Schlouch Incorporated: Leading With Safety, Growing Through Well-Being

Many construction companies begin with a pickup truck, a shovel and determination. Few evolve into organizations that redefine what workplace safety really means. Schlouch Incorporated (Blandon, Pennsylvania) is one of them. Founded by Barry and Deb Schlouch in 1983, the company has grown from those humble beginnings into a full-service site development contractor serving central Pennsylvania, the Lehigh Valley and the Delaware Valley. Today, more than 70% of its work comes from repeat customers, reflecting four decades of trusted relationships built on safety, quality and operational excellence.

I first met Barry Schlouch in 2002 at a captive insurance owners conference, and I met Treasurer/Chief Financial Officer Rich King the following year through the Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA). I have had the privilege of learning from and collaborating with these leaders ever since.

What first stood out to me about Schlouch was the humility, servant leadership, desire for personal growth and discipline for continuous improvement. Looking back over the past two decades, I am not surprised the company evolved into a leader in workplace health and well-being. Those qualities were evident long before mental health and substance use prevention became part of broader workplace conversations.

Schlouch’s commitment to safety was always palpable. The company viewed safety as an investment rather than simply a compliance requirement. King periodically reminisces how leadership intentionally promoted education through continuous learning that extended well beyond toolbox talks and jobsite safety huddles.

Another characteristic that distinguished Schlouch was transparency. Employees responsible for managing projects, departments and field crews had access to meaningful financial, safety and operational information so they could make informed decisions and understand how their work contributed to the company’s success.

Barry Schlouch describes the company’s culture as, “built on people first, where safety, teamwork, integrity, continuous improvement and caring for one another create lasting value for our employees, customers and communities.” That spirit of transparency continues today. Each year, all employees and their spouses or partners are invited to an annual meeting where leadership reviews safety metrics, financial performance, strategic priorities, employee benefits and the business plan for the coming year. Schlouch also surveys its vendors annually and brings them together to discuss the results, industry trends, safety and opportunities to work more effectively together.

For many years, Barry Schlouch promoted the idea of coming to work fit. King explained, “Leadership understood that preventing injuries involved more than eliminating hazards on a jobsite. Helping employees better understand their own health was another way to keep them safe.”

Long before wellness programs became common in construction, Schlouch partnered with the wellness division of Lehigh Valley Health Network to host health fairs. Around 2010, the company expanded those efforts by introducing biometric screenings and encouraging employees to “know your numbers.”

King and HR Coordinator Lisa Bogert also began participating in the Lehigh Valley Business Coalition on Healthcare (LVBCH) in 2012. What began as an opportunity to learn from other employers grew into active leadership within the coalition. King has served on the board since 2017, became an officer in 2021 and is completing a two-year term as chair.

The results have been meaningful. Employee engagement increased, population health improved and employee health contributions declined. Most importantly, as King highlighted, “Quite a few employees and spouses had previously undiagnosed health conditions detected, such as hypertension and diabetes, and received treatment before those conditions became more serious.”

As I watched Schlouch’s wellness efforts focused on physical health mature into a broader focus combining physical health and mental well-being over the years, another pattern became clear. Leadership was not creating another program. They were broadening the scope of safety.

Construction has always recognized the importance of protecting workers from physical hazards. Schlouch came to recognize that physical health, psychological safety, mental well-being and substance use prevention all influence whether employees can perform at their best and return home safely each day.

King credits the Schlouches with that evolution: “Barry has spoken publicly about his parents’ struggles and their successful treatment through Caron Treatment Centers. Barry’s willingness to share that personal story helped reduce stigma and made it easier for employees and their families to seek help.” 

The same vulnerability was shown by several other members of Schlouch’s leadership team who had family members who experienced mental health or substance use challenges. Those experiences created a greater awareness that these issues touch every workplace and reinforced leadership’s commitment to providing meaningful support. This vulnerability created a safe space for others to acknowledge that they or a family member needed support. 

“We never viewed an employee assistance program as simply ‘checking a box,’” King shared. “When employees or family members experienced difficulty accessing care, Schlouch changed providers, expanded services to include financial, legal and parental support, and worked intentionally to normalize conversations about mental health and recovery.”

That philosophy continues today. In May, King and Bogert joined another member of their insurance captive on a panel during a “Building a Mentally Healthy Culture” workshop that I had the pleasure of facilitating. Schlouch has embraced many of SAFE Project’s recommendations for creating recovery-friendly workplaces, including:

• Signing the #NoShame Pledge
• Expanding employee assistance program services
• Implementing next-chance agreements for employees needing support
• Providing flexible leave policies that support treatment and recovery
• Placing naloxone in company facilities and jobsites
• Developing partnerships with community treatment and recovery providers

These initiatives are not separate from Schlouch’s long-standing commitment to safety. They are the next evolution of it. Companies that genuinely care about their employees recognize that protecting people means caring for the whole person.

King also credits long-time Chief Operating Officer Don Swasing for helping create buy-in among field employees on the wellness and mental health initiatives. King shared, “Don is respected for his technical knowledge and leadership. However, his more valuable skills are how he leads from the heart and intuitively finesses tough conversations, like mental health and substance use.” 

King continued, “Our key field leaders also embraced the programs and allowed us to bring wellness to the field with on-site biometrics and health educational sessions.” 

Purpose and intention are still the hallmarks I think about when I reflect on Schlouch. I remember Barry proudly pointing out artwork created by Deb, displayed throughout the company’s offices, which reflect the company’s philosophy. King shared, “Barry and Deb have always believed in providing a welcoming and comfortable environment in which employees are inspired to do their best work and be creative.” 

I last visited Schlouch while the company’s renovation was underway to create brighter collaborative spaces with updated technology while preserving artwork and traditions that reflect its history and culture. Like so many things at Schlouch, the environment continues to evolve without losing sight of the values that shaped it.

Schlouch reminds me that exceptional organizations never stop learning. Collectively, the leadership team expanded the definition and scope of safety. They recognized that caring for employees means caring for the whole person. They committed to breaking stigma around mental health and substance use helping to provide pathways for employees and family members to seek help. In an industry where trust, teamwork and safety remain fundamental to success, this is a lesson worth sharing.