Developing strong safety leaders
Client: Cascades
The organization
- Industry: Sustainable Packaging, Hygiene, and Recovery Solutions
- Global HQ: Kingsey Falls, Quebec, Canada
- Employees: 10,000+
- Solution: Supervisor Development & SafetyDNA Leadership Program
Founded in 1964 in Quebec, Cascades is a recognized leader in sustainable packaging, hygiene, and recovery solutions. The company operates across the U.S. and Canada with approximately 10,000 employees, blending innovation with a strong community and environmental focus. Cascades has long been committed to creating safe work environments, where employee well-being and environmental responsibility are at the core of its operations.
Their leadership philosophy emphasizes empowering supervisors and managers to lead by example, foster accountability, and cultivate a culture where safety is everyone’s responsibility. With multiple manufacturing and recovery sites, ensuring consistent safety practices across locations is critical to the company’s overall operational excellence.
The challenge
Despite a strong safety culture, Cascades faced significant challenges during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. High turnover among supervisors created inconsistencies in safety enforcement and leadership across sites. Many supervisors lacked the necessary skills or confidence to consistently apply safety protocols, communicate expectations, and coach employees effectively.
This gap in leadership directly affected injury rates, employee engagement, and overall morale. Cascades needed a comprehensive development program to strengthen leadership capabilities, build confidence in supervisory roles, and embed a culture of accountability and proactive risk management.
The solution
Cascades turned to Talogy, a long-term partner, for a holistic approach combining assessment, training, and coaching. Talogy implemented the SafetyDNA for Leaders program to build strong, confident safety leaders. The multi-step approach included:
- Online assessments to identify individual safety leadership strengths and development areas
- Interactive training modules introducing essential safety leadership concepts and behaviors
- Two-day hands-on workshops focused on skill-building, practical exercises, and peer learning
- One-on-one coaching sessions to create personalized action plans for ongoing development
- Follow-up group sessions to share experiences, reinforce learning, and maintain momentum
The program emphasized critical leadership capabilities: managerial courage, accountability, coaching skills, risk management, and the ability to drive consistent safety behaviors. Leaders were equipped with the tools to lead by example, influence employee engagement, and ensure safety practices were consistently applied across all facilities.
The impact
Since 2020, more than 200 leaders across 10 U.S. and Canadian sites have completed the program, delivering measurable improvements:
- Supervisors have demonstrated stronger behaviors, increased visibility on the floor, and more consistent feedback
- Clear expectations of what it means to be a safety leader, leading to greater alignment across teams
- Higher employee morale and improved retention, as leaders feel supported and valued
- Reduced injury rates across multiple facilities, reflecting a stronger culture of accountability and proactive risk management
Supervisors are now more engaged, visible on the floor, and consistently providing feedback. Leaders also appreciate that we are investing in them, which has been huge for retention and morale.
What’s next with Talogy?
Cascades plans to expand the SafetyDNA program to additional business units and reinforce the gains through ongoing coaching, group learning sessions, and employee surveys measuring cultural impact. By continuing to invest in leadership development, Cascades aims to strengthen its safety culture, improve employee engagement, and maintain long-term operational excellence.
Talogy’s program has been a game-changer. Our leaders are more confident, more engaged, and better equipped to drive safety. It’s not just about reducing injuries—it’s about building credibility and showing our people that we are investing in them.