Burley Team Celebrates Top-Tier Safety Standards with VPP Revalidation
Monday, August 18, 2025
Ensuring that our team members go home safely to their loved ones each day has always been priority No. 1 for Tessenderlo Kerley – and our manufacturing plant in Burley, Idaho, continues to be the gold standard for safety on the job!
In March, the Burley team received its latest Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) revalidation from OSHA following a standard five-year review. The Burley plant, which produces Crop Protection product Sectagon-42®, has been VPP certified since 2006 and is one of just 11 facilities in Idaho that currently has VPP status. It is recognized at the Star level, the highest of three levels offered by OSHA.
In July, the Tessenderlo Kerley management team visited Burley to celebrate the milestone with the team.
“We can't be successful as a company and as a team without being safe first,” Tessenderlo Kerley VP of Operations Alex Dimitriadis told the Burley team during the celebration. “We never stop learning, and I appreciate our relationship with OSHA, not only as a stakeholder but a partner in carrying us through this journey.”
To achieve and maintain VPP status, facilities work closely with OSHA to ensure certain safety systems, such as hazard prevention and lockout/tagout, are expertly communicated and implemented. OSHA also performs on-site analysis to ensure team members are properly trained, engaged and committed to the highest levels of safety.
"Your priorities can change, but if it's a value – if it's a part of your culture – your culture is just not going to change," OSHA Area Director David Kearns told the Burley team during the celebration. “I want you to fly this flag proudly. You've worked long and hard, and deserve this national recognition.”
“Tessenderlo Kerley already has great safety policies and procedures. All we’re doing is taking it a step further, because if you’re a VPP site, you’re expected to go above and beyond what the general standards are,” said Western Area Manager Steve Sailors.
Crop Protection Senior Vice President Jon Akins said Tessenderlo Kerley's safety culture is equally important to those we serve.
"We are proud to share our VPP status and safety record with our customers. It shows that we are a reliable supplier of high-quality products, and customers trust that we deliver on our promises," he said. "Safety is in our culture, and the Burley team is a testimony to the dedication and focus of the entire team, as well as the overall organization.”
Burley Plant Manager Rick Hieb said Burley’s VPP status begins with buy-in from all of its team members.
“Having that level of dedication filter down and having everybody willing to buy into it is the most important thing,” he said. “I’m so thankful that we have the type of people who are willing to do that.”
“It starts with the team that we have in place, and all of us take pride in flying the VPP flag,” added Assistant Plant Manager Juan Garza. “They all put forth the effort to make sure that everyone, including new team members, are properly trained and understand all of our safety procedures. Once you take care of the team and they feel like this facility is theirs, they’re all in.”
Hieb said the high standards implemented by Tessenderlo Kerley’s HS&E team have paved the way for Burley’s safety success. “It shows that the company cares about the safety of our employees and our facilities,” he said. “The guys know they can show up, do their job, and return home safely to their families at the end of each day.”
“There are a lot of benefits in flying the VPP flag," Sailors said. “You really need the right morale and mindset on site to accomplish this, and the Burley team continues to excel in that area.”
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About Tessenderlo Kerley, Inc.
Based in Phoenix, Arizona, Tessenderlo Kerley, Inc. is a leading producer of liquid fertilizers and an established leader in the production and marketing of crop nutrition and crop protection products used in agriculture. Part of the Tessenderlo Group, founded in 1919, and The Kerley Chemical Company, founded in 1947, Tessenderlo Kerley is dedicated to producing high-quality fertilizers that promote environmental sustainability and profitability for growers.
In addition to agriculture, Tessenderlo Kerley specializes in specialty products for the mining, water treatment, and process chemical industries. They have 14 manufacturing plants across the USA and 1 in Canada.
Director of Marketing and Communications, Tessenderlo Kerley, Inc.
Stacy Dill
T: +1.602.346.1942