Knowplace closing remaining stores
CLEVELAND (AP) _ A 137-year-old school supplies retailer based in Cleveland is closing its remaining stores in four states.
Holcomb's Education Resource once had as many as 33 Holcomb's KnowPlace stores in five states.
It currently has 10 locations in Ohio, Michigan, New York and Pennsylvania.
Employees have been told the stores will shut down by December, and signs have been posted telling customers of the closings.
A message seeking comment was left Friday for Holcomb's President Paul Culler.
Adrienne Watts Dayton, a vice president with the National School Supply and Equipment Association, says the sluggish economy and state and local budget cuts have squeezed small businesses selling educational supplies.
Holcomb's began as a mail-order business in 1872.
___ Information from: The Plain Dealer, http://www.cleveland.com
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
