SBA head Guzman meets with local business owners

ELIZABETHTON, Tenn. (WJHL) – The head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) came to downtown Elizabethton on Wednesday to speak with local business owners about ways they can receive help after the floods.

Isabel Guzman, who’s a member of President Joe Biden’s cabinet as administrator of the SBA, toured downtown and spoke with owners at both the Tweetsie Trailing Ice Cream company and the Riverside Taphouse on how they’re managing after Hurricane Helene.

“I wanted to come and visit the really impacted areas across this country just to make sure that SBA, which steps in to help with immediate disaster relief, is there on the ground supporting people,” Guzman said.

Guzman told News Channel 11 that the SBA works to give out loans to small business owners. In the wake of disasters, these loans could be for the business or for a proprietor’s home if either have been damaged or impacted.

“Employers care about their employees, make sure that they get situated, and so we provide residential support as well for homeowners and renters,” Guzman said. “So that employees can get back on their feet, customers can get back on their feet, and our businesses can then once again thrive.”

At the Tweetsie Trailing Ice cream company Guzman learned from co-owner Candice Candelaria that the shop experienced close to a foot of water inside after the Doe River flooded.

“I was watching the flood come over to our business from across the road,” Candelaria said. “It was kind of hard because we wanted to prepare or do something about it, but we weren’t able to get to our business.”

Candelaria said because power went out they came back to a shop full of melted ice cream, something she said was a big loss to their business. Another thing that will affect the ice cream shops business is the fact that events in downtown Elizabethton have been canceled.

“Typically in a downtown area … that’s when people show up and walk the town but because of this issue with the bridge in the other part of town, this is a main road for a lot of people,” said Candelaria.

Her business is on Elk Avenue, near one of the two main bridges people travel across the Doe on in downtown Elizabethton. The other, several blocks away on Broad Street, remains closed.

“So with that traffic, we’re unable to close businesses to allow walking of people, so that’s going to hinder our business a little bit.”

Guzman also paid a visit to the Riverside Taphouse, where co-owner Michael Howell said they experienced some issues with a leaking roof during the heavy rain.

“There is some assistance out there for small business owners as far as damage to their house or property, and personal property that they lost in the flood,” said Howell. “It’s really good to know that assistance is available.”

Howell said they are considering apply for some loans but want to wait to see how things go in the next few weeks or months.

“As far as our sales we are looking at what happens with the infrastructure around here and how that impacts us,” said Howell. “Right now … a lot of our local customers are still coming out.”

A business recovery center is available with SBA representatives as part of a “multi-agency recovery center” (MARC) at the former Jonesborough Elementary School, 306 Forest Drive. It is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 on Sundays at a location that also offers multiple other disaster-related services.

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