Businesses receive millions of dollars

NORWALK — A ton of money entered the local area to, above all else, serve as a lifeline in hopes of reviving locally owned businesses amid crushing circumstances. Through a federally funded initiative, brought on by economic hardships created by COVID-19-related factors, $953 billion went to keep companies nationwide afloat through this adversity. Known as the Paycheck Protection Program, often shortened to "PPP," this Small Business Administration-backed initiative provided money for, among other uses, payroll expenses. It also covers costs for mortgages, rent/lease and utilities. Launched in April 2020, roughly one month when Ohio's shutdown orders went into effect, the program intended to, simply put, keep worked on payroll during cash-strapped times. Depending on a specific application, money received by an individual company can either come in the form of a low-interest loan or altogether forgiven, then considered a grant — so long as the company receiving funds faithfully spends them as originally intended. Companies across America — including those in Erie, Huron, Ottawa and Sandusky counties — could apply for a share of this $953 billion. They did this through banks and other lenders that certify these loans or grants, both underwritten by the Small Business Administration. FederalPay.org, a free public resource built by federal employees, created a database to track program spending. When funds were introduced, awarded and then distributed this past year, FederalPay began documenting who got what. Companies received varying amounts, all dependent on several factors, with the overwhelming No. 1 reason being how many people a given place employed. Generally, the more employees at a workplace, the more money that applicant received. Through an independent analysis conducted by the Register, here are the top awards for companies headquartered in Erie, Huron, Ottawa and Sandusky counties. Note: At times, the same companies are listed multiple times. This is due to them applying for multiple applications and, thus, receiving multiple awards. All figures are rounded. Erie County Sandusky 1. ThorWorks Industries — $2.15 million 2. HK Cooperative — $2.12 million 3. O E Meyer — $2.09 million 4. South Shore Transportation — $1.95 million 5. Lewco — $1.95 million 6. K & K Interiors — $1.9 million 7. Erie Materials — $1.6 million 8. August Corso Sons — $1.53 million 9. K & K Interiors — $1.52 million 10. Canton S-Group — $1.41 million Huron 1. The Chef's Garden — $1.23 million 2. The Chef's Garden — $1.1 million 3. Wilkes & Co. — $919,000 4. Wilkes & Co. — $883,000 5. Barnes Nursery — $799,200 6. Barnes Nursery — $719,100 7. Cornerstone Consulting Organization — $538,000 8. Central Ohio Paper & Packaging — $517,000 9. Tan Pro — $499,900 10. Tan Pro — $499,800 Vermilion 1. Continental Design & Management Group — $1.3 million 2. Liberty Ford Lincoln Mercury — $825,500 3. Coleys — $712,400 4. Patrick O'Brien Chevrolet IV — $662,500 5. Coleys — $629,800 6. Beulah Beach Corp. — $348,000 7. IRG Operating — $317,600 8. Americut Coring & Sawing — $298,900 9. Cabbage — $293,700 10. Francois — $288,100 Berlin Heights 1. Sailor Sales — $1.65 million 2. Autogate — $771,100 3. Sailor Sales — $766,300 4. Kernell's Automatic Machining — $383,600 5. Kernell's Automatic Machining — $379,000 Castalia 1. Townsend Community School — $387,500 2. Automation Zone — $353,900 3. Automation Zone — $299,900 4. ABJ Equipfix — $151,500 5. All Styles Landscaping — $115,000 Kelleys Island 1. Gary M. Finger — $337,800 2. Kelley's Island Winery — $171,200 3. The Kelleys Island Tavern Co. — $164,000 4. Kelleys Island Restaurant and Dock — $120,400 5. Gary M. Finger — $83,200 Milan 1. Danop — $2.8 million 2. Hartland HVAC Services — $531,200 3. Precision Paving — $489,300 4. Precision Paving — $484,600 5. Packaging & Pads R Us — $435,100 Huron County Norwalk 1. Borgers Us Holding — $3.34 million 2. Hobart Holdings — $3.27 million 3. Oglesby Construction — $2.83 million 4. Norwalk