Friedman's Freshmarkets will close its remaining three stores – Greater Butler Mart, Saxonburg and Chicora – on Saturday, Jan. 27.

The company blamed the closing on its dispute with Merchants Distributors Inc., Friedman's primary supplier since May 2015.

“We have tried everything we know, including using expert advice, to attempt to resolve our issues with MDI but they dragged out solutions to our problems for the last six months and we now believe that they were not negotiating in good faith,” Carole F. Bitter, president and CEO of Friedman's, said in a news release.

Friedman's said it filed a “major lawsuit” against MDI on Jan. 12, and it is also interviewing new wholesalers, according to the release.

Store closing sales will begin Saturday. Friedman's Freshmarkets has been in business for 117 years.

For more information about this breaking news story, read the Butler Eagle.

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