Aussie Outdoor Alfresco/Cafe Blinds Geelong owes hundreds of thousands to creditors

An outdoor blinds company in Geelong barely lasted 12 months before being placed into liquidation owing more than $500,000.

The former premises of Aussie Outdoor Alfresco/Cafe Blinds Geelong. The business owes nearly half a million dollars to creditors after only being incorporated in June last year. The business was located at 16 Hume Reserve Ct in Bell Park. Picture: Alan Barber

An outdoor blinds company in Geelong established last year barely lasted 12 months before being placed into liquidation after owing hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Falmohr Pty Ltd, operating under the company name Aussie Outdoor Alfresco/Cafe Blinds Geelong, was incorporated on June 9 last year.

Aussie Outdoor Alfresco Café blinds is a franchise that has been operating in Australia for over 20 years with stores in Queensland, Western Australia and New South Wales.

According to Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) documents, Peter Fallaw is listed as the director of the Geelong franchise.

Scott Andersen of Worrells was appointed liquidator in May this year and in a recent report outlined why the company was placed into liquidation.

According to the report, the company owes just over $500,000 to creditors with the majority of the funds owed to The Trustee for Smallwood Trading Trust ($402,250).

According to ASIC documents, the company also owed $108,622 to unsecured creditors.

This included $25,000 to Prospa, $11,809 to Darcy Jarman Rent, $10,324 to AOFV Pty Ltd as well as thousands of dollars to various other unsecured creditors.

Martyn Coomber and his wife Jill said they paid a deposit of $3500 to install blinds on their property and that Mr Fallaw never came back to finish the job.

The former premises of Aussie Outdoor Alfresco/Cafe Blinds Geelong. The business owes nearly half a million dollars to creditors after only being incorporated in June last year. The business was located at 16 Hume Reserve Ct in Bell Park. Picture: Alan Barber

“They came and put some posts on my decking, then the next thing I’m chasing them up to find out when they are coming back to finish the job,” Mr Coomber said.

“It’s a lot of money for us. Now we can’t afford to do the job that we wanted to do and we are going to have to save up to do that work,” he said.

Jenny Rossiello, an accounts office manager at Colour Tech Coatings, said the outdoor blinds company owed them $1441.

Ms Rossiello said she kept ringing and sending statements and had no reply.

“Found out from another customer saying they had gone into liquidation. They could have had the courtesy to let us know,” Ms Rossiello said.

“It’s so annoying to have to chase money, especially when we are just a small company.”

The report states Mr Fallaw purchased the franchise business of the company in July 2023 through vendor finance for $451,000.

Under the terms of the vendor finance, the company was required to make monthly instalments with final payment to be made on or before July 2028.

However, the company was unable to generate sufficient cash flow from operations to maintain the monthly repayments.

“Given the company did not generate adequate cash flow or maintained sufficient assets to satisfy liabilities incurred, the director decided to place the company into liquidation to resolve its financial affairs,” Mr Andersen said in his report.

In his report, Mr Andersen said it was likely that the company was trading insolvent from December of last year.

Mr Fallaw was contacted for comment.

Originally published as Aussie Outdoor Alfresco/Cafe Blinds Geelong owes hundreds of thousands to creditors