After untimely death of owner, landmark Drop Zone closing

By Scott Merzbach
Staff Writer

Published on October 26, 2007

HADLEY - An Army-Navy store that for 20 years has carried government surplus supplies - such as boots and leather jackets, hunting and camping equipment and gas masks - is going out of business five months after the death of its owner.

Amherst Drop Zone at 227 Russell St. is closing and Capital Recovery Group LLC of Enfield, Conn., is handling the sale of its remaining stock, following the April death of owner and founder Jeff Vickowski.

20 years of surplus gear

Vickowski, who was 43, died in Queens, N.Y., following an overseas business trip.

Vickowski opened the store in Hadley at 381 Russell St., next to McDonald's restaurant in 1990, three years after he and three other Hadley men had started their first store on North Pleasant Street in Amherst.

The retail store, which was also a supplier to 600 Army-Navy stores nationwide, moved to its current location in 2002 after Vickowski purchased the building that had previously housed the Hadley Antique Center.

Gary Katz, vice president of CRG, said his company was hired to liquidate $5 million worth of merchandise in a sale that started Sept. 27.

"We're looking to do the liquidation through Nov. 3, and then we'll schedule an auction for the remaining inventory," Katz said.

That auction is scheduled Nov. 13 at 10 a.m. at the location.

Items at the store, which also include paintball supplies and Halloween costumes, are being sold at deep discounts during the closing sale.

The neighboring store, Zephyr Oriental Rugs, is a tenant in the same building as Amherst Drop Zone, but is not affected by the closing.

The real estate Vickowski owned is not yet being sold.