Joe Visgaitis

ESTERO, Fla. (Jan. 21, 2016) – Suffolk Construction announced it has hired Joe Visgaitis as safety manager for its Southwest Florida operations team.

Visgaitis is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and held various safety positions during his active duty from 1994 to 2000. For the past 15 years, he has worked in the private sector, including serving as national director of safety and health for Associated Builders and Contractors. He joins Suffolk after spending the past decade leading a safety program for 900 employees in the sheet metal, pipefitting, plumbing and fire protection industry.

He is an authorized OSHA Outreach Trainer for Construction, a certified master instructor for National Center for Construction Education & Research (NCCER) Safety and Construction Management Education Academies, and an administrator for OSHA Challenge Pilot worldwide. Visgaitis is also a Certified Construction Health & Safety Technician (CHST), a member of the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) and the National Safety Council (NSC) and Chairman of the Indiana University of Pennsylvania Safety Sciences Department Advisory Committee. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in occupational safety and health from Columbia Southern University.

“With safety as a priority in everything we do, Suffolk is thrilled to have a well-respected and highly qualified professional such as Joe join our team,” said Pete Tuffo, chief operating officer for the southeast region of Suffolk Construction. “In his role, Joe will be integral to the development and implementation of Suffolk’s safety and health program for projects throughout Southwest Florida.”

In his new role, Visgaitis will work diligently with all project team members and stakeholders to meet and exceed Suffolk’s strict internal safety requirements, as well as all OSHA standards. He will be supported by national and regional safety teams.