We now know what 12,000 companies in Vermont have obtained paycheck protection program loans. Our Calvin Cutler has more on the companies that got the money.

The money has gone to many businesses across the state, from manufacturing plants and retail to Spirit of Ethan Allen in Burlington. Many business owners say the loans came on time and they probably wouldn’t be opened without them.

Some $ 1.2 billion in federal cash flowed to employers in Vermont at the height of the pandemic.

Mike Shea, the owner of the Spirit of Ethan Allen, says he received a loan of $ 300,000, allowing him to keep his 21 employees on the payroll.

If I didn’t get the grant, I might have gone bankrupt. Maybe I had to get a loan, I don’t know, “he said.” We were in a difficult situation.

The loans, funded by the CARES Act, are designed to encourage employers to keep their employees on the payroll and off the unemployment line.

The federal government this week released the names of companies that have received more than $ 150,000.

Some big names, like GW Plastics, Dubois Construction, and Vermont Law School, receive loans of over $ 2 million.

Most of the loans went to the construction industry, retail trade, and technical services, such as law firms. But there are just about all kinds of business under the sun.

“As of March 20, I think, the schools were closed so we had no place to go,” said Susan Kimmerly.

Kimmerly owns the Nine East network in Montpellier. He teaches deaf or hard of hearing children. She received $ 360,000 to keep her business alive.

“The paycheck protection program, first of all, helped us prepare for what we knew to be reduced income and it was drastically reduced. We’re still calculating $ 280,000 in reduced income,” said Kimmerly.

But Vermont is not out of the woods yet. State and health leaders are concerned about a second wave of COVID-19 in the fall, so the state is saving money for more help if needed.

While the P3 program isn’t the end of the line, Shea says he’s thankful to be there another summer.

“Our customers are thankful that we are there, our employees are thankful for having a job, they understand that unemployment is high. I know they have bills to pay. I am more than happy to help them. help me and I help them, ”said Shea.

Although we can see the names of the companies that received more than $ 150,000, there are still approximately 10,000 companies in Vermont that received loans below that amount. The federal government does not disclose their names.