Mills Office Productivity is closing on Nov. 20. Sales consultant Bill Phelps has worked at the store for over five years. (Vanessa Broadbent / Osoyoos Times)
By Vanessa Broadbent
Osoyoos Times
After nearly four decades of serving Osoyoos, Mills Office Productivity is shutting its doors at the end of November.
Originally called Imperial Books and Office Supplies, and later Imperial Office Pro, the Main Street store opened in 1980 and was owned by Bill and Lorraine Collins.
Mills Office Productivity took over ownership in 2013 when the Collins retired, but their daughter Sandra Long stayed on as manager.
She’s worked at the shop for nearly 30 years.
“I’m just sad, really,” Long said. “I enjoyed my job and I enjoyed the people and I’m sad to see it go.”
Long said she received a letter from Mills Office Productivity head office stating that the store was no longer profitable and would be closing Nov. 20.
Along with selling office supplies, the store is also the only Purolator and FedEx location in town. It also offers photocopying and faxing, and sells tickets for most local events.
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Long said customers are shocked when she shares the news.
“I don’t know what to tell them, really. I just don’t know.”
Bill Phelps has worked at the store as a sales consultant for over five years.
“A lot of (customers) are horrified. There’s so many people that depend on the little services,” he said.
He sees a lot of foreign workers come to the store to email or fax work reports.
“I make an attempt to try and understand what they’re telling me and help them as best I can,” he said. “I do my best and they really appreciate that and I don’t know where they’re going to go.”
Staff are tentatively planning a community open house before the store’s last day on Nov. 20.
No one from Mills Office Productivity’s head office was available for comment.
