Congressman David Trone Visits Western Maryland Small Businesses During District Tour
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: trone.press@mail.house.gov
Congressman David Trone Visits Western Maryland Small Businesses During District Tour
Trone continues to push Administration and Congress to approve new COVID-19 relief law
Hagerstown, Md. — During his tour of the Sixth District yesterday, U.S. Congressman David Trone (MD-06) visited small businesses in Hagerstown to listen and learn about what these courageous entrepreneurs need as he continues to push the Administration and Congress to come to an agreement on another COVID-19 relief law.
Trone speaks with Lindsay Reese, owner of Cannon Coffee.
Trone first visited Cannon Coffee owned by Chris and Lindsay Reese. The owners successfully adapted to COVID-19 by working with the city to add two “curbside pull up” spots in front of their store and move to an online ordering system supported by Square. They also received Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funding and grant funding through the City of Hagerstown that allowed them to keep Cannon Coffee afloat. In addition, they have hosted a series of live-streamed “Uncomfortable Conversations,” which bring together community leaders and residents to discuss race, politics, public safety, and more.
Trone visits The Dog House restaurant.
Trone then visited The Dog House, owned by Jovann Carter. Carter came from a family of entrepreneurs and worked tirelessly to grow his business from a small cart to a brick and mortar store. Carter’s first store, The Dog House, is slated to open on November 1st.
Trone speaks with Carmen’s Corner Store owner Mark Wilks over video chat.
Trone rounded out his tour with a visit to Carmen’s Corner Store, a convenience store owned and operated by Mark Wilks. Wilks, a returning citizen, successfully challenged a U.S. Small Business Administration rule that prohibited him from accessing PPP funds. The ruling, which Trone supported, allowed Wilks to keep Carmen’s doors open.
“We’ve got some of the hardest working, resilient small business owners in Western Maryland, and I was honored to be able to stop by some of Hagerstown’s small business staples this week,” said Congressman Trone. “We owe it to these folks to get them the relief they need as we head into the winter months. I’ll continue working with my colleagues in Congress to put together a COVID-19 relief bill that puts small businesses and their employees first.”
“We appreciate the Congressman’s many visits to our community to see all the great things happening in Washington County. The federal COVID-19 support our community received was critical in helping us sustain jobs and keep our small businesses afloat during these challenging times, and it was good for the Congressman to see the return on that investment,” said Jim Kercheval, Executive Director of The Greater Hagerstown Committee. “These funds, combined with the ingenuity and resilience of our many small businesses owners has sustained our local economy over the past eight months. The public and private sectors will need to continue working together in the months ahead until the pandemic subsides and we can return to some sort of normalcy.”
“The Washington County Department of Business Development, on behalf of the Washington County Board of County Commissioners, was pleased Congressman David Trone included our great community as part of his tour,” said Linda Spence, Business Specialist at the Washington County Department of Business Development. “We look forward to continuing our working relationship in the future.”
“We always appreciate a visit by the Congressman to accentuate the progress, even in these tough times, our downtown and City as a whole are making,” said Scott A. Nicewarner, City Administrator for the City of Hagerstown. “The Congressman’s support of our effort is extremely appreciated.”
Congressman David Trone was elected to the House of Representatives in November 2018 to serve the 6th District of Maryland, which includes all or part of Montgomery, Frederick, Washington, Allegany, and Garrett Counties. Trone serves on the Education and Labor, Foreign Affairs, and Joint Economic Committees, where he is fighting to make progress on issues that matter to Marylanders, including the opioid epidemic, criminal justice reform, and funding for medical research.
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