BALTIMORE — Komar Company has announced that it has closed its doors after more than 50 years.
Komar Operations Manager Mark Foreman told XBIZ, “on behalf of [Komar owner] Mort Hyatt he wishes to thank everybody for their years of loyalty — both our customers and vendors.”
The company will host an auction tomorrow, Foreman said, calling it a “sad day.” According to Foreman, Hyatt was recently forced to retire due to medical reasons; and the family business will cease operations.
In 2014, Hyatt received XBIZ’s prestigious Industry Pioneer Award. He partnered with Komar Company’s founder Sam Boltansky to acquire the company in 1985.
Fifteen years later, Hyatt gained 100 percent ownership of the company after buying out Boltansky's interest.
After growing out of their first two buildings in 1990 Komar Company moved to their 100,000-square-foot warehouse facility on the north side of Baltimore.
In its decades of distributing porn and sex toys, Komar Company was revered for its role in the industry’s fight for free speech. Boltansky, who died in 2002, is considered a trailblazer in battling obscenity — in 1972 he was acquitted of federal charges, and mounted his own legal campaign to get prison inmates access to pornography.
In a message dated Jan. 25 featured on the Komar’s website, the company says: “After over 50 years of serving the adult retail community, Komar Company will be closing its doors. We appreciate all of the support and loyalty we have received over the years and would like to wish each of our customers continued success and prosperity.”
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