Bill Fryling
Safety Director | Buist
At 17 years old, Bill Fryling joined Buist as a high school co-op student, expecting it to be the first step toward a career in the electrical trades. More than 20 years later, he’s still there.
Today, Bill serves as Safety Director for Buist, helping shape the culture, training programs, and leadership development efforts that support hundreds of employees across West Michigan and beyond. While his title may include the word “safety,” Bill’s approach to leadership extends far beyond compliance, regulations, and paperwork.
At its core, his philosophy is simple: people want to do the right thing. That belief has guided his work in the field, his leadership within the company, and his efforts to strengthen safety culture throughout the construction industry.
From the Field to Safety Leadership
Construction has always been part of Bill’s story. His father is an electrician. His grandfather was an electrician. Growing up, he fully expected to follow the same path and eventually take over the family business. Then a co-op opportunity at Buist changed everything.
“I remember bringing the flyer home to my grandpa,” Bill recalled. “He told me, ‘I wouldn’t have you work at any other place.'”
What began as a summer job quickly became a career, and over the next 15 years, Bill worked his way through the field, contributing to large-scale projects throughout the region while learning from experienced leaders who helped shape his approach to construction and life.
Among those influences, he points to longtime Buist leaders and mentors who challenged him to grow both professionally and personally.
“I attribute the man I am today directly to the people at this company,” Bill said.
That investment in people left a lasting impression—one that continues to influence how he leads today.
Building a Culture of Ownership
When many people think about safety professionals, they picture someone enforcing rules, writing reports, or walking jobsites looking for mistakes. Bill sees the role differently.
“I don’t want a safety cop walking around writing people up,” he said.
Instead, he believes safety works best when employees understand the “why” behind decisions and feel empowered to take ownership themselves.
That philosophy has shaped several initiatives at Buist, including the development of a company-wide Learning Management System that helps employees track certifications, complete training, and access important credentials directly from their phones.
The platform allows employees to monitor their own training requirements, receive reminders when certifications are nearing expiration, and quickly access documentation when needed on jobsites. More importantly, it places responsibility in the hands of employees.
“People want to do the right thing and keep their certifications current,” Bill said. “This system helps put ownership back on them.”
The same mindset extends to how he approaches jobsite safety. Rather than creating systems that rely solely on enforcement, Bill focuses on helping crews understand risks, communicate openly, and solve problems together.
His goal is not simply compliance. It’s creating a culture where safe decisions become the natural choice.
Strengthening Safety Through Relationships
Throughout his career, Bill has discovered that strong safety cultures are built on strong relationships. Whether he’s working with field employees, project teams, general contractors, or regulatory agencies, trust is often the difference between success and failure.
One example is a daily planning system Buist implemented on major projects using simple whiteboards placed directly in work areas. Crew leaders outline daily goals, identify hazards, discuss controls, and engage employees in conversations before work begins. The process is collaborative, visible, and easy to understand.
When Bill introduced the concept to project partners, he found that many embraced it because it encouraged meaningful conversations rather than simply generating paperwork.
“We all want the same result at the end of the day,” he said. “We want people to go home safe.”
That philosophy has also shaped his perspective on incident reporting and near misses. Bill believes organizations are most successful when employees feel comfortable speaking up about mistakes, hazards, and close calls without fear of punishment.
If people are afraid of the consequences, he says, important lessons often go unshared.
For him, safety is not about assigning blame, it’s about learning, improving, and preventing future injuries.
Investing in the Next Generation
One of the parts of his job Bill enjoys most is teaching. Whether he’s leading conduit bending classes for apprentices, speaking at local schools, mentoring younger employees, or facilitating leadership development groups, he is passionate about helping others discover opportunities within the construction industry.
Many of those conversations begin with his own story. Unlike traditional college pathways, Bill entered the workforce through apprenticeship training and hands-on experience. Over time, those opportunities opened doors he never expected.
“I never dreamed what this career would eventually turn into,” he said.
Today, he shares that message with students whenever he has the opportunity. During school presentations, he often talks about the many career paths available within construction—from skilled trades and field leadership to operations, project management, logistics, and safety.
His goal is simple: help young people understand that construction offers meaningful careers, long-term growth, and opportunities to support families and communities. He also encourages them to think beyond outdated perceptions of the industry.
“Just because you start in the trades doesn’t mean you’re going to wear a tool belt for the rest of your life,” he said.
For Bill, workforce development is ultimately about helping people recognize potential in themselves that they may not yet see.
Serving the Industry and Community
Bill’s commitment to service extends well beyond his role at Buist. He is an active participant in ABC Western Michigan and the American Subcontractors Association of Michigan, where he collaborates with safety professionals from across the region to share ideas, discuss challenges, and advance best practices.
Those relationships have become one of the most rewarding parts of his professional journey.
“I truly believe that group has helped change safety culture in West Michigan over the last five years,” he said.
He has also worked closely with MIOSHA through multiple partnership projects, helping strengthen communication between contractors and regulators while promoting collaborative approaches to workplace safety.
Outside of the industry, faith and family remain central to Bill’s life. He is actively involved in his church, volunteers at youth camps, supports children’s ministries, coaches youth sports, and is exploring additional opportunities to mentor students through community programs.
At home, he and his wife are raising and homeschooling four children—a responsibility he jokingly describes as one of his greatest leadership challenges.
For Bill, those commitments reinforce many of the same values that guide him professionally: service, accountability, patience, and investing in others.
Looking Ahead
After more than two decades with Buist, Bill remains energized by the opportunity to help people grow.
His vision for the future includes continuing to develop field leaders, expanding employee ownership of safety initiatives, strengthening mentorship opportunities, and building systems that help crews succeed without relying on top-down enforcement.
Most importantly, he wants employees to feel confident making good decisions on their own.
“When you can handle the small things with excellence, you can be trusted with the big things,” he said.
That belief has shaped his approach to safety, leadership, and life.
Through his commitment to people, his passion for mentorship, and his efforts to build a culture rooted in trust and ownership, Bill Fryling continues to make a lasting impact on his company, the construction industry, and the communities he serves.
As a finalist for ABC Western Michigan’s Young Professional of the Year Award, Bill exemplifies the leadership, integrity, and dedication that are helping build a stronger future for construction.
