Safe Site Inc.: Experiencing Award-winning Growth and Record Progress

Safe Site Inc. (Safe Site) has experienced a significant amount of growth for a relatively young company. The Colorado-based firm has emerged as one of the nation’s leading providers of underground location and subsurface engineering services. After seven years of business, Safe Site has saved clients millions of dollars, reduced property and facility damages and increased job safety.

Founded in October 2005 by the husband-and-wife team of Diane and Skip (Guy) McIntosh III, the company originated in Windsor, Colo. By 2008 Safe Site had grown over 400 percent, allowing for expansion to a new location in Loveland, Colo., where the business currently resides. The company continues to grow exponentially today. “We’ve been pretty viable,” shares Ben Perez, head of business development for Safe Site. “We’ve grown a little bit each year.”

Despite growth, Safe Site remains family owned and operated, as Skip was joined by son Justin, general manager for Safe Site, in 2006. Skip is a highly recognized expert in the field, with over 32 years of experience in the locating industry; Skip has much to teach his eager son about the family tradition of success.

The company has prospered from humble beginnings; Safe Site now employs over 195 individuals. “We have a handful of people based in our office, but about 190 people work out of their trucks,” explains Perez. “We’re very mobile.”

The company serves the entire state of Colorado, including north and south Denver, Western Slope, Summit County, Pueblo. However, Safe Site isn’t limited to this region. “We’ll bid on contracts outside of Colorado,” says Perez. “We just won a job in Wyoming and picked up another in Texas. We’re small enough that we can decide where to bid, but we’re always looking to expand our operations.” Small enough for now, Safe Site continues to make headlines as it grows and contributes to the local economy.

In 2012 Safe Site was recognized as one of Inc. Magazine’s 5,000 Fastest Growing Companies in America, ranking No. 1,296 on the annual list. Inc. Magazine’s notable list represents the most comprehensive look at an important segment of the U.S. economy: independent entrepreneurs.

Safe Site also made the 2012 Inc. Hire Power Awards, a list of businesses that are adding jobs and rebuilding the economy. The company reached No. 7 on the Top 10 Energy Companies, and No. 8 on the Top 10 Colorado Companies lists in Inc. Magazine, as well.

Engineering Safer Surfaces Above and Below

Safe Site provides highly skilled subsurface utility engineering (SUE), which involves managing risks associated with utility mapping, utility coordination, utility relocation design and coordination, utility coordination assessment, cost estimates and implementation of accommodation policies. Offering these services, Safe Site ensures safer facilities for its clients, reducing damages, minimizing the environmental impact, reducing property damage and increasing job safety.

The company also offers hydro-excavation and private utility locating.
Over the past several years, underground utilities like electrical power lines, gas lines, fiber, water and sewer are required to be well below ground. Safe site helps protect these vital lifelines to homes, businesses and the community. Preventing damages to these lines is an essential part of public safety.

For Safe Site, it’s not about doing the job the cheapest; it’s about getting it done in the most effective, safest manner possible. “It’s about who’s going to do the best job,” says Perez. “When it comes to our competition, we’re probably not going to be the cheapest option. But we’re going to be the fastest and the best. We’re very upfront with our clients about costs.”

Safe Site is making an effort to increase its job productivity and safety through the development of a smartphone application. “We’re collaborating with a company out of Canada to edit the program,” details Perez. “This will help us perform safety checks and generate reports our customers need.”

Perez says it isn’t one thing that has made the company progress so quickly and become successful in a short period of time. “I think it’s a lot of small things we do,” reveals Perez. “It’s obviously clicking since we’ve grown and earned more every year.” Safe Site Inc. continues to grow at an impressive rate by protecting the unseen structures that power towns and cities.