eyelash growth

THE status of bankrupt Yamba boatbuilder George Lousick, who is reported to have set up business in the north Queensland city of Ingham, is still not clear.

Some former employees of the builder of the award-winning Jopalo Boats, claim that Mr Lousick has told them he and his wife, Kristy, have begun trading as G&K Aluminium.

A spokesperson for the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) said it had knowledge of a business in that name registered to Kristy Louise Lousick, however, the database did not have details such as when the business began trading.

The former employees of Mr Lousick, whose business ceased trading in early April this year, are angry he is back in business and seemingly boasting to them of the situation.

A former spray painter employed by Mr Lousick, Tim Martyn said he thought his old boss was laughing at them.

“he must be having a real cack,” he said.

“The way’s he’s talking, he blaming all of us for what went wrong. He’s saying that we were all no good at our jobs and that we were responsible for all the trouble the company got in to.”

Mr Martyn said this assessment did not tally with the facts, as the company’s main products, Jopalo Boats, were highly regarded for their design and the finish of their hulls.

“It’s hard to work out what went wrong,” Mr Martyn said.

“We had a great product that everyone wanted. but George wanted to play the big businessman, big noting himself and splashing money around.”

Mr Martyn said his boss had spent lavishly on his wedding to Kristy Lousick earlier this year, when it must have been clear the company was in trouble.

“That’s the way he was. always wanting to splash money around. Money it turns out he never had,” Mr Martyn said.

Mr Lousick filed for bankruptcy on April 21 this year.

he owed creditors more than $900,000, but none of his employees appeared on that list.

Many believed they could each be owed more than $20,000 in wages and entitlements.

others, like Mr Martyn, invested in special projects Mr Lousick set up, but failed to receive any benefit from them.

A spokesperson from ASIC said where an individual was an undischarged bankrupt, pursuant to section 206B, the individual would be automatically disqualified from managing a corporation.

“this provision does not prevent the individual from operating a business as a sole trader,” she said. “however, if Mr Lousick is currently operating a business this information would obviously be relevant to his trustee in bankruptcy.”

The trustee, in Mr Lousick’s case, is the Insolvency Trustees Service Australia (ITSA), which is looking into the matter.

Workers lash out at former boss