An organization that has been an advocate for Hawaii entrepreneurs has closed after nearly 40 years in business.

Hawaii News Now reports the board of directors of Small Business Hawaii decided to close the organization this month.

The shutdown follows the recent retirement of the organization’s leader, state Sen. Sam Slom.

The organization was formerly known as Small Business Hawaii.

Board member Panos Prevedouros says the networking and educational roles played have been taken up by many other groups established after his organization was founded.

The organization had 3,500 members statewide in the 1990s, but that number dropped to fewer than 1,000 members.