At PGT Custom Windows and Doors, our mission has always been providing homeowners with custom products that protect what is most important – family. We are committed to delivering peace of mind, and this is evident through our core values: integrity, family, customers, quality, and community. Our parent company, PGT Innovations, also shares the same passions. On August 27, as Hurricane Laura strengthened into a Category 4 hurricane and made landfall along the Louisiana and Texas coast, we were ready to step in and provide hurricane support for those in the path of this storm.
“When a storm impacts any of our neighboring states – whether along the East Coast or across the Gulf, our team is compelled to help however we can with relief efforts to aid those families affected,” said Jeff Jackson, President and CEO of PGT Innovations. “As a company headquartered in Florida, we have seen the devastation that these incredibly powerful weather events can leave behind. Our goal is that the hurricane support and supplies we provide will help residents know that they are not in this alone; that there are companies and organizations that will be there to help them rebuild their homes, their communities, and their lives.”
Our passion for safety and our dedication to placing our communities first is what drove us to deliver post-storm aid to those affected by the recent Hurricane Laura. On August 31, our team loaded two PGT Innovations’ semi-trucks with hurricane relief supplies and set out on the 900-mile journey to Louisiana to deliver hurricane support to the hurting communities.
Even before this Category 4 hurricane made landfall, our team at PGT Innovations was already securing provisions. We supplied more than 800 tarps, 1,700 batteries, 38,000 bottles of water, generators, chainsaws, oil, coolers, first aid kits, extension cords, and 200 flashlights among several other items. Soon after Hurricane Laura hit the coasts of Louisiana, we realized that Lake Charles was one of the hardest hit areas. We then connected with a local dealer, Doug Ashy Building Materials, to confirm their safety and to begin making plans for our hurricane relief supplies distribution event.
In order to best follow COVID-19 social distancing efforts to protect volunteers and the community, we created a drive-thru distribution process where the recipients remained in their vehicles as the hurricane relief supplies were loaded into their cars.
More than 750 residents drove through the distribution line to receive hurricane support.
The PGT Innovations volunteers included Sean Armantrout, Cesar Fuentes, Gary Greksa, Steve Smith, and AJ Wells, as well as truck drivers Dewayne Brown and Carl Sikkema.
“It’s truly remarkable what PGT Innovations has done,” shared D.J. Ashy, President of Doug Ashy. “Words can’t even explain how gracious we are that they came and helped with this event. It’s terrible to see what’s happened out here, but it’s uplifting to be able to do this for people.”
When the opportunity arises to help our neighboring communities, PGT Innovations will be there. Partnering with Doug Ashy Building Materials and organizing a drive-thru hurricane relief distribution event for the residents in Lake Charles, Louisiana was truly an honor. We hope those who were greatly affected by Hurricane Laura know that they are not alone in the recovery process as there are people and businesses out there ready to lend a helping hand. Here at PGT Innovations, our mission is to protect and our heart is to serve.