Kents Hill Lumber closing hardware store, lumberyard

Kents Hill Lumber is closing its lumber and hardware business in Readfield, Maine, Nov. 3 after 36 years of operation, according to an article in the Kennebec Journal. Owner Stephen Monsulick cited the poor economy and its effect on the business. 

"The real issue is the decline in the housing starts," Monsulick said.

He will continue to run Kents Hill Lumber Self-Storage at the same site.

In its prime, Kents Hill had up to 20 employees at a time and did three to four times the business it's doing today with six employees, Monsulick told the newspaper 

In 1989, Monsulick opened a second location, in New Gloucester, which was run by his sister. Monsulick closed that store last year.