$44.5M Awarded to LidoChem Over Stoller in Lawsuit

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Jan. 7, 2016 - PRLog -- LidoChem Inc., parent company of Performance Nutrition, a developer and supplier of innovative and money-saving crop protection products, fertilizer additives and soil amendments for agriculture, was awarded triple damages—totaling $44.5 million, the maximum allowance under the law—against Stoller Enterprises in a Michigan court on January 5, 2016. The long-awaited decision comes nearly two years after a jury found Stoller Enterprises, Inc., Jerry Stoller and David Alexander willfully violated the Lanham Act, (which protects consumers and companies from false claims). The Court found that Stoller set out on a mission to knock out a competitor (LidoChem) by spreading false information, even to the point of concocting a false lab report.

“We had substantial evidence that Stoller and its executives were intentionally spreading falsehoods about LidoChem and its Performance Nutrition products over a 10-year period that ultimately interfered with LidoChem’s business relationships, resulting in a substantial impact on the company and its brand,” said William D. Howard, lead attorney for LidoChem.

This final decision puts to an end a more than decade-long ordeal for Don Pucillo, president of LidoChem, who, with business partner Lisa Pucillo, initially filed suit to have the court recognize and stop Stoller’s anti-competitive business activities that the court called “intentional” and “egregious.”

“We are vindicated and humbled by the court’s decision to uphold and clear our company’s name and reputation. With this behind us, we have a renewed focus to provide our customers in the agricultural community with products that save money and increase crop yields and quality”, Don Pucillo said.

ABOUT PERFORMANCE NUTRITION

Performance Nutrition is based in Hazlet, New Jersey, and is a division of LidoChem, Inc., a family owned business. Performance Nutrition was established in 1999 to develop, market and distribute earth-friendly, people-friendly and applicator-friendly crop, turf and ornamental fertility, soil amending and disease control products and programs. Today Performance Nutrition patented product lines include: NutriSmart® biological eco-fertilizer and humate soil amendments;KaPre® soil amendments and fertilizer additives; Argosy™ patented adjuvants; Prudent® patented phosphite fertilizers; Vibrant® premium foliar fertilizers; Pennamin® water-soluble amino acid chelating agents, chelated micronutrients and microbial population boosters; and others. Performance Nutrition’s proprietary Nutrol® is a fungicide, tank buffer & water-soluble fertilizer. The Performance Nutrition family of products is backed by a technical staff, which includes a PhD. microbiologist, a plant pathologist and a geologist dedicated to creating environmentally friendly products of value. Find Us On Facebook, Twitter,  Contact: (732) 888-8000, www.performancefertilizers.com