These Santa Cruz Companies Got The Biggest PPP Loans

SANTA CRUZ, CA — Hundreds of Santa Cruz companies were among the 87,000 California businesses and non-profits that received loans from the federal Paycheck Protection Program, or PPP, to help pay their employees during the coronavirus pandemic, according to data released this week.

The loans, which varied in amount, were established as part of the federal government's CARES Act and are forgiven as long as businesses keep employees on their payroll, without cutting pay.

On Monday, the U.S. Small Business Administration released data showing that nearly 5 million businesses have received PPP loans of more than $150,000 — totaling more than $521 billion. The U.S. Treasury says the money has supported 51.1 million jobs.

In California, more than 4.1 million jobs have been retained thanks to loans of greater than $150,000, according to the SBA. They went to a variety of organizations, from small restaurants to large companies with hundreds of employees.

The Santa Cruz businesses and nonprofits receiving between $2 million and $5 million, including:

• Encompass Community Services (retained 450 jobs)
• New Teacher Center (retained 133 jobs)
• NHS (retained 134 jobs)
• Santa Cruz Community Heath Centers (retained 151 jobs)
• Santa Cruz Medical Group (retained 99 jobs)
• Verve (retained 200 jobs)

These 10 Santa Cruz businesses and nonprofits reported retaining the most workers, thanks to their PPP loan:

• Duke Empirical (retained 500 jobs)
• Encompass Community Services (retained 450 jobs)
• Comforcare Senior Services (retained 246 jobs)
• Sea Eagle (retained 202 jobs)
• Verve (retained 200 jobs)
• Five Branches University (retained 160 jobs)
• Santa Cruz Community Health Centers (retained 151 jobs)
• Janus of Santa Cruz (retained 149 jobs)
• Whiting's Food Concessions (retained 148 jobs)
• Abrite (retained 140 jobs)

Want to see how hundreds of other Santa Cruz businesses fared? View this searchable database of all California companies that received PPP loans here.

Patch staffers Nick Garber, Lucas Combos and Shannon Antinori contributed to this report.