Peters Tours Total Plastics International in Wyoming, Highlights Efforts to Support Businesses Adapting to Challenges Posed by COVID-19

WYOMING, MI – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) today visited Total Plastics International, a distributor and manufacturer of plastic sheet, rod, tube, film and tape that has operated in Michigan for over four decades. While on a tour of their facility, Peters also highlighted his recent efforts to support small businesses across Michigan that are working to adapt to unprecedented challenges caused by the Coronavirus pandemic. Total Plastics International applied for and received a loan from the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which Peters helped pass as part of the CARES Act in March. These loans provided Total Plastics International the resources needed to produce personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline health care professionals and essential workers throughout the country. Peters also led efforts in recent months to strengthen domestic advanced manufacturing of medical supplies, including PPE and decrease our nation’s dependence on foreign countries, such as China.

“Since this pandemic began, small businesses in west Michigan and across our state have adopted innovative approaches, retooled and revamped to navigate this unprecedented crisis,” said Senator Peters, a member of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. “Michigan small businesses are helping lead the charge in Coronavirus response efforts and are critical employers, job creators and engines of economic growth. I have fought for and helped enact funding to support our small businesses and will continue working in a bipartisan manner to ensure that the PPP program and federal resources are available to provide necessary relief to small businesses in our state that need help the most.”

“The Coronavirus pandemic has created challenges for small businesses in communities all across our state and Wyoming is no exception. Our efforts to retool and ramp up production of personal protective equipment as well as plastic barriers were aided significantly by the PPP loan we received and our hard working employees,” said Tom Garrett, President, Total Plastics International. “We are grateful to Senator Peters for his leadership and support as we continue to battle this crisis.”

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Peters has led numerous efforts to support Michigan small businesses impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic. Last month, Peters helped pass legislation that gave small businesses with PPP loans more flexibility in using the forgivable loans they applied for to maintain operations. Peters also led the fight this past April to ensure funding for small community-based lenders, including Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs) to support minority owned small businesses that was signed into law. Additionally, Peters pressed for funding for small businesses as part of the CARES Act.

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