Gerard Dunne

"We enlisted Gerard Dunne to assist us in selling our large format Garden Centre in 2024.

It was a complex business with multiple parties to consider including Franchisor, landlord, several sub tenants, as well as ourselves as vendors.

Gerard interviewed us, asking a lot of very pertinent questions, clarified back to us to ensure he understood correctly and then asked us to proof read his Information Memorandum before he went to market with the business.

It's a unique industry and we operated a large and diverse multi-category business, so I was pleasantly surprised at how clear an understanding he had of our business so quickly.

With that said, it was also a difficult time to go to market, with the post pandemic boom finished and recession looming.

There were some challenging times negotiating with bargain hunters and people who wanted vendor finance, or for me to stay in the business for a long time period which we were not interested in.

Gerard was very good at sorting out the 'wheat from the chaff', but for the right people was demanding of me to provide all the information potential vendors required.

In all my dealings I found Gerard professional but also fun to work with and I would thoroughly recommend him to anyone else wanting to sell a good quality retail business."

"When we were wanting to sell our company, we were fortunate to have the services of ABC's Gerard Dunne.

Ours was a specialised business in a niche market. Gerard was professional and knowledgeable, especially in his approach to marketing and knew where the best avenues were to target advertising.

We were kept well informed along the journey either via meetings, emails, phone calls and texts, and came out with the best result we could have hoped for.

If we were in the need to sell again we would not hesitate to use Gerard."

"The acquisition of a landfill was never going to be a straightforward transaction, given the significant value involved and the inherent complexity of the business and its associated liabilities. What made the deal particularly demanding was the involvement of numerous parties on both the buy and sell sides (including technical consultants, legal experts, local and regional authorities, and landowners) each with their own priorities and timelines. Coordinating these stakeholders and navigating their often competing interests made the negotiation process especially challenging and time-consuming.

Gerard Dunne played a pivotal role throughout. He expertly bridged gaps between the parties, facilitated clear communication, and kept the process moving forward despite the inevitable delays and roadblocks. His ability to interpret and advise on complex matters particularly around consenting, compliance, and land occupation, was critical to progressing the deal.

Gerard led the introduction and coordination of key consultants and legal advisors, managed the due diligence process with skill and attention to detail, and played a central role in finalising the sale and purchase terms with persistence and professionalism. Throughout the process Gerard maintained a calm and composed approach throughout, even bringing a sense of humour to the table, which made all the difference in navigating a high-pressure, multi-stakeholder transaction.

I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Gerard Dunne to anyone undertaking complex, high-value acquisitions where strategic insight, coordination, and sector expertise are essential."

ELECTRICAL PRODUCT MANUFACTURER

We owned and operated an electrical manufacturing business which Gerard successfully sold for us.

Gerard was referred to us by our lawyer who commented that Gerard had been excellent working through a protracted and complex sale process with one of their clients. Right from our first meeting with Gerard, we experienced that same professional excellence.

He was friendly, accessible, knowledgeable & professional with a high level of integrity. We were impressed with how he took time to understand the finer details of our business, which of course meant he was able to better qualify any potential buyers, saving us time & energy.

Gerard was very helpful guiding us through the whole process, keeping us very well informed and advising us on relevant information to disclose, how much & when; we felt very safe. I should add that he professionally guided us through some very challenging moments.

In the end, with an excellent buyer identified, we felt like the sale process went exceptionally well, thanks to Gerard’s skill in managing the bumps along the way.

We would absolutely engage Gerard’s services again, and have no hesitation in recommending Gerard as an excellent broker who consistently went ‘above & beyond’.

CONSTRUCTION & DEMOLITION LANDFILL

It is with immense gratitude and appreciation that I write about our experience selling our business with Gerard Dunne from ABC Business Brokers.

We tasked Gerard with a big assignment - selling our construction and demolition landfill. This is a very distinctive business, with many unique features and issues to be understood and managed in a sale and purchase transaction. From the beginning, it was clear that selling such a complex operation would require a broker with exceptional skill, persistence, and problem-solving ability; thankfully, Gerard was that person. A less experienced broker might have walked away, but Gerard never did.

