Tolosa Press founders Mary and Chris Gardner are selling their 50 percent share of the local newspaper publisher to company co-owners Bret and Lani Colhouer. [Tribune]
The Gardners founded Tolosa Press in 2006, along with the newspaper SLO City News. In 2007, Tolosa Press merged with Bret Colhouer’s newspapers, The Bay News and The Coast News.
The sale of the Gardners’ share, which takes effect Dec. 23, will make the Colhouers the sole owners of Tolosa Press.
Mary Gardner told the Tribune that the newspapers were “going strong,” but it was time for her and her husband to move on.
“We started this business seven years ago, and we’ve worked very hard on it,” Gardner said. “We decided we’re going to force ourselves to move on.”
Gardner would not disclose the financial agreement.
The deal had been in the works for a while, and the newspapers are not expected to change, she said.
Tolosa Press has a readership of about 60,000 in San Luis Obispo County. It employs about 20 people and several freelancers.
