CFE Inc. in Apex is the first subcontractor to receive the N.C. Department of Labor’s Building Star designation.Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry presented the company’s employees with the Carolina Star flag at a ceremony Nov. 30.The Building Star Program recognizes companies in the building and construction industry that meet the stringent requirements of the Carolina Star program. At first, the Building Star program was aimed only toward general contractors. NCDOL opened up the program in October2006 to allow subcontractors to apply.CFE is a subsidiary of Evans Roofing Co. of Elmira, N.Y.The Apex office employs 50 associates, and 70 percent of the workforce is Hispanic. The company has created a culture where all associates are able to work together safely and are able to effectively communicate company safety requirements to their fellow associates, customers and other contractors.“This was not a mild undertaking,” said Dave Batrony, corporate risk manager for Evans Roofing Co. “We work together to provide a safe working environment for all of our associates and anyone that comes onto our job sites. Our CFE North Carolina Division is dedicated to working productively without sacrificing safety or quality. This has enabled us to achieve a TCIR rate 88 percent below the industry average and a DART rate 100 percent below the national average. The associates at CFE Inc. are a family and care about the safety of their co-workers.”The company applied for the North Carolina Building Star recognition in February 2007, with a site evaluation completed in June 2007. In September 2007, the company was approved as the N.C. Department of Labor’s first subcontractor in the Building Star Program.