JACKSON COUNTY, MI – Cory Mays would walk around downtown Jackson with his mask on, stopping to talk to business owners in their empty stores.
Mays, executive director of Jackson’s Downtown Development Authority, kept an eye on businesses closed during the novel coronavirus pandemic and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s stay-home order.
No businesses he knows of downtown have permanently closed since the start of the order that temporarily closed a lot of small businesses and forced restaurants to serve to-go orders only.
Two percent of Michigan restaurants have permanently closed since the pandemic began in March, while 4 percent are expected to permanently close by mid-May, a survey from the Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association said. Just more than one in five U.S. businesses have said they are two months or fewer away from permanently closing, a May 5 survey from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said.
But don’t count Jackson businesses out of the fight, Mays said.
“Bet on Jackson that we’re going to come back stronger than we were before,” he said. “I don’t think this is going to get us down. I think it was a bump in the road, but I think we’re going to rally. I think it’s going to be an amazing resurgence again and we’re going to see the strength of Jackson.”
Whitmer lifted the state’s stay-home order on June 1 and announced several businesses could reopen if precautions were taken, adding she will be lifting more restrictions in the coming weeks.
This includes house cleaners, drive-in theaters, retailers as long as they adhere to social distancing guidelines and, on June 8, bars and restaurants at half capacity.
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Businesses had to adjust quickly to find ways to continue serving customers as storefronts temporarily closed. Now, they’re figuring out how to do in-person business in a new world.
"Helping businesses reopen is going to take continued efforts as we slowly phase into a new normal,” Mays said.
The Jackson County Chamber of Commerce dedicated the bulk of its time during the shutdown assisting member businesses in finding financial support and developing plans for operating safely when they got the green light to reopen.
“We’ve been keeping our ear to the ground, listening to every new bit of information coming out to best determine how to reopen the economy here safely,” Craig Hatch, president/CEO, said. “There is no playbook here on how to get back on track, but we know the old norm won’t be the new norm in these unprecedented times.”
There’s no universal solution to reopening Jackson’s economy, as each business its own unique stresses, Hatch said.
As reopening plans continue to develop, the chamber directs members on how to get financial support, both from grants and loans, as well and getting supplies they need now, focusing on local suppliers when possible, since businesses will need additional protective equipment to open and operate safely.
“There are so many ‘what ifs’ going on and we’re looking to follow the health department’s recommendations, but as I stated before, things can change at a moment’s notice,” Hatch said.
The Jackson County Health Department has released a tool kit to help guide businesses as they start reopening. Some of the key components are keeping people six feet apart, wearing personal protective equipment and screening employees and establishment visitors for symptoms of the virus.
“I would want (customers) to know that safety is No. 1,” Mays said. “I’ve talked to so many (businesses) that are ready to take safety measures that may not even be required.”
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Fulfilling its mission to attract new businesses and keep current businesses in Jackson, the Enterprise Group has been working as a fiduciary arm connecting Jackson businesses to grants and loans to keep them alive during the shutdown.
“It was an initial shock when the shutdown came, but then the business community took a deep breath a started to looking into what it would take to get back to work,” Enterprise Group President/CEO Tim Rogers said. “This (shut down) has not been an ideal situation for anyone, but I haven’t been hearing a lot of doom and gloom here in Jackson.”
Businesses in Jackson generally have a positive attitude about dealing with the shutdown and returning to work and focusing on how to get through the pandemic, Rogers said.
“You have to keep your eyes open and look for perspective on what is going on. You can’t just bury your head under a rock and dwell on how bad things are,” Roger said.
With manufacturing restarting on May 18, many factory workers in Jackson returned to work with a few modifications. Instead of getting to work immediately, the first 30 minutes of the day are spent taking temperatures and going over worker safety procedures to adhere to state orders.
“It’s been a little weird at first, a strange way to start the day, but we’ve all been adapting,” Jackson’s Die-Namic Tool & Design Vice President Chad Whiting said. Some of the employees don’t like the changes, but this is the new normal for now.”
The company, which started as a two-man operation in 2002, shut down in March as ordered by the state. Since returning to work, it has received several new job orders to create custom parts, Whiting said.
“Things have been slow and we know it will take some time before we’re fully back to business as usual,” Whiting said.
Making people feel comfortable and safe in stores is a high priority for businesses, James “Steve” Shotwell Jr., a Jackson County commissioner and owner of Miller’s Shoe Store in downtown Jackson, said.
His store uses cleaning wipes to hold credit cards for check out, so there is no physical contact between the employee and customer.
“It’s an environment that’s going to be new,” Shotwell said. “The fastest ones to innovate will be the ones that do the best coming out of this. People have to feel safe.”
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As businesses reopen and people start leaving their homes more, Henry Ford Allegiance Health is prepared for a potential increase in coronavirus cases, Chief Medical Officer Mark Smith said.
“We’re hoping that with social distancing and all the things we put into place as a state, that any increase in COVID cases we might see, we’ll be able to manage with normal operations,” he said.
While the number of cases the hospital is treating has decreased, it still has dedicated rooms and floors for symptomatic patients, Smith said. Being prepared for positive cases is the new normal, he said.
The hospital has been able to increase its number of time-sensitive surgeries performed as coronavirus cases decrease, he said. It is preparing to restart truly elective procedures in mid-June, unless Whitmer’s executive orders change, Smith said.
Federal funding to help prevent water shutoffs, evictions and foreclosures was approved by the Jackson City Council on May 26.
“The more that we can help residents, the more that it’s going to help business owners living in town, and also the customers that will be able to lessen their financial hardship to some degree,” Jackson Mayor Derek Dobies said.
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The coronavirus may have changed how business operate and the everyday lives of people, but Jackson will get through it because the people are strong, Dobies said. Successfully rebounding from hardship is not new to the city that faced the closing of two major factories -- Clark Equipment Co. and Goodyear -- in the early 1980s.
“I think there’s a tremendous amount of grit in Jackson from what I’ve seen in my time working here," he said. "I think that grit is going to really allow Jackson to propel itself out of this pandemic, hopefully faster than other cities.”