Highland-based Strack and Van Til has announced it's closing five of its grocery stores, including the Strack & Van Til at 72nd Avenue and Taft Street in Merrillville and four in Illinois.
Derek Kinney, vice president of human resources for the grocery chain, said the stores would close on or about April 30.
"These decisions are never easy because they impact people. This was not a profitable store and the lease for the building was coming up for renewal," Kinney said of the Merrillville location.
He said the Illinois stores include a Strack and Van Til on Elston Avenue in Chicago, and Ultra Foods stores in Downers Grove, Lombard and on Kedzie Avenue in Chicago.
Kinney said the closings would affect more than 460 employees among the five locations.
"We're working with their unions and going through existing stores (to see if some employees could be relocated to other stores.) We have a lot of surrounding stores we're looking at," Kinney said.
After the closings, Strack and Van Till will have 32 stores in Indiana and Illinois, he said.
Merrillville Town Council President Richard Hardaway, D-2nd, called the store's closing "a devastation to our community.
"It was one of the anchors in the town. Hopefully, another grocery store chain will fill that void," Hardaway said of the vacant space the closing will leave.
He pointed out that when Kmart decided to close its longtime Merrillville location on U.S. 30 another store, At Home, was waiting in the wings to fill that space.
"We're keeping our fingers crossed," he said, adding, "Another grocery store would be preferable."
Kinney said Strack's still has a presence in Merrillville, with its Ultra Foods about 1 1/2 miles away, at 6001 Broadway. There is also an Ultra at 9111 Taft St. in Merrillvile.
Kinney said he was grateful and thankful for the customers who shopped at the closing locations and the employees who worked there.
"They've been very loyal and this was no fault of theirs," Kinney said.