In terms of longevity, there are probably very few small businesses in the community that have more at stake in terms of living to work another day, than Jim’s Seat Covers. Jim Shoulders is the third generation to own and operate the local company.

    “My grandmother was the original bookkeeper at the business back in the beginning,” recalls Jim. “I can remember going with her to Paducah Bank when I was just really young when she would do her banking. So my family has been a part of the Paducah Bank family for more than 45 years!”

    So when Jim and his team at Seat Cover Jim’s realized the oncoming threat of a financial crisis due to the statewide emergency closures, the first thing that came to mind was to call his friends at Paducah Bank. “I worked with Blake Vandermeulen and I hadn’t met Blake before, but I’m here to tell you, he’s a rock star,” Jim says with a chuckle. “He could not have been more helpful to me working through this process. I didn’t know what to expect when I called the bank. I had heard about the SBA loans from friends and other small business. But with Blake’s help, it was fast and easy.”

    Jim says that he was literally the first company to call the bank for assistance. “So they were just getting the information from the SBA. We kind of worked through it together. As soon as they had new information, Blake would give me a call and we would get the paperwork and information completed. He communicated with me throughout the process. And we received the funds very quickly.”

    Jim talks of how his family has led Seat Cover Jim’s through its own long history as well as that of the nation. “We’ve been through so much in our time as a Paducah business,” Jim adds. “So when I saw what we might face in the days and months ahead, I knew I needed to act quickly to keep our company going forward.”

    Seat Cover Jim’s has been working at a reduced capacity for the past few weeks. “I’m really thankful that we’ve been able to work things out so that we can help our customers. We’ve had to get creative, but we’ve managed to at least keep things going. And for that I’m very grateful.”

    Jim credits the value of friends and family and a sense of loyalty to his company’s many years of successful operations. “I feel the same way about Paducah Bank. It is so comforting to know that there are people at Paducah Bank you know you can trust and you know are looking out for your best interest. That means a lot to me.”