SBA Opens Business Recovery Center in Lexington and Greenville Counties; Adds More Counties to South Carolina Declaration

ATLANTA - The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced today that it will open two Business Recovery Centers (BRCs) on Saturday, Oct. 5, at the Lexington County Library in Lexington, and the Next Innovation Center in Greenville. The SBA is opening the Centers to assist businesses and residents who were affected by Hurricane Helene. SBA disaster loans are now available in additional counties.

SBA's Customer Service Representatives are available at the Centers to answer questions, assist business owners complete their disaster loan application, accept documents, and provide updates on an application's status. Walk-ins are accepted, but you can schedule an in-person appointment at an SBA Business Recovery Center in advance. The Centers will operate as listed below.

Business Recovery Center (BRC)

Lexington County

Lexington County Library

5440 Augusta Road

Lexington, SC 29072

Opens: Saturday, Oct. 5, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Hours: Monday - Thursday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Friday - 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturday - 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Closed: Sunday

Business Recovery Center (BRC)

Greenville County

Next Innovation Center

411 University Ridge

Greenville, SC 29601

Opens: Saturday, Oct. 5, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Hours: Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Saturday - 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Closed: Sunday

The disaster declaration covers Abbeville, Aiken, Anderson, Bamberg, Barnwell, Cherokee, Edgefield, Greenville, Greenwood, Laurens, Lexington, Newberry, Oconee, Pickens, Richland, Saluda, Spartanburg and Union counties in South Carolina which are eligible for both Physical and Economic Injury Disaster Loans from the SBA. Small businesses and most private nonprofit organizations in the following adjacent counties are eligible to apply only for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs): Allendale, Calhoun, Chester, Colleton, Fairfield, Hampton, Kershaw, McCormick, Orangeburg, Sumter and York in South Carolina; Burke, Columbia, Elbert, Franklin, Habersham, Hart, Rabun, Richmond and Stephens in Georgia; Cleveland, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Polk, Rutherford and Transylvania in North Carolina.

With the changes to FEMA's Sequence of Delivery, survivors are now encouraged to simultaneously apply for FEMA grants and the SBA low-interest disaster loan assistance to fully recover. FEMA grants are intended to cover necessary expenses and serious needs not paid by insurance or other sources. The SBA disaster loan program is designed for your long-term recovery, to make you whole and get you back to your pre-disaster condition. Do not wait on the decision for a FEMA grant; apply online and receive additional disaster assistance information at sba.gov/disaster.

Applicants may also call the SBA's Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or send an email to [email protected] for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is Nov. 29, 2024. The deadline to return economic injury applications is June 30, 2025.

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About the U.S. Small Business Administration

The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.