A former employee of a manufacturing company that suddenly went into liquidation says he’s among many left devastated by the move.
Mooloolaba’s Transportable Shade Sheds (TSS) went into liquidation on Monday, April 3, reportedly leaving hundreds of customers either without product or half-delivered orders.
Former senior sales technician Terry Coe was among staff still working at TSS on Friday, March 31. The employee of eight years said no one in the business had any “inkling” of the situation and they were still taking customers’ orders that day.
It had factories at Beerwah and Coolum, and an office in Mooloolaba.
He said an email – seen by Sunshine Coast News – was sent to all staff on Saturday, April 1, informing them not to come into work on the Monday, along with the details of the liquidator, Robson Cotter Insolvency Group.
“We finished work early on that Friday, then I didn’t see that email until Sunday,” he said.
“I was heart-wrenched over what they did to me. It has affected me and my family immensely.
“It snapped me. I am still pretty hurt.”
The business started in 2002. Owners Robert and Kylie Salomon took over in 2020.
Mr Coe said the Salomons played a daily active role as owners but were absent from the business for the week leading up to the liquidation.
He said he had tried to contact the Salomons but he believed they had gone overseas.
“If things were tough they would have been tough for a long time before now,” he said.
Mr Coe, a long-time employee, said he put his heart and soul into the national manufacturing company.
“I have to find more work, but I am too heart-wrenched to go back into sales,” he said.
“It’s devastating, not just for my family but for every family in that business and all the customers who never got their shade shed.”
SCN received several anonymous emails highlighting the situation, including the original staff email from the Salomons.
“It is with great sadness that I must inform you that our group of companies has gone into liquidation as of the 3rd of April 2023 (Transportable Shade Sheds, Bend-Tube Design, Sable Labour Hire, TSS Dealers, Tochlo, Vanquish Holdings and OzTech Freighters),” the email read.
“Despite our best efforts to keep the business afloat, we have been unable to overcome the financial challenges that we have faced in recent times.”
The reasons given included “continued staff remuneration escalations, staff absenteeism, supplier cost increases, labour shortages, production delays and in recent months a significant slowdown in sales”, the email read.
“We have been unable to increase our product prices due to the increased flow of imported product driving a more competitive market,” it said.
Mr Coe said there was “absolutely no reason for that company to go into liquidation”.
“We have seen tough times with the company, tougher than what they were, but we were doing over $1 million worth of sales every month,” he said.
There are claims up to 70 employees across all businesses have been affected, but the number has yet to be confirmed as both the owners and Robson Cotter Insolvency Group did not respond to SCN’s attempts to approach them for comment.
Mr Coe said about 50 staff members and hundreds of customers were affected.
“I had to contact the insolvency company myself … they couldn’t give me a timeframe of when we’d get paid out and gave us a link to a government form to fill out to try and get our annual leave and what’s owed to us,” he said.
Mr Coe broke down when he shared how many people contacted him after the news of the liquidation.
“It was mostly from customers who haven’t got their shed but paid for them,” he said.
“Each of them were more concerned about my welfare and if I was okay, and that’s what really pisses me off … they’ve done this to us and customers who have lost their money are more concerned about us than they are.”
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