SUPERIOR- Rail Head Sporting Goods is no more after the owner ordered the manager to close the business down right away.

The store is located centrally in Superior just over the bridge, across from nearby businesses like the Four Aces Bar and Wells Fargo Bank at the corner of Mullan Road and River Street.

Rail Head opened in spring of June 2010 and marketed itself as a family owned business on their website, which was also pulled off the internet immediately. Rail Head was the only sporting goods store in the area and now outdoor enthusiasts must go to St. Regis to meet some of their needs, or even as far as Missoula.

The Rail Head store was owned by John Wyborn and his family who currently reside in Happy Valley, Ariz., according to the Mineral County Chamber of Commerce. Wyborn declined to comment on the closure when contacted by phone.

“It was just an unexpected thing,” said Wes Randolph, store manager. “John called and said to stop opening up.”

Although the closure was sudden, it can most likely be attributed to slow customer traffic and low sales, Randolph said. This could be another reason Wyborn didn’t wait and try to sell the store to a new owner.

The inventory that is left in the store is in the process of being boxed up and relocated to another sporting goods store that Wyborn owns, Randolph said.

In an area where unemployment still remains high, the closure doesn’t help an already struggling economy. Empty stores continue to litter the streets of Superior.

For now, the signs still remain on the side of the building and the casual customer may not notice the closure as the store still looks untouched. Whether or not the building space is put on the market in a reasonable time period is unknown, as is whether or not a new or local business owner will purchase the space and open a new business in town, or just keep the building empty for the time being.

Until a new sporting goods venue pops up in town, sporting enthusiasts will have to look elsewhere for their equipment needs, right before the busy summer season nonetheless.