A Small Team With a Big Heart for Service
Founded in 2006 by Cincinnati native Kelly Hollatz, First Star Safety, LLC is a small, 18-person team making a big impact through service to the local community.
“While it may not be large amounts of monetary donations, we are often called on for in-kind donations of our safety products and equipment for fundraising events such as Special Olympics games around the tri-state area, as well as cones and signage for fundraising walks, marathons, festivals, fairs and church events,” Hollatz says. “Typically, we support organizations that benefit the construction industry in some way, especially through education and career advocacy, and organizations that promote positive change in our local youth.”
One of the organizations closest to Hollatz’s heart is Rosie’s Girls, a three-week summer camp co-hosted by the YWCA of Cincinnati and the Cincinnati chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction. The free camp focuses on teaching young ladies between the ages of 10 and 14 about nontraditional roles and careers for women in the construction industry.
“I volunteer as an instructor here every year, and I think it’s an important way for girls to gain insight into a large variety of construction careers—from carpentry and electrical to welding and plumbing,” Hollatz says.
To accommodate its expanding business as a roadwork subcontractor, First Star Safety recently relocated to a larger facility and used the grand opening to collect donations for a free local summer program that helps keep children off the streets and teach them vital life skills that mold them into responsible, productive members of the community. Guests at the open house event were invited to make a donation in exchange for a ticket for a special drawing of prizes, with First Star Safety pledging to match all donations.
In addition to these outreach efforts, Hollatz serves on the board of directors of Dress for Success Cincinnati (DfSC) and is committed to offering job opportunities to graduates of the program. Last fall, First Star Safety hosted a fundraiser for DfSC tha garnered more than $5,000 and a great deal of clothing donations; plus generated interest among guests for volunteering opportunities.
Maggie handles Construction Executive’s production, scheduling and digital assets, in addition to editing our print content and writing feature articles, industry new briefs and a variety of topical columns. She’s a native Marylander and a graduate of Salisbury University, with a background working on the marketing team for a large general contractor.