After the initial announcement that the longtime and very successful South Whidbey business would close its doors, Nichols Brothers Boat Builders President Bryan Nichols said Tuesday that he is optimistic the workers will soon be back at work.

Sharon Hart, Island County Economic Development Council executive director, briefed the county commissioners on the situation at Wednesday’s staff session. She confirmed the company has given the workers a four-week standby period. And health insurance benefits will reportedly be extended until the end of the month.

“The good news is that they say they will reopen Nov. 30,” Hart said.

If there is any dragging of heels, the company could find itself short of employees. Hart said six different businesses have already called and solicited help from the workers.

“None of the businesses are in Island County,” she said.

An informational meeting scheduled for next Tuesday at 1 p.m. should help answer some of the questions for Nichols employees. In addition to the EDC, other councils and agencies, including chambers of commerce and representatives from Congressman Rick Larsen’s office, will be in attendance to discuss the situation and the workers’ options.

“Everybody wants to help,” Hart said, adding that the downtime should be used by the employees to formulate at least a semblance of a plan should the tentative Nov. 30 reopening not happen.

Bryan Nichols and his father Matt, the company chairman, told County Commissioner Phil Bakke that they have been contacting and working with competitors, both for the benefit of their employees but also to feel out potential future agreements.

“They have also been working with the broader business community on issues related to the closure,” Bakke said Thursday.

At Wednesday’s staff session, Hart was emphatic that she wanted to hear from Nichols management, not human resources.

“The management flow and information has been really tough,” she said. “I have more questions than answers. I understand they’re looking at some sort of Chapter 11.”

The EDC has been inundated with phone calls from the press and people wanting to help.

“It takes until noon to wade through all the phone messages,” Hart said.

Nichols has been pulled in different directions since the announcement, Bakke said Thursday.

“Aside from Nichols’ great concern for their employees they have also been shouldering a lot of concern for their customers, particularly those customers with boats in the yard and those who are relying on them to fulfill work in the coming months,” Bakke said.

The economic impact of an Island County without Nichols Brothers would not be inconsequential.

Island County Budget Director Elaine Marlow is waiting for concrete numbers from the Department of Revenue, but she estimated Nichols Brothers’ $15 million in sales would equate to lost revenue of $100,000 to $150,000 for the county in sales tax alone should the business shut down. Some of the lost revenue, however, would be offset if workers were temporarily re-employed.

Bakke said a closure would trickle down to adversely affect other businesses.

“That number you just gave us is only the first ripple,” he told Marlow, portending more hypothetical economic hardships.

To assign perspective to the scenario, the EDC reports that 185 Nichols employees have been affected, although the company reports 175. The average monthly salary, with benefits, is $4,400 or $52,000 a year. Hart said 85 percent of the employees live on the island, meaning the money circulates locally to the tune of $18 million. And September’s unemployment rate would have spiked from 4.6 percent to 5.2 percent with the closure.

Until all of the parties can sit down and sift through the details on Tuesday, Hart said

“We don’t know what we’re unraveling at this point,” Hart said.