CT Company Responds to the Needs of First Responders, Military Heroes

(Watertown, CT) – May 2, 2024– Memorial Day is always met with eager anticipation of warmer weather and fun summer vacations, however, for thousands of military families, May is a time of sadness and solemnity as they remember their fallen loved ones. Packaging and Crating Technologies, LLC (PACT®), a manufacturing company in Connecticut, is hoping to spread some happiness to those struggling with military-related loss by hosting the 2nd Annual Charitable Program to benefit the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. Throughout the month of May, the family-owned, cardboard crate manufacturer will donate 1% of sales proceeds from its entire line of moving containers to the nonprofit that provides mortgage-free homes for Gold Star and fallen first responder families and hopes to exceed last year’s $7,200 fundraising amount.

“This is the perfect time of year to honor the sacrifice of American servicemen and women and first responders for both Memorial Day and National Military Appreciation Month,” said Rodger Mort, chief operating officer at PACT. “We have strong ties to the military as it is a key industry that uses our packaging containers as service personnel are moved to different posts, and we are always grateful to help such humble heroes in any way possible.”

Tunnels to Towers Foundation was founded to recognize the valiant life of NYC firefighter Stephen Gerard Siller.  Siller was assigned to Brooklyn’s Squad 1 and had just finished his shift when he got word over his scanner of a plane hitting the North Tower of the World Trade Center. He drove his truck to the entrance of the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, but it had already been closed for security purposes. Determined to carry out his duty, he strapped 60 lbs. of gear to his back, and raced on foot through the tunnel to the Twin Towers, where he gave up his life while saving others. Stephen had everything to live for; a great wife, five wonderful children, a devoted extended family, and friends.

To date, the Foundation has provided over 600 mortgage-free homes for families, including specially-adapted smart homes for catastrophically injured veterans and first responders. Over 500,000 participants have supported the organization’s 80+ national walk, run and climb fundraisers.  

According to the Defense Casualty Analysis System, there were 844 total military deaths in 2022. https://dcas.dmdc.osd.mil/dcas/app/summaryData/deaths/byYearManner

PACT’s comprehensive line of offerings for the national charity includes:

• LiftVan - a large, durable container that comes in 5 sizes to accommodate the transport of heavy-duty items up to 2,000 pounds, while easily stacking 3 bins high.
• PleatWrap - a sustainable paper bubble wrap that has an engineered pleated center sandwiched between a tissue and a Kraft paper layer. PleatWrap gives superior corner protection as compared to plastic packaging and can be recycled after use.
• J-Crate -a lightweight, corrugated insert that is quick and easy to assemble, pack and unpack and offers a parcel 360-degree protection from shock, vibrations and dust accumulation.
• Spiral Foot -a triple-wall, fiberboard fastener block that sits on the ground and attaches to the upper crate for lightweight durability and inherent vibration protection.
• MP40 - a special packaging crate that contains 4 built-in dividers to ensure safe transit of fragile items such as plasma TVs, framed wall art, glass and marble tabletops.  When not used for moving, it can be used as a resilient dolly-free bin.
• Sofa Crate - a customized crate for larger furniture shipping that is strong enough to stack 6 units high.  This corrugated cardboard version replaces metal racking, thus increasing warehouse space.
• Motorcycle Crate - give your prized possession maximum moving protection through its patented corrugated sidewalls for side-impact and stacking strength. 
• PACT Thermoshield^TM - a lightweight, pleated, paper material with a non-toxic, moisture vapor application that prevents thermal runaway, a phenomenon in which the lithium-ion cell enters an uncontrollable, self-heating state caused by extremely high temperatures, shaking or puncturing during transit. 
• TR Sleeve^TM - a thin, patented, battery cell paper wrap that prevents thermal runaway propagation between lithium-ion battery cells within electric vehicles, battery packs and renewable energy storage systems.

Mort notes that PACT’s various patented shipping containers, which range in price between $40 and $2,000, are made from corrugated cardboard, a lightweight, sustainable, and durable material that can often be reused for hundreds of moves and brought to any recycling center or eco-friendly dumpster for final disposal.

PACT is a preferred vendor for the US Department of Defense and has been awarded a special permit from the US Department of Transportation for the shipping of lithium-ion batteries, as well as passed the proposed SAE-G-27 test standard.

“Whether donating to this important charity or participating in a Tunnel to Tower event, we encourage everyone to show their appreciation to the men and women in the armed forces and local first responders this month,” concludes Mort.

ABOUT PACT®, LLC

PACT, LLC is a global leader in manufacturing sustainable, packaging products for the commercial, industrial and military industries. With more than 25 years of experience, the family business was founded by three green packaging professionals and continues to embrace a green future by designing cost-effective, patented, crating solutions like LiftVans and PleatWrap, as well as custom packaging for the aerospace, medical, electronics, tooling, machinery, furniture, fine art and automotive sectors.  The company’s newest innovation is Thermo Shield, a sustainable paper-based packaging material that suppresses and controls lithium-ion battery fires by mitigating thermal runaway. 

About the Tunnel to Towers Foundation

Born from the tragedy of 9/11, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation carries out its mission to “do good,” by providing mortgage-free homes to Gold Star and fallen first responder families with young children and by building specially-adapted smart homes for catastrophically injured veterans and first responders. Tunnel to Towers is also committed to eradicating veteran homelessness and helping America to Never Forget September 11, 2001. Visit T2T.org to learn more. Follow Tunnel to Towers on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.