AMES, Iowa — An outdoor gear store in Ames will be closing after over 70 years in business.

JAX Outdoor Gear in Ames announced on Facebook that it will be closing its doors for the last time at the end of this summer. The Facebook post reads in part:

End of an Era — After 70 years JAX will be closing our doors by summers end. We have had the pleasure of outfitting you over the years from your backyard adventures to trips around the world, helping find the perfect products, sharing stories, and getting to know the wonderful people of Ames and beyond. We are thankful to our customers for their trust, support, and friendship. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of our journey.

JAX Ames Outdoor Gear

According to the store’s website, JAX began when Marvin and Lola Quinlan opened the Ames Surplus store, where they sold items purchased form government surplus sales. Nearly 30 years later, Marvin and Lola’s son Jim moved out west to Colorado and opened his own store named Rocky Mountain Surplus. Jim later seized on an opportunity to move his store to a new location in Colorado – the old JAX Surplus store – and kept the JAX name. In 1998 Jim purchased the Ames Surplus store from his then retired parents and renamed it to JAX Outdoor Gear.

After the Ames location closes, there will be eight JAX Outdoor Gear locations, all in Colorado.

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