This was a high value transaction and took a considerable period of time as a large number of issues and impediments were dealt with. These included regulatory hurdles including obtaining of retrospective consents, construction and design matters, as well as closure of the original landfill and enabling of a new site under new consents. There was also a significant political overlay given the position and nature of the business asset and its profile within the greater Wellington region. From my perspective, shifting goalposts and unforeseen obstacles made the process overwhelmingly difficult.

However, Gerard secured the best possible outcome by working seamlessly with overseas and local buyers, their accountants and legal teams, and our own technical consultants. He interpreted and handled requests and requirements we didn’t pretend to understand.

I would go so far as to say that Gerard remained our rock—someone we could lean on with full confidence that he would come through for us every time. His ability to work with people from all backgrounds was truly impressive. He calmed and pacified buyers, faced every challenge head-on, found solutions, and navigated roadblocks with professionalism, expertise, and determination. He was relentless in his pursuit of the right outcome, using his own resources to support and advise us when circumstances converged to severely obstruct the sale. At times, it felt impossible. However, Gerard never wavered.

Gerard took on what seemed impossible and made it possible. His dedication, resilience, and problem-solving skills were invaluable. We are deeply grateful for his unwavering commitment and expertise in getting our business sold.

WEEDSPRAYING CONTRACTOR

When I decided to explore selling my business I approached ABC as I had had some experience with them from some years earlier when they approached me while selling a similar business to mine.

I was given Gerard Dunne’s contact as their sales broker in my area. From my first meeting with Gerard until my last meeting with him at the conclusion of the successful sale of my business I had total confidence in him and his skill set to complete the sale the sale process.

Gerard made a point of making sure he understood how the business worked and got to know the people that made it work before providing a comprehensive valuation and marketing strategy.

Gerard is a total professional with a wealth of business knowledge and amazing people skills. I enjoyed working with Gerard and learned a lot on the journey to a successful sale.

I would have no hesitation in recommending Gerard to anyone looking to or thinking of selling their business.

ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR

I have worked with Gerard as both a buyer and a seller. I had purchased a business which Gerard was selling to use a launching pad for another business; when the new business got established, I re-approached Gerard and asked him to sell the original going concern for me.

Consequently, I have experienced working with Gerard on both sides of the transaction. In both instances found him to be professional, approachable, and highly effective. He brings a solid understanding of the full sale and purchase process, offers well-informed guidance, and is clearly well-connected in the market.

Gerard has a calm, practical approach and is particularly skilled at working with both buyers and sellers to find common ground and keep negotiations moving forward.

I also appreciated his clear communication and steady support throughout the process in both transactions , and would confidently recommend him to anyone considering selling their business.

WHOLESALE MEAT DISTRIBUTOR

We brought our first business through Gerard.

During the entire process, he kept us up to date and informed through effective and transparent communication.

Gerard went above and beyond what was expected to ensure the sale and purchase of the business was achieved.

He has a wealth of experience and even helped us to navigate tricky financing that ultimately allowed us to purchase.

We could not recommend him highly enough.

ONLINE RETAILER OF HIGH VALUE CLOTHING

We settled on Gerard Dunne to manage the sale of our business after being impressed by his professional manner, knowledge and willingness to be flexible.

Gerard took the time to get to know our online business from the inside out, and to understand the value on offer so he could present it to buyers in the best possible manner.

Being located in different parts of the country, we successfully communicated via video calls.

Nothing was ever too much trouble for Gerard. He worked very hard and got us the required result. I would highly recommend Gerard as a business broker and thank him for the excellent outcome achieved

VERSATILE BUILDING FRANCHISE

Gerard from ABC was recommended to us, and, after shopping around different brokers, we decided to progress with his services even though he wasn't based in the city where our business was based.

All communications with Gerard were of the utmost professionalism and it became apparent he had our best interests at heart going forward. An internal valuation was presented by Gerard which we used as the basis of our journey towards a sale. Gerard then prepared an impressive Information Memorandum and took the business to market

The net was cast around New Zealand and eventually we were able to find a buyer locally. Gerard brought the deal together with competence and confidence demonstrated the whole way through.

We would highly recommend the use of Gerard to broker your business sale.