Standing Together in Crisis: USKO’s Relief Efforts in North Carolina
24 February 2025
When Hurricane Helene struck North Carolina, it wasn’t just another disaster on the news—it was personal. For Konstantin Kirillin, General Partner at USKO, the storm hit too close to home. After days of failed attempts to contact his family, he had no choice but to take action.
Here’s his story.
“After not being able to reach anyone from my home town for two days, I decided to just drive ten hours straight to Asheville, hoping to find my family safe. Thank God they were safe and sound, and their homes were not affected, but what I found in other parts of the city was devastation—flooded streets, collapsed homes, and entire neighborhoods turned into rubble. The parks I once played in as a child were unrecognizable. It was clear that people needed immediate help, and so I decided to leverage USKO’s nationwide trucking network to begin bringing in resources.
Mobilizing Resources & Support
In the wake of the disaster, USKO quickly partnered with local and national relief agencies to provide urgent aid to affected communities. In addition to that, we also supported Duke Energy’s effort to restore the grid. Clean water, sanitation, and lighting—basic necessities we often take for granted—became top priorities. I spent the next month on the ground, working tirelessly to ensure that critical sites remained operational.
One of my key responsibilities was overseeing the sourcing, delivery, deployment, and service of light towers at Duke Energy’s “materials laydown yards” across the mountain regions of NC. These sites are vital to restoring the power grid, as linemen start every shift here, loading transformers, wires, and poles onto their trucks. They work 24/7 to rebuild the grid—and for that, they need proper lighting. Within 24 hours, USKO sourced and deployed the necessary light towers, ensuring operations could continue around the clock.
Beyond lighting, we provided essential sanitation solutions, including porta potties and handwashing stations. These facilities ensured that workers had a clean and safe environment to take much-needed breaks, wash up before meals, and maintain hygiene despite the harsh conditions.
The Power of Community
This experience reinforced something I’ve always believed—helping people in times of crisis isn’t just an obligation; it’s a responsibility. People came from far and wide to offer their support, all without asking for anything in return. There was even a SWRT (swift water rescue team) that responded from all the way in Los Angeles! Local churches organized food drives and hot meal lines, while national non profits coordinated and sent in shipments of dry goods/clothes/hygiene products. It was amazing to see everyone working together for the common good.
For me, this was more than just a job I needed to get done. It was about giving back to the place I call home, and ensuring that the people and communities I grew up with had the help they needed to recover. Having USKO’s reach behind me helped massively. Thanks to their robust yet agile supply chain, I was able to rapidly source and deploy critically needed infrastructure within very short lead times.”