Trademark Suit Dashes Hopes of Lawrence Company that Hired Homeless Workers

By KCUR Radio

Published October 26, 2016 at 6:30 AM CDT

Lawrence resident Shine Adams founded Sun Cedar to help people down on their luck. He is pictured here using a scroll saw, one of the company's pieces of carpentry equipment. (Photo by Dan Margolies)

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Sun Cedar started out as a company to help those down on their luck earn a living, but the non-profit was sued for copyright infringement and was forced to close down.

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Shine Adams, pictured seated in his office, says he was surprised when he was sued for trademark infringement. (Photo by Dan Margolies, KCUR)

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Shine’s company, Sun Cedar, was housed in the back of this social services agency located in a residential neighborhood in Lawrence. Shine’s company, Sun Cedar, was housed in the back of this social services agency located in a residential neighborhood in Lawrence. Shine’s company, Sun Cedar, was housed in the back of this social services agency located in a residential neighborhood in Lawrence. (Photo by Dan Margolies, KCUR)

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A couple of years ago, 41-year-old Shine Adams, a recovering alcoholic, started a nonprofit company in Lawrence to help people down on their luck. The small company, Sun Cedar, seemed to be doing well by doing good. But then, everything changed. As reporter Dan Margolies tells us, Sun Cedar got ensnared in a legal mess.

Dan Margolies is an attorney and a reporter for KCUR Radio.

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