Company

Sustainability

Ensuring Our Future

R. H. White strives to be the construction company of choice that our customers and employees can rely on today and well into the future. For me, it’s about providing for our families and keeping them safe, giving back to those around us, and preserving the environment for future generations.

I am proud to be the third-generation owner surrounded by committed employees who focus on long-term sustainable growth of the organization. Take a few moments to see some of the ways that we’re dedicated to ensure R.H. White will thrive for another 95 years.

David White
Chairman & Treasurer

David White, Chairman & Treasurer of utility construction company R.H. White Construction servicing the Worcester, MA area

Our Sustainability Program

We look to build relationships while providing service and solutions for our employees and customers. Our approach to business is guided by a commitment to sustainable practices that will benefit current and future generations of the R.H. White Companies, its clients, and the communities where we work­ without compromising the needs of future generations. Our Sustainability Program focuses on our core principles and strategic initiatives of Safety, Employee Engagement, the Environment and Social Well­-Being.

Safety

“The reality is, every organization has a ‘safety culture’ – whether good or bad. What all organizations need is a culture of safety, where everyone takes personal responsibility for their own safety as well as those around them.”
Greg Anderson
Safety 24/7 – Building an Incident-Free Culture

Safety all day, every day – it is what our families, friends and clients expect. We emphasize positive safety behaviors and acknowledge those employees who go above and beyond. Additionally, when emphasizing the safety of our employees, customers see benefits in decreased costs, increased productivity, and increased quality of work.

Under the direction of our Manager of Safety and four full-time safety officers, we provide ongoing safety training, site-specific safety plans, and routine analyses of job-site safety. A safe workplace fosters an efficient workforce—and that leads to high quality results for our customers.

Some additional programs include:

  • Annual Safety Summit – This full-day event is held with all superintendents, foremen and other management – with invited customers – at a central location and typically features an outside speaker such as Greg Anderson, author of Safety 24/7 – Building an Incident-Free Culture.
  • Safety Days – Hosted at our many locations, these programs feature safety topics and tips emphasizing our Safety 24/7 culture.
  • Required Safety Audits by Managers – All managers and above are required to perform four safety audits as a “fresh eyes” endeavor to provide valuable feedback to our field crews.
  • Safety Stand-Outs – Positive reinforcement and company-wide promotion of individual employee stories that highlight the true spirit of a culture of safety.

Employee Engagement

“To win in the marketplace you must first win in the workplace”
Doug Conant
Conant Leadership

Engaged employees are happier – at work, at home and wherever their activities and interests take them outside of the workplace.

At R.H. White, our employees are actively involved in planning at all levels, are offered continuous learning opportunities and receive regular cross-departmental communication to actively increase participation and engagement levels throughout the organization.

We do not claim to be trend setters, but we do believe in and place value on our employees and their job satisfaction. Just a few of the comprehensive skills development and training programs we offer:

  • Apprentice Programs
  • Construction Management Training
  • Foreman and Superintendent Training Programs
  • Millennial Mentoring Programs
  • Multi-Generational Leadership Programs
  • Professional Trade Association Memberships
  • Tuition Reimbursement

We invite you to visit our careers section to see how we invest in our employees, and hear what some of our employees have to say about R.H. White.

Environment

“We’re committed to environmentally-sustainable practices, such as incorporating recycled elements in our building projects and minimizing waste from our worksites.”
David H. White
R.H. White Companies

At R.H. White, our trucks aren’t the only thing that is green. We are committed to environmentally sustainable elements in our building projects and minimizing waste from our worksites. We support our clients’ growing demands for cleaner, more cost-efficient fuels by servicing the thriving natural gas, LNG, CNG, and landfill industries. We demonstrate our environmental stewardship and social responsibility by participating in LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) building projects.

The quality of our nation’s water supply is equally, if not more important. For decades, R.H. White has been one of the premier companies in New England for the construction and upgrading of water and wastewater treatment plants.

A few of our internal sustainability practices include:

  • Environmentally-Friendly Equipment Wash Bays – At our Auburn, MA and Bow, NH facilities we have constructed large wash bays for our heavy-duty equipment and fleet vehicles that feature a bio recycling system. Contaminants are captured, and water is reused and recycled via a modular water treatment facility located directly behind each bay.
  • Telematics – We are proud to partner with Tenna® which provides GPS fleet tracking devices to more effectively manage our fleet of trucks and vehicles. From monitoring fuel consumption and idling time to excessive speed and braking we are doing our part to conserve fuel and minimize unnecessary maintenance.
  • Corporate Stewardship – With a responsibility to manage our industry’s impact on the environment, we participate in a number of ways, including our leadership in the Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) Sustainability Roundtables and Regional Award Programs as well as through the New England Water Works Association (NEWWA) and New England Water Environment Association (NEWEA) that actively support Water For People, an organization that helps people in developing countries implement locally sustainable drinking water resources, sanitation facilities, and health and hygiene education programs.

Social Well-Being

“One person can make a difference, and everyone should try.”
John F. Kennedy
35th President of the United States

As a family-owned company, we understand the importance of inclusion and that a person that feels connected and supported pays that forward in society. We also understand that social well-being spreads beyond our company walls. Supporting efforts to help others in our neighborhoods and around the world, we routinely organize charitable events involving employees and their families. In addition, we provide funds, labor, equipment, and other resources for a wide range of local and national causes and outreach programs.

  • Corporate Sponsorships
  • Non-Profit Board and Committee Participation
  • Equipment, Time and Resources
  • Fundraising Efforts and Initiatives
  • R.H. White Charitable Trust
  • Leonard H. White and Ann H. White Scholarship Fund
  • R.H. White Scholarship, L.H. White Scholarship and Professorship Scholarship at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)
  • R.H. White Community Service Committee
  • Volunteer Events and Programs

We encourage you to take a closer look at some of the ways in which our company and our employees pay it forward by visiting our Giving Back Page.

Measuring Success

Front cover of RHW Sustainability Brochure for commercial construction company R.H. White Construction servicing the Worcester, MA area
R.H. White’s approach to all of our business units is guided by a commitment to sustainable practices. We invite you to take an in-depth look at program details.
Read our annual report that outlines the previous year’s sustainability initiatives, and establishes goals and initiatives for the following year.
Read our annual report that outlines the previous year’s sustainability initiatives, and establishes goals and initiatives for the following year.
To measure the success of our Sustainability Program, we are introducing an annual report that outlines the previous year’s initiatives, and establishes goals and initiatives for the following year.

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