Specialized Design Services

Businesses and organizations in the Specialized Design Services industry (NAICS code 5414, part of the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services sector) received 84,204 PPP loans totaling $2.78B during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The average loan for this industry was $33,059 — below the national PPP average of approximately $67,000. This reflects the small business character of most participants in this industry, typically sole proprietors and micro-businesses with modest payroll obligations.

88.5% of loans in this industry were forgiven — totaling $2.59B. To qualify for forgiveness, borrowers had to demonstrate that they maintained headcount and compensation levels and used at least 60% of loan proceeds for payroll expenses.

Notable recipients in this industry include O.C. JONES & SONS, INC. of BERKELEY, CA ($7,013,622); PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING & FABRICATION, INC. of NEW HUDSON, MI ($6,698,757); and SPORTSMEDIA TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION of DURHAM, NC ($6,421,700).

The loan amount distribution for this industry shows a more even spread across loan sizes, suggesting a mix of small and mid-sized businesses. Because borrower names are withheld for loans under $150,000, a substantial portion of recipients in this industry may not appear by name in this dataset.

As part of the broader Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services sector — legal, accounting, architectural, engineering, research, advertising, and related services. — businesses in NAICS 5414 were particularly reliant on PPP assistance to bridge the gap between declining revenues and fixed overhead obligations during the shutdown period.