Vailo in new debt dispute over contested claims it owes Australian furniture business Workspace more than $132,000 for Wayville R&D hub

An embattled millionaire entrepreneur is embroiled in a new financial dispute amid contested allegations a leading business has been chasing debts for more than 200 days.

Vailo founder Aaron Hickmann outside of his planned Wayville business hub in January last year. He is now selling the site. Picture: Ben Clark

An embattled millionaire entrepreneur is embroiled in a new financial dispute amid contested allegations a leading Australian business has been chasing debts from the Adelaide 500’s main sponsor for more than 200 days.

Before Tuesday, credit agency records showed Workspace Commercial Furniture Pty Ltd claimed it was owed more than $132,000 for work conducted earlier this year for Vailo Pty Ltd, a lighting company Aaron James Hickmann, 35, founded.

It caps a horror year for Mr Hickmann, a father-of-two now of the Gold Coast, after he was accused of failing to pay other business invoices, property and jet ski loans as well as tax debts, on time while parliament heard he’s been investigated for tax fraud.

Mr Hickmann disputes all claims again either himself or his companies. Picture: Ben Clark

He has denied tax fraud claims after ATO agents, with federal police assistance, raided his Adelaide and Queensland offices in November.

Workspace, an Australian manufacturer based in Adelaide after being founded in 1911, withdrew the contested notices on New Year’s Eve, hours after The Advertiser’s inquiries.

A company spokesman said it withdrew the “payment defaults” to allow Vailo to “settle” its unresolved debts by week’s end.

He declined to comment further.

The two disputed Workspace notices, which were last slapped on Vailo creditor records last month, reveal the “outstanding” invoices were unpaid since April and May this year.

The warnings, which were visible on CreditorWatch, a credit checking website for lenders, administrators and businesses, did not state reasons for the debts.

But industry sources claimed the invoices – one for $116,618.68 and another totalling $15,661.80 – were for Workspace’s fit-out work on Vailo’s planned multimillion-dollar research and development hub on the city’s southern fringe.

The Wayville building is now an empty eyesore on Greenhill Rd. Picture: Russell Millard Photography

Mr Hickmann, who has claimed to lenders he is worth almost $29m, denied the invoices related to construction of the $10.5m Greenhill Road, Wayville, two-storey building that he is now selling after moving to Queensland.

He owns the site, which is now a disused eyesore along one of Adelaide’s busiest roads, through a company he is sole director of, Zamaz Property Four Pty Ltd, which is also subject of separate state tax disputes.

Revenue SA, through the Commissioner of State Taxation, placed two “caveats” – a buyer warning that invokes certain restrictions including on sales or land transfers – on October 16, and then November 18, over allegations of unpaid land tax and emergency services levy bills, government documents show.

Mr Hickmann, the Adelaide 500 naming rights sponsor who is embroiled in an Australian Taxation Office investigation linked to different business dealings, said the Workspace notices were “removed” on Tuesday.

Mr HIckman with his wife Maxine at an Adelaide 36ers dinner. Picture: supplied

From left: Motor Sport Board chief executive Mark Warren, Premier Peter Malinauskas and Aaron Hickmann at the Adelaide 500’s official launch in Victoria Square in May 2022. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Kelly Barnes

“All these listings are being removed today and are not in relation to construction works for Greenhill Road, your information yet again is wrong and misleading,” he said.

“Go find something better to do on New Years Eve (sic). Everyone is on holidays (sic), time to enjoy family and friends as opposed to beating up business.”

Mr Hickmann, who is embroiled in a second, unrelated state land tax debt dispute over a luxury $4.6m Glenelg home while external administrators have also seized two luxury vineyards and an inner city property, disputes all claims against him or his companies.

Originally published as Vailo in new debt dispute over contested claims it owes Australian furniture business Workspace more than $132,000 for Wayville R&D hub