These Watsonville Companies Got The Biggest PPP Loans

WATSONVILLE, CA — More than 200 Watsonville 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.

Salud Para La Gente (retained 366 jobs) was the only Watsonville organization to get approved for the highest loan bracket, receiving between $5 million and $10 million.

These Watsonville companies received between $2 million to $5 million:

• Alta Vista Farms (retained 481 jobs)
• Del Mar Food Products (no information given on jobs retained)
• Dobler and Sons (retained 263 jobs)
• Elyxir Distributing (no information given on jobs retained)
• Lakeside Organic Gardens (retained 245 jobs)
• Ortega Berry Farms (retained 425 jobs)
• S. Martinelli & Company (retained 326 jobs)
• Sierra Farms (retained 0 jobs)

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

• Alta Vista Farms (retained 481 jobs)
• Ortega Berry Farms (retained 425 jobs)
• Plant Sciences (retained 415 jobs)
• Salud Para La Gente (retained 366 jobs)
• George/Diaz Rancho Alitos (retained 334 jobs)
• S. Martinelli & Company (retained 326 jobs)
• Sakai Farms (retained 315 jobs)
• Dobler and Sons (retained 263 jobs)
• Lakeside Organic Gardens (retained 245 jobs)
• Mas Mac (retained 210 jobs)

Want to see how other Watsonville 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.

Correction: An earlier version of this story included a Watsonville company that confirmed it did not proceed with its PPP loan.