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Daily Record JACKSONVILLE
CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC: YOUR INSIGHT
Project Kodiak seeking incentives for 80 jobs
MartinDaily Coffee Co. ‘remaining optimistic’ Record President Ben Johnson says the company is reducing operating expenses, seeking government loans and keeps the payroll intact.
JACKSONVILLE
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BY KATIE GARWOOD STAFF WRITER
Although Ben Johnson, president of Martin Coffee Co., said his main streams of business from restaurants and offices have dropped significantly, he knows his company can weather the pandemic. The restaurants Martin Coffee services are not selling much coffee since people rarely order it with takeout meals. The offices he supplies don’t need it since most employees are working from home. “I’m definitely remaining optimistic because we’re fortunate most all of our customers will still be there when things get back to normal,” he said. “They’re all going to need product right away. Most of our customers are the exact businesses that are hurting.” Johnson said he continues to supply coffee to nursing homes and other locations still in operation. He also has seen an uptick in online sales from customers in Jacksonville and across the country. Martin Coffee, at 1633 Marshall St. in the Talleyrand area, continues to roast private label coffee for other businesses. The company’s nine full-time employees are working and paid their normal salaries, Johnson said. Since Martin Coffee owns its facilities, equipment and delivery vehicles, he has been able to significantly reduce his operating
The New York City-based international financial services firm would invest $1.2 million in Jacksonville. BY MIKE MENDENHALL
JACKSONVILLE
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Martin Coffee Co. President Ben Johnson, the 2020 JAX Chamber Overall Small Business Leader of the Year, said the company hasn’t forgotten the lessons his grandparents learned during the Great Depression.
KEEPING CLOSE – FROM A DISTANCE Since March 13, city event venues, stores, restaurants, malls, entertainment centers, churches and businesses shut down and laid off workers or sent them home to telecommute to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The Daily Record will report how local small business owners are dealing with the imposed social isolation.
STAFF WRITER
A New York City-based international financial services firm is seeking $480,000 in city and state incentives to open a Jacksonville office. Code-named project Kodiak would create 80 full-time jobs at an average annual salary of $74,209 and invest $1.2 million in real estate and office improvements in Jacksonville, according to Resolution 2020-0226 filed April 22 with City Council. A city Office of Economic Development project summary says Kodiak is requesting $480,000 from the state’s Qualified Target Industry Tax Refund Program, $6,000 per job. The city would pay 20%, or up to $96,000, of the QTI money. That’s $1,200 per job. Up to $384,000 of the tax refund, or 80%, would come from the state at $4,800 per job. The summary states the 80 jobs could have an annual payroll of $5.9 million, excluding employee benefits. City economic development documents say Kodiak will create the jobs no later than Dec. 31, 2021. Kodiak is described as a financial services company considering other Southern U.S. states for the office. Kodiak’s Jacksonville office would handle some of the company’s international securities
SEE JOHNSON, PAGE 2
SEE KODIAK, PAGE 2
Coggin parent company furloughs 229 workers Asbury Automotive Group Inc. filed notices with the state saying it furloughed employees at 12 auto dealerships, including 229 employees at seven sites in Jacksonville and one in St. Augustine that operate under the Coggin brand. The company said in its Worker Adjustment Retraining and Notification Act notice that employees were furloughed at the eight Northeast Florida dealerships April 3. The others were at four Fort Pierce locations. “Our present expectation is that the furloughs will be temporary,” the WARN notice said. Duluth, Georgia-based Asbury operates 83 dealerships and 24 collision centers in 17 cities.
VOLUME 107, NO. 114 • ONE SECTION