Man Of The Year 2024

Contractor and travel agent, those are two words that can be used to introduce Peter Pachacz.

He is a successful Polish-American entrepreneur who has spent almost 40 years working in the NY Metro area, more specifically in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

Peter Pachacz was born on June 16,1961 in Krakow, Poland. He was a first year student at Jagiellonian University Medical College when he decided to leave his homeland and begin a new life for himself in the United States where his father Ludwik Pachacz had already been living for seven years.

In 1981, together with his mother, Teresa Pachacz, he joined his father in New York. The beginning was tough, especially without knowing the language. He quickly signed up for English language courses at New York University and soon after he was accepted as a foreign student at Manhattan College in Riverdale. During his college years, he worked afternoons and weekends in the dormitory of the Lasallian brothers who taught at the college.

He graduated in 1986 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biochemistry.

That year, he faced a decision. He could have returned to the Medical College in Krakow, where he had been accepted as a foreign student, to continue his medical studies. However, he opted to pursue a different path entirely and together with his brother Paul he decided to launch a business. With Paul's experience in business and construction, together they created Cracovia General Contractors, Inc. The business has continued to operate, without interruption, to this day.

With Peter and his wife Krystyna, along with Paul and his wife Marta, all hailing from Krakow, it seemed only fitting to name the company "Cracovia".

Cracovia General Contractors, with nearly 40 years of experience, and its sister company Korona Construction, established in 2019, completed various projects for both private clients and notable organizations like the NYC Department of Landmarks, Rockefeller University, and the NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development.

It was not only the construction business that Peter ventured into however. In 1990, again with Krystyna, Paul, and Marta, he opened a new business in the form of Albatross Travel Agency where he also found success.

After receiving proper accreditation from the Airlines Reporting Corporation, Albatross Travel Agency, Inc. was established and for 34 years it has continued to serve Polish and other clients with travel needs, money transfers, and parcel services. Since its formation Albatross Travel Agency has operated in close cooperation with LOT Polish Airlines, American Travel Abroad and the "Wspolnota Polska" Association.

In 1992 Peter joined the ranks of the prestigious Pulaski Association of Business and Professional Men. Here he works together with many Polish-American businessmen providing help to various Polish organizations including overseeing annual holiday events, testimonial banquets, and fundraising balls. He also held multiple positions on the Board of Directors. In 2002 he was elected president of the Pulaski Association of Business and Professional Men and in 2018 he held that same honor. As president in 2003 he established a scholarship for talented youth among Polonia, a program that continues successfully today.

In 1996 Peter was introduced to the Society of Polish American Travel Agents (SPATA). After attending its first convention in Spain, he was impressed at how the organization bonds Polish-American travel professionals from all over the United States and Canada. He quickly became an active member and in 2009 he was elected president of SPATA. Additionally, he was selected as chairman of conventions celebrating both the 50th and 60th anniversaries of SPATA in the United States and in Poland. He cultivated strong relationships with the Polish Chamber of Tourism (PIT) and the Polish Tourism Organization. He continues to be active and holds multiple positions on the Board of Directors. Today, he serves as vice-president of this 65-year old organization.

Peter's dedication to promoting Poland abroad was recognized in 2003 when he was awarded the "Za Zaslugi dla Turystyki" (Merit for Tourism) medal by the Polish Chamber of Tourism. The prestigious ceremony unfolded at SPATA's 50th Anniversary Gala in Warsaw, Poland.nDuring the Polonia Global Convention in Tarnow, Poland, held in August 2019, Peter was honored once again for his efforts in tourism promotion. This time, he received the Merit for Tourism "Za Zaslugi dla Turystyki" from the Ministry of Sport and Tourism.

In acknowledgment of his significant contributions to Polonia, Peter was bestowed with the Polish Gold Cross of Merit by the late President of Poland, Lech Kaczynski, in 2009.

Furthermore, in 2019, Peter received a citation from Eric Adams, the President of The Borough of Brooklyn, commemorating Polish Heritage Month and recognizing his valuable endeavors.

Peter Pachacz is married to Krystyna Pachacz and has two sons: Philip Pachacz, who graduated from the Polytechnic Institute of NYU and Gregory Pachacz, who graduated from Manhattan College and The New School.