A longtime Perry retailer is being forced to close their doors after the company went bankrupt.

A total of 198 Alco Stores in the U.S., including 10 in Iowa, will close after a recent Bankruptcy Court order.  Last month the company announced they had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and planned to stay in business while reorganizing.

The Perry Alco store opened in 1976, and manager Lonnie Ostransky has been there since 1988.  He says it’s unfortunate news for the more than a dozen employees that work at the store and he hopes to assist them in finding new jobs in the area.

Ostransky thanks the Perry community for their support over the years, stating that between the employees and customers there has been a lot of longevity and loyalty to the local Alco store.

Right now the store is liquidating inventory, an exact closing date is not known at this time but estimates are sometime in January.