Business Closing After More Than 40 Years

Alabama Mobile The Pencil Company has been a landmark in Crichton.

by Steve Alexander

Published: Thu, May 14, 2009 - 6:55 pm CST Last Updated: Thu, May 14, 2009 - 8:00 pm CST

A Mobile business is closing its doors after more than forty years serving the Crichton area.
The Pencil Company, a school supply store, is closing after more than 40 years of business.
Greg Gibson owns the business, but he's 92 years old.
An employee, Darlene Griffin, said, "His health is failing and he just needs to settle up things before he gets any older."
She said the economic downturn has hurt, too.
Griffin said, "There's no way to compete with the bigger people, Wal-Mart and all of them. They really hurt you."
Of course, you can find pencils here: colored pencils, ten cent pencils, pencils for first graders.
And the store sells many other teaching supplies.
But, there are fewer customers than in the past.
Griffin said, "When we first came into business here, I remember when there was nobody else. We had no other competition. We would have teachers actually lined up down the aisles getting ready to check out."
When this business closes, it won't affect hundreds of people.
But it will profoundly change the lives of two people.
John Gasaway helps Griffin at the store.
He said, "I'm retired and on disability. It gives me a chance just to come out here and keep my mind active."
Griffin said she has no idea what she's going to do when the store closes.
She said, "I need to work. And I've got some things in the works, but I don't know."
The Pencil Company will close for good on May 29.

WKRG.com » News Stream » Alabama