In Good Company – Hilmerson Among Minnesota’s Best Women-Owned Businesses
Hilmerson Safety® is proud to share that it has been named to Finance & Commerce’s In the Lead: Best Women-Owned Businesses for 2025. The recognition celebrates women-led companies that are shaping Minnesota’s business landscape through leadership, innovation and impact.
To be named one of Finance & Commerce’s Best Women-Owned Businesses, companies must be substantially owned by women and based in Minnesota, with recognition given to those demonstrating measurable success, breaking barriers in male-dominated industries, showing strong employee and community support, and driving innovation.
Born in the Field, Made in America
For more than 30 years, founder and CEO Deb Hilmerson has been a trailblazer in construction safety — first as a field laborer and safety director, and now as the inventor and leader behind Hilmerson Safety. Her real-world, boots-on-the-ground experience fuels the company’s mission to design American-made safety systems that are safer, leaner and built to last.
“I’m passionate about fall protection because years ago I worked at height, and at times I was afraid because I didn’t have the safety gear I needed,” Hilmerson says. “I was in that position, and I wouldn’t want my kid to be in that position. I lost a good friend on the job because of a fall — I carried him — it was traumatic. After that happened, I decide I need to get into the safety business. Things need to change on the job site. People should be able to go to work and go home at the end of the day.”
That philosophy drives Hilmerson Safety’s mission: designing innovative, durable and sustainable American-made solutions like the patented Hilmerson Safety Rail System™ and Hilmerson Barrier Fence System™ — systems that are safer, leaner, reusable and save contractors money.
Empowering the Next Generation
When asked what this award means to her, Hilmerson reflects on the importance of mentorship.
“There’s such a need for women to share their experiences and take the time,” she says. “It’s easy to say, ‘I don’t have time,’ but when you put yourself in their shoes, you remember what it felt like to be young and curious, watching people in jobs you never thought possible. I remember seeing a woman superintendent at Knutson Construction and wishing I could connect with her. As women, we need to be open to being there for those who are looking for role models or just wanting to learn more. Your job now is to do what others have done for you. I’ll do it anytime.”
For Hilmerson, empowerment isn’t limited by gender. She says she frequently gets calls from men in the field — peers who have followed her career and want to talk about entering the safety profession, or those seeking advice when they are not being treated fairly on the job. Mentorship, listening and encouragement are part of the Hilmerson Safety DNA.
More Than a Business, a Movement
Recognition as one of Minnesota’s Best Women-Owned Businesses reinforces what Hilmerson Safety has stood for from the beginning: progress, innovation, durability and simplicity, made in America.
The company takes pride in the products it has built, the patents it has earned and the measurable impact it has made in reducing waste and improving jobsite safety. Most of all, Hilmerson says she is proud of the role Hilmerson Safety plays in pushing the construction industry forward — by breaking barriers, building smarter solutions and empowering the next generation of leaders.
“Congratulations to all of the incredible women-led businesses recognized this year,” Hilmerson says. “Together, we’re moving the industry — and our communities — forward.”
