Three Angels & The Flood of the Century

Over 20 inches of rain fell in the Nashville, and the greater, Middle Tennessee area over a 36 hour period causing massive, record breaking flooding of the Cumberland River.

My brother, Patrick and I had invested all of our savings and borrowed even more, to establish Mcgrath Distribution in Nashville in 2003, and we were well on our way developing a successful Multi-million dollar hardwood distribution company... when disaster struck...leaving us heartbroken and financially devastated.

Mother Nature, simply swept our fortunes, our careers, and our dreams away in an unrelenting monsoon, which devastated not only us, but thousands of other businesses and homeowners as well.

One notable business, also so injured, was our immediate neighbor, the Iconic Gibson Guitar Company, where many a famous singer, sourced their treasured Guitars.

While our business was located in Nashville, Tennessee, Pat and I both lived in Indian Hills in Murfreesboro Tennessee, some twenty miles away.

The flooding was so severe, that I-24, the link between Murfreesboro and Nashville, was impassable, submerged under the raging flood waters.

You may recall seeing a home floating down the interstate from national news coverage of the storm.

When the rain finally stopped and the flooding abated, we had the unhappy task of driving into Nashville, to inspect our facilities.

Our building was located on the opposite side of the river, from the Opryland Hotel, and we had seen on the news, the extensive damage that had occurred there.

We were at the same elevation on the other side of the river, so we knew before we ever arrived, that our facilities had been ruined.

Even though we had waited 24 hours after the rain had stopped, for the interstate to be reopened, we arrived to find ourselves wading through waist high water to enter our facilities.

The devastation was complete.
Not only had the facility flooded, but the city sewer system, had experienced immense back pressure and back charged through our commodes, creating an astounding and demoralizing scene.

There was nothing to be salvaged the computers. The desks, chairs, all the records, all the inventory, everything was lost.
Mud and sewage were everywhere.

When we originally found the facility being sited, before it was built, we had contacted the owner and he indicated that he was building a warehouse and that it was going to be available for lease.

We negotiated modifications of the site and the building based on the length of lease that we agreed to sign and the owner agreed to install two dock high doors and a concrete parking lot to meet our logistical needs.

These changes, raised the facility 3 feet above the known 100 year flood, plain on which only our lower lot encroached. Flooding was never given another thought. That would unfortunately prove to be our Achilles heel.

I called the landlord with the bad news and told him that we had lost everything, and we were beginning the process of ordering roll off dumpsters, to dispose of our ruined inventories and equipment...and that we were shutting down, as we had no insurance to cover our losses.

There was such devastation throughout the city we knew we would not be able to obtain a mitigation team for months.

It slowly dawned on us, that we were likely going to have to clean this mess up ourselves, as our lease actually required that we do so.

To our amazement and sheer delight, our first Angel of Mercy appeared the next day.

It was our landlord, a gentleman, by the name of Mr.Billy Potter, a man worth millions and millions of dollars, who rolled in unannounced, in his, old beat up pickup truck, dressed in coveralls, and simply said "let's get busy boys".

Billy was at least 70 years old at the time. Billy had this gruff, no nonsense approach to life; worked like a maniac, but he was also a kind man, and he had a huge and very generous surprise in store for us.

Shortly thereafter, another half dozen men we had never met before, arrived, introduced themselves, put on their muckers, gloves, and goggles, and together we attacked the worst job ever.

Mr. Potter had called in his maintenance people, his pals and relatives, and had formed a small army to help save our asses, as well as his building.

We mucked out that mess, cut out the drywall, four foot high, took out the insulation, sanitized, dried, re-insulated, drywalled and painted. It was filthy, nasty work, that had to be done.

We ripped out and replaced all the flooring, and
pressure washed every corner of the warehouse, as well.

When we were done, it was like it never happened. Billy knew we were in trouble,
and like a re-written scene out of the movie. "It's a Winderful Life', this Mr.Potter was the hero who came a run'n with other townfolk to help us!

Billy picked up the tab for the entire effort,
and never said another word to us about it, for the next two years as we struggled to recover.

Frequently coming by to check on us and visit, Billy loaned us a Forklift which had been abandoned by another Tennant to help us get restarted. When Billy passed, he gifted us that Fork Lift.

With Billy's help, we were shut down less than a week, and completely rebuilt in less than two weeks. Many customers and vendors were unaware that anything had even happened.

Our desks, were at first, just sawhorses and folding chairs, with sheets of plywood. for writing surfaces.

But we were open...and feeding our families.

Three incredible companies came to our Aid:
Southern Kentucky Hardwood Floors.
Middle Tennessee Lumber and Floor Source.

They kept us in business, when our competitor's had already declared us dead and gone.

These companies extended us credit when they knew we were broke as Hanks and stood by us, even consigning inventories to keep us afloat.

For two long years, we struggled to payback vendors, the banks, and creditors.

It was a valiant effort, and we repaid nearly all our vendors, but in 2011 the recession hit Nashville hard.

We had builders, simply abandon projects, large flooring contractors defaulted their accounts, and we were forced to downsize in 2012, and finally shutter operations in 2013.

I remember telling our new landlord the bad news, while we were walking out the back door of our now much smaller Winford Ave Warehouse to his office on Eugenia Avenue which backed up to my space, and he stopped at an empty space in his building, before we reached his offices.

He took out a key and unlocked the door. It was about an 8' x 12' office with a small1000 square ft warehouse.

He handed me the key and said "It's $800.00 a month, I'll spot you the first month, no lease. See what you can do." That was the second time I met an Angel face to face on this most improbable journey.

