MORRISTOWN, Tenn (WVLT) -- A Morristown car dealership has closed it's doors just two days short of the new year due to the struggling economy.

Lifetime Kia of Morristown shut their doors abruptly on Tuesday.

"It’s just a business decision," said George Edrington, Lifetime Kia’s Chief Operating Officer. "The Feds helped out Wall Street but not on Main Street, including the consumer."

According to the COO, banks weren't lending money to consumers and not enough people were buying cars to stay in business.

"It just wasn't a wise investment to continue operations," he said.

Fifty employees lost their jobs when the dealership closed for good on Tuesday. They had employed 110 people at the height of operations.

Lifetime Kia is owned by Mark Nadler and according to company officials the showroom in Murphy, North Carolina will remain open. He made it clear he wanted to make sure his employees are taken care of and that Kia consumers in Morristown aren't hurt by this decision.

Edrington said that people who depended on the dealership for service should go to Kia.com for a list of authorized Kia dealers. There are four in East Tennessee including:

-Rusty Wallace Kia in Alcoa
-Harry Lane Kia in Knoxville
-Grindstaff Kia in Johnson City
-Wallace Kia of Bristol in Bristol

The Morristown showroom was located in an old renovated Lowe's store. It featured a cafe, a Starbucks, a beauty salon and even a huge kid's fun zone, according to the company's website.

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