Cochran's Furniture celebrates reopening after being destroyed by monster tornado

photo Emily Cochran moves some catalogs around the showroom at Cochran's Furniture in Ringgold, Ga., on Monday. The store was devastated by April's tornadoes but is now rebuilt. The business, which has been running for over 48 years, held a reopening ceremony Monday morning.
photo Tim Cochran, right, talks with Raye Brooks, president of the Ringgold Downtown Partners, at Cochran's Furniture in Ringgold, Ga., on Monday.

RINGGOLD, Ga. -- Cochran's Furniture emerged from the rubble Monday as the largest retailer to reopen since a monster tornado tore this town apart on April 27.

Cochrans was among 30 businesses destroyed in Ringgold, and one of the first to turn the lights back on. The high-end furniture store lost its warehouse and part of its roof in the storm more than four months ago, and owners have been furiously rebuilding the shop to get at least part of it opened back up.

"We were hit by the tornado on our 50th anniversary, so we're glad to be back open," said Tim Cochran, whose family owns the venerable Nashville Street location.

It's taken about $32,000 and a lot of elbow grease to get Cochran's Furniture ready again for customers. But Harold Cochran, Tim Cochran's father, said it was all worth it.

Over the years, Cochran built the store piece by piece, adding sections every three to four years until it reached its present 33,000-square-foot size.

Then suddenly, his years of labor were erased in a flash.

"It's just been a long, tough road for the last four months," Harold Cochran said. "It's an experience you don't want to go through again, but we're just thankful that we're back in business."

Ringgold residents say they're glad to see signs of life returning to the store, which was founded in 1961 next to a coffee shop before moving to its current location in 1968.

photo Pictured is the sign for Cochran's Furniture in Ringgold, Ga., on Monday morning. The store was devastated by April's tornadoes but is now rebuilt. The business, which has been running for over 48 years, held a reopening ceremony Monday morning.

Those whose homes were insured are looking to replace some of their favorite chairs and tables that were splintered by the wind, while others are just planning for the day when their home finally is rebuilt.

"We've sold to several people that haven't even got their houses rebuilt yet," Harold Cochran said.

Jeaneane Hullender, whose Ringgold home was blown away by 175 mph winds, shopped for beds as Cochran cut the ribbon for the store's grand opening in the adjacent showroom.

"I bought all my furniture here before, and I'm picking everything out for when my house is finished," Hullender said, although she isn't sure when her home will be completed.

"I'm anxious," she said. "Hopefully it will be three to four months."

The grand opening ceremony was attended by contractors like Gary McCallie of Babb Construction, who have been busy jumping through hoops to meet insurance requirements.

Without infusions of needed cash from Cochran's insurers, Weeks & Peters, a lot of the present reconstruction simply wouldn't happen, he said.

But insurers aren't just giving the money away.

"We have to bid on what it's going to cost for each piece of the project," he said. "It's really complicated, but that's how it goes."

There are still two showrooms left to renovate. On Monday, workers hammered away as the smell of new plaster permeated the building's interior.

But other buildings nearby have yet to see a hammer, as owners wait for insurance payouts that may or may not come in the near future.

Randall Franks summed up the local demeanor as he chatted with other city officials after the ribbon cutting.

"There's still work to be done, but as a community we're making progress," he said.

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