Controversial Queensland print group Chameleon is raising the ire of local printers with its latest offering, for 'dirt cheap' business cards.
Chameleon's latest deal is $77 for 1000 double sided business cards on satin stock with gloss cello on the front. It is also offering a further 13 per cent on its already discounted rates for DL and A5 flyers.
Back in May Krico, which was the parent company of Chameleon and half a dozen other Qld print outfits, went into liquidation with debts of $4m. However a new company Chameleon Group Australia was quickly running, owned by office admin worker Emma Van Der Pluym, who is the long term girlfriend of Chris Krieger, the son of the owner of Krico, Kevin Kreiger.
Chris Kreiger, who is banned for being a company director until 2019 for running failed insurance fraud, told Print21 at the time that Chameleon was all good, he said, “We haven’t phoenixed anything and everything we have done has been above board. I used to be a shareholder in the other one but she’s the sole owner of CGA. It was just easier to put it in her name and more beneficial to structure it this way. We have to make sure it stays afloat.
“It’s a basic business restructuring where we’re aiming to get stronger in digital. We’ve shut down our manufacturing facility in Bundaberg but we still have a warehouse there. We’ve consolidated our print business in Hervey Bay and are continuing our manufacturing in Maryborough. We haven’t changed our machinery or capability but some jobs have been lost along the way, about ten or so, but we’ll probably be rehiring again.”
Kreiger received a 12 month suspended jail sentence for the attempted fraud when he tried to claim a printer that in reality did not exist was damaged in a fire. The insurance company subsequently refused to pay any damages from the fire.