Urban Trends Construction director Ken Ogilvie hired by Vassallo Constructions

Shortly after a Mackay-Whitsunday construction firm went under and had its licence cancelled the director found new employment at another construction company. See the full $2m list of creditors.

After his company went into liquidation leaving homes unfinished and accruing millions in debt, the director of a Mackay-Whitsundays construction company has found employment at another construction company.

Director Ken Ogilvie was hired by Vassallo Construction in June 2024, just a month after his company’s license was suspended on May 16 by the QBCC due to failure to satisfy financial requirements.

By August, Mr Ogilvie was pictured on the red carpet at the Master Builders Queensland 2024 Housing and Construction Awards with his new employers.

Vassallo Constructions, who were awarded the tender for the first tranche of work in the new Mackay Airport development, said Mr Ogilvie was assisting the company with ongoing civil and building projects as a construction worker.

Vassallo Constructions is listed as an unsecured creditor and are owed more than $14k by the defunct Urban Trends Construction, but a Vassallo spokesman said this debt was “completely separate to Ken’s employment” and the debt sits with the administrator.

They accrued this debt by performing civil works for Urban Trend on more difficult sites which required specialised survey and machine controlled equipment.

Operations manager Damian Vassallo with Mackay Airport CEO as stage one of the Milton St development began. Photo: Fergus Gregg

“We have a longstanding professional relationship with Ken and Kathryn,” a Vassallo Constructions spokesman said.

“They did not stop being good people when their business failed.”

Mr Ogilvie attended the 2024 Housing & Construction Awards where he stood with the Vassallo Constructions team when they took home the award for Tourism and Leisure Facilities under $10M for the Seaforth Esplanade Reserve Redevelopment project.

In a September report, liquidator Frank O’Neill claimed he found evidence to suggest the company it traded while insolvent as early as August 2023.

Urban Trend’s debts also include $93k for a Porsche Macan 2019. Picture: Urban Trend Construction

Mr Ogilvie has attributed the company’s failure to unprofitable contracts, skill/labour shortages and adverse weather conditions, according to the liquidator’s report.

Mr O’Neill claimed in his report that poor project cost estimations and financial and management controls also contributed to collapse of Urban Trend Construction.

“Ken is a multi-award-winning builder with over eighteen years’ experience and candidates with his skills and experience are very rare,” a Vassallo Constructions spokesman said.

Evelyn and Vic Vassallo at the official opening of Seaforth Esplanade Redevelopment Saturday 2 September 2023 Picture:Michaela Harlow

“Ken will be a great asset for our business and is working with our teams on multiple civil and building projects.”

Mr Ogilvie attended the August Master Builders Queensland 2024 Awards ceremony as a part of the Vassallo Constructions team and had his photo shared to their Facebook page.

Mr Vassallo defended Mr Ogilvie in response to questions about the collapse of Urban Trend Construction, saying Mr Ogilvie was simply “caught up in the sign of the times” and said “there’s many builders going broke”.
Ken and Kathryn Ogilvie were contacted for comment.