Midwest Motor Supply Co. v. Nietsch

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF OHIO
EASTERN DIVISION
MIDWEST MOTOR SUPPLY CO., d/b/a
KIMBALL MIDWEST,
Plaintiff,
v.
RICK NIETSCH, et al.,
Defendants.
Civil Action 2:22-cv-4049
Judge Michael H. Watson
Magistrate Judge Chelsey M. Vascura
ORDER
This matter is before the Court on Plaintiff’s Motion (ECF No. 162) seeking to shield
from disclosure documents that Defendants intend to use as exhibits to their forthcoming Reply
in (“Reply”) Support of Defendants’ Motion to Strike (ECF No. 153). Therein, Plaintiff
represents that Defendants’ anticipated Reply exhibits—excerpts from a three-year post-
termination sales report by item—contain proprietary information about Plaintiff’s customers,
sales, and pricing and that public disclosure of that information would cause Plaintiff competitive
harm. (ECF No. 162.) Plaintiff further represents that the information can only be shielded
effectively if the documents are sealed in their entirety. (Id.)
Based on these representations, the undersigned concludes that Defendants’ anticipated
Reply exhibits contain sensitive and confidential information that should be shielded from public
access. Accordingly, Plaintiff’s Motion to Seal (ECF No. 162) is GRANTED. Defendants are
ORDERED to file their Reply and exhibits UNDER SEAL. Defendants are further ORDERED
to file on the public docket, WITHIN SEVEN DAYS of filings made under seal, a version of
Case: 2:22-cv-04049-MHW-CMV Doc #: 164 Filed: 01/27/26 Page: 1 of 2 PAGEID #: <pageID>

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the Reply and exhibits (excluding Plaintiff’s 3-year post termination sales report excerpts) that
are redacted only for confidential customer, pricing, and sale information.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
/s/ Chelsey M. Vascura
CHELSEY M. VASCURA
UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE
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