Many question where the money has gone and no one holds any hope of recovering their share of the $729,962 owed.

Wodonga man Mick Pryse runs an excavating and earthmoving equipment business and is owed more than $20,000.

“I offered a good service, bent over backwards for them over the years, so this is a kick in the guts,” Mr Pryse said.

“I’ve had these hiccups before and they came good.

“But this last time they guaranteed it.

“I’m a bit annoyed.”

It’s a story Duane Washington from Sommer’s Carpets is familiar with.

He’s worked with Ultimate Design & Build for more than 20 years.

“They just kept telling me that we were their No. 1 priority and we were going to be paid as soon as they could, and of course we weren’t,” Mr Washington said.

Mr Washington said the pair would have signed a subcontractor’s statement for all government-commissioned jobs.

“A form that says I’ve paid all my people and there’s no money owing to my subcontractors that have worked on these government jobs,” Mr Washington said.

“And they haven’t paid.

“I’m querying what the purpose of the form is if the government has no recourse.”

Ultimate Design & Build company director Jeffery Spierings did not return

Liquidator Chris Chamberlain had no comment but will outline the full extent of Ultimate Design & Build’s financial affairs at a creditors meeting in Albury today.

Doors N Knobs director Marty Tittensor is owed almost $3000 and will attend the meeting.

“It was always a hassle getting money out of them,” he said.

“I can’t say I’m any different now, I’m in the position where I can’t pay everyone.”

Mr Tittensor plans to sell his farm and has laid off one of his five employees because of Ultimate Design & Build’s failure to pay.

“My house is swinging on my business, that’s why I come to work and tread water every day, thanks to them.

“You wake up sick in the stomach every day.”

Mr Tittensor said he had lost more than $80,000 in the past four years from businesses going bust and failing to pay.

Branco Boilers & Engineering Pty Ltd owners Karl and Rainer Brandmeier are owed more than $16,000.

“It’s a sign of the times nowadays in business, people will drag you out to 60, 120 days and sometimes they just won’t bother paying you at all,” Mr Brandmeier said.

“I’m getting pretty well sick of it, you do your job, you should get paid for it.”

Border Carpets director Marty Coates said the collapse had left him “gutted”.

“It hurts, that’s for sure,” Mr Coates said.

He’s owed $16,435.

“I actually rang Jeff because he was a bit long paying a previous invoice ... and I said, ‘we’re right for this aren’t we?’.

“And he was very confident.

“He just kept digging the hole deeper and deeper,” Mr Coates said.