PMMI Member Going Extra Mile to Help Puerto Rico

Merely weeks into dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in his own Odessa, Florida backyard, Pharmaworks President Peter Buczynsky saw the devastation in Puerto Rico from Hurricane Maria and immediately set out to deliver aid to the battered island. Utilizing his many contacts from years of missionary work, Buczynsky connected with pastors in Puerto Rico that are working “in the trenches” to identify locations and prioritize power needs. Together with Trevor Charlton, plant and operations manager, global vice president at Cummins Generator Technologies, and with the aid of $5,000 from PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, the pair are hand delivering generators, electrical cables, disconnect terminals and tools to repair existing power generating systems. Bringing their own food and water, so as not to be a burden on any existing local resources, the pair arranged a vehicle and local guide through another Pharmaworks employee.

Before taking off for Puerto Rico, Buczynsky noted that the generators are targeted for community centers and churches in the eastern part of the island to allow them to be areas of cooking and hot water.

“Customers and friends in [Puerto Rico] are already lining up meetings with community leaders,” Buczynsky said. “One of our customers asked if [we planned] to visit the company or the community. Our response was both. They responded back, ‘go serve the community, it’s more important.’  Selflessness in the center of turmoil.”