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[Page S4563]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
______
RECOGNIZING ALL TIME TOYS
Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, it is with great pride that I name
All Time Toys of Eldersburg, MD, the U.S. Senate Small Business of the
Week.
All Time's story and that of its owner Jason Barnes is one of
perseverance. That is because All Time has recovered from two 1,000-
year flood events in less than 18 months.
On July 31, 2016, less than 2 months after Jason purchased All Time,
75 percent of his inventory was destroyed by a historic, fatal flash
flood that washed through Ellicott City, leaving millions of dollars'
worth of damage in its wake.
Within hours, countless videos of the destructive torrent rushing
down Main Street were being shared on social media and on the news. One
of those videos was of Jason leading a human chain to rescue a woman
trapped in her car. Jason's selfless act has been seen by millions of
people around the globe, and it earned him an award from the Carnegie
Hero Fund. When asked about his act of heroism, Jason said that he
``just wanted to help any way'' he could and that he could not ``just
stand idly by.''
After the waters receded, Jason had to figure out how he would move
forward. Thanks to his persistence, and with support from the Maryland
Small Business Development Center,--SBDC--All Time reopened less than 6
months later on January 20, 2017; 2017 was a very successful year for
Jason and All Time. The company's sales doubled, it drastically
improved its business practices and systems, and Jason was scouting
locations for a second store.
Then on May 27, 2018, less than 2 years after the 2016 flood and less
than 18 months after All Time reopened, Ellicott City was devastated
again by another historic flash flood. This time, however, Jason was
prepared with a readiness plan and the business continuity strategies
he learned from the Maryland SBDC.
According to FEMA, 40 percent of small businesses that go through a
major disaster never open their doors again, and given that Jason was a
brand-new entrepreneur who had lost the vast majority of his stock, to
say that All Time beat the odds would be an understatement.
Jason's story is why the Small Business Committee invited him to
provide testimony during our hearing on the Small Business
Administration's Office of Disaster Assistance. In his deeply moving
testimony, Jason made clear that his recovery would not have been
possible without support from SBA, the Maryland SBDC, and its two
secret weapons: Maryland SBDC consultants Craig Panos and Garrett
Clover, whose advice and knowledge Jason called miraculous during the
hearing.
For too many small businesses, a major natural disaster marks the end
of a dream, but for Jason and All Time, surviving two historic floods
has opened up a new chapter defined by resilience and persistence. He
recently reopened All Time in nearby Eldersburg, MD, and he is once
again scouting locations for a second store.
I am proud of Jason's Free State perseverance, and I am honored to
recognize him and his entire team at All Time Toys as the Senate Small
Business of the Week. I look forward to watching their continued growth
and success.
____________________
