A legal representative for Speedy Firewood told the court, in June, that the company was entering voluntary liquidation.
That eventuated this month, and the first liquidators’ report has since been released.
Hawke’s Bay rapper and owner of the firewood company, Tom Francis. Photo / File
“The director has advised that the reason for insolvency was due to difficult trading conditions,” the report read.
The amount of money owed to creditors has yet to be determined by liquidators, including how much money is owed to IRD.
The report stated the company stopped trading in March.
“All assets owned by the company will be sold at public auction and any expressions of interest should be directed to this office [Rodgers Reidy],” the liquidators’ report read.
Creditors can also make a claim through that insolvency firm.
Attempts to contact Francis have been unsuccessful.
In 2021, Francis appeared on The Project about his music, and said he started making firewood sales to help fund his music career, which has included a collaboration with US hip hop legend Snoop Dogg.
In 2024, Francis made headlines after a photo of his orange Lamborghini was shared online, parked in a disabled car park in Auckland.
He then assaulted a social media user who posted about the incident.
He pleaded guilty to the assault but escaped conviction earlier this year.
Speedy Firewood was once on a list of Winz-registered firewood suppliers. The last time a Winz client used the company (via a Winz loan) was August 2023.