Former Western WA transloading company acquired by out-of-state firm
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- The Pasha Group acquired MacMillan-Piper assets after July layoffs and shutdowns.
- Acquisition expands Pasha's West Coast logistics capacity and industry expertise.
- Most former MacMillan-Piper employees rehired.
The assets of a local logistics firm have been acquired by a California company.
MacMillan-Piper in July filed notice with the state of Washington announcing layoffs affecting 92 of its workers at sites in Tacoma and Seattle.
On Wednesday, The Pasha Group of San Rafael, California announced it was acquiring “certain assets of MacMillan-Piper LLC and Tacoma Transload LLC.”
The Pasha Group, founded in 1947, is a global logistics and transportation services company.
MacMillan-Piper was a transloading company that operated six facilities near the ports of Seattle and Tacoma. In its letter to the state, the company cited “sudden and unforeseeable business circumstances resulting from the loss of operational funding.”
The company in 2023 was acquired by Oakland-based GSC, a third-party logistics provider. GSC later defaulted on a business loan, leading to the recent layoffs and site closures.
According to a news release issued Wednesday, the deal “follows the successful completion of an asset purchase agreement with the court-appointed receiver for GSC Enterprises, Inc., which included certain assets of MacMillan-Piper LLC ... and Tacoma Transload LLC.”
The release stated that the acquisition “marks a significant expansion of the company’s West Coast footprint with a robust network of proprietary rail transload facilities, enhanced warehousing capacity, and specialized expertise in handling commodities including agriculture, paper, lumber, steel, and dry bulk.”
The Puget Sound Business Journal on Wednesday reported that The Pasha Group acquired “most of MacMillan-Piper’s machinery, equipment, rolling stock and intellectual property” for $2.5 million through a court-approved agreement with the receiver in the GSC loan default case.
Emily Sinclair, corporate communications representative for The Pasha Group, told The News Tribune via email in response to questions that Pasha Logistics has negotiated leases for all of the spaces in Tacoma, and hired about 80 of the former MacMillan-Piper employees.
In Washington state, the company since 2010 has operated an automotive services site in Aberdeen at the Port of Grays Harbor.
George Pasha IV, president and CEO of The Pasha Group, in Wednesday’s release called the acquisition “a strategic leap forward.”
“Like the original MacMillan-Piper and Tacoma Transload businesses, The Pasha Group is a family-owned company grounded in core values and a long-term commitment to our people, customers, and communities,” said Pasha. “We’re excited to welcome new team members and continue investing in the people, technology, and partnerships that will drive transformation across the supply chain.”
The co-chairs of the Northwest Seaport Alliance, which represents the ports of Tacoma and Seattle, also issued statements regarding the entry of The Pasha Group to the regional logistics scene.
“We are so grateful Pasha recognizes that our gateway is a strategic place for investment and the importance of maintaining the expertise and experience of our local industry,” said NWSA Co-Chair and Port of Tacoma Commission President John McCarthy.
“We welcome Pasha Logistics as a new partner to the gateway with expanded service offerings. We appreciate that MacMillan-Piper, a local industry stalwart since 1969 and key partner for our port, is no longer with us and look forward to working with Pasha,” said NWSA Co-Chair and Port of Seattle Commission President Toshiko Hasegawa.
