For the smallest businesses in the U.S., particularly those providing essential goods, the COVID-19 pandemic has been especially difficult to navigate. For Glenco Woodworking Machinery in Sarasota, Fla., getting a PPP loan was a lifeline for survival, not only for owners Dana and Vlad Moise, but for the company’s customers throughout the country.

Glenco is a distributor of heavy machinery, hand tools and accessories for the construction industry, woodworking manufacturers and woodworking hobbyists. With just three employees – including the owners – the company serves a wide area and works with many startup businesses that provide finished wood products, such as cabinetry, flooring and millwork.

The company’s dedication to its customers made the economic impact of COVID-19 even more acute. Other small businesses – and their employees – depend on Glenco for their livelihoods. An entire community of makers needed to know they could count on Glenco to help. A PPP loan was the only way the company could keep its key sales and prospect contacts connected and continue to provide its essential products and consulting services to other small businesses.

From garage shops to industrial warehouses, Glenco knows that its products and services benefit the entire small business ecosystem. Its own survival was critical to the small business success of so many others.