Mercedes-Benz Winnipeg Achieves Milestone as S2SA’s 100th SAFE Work Certified Company

WINNIPEG, Manitoba--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 16, 2025--

The Sales and Service Safety Association (S2SA) proudly recognizes Mercedes-Benz Winnipeg as the 100th company to achieve SAFE Work Certification. This achievement represents a major milestone in Manitoba’s journey toward building safer, healthier workplaces and reflects Mercedes’ strong commitment to employee well-being and continuous improvement.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251216319650/en/

At Mercedes-Benz Winnipeg, excellence extends beyond the vehicles they sell; it defines how they work, lead, and care for one another. Since opening in the early 2000s, the dealership has set the standard for premium service across Manitoba, built on a foundation of trust, precision, and people. Step inside their workplace culture in the full video.

Pursuing SAFE Work Certification was a natural evolution of that commitment. Just as Mercedes-Benz sets benchmarks for craftsmanship and performance, the dealership believes its workplace should reflect the same level of care. The certification process enhanced communication, strengthened consistency, and deepened the team’s shared dedication to safety in every aspect of operations.

“Achieving SAFE Work Certification was about more than compliance; it was about ensuring our culture of excellence extends to the well-being of our people,” said Jennifer Coyle, Human Resources Generalist at Mercedes-Benz Winnipeg. “Our team came together with one shared goal: to create an environment where everyone feels valued, protected, and proud to be part of Mercedes-Benz Winnipeg.”

From the showroom to the service bays and collision centre, safety is now an integral part of the Mercedes-Benz Winnipeg experience, another way the dealership delivers the exceptional quality and care its people and customers deserve.

S2SA supported Mercedes-Benz Winnipeg through every stage of the certification journey, from training and safety program development to internal auditing and continuous improvement planning. The certification not only helps reduce workplace incidents but also provides long-term benefits such as lower WCB premiums, greater employee confidence, and a stronger organizational culture.

“Reaching our 100th certified company is a proud moment for everyone at S2SA,” said Lee Rosenberg, Safety Program Director at S2SA. “It’s proof that when businesses commit to doing safety right, real change follows. Mercedes-Benz Winnipeg has shown that leadership and teamwork can turn safety from a requirement into a shared value.”

Since launching theSAFE Work Certificationprogram, S2SA has guided businesses across Manitoba’s sales and service sectors, from auto dealerships to heavy equipment service and rental, in building safer and more productive workplaces. The milestone with Mercedes-Benz Winnipeg underscores the growing number of organizations recognizing safety as both a moral and strategic priority. 

As S2SA continues to support companies on their certification journeys, the goal remains the same: to simplify safety and integrate it into everyday operations across Manitoba’s sales and service industries.

About the Sales and Service Safety Association (S2SA)

The Sales and Service Safety Association (S2SA) is dedicated to providing industry-specific training, consulting services, and SAFE Work Certification to businesses in Manitoba’s sales and service sectors. Our mission is to streamline the process of implementing effective safety programs, ultimately enhancing the well-being of employees and customers alike.

For more information, visit s2sa.ca.

Mercedes-Benz Winnipeg has officially become the 100th company to achieve SAFE Work Certification through the Sales and Service Safety Association. This milestone reflects the dealership’s long-standing commitment to a workplace culture built on trust, precision, and genuine care for its people. With support from S2SA, the team strengthened communication, consistency, and safety practices across every area of operations. This achievement shows what’s possible when leadership and staff move together toward one goal: creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, protected, and proud.

The group of 15 backcountry skiers was on a three-day trek organized by Blackbird Mountain Guides into pristine wilderness near Frog Lake in California's Sierra Nevada near Lake Tahoe.

The skiers carried in their own food and overnighted in huts situated at 7,600 feet (3,415 meters) in Tahoe National Forest.

“If you’ve booked the Frog Lake Huts in Truckee, trust our guides to elevate your trip to the next level,” the business said on its website, advertising the trip. “We’ll navigate in and out of the huts, manage the risks, and find the best terrain and snow quality for you and your group!”

On Tuesday, the group was trapped by an avalanche. Authorities said Wednesday that eight people were killed and one person remained missing. Six skiers were rescued after sheltering in place for hours as crews battled blizzard conditions.

Blackbird Mountain Guides said in a statement that it was coordinating with authorities. It said the group, including four guides, was returning to the trailhead when the avalanche occurred near Castle Peak.

The company, with offices in California and Washington state, offers mountaineering and backcountry ski trips across the U.S. West Coast as well as in Europe and Japan. The tour outfit also offers safety courses like wilderness skills and first aid.

The rugged terrain where the skiers died had been closed to the public for a century before the Truckee Donner Land Trust bought it and opened the huts, which are outfitted with basic accommodations such as sleeping pads, gas stoves and flush toilets.

An avalanche watch had been issued early Sunday as a powerful winter storm moved into the state. The Sierra Avalanche Center issued a more severe avalanche warning for the Central Sierra Nevada, including the Greater Lake Tahoe region, starting at 5 a.m. Tuesday with large slides expected into Wednesday.

Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said investigators would look into the decision to proceed with the trip despite the forecast for relentless weather.

“We’re still in conversation with them on the decision factors that they made,” Moon said at a Wednesday news conference announcing the deaths.

The sheriff said the search occurred during “horrific conditions” in an area where rescue missions are common.

The tour was rated for intermediate-to-expert skiers who should be prepared to climb up to 2,500 vertical feet (760 meters) throughout the course of a day, according to the company’s website. Guides carry first aid kits and “wag bags” for human waste disposal, but participants must bring their own ski equipment and avalanche gear, including a beacon, shovel and probe.

“Generally our guides are able to find excellent backcountry snow conditions, but often we need to travel through difficult conditions to access the goods,” the website description said. “This requires riders to be adept with their backcountry touring skills and have a solid foundation of touring before the trip.”

Rapidly accumulating snow piling on fragile snowpack layers, along with strong winds, contributed to the treacherous conditions.

The town of Soda Springs, near where the avalanche took place, recorded at least 30 inches (76 centimeters) of snow during a 24-hour period, according to the Soda Springs Mountain Resort.

Associated Press writer Julie Watson in San Diego contributed to this report.

A street is covered in snow on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026 in Truckee Calif. (AP Photo/Brooke Hess-Homeier)