Two congressmen from North Florida are calling on the U.S. Treasury Department and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to include a Lake City aircraft manufacturing company in the Payroll Protection Program (PPP).
This week, U.S. Rep. Al Lawson, D-Fla., and U.S. Rep. Neal Dunn, R-Fla., wrote U.S. Treasury Sec. Steven Mnuchin and SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza, urging them in include Lake City’s HAECO Airframe Services, LLC under the PPP.
“The company, which performs aircraft maintenance for U.S. airlines, is also one of the largest employers in the city. They filed for federal assistance under the CARES Act stimulus plan earlier this year, but have yet to be approved. Due to COVID-19 impacting airline travel, HAECO may be forced to lay off several employees,” Lawson’s office noted.
Lawson weighed in on the letter on Tuesday.
“HAECO Airframe Services saw demand for its work vanish after the pandemic eliminated most of the market for commercial air travel,” Lawson said. “HACEO is a vital part of Lake City’s workforce and revenue stream, and that’s why it is critical we provide protections for our nation’s small businesses, particularly those in underserved communities.”
Reach Kevin Derby at kevin.derby@floridadaily.com.