J. Louis Mullen acquires The Gladwin County (MI) Record & Beaverton Clarion

Sep 16, 2022

GLADWIN, Michigan ⁠— J. Louis "Louie" Mullen has acquired The Gladwin County (Michigan) Record & Beaverton Clarion from Adams Publishing Group.

Established in 1877, The Gladwin County Record is the oldest continuously operated business in Gladwin County. In 1934, the Record merged with the Beaverton Clarion and in 1997 went online with one of the community news industry’s very first websites, GladwinMi.com. The paper exclusively serves Gladwin County.

Dirks, Van Essen & April, a media merger and acquisition firm based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, represented Adams Publishing Group in the transaction. Terms were not disclosed.

"Adams Publishing Group has acquired and built a number of strategic operating regions over the past nine years. Gladwin, while an important singular market, does not geographically align with any of our 15 strategic multimedia operations.

"We would like to thank all of our Associates in Gladwin for their efforts on behalf of Adams Publishing Group. This change in ownership from the Adams family to the Mullen family ensures their continued journalistic contribution to the citizens of Gladwin County," said Mark Adams, President/CEO of Adams Publishing Group.

Louie Mullen, part of a second-generation newspaper family, owns more than 30 newspapers in seven states, stretching from the upper Midwest to the West Coast. Mullen also sits on the board of the National Newspaper Association.

"It’s my goal to give the community a newspaper that reflects your town,” Mullen said. “A strong and independent voice in the newspaper industry is necessary to continue to provide local and original coverage. I’d like to thank the Adams Publishing Group for the opportunity to continue that mission for Gladwin."