UPDATED: Suncatchers in Godfrey closes without notice, leaving five without work

GODFREY - A sign on the window of the Godfrey Sun Catchers tanning salon, located at 5745 Godfrey Road, claims that location is no longer open at this time.

"We suffered the loss of our store," the sign states. "While the store is being rebuilt, you can take your business to Wood River or Collinsville."

A former employee of the Godfrey location said they were told not to come to work today, but no other notice was given in advance. A number attributed to owner Bob Jones was given to Riverbender.com. The man answering that phone first said he was the owner, but then said he was only a worker and refused to give his name to Riverbender.com.

However, the man said the Godfrey location's lease came due, adding the building's owner wanted to increase rent. He said Sun Catcher's is still in operation at both the Wood River location, located at 1103 West Acton Ave., and the Collinsville location, located at 107 N. Bluff Road.

Anyone with tanning packages or other offers attained from the Godfrey location can redeem them at the Wood River or Collinsville locations, the man on the phone stated.

Former manager of the Godfrey store, Brittany Hancock, confirmed the store was closed today without notice to the four women who work there. She said she was terminated today while leaving the store in tears.

"This morning, Robert (Jones) came in and told me we needed to have a talk," she said in a message. "That he was closing this location and was putting up black garbage bags on all the windows. I immediately started crying. He said that he would try to get me hours at the other stores, and I asked about my employees, which he had nothing to say."

Hancock said the termination of those four employees without notice caused her to walk out of the store Thursday. She said Jones "was laughing about the situation" and "made jokes about it."

"I am beyond hurt," Hancock said. "I am out of a job, and so are my girls, which all of us relied on this place. He knew he was going to do this for a while now, and never told us. [He] never gave us the time to find other places."

Hancock said she has worked at that business for nearly eight years, and does not expect to see another location open to replace the closing Godfrey business. She said Jones made similar promises when a former location in Alton, located on Milton Road, flooded approximately six years ago.

Update: A man reached out to Riverbender.com, confirming he had done business with Jones in the past. The man spoke on the condition of anonymity, but told Riverbender.com Jones was attempting to sell the equipment from the Godfrey location earlier this year.

"He gave me a walkthrough of the place, and told me not to tell the employees or customers," the man said. "He said he was planning on closing the business at the end of May."

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