Custom Order Furniture — $2.25 million 5. Newcomer Concrete Services — $2.01 million 6. Norwalk Cust. Ord. Furniture — $2 million 7. Hobart Holdings — $2 million 8. NHB Holdings — $1.95 million 9. Fabriweld Corp. — $1.79 million 10. Fabriweld Corp. — $1.77 million Willard 1. Dutch Maid Logistics — $2.88 million 2. Wiers Farm — $1.35 million 3. Buurma Farms — $1.32 million 4. Sharpnack Chevrolet Buick Cadillac — $1.01 million 5. Jmad Hospitality — $615,600 6. Guardian Manufacturing Co. — $560,900 7. Guardian Manufacturing Co. — $560,000 8. Buurma Farms — $516,700 9. Jmad Hospitality — $439,700 10. Sharpnack Ford — $379,500 Greenwich 1. Johnson Bros Greenwich — $312,800 2. Richland Laminated Columns — $241,700 3. Milky Way Farm — $167,800 4. Ifuse Solutions — $149,900 5. Ifuse Solutions — $116,900 Monroeville 1. JHI Group — $3.04 million 2. Underground Utilities — $1.46 million 3. Underground Utilities — $1.46 million 4. Tusing Builders — $753,000 5. Tusing Builders — $736,400 New London 1. BCC Ohio — $474,900 2. New London Foundry — $265,700 3. New London Foundry — $265,700 4. Eastman's — $109,800 5. Joshua D. Merrill — $99,100 North Fairfield 1. DRW Packing — $196,200 2. Sweeting Family Farm — $89,300 3. Sweeting Family Farms — $89,200 4. DRW Packing — $79,200 5. Minniear & Simmons Plumbing & Heating — $36,000 Plymouth 1. Adams Quality Heating & Cooling — $102,200 2. Firelands Manufacturing — $52,800 3. John F. Stambaugh & Co. — $49,400 4. Firelands Manufacturing — $34,700 5. JMK Construction Services — $31,700 Wakeman 1. Guardian Ofs — $449,300 2. Guardian Environmental — $158,200 3. Guardian Environmental — $147,700 4. Wakeman Veterinary Clinic — $115,800 5. Great Lakes Electrical Service — $103,800 Ottawa County Port Clinton 1. Magruder Memorial Hospital — $4.99 million 2. Catawba-Cleveland Development Corp. — $1.55 million 3. Mike-Tell-Char — $872,100 4. Erie Shoreline Properties — $594,500 5. Riverwood Emergency Services — $536,400 6. Quinami — $530,200 7. Put-in-Bay Boat Line Co. — $529,500 8. Holcomb Holdings — $508,500 9. Holcomb Holdings — $488,000 10. Put-in-Bay Boat Line Co. — $458,200 Elmore 1. Machining Technologies — $694,700 2. The Chipmatic Co. — $524,700 3. Rothert Farm — $471,400 4. Rothert Farm — $427,300 5. Tank's Meats — $178,600 Genoa 1. Riverside Machine & Automation — $1.06 million 2. Cimarron Express — $759,200 3. Cimarron Express — $759,200 4. Henry W. Bergman — $438,700 5. Henry W. Bergman — $438,700 Lakeside-Marblehead 1. Lakeside Association — $652,300 2. The Lakeside Association — $639,400 3. Skipper Marine of Ohio — $369,200 4. R.I. Trucking — $276,100 5. Pucketts Corral — $264,500 Oak Harbor 1. The Northern Manufacturing Co. — $1.85 million 2. C Nelson MFG — $652,000 3. C Nelson MFG — $622,800 4. Riverview Industries — $523,000 5. Signature Label — $501,400 Sandusky County Fremont 1. Sunrise Cooperative — $7.87 million 2. Crown Battery Manufacturing Co. — $6.99 million 3. Mosser Construction — $5.05 million 4. Volunteers of America Care Facilities — $4.93 million 5. Beck Suppliers — $3 million 6. The Fremont Pure Food Co. — $2.05 million 7. Alkon Corp. — $1.94 million 8. Style Crest Enterprises — $1.93 million 9. Alkon Corp. — $1.91 million 10. Gordon Lumber Holdings Co. — $1.34 million Bellevue 1. The Bellevue Hospital — $5.15 million 2. The Bellevue Manufacturing Co. — $1.82 million 3. The Bellevue Manufacturing Co. — $1.82 million 4. Bellevue Professional Services — $817,000 5. Magretech — $781,500 6. International Metal Hose Co. — $771,300 7. International Metal Hose Co. — $771,000 8. Thomas Steel — $616,700 9. Thomas Steel — $548,000 10. Great Lakes Packers — $406,200 Clyde 1. Spader Freight Carriers & Spader Freight Services — $1.43 million 2. NBA Tech — $563,800 3. NBA Tech — $498,200 4. Astoria Place of Clyde — $455,100 5. Chaney Roofing Maintenance — $377,200 6. Town & Country RV Center — $286,300 7. Town & Country RV Center — $286,300 8. Sandco Industries — $285,000 9. Sandco Industries — $207,100 10. Steinle Chevrolet Buick — $172,500