RIVER RIDGE BUSINESS PARTNER TO HELP NEIGHBORS IN HURRICANE HELENE RELIEF EFFORTS

Niagara Cares and Mister “P” Express send a truckload of bottled water to Rutherford County, North Carolina, home to Meta Data Center.  

Jeffersonville, IN (November 14, 2024) – In the wake of the devastation left by Hurricane Helene, three local businesses have organized a donation of more than 40,000 bottles of drinking water. 

In North Carolina, Rutherford County is home to a Meta Data Center.  Because River Ridge will be home to a future Meta Data Center, two companies in River Ridge have reached out to their new neighbor with assistance.

Niagara Cares, the charitable division of Niagara Bottling, donated a truck load of bottled water, and Mister “P” Express donated the truck, fuel and the driver to transport the water to Rutherford County.  River Ridge Development Authority coordinated the effort, and the delivery was unloaded at its destination Thursday morning.   Residents in Rutherford County can contact Dayna West with Habitat for Humanity Disaster Relief for distribution.

“At Niagara, we believe in standing by our communities, especially in times of need,” said Nicholas Griess, Sr. Plant Director for Niagara Bottling in Jeffersonville. “We are proud to team up with our community partners to play a small part in providing safe, clean drinking water to support this community as they rebuild.”

Rutherford County was one of the areas hit hardest by Hurricane Helene in September, knocking out roads, power and communications and leaving residents in need of basic supplies like clean drinking water.

“We at Mister “P” Express are glad to be part of this relief effort for the victims of the storm,” stated Rebecca Collier Estes, Vice President of Sales & Marketing. “We believe that anything is possible when the community rallies together.” 

“The RRDA is so pleased that our family of businesses are looking out for each other,” said Jerry Acy, Executive Director of the River Ridge Development Authority. “I want to thank Niagara Cares and Mister “P” Express for making this possible.”  

About Mister “P” Express 

Mister “P” Express is a family owned and operated truckline in Southern Indiana. Our foundation lies in the growing relationships we have developed over the past 37 years in business. Mister “P” Express started in 1987 with only three trucks. Allan Parnell, his wife Bunny and daughter, Cynthia Parnell Collier, started the company. The company has expanded to acquire additional property to ensure room for growth over the next several years. Mister “P” Express, Inc. strives to be the best in the business and continue to grow in the right direction.

About Niagara Bottling and Niagara Cares

Niagara Bottling, LLC has been family owned and operated since 1963. Headquartered in Diamond Bar, Calif., Niagara operates bottling facilities throughout the U.S. and Mexico. As a leading U.S. beverage manufacturer, Niagara Bottling works closely with some of the largest retailers, grocers, club and convenience stores throughout the country. Niagara produces a variety of beverages including bottled water, sparkling, vitamin and flavored water, teas, sports drinks, ready-to-drink coffee, protein drinks and non-dairy milk products. For more information, visit www.niagarawater.com.

Niagara Cares is the heart of what we do and who we are at Niagara Bottling. For more than 60 years, we have been making a difference for our Team Members, consumers and communities through philanthropic giving, volunteering, water donations and disaster relief. As a family-owned business, we are committed to creating meaningful change for our communities through a spirit of giving back both big and small. For more information, visit niagarawater.com/niagara-cares.

About the River Ridge Development Authority 

The River Ridge Development Authority (RRDA) manages the River Ridge Commerce Center, a 6,000-acre business and office park established in 1998 to replace lost economic activity from the closure of the Indiana Army Ammunition Plant.  Today, River Ridge is home to approximately 80 companies such as Amazon, Bose, Collins Aerospace, Medline, Optum and PharmaCord.  Onsite employment totaled more than 12,002 in 2023, and the Center produced a total of over $2.9 billion in economic output and supported an additional 6,555 jobs. The investments and growth at River Ridge earned the RRDA the International Economic Development Council’s 2020 Gold Award for Real Estate Redevelopment and Reuse.