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 advisory work in construction and skilled trades businesses with similar fragmentation dynamics.
Structured. Direct. Buyer-focused.
Gerald Meunier, founder of Exit Authority.
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 buyers discount, and what can we fix before they do?”
Common structural discounts in machining and industrial businesses:
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• 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 constraints cap valuation category, even when margins are strong.
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You’re a fit if…
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You want a premium outcome; not just a transaction.
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The business still runs through you more than a buyer would prefer.
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You’re open to structural change, including disciplined bolt-ons when they meaningfully shift valuation category.
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 must change to shift valuation tier.
Structural Discount Plan
The specific risks buyers underwrite, and how to remove or mitigate them.
Diligence-Ready Positioning
Clean financials, clear narrative, and defensible numbers.
Acquisition Discipline (When Appropriate)
Defined thesis, no-go rules, financeablity guardrails, and integration standards.
The Exit Multiplier™ Methodology
From owner-dependent to buyer-attractive platform.
Phase I: Diagnostic Clarity
Identify structural discounts. Quantify valuation category. Establish sequencing.
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Phase II: Structural Value Acceleration
Reduce owner dependency. Strengthen reporting. Improve predictability.
Mitigate concentration and operational fragility.
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Phase III: Strategic Acquisition Execution (When Appropriate)
Bolt-ons evaluated through financeability, integration capacity, and category shift potential; not deal enthusiasm.
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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
“After exploring a sale and receiving disappointing offers, we realized the issue wasn’t earnings. It was positioning.
Gerald clarified our value gap, strengthened reporting, and helped us execute a disciplined acquisition that improved our customer mix.
Buyers later evaluated us as a stronger platform; not a legacy operator.”
- - Manufacturing Owner​
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Why owners choose this approach
• A numbers-driven view of valuation reality
• Direct clarity on what buyers will discount
• Execution focus; not slide decks
• Discipline around acquisitions, not deal enthusiasm
Prefer to start by reading?
Download the Precision Manufacturing Exit Value Gap Report, a short executive briefing on how buyers categorize industrial businesses.
Get the Report →
FAQ
1) Are you a broker?
No. I don’t take commissions. My role is to increase enterprise value before you sell.
2) Do I need to acquire another business?
No. Bolt-ons are optional. They are used only when they strengthen valuation category.
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3) What happens on the Readiness Call?
A structured 30-minute conversation clarifying timeline, buyer discounts, valuation tier, and next logical step.