Huntsville businesses recovering from coronavirus shutdown

Huntsville businesses recovering from coronavirus shutdown

Those were right here in north alabama.

Waay 31's max cohan talked with local businesses recovering from the shutdown.

When business we're struggling, small businesses called ppp loans a saving grace.

Now, some are saying it's what is helping them bring staff back and in some cases, affording them the ability to hire more."

"yes, that's one of the reasons why we're able to reopen today is being able to bring people back, partially through that ppp usage."

Connor knapp, co-owner of piper and leaf, was able to open the doors to his lowe mill location thursday for the first time in nearly three months - when the historic art center fully reopened.

"we've got to get some of these things ironed out again because we've been out of here for so long.

And so it's both super exciting and even a little scary."

Knapp told waay 31 the paycheck protection program loan allowed him to bring the location's manager back and in doing so reopen.

"that's one of the things that using things like the ppp has allowed us to do, is to grow and expand in certain areas, so we actually are hiring - not only for here, but for some of our other initiatives as well."

9round 30 minute kick box fitness, another huntsville p-p-p recipient, didn't have to let any employees go.

The owner told me he paid workers out of his own pocket to keep them employed before the loan kicked in.

" i just felt it was the right thing to do in order to just give them some income for the first few weeks - or month a half actually - before we actually got our ppp loan funded to us.

" owner steve bump says the money really helped with the transition to reopening rather than paying his employees.

"i don't think i would have had to let anyone go, but i would have had to go into further debt, which - i just cant do that anymore."

"reporting in huntsville, max cohan, waay 31 news."