Gresham RV closes doors, clears lot

Owners plan to reopen service center eventually

By Shannon Wells

The Gresham Outlook, Jul 7, 2009, Updated Oct 30, 2009

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Gresham RV, a longstanding dealer of recreational vehicles at 325 N.E. Hogan Drive, closed its doors Friday, June 19.

Longtime owners Steve and Jeannie Williams plan to reopen — at a later, undermined date and location — to provide ongoing service to their customers’ vehicles, said Jack Orchard, the Portland attorney who has represented the Williams’ business interests for 25 years.

Inventory has been gradually removed from the large lot since the store closed, presumably by representatives of KeyBank, a financial institution associated with the business. Laura J. Mimura, a Cleveland-based public relations manager with Key Bank, referred calls from The Outlook to Orchard, who practices with the Ball Janik firm.

As of Monday afternoon, June 29, two security officers with the Securitas firm were patrolling the now-empty lot surrounding the showroom.

Orchard said the business, which operated “quite successfully until mid-2008,” was a victim of the collapsing economy and higher gas prices. He also cited an increasingly volatile credit situation with banks and creditors that has affected many automobile dealerships across the country. Gresham RV is not filing for bankruptcy protection, he noted.

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