A Year Later, Thompson Pump Still Playing Integral Recovery Role in Puerto Rico
Company's Work Providing Daily Water Needs for 250,000
PORT ORANGE, Fla., Oct. 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Hurricane Maria's damage in Puerto Rico has left a profound impact on the country and its citizens. And now, one year later, Thompson Pump and its employees are still on the island helping citizens recover from the aftermath – providing safe drinking water to 250,000 citizens every day.
More than 65 Thompson employees have assisted, on the ground in Puerto Rico and in supporting roles back in the US. They have worked tirelessly, providing ongoing maintenance and pump operation assistance while local citizens put their lives back together.
"One year later, we're still providing drinking water to the area," said Thompson Pump National Sales Manager Bobby Zitzka. "Since last October our pumps have run around the clock, seven days a week. We still have at least eight people on the ground in Puerto Rico at any given time – four people per shift. People who go there typically stay for three weeks at a time."
"The number of employees who volunteered to put their own lives on hold to help the people of Puerto Rico is outstanding," said Chris Thompson, President of Thompson Pump. "I'm really proud of the way our team came together for this demanding project."
The jobsite conditions continue to change because the area reservoir water levels constantly fluctuate. But the one constant has been the performance of Thompson's equipment. Their 10 18-inch diesel John Deere-powered pumps have shown incredible dependability during times when they were needed.
As the months pass, things are slowly returning to normal and additional water treatment facilities are being brought online.
The entire experience has been a humbling one for Zitzka and his staff. "When I was there, the locals would frequently come over and express their appreciation for the job we're doing after seeing the Thompson Pump logo on my shirt," he said. "This was – and still is – one of the more challenging jobsites I've been involved with, but seeing and hearing about how much of a positive effect we've had on people's lives makes every second of it worthwhile."
Thompson Pump, a 48-year old family-owned company based in Port Orange, Florida, is a full-service manufacturer and provider of high-quality dewatering pumps, pumping equipment and engineering expertise for dewatering, bypass, and emergency pumping applications worldwide.
SOURCE Thompson Pump
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