WILLIAMSON -- A Mingo County company is suing over claims employees organized a walkout to set up a competing company and take clients.
Quality Metal Enterprises LLC, Quality Metal of Eastern Ohio LLC and Quality Metal Roof Manufacturing and Sales Inc. filed a lawsuit Jan. 13 in Mingo Circuit Court against John Blaker, individually and in his capacity as corporate officer of American Roofing Products LLC and Two Brothers Capital LLC, American Roofing Products LLC, Two Brothers Capital LLC, Darwin Elwood Thoroughman, Warren Whyle and Shane Scyoc.
According to the complaint, John Blaker hired family and friends during his employment with Quality Metal Enterprises, and then staged a walkout where all those hired, including himself, abandoned their employment in January 2013 and spread rumors of financial trouble at Quality Metal to injure the company and begin a competing roofing company, American Roofing Products LLC.
Scyoc is accused of downloading proprietary information for use at the new company, including the transfer of clients.
The defendants are accused of tortious interference, breach of fiduciary duty, defamation, misappropriation of trade secrets, conversion and civil conspiracy.
Quality Metal Enterprises LLC is seeking damages, lost profits, punitive damages for loss of reputation and attorney fees.
It is being represented in the case by attorneys Brian L. Ooten of Shaffer & Shaffer PLLC and James M. Cagle.
Mingo Circuit Court Case No. 14-C-2