From the very first email to a trusted global alliance, the partnership between I-care and ADM has been built on shared values of reliability, collaboration, and safety. Their relationship recently reached a new milestone with the ADM Supplier Excellence Award for Safety — a recognition that celebrates not only performance but also the people and principles behind it.
In this interview, Joel Crawford, Vice President for the Americas at I-care Group, reflects on how the partnership has grown, why safety sits at its core, and what the award means for both organizations.
How did the relationship between I-care and ADM begin?
“I’ve been involved with the ADM relationship from the very first email and phone call,” Joel recalls.
He led a rigorous RFP process to present I-care’s full range of capabilities — services, hardware, software, and global support. “ADM’s global footprint was a key driver (…); they needed a partner who could support them across continents.”
Through that process, Joel built a close relationship with ADM’s procurement team, who approached suppliers as true partners. “They wanted not only to learn more about their specific category but also to understand what made every company different,” he explains. “That allowed us to have in-depth discussions about our methodology, predictive maintenance, and reliability.”
What role does safety play in this partnership?
“Our commitment to safety drives the relationship because that’s what drives our business, (…). Keeping people safe should be the core nucleus of any service company.” Joel says.
Joel sees safety not as a target but as a daily practice that shapes I-care’s operations and culture. “The safety award translates not only to how we do business but also to the quality of the individuals we have,” he adds. “It should never be lost that the people who get up every day for I-care, who are at the plants wearing the logo on their shirts, represent us very well.”
What does winning the ADM Safety Excellence Award mean for I-care?
According to Joel, the recognition has deep significance both internally and externally. “The Safety Excellence Award strengthens our relationship with ADM because we have a very strong global commitment to safety,” he says. “It’s not only recognized by ADM but also by our employees, and they understand how important that is every day.”
For him, this award demonstrates that safety is not a statement — it’s a standard. “It’s not something we put on a mission statement or a website; it’s something we practice,” he insists. “As a service and technology company, it really drives who we are and how we serve our customers.”
How does this recognition align with I-care’s broader mission?
“At the end of the day, we are a service organization,(…) and we feel like we’re an extension of our customers’ maintenance, predictive maintenance, and reliability teams.”
He adds that customers quickly see the difference. “Our goal is to have a partnership, but I think they see very quickly that we’re trying not only to drive value but also to bring best practices across maintenance and safety — which is very important.”
This alignment, he notes, goes beyond operations. “As a service company, we wouldn’t be in business if we didn’t have proper safety measures, management, and a focus on excellence within safety.”
Wrapping up
For Joel Crawford, the ADM Supplier Excellence Award for Safety confirms that trust is built on shared purpose.
By placing safety at the center of its mission, I-care not only protects its people but also earns the confidence of partners like ADM — proving that collaboration rooted in safety leads to stronger, longer-lasting relationships.
Reach out to our experts and discover how I-care can elevate your reliability strategy to new levels of safety and performance.
