By James McNair
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Vulcan Corp. of Cincinnati and Brunswick Corp., which teamed up 14 years ago to make bowling pins for thousands of U.S. bowling centers, are looking at one nasty split.

In a lawsuit filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court, Vulcan accused Brunswick of refusing to live up to an offer to buy Vulcan's share of their pin-manufacturing venture for $2 million. Vulcan, whose offices in downtown Cincinnati employ a dozen people, is not only seeking $10 million in compensatory damages, but also $40 million in punitive damages.

Brunswick, based in Lake Forest, Ill., declined to comment.

The legal clash represents an about-face from their relationship in 1990, when the two companies formed a 50-50 joint venture to make bowling pins in Antigo, Wis. Through the Vulcan-Brunswick Bowling Pin Co., the companies shared ownership, management and technology. The venture was second to AMF in the making of bowling pins.

Vulcan said the relationship began to fray in March.

In its lawsuit, Vulcan said Brunswick wanted to terminate the partnership unless Vulcan agreed to amendments that would "provide substantially greater ownership by Brunswick of the cash flow and assets of the partnership." Vulcan refused to accept the amendments.

Dec. 15, Vulcan said Brunswick exercised its right to invite Vulcan to sell its half of the venture - or to buy Brunswick's half - for $2 million in cash. In the suit, Vulcan said it wrote Brunswick Feb. 12, stating that it would sell its 50 percent stake to Brunswick for $2 million.

Vulcan said its acceptance resulted in an "irrevocable contract," but it said Brunswick would not pay the $2 million unless Vulcan agreed to other conditions, including lowering the purchase price by an unspecified amount following "Brunswick's future investigation of the underlying assets and liabilities" of the partnership.

Neither Chatsworth nor Vulcan president Benjamin Gettler would comment further.

E-mail jmcnair@enquirer.com