Dear readers and friends…

For the past 8 years we endeavored to embark upon a plan of succession, seeking someone to purchase Gallatin Publishing Company which includes publication of this newspaper, the Gallatin North Missourian. During the past 43 years under our management and ownership, Gallatin Publishing Company has been blessed with community support and hard-working employees. This assured expansion of services and profitable operations, even during the just past COVID-marred year.

Efforts to sell our business so that we might retire have thus far failed. This includes two separate experiences marketing the entire business as one enterprise using national newspaper brokers. Then we reorganized staff to continue operations with a higher degree of self-sufficiency while making private sale proposals to neighboring newspaper publishers.

Most recently, we initiated changes which enable us to offer each portion of our enterprise separately to prospective buyers. While we still aspire to sell the entirety of Gallatin Publishing Company in one transaction, we are now positioned to sell the three publications we own, either separately or collectively, in hopes that each or all publications may continue.

Today we locally announce that these publications are for sale: the weekly Gallatin North Missourian, the weekly Ad Zone (shopper), and the monthly Lake Viking News. We intend to offer terms that will give these publications the best chance for success. But unless an interested party steps forward immediately, we will terminate all business and cease these publications effective Friday, May 28.

Without new ownership, the last edition of the Gallatin North Missourian will be printed on Wednesday, May 26. If you are a subscriber to this newspaper, the undelivered portion of your paid subscription will be refunded to you. Your refund check will be mailed to you in June.

Beginning with next week’s newspaper and shopper, we will advertise equipment and furniture contents which we intend to sell by best offer received on or before Friday, May 28. Thereafter, our doors be open by appointment only, at least during the month of June, as buyers remove purchases to eventually allow us to clear the premises. These plans, however, may change if a legitimate offer to perpetuate these publications or to purchase all or parts of our business develops.

It is with a heavy heart we make this announcement. But in our circumstances, the time has come for hard decisions to be made. We intend to enter retirement now so as to offer our employees severance pay to help and encourage them in transition to other employment and to close the business debt-free, with appropriate refunds and termination notices assured.

It has been a privilege serving Gallatin and customers throughout the region. This newspaper may be continued, but only under new ownership. We will assist anyone seriously interested in assuring Gallatin has a newspaper in its future going forward.

Sincerely,

Darryl and Elizabeth Wilkinson, Owners & Publishers
Gallatin Publishing Company