Working Behind the Scenes to Keep Shelves Stocked
There’s a reason your favorite grocery store remained stocked during the pandemic – logistics companies like Performance Trucking, Inc. worked around the clock to deliver food and essential products to supermarket chains across the United States.
Performance Trucking, headquartered in Lawrenceville, GA, utilized its current fleet of trailers, layover yards and terminal facilities to continue to serve their customer base across the Southeast. They were able to keep their drivers on the road and bring aid during an unprecedented time.
“We kept on all the time,” said owner Kathryn Stewart. “We didn’t have any drivers down, so we kept at it. They didn’t take time off and they worked hard. They really helped us and everyone else through an extremely tough time.”
Performance Trucking shifted operations and heavily relied on customers shipping essential goods. Where possible, they shifted employees to work remotely. However, due to the nature of the trucking industry many jobs required in-person attendance, so Performance Trucking had to work quickly to provide their employees with personal protective equipment and safety guidelines.
When the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) provided by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES) was announced, Stewart and co-owner Dan Strader began looking for knowledge and assistance for the application. Stewart’s son, Keaton Stewart, found the UGA SBDC through an online search. Reaching out to the Gwinnett office they began working with consultant Benny StaRomana on ways to obtain the funding.
“The UGA SBDC was helpful in timely answering my questions regarding the PPP requirements and application process,” said Stewart. “I had many questions about what expenses might be forgiven, and I looked for expertise on how different lenders were handling the requests.”
With guidance from StaRomana of the Gwinnett office, Performance Trucking was able to take the necessary steps to successfully obtain funding for their company.
“Kathryn’s company successfully applied for the relief program and has continued to ‘keep the shelves stocked,’” said StaRomana. “Performance Trucking is a business that, in recognizing the vitality of its role, continuously seeks ways to improve operations and ultimately its viability.”
Having only begun working with the UGA SBDC in March, Stewart is looking forward to continuing to work with her consultant StaRomana.
