Business Blames Exit on City of Keene; Officials Knew of No Issues

Cocoplum Appliances has closed its Keene location, according to Barbara Dunbar, the company's director of human resources and finance.

She blamed the closure on low sales and called the city of Keene unfriendly to business. City officials said they have no idea why the business would feel that way.

The Keene branch of the Brattleboro-based store opened in 1995, according to N.H. Secretary of State records. It sells refrigerators, ovens, washing machines and other household appliances.

It closed unexpectedly last week, according to a former employee.

Owner Dan Systo couldn't be reached this week at publicly listed phone numbers. 

Dunbar wrote in an email that the location wasn't doing enough business to justify its continued existence. 

She said the location manager had told staff the Keene store would close if sales didn't improve.

"Despite everyone’s efforts, the location was not producing the revenue needed to justify the continued expense," she wrote.

Cocoplum had planned to move from 540 Main St. a short distance south to 660 Main St. — the former Interface location  — where a "coming soon" sign hung outside. 

The company spokesperson also blamed the city of Keene for the location's closure. She alleged the city had cost Cocoplum "hundreds of thousands of dollars."

Asked about that figure, Dunbar said the city is "not exactly business friendly" and had made the process of renovating and/or building so laborious and expensive that "it became increasingly difficult to justify continuing to invest in a location that was already struggling economically." 

City Manager Elizabeth Ferland said in an email she is not aware of Cocoplum identifying any specific permitting, regulatory or operational concerns, adding that the city would welcome more information about specific concerns.

"The City works with businesses every day on permitting, redevelopment, zoning, licensing, and infrastructure projects. Over the past several years, we have also implemented a number of process and regulatory improvements intended to make investment and project applications easier and more predictable, including land use updates, digital permitting enhancements, and other economic development initiatives," she wrote.

Keene Senior Planner Mari Brunner said she was also unaware of any issues. The business received approval to move to the new location, she said. As of Wednesday morning, the city's business inspectors still believed Cocoplum planned to move ahead with work at the new site.

Brunner said the business had been doing "a fantastic job" renovating the building.

Cocoplum, a Brattleboro-based appliance company has closed its Keene location, citing low sales and problems with the city. (Abigail Ham/Sentinel staff)

Salesman Zachary Kazanovicz told The Sentinel he was taken by surprise when he returned to work on May 7 after a weeklong stay in the hospital and was laid off.

"We had no heads up," Kazanovicz said. "[We] only had encouragement that the new store was opening."

New Hampshire is an at-will employer state, meaning that employers may terminate employees at any time "for any legitimate and non-discriminatory reason," according to the N.H. Commission for Human Rights' website.

But for Kazanovicz, who said he is his family's sole provider and is facing ongoing medical issues, the sudden loss of income was a blow.

"I understand businesses go out all the time, but it felt very unfair," he said. 

Dunbar said the business overall remains "a strong and growing company." It recently opened a new showroom in West Lebanon. The business also has stores in Berlin, Vt., and Essex Junction, Vt.

"Unfortunately, this is a business decision, and anyone with an understanding of economics can recognize why difficult decisions like this sometimes have to be made," she wrote.