Company associated with Slush Puppie could be wound up

A Queensland company associated with the well-known Slush Puppie brand could be wound up over an allegedly unpaid debt.

A file picture of Murray Stafford at Slush Puppie HQ on the Gold Coast.

A GOLD Coast-based company associated with the iconic Slush Puppie brand could be wound up over an allegedly unpaid debt.

A claim filed in the Victorian Supreme Court seeks $60,000 from Doggone Pty Ltd, which is controlled by Nerang businessman Murray Stafford.

The lawsuit demands payment by February 13 and threatens wind up action if the alleged debt for legal costs is not settled.

But Stafford’s lawyer, Richard Holt, today said that he was unaware of any of any proceedings against the Slush Puppie business and, to his knowledge, no papers had been served.

“Slush Puppie continues to be a successful business in Australia and has always and will continue to meet its liabilities,’’ he said.

Mr Holt said Stafford’s company Slush Puppie Pty Ltd holds the license for the ice-cold refreshment in Australia, which arrived here in 1978 and has grown to include more than 3000 outlets across the country.

Yet the business has faced heightened competition in recent years from the likes of 7-11 and McDonald’s, which have each sold similar frozen drinks at rock-bottom prices to entice customers through the door.

In a bid to reinvent itself, Slush Puppie has tried to appeal to an older target market by promoting all-natural varieties that are healthier than the sugar-laden options aimed at children. The company has also pursued profit-share deals with retailers.

Mr Stafford, a 68-year-old native of New Zealand, did not return a call seeking comment.

He serves as chairman of Stafford Property Group Australia Pty Ltd, which has been involved in commercial real estate development and management for more than 40 years.

The group has been active across Queensland, NSW and Victoria since 1975.

It helped transform the Gold Coast suburb of Bundall from a mix of industrial sheds and horse stables in to a retail showroom precinct.

Property records show Mr Stafford and his wife still own a retail warehouse in Bundall they acquired for $2.5 million in 2007.

Slush Puppie was originally founded in the US in 1970 by the late entrepreneur Will Radcliff and is now found in more than 40 countries.

It was acquired for $US16 million in 2000 by Cadbury Schweppes, which offloaded it in 2006 to J & J Snack Foods.