Region AHEAD flood recovery grant recipients talk about regrowth
(WJHL) – Region AHEAD gave out $436,000 in flood recovery grants to 28 small businesses in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia , including Clean Car Garage in Erwin and Customworx in Chuckey.
Bob Cantler, President and CEO of The Chamber, which services Johnson City, Jonesborough and all of Washington County is a member of Region AHEAD.
Cantler told News Channel 11 Region AHEAD is made up of chamber executives and economic development partners throughout Northeast Tennessee.
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"We have come together and we've received support from many of our corporate and foundation stakeholders to create a fund that will provide grants to these small businesses until other assistance can come in and help them rebuild or recover or whatever they need to do to get their organization back in a healthier position," Cantler said.
Region AHEAD raised $600,000 for small businesses, but Cantler said that's just a third of the amount of requests they've received.
"We have requests for up to about $1.8 million for the grants at this point," Cantler said.
"Initially, it was based upon those most dramatically impacted by the flooding, meaning that the water may have been into your building or your organization," he said.
Cantler said they've extended the grant to be awarded to businesses who might not have physical damage but loss of revenue as well.
"Because it may have altered their inventory or had an impact on people getting access to their business," Cantler said.
Clean Car Garage in Erwin is a business that was physically affected by Hurricane Helene's flooding. The shop is located right down from Erwin's Industrial Park.
"We had probably about two feet of mud, muck," Chase Wisecarver, Clean Car Garage owner, said. "All of our equipment in our shop, most of it got washed away. Everything electronic was ruined."
Wisecarver has done vehicle paint correction and exterior detailing since 2006. He hasn't been able to restart his business since the flood.
"With all the work going in and out of the industrial park, it makes it hard with the mud," Wisecarver said. "When you get a car detailed, finished and you'll go back through the mud, you know, it makes it hard to start yet. But we're hoping shortly in the next few weeks to be able to get back at it."
He estimates about $40,000 in damage, but with the region AHEAD grant, he can replace a lot of lost equipment, make repairs and hopefully expand.
"It was a blessing since the flood," Wisecarver said. "Not working, you sit around thinking, well, how are you going to bridge the gap, pay bills, feed your family and stuff. It just shows that what God can do and how he can he's going to get you through it and how he helps you."
Wisecarver is not sure how much he's getting from the Region AHEAD grant. Cantler said the funds are dispersed to each business depending on their ask and their needs.
Customworx is receiving $10,000. They specialize in taking harvested trees and turning them into furniture, like custom bars, giant chairs, swings and wooden pieces for photo ops.
The Customworx shop used to be located on the Fender's Farm property along the Nolichucky River, until the flood waters from Hurricane Helene hit that area.
"At one point, the building was completely submerged and it had taken probably 50% of the contents," Taylor Cochran, Customworx owner, said. "It has been scattered probably for three or four miles downstream there. A lot of the bigger equipment that was bolted down [to] the floor did remain, but just due to the sediment and the water, it'd be very difficult to recover it for it to be cost-effective."
Cochran said damage is somewhere between $600,000 to $1 million.
"We actually spent probably two days just digging out the existing shop," Cochran said.
"That building has actually been demoed at this point. So it's gone and we're building in a new location and we're going to be coming back in a space. It's a lot bigger than what I was working in."
The money from Region AHEAD will help that new building become a reality.
Customworx is Cochran's passion, as he is a sixth-generation woodworker. He couldn't see himself doing anything else as he's carrying on his grandfather's legacy.
"That was his dream for me, was to see me become successful at this business. So it's important to me. That may seem silly, but just not to let him down."
"I learned a lot from him and we'd always had a wood shop of some kind where they built homes from the time that I was young. I learned a lot from him and learned some from school and other people that I've been around. But it's definitely a passion. It's a little bit more than a job for me. This has been my livelihood."
Cochran hopes to be back in business by early 2025. He said they have orders that are still on hold from before the disaster that will take precedence. However, he encourages people to reach out if they have any agritourism woodworking requests. They usually book up to a year out. You can find more about his businesses, on his website or social media .
Wisecarver said if anyone wants to reach out to his business they can reach him at 423-330-4876. More information is also found on his Facebook page .
The first round of grants are just now going out to small businesses. Region AHEAD is also issuing a second round of grants. They will continue to help affected businesses while they can.
Cantler said businesses and anyone wanting to donate can reach out to them on their website .
