Millcraft Paper Co. is set to open a store in downtown Indianapolis on Sept. 24 in hopes of filling a void left a few months ago by the closing of a popular paper supplier.

Cleveland-based Millcraft is leasing 23,000 square feet at 510 W. Merrill St. between Kentucky Avenue and South West Street near Lucas Oil Stadium.

Millcraft has a warehouse on the far-east side at 3330 Pagosa Court but will close it after the opening of the downtown location. The new location features both retail and warehouse space.

Downtown has been without a paper supplier since Arvey Paper & Office Products at 1021 Pennsylvania St. closed in June. Arvey, part of the Xpedx chain of print shops owned by Memphis-based International Paper Co., had served hundreds of small and medium-size businesses, including print shops, for more than 25 years.

The chain has been shedding stores for about two years, from a peak of 140 locations.

Like Arvey, Millcraft will offer cut-size paper and supplies by the case and ream, as well as an assortment of graphic, office and packaging supplies.

“We’re just trying to help the small guy out,” said John Orlando, Millcraft’s vice president of sales and marketing.

Indeed, the new store will come in handy for Triangle Printing Co. at 417 E. Ohio St., which turned to Millcraft’s east-side location after Arvey’s closing. Millcraft’s warehouse isn’t very convenient for retail sales, though, said Jeanette Ray, Triangle’s office manager.

“It will help us tremendously, and it will also help all the other printers because nowadays people want things now, now, now,” she said. “And right now we’re not able to do that.”

Millcraft is independently owned with 16 locations in Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan, Pennsylvania and New York. Its Indianapolis store is the company’s only presence in Indiana.

The downtown location will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and managed by Millcraft veteran Scott Gill. It will be staffed by 13 employees, including nine in the warehouse.