With a recently announced extension of the Paycheck Protection Program to roll out $284 billion in relief funds to businesses hard hit by the ongoing pandemic, the News + Record is looking back at the county’s biggest recipients from round one.
Through the summer months, North Carolina received about $17 billion through the forgivable loan program established by the CARES Act — the largest economic stimulus package in U.S. history. Of that, more than $55 million went to Chatham County businesses.
But much of the program’s distribution was shrouded in mystery. The federal government sparked outcry from media outlets nationwide when a limited public data set chronicling dispensation of PPP funds was incomplete and riddled with errors.
In December, following a successful Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed by a coalition of media organizations including The Washington Post, the U.S. Small Business Administration released nationwide data on the PPP including exact loan amounts for the program’s largest beneficiaries and the names of companies that received $150,000 or less.
Since then, organizations like accountable.us, a nonpartisan watchdog group, have continued to update PPP data sets as they became available, using public filings and data and news reports.
For a complete list of available records, visit the SBA’s website or https://covidbailouttracker.com/.
Here are Chatham County’s biggest recipients, sorted by town, according to the website data:
Siler City businesses received $16.99 million from the first round of PPP. Out of 440 recipients, the average payment was $38,618.
1. Brookwood Farms Inc. — $1.3 million
2. Lazar Industries LLC — $634,200
3. Basic Machinery Company Inc. — $528,600
4. Carolina Wood Enterprises Inc. — $385,700
5. Sunrise Home Care Inc. — $368,930
6. Caniness Farms Grading Inc. — $326,000
7. International Precast Inc. — $322,740
8. Eric Pugh Concrete LLC — $257,400
9. Boyd Manufacturing Inc. — $233,000
10. Chaudhry Meat Company Inc. — $223,130
Chatham Media Group LLC, the owner of the Chatham News + Record, based in Siler City, received $60,713.81.
In Pittsboro, 933 PPP applicants received a total of $29.37 million. The average payment was $31,484.
1. Fitch Creations Inc. — $1.37 million
2. CBGP SUB LLC — $417,805
3. REME LLC — $378,300
4. I & CMS LLC — $370,485
5. I & CMS LLC — $358,975
6. Romdrey LLC — $223,000
7. The Cut Buddy LLC — $217,200
8. New Horizons Trading Co., Unlimited — $213,200
9. Arbor Enterprises Inc. — $188,397
10. STSS Inc. — $166,104
An average of $46,190 was distributed between 86 recipients in Moncure — $3.97 million total.
1. Southern Veneer Specialty Products LLC — $1.42 million
2. Elkins Sawmill Inc. — $426,600
3. Cade Inc. — $261,000
4. Chimneys Plus Inc. — $223,000
5. A Fair Service Company — $150,000
6. Dennis Services Inc. — $150,000
7. William R. Foushee — $110,300
8. A Fair Service Company — $106,400
9. Chatham RV Park Inc. — $104,300
10. Cabinet Creations Inc. — $82,700
$2.88 million was distributed to 46 Goldston businesses. Recipients averaged $62,714 in relief funds.
1. INO-VATE Group LLC — $1.48 million
2. Gaines Oil Co. — $275,329
3. Sanford Steel Corporation — $255,100
4. INO-VATE Group LLC — $150,000
5. GP Mechanical Contractors Inc. — $126,203
6. Shri Umiyamataji Inc. — $83,500
7. United Fire & Safety Equipment Co. Inc. — $66,100
8. Kristy Oldham — $47,200
9. Goldston Lumber Inc. — $46,200
10. Tree of Knowledge Daycare Center LLC — $30,600
Between 56 recipients in Bear Creek, $2.68 million was dispensed, averaging $47,863 per business.
1. Wilson Brothers Mill Co. Inc. — $817,300
2. J-Rod Rebar LLC — $420,062
3. Bear Creek Fabrication LLC — $254,100
4. Scott & Associates Inc. — $189,800
5. Wilson Poultry LLC — $150,000
6. T&L Transportation — $132,500
7. Earthtec of N.C. Inc. — $114,000
8. Campbell Paint & Body Inc. — $61,900
9. Camco Transport Inc. — $51,700
10. Brewers Grocery Inc. — $48,400
This story was updated on Friday, Jan. 29, to reflect a correction in Pittsboro's top 10 recipients. The previous list included some entries from Pittsboro, IN. The News + Record regrets the error.
Reporter D. Lars Dolder can be reached at dldolder@chathamnr.com and on Twitter @dldolder.