After more than 20 years in business, McLendon Medical Supply will close its doors.

Dexter McLendon, who opened McLendon Medical Supply in 1991, announced Friday that he had finalized a deal to sell the business to Chris Sells, owner of Sells Medical Equipment.

“It’s a bittersweet day,” McLendon said. “I hate not to be the owner of McLendon Medical Supply, but it was just time to make this move.”

Sells Medical Equipment officially took control of the business at noon Friday. McLendon cited his responsibilities as Mayor of the City of Greenville and the constantly changing healthcare regulations as reasons for selling the downtown business.

“The last four or five years it’s been really difficult to continue to run the business and do my job as mayor,” he said. “I found out that you can’t do both and do them well. As Greenville continued to grow I found myself spending more and more time on my job as mayor. It was just time to let the business go.”

McLendon thanked longtime employee Wanda Jernigan for her years of service to the business and the store’s customers.

“She’s the reason we had the success that we did,” he said. “Over the years she’s become like a sister to me, and that’s one of the reasons selling the business is so sad. I won’t be working with Wanda anymore.”

McLendon also said he will miss the store’s patients, but he knows that they will be “well taken care of” by Sells and his staff.

Sells said he will begin contacting McLendon Medical Supply’s patients after Jan. 1 to officially inform them of the change. He also said he plans to keep the McLendon Medical Supply phone and fax number operational.

“I just want to thank Dexter and his staff for their years of service to the people in this area, and we look forward to continuing to serve them,” Sells said.