BELGRADE — Hammond Lumber Co. recently received the top safety award in its division from the Northeast Lumber Manufacturers Association at a special ceremony in Boston.

Hammond is headquartered in Belgrade and has operations throughout Maine, including building supply stores in Auburn and Farmington in the tri-county area.

The first-place award in Division 2 (25,001-50,000 man-hours) in combined operations was for the company’s sawmill and planer mill. The company also received a second-place award in Division 2 for its sawmill operation.

The awards recognize outstanding safety achievements during 2010 for mills operating in the New England states, New York and Pennsylvania.

The company was founded in 1953 by Clifton “Skip” Hammond in Belgrade. “We’re glad we have been able to operate at such a high level of safety for so long,” said company President Donald Hammond, the founder’s son. “My dad designed and built most of the equipment and systems, and he took every step he could think of to keep people from getting hurt.”

In an additional effort to prevent accidents and increase safety, Hammond established a safety committee in 1985, and in 2005 hired a full-time experienced safety director.

“Our employees are our greatest asset and a great deal of time and resources are invested in developing a corporate culture that promotes and rewards safe behavior,” Bruce Pelletier, the company’s safety director, said.