Federal Gov't. Says Auto Sales "Essential", Nears Deal on PPP
Dear WANADA Members,
That being said, it is nice that the federal government has joined
Maryland in recognizing that auto sales are an essential component of America's transportation infrastructure. Auto sales in Virginia are able to continue under EO 53's requirement that businesses limit their occupancy to no more than 10 patrons at a time.
When the two states eventually begin to
relax their restrictions on commercial activity and social gathering, we hope that the federal guidance will enable our members to potentially return to something resembling normal operations quicker than they would have been able to otherwise. It remains incredibly important that all our dealers adhere rigidly to all
federal, state, and local safety guidelines and ordinances, and continue documenting their efforts in doing so.
Any of these orders or guidelines can easily change or be revoked at any time, and it's vital that we continue to demonstrate we are worthy of what have been a series of favorable rulings for our industry. We must ensure that we're keeping our employees and our customers safe. As we have long said, hand sanitizer and face masks are going to almost certainly be major components of daily life for many months ahead, and you should operate your business and manage your employees with that assumption in mind.
Congress Nears a Deal on PPP and Disaster Loan Funding
As we mentioned last week, we believe that PPP applications that were approved, but have not yet been disbursed, should receive the funding they were promised. We encourage you to contact your
SBA lender regarding the status of your approved loan if you have not already. If you applied for a PPP loan and were not approved, you will need to re-apply once the program's funds have been replenished.
We appreciate NADA's hard work in
lobbying for additional funding, and we will report back with the full details of any appropriations bill once it has been finalized.
There are also additional grant and loan programs available in
Montgomery,
Prince George's, and
Fairfax counties, targeted toward small businesses based in each of those three counties.
Summary
Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland announced this afternoon that, later this week, the state will release an outline of what the state's reopening process will look like. Gov. Ralph Northam of Virginia has also expressed optimism to the same effect, and the two governors
have been working in conjunction with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina to coordinate at least certain components of their re-opening efforts.
The state-level data points make it clear that this is going to be a lengthy process. That said, we are hopeful that the additional federal funding for small businesses, and the states' development of re-opening plans, are positive signs as we continue our way through this crisis.
We appreciate your diligent commitment to safety, for your employers, your customers, and your family members. If you have any questions, please contact me or Joe Koch (
jk@wanada.org) at any time. And, as always, please feel free to refer to
WANADA's COVID-19 Information Library for a wealth of resources relevant to dealers and suppliers who are making their way through this new normal.
It is an honor for us to be able to serve our members, and we at WANADA are grateful for the important work you do.
