Opinion ID: 2215884
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: events leading to termination

Text: METCO is a Wisconsin-based company which manufactures and sells portable electric tools on a worldwide basis. Walpus began working for METCO as a district manager in May 1974. Walpus' duties primarily involved selling METCO's products to purchasers in Nebraska and Iowa. Walpus is credited with developing and maintaining METCO's clientele in his region and was considered by his immediate supervisor, Jim Jenkins, to be one of the top salespersons in that region. Walpus' employment with METCO became tenuous on January 5, 1990, when his biggest client, Kel-Welco, banned him from its property. The president of Kel-Welco, Phil Welch, banned Walpus after hearing that Walpus had discussed Kel-Welco's credit situation with representatives from Thacker Electric, a METCO client and a competitor of Kel-Welco's. Richard Randlett, the vice president of marketing for METCO, testified that Kel-Welco's decision to ban Walpus from its property would have had a negative impact on METCO's ability to do business with Kel-Welco over time. However, the record reflects that from the time Kel-Welco banned Walpus until the date of Walpus' termination, Kel-Welco continued to make regular purchases from METCO. When Jenkins learned of the Kel-Welco situation, he telephoned Walpus and informed him that he had until February 16 to resolve his problems with Kel-Welco. A memorandum from Jenkins to Walpus dated January 13, 1990, confirmed the telephone conversation and clearly indicated that if Walpus did not resolve the Kel-Welco situation by the February 16 deadline, Walpus' employment with METCO would be terminated. Walpus wrote a letter to Jenkins denying any wrongdoing and expressing his disappointment with the way METCO handled the Kel-Welco situation. Walpus also made numerous attempts to discuss the Kel-Welco situation with Welch after he received the memorandum from Jenkins. However, when the February 16 deadline arrived, Walpus was still banned from Kel-Welco property. For that reason, on February 16, Jenkins informed Walpus that his employment with METCO had been terminated.