Over 200 Orcas businesses benefit from Paycheck Protection Program

— by Minor Lile, Orcas Issues reporter —

Recent data released by the Federal government indicates that somewhere between $10,000,000 and $15,000,000 of funding from the Paycheck Protection program has been received by Orcas Island businesses, protecting more than 1,000 jobs. Not all of the jobs are located on Orcas, as the program recipients include businesses that are based here but also have employees elsewhere.

The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was part of the Federal CARES Act stimulus package. The intention of the program, which is administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA), is to provide a direct incentive for businesses with 500 or fewer employees to keep those employees on their payroll. The funding is provided in the form of a loan that will be forgiven if the PPP employee retention criteria are met.

The information released by the SBA was provided in two data sets, one for businesses receiving more than $150,000 in assistance and the other for businesses receiving less than that amount. The two data sets provide slightly different information. The notes accompanying the data also state that a business that is listed in the SBA database may have chosen not to receive the funds that were allocated.

The following sixteen Orcas businesses received more than $150,000:

• Orcas Power & Light Cooperative ($1 to $2 million)
• Frontline Call Center, LLC ($350,000 to $1 million)
• Island Network, LLC ($350,000 to $1 million)
• Orcas Island Market, Inc. ($350,000 to $1 million)
• Rosario Signal, LLC ($350,000 to $1 million)
• Frontline Management, LLC ($150,000 to $350,000)
• Frontline Services II, INC. ($150,000 to $350,000)
• Island Excavating, Inc. ($150,000 to $350,000)
• Island Hardware & Supply ($150,000 to $350,000)
• Lotioncrafter, LLC ($150,000 to $350,000)
• Mad Science Chamber, LLC ($150,000 to $350,000)
• Outlook Inn, Inc. ($150,000 to $350,000)
• Rogue Holding, Inc. ($150,000 to $350,000)
• San Juan Sanitation, INC ($150,000 to $350,000)
• Shorewood Communications, Inc. ($150,000 to $350,000)
• White Construction Co. ($150,000 to $350,000)

According to the ranges provided, the financial support for these businesses was at least $4,050,033 and could be as high as $9,850,000 if each received support at the maximum end of the indicated range. The data indicates this funding protected at least 512 jobs. Employee totals were not provided for two of the businesses listed.

Businesses receiving less than $150,000
The information provided for businesses receiving less than $150,000 is structured differently than the information for businesses receiving more than that amount. For example, businesses receiving less than $150,000 are not identified by name. On the other hand, the amount of funding allocated for each business receiving less than $150,000 is stated as an exact amount rather than as a range.

The SBA data set indicates that 187 Orcas Island based businesses have been provided with funding of $150,000 or less. The total amount granted (in round numbers) was $6,625,476, for an average of $35,430 per business. Actual loan amounts ranged from $277.71 to $149,553. The PPP funds protected at least 487 jobs.

Summary
Of the 203 businesses that were provided with support, 177 are located in the Eastsound zip code, 9 in Olga, 7 in Deer Harbor and 6 in Orcas. Eight of the businesses identified themselves as non-profits. The funding was distributed through more than twenty financial institutions. Of these, the most prolific were Washington Federal (69 loans), Banner Bank (48), and Key Bank (38).

For information on the impact of the PPP program throughout San Juan County, click here.