Commissaries recovering after distributor closes Published Jan. 18, 2008 By Nancy O'Nell, DECA McCLELLAN, CALIF. -- Commissaries in Texas and New Mexico experienced a temporary shortage on select products during January, stemming from the closing of Sterling Downey Sales Company. Sterling Downey was a distributor of national brand products for military commissaries. The company closed Jan. 1. GSC Enterprises Inc., a distributor that has served commissaries for 10 years, purchased the remaining Sterling Downey inventory and is working with national brand manufacturers to get the required product levels back into the commissary supply channel. "We realize this has been an inconvenience to our shoppers," said Rick Page, acting director of the Defense Commissary Agency. "We appreciate our customers' understanding and support ."