Sitnasuak Native Corporation offers help and support for the people of Puerto Rico in the response and recovery efforts due to the natural disasters that have severely impacted the area. This past month, Hurricanes Irma and Maria together ravaged the U.S. Territory of Puerto Rico, and displaced many people and families to shelters, cut electrical power and communications across the island, and created flooding.

Sitnasuak has a wholly owned manufacturing holding company SNC Technical Services, LLC (SNCT) based in Puerto Rico and it is proudly one of the largest American manufacturers of uniforms and tactical gear for our men and women serving in the US military. Sitnasuak President & CEO Bobbi Quintavell expressed on behalf of the Corporation, “Our primary concern is the safety of our Puerto Rico based employees, and we are here to support them in our efforts to ensure everyone’s safety and recovery.”

The SNCT facilities fortunately only sustained minimum damages and the SNCT management team reopened for production on September 26, 2017. According to SNCT CEO Humberto Zacapa, “We are pleased to announce that our plants operated today with an attendance of 80%. We are extremely proud of our people, after what happened to the entire island. The response today is amazing, and shows the endurance and resilience of our employees and all people in Puerto Rico.”

As of today, SNCT has 44 employee families that have totally or partially lost homes. During the coming week, SNCT is offering subsidized lunch meals to employees and onsite daycare for employees’ children to aid in the recovery and response efforts. SNCT has also extended temporary emergency shelter to employee families at the company facilities. The facilities generators have become very important to provide electricity – both for business operations and community service. The SNCT facilities and company provide important economic opportunities for our employees and their families in Puerto Rico to help in the recovery. SNCT is also a key DoD contractor for continuing to support our US military service men and women with uniforms and tactical gear.

To help and support the people of Puerto Rico, Sitnasuak is contributing to the organization United for Puerto Rico. According to their web site (http://unidosporpuertorico.com/en/), “This is an initiative brought forth by the First lady of Puerto Rico, Beatriz Rosselló in collaboration with the private sector, with the purpose of providing aid and support to those affected in Puerto Rico by the passage of Hurricane Irma and Hurricane María. Puerto Rico needs your support. Join us and help Puerto Rico recover!” Sitnasuak has committed to match $2,500 in employee contributions and our President & CEO Bobbi Quintavell has offered the first employee donation. So far Sitnasuak employees have contributed $1,265. In addition, our Sitnasuak staff based in Alaska are staying in close contact with our Puerto Rico based management team as communication systems allow.

SNCT has also joined the Puerto Rican Government and Puerto Rican Manufacturers’ Association in gathering personal effects and non-perishable items for the residents of Culebra (the municipality on the island’s east coast) and their neighbor islands in the Caribbean after the massive devastation.

Sitnasuak is headquartered in Nome, Alaska, with operations in Nome, Anchorage, Wasilla, California, Virginia and Puerto Rico. Sitnasuak’s family of companies and brands include Bonanza Fuel, Bonanza Express, Fidelity Title, Mat-Su Title, Nanuaq, Mocean, SNC Technical Services, and Sitnasuak Construction Services. SNC is one of the Alaska Native village corporations created in 1971 under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA). Today, Sitnasuak is the largest of 16 village corporations in the Bering Straits region with over $130 million in annual revenues. Sitnasuak is owned by almost 2,900 Alaska Native shareholders. For additional information on Sitnasuak as well as our business products and services, please visit our web site at www.snc.orgor like our Facebook page www.facebook.com/Sitnasuak/.