Delaware Business Now
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A Chancery Court decision offers a glimpse into long-running family squabbles and financial struggles at a leading beer distributorship in Delaware.
“Few activities imperil familial harmony more than the transfer of generational wealth, as this intra-family dispute over trust instruments illustrates,” Vice-Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick wrote in a 62-page decision.
Defendant Robert F. (Bob) Tigani, Sr. was accused by the plaintiff’s (sons Robert, Jr., Christopher, and grandchildren) of breaching his fiduciary obligations as trustee of the “1986 Trust.”
The 1986 Trust holds stock in N.K.S. Distributors, a Delaware wholesaler of Anheuser-Busch InBev, Corona and other brands.
Smyrna/Clayton Sun-Times
By the spring of 2022, N.K.S. Distributors plans to move into a new home south of Smyrna while closing its beer and wine distribution centers in New Castle and Milford.
Construction started in December to prepare the site for the 257,263-square-foot warehouse on 25.6 acres on West Big Woods Road. For comparison, the Walmart south of Cheswold is about 185,000 square feet. The land is east of Route 13 and west of Route 1, near Willis Chevrolet Buick.
“Smyrna is a very good central location for us as a wholesaler that serves the entire state,” said N.K.S. president Paul Ruggiero. “It’s between Route 1 and Route 13 with easy access north and south, not only just for our trucks but for all the incoming freight, near the south Smyrna Route 1 exit.”