By ANDY GARDNER

MASSENA -- After more than 100 years in business, Smith’s True Value is closing.

They don’t have a specific date set. Smith’s Vice President Bill Hutchison said they are trying to sell off their inventory before making that decision.

“We’re trying to wind our business down,” he said.

He said the store’s owners are approaching retirement age and want to call it quits.

“I’m over 70, the other owner is over 60 and we would like to retire,” Hutchison said.

He said they considered selling it, but decided not to because of the local economic climate.

“You don’t sell anything in Massena, unfortunately,” Hutchison said.

Bob Simsler, the store’s owner, said they opened in 1902 in downtown Massena as W.L. Smith’s Hardware. They occupied three different storefronts. They affiliated with True Value in the mid-1960s and moved to their current 50 East Orvis St. location in 1979, Simsler said.

They now employ around six people, he said.