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CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC: YOUR INSIGHT
THE MATHIS REPORT
‘The most emotional time in my life’ Daily Record JACKSONVILLE
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Special to the Daily Record
PRI Productions owner Randy Goodwin said his company went from producing five to 15 events a day to zero because of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Randy Goodwin, owner of events business PRI Productions, uses PPP money and reserves to bring back workers for training, but predicts his industry will be the last to recover. BY KATIE GARWOOD STAFF WRITER
Owner Randy Goodwin said whenever someone asks him what PRI Productions does, he has a simple answer. “When a group of people get together, there’s a purpose for PRI Productions,” he said of his Jacksonville-based event production company. It’s not so simple these days. “Never in my life or in 26 years did I think
it would be illegal for a group of people to get together.” When events began canceling the week of March 12 as COVID-19 was spreading and executive orders shut down public gatherings, Goodwin experienced the effects. PRI typically produced five to 15 events a day during busy times. Zero events on the schedule was “devastating.” That week, he furloughed 80% of his staff. “That was probably, professionally, the most emotional time in my life,” Goodwin said. With help from a federal Paycheck Protection Program loan, restructuring debt and taking money from reserves, savings and equity, Goodwin was able to bring back staff a week after they were furloughed.
KEEPING CLOSE – FROM A DISTANCE On May 4, the state began a phased reopening of some businesses shut down to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The Daily Record is reporting on small businesses as they confront the challenges of social distancing and financial hardships brought on by the pandemic and its aftermath.
KAREN BRUNE MATHIS EDITOR
Kenworth building new facility
The 53,000-squarefoot center in West Jacksonville will offer 28 bays and be completed in midsummer 2021. Kenworth of Jacksonville Inc. bought West Jacksonville property to develop a truck sales and service center to replace a smaller site nearby. “I told our Kenworth of Jacksonville team last week that I am building a new facility that they deserve,” said owner Denis Ross in an email May 13. Ross said Kenworth employs 88 people. He said he thanked them for being such a high performance team “to give me the confidence to make this large investment.” He did not disclose the project cost. Ross said the 53,000-squarefoot center will offer 28 bays and be completed in midsummer 2021. “I look forward to building a world-class heavy truck dealership facility to support Northeast Florida,” Ross said. Kenworth, which operates on property leased at 833 Pickettville Road, paid $1.99 million for 12.23 acres at 1121 Suemac Road. It bought the undeveloped land from N.G. Wade Investment SEE MATHIS, PAGE 2
SEE GOODWIN, PAGE 2
VyStar adding LED edge lighting VyStar Credit Union will be lighting up more of the night sky Downtown. The city issued a permit May 13 for contractor Dana B. Kenyon Co. to install steel supports to support LED edge lighting to illuminate the outline of the tower at 76 S. Laura St. The steel support project is $250,000, the permit shows. Sandy Baker, VyStar vice president of communications and public relations, said the lights are scheduled to be installed by July. Jacksonville-based VyStar is renovating and occupying the 23-story tower at 76 S. Laura St. and adjacent seven-floor building at 100 W. Bay St.
VOLUME 107, NO. 129 • ONE SECTION