Modern strengthens safety culture and lowers workers' comp claims

Rising claims, tougher scrutiny

In mechanical contracting, safety shows up not just in the health, wellness, and operations of the workforce, but in the numbers. When claims, experience modification rates (EMRs), and premiums go up, they can affect revenues and profits, and whether customers will let you bid on their work.

Modern, based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, manages projects across the Midwest with a workforce typically ranging from 500 to 600 employees, depending on the season.

More people mean more exposure to everyday incidents such as minor cuts from raw materials, strains and sprains, and vehicle accidents caused by weather and wildlife.

A few years ago, those realities began to show up in the data. Workers’ comp claims were trending upward. EMR climbed, and Modern’s industrial customers started asking more challenging questions during prequalification and bidding.

“When our EMR went up, we had to answer more questions and provide proof of our commitment to safety. TrueNorth demonstrated their partnership by helping us manage those customer and carrier conversations while our safety improvements delivered results.” — Jason Miller, President of Modern Companies

Keeping safety culture consistent, and claims under control

Modern already had safety processes in place. But as the company grew, consistency across locations and job sites became harder to maintain.

Heath Rinderknecht, Modern’s Safety Director, was tasked with building greater awareness and renewing the company’s commitment to safety.

“We have good people and good intent,” Rinderknecht said. “But when you’ve got 500-plus employees across multiple sites, reaching everyone is challenging.”

Rinderknecht and the Modern team have worked with TrueNorth to improve overall field engagement and deliver more consistent training.

“TrueNorth has become part of our ongoing operations,” said Rinderknecht. “I can contact TrueNorth, any time, as a resource or to validate what we’re doing. They know how to explain things in a way that’s understandable and easy for us to act on.”

TrueNorth’s team supports Modern on claims auditing, carrier communications, and coverage reviews. TrueNorth also acts as an advocate when workers’ comp cases become complex, helping Modern navigate attorneys and resolution strategies.

TrueNorth safety specialists also visit Modern’s fabrication shops across Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, the Quad Cities, and Minnesota. They conduct walkthroughs and mock OSHA-style inspections to spot gaps and proactively assist Modern in fixing any non-compliant issues.

“Sometimes we’re too close to our own operations,” Rinderknecht said. “It’s nice to have another set of eyes walk in and see things.”

Safety is treated as an educational opportunity for people, not just a compliance requirement.

“We try to connect with people on a personal level and make them part of the solution,” said Rinderknecht.

Advice and insights when it counted

Miller said TrueNorth’s partnership has been invaluable in helping fix problems and managing conversations.

“When we had our elevated claims and issues, they helped us have the tough conversations internally and externally, so we could keep the business on track,” said Miller.

TrueNorth worked with Modern to develop customer-facing messaging, talking points, and presentation materials that explained the changes being made and how risk would be reduced in the future.

Lower EMR, fewer claims, better control

Within 36 months of expanding safety practices and claims oversight, Modern has seen measurable improvement.

Modern’s EMR declined by almost 25 percent. Workers’ comp claim frequency dropped as well, and premium volatility stabilized. Customer vetting during prequalification eased as safety performance became more consistent across jobsites and shops.

As Modern continues to invest in automation and fabrication technology to reduce manual exposure in its shops, TrueNorth remains closely involved, helping to identify emerging risks before they become claims.

For Modern, safety isn’t simply a department; it’s a valuable investment in its people and systems. And TrueNorth isn’t merely an insurance broker, it’s part of the team helping protect people and performance.

“It takes the right partners to run an organization safely. And TrueNorth has been with us every step of the way and made a real difference, for our people, as well as our bottom line.” — Jason Miller, President of Modern Companies

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