Four Claymark-connected companies in receivership, two owned by Mark Clayton

Pine products at Claymark sawmill in Katikati. Photo / File

Another four companies tied to financially troubled Claymark Limited are in receivership.

Two of the companies, Clayton Avocados Ltd and MCRT Trustee Ltd, are owned by Claymark's founder and managing director, Mark Clayton, while Oasis Place Trustees and NPT Clayton Trustee Ltd own properties and assets connected to Claymark.

Claymark site in Rotorua on Vaughan Road. Photo / File

Korda Mentha has been appointed receiver for the four companies as well as for Claymark Limited.

KordaMentha insolvency practitioner Brendon Gibson said the four companies "all own properties related to the receivership [of Claymark Ltd]".

"The majority of them are tied in with the operating business in one way or the other," he said, and that was why KordaMentha was the receiver for them too.

Mark Clayton has owned and overseen the country's largest pine product manufacturer and exporter for more than 30 years, with Claymark sawmills, re-manufacturing plants and distribution centres in Rotorua, Katikati, Thames and Henderson.

Claymark Ltd went into receivership on December 4, owing more than $50 million to the Bank of New Zealand and $16,826,000 to other creditors according to the first receiver's report released by KordaMentha last month. Claymark Ltd is owned by Claymark Group Holdings Ltd which is owned by Claymark Group Trustee Ltd according to the Companies Office.

Mark Arnold Clayton is the 100 per cent shareholder of Claymark Group Trustee Ltd.

Clayton's businesses, Clayton Avocados Ltd and MCRT Trustee Ltd, went into receivership on February 26 and the first receivership reports are due on May 3.

Clayton Avocados Ltd was incorporated on August 21, 2000, and its registered company address is also 10-24 Vaughan Rd Rotorua, Claymark's Rotorua site address.

MCRT Trustee Ltd was incorporated on March 23, 2016, and is an investment company focused on commercial property, according to Companies Office records.

Clayton is also a director of Oasis Place Trustees Ltd, which was incorporated on April 27, 2009, and went into receivership on February 26.

The company's address was listed as Claymark's Rotorua site address, but Clayton is not a shareholder of Oasis Place Trustees, according to Companies Office records.

Oasis Place Trustees is owned by NPT Clayton Trustee Ltd, a company owned by Auckland accountant Tony Thomas, of Neesham Pike Thomas Accountants in Ponsonby.

NPT Clayton Trustee Ltd also went into receivership on February 26.

Tony Thomas did not respond to multiple requests for comment yesterday .

Claymark forwarded media inquiries to KordaMentha this week, but, in a media statement in December, Mark Clayton said he was committed to working with receivers to maximise the return to all stakeholders.

He said his immediate focus was to help the receivers focus on protecting assets and communicating with employees, creditors, customers and stakeholders.

KordaMentha was still determining the amount Claymark Ltd owed to employees and Inland Revenue when the first receiver's report was published last month.