Editor's Note: The 2026 class of America's Safety Companies will be recognized Tuesday, September 22, during a live webinar beginning at 2:00 PM (EDT). More information about the webinar can be found at the registration site for How to Create and Sustain a World-Class Safety Culture: Insights from America's Safest Companies of 2026.

Douglas Machine

Packaging Machine Manufacturing

Alexandria, MN

750 employees | 1 site | 2 EHS professionals

One of the hallmarks of an America’s Safest Companies award winner is the way they look at safety, taking a proactive rather than a reactive approach to not just protecting workers but preventing them getting hurt in the first place. That kind of forward-looking vision, by necessity, requires a high level of training and engagement to ensure that the entire workforce is participating in maintaining a culture of safety excellence.

At Douglas Machine, a 100% employee-owned manufacturer of packaging equipment, employee engagement is the driving force behind their culture, says Craig Mast, EHS director. “Safety is not just a policy—it is a mindset, a way of operating, and a reflection of how deeply we value the people who bring our company to life every day,” adds Joe Salo, the company’s president.

To that end, the company maintains a full library of training materials, which any employee can access via a learning management system dubbed Douglas University. Some topics, Mast says, are automatically assigned, while others can be accessed by workers or assigned by the supervisor. At an in-house training center, workers can learn their tasks in a hands-on classroom environment, which includes essential safety topics like lockout/tagout, machine guarding and electrical safety.

All new leaders who join the company or are promoted to leadership roles are expected to adopt a servant leadership mindset. “At Douglas, we believe that great servant leadership is essential to our ongoing success,” Salo explains. A leader’s role, he notes, is not just to manage but to serve—by equipping their teams, removing obstacles, setting a clear vision, and living out the company’s values every day. No leadership role is more important, Salo says, than creating and sustaining a culture of safety.

Douglas Machine has more than 20 safety teams, with 18% of the workforce involved with one of the teams. With the support of the safety department, each of the safety teams sets their own goals and objectives, which allows workers to contribute directly to the safety initiatives at the facility, Mast says.

The company also has an environmental team focused on environmental compliance and reducing environmental impacts. “We track electricity, gas, water used, water treated onsite, and hazardous waste,” he notes. “We have made improvements in facility lighting, conducted energy audits, and when equipment needs to be replaced, they will be replaced with more efficient units.” In addition, over 95% of facility waste is recycled or goes to a beneficial use.

At the end of the day, Mast observes, “Our company is all about building a culture of inclusivity and belonging not just in the facility but in the community. Our mission is to enrich lives.”—DB