Black Husky Brewing owner gets Zoom call with Biden
Eichinger told president of small business needs
“It was kind of cool because, you know, I’m sitting up here in the middle of snowy Northwoods of Wisconsin, talking to the president of the United States.” Tim Eichinger co-owner of Black Husky Brewing
When Tim Eichinger was first planning a trip Up North, he was just hoping to check on his cabin to make sure it was weathering the recent snow and cold.
Instead Eichinger — the co-owner of Black Husky Brewing — ended up on a 25-minute Zoom call with President Joe Biden from his snow-covered cabin, where the Wisconsin brewer shared his thoughts about how federal coronavirus aid programs could better help small businesses.
“It was kind of cool because, you know, I’m sitting up here in the middle of snowy Northwoods of Wisconsin, talking to the president of the United States,” Eichinger told the Journal Sentinel. “So it was quite an experience for just a country boy like myself.” That was Monday morning. Soon after their call, Biden gave Eichinger a shout-out when he announced changes to the Paycheck Protection Program, saying he wanted to “make sure we look out for the momand-pop businesses even more than we already have.”
“I just had an opportunity to catch up with two small-business owners I met on the road in the last couple weeks,” Biden said, mentioning Eichinger as well as a woman in Florida. “They have different businesses and live in different places, but both shared the same message with me when I spoke to them on the road, and that was American small businesses are hurting and hurting badly, and they need help now.”
Biden announced that for two weeks starting Wednesday, the Small Business Administration would accept applications for forgivable Paycheck Protection Program loans only from firms with fewer than 20 employees.
Eichinger first spoke to Biden last week, during a CNN town hall at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee, where he asked the new president about improving federal assistance programs to
help small companies.
“What will you do so that small momand-pop businesses like ours will survive over large corporate entities?” Eichinger asked.
At the town hall, Biden told Eichinger he was planning to make drastic changes to the program and wanted to ensure federal money was focused on helping small businesses rather than large corporations. And Biden added that he wanted to follow up “to let you know exactly how” part of the recovery package would go to small businesses.
Eichinger said he was surprised to hear back so quickly — and so often — from the White House.
“I heard from his staff on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday,” Eichinger said. “And then had a Zoom call with the President Monday morning.”
Eichinger was at his cabin in Pembine, a tiny town in Marinette County, when he spoke to Biden.
“We’re way out in the woods, and we’re only using our hotspot which doesn’t always work real well for that type of bandwidth. But it worked fine,”
Eichinger said. “We did have a couple of glitches, but I spoke with the president for about 25 minutes.”
Eichinger said he talked to Biden about the initial PPP program, and how it needed to updated to address the current needs of small businesses.
“It was just way too complicated,” he said. “And it needs to be a little more flexible and how you can apply it.”
Eichinger said he and his partner, Toni, have been surprised by how responsive Biden and his White House team have been.
“I was not expecting a follow-up,” he said. “I’m not nearly as cynical today as I was last week, I’ll tell you that.”
Eichinger added that he’s hoping to see Biden again in Milwaukee.
“I did invite him to come to the taproom, and bring his dogs, Champ and Major, with him,” he said.
“... American small businesses are hurting and hurting badly, and they need help now.” President Joe Biden