CATALOG AGE learned that Salvatore Longo, president of Frankfort, NY-based safety supplies cataloger Northern Safety Co., has filed court documents to dissolve the partnership of the company, which he founded with his brother Ronald, who serves as the company’s chairman/CEO, in 1983.
The Longo brothers are the sole shareholders of the company, which employs more than 175 and has estimated sales of $50 million. A third Longo brother, Michael, does not have an ownership stake in the business.
Salvatore Longo filed the application to dissolve the company on Oct. 4 with the State of New York Supreme Court, County of Herkimer. According to the court documents, “The personal and business relationship between the two has dissolved and has led to internal and irreconcilable disputes within Northern. … The internal dissension has risen to the level that employees of Northern are divided as to which of the directors/shareholders to follow and abide by.”
A hearing is scheduled for Oct. 19 to liquidate the sale of the business as a going concern to Ronald, Salvatore, or a sale to a third party.
The Longos had tried to resolve their differences—meeting on June 10, Aug. 31, and Sept. 27—but after each meeting it became obvious the brothers had diverging philosophies as to how the business would operate going forward. The court documents state that the “two are deadlocked with regard to a multitude of corporate decisions.”
In the documents, Salvatore says that about 15 years ago, Ronald was diagnosed with a degenerative neck injury, which led to numerous operations and limited his day-to-day activities. As a result, according to the filing, Salvatore had to handle the company’s day-to-day operations in addition to being responsible for marketing, operations, and sales. “Unfortunately,” Salvatore says in the court documents, “the relationship between myself and Ronald has deteriorated well beyond the point of repair and will continue to cause irreconcilable differences and internal dissension that could ultimately destroy Northern.”
As of press time, neither Northern Safety nor the Longos had returned calls.
The brothers started the company as Mohawk Valley Medical Supplies out of their home in Frankfort, using the kitchen as their office, the spare bedroom as the warehouse, and their truck for deliveries. They renamed the company Northern Safety in 1985.