Employee Spotlight

HONOR, DUTY, DEDICATION AND SAFETY.

Terry Medley, Senior Safety Manager, works at the GM PDPM sites in Milford, Willow Run, Romulus, Pontiac, Lake Orion, and Hamtramck. Terry works with Ideal’s site safety managers to ensure subcontractors are pre-qualified and have met all requirements to work on GM Sites. Terry also leads many training programs for employees and subcontractors such as First Aid/CPR, Confided Space, Silica, Qualified Rigging, and Signal Person training.

At an early age, Terry chose to pursue a career that required him to be a leader and ensure the safety of his team. After high school Terry went into the Army and was selected to join the Non-Commissioned Officers Academy. Following graduation from the Academy, Terry returned to Fort Bragg, North Carolina where he was promoted to Sergeant and placed over 48 men in the 82nd Airborne Division at just 19-years old.

Succeeding his military career in 1977, Terry became an Ironworker with Local 25 following in the footsteps of his grandfathers, father, uncles, and older brother. During the early years of his career, a time when a baseline for safety and health protection was virtually nonexistent, Terry was an advocate for workplace safety. As a union steward and executive board member of Local 25, his number one priority was the health and safety of his team to ensure they were going home to their families every day.

After an avoidable, fatal incident on a job, Terry along with MiOSHA went to Washington to testify on the importance of conditions and standards for setting such things as bridging, bar joints, and anchors to avoid fatalities and injuries on the job. He continued to be a voice for Ironworker’s safety and work conditions for many years after that.

Terry credits his fellow Ironworkers for taking him under their wing, keeping him safe, and showing him the ways of a good Ironworker. They acted as mentors to him and Terry made sure to continue in their example and mentor others. “I like the idea of knowing I may have played a part in keeping someone from getting injured at work,” said Terry. Even as a young man in the military, Terry always enjoyed helping others and has continued to do so for the past 9 years with Ideal Contracting.

“It gives you a sense of pride,” said Terry. “It is a great honor and privilege to pass on what you learn and experience in life.” Terry has dedicated his life to safety and educating others on finding safe ways to perform their work so they return home safely every day.