The struggle to qualify for loans from the federal Paycheck Protection Program was a matter of financial life or death for thousands of small businesses. And the fight also took its toll on the bankers who were on the front lines trying to help them business owners save their livelihoods and employees.
There was the owner of a food safety company who was hours away from telling some of his employees they were out of a job.
There was the owner of a time-keeping company whose business was headed for collapse because there were no more high school sporting events.
And there was the crying restaurant owner with 50 employees at two locations who likely would have closed both.
They are among the thousands of small business owners who for weeks were keeping Bryan Brzozowski up at night — them and the coffee he was consuming like water to power through his work.

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