After losing nearly everything to a massive winter flood in late February, and with crews working nearly around the clock since then, Knoxville, Tenn., tire dealer Free Service Tire Co. has re-opened for business.
The store, located on North Broadway on the north side of the city, was back in business last Friday, less than a month after a freak storm caused massive flooding that gutted the store.
Calling the flood a blessing in disguise, Free Service Tire vice president Dennis Pritchett told the local media, “We just had to start all over. Re-do the store, replace all the equipment. We have just been working at that for the last two and a half weeks.”
That work has included an all-new showroom and other work that physically expands the site.
According to reports, service manager Andrew Mitchell was at the store when floodwaters struck. “You had no idea what was going on. Water was coming from all angles, it seemed like,” he said.
But the “new” store “is going to be fabulous. We will be able to service our customers more quickly and make sure they are taken care of.”
Free Service Tire has 11 retail stores in eastern Tennessee and western Virginia, and a number of commercial truck tire centers.
