A 72-year-old Chattanooga grave marker business that suddenly closed earlier this year and left scores of customers without their orders has shut down permanently.
The company's president said in a statement on Friday that plans are to resolve as many orders as possible.
Trent Wichman, who was managing the 5225 Brainerd Road company started by his grandfather Fred Wichman, said he's aware that some customers are upset and confused at the sudden closure.
Wichman said in the statement that "I want to assure everyone that we will do our best to uphold our tradition of customer service as we resolve as many of the outstanding orders as is possible."
Jerry Rich of Stevenson, Ala., said he'd like for his order to be the first on which the company works. He said he plans to call the Chattanooga law firm that issued the statement for Wichman.
At the same time, Rich expressed frustration it had taken so long for Wichman to respond to his and other complaints, adding that he thought the businessman was "in a box."
Rich said he had paid $4,300 up front last year for a monument for his wife of 50 years who died in 2017 and he never received the marker.
The statement from the Presley Law Firm in Chattanooga said the closure of Wichman Monuments was precipitated by rising costs and the loss of some key employees to illness over the past month.
The firm said Wichman hired the law firm to represent him in winding up Wichman Monuments.
Terrance Jones, associate attorney with the firm, said plans are to contact each of Wichman Monuments' customers in the next week.
"In the meantime, we ask for a little more patience from those customers as we begin the long process of winding up a long-standing and well- respected business in our community," he said.
Jones did not return a phone call Friday seeking further comment.
In February, the Better Business Bureau in Chattanooga began to receive the complaints about the business, and more than 30 such complaints have now been filed against the business, according to the BBB.
The Chattanooga Police Department said Thursday it had opened a fraud investigation after a pair of complaints.
Jim Winsett, who heads the BBB here, said the case is "very unusual" in terms of a long-time Chattanooga company suddenly having so many complaints lodged against it.
"We're trying to cooperate with other authorities such as the police department," he said. "They're compiling a list and hearing from people we haven't heard from and vice versa."
Despite repeated efforts to reach anyone with Wichman Monuments, no one has responded in person to the Times Free Press or been at the Brainerd Road business in the past week.
Contact Mike Pare at mpare@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6318.