Coast
to Coast Sold to TKB Marketing; Belron US Motion Withdrawn in Case
Coast to Coast Auto Glass has been sold to TKB Marketing Inc.,
an Arizona-based company, according to company spokesperson Jigna
Patel. The company noted in a court document filed in a case pending
with Belron US that it was in negotiations to sell, and today Patel
advised that the sale closed on Friday.
"We're definitely excited about expanding Coast to Coast and
building on the markets that we already have," she told glassBYTEs.com/AGRR
magazine. "We are excited."
Patel declined to provide further details on the sale at press
time.
In an affidavit filed in the Belron US case, Andy Baker, "managing
member," notes that "an individual by the name of Dominic
Riccobono has been involved with operating Coast to Coast on behalf
of TKB for at least the past four months."
He also notes that TKB assumes "all responsibility for Coast
to Coast in matters including, but not limited to, the hiring of
Eugene Casole."
Coast to Coast's website currently says it is under construction.
Riccobono filed a similar affidavit in the case to that of Baker,
notarized in Maricopa County, Ariz.
At press time, glassBYTEs.com/AGRR magazine had been
unable to obtain further information on TKB, but found that Riccobono
is listed as secretary/treasurer of Omega Auto Glass, a mobile business
based in Chandler, Ariz., on the area Better Business Bureau's website.
(CLICK
HERE for more information on Omega.) He's also listed as a partner
and the primary contact for Omega on Manta.com, a website that gathers
information on small businesses across the nation. At press time,
Riccobono was unavailable for comment.
The Belron US Case
In other news involving Coast to Coast, Belron US had filed a motion
for preliminary injunction in the case it filed recently against
Coast to Coast and former Belron US employee Eugene Casole. However,
Belron US has withdrawn the motion, and the court has dismissed
this as moot. Belron US alleges that Casole, a resident of Voorhees,
N.J., previously worked with the company and, in September 2005,
signed an employment agreement in which Casole is alleged to have
agreed to "non-competition, non-solicitation and confidentiality
provisions." The agreement was supposed to continue for one
year following termination of Casole's employment, according to
Belron US. The case was filed nearly three weeks ago in the U.S.
District Court for the District of New Jersey. (CLICK
HERE for related story.)
"
The parties have amicably resolved the issues that
caused Belron to seek temporary restraints," wrote Robert V.
Dell of Cozen O'Connor, the firm representing the Columbus, Ohio-based
Belron US in the suit.
Inside Coast to Coast
Coast to Coast also reveals several details about its operations
in these documents, including how it seeks customers, and, as part
of the background provided, notes that it currently has operations
in the states of Arizona, New York, Florida, Massachusetts and South
Carolina."
"All of Coast to Coast's marketing is conducted through independent,
unaffiliated third-party entities, who sell sales leads to Coast
to Coast by directly contacting businesses, such as service stations,
and individuals, through neighborhood canvassing," writes Jeffrey
Chebot of Whiteman, Banks and Chebot LLC, representing Coast to
Coast.
Chebot also points out that Coast to Coast is a customer of Belron,
"to the extent of $30,000 to $40,000 per month in glass purchases."
According to court documents, Casole has been engaged as a paid
consultant for the company since he responded to an advertisement
for a position in August.
"Coast to Coast sought Casole's services based upon Casole's
skills acquired as a manager of his own independent automotive glass
installment facility for 20 years, even before Casole's affiliation
with Belron or its predecessor/assignor Safelite Group Inc.,"
writes Chebot. Casole has been responsible for the areas of Massachusetts,
New York and South Carolina, and is tasked with "ensuring that
the appropriate number of installers are assigned to warehouses
owned by Coast to Coast
," according to the company's
recent brief.
Coast to Coast claims that Casole's duties are focused on installation
and he "is not engaged by Coast to Coast to contact, solicit
or recruit potential customers."
"Auto glass installation is a skill not proprietary to Belron
and was acquired by Casole years before he was employed by Belron
or its predecessor," writes Chebot, who goes on to add, "Any
new skills [Casole] may have learned or developed while in [Belron
US's] employ are those that any employee working in a market-driven,
customer service oreiented business would have. There is nothing
unique in such skills. There is no 'secret formula' to glass installation
that Mr. Casole is used in handling operations for Coast to Coast,
nor has plaintiff alleged any specific trade secrets meriting protection."
Belron US officials have declined to comment, since the case is
still under review of the courts. Patel advised she could not comment
on the case for the same reason.
CLICK HERE
for full text of Coast to Coast brief.
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