MONTICELLO — Companies strive to be the “Best of the Best,” butthe Georgia-Pacific Monticello Mill also aims to be the “Safest ofthe Safe.”

Company officials celebrated hitting that target again Tuesdayduring a gathering to recognize the mill receiving its fourthChairman’s Safety Award. The award recognizes employees working500,000 hours without an OSHA-reportable injury.

“You should be very proud,” G-P President and Chief ExecutiveOfficer A.D. “Pete” Correll said during Tuesday’s luncheon. “It’sthe safest mill in Georgia-Pacific.”

The mill passed the hours worked milestone on Oct. 26.

Last year was the fourth in a row that the mill has received theaward and that symbolizes over two million hours worked without areportable injury.

Correll said he was recently notified that G-P was rated as thesafest in the forests products industry for the eighth year in arow. He said safety is something G-P takes very seriously and theMonticello mill is an example of that commitment.

“What you folks have done here is rewritten the record books,”Correll said.

Correll’s visit Tuesday was his first without long-timeExecutive Vice-President Clint Kennedy. Since Correll’s last visit,Kennedy was killed in an ATV accident at his home.

Asa Hardison, senior vice-president of containerboardmanufacturing, remembered Kennedy in his remarks on the safetyaward.

“This is for Clint,” Hardison said as he accepted the award.

Hardison said the mill was well on its way to another safetyaward and that was due to employees’ commitment to safety.

“I appreciate your energy level and your focus,” Hardison said.”It’s truly outstanding.”