Spenard Builders Supply will close 2 stores, citing difficult Alaska economy

Citing difficult economic conditions in Alaska, home hardware retailer Spenard Builders Supply announced Wednesday it will close two stores.

“This decision was not made lightly nor quickly, but we feel it is the right thing to do for SBS,” said Ed Waite, Spenard Builders Supply president.

The Eagle River store will close March 20. The Seward store will close March 27.

“Alaska’s challenging economic climate” led to the decision, the company’s Wednesday statement said.

The change will affect 19 employees in Eagle River and 11 in Seward. The Alaska chain of 21 stores employs about 600 workers. It has operated since 1952.

Stacey Dixon, marketing manager with Spenard Builders Supply, said the business will do what it can to transfer as many employees as possible to other jobs.

Waite said in the statement, “We have a good team at both of those locations who did everything in their power to make us successful."

The chain will also do its best to meet the needs of customers affected by the change, the statement said.

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Economists have said the state’s recovery since the recession has been modest.

“It’s slow growth and those locations weren’t able to come back from that (recession),” Dixon said.