During this crisis our industry is giving back to help others in need. Hear their stories. Share their stories. 

Packaging Corporation of America Employee Helps Neighborhoods Hit by Tornado

Early in the morning on Tuesday, March 3, severe storms and at least one tornado slammed through central Tennessee, causing widespread damage. The areas of devastation included the cities of Nashville, Lebanon and Cookeville.

PCA’s local Hexacomb Sales Representative, AJ Johnson, who was fortunate to escape the tornado’s path, learned that volunteers at his local disaster recovery site needed boxes — both to collect donated items like water, food and clothing and for families trying to salvage their personal items that were strewn about the area.

Johnson turned to PCA’s sheet plant in nearby Gallatin for help. The plant’s Sales Manager, Walter Glenn, had the plant jump into action to produce boxes for the relief efforts. Glenn then packed up the boxes in his car and drove 90 minutes to Johnson’s house to deliver them.

Johnson distributed the boxes to the volunteers at the recovery site, as well as to families who needed containers to collect any found items in the area. He also donated the tape needed to set up the boxes.

According to Johnson: “Bottom line, I feel blessed to be able to help just one person that was affected by this tragedy. Thankfully, with the help of our PCA family in Gallatin, I was able to give a few boxes to four different families to help salvage some memories from the past and preserve them for the future. Each family that received the boxes was so appreciative, and even tears of gratitude were shed.”

Additional stories of PCA employees’ generous outreach

1. Rick Geething, Lora Markham and Julie Keener at PCA’s Ashland, OH plant coordinated a box donation to the food bank run by the Ashland Salvation Army Ray & Joan Kroc Center.

2. Megan Stallings and the team at PCA Morganton donated 1,000 unprinted cartons to the Burke Outreach Center. Typically the center provides food to 280 families each month, but due to the coronavirus they are expecting to serve around 1,000. Morganton is committed to meeting the needs of the community in the coming months.

3. PCA Vincennes donated boxes to Backpacks of Love for VCSC, making sure students still receive their weekend food during school closures. The organization buys and delivers food for students in local communities to supply weekend meals to needy children.

4. Megan Stallings and PCA Morganton donated boxes to Burke County Public Schools to help them distribute meals to children in the community. These kids typically rely on school lunches to meet their nutritional needs, but those have closed due to COVID-19.

5. PCA in International Falls, MN, is proud to support the Backus Community Center and its Community Café, which provides a free, hot, nutritious meal to anyone in the community.

6. PCA corporate has partnered with local hospitals and restaurants to cater meals for the medical staff who are working on the frontlines of this pandemic. This helps local businesses and also shows support to all the medical personnel who are caring for those affected by the virus.

7. PCA employee and Greater Valdosta United Way Board member Brittney Hull presented Greater Valdosta United Way with a generous donation from PCA.

About PCA: 
At PCA, we think of ourselves as more than a box manufacturer. We are an ideas and solutions company. We seek to be the leader in helping our customers — large and small — package, transport and display products of all kinds. It just happens to be that corrugated products are our area of expertise.

So a partnership with PCA isn’t just about buying boxes. It’s about building a relationship with a knowledgeable, trusted, committed source; adding value to your business; and actively contributing to your success in the marketplace.

Whether you are looking for conventional shipping containers, custom-printed corrugated boxes, custom packaging or eye-catching retail visual displays, PCA is here to deliver the right packaging solution on time and on budget.

Why We Do What We Do
At PCA, our people are as sharp at posing questions as they are at providing answers. With good reason… We realize that the key to offering responsive customer service is never taking our customers for granted. That’s why at the same time you’re learning about our products and how we do business, we’re learning about yours.

So don’t be surprised if PCA people collaborate more than you’re used to, or engage you in conversations that go beyond flute profiles and stacking strength. For PCA people, it’s all about understanding customer service — doing our very best to give you the ideas and products that support your needs.

For more information visit the website at https://www.packagingcorp.com/