Chinese drywall distributor shuts down

NORFOLK, Va. - The local importer of Chinese drywall is going out of business. Norfolk-based "Venture Supply" and "Porter-Blaine" took thousands of Chinese drywall sheets to a Suffolk landfill last month. The public relations nightmare that followed the companies has led to their demise.

Sam Porter says all of his legal and insurance advisors were worried this would put him out of business, and it has, "Devastating. I am physically and emotionally drained," Porter says. In some ways, Sam Porter is a broken man.

His 25 year old business is gone, "Our business just stopped as if people weren't coming in. They were not buying our board. We were boycotted. Venture supply became a liability."

Sam Porter saw his closure coming. He imported the Chinese drywall because he couldn't meet demand and never thought there was a problem with it. He even paid thousands more to import it. Then came national reports the drywall smells like rotten eggs and chemicals.  Homeowners claim the drywall made them sick, although there are no official toxic health reports. Jeremy Burt is a 10-year employee, "A lot of us have no idea what we're going to do. You know how the market is."

Porter's warehouse is bare. Seventy-five workers are either gone or will be soon. Sam Porter and the people who work here will tell you they are victims as well, from what may or may not be proven in a court of law.

A lawsuit filed by five Hampton Roads homeowners claims Sam Porter was negligent for selling the drywall and not warning homeowners and customers that it was defective. Sam Porter will argue he was a victim just like everyone else, and had no idea there was anything wrong with the drywall until complaints showed up on the internet from Florida.