Traverse Tours is one of the many businesses that received a Mainstreet Preservation Grant.
Owner Mauricio Melendez shares their story:
“We are a small business located in Morgan County. We opened our doors 7 years ago in a 10×10 office. Today we are in a much larger building and have several employees. We are a premier travel company in Utah that focuses on coordinating travel for our local and global clients. We fulfill every aspect of travel, from a simple domestic flight to complex itineraries. We provide the means to enable people to see the special places of the world and to expand the human experience by connecting us through travel. Our motto tells it all ‘see the world, change your world.’
“During this pandemic we were hit pretty hard. Unfortunately within a week or two business completely started to die. As countries started to close their borders we immediately started taking care of our clients and getting them home prior to bans going into effect. Fortunately we were able to get everyone home in time. As time went on we could see what was going to happen to our industry. We tried to keep our team intact as long as we could. This meant clearing out any personal savings or retirement I had to make sure we could make payroll. Unfortunately we had to decrease our staff, hours, etc. It was not an easy decision to make and one that any employer regrets ever having to do.
“We were able to retain a fraction of our employees. They have worked tirelessly to assist our clients as this has continued to evolve. We were down to our last 138 dollars in our bank account before we received the funds from this grant. I can’t tell you how big of a relief it was. We were preparing for some of the toughest conversations we have had, but when we received this grant it helped save our team. We were able to make payroll and provide some more security as we waited for some of the other programs to come through.”
Learn more about Traverse Tours: flytraverse.com.
The Mainstreet Preservation Grant, provided by the Salt Lake Chamber’s Utah Job Opportunities Foundation, is made possible thanks to a $500,000 donation from WCF Insurance. The grant funds are used to support rural and/or minority small businesses in Utah that need immediate assistance due to the COVID-19 and before federal stimulus funding is accessed. These grant funds are intended to help businesses in the short-term. To donate or learn more about the Mainstreet Preservation Grant, visit slchamber.com/mainstreet-preservation-grant.
