Sears to close Melville repair center, lay off 31

The Sears parts and repairs center in Melville will close in November, resulting in 31 employees facing layoffs, according to a state regulatory notice posted Wednesday.

The appliance repair division, located at 120 Spagnoli Rd. in Melville, is scheduled to close on Nov. 22. The layoffs are scheduled to begin in a 14-day period starting that day, the notice states.

Employees at the drop-off center repair appliances, electronics, fitness equipment, and lawn and garden equipment.

"On August 21, 2015, we notified associates at the Home Services Product Services facility located in Melville, New York that the facility will be closing due to a lease expiration," Sears spokesman Chris Brathwaite said in an e-mail. "Those associates that are eligible will receive severance and have the opportunity to apply for open positions at area Sears or Kmart stores."

Sears Holdings Corp., which is based in suburban Chicago, cited economic reasons for the closure in the state filing. Sears has been shutting stores nationwide to cut costs.

Under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, or WARN, companies with at least 50 full-time employees must notify workers 90 days ahead of a mass layoff or closing.

Earlier this year, Sears announced its store and auto center in the Westfield South Shore mall in Bay Shore would close in May. The two businesses employed a total of 145 people.

A spokesman at the time said eligible employees at the Bay Shore locations would receive severance and could apply for open positions at area Sears or Kmart stores. Kmart is a division of Sears.

Sears has about a dozen other Long Island locations, including auto centers.