Construction’s Silent Killer Pt.3: Ajax President Speaks Out to Prevent Suicide

Vince Hafeli, president of Ajax Paving Industries, kept silent about his suicide attempt for 17 years, fearing it would hurt his career and reveal weakness, something he learned at a young age that men don’t show.
On this episode of The Dirt, he tells how that all changed and how he has become an advocate for suicide prevention in the construction industry.
Hafeli speaks often at various places around the country, openly talking about his struggle with mental health following the death of his twin sons and other family members in close succession.
He has formed a program at Ajax to help employees struggling with mental health and to prevent suicide. In this episode, he tells how contractors can do the same at their companies.
He also reveals how to talk to someone you suspect might be struggling and how to recognize the signs.
“It’s a difficult topic to discuss until you discuss it,” he says.
So to learn more about how suicide is affecting the construction industry and how you can help those who may be suffering, check out the latest episode of The Dirt.

Help is Available
The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is a hotline for individuals in crisis or for those looking to help someone else. To speak with a trained listener, call 988. Visit 988lifeline.org for crisis chat services or for more information.

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In This Episode:
00:00 – Suicide in the Construction Industry
00:44 – What’s Vince’s Story?
13:52 – Statistics: How Many Construction Workers Die From Suicide?
15:58 – Suicide vs. Jobsite Fatalities
18:33 – Think About Suicide and Mental Health Differently
23:37 – How to Implement a Suicide Prevention Program Into Your Company
27:39 – How Do You Talk to an At-Risk Person?
36:05 – Final Thoughts

Video Transcript:
Bryan Furnace:
Hi everybody. Welcome back to Equipment World. You’re watching The Dirt. I’m your host, Bryan, and today we’re hitting you with a heavy topic, but it’s one that we need to talk about as an industry. We’re talking about suicide in the trades. How do we recognize this problem? What do we do about it? How can we help your fellow coworker or how can we get you help if it’s something you are struggling with?
Today, we’re talking with Vince (Hafeli, president of) from Ajax Paving. He’s been through some experiences and fortunately for us, he’s willing to talk through them all with us. Without further ado, here’s my interview with Vince.
I guess for beginners, if you could just take us a bit through your story, what brought you to where you are now to where you’re actively talking about mental health and suicide prevention in the trades?
Vince Hafeli:
What brought me here? Well, it was a long journey. I grew up in the 60s and 70s through an age and time when men were expected to be the man of the house. That’s what my dad always told me. Don’t share your emotions, don’t share your feelings.
Bryan:
Sure.
Vince:
Don’t show people you’re weak if you want to get anywhere in life. I came from a blue collar family. I started in this industry pushing a wheelbarrow, testing concrete two hours a day, $4 and 50 cents an hour, $45 a week. That’s where I began.
Bryan:
Wow.
Vince:
1985, I began working in the engineering field on infrastructure projects. I’m tied to construction and it’s a tough industry. It’s a hard industry,
Bryan:
Absolutely.
Vince:
I can remember one job, a high rise condominium I was an inspector on. I won’t say the man’s name, but I swear when I showed up at 7:00 in the morning, he was yelling. When I left at 5:00 in the evening, he was yelling. That was just kind of the culture you worked in. It was tough and you didn’t get a chance to get a word in or share anything.
Then in 1989 in May, I learned that my brother was terminally ill. In June, my father passed, and then November and December my wife and I lost twin sons. And it wasn’t long after that on my brother’s 40th birthday, that was the day my brother passed, and my mother was gone shortly thereafter.
I mean, why do I tell you all that? By the age of 33, my family was gone. I grew up with a very close family. Everything that I ever did evolved around my family.
Bryan:
It was your support system really.
Vince:
That was my support system. And suddenly they were gone. They all passed, and again, I didn’t talk to anyone about it. We get into the mid two thousands and my marriage is failing, yet in my career I feel like a rockstar. In 2002, I left and went to work for Ajax Paving here in Florida, which was my first true venture working for a contractor.
For 17 years I was in and around the construction industry. But 2002, my first introduction to working for a contractor…