![]() Vandals have smashed truck windows in the parking lot and slashed tires, and vendors were complaining. In 2020, she said, Heller took over the shows run by another promoter, Wes Knodel, who was ill and wanted out.Ĭonditions at the venue were deteriorating, Zielke said. A flyer taped to the front door advertised a dozen gun shows, including two upcoming events at the Expo Center. He hired a woman named Julie Zielke to run his new gun show business. But he did not lose his business.Īt some point, Heller graduated from vendor to promoter. He owed $287,500 by the time the Internal Revenue Service caught on in 2014.Īfter federal agents raided his warehouse, Heller pleaded guilty to tax evasion in 2016 and spent six months under house arrest. The shop had a computer numerical control machine, and Heller discovered he could use it to make extremely accurate semi-automatic rifle barrels.įor years, Heller made a lot of money selling ammunition for cash at gun shows. The business specialized in bearings, but eventually expanded into ammunition and firearms. Heller had been in the business since he was 21 years old, working with his dad, the paper said. In 2018, Heller celebrated his 30th year in business by hosting a cookout featured in the St. ![]() Overlooking the highway is a large sign advertising his ball-bearing business: “Service is our specialty,” it reads. Helens warehouse across the railroad tracks from Highway 30. Heller runs his businesses, Heller Enterprises, out of a beige St. And it was under Peterson that Metro went into business with Rob Heller. “They’ll probably move to the Clark County Fairgrounds or other places where the facility is not equipped adequately to deal with the kind of technology we can provide at our facility.” “I don’t know that you’re going to stop gun shows,” Hughes said. He has rented the Portland Expo Center from Metro to host the “Shooting Sports & Blade Expo” four times in the past eight months, records obtained by WW show. The first two events, scheduled for March and May 2020, were canceled due to COVID. Helens-based weapons dealer convicted of federal tax evasion whose company manufactures ammunition and customized semi-automatic rifles. Instead, the agency signed a new contract with Rob Heller, a St. It was an opportunity for Metro, the regional government that owns the Oregon Zoo and two convention centers, to abandon a long-criticized revenue stream that was already drying up. ![]() One promoter had health issues, the other blamed poor attendance. Two event promotion companies hosted nine gun shows at the Portland Expo Center in 2019. (Chris Nesseth) By Lucas Manfield Jat 5:44 am PDT ![]() Information about TriMet’s MAX Yellow Line and other train and bus routes can be found at Expo visitors are encouraged to visit frequently for event updates and traffic advisories.The Portland Expo Center hosted the Pacific Northwest Sportsmen’s Show earlier this year. “It’s an exciting time for the Portland Expo Center,” he added. “We have been planning and preparing for this busy spring event season for months and we’re ready to welcome the many thousands of guests we’ll see coming through the doors at Expo this spring,” said Matthew Rotchford, Portland Expo Center director. Expo officials also suggest that visitors plan to use public transit, which serves the venue directly by TriMet’s MAX light rail Yellow Line, because of its convenience, sustainability and access throughout the region. General parking spaces will be open and available on all other event dates. Shuttle lot locations and other information can be found on the Portland Expo Center’s website at. Shuttle lot and service dates are scheduled for April 11-14, during the 48 th Annual Portland Auto Swap Meet ( in which no on-site parking will be available, and April 21 to accommodate space needs for Portland’s Largest Garage Sale ( and the Collectors West Gun & Knife Show ( Limited parking will be available on April 21. On five key dates however, the general parking lot will not be available and satellite lots will open with complimentary shuttle service to the facility’s front door. Spaces designated for disabled drivers will remain available on all dates. An estimated 100,000 visitors are expected throughout the months of April and May.Įxpo officials are reminding guests that ample parking spots will remain available on most event days, despite Cirque du Soleil’s Grand Chapiteau utilizing a portion of the lower parking lot through May 20. The event schedule at the Portland Expo Center marks a busy spring as popular shows such as Cirque du Soleil's OVO, the Portland Auto Swap Meet, Portland’s Largest Garage Sale and the Collector’s West Gun and Knife Show overlap on the 52-acre campus.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |