VALDOSTA — A decades-long mainstay in educational supplies for the Valdosta area will close in May, the owner said.

Learning Tree Educational Resources, located at 281 Norman Drive, will close its doors after 45 years of providing schools, teachers, churches and parents with educational goods ranging from workbooks and globes to maps and flash cards, according to a company statement released late last week.A combination of factors led to the decision to bring the business to an end, said Robin McGhin Sr., founder and owner.

“This has always been a family business,” he said, “but I’m 75 years old, and all of my children have other interests.”

McGhin said he had been unable to find a buyer and Internet commerce has hurt the store.

“It’s kind of a matter of circumstances,” he said. “It’s been a good run.”

The company primarily served schools in South Georgia and North Florida, but through the years had shipped orders to Europe, Asia and the Caribbean.

“Usually our overseas orders could be traced back to Moody (Air Force Base) but we had a customer in Ireland who was visiting family and came in the store and later placed a couple of orders from over there,” McGhin said. “We had two orders from Cyprus which we never knew how they found us.”The business, headquartered in Valdosta, once had branch stores in Waycross and St. Marys, but they closed years ago, McGhin said.

Learning Tree will continue to provide laminating services from a new location and the company will not shut down its web site, mylearningtree.com, right away.

“The future of our online business is uncertain at this time,” he said. “We will make a decision before the end of the year.”