New Queensland print company Chameleon Group Australia is offering a ten per cent discount on print bought before the end of the month, a move causing consternation among other printers.

The company only began operating last month, when the 15-year-old Krico business was put into liquidation. Krico was the parent of Chameleon Group and various other print brands, and went down with a $1m debt to the ATO. It also owed $158,000 in payroll tax and had various other creditors. It had $3 in cash on its books.

The sole owner of the new Chameleon Group Australia is office admin worker Emma Van Der Pluym, who is also the long-time girlfriend of Chameleon Group CEO Chris Krieger, he is the son of the owner of Krico, Kevin Krieger.

Following the liquidation of Krico, Chris Krieger has transferred from being CEO of the former Chameleon to being the CEO of the new Chameleon, which is now operating without the debt burden of the former company.

[Related: Chameleon sinks, new company rises]

Chris Krieger himself is banned from being a company director for six years, after a 2013 conviction for a 2010 insurance fraud, when he tried to claim a printer was damaged in a fire, when in fact it did not exist.

He received a 12 month suspended jail sentence for his efforts. As a result of the fraud conviction the insurance company did not pay any part of his claim, despite the fire causing more than $1m in damages.

In the ten per cent discount promotion Chameleon says it is installing new software to enable it to compete with ‘big city manufacturers and online providers’ and asks for the continued support of customers.

Print business owners from as far south as Sydney have contacted ProPrint to express their ire at the ‘front’ of Chameleon.

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