BlueTriton’s Texas employees spring into action to keep Houston community hydrated in the wake of Hurricane Beryl

A ReadyRefresh employee loads pallets of bottled water to be delivered to retailers and customers in Texas recovering from Hurricane Beryl.

Hurricane Beryl tore through areas of Texas with damaging winds and heavy rains, causing power outages for more than a week in many towns and cities in July 2024.

When power was lost for almost one week to our ReadyRefresh branches and Houston factories, which produces Ozarka® Natural Spring Water, Pure Life® Purified Water and other water brands, our Dallas team jumped into action. Teams worked extra shifts, altered schedules and adjusted personal lives to ensure our customers and communities felt supported with water needed to weather the storm.

“We can’t thank our employees enough for going above and beyond the call of duty,” said Chris Fairbairn, Senior VP, ReadyRefresh Field Operations. “In the 10 years I’ve worked for the company, I’ve never been so amazed by the way the whole Texas team worked together to overcome obstacles and keep our customers supplied in Hurricane Beryl’s aftermath. Access to safe drinking water is especially important in times of crisis. That’s why we show up for communities.”

The Product Supply teams in Houston worked to restore electricity at the factories. With the help of industrial generators, teams were able to get back online to start producing products. That allowed our ReadyRefresh and Warehouse teams to load bottled water by the truckload, sometimes by floodlights, and ReadyRefresh Service Representatives navigated debris covering area roadways. Teams worked tirelessly in the Texas summer heat and humidity so cases of bottled water could be delivered to retailers and customers.

A general manager from a Texas grocery store retailer sent an email, complimenting one of our drivers saying, “as a dedicated member of your team, Anthony went above and beyond his duty to ensure our store received the essential water supply needed to weather the storm.

Despite already completing four runs of the water truck, Anthony graciously volunteered to make an additional unscheduled run to ensure our needs were met. This act of kindness and commitment did not go unnoticed, and it made a significant impact on our operations during a difficult time.”

Additional stops were added to ReadyRefresh routes to provide for our communities and neighbors. Even after putting in long hours, the majority of our BlueTriton families returned home to personal challenges with power outages and yard and house clean-up efforts.

“The BlueTriton team showed what it means to be Fiercely Good in the face of adversity with the eye of Hurricane Beryl going right through the middle of Houston,” said Sara Jones, BlueTriton Brands Human Resources Manager. “While overcoming personal challenges, the team remained committed to ensuring our customers were serviced and Houston had the water it needed. I’m highly impressed with how our teams worked together to make the business happen without power, internet, limited cell service, and damage to our own property.”

BlueTriton Brands also continues to work with its partners Americares, American Red Cross and Convoy of Hope to ensure ample supply and source is on hand for times in need.