County paid high price to a few other vendors

One company defended its prices by calling its product line 'the Cadillac.'
By PEGGY SINKOVICH
and STEPHEN SIFF
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Trumbull County's $10 cans of air freshener from Envirochemical may have been a bargain.
Other companies charged even more.
A co-owner of Envirochemical of Bedford Heights, Barry Jacobson, has admitted paying "tens of thousands of dollars" in bribes to persuade county maintenance director Tony Delmont to buy at those prices.
And several of the companies that prosecutors say were allowed to overcharge and oversell products to Trumbull County also sold to the city of Warren at similar prices.
The scheme cost Trumbull County taxpayers $400,000 over a four-year period, prosecutors say in the indictment of Delmont on charges of bribery, money laundering and theft in office.
Many companies consider their pricing information private and will not make it available to the public. However, it is possible to review city and county invoices to see how tax money was spent.
For example, Kinzua Environmental of Cleveland charged Trumbull County up to $14.58 a can for air freshener; State Industrial, Cleveland, $10.83 a can; and Lid Chem of Canfield $5.83 a can.
The city of Warren paid $9 a can for air freshener from Kinzua and $10.83 a can from State Industrial of Cleveland.
By way of comparison, Grainger, which has the state contract to sell supplies, charges $3.67 for its 20-ounce cans of air freshener. Trumbull County switched its business to Grainger last year after county Prosecutor Dennis Watkins began his investigation.
None of the companies, other than Grainger, marked the size of the can on the purchase order. Company officials declined to tell reporters the size of the cans of air freshener that were shipped.
Kinzua's response
If Kinzua's prices are higher, it's because the product is better, said Atty. Bill Wuliger, who represents Kinzua.
"I view our product as the Cadillac," said Wuliger. "If all we sell is Cadillacs, I don't want to be told that the company that sells Chevys' price is cheaper."
Grainger, which has 400 branches in the United States, including one in Youngstown, does not consider itself a supplier of cut-rate goods.
"We have never been accused of selling inferior products," said spokesman Mike McGrew from an office in Chicago. "The stuff we sell is all name-brand, high-quality stuff."
County officials say their policy is to save taxpayer money.
"The county should get the best deal, if it will do the job," Commissioner Joseph J. Angelo said.
The city of Warren switched to Grainger last year because the prices were cheaper, Mayor Hank Angelo said.
Kinzua will not reveal its pricing information, Wuliger said. He also declined to answer questions about the amount of product Trumbull County paid for.
However, he said the company's prices are fair and the local salesperson stuck to the price structure set by the company.
All products paid for were delivered, he said.
Other companies
A spokesman for State Industrial Products would not answer questions.
"State Industrial Products has been in business for 92 years and headquartered in Cleveland. We sell nationally and internationally," said Bill Barnett, vice president and general counsel. "We feel it is inappropriate to comment at this time."
The attorney representing Lid Chem also has declined to give specific price information. Atty. J. Gerald Ingram says his clients no longer live in the state.
"They moved west because of the high unemployment rate in the area -- lots of people move west," Ingram said. He noted the move had nothing to do with the fact that Watkins instructed the county not to do any more business with the company, which operated out of a house in Girard and a home in Canfield.
High prices
A review of county records shows high prices from many of the suppliers under investigation:
*Forty-watt, 4-foot fluorescent bulbs were bought in 1999 from Diversified Suppliers Inc. in Beachwood for $4.67 each.
By comparison, the 40-watt, 4-foot fluorescent bulbs are available for $3.46 at Lowe's, and 32-watt, 4-foot fluorescent bulbs can be bought for $1 each.
Jail officials said the bulbs at the department now are 32-watt, 4-foot fluorescent.
*On Jan. 10, 2001, the county bought 30 bags of snow and ice melt for a total of $900 -- or $30 a bag -- from Diversified Suppliers. However, county records show, on Jan. 26, 2001, the county also bought a case of ice melt from Sysco Food and Services for $9.60.
County officials said they do not know of any difference between the snow and ice melt from Diversified and the ice melt from Sysco Food and Services.
Commissioner James Tsagaris said he didn't know why the county paid the higher price for products. He said he couldn't call Delmont to ask, because he has never called the maintenance director.
sinkovich@vindy.comsiff@vindy.com