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The Pamplin Media Group told about two dozen employees at its Gresham printing plant last week that they would lose their jobs in early January when the press shuts down. Pamplin Media will shift production of its newspapers to The Columbian’s plant in Vancouver, Wash.
The Gresham closure is just the latest sign of financial troubles for companies that are part of the R.B. Pamplin Corporation run by Robert B. Pamplin Jr.
As WW has reported, Pamplin has engaged in the highly unusual (and, experts say, probably illegal) practice of selling real estate from Pamplin operating companies to the company’s pension fund (“Walking on Water,” WW, Dec. 6).
One of the more than 70 such properties: the soon-to-be-dormant printing press at 1190 NE Division St. in Gresham. Records show that Pamplin, who is both CEO of R.B. Pamplin Corp. and the trustee of its pension fund, sold that property to the pension fund in 2019 for $1.55 million. That allowed him to extract cash from the pension fund while saddling pensioners with an aging asset in a dying business, which is exactly what pension experts say should never happen.
Records also show that property taxes on the printing plant are three years in arrears—for a total of $62,000.
Pamplin officials did not respond to a request for comment.
WW also reported earlier this month that the Pamplin Media Group is shopping its two dozen publications, most of which are clustered in the tri-county area.