YORK COUNTY — The Locke Supply Co., an Oklahoma-based whole sale HVAC and plumbing parts supplier, will be moving into the building formally occupied by Kmart store in the Kingsgate Green Shopping Center, 188 Waller Mill Rd.
The former Kmart store closed in 2019 after being open for 34 years. It was considered one of the 142 Kmart and Sears locations not profitable that year. Now, the company’s closest location to the Historic Triangle is 2001 S. Military Hwy. in Chesapeake.
The business cleared its last hurdle on March 15 after the York County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to approve special-use permit that would allow for it to have outside storage.
Locke Supply will occupy 37,000 of the facilities total 113,000 square-feet. Ollie’s Bargain Outlet and Ashley HomeStore are already occupying the other two-thirds of the building.
Locke Supply Co. has 180 locations in seven states. Virginia is home to six of those stores.
Locke’s Vice President for East Operations Mike Bourn was on hand at the Board of Supervisors meeting said that the Locke’s clientele is geared as a whole sale and retail business.
“We are there to help small businesses,” Bourn said to the Board. “Our traditional client has one or two trucks and we can help position him to compete with the big guys.”
The store will now begin renovating the space. Currently, there is no announced opening date.
