Pantaleone Galea, of GMG Stone on Gold Coast, banned from industry due to company liquidation

The former director of Australia’s largest stone benchtop manufacturer has been banned from the industry after his business fell into liquidation.

GMG Stone, which supplied marble, granite and reconstituted stone to the building and renovator markets, has gone into liquidation.

The former director of Australia’s largest stone benchtop manufacturer has been banned from the industry after his business fell into liquidation.

The Queensland Building and Construction Commission has excluded GMG Stone Pty Ltd founding director Pantaleone Galea from the building industry for his role in the collapse of GMG Stone Pty Ltd and Galea Marble & Granite Industries Pty Ltd last month.

This means he cannot hold a contractor or nominee supervisor licence or be a director, secretary or influential person for a QBCC-licensed company for three years from the date of the liquidation.

A QBCC spokesman said it is continuing its action against Pantaleone’s son Mathew Galea in relation to the same event.

GMG Stone went into liquidation last month. Picture Glenn Hampson

Pantaleone Galea was founding director and Mathew Galea general manager when the company opted for a creditors’ voluntary liquidation last month after racking up millions of dollars of debt, including $1.7 million owed to the Australian Tax Office and $192,000 to WorkCover Queensland and numerous other creditors. GMG Stone installed kitchen benchtops at some of the Gold Coast’s most luxurious high-rise projects, including Soul, Circle on Cavill and the Hilton hotel in Surfers Paradise.

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Pantaleone Galea will have 28 days to appeal the decision from when the notice was served.

If the exclusion against Mathew Galea goes ahead, he will not be able to take part in his new company, MJG Stone, which operates from the same premises as GMG Stone.

GMG Stone installed kitchen benchtops at some of the Gold Coast’s most luxurious high-rise projects, including Soul, Circle on Cavill and the Hilton hotel in Surfers Paradise.

The QBCC said it has not received any monies-owed complaints against GMG Stone or Galea Marble & Granite Industries Pty Ltd nor was there records of any directions to rectify defective building work.

Mathew Galea did not return calls for comment and Pantaleone Galea could not be reached.

QBCC records show GMG Stone held a trade contractor licence in category 2 (work valued between $3 million and $12 million) from April, 2009. Pantaleone Galea was listed as director. MJG’s licence was granted in November last year with Mathew Galea listed as director and secretary.

The Bulletin reported earlier this month that properties owned by Pantaleone Galea were sold to a company linked to Mathew Galea just months before GMG Stone was put into liquidation.

Mathew Galea registered the name of MJG Stone Pty Ltd, which now operates from the former GMG Stone premises, on September 25 last year.

Less than two weeks later, and four months before the application to wind up GMG Stone, properties at 188 Nerang St and 3 Anne St were sold by Pantaleone Galea to a company linked to Mathew Galea for $3.5 million, which is believed to be market value.

Southport-based GMG Stone had more than 70 staff and supplied marble, granite and reconstituted stone to the building and renovator markets.