman Edgar Uspango said, “Andy is one of those guys who is crucial to a crew because you know you can always count on him. Not only does he know his trade, but he is always looking for ways to get more involved. His safe, quality work enhances our crew every day. I love having Andy on our team!”
Safety Manager Tommy Trent added, “Andy is a go-getter. He is always stepping up when needed and is helpful in any situation. His goal is to become a foreman for us someday, and I believe he is well on his way!”

Year-End Awardees

At the end of 2025, Safety Director Dominic Pope and a team of other managers reviewed all the year’s quarterly safety award winners to identify year-end winners at both Gaines’s Maryland and North Carolina locations. They identified employees who went above and beyond to enhance the company’s safety culture, instilling an instinctive focus on safety throughout their crews.

“We had such a strong pool of recipients this year, so we chose two year-end winners at each location,” Dominic said. “This proves that our safety culture is not driven top-down, rather all employees understand the significant role they each play in ensuring that our workforce remains safe each and every day.”

Andy shares the recognition of the 2025 Year-End Safety Achievement Award winner with three other Gaines and Company employees – Alberto Aguilar (Maryland), Jose Cruz (North Carolina), Juan Valles (Maryland).

2026 – Positive Safety Persistence

So what’s next for Gaines and Company’s safety culture in 2026?

“Our primary goal is to always finish each year with zero accidents or injuries. It is feasible but difficult. As our safety director, I instead focus on creating a positive culture throughout our organization to continue focusing on safety, health, and wellness to achieve this goal,” said Dominic. “We’ve built a successful safety program that empowers all employees to actively advocate for safe work, and it’s awesome to see them drive the program themselves.”

Tommy Trent added, “Our employees know that safety is part of everyone’s job. This gives them all the power to enforce and enhance it – from vice presidents and superintendents to all crew members. It’s a positive work environment that feeds off of the cooperation of the entire workforce. I look forward to where our workforce will take this culture in 2026.”

Gaines and Company is a full-service grading and excavation company with offices in Maryland and North Carolina. The organization has 70 years of experience in underground utilities, grading and excavating, sediment and erosion controls, and road work. Gaines and Company delivers safe, reliable, turnkey site development services in Maryland, North Carolina, Washington D.C., and Delaware on time and within budget.