His name was Charlie Tygard. Charlie was the owner of Accurate Tax Service and a popular city councilman. I've never forgotten his kindness, his faith in me, and the chance he offered me to stay in business.

Charlie never mentioned his gift again. Charlie was my Landlord and friend for the next seven years, until he sold the building and moved his business to Brentwood, TN.

That little office was my lifeboat, and became the home of McGrath Flooring for the next ten years, as I gradually learned the retail side of the flooring business.

Slowly, working alone for those 10 years, I amassed the knowledge, crews, and capital to move to Franklin, and to hire new employees, daring to dream big again....one last time.

We had reached an agreement to break our lease at Eugenia Ave just as the building was about to be sold again, and we needed to escape by the end of February, 2024. It was November 2023, when we made the deal.

We had 90 days to vacate.

We had found our new Franklin location, but the build out took forever to be permitted and approved by both the city of Franklin, and Williamson County.

What should have taken 90 days, ultimately turned into 9 months.

It looked like we would have to move out, close our doors and just wait for our new space to come ready, that would have been very, very tough to do.

I called our new Landlord, Mr. Homay, whom I had not yet met, to explain our circumstances, and that's when our third Angel appeared.

Mr. Homay, iinvited me to his corporate offices and asked me to meet him on the ground floor. I followed him in thinking we were going to his offices.

Instead we entered a spacious empty office, and then he handed me the key. Mr.Homay shook my hand and with a twinkle in his eye he said, "It is yours until we have your space ready" then he added:

"You will be a good tenant, and I do not want you to ever leave!" Julie Jordan had been on board for over a year, helping in the planning for our relocation...and she was as stunned as I was.

We could have cried. It was indeed, such a blessing, because we were there for 6 months as the build out slowly progressed, until the day came when we moved again, set our displays, and at at long last, hung our shingle on our new home.

We did not miss a day of sales, a single job or lose even one client in our incredible journey to our new showroom. Laura Siewerth signed up just as we were beginning build out of the new space.

Yes. It was tough moving twice, but we organized and packed things well, then Colby & Marlon's crews did the heavy lifting, so in the end, it all worked out.

Julie and Laura, my daughters Katie Mcgrath & Kimberley Joyce Oliver all had a hand in the design of our new space, and Cathy Smith Baker Gamble, came up with the logo to create our signage..and wouldn't accept a penny for her loaned talents.

I won't lie. It was a long, brutal climb back from the bottom of that hellish well of misfortune.

I wanted to quit many times, sometimes out of sheer exhaustion.

But, in the end, it's not how many times, you falter, fail or fall...It's how many times you get back up and give it another go, that determines your final fate.

So these pictures tell the tale of both abject destruction & ruin...but also Faith, Hope, Prayer perseverance and determination...and Love.

Complete Srangers, Landlords, Friends and Family didn't quit on me; so how could I?

This is also the story of three Angels: Billy Potter, Charlie Tygard and Mr. Homay. Without them, McGrath Floor & Design would not exist.

If you ever think you're alone, and unworthy, look at the picture of my tiny office..there in the corner is a shining cross of light, and I know who put these fine men, these real world Angels in my life.

Christ was there looking over my shoulder, watching my six, the entire way.

So here's the most sincere "Thank You Jesus" I can offer and to my daughters, my lovely Wife, Sherry Martin my incredible associates, Julie & Laura, my brother Pat, who has had even greater struggle,
I give my sincerest thanks for helping along this most improbable journey.

When people put their faith in our company, to do the job right, and to finish what we started,
There's an extremely high probability that will happen.. cause there's just not a lot of quit around this place.

I learned the "Never Quit Part" from my Mom & Dad. Already in Heaven. So a big shout out to them too.

My Mom & Dad taught me how to do this by their daily, selfless example, raising 12 children while building and operating first, Dot & Tom's Drive In, then McGrath Restaurant & Old Maple Beer Garden, in my favorite place on earth: Stevensville, Michigan, proud home of the Lakeshore Lancers!

I hope one day you'll visit us in our new location, to briefly marvel at what faith can construct, from hard, nearly impossible circumstance.

If you look at the last picture, I think of this as my personal "Arc de Triomphe," celebrating Victory, by fiercely rejecting defeat...even while staging a fighting retreat...we did not ever surrender the dream.

No, we were not General Patton & the 3rd Army, Triumphantly entering Paris. Our adventure was more of an Andy Dupree escape, in Shawshank Redemption...and a desperate crawl to freedom, and rebirth.

I consider it a privilege and an absolute joy, to walk through these doors each day, and feel so blessed to be able to do so.

So when we have insureds or home owners come in, finding themselves in a tough spot, whether by storm or accident, they have indeed come to the right place...because great empathy resides here, and the kindness we express, well, we're just paying what we received Forward.

So, my message is this: Don't leave a single bullet, blade, sling, arrow, rock, tear, breath, wish, or prayer left unsent or unspent in pursuit of your dreams..because those are the only ones you'll regret not spending.

You certainly lose, if you don't fight...and you cannot win, unless you show up, and reach deep within yourself, conquer your own fears...and charge forward towards your destiny...despite immediate circumstance.

Trust, Work. Rise. Fall. Pray & Rise & Try Again.
That's who you're hiring, when you choose us.

And, as the Great Story Teller, Paul Harvey used to say:

"So now you know...... the rest of the story!"
Rick McGrath

www.mcgrathfloordesign.com

P.S. Here is a link to a news article about our Business in the aftermath of The Flood of the Century.
https://www.woodfloorbusiness.com/news/article/15126290/mcgrath-brothers-recovering-from-nashville-flood