Doug Emhoff, husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, hears about challenges facing Lehigh Valley

Doug Emhoff, husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, hears about challenges facing Lehigh Valley business owners


Doug Emhoff, husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, toured the Bridgeworks Enterprise Center in Allentown on Wednesday afternoon, speaking to local business owners about how they’ve adapted through the pandemic and promoting President Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan.

Joined by U.S. Rep. Susan Wild and Natalie Cofield, an assistant administrator with the Small Business Administration, Emoff toured two companies at the business incubator before sitting down to speak with business owners about the challenges of operating through the pandemic. All of the businesses have taken advantage of the various relief packages Congress has passed over the last 14 months, allowing them to continue to pay their employees and keep their companies from shutting down for good.

Greg Heller-LaBelle and Mike Manning, co-owners of Colony Meadery in Allentown, recounted how the pandemic killed their business model almost overnight. The bars and restaurants that were their primary customers were forced to close, and restrictions limited what they could do with their tasting room. As a small business making a niche product, they were at a disadvantage fighting for shelf space at liquor stores compared with major manufacturers.

“Those rounds of [the Paycheck Protection Program], that kept us afloat,” Heller-Labelle said.

Read more: https://www.mcall.com/news/pennsylvania/mc-nws-pa-second-gentleman-promotes-biden-jobs-plan-allentown-20210505-gy5stfpkijddxju3vhksjt5tqm-story.html
(Allentown Morning Call)