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Home / Whanganui Chronicle

Mack strikes again, in US

By john.maslin@wanganuichronicle.co.nz
Whanganui Chronicle·
19 Jun, 2015 09:00 PM6 mins to read

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David Mack's closed Lower Victoria Ave office in 2007. Photo / File

David Mack's closed Lower Victoria Ave office in 2007. Photo / File

Partner: "Victim of shenanigans"

"This article was found by the Press Council to have breached the Principle relating to balance and fairness as David Mack was not contacted for comment before publication. The full Press Council decision is available here
http://www.presscouncil.org.nz/rulings/david-mack-against-wanganui-chronicle"

A one-time bankrupted marketing executive who left a trail of debts in Wanganui is in strife again.

David Mack, who set up David Mack and Associates in Wanganui in early 2007, was adjudged bankrupt in the Wanganui District Court a year later.

He ignored a request by a judge to settle his outstanding debt of thousands of dollars in Wanganui.

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Among local businesses owed money at that time were Mickey's Super Liquor in Puriri Street (owed $5000), Wanganui Security Services (owed several thousand dollars), Wanganui Chronicle ($14,000) and Stellar Bar ($1500).

Kiwi-born Mack - who was banned from all director/managerial roles for three years from 2005 - had returned to New Zealand after failed business attempts in the US.

He left Wanganui - and his debts - in 2009 and has now resurfaced in the Texas city of Plano as a director of a company called Propaganda Methodology, which promotes itself as a "small, fairly new organisation in the advertising agencies industry".

Its website said it started trading in 2011 and now had an estimated $350,000 in yearly revenue and four employees. Mack is listed as one of two directors.

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This week the Chronicle received an email from Hobie Thompson, owner of Lone Star Digital Media in Plano, a company specialising in audio and video productions.

Mr Thompson said he had done an internet search and found stories the Chronicle had published on Mack.

He was wanting more information about Mack "since it looks like I am the latest victim of his shenanigans".

"I became a 50/50 partner with him in a photo-video production company here in Dallas [and] he is up to his old tricks," Mr Thompson said.

Since his return to the US, Mack has fronted courts a number of times.

In September 2013, the Houston Chronicle reported Mack had filed a suit against First Financial Asset Management claiming the collection agency called his cellphone but failed to disclose who was calling. His argument was that making the calls without his consent was a violation and he sought damages of $3000, but his claim was dismissed.

In April last year, he was back in court, this time filing suit against Equable Ascent Financials, another debt collection company which had taken over the assets of Hilco Receivable. Mack alleged Hilco obtained his credit details without his consent and sought $1000 in damages. The court dismissed that claim, too.

In March this year, Mack took court action against debt collection company Midland Credit Management. The outcome is not known.

His activities in Wanganui unravelled in June 2007 when the Chronicle reported that Mack, who prepared the Wanganui District Council's rebranding and the new brand for Wanganui Gas' retail division, Energy Direct, was working illegally.

He did not reveal to them he was a banned company director and had not sought the permission of the office of the Official Assignee to resume work on his own account, as he is obliged by law.

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Following that story, the Official Assignee in Auckland confirmed his office would investigate Mack's business dealings in Wanganui, and later said he needed prior written consent before he could resume business in a self-employed capacity, but that he had not done that.

Mack had been engaged by the council's economic development arm, Wanganui Inc (Winc), to handle the city's rebranding, and, in 2006, he was given the Wanganui Gas contract. Council paid him a total of $26,302 while his work for Energy Direct earned him about $20,000.

The council launched an inquiry after a complaint from Andy Jarden, general manager of the Wanganui Chronicle.

Mr Jarden alleged "improper influence" had been brought to bear on his company by "person or persons" purporting to represent the gas company and the council.

The investigation found that Winc had no idea of the commercial bans against Mack, nor did it make any background checks on him other than relying on a reference from a Winc staff member.

In February 2009, the Chronicle reported trouble between the director of the Wanganui production of the musical Chicago and Mack, who was named as the show's executive producer.

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Kate Spencer said she was $8000 out of pocket and $5000 of that was owed her by Mack.

But Mack told the Chronicle he was owed more than $147,000 by local firms and, until he was paid, there was "no way" he could clear bills he owed.

According to National Business Review stories, he was a former chief executive and president of a California-based marketing agency, Sctoom Inc.

He returned home to New Zealand in 2002, but three companies of which he was the managing director and/or chief executive went into liquidation between 2003 and 2005.

They were marketing and restaurant businesses in Auckland, and $440,000 was reportedly owed to creditors, including the Inland Revenue.

MACK TRACK

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2005: David Mack faced his third
business collapse in Auckland,
leaving creditors and the Inland
Revenue owed at least $440,000.

2005: Mack banned from October
11, 2005 to October 11, 2008, from
director/managerial roles by the
Ministry of Economic Development
(Solvency and Trustee Service).

2007: Mack arrived in Wanganui in
February and set up David Mack and
Associates in Victoria Ave.

2007: He was hired by the
Wanganui District Council's
economic development agency
(WINC) in March in a district
branding exercise on behalf of the
council.

2007: In May, the council began an
inquiry into Mack's business
background after allegations of
"improper influence".

2009: Mack left Wanganui, leaving
a trail of debt and angry people in his
wake.

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2010: In February, he was judged
bankrupt in the Wanganui District
Court. He did not appear at the
hearing nor did he respond to a
request by the judge to settle his
outstanding debts.

2011: Mack turned up in Texas
where he set up a new business.

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