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Date: 8/18/2020
EASTHAMPTON – Congressman Richard Neal visited Rock Valley Tool on O’Neill Street to continue his tour of businesses that have benefitted from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
LaChapelle gave remarks on the importance of this program and offered each owner a chance to speak about how the program benefitted them.
“Because of Congressman Neal, these businesses that we are going to hear from today, Rock Valley Tool, Riverside Industries, Nini’s Ristorante, and Abandoned Building Brewery are all standing and looking forward to their future because of The Cares Act,” said LaChapelle.
LaChapelle mentioned the 10,000 other businesses across Western Massachusetts who have received more than $1 billion in assistance.
She expressed that she is hopeful Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in the will join Neal in supporting the Heros Act so communities like Eatshampton can get the much needed relief they need.
“The CARES Act which passed about four months ago, meant that 10,423 small businesses in central and Western Massachusetts received aid. The average loan in this district were for under $150,000,” said Neal.
Neal addressed that it is a tough time while we are in a recession and have a pandemic but it calls attention to the fact that the federal government is going to be important as the country moves forward.
Owner and Head Brewer at Abandoned Building Brewery Matt Tarlecki said he’s been in business for about six years and he is grateful to have received some of the first round funding.
“We were deemed an essential business so we were able to maintain operation since the economic shutdown occurred. We were able to keep almost our entire staff on board. We were able to keep producing beer and selling it across the state and because we were able to keep that continuity since day one, we are a little stronger now than if we would have been if we had to shut down our doors,” said Tarlecki.
President and Owner of Rock Valley Tool Liz Paquette said the CARES Act paid for people to stay employed; it helped cover payroll. They were able to keep eight people employed when their largest customer pulled back.
“One of the challenges that we are facing is that we do work in the aerospace and defense and that seems to be a lack of work at the moment from our customers. So our current need going forward is to try to keep people employed,” said Paquette.
She said they are not in a comfortable position. Her sales team and another team of individuals are coming up with creative ways of trying to find new work and tackle getting to new companies and trying to build up the sales. The issue while they are trying to do that is, they are still over-populated in the building. She said she can easily lay off two to three more people. Paquetee said she has laid off 12 since March.
“It’s a terrible feeling,” she said.
Some workers did come to her and said they needed to be let go because of child care. As they go into the fall, she already assumes there are a couple people who won’t be able to work without childcare.
Neal also spoke on President Donald Trump’s recent executive orders, which included an extension of additional unemployment benefits at $400. The additional $600 benefit made available to those whose employment was impacted by COVID-19 expired on July 31.
“Unemployment insurance is a Ways and Means direct responsibility. That $600 was a lifeline. As we move into this period of time where there are few jobs, people are going to have trouble paying rent, making mortgage payments,” said Neal.
He said believes the plan that was put out over the weekend is unworkable and unconstitutional and expressed a sense of urgency to go back to the bargaining table immediately.