Ice and bottled water producer Tropic Ice Unlimited Inc is no longer in operation and close to 30 people are out of work.
Employees turned up at the Salters, St George plant yesterday to find the building fenced in and guarded by security personnel, as the landlord, Madj Investments, moved to secure the property.
The development follows years of litigation between the chairman and director of Tropic Ice Unlimited, Chris McHale, and the owners of Madj Investments, Michael and Angela St John, who have refuted claims by McHale that they had moved in and taken possession of the premises and were also trying to prevent him from reopening the business elsewhere.
“Tropic Ice is 50 per cent owned by me and a partner and 50 per cent beneficially owned by the St Johns. They also own Glacial Ice which operates [next door],” said McHale.
He said he stopped paying rent because Michael St John, who was the managing director of Tropic Ice Unlimited until December 2008 when he resigned and started Glacial Ice Limited, owed him money.
However, St John denied McHale’s claims.
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