CT Manufacturing Co on A Mission to Help Local Military Heroes

For the past two years, Packaging and Crating Technologies, LLC (PACT®), a family-owned manufacturing company in Watertown, CT, has raised close to $10,000 for America’s servicemen and women. Now, the corrugated crate and lithium battery packaging producer is looking to assist locally in its own backyard by hosting the 3rd Annual Military Heroes Charity Program to benefit both the Tunnel to Towers Foundation (T2T) and the American Legion of Thomaston Post 22. Throughout the month of May, which commemorates both Memorial Day and National Military Appreciation Month, PACT will donate 1% of sales proceeds from its entire line of moving containers and shipping products to the T2T non-profit organization, which helps military families secure mortgage-free homes, as well as make a $1,000 contribution to the American Legion of Thomaston Post 22, which ensures proper health and other essential benefits for current service members and veterans.

“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,” said Rodger Mort, chief operating officer at PACT. “The United States military is a key customer that uses our packaging containers as all branches of service personnel are moved to different posts, and we are always grateful to help such humble heroes in any way possible.”

The 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.

The American Legion is the largest U.S. veterans’ organization with more than 1.6 million members who strengthen the nation through programs, services and advocacy for those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, youth and communities. Today, the organization is committed to destigmatizing mental health support by offering peer-to-peer resources in the fight to end veteran suicide. The local American Legion of Thomaston Post 22 is the leading advocate for healthcare and earned benefits for area veterans, servicemembers and their families.

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 that will benefit both charities include:

• 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 Thermo ShieldTM-, 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 SleeveTM- 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.
• TR EnvelopeTM, is the newest, customizable format of PACT Thermo Shield TM, which safely transports and stores smaller devices such as cell phones, pagers, smartwatches and rechargeable A-D batteries, items becoming a hazard for commercial airlines during flight.

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 two special permits from the US Department of Transportation for the shipping of lithium-ion batteries, as well as passed the proposed SAE-G-27 test standard.

“This is the perfect time of year to show gratitude to our troops and first responders and we encourage all Connecticut residents to help us reach our goal through a direct donation to these two wonderful charities,” 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.