Close the Value Gap before you sell.
I help precision manufacturing and machining owners remove buyer discounts, build transferable platform value, and when appropriate, use disciplined acquisitions to move up the valuation ladder.
Selective engagements in construction and skilled trades businesses with similar fragmentation dynamics.
No cost. No pitch. Structured discussion.
I found Gerald to be a person of high integrity. I would not hesitate to recommend him to any business owner who wants to increase valuation before an exit.
Michael T., Colorado ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Gerald Meunier, founder of Exit Authority, business exit advisor for owners of $2M–$20M companies.
Most exits get discounted long before the deal.
In precision manufacturing, buyers don’t just evaluate EBITDA.
They underwrite risk, transferability, and structural durability.
If you’re planning to exit in the next 2–5 years, the real question isn’t:
“What’s my business worth?”
It’s:
“What will a strategic or financial buyer discount, and what can we fix before they do?”
Common structural discounts in machining and industrial businesses:
• Heavy OEM concentration or single-program exposure
• Owner-led quoting, relationships, or operational oversight
• Reporting that won’t withstand Quality of Earnings scrutiny
• Margin volatility tied to capacity swings or input pricing
• Limited management depth beyond the founder
• Single-facility dependency
• No integration track record if scale expansion is required
These issues cap valuation category, even when margins are strong.
Book a Confidential Value Gap + Acquisition Readiness Call
You’re a fit if…
-
You want a premium outcome, not just a transaction.
-
The business still runs through you more than a buyer would prefer.
-
You’re open to structural change, including disciplined bolt-ons when they meaningfully shift valuation category.
Precision Manufacturing is our primary focus.
We also selectively advise construction and skilled trades businesses where similar fragmentation and positioning dynamics apply.
What this work actually delivers
Exit Authority helps precision manufacturing owners reposition from “solid operator” to buyer-attractive platform before entering the market.
We focus on the few structural moves that change how buyers categorize your business, and we sequence them in buyer order, not consultant order.
You gain:
Value Gap Clarity
Where you are today, and what would need to change to shift valuation tier.
Structural Discount Plan
The specific risk factors buyers underwrite, and how to remove or mitigate them.
Diligence-Ready Positioning
Clean financials, clear narrative, and evidence that holds up under scrutiny.
Acquisition Discipline (When Appropriate)
Defined thesis, no-go rules, financing guardrails, and integration standards, so bolt-ons strengthen valuation instead of introducing risk.
A 30-minute checkpoint, built around buyer logic.
This is not a sales call.
It’s a structured conversation about how a strategic or financial buyer would likely underwrite your precision manufacturing business today, and what would materially change that view.
You’ll leave with clarity on:
• What’s compressing valuation
• What category your business likely sits in
• Whether structural repositioning makes sense
• The few moves buyers actually pay for
No slides. No pitch. Just a candid, numbers-driven discussion.
Founder-led. Hands-on. Built for operators.
You work directly with Gerald Meunier, an owner-operator with decades of experience across:
• Building and exiting businesses
• Business brokerage leadership
• Transaction execution
• Deal underwriting and financing coordination
This is not theoretical advisory work.
It’s grounded in how buyers actually evaluate risk.
Why precision manufacturing owners choose Exit Authority
• Operator credibility: built and exited multiple businesses
• Buyer-first discipline: remove structural discounts before market
• M&A execution fluency: financeable, integration-aware deal structuring
• Acquisition restraint: bolt-ons used only when they strengthen category positioning
I’m not a broker seeking a listing.
I help owners build businesses buyers categorize as platforms before they sell.
The Exit Multiplier™ Methodology
From owner-dependent to buyer-attractive platform.
Phase I: Diagnostic Clarity
Identify structural discounts. Quantify valuation category. Establish sequencing.
Phase II: Structural Value Acceleration
Reduce owner dependency. Strengthen reporting. Improve predictability.
Mitigate concentration and operational fragility.
Phase III: Strategic Acquisition Execution (When Appropriate)
Bolt-ons evaluated through financeability, integration capacity, and category shift potential; not deal enthusiasm.
Phase IV: Platform Exit Preparation
Enter market buyer-ready, diligence-proof, and positioned to negotiate from strength.
We sequence improvements the way buyers evaluate value.
Bolt-ons are used as accelerators — not shortcuts.
What owners value most
"I was working 60+ hours a week and wanted to retire. After listing my business, I got low offers and then no offers, I knew I had to do something different.
Gerald clarified my value gap, prioritized what to fix, cleaned up reporting, and helped us complete a targeted acquisition that added capabilities and improved our customer mix.
After that, buyers came back looking at a stronger platform - not a tired legacy operation."
Michael T., Colorado ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Clients consistently tell me they value:
-
A clear, numbers-driven view of their exit options
-
Straight talk about what buyers will discount, and what to fix first
-
A plan that is executable (not a “deck”)
-
Discipline around acquisitions, what to pursue, what to avoid, and why
Prefer to start by reading?
Get the 2026 Exit Authority Report: trends driving strategic acquisition opportunities, and what owners should do now to protect and multiply exit value.
3 Simple Steps
Step 1:
Book the Readiness Call
No cost. No pitch. Confidential.
Step 2:
Reduce Buyer Discounts.
Build a Buyer-Ready Platform.
Diagnostic or 10-Day Sprint
Then
Execution Sprints
Step 3:
Execute Bolt-Ons to Move Up the Valuation Ladder
(when bolt-ons are part of the plan) Platform Building, not Deal Chasing
FAQ
1) What do you actually do?
I help owners close the value gap by reducing buyer discounts and building transferable value, so the business is buyer-ready when it matters. When bolt-ons are part of the plan, I add disciplined acquisition strategy and execution to accelerate platform value.
2) Are you a broker or do you take a commission?
No. I’m not a broker and I don’t work on commission. My role is to increase enterprise value and reduce buyer discounts before you sell.
3) Do I need to buy another business for this to work?
No. Bolt-ons are optional. Many owners close the gap through operational value-building alone. If acquisitions are part of the plan, we define criteria/no-go rules, financing constraints, and integration standards so deals add value, not risk.
4) What happens on the Readiness Call?
It’s a confidential 30-minute checkpoint. We clarify your timeline, likely buyer discounts, the size of your value gap, and the next best step (Diagnostic, 10-Day Sprint, or execution).
5) Can you tell me what my business is worth?
We can establish a valuation range and the key buyer discounts affecting it. The goal isn’t a “one number”, it’s clarity on what moves valuation and terms for buyers.
6) Will you work with my CPA/attorney/wealth adviser?
Yes. I collaborate with your existing advisors so the work holds up financially, legally, and personally.
Ready to talk about your exit?
Book a confidential 30-minute call to clarify your value gap, the buyer discounts holding back your multiple, and whether disciplined bolt-ons belong in your plan.
No cost. No pitch. Confidential.