Outboard Marine Corp. v. James Chisholm & Sons, Inc.

Plaintiff Outboard Marine Corporation’s (hereafter OMC) Gales-burg-based product group, Lawn-Boy, contracted with defendant James Chisholm & Sons, Inc. (Chisholm), whereby Chisholm agreed to distribute Lawn-Boy mowers in eight northern Illinois counties and Lake and Porter counties in Indiana. Unless terminated sooner by either party, the agreement specified it would expire on June 30, 1981.

In its complaint for declaratory judgment, OMC alleged Chisholm refused to acknowledge the stated termination date, refused to acknowledge a second, allegedly mutually agreed upon termination date, October…