Every year, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) holds a conference in Beckley, WV, called the Training Research and Methods Conference (TRAM). This conference, dedicated to training and education, features various mine operators, universities, contractors, and state education grant holders, who each present their groundbreaking training material. They do so to share methods and topics to better educate miners, as well as to compete for blue ribbons or the coveted grand prize.

This year, Dr. Joe McGuire, who assists in providing underground mine training throughout the Midwest, presented our 2024 Annual Refresher Mental Health and Substance Abuse training titled “There’s no Crying in Baseball” on our company’s behalf.

Through the assistance of Commonwealth employees embracing this material, having honest conversations about the impact of mental health and substance abuse on workplace safety, and honest survey feedback on the material, Commonwealth Electric Company of the Midwest won the Grand Prize for the best new mine training presented in 2024.

This is not only a landmark achievement in our mine safety program, but it is also impressive that we, as an electrical contractor, outperformed large mine operators, universities, and state education institutions. None of this would have been possible without the openness and honesty of our miners in Des Moines, IA, and Omaha, NE. They truly showcase our company’s core values and commitment to excellence, both in their own work and in their support of their coworkers. They exemplify the character necessary to develop into a more cohesive and supportive team.

Congratulations to everyone, and thank you especially to Dr. Joe McGuire for representing us with such distinction on the national stage in West Virginia!