Direct Marketing Solutions (DMS) is shutting down its Portland production facility and cutting 106 local jobs, trimming its presence in a city that has long been one of its key hubs. The layoffs will hit production and warehouse workers at a plant near Portland International Airport, including bindery and mailing operators and inventory clerks.
Company notice and job counts
As reported by The Oregonian/OregonLive, DMS filed a notice stating it will terminate roughly 96 positions at the Portland production facility and cut about 10 additional local roles tied to the closure, for a total of 106 jobs. The notice lists bindery and mailing operators and inventory clerks among the positions on the chopping block. According to OregonLive's account, the company submitted the notice to state workforce officials as part of the formal layoff process.
DMS at a glance
DMS traces its roots to 1982 and, according to the Direct Marketing Solutions website, runs production facilities on both coasts to serve national clients. The company says it can produce more than a billion mail pieces each year and describes itself as one of the region's largest mailers. It employs hundreds of people nationwide, which gives the Portland cuts a disproportionately large impact close to home.
Where this lands in the job market
The Oregon Employment Department reports that Oregon's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 5.2%, according to the state agency, while the U.S. unemployment rate was 4.3% in March, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That spread suggests workers leaving the DMS plant could be walking into a tougher local market for similar production and warehouse roles. Local re-employment programs are available, although reporting did not spell out how or when those might connect with the workers affected by this closure.
What comes next for workers
Details on severance or relocation offers did not appear in the notice reviewed by The Oregonian/OregonLive. The reporting also does not specify where DMS plans to move the work or how quickly the cuts will take effect. City and state workforce offices typically open up re-employment and training resources once such notices are finalized, but for now the timeline and next steps for these Portland workers remain publicly undefined.
