Client Stories
Specific accounts of advisory work with established New Zealand firms — including where progress was uneven.
“They forced us to choose one growth path instead of chasing three. Revenue still grew, but the management team stopped burning weekends on half-finished plans.”
Helen M., managing director — regional manufacturing, Waikato
“The diagnostic was uncomfortable in places. They showed that our ‘new channel’ idea would eat cash for eighteen months we did not have. We delayed the launch and fixed pricing in the core business first.”
James T., owner — specialist wholesale, Auckland
“Marcus sat through two board meetings where family shareholders disagreed openly. He did not paper over it. The alignment day afterwards was the first time we left a room with the same three priorities written down.”
Anita R., non-executive director — hospitality group, Wellington
“Good counsel, though I wish we had booked the retained work sooner. We spent a year arguing internally about expansion while the numbers were already telling us to wait.”
Craig P., CEO — professional services firm, Christchurch
Case note: choosing not to open a second site
A Bay of Plenty services company asked us to support a second branch in Tauranga. After four weeks of diagnostic work — customer interviews, roster capacity, and a blunt look at working capital — we recommended against the lease. The firm instead raised prices for weekend work, hired two senior technicians for the existing site, and deferred the branch for two years. Twelve months later, margin had improved enough that the expansion question returned with a clearer funding plan.
The client’s reservation, recorded at close-out: “Useful outcome, but the process slowed our enthusiasm more than we liked at the time.” We take that as fair. Growth counsel sometimes means applying the brakes.
Case note: succession without a fire sale
An owner approaching retirement wanted either a trade sale or an internal buy-in within three years. Our retained engagement focused less on valuation theatre and more on making the firm transferable: clearer reporting, a stronger second tier of managers, and a customer concentration plan. The eventual path was a staged management buy-in. We stayed through the first year of transition as advisors to both parties on operating priorities — not as deal brokers.