Fireproof Attitude Revives Flooring America Retail
Manchester, NH, September 19, 2006--A great attitude can take you places. Just ask Gina Cook. The second-generation owner of Cook’s Flooring America store in Spokane needed every ounce of her famous optimism to get through a cataclysmic fire to her store in October of 2005.
“It was a complete loss, burned right down to the ground, there was nothing left,” said Gina. “And it happened at the same time that we were opening up a new International Design Guild showroom in downtown Spokane. So the timing was doubly disastrous.”
But gritty perseverance and a sunny disposition ultimately carried the day. With her inventory still smoldering, Gina began to search out new sites, eventually moving 15 blocks away while losing 5,000 sq. ft. of showroom space and seven out of 10 employees.
“We couldn’t rebuild on our old location because the zoning laws had changed, so we had to settle for a smaller place,” said Gina. “But the real heartache for all of us was losing so many from our staff. It is so hard to find talent, and it was so difficult to say good-bye, but people understandably couldn’t wait for the new place to open. I’d have to say that losing so many of our staff was our toughest test.”
But nine months later the new Cook’s Flooring America store is open and nearly up to speed. And the greatest testament to Gina’s willful resolve is the fact that she refuses to amend her five-year plan, choosing instead to use the tragedy of the fire to fuel her original goal for growth.
“Our plan has always been to grow the business by two-and-a-half times within five years,” said Gina. “And despite the fire, that’s still our plan. It’s going to be tough to meet with this big setback, but we’re determined. We’ll put an extra smile on our faces and make it happen. We live by that old saying, that it’s not a problem, it’s an opportunity! This will be an accomplishment we can really be proud of.”
Pride runs in the family. Gina’s parents founded the floor covering store thirty years ago, and she grew up in the business determined to carry on a legacy of excellence, value, exceptional optimism, and community engagement that her parents exemplified. Those qualities and her own determination paved the way for stewardship of the family store, which became part of the Flooring America family in 2001.
A longtime volunteer with Crosswalk, an organization that assists homeless teen-agers, Gina is an active volunteer throughout the community, at her local church, and is a proud choir member. Her husband, Terry Shanahan, owns a furniture refinishing and restoration company, and the couple has five children, plus five grand children with two more on the way.
Gina is currently finishing up her three-year term on the Flooring America Advisory Council--a term she insisted on finishing despite the fire and the exhaustive re-building effort.
“It was difficult, but I’m glad I stuck it out because there were so many things we were working on and I didn’t want to let them go,” said Gina, “I have to say I was absolutely amazed at how responsive Flooring America is to its membership. Management really pays attention to what its members have to say. They make you feel valued, and that was especially important for me during this last year. We’re all in this together.”
