New Zealand · Permanent Capital · Small Business

Stewards of enduring
small New Zealand
businesses.

Talanton Holdings acquires profitable, owner-operated New Zealand businesses from founders ready to step back — and stewards them for the long term.

Selling your business? Our companies
3
Operating companies
$6.0m
Combined revenue
24
Staff across the group
8 yrs
Operating history

Our approach

Patient capital.
Enduring businesses.

New Zealand has thousands of small businesses built over decades by their founders. Many are profitable, durable, and beloved by their customers — yet lack a natural successor. We exist to give those businesses their next chapter.

We are not a private equity firm with a five-year exit clock. We are operators and owners who think in decades. We take on small management teams, build governance, and let the businesses do what they've always done — serve their customers well.

I
Permanent ownership
We buy to hold. No forced exits, no financial engineering, no rolling up for a trade sale. Our incentives are fully aligned with the businesses we steward.
II
Decentralised operations
Each business retains its identity, management team, and customer relationships. We add governance and capital — not a head office that overrides good people doing good work.
III
Boring is beautiful
We seek practical, profitable businesses with repeat customers — not high-growth startups. The best businesses are often the least glamorous.
IV
People first
We only buy from owners who care about their staff and customers. If that's not the foundation, no financial model changes it.

What we look for

Our acquisition criteria

Established history 15+ years in operation — a long track record is our best signal of durability.
Strong cash flows 20%+ EBITDA margins with low-to-medium capital requirements. We buy profit, not potential.
Sensible price 2x – 3.5x EBITDA, deal sizes up to $3.0m. We pay fair, not flashy.
Manageable key-person risk A strong existing team, or a key role we can hire for. We need a business we can run well.
Industries we understand Communications, B2B industrials, manufacturing, business services, maintenance and repair.
An aligned seller Owners who care about their staff and customers, not just the number on the cheque.
Are you thinking about transitioning your business?

We know that selling a business you've built over decades is one of the most significant decisions you'll make. We take that seriously.

Unlike trade buyers or private equity, we don't plan to strip costs, flip the business, or rebrand what you've spent years building. We keep the name, the team, and the culture — and we run it properly.

If your business has been profitable for many years and you're thinking about what comes next, we'd welcome a conversation. No pressure, no process.

Have a conversation →

Our portfolio

Three companies.
One group.

Acquired April 2022 · Christchurch
Hi-Tec Aerials
Hi-Tec Aerials Limited

New Zealand's specialist antenna manufacturer, producing and distributing antennas direct and through trade customers across the country. A long-established manufacturer with local production and deep relationships across the industry.

Sector Manufacturing / Communications
Website hi-tec-aerials.co.nz →
Acquired June 2023 · Christchurch
Industrial Painters
Industrial Painters Limited

A specialist powder coating and industrial painting workshop in central Christchurch, serving trade customers across the region. A trusted supplier with decades of service to the local building and manufacturing trades.

Sector B2B Industrial Services
Website industrialpainters.co.nz →
Acquired August 2025 · Nationwide
Signals NZ
Signals NZ Limited

A communications and data company specialising in two-way radio sales and service. Signals operates New Zealand's largest Push-to-Talk over Cellular (PoC) network — a growing platform serving mobile workforces across the country.

Sector Communications / Data
Website signals.co.nz →

The people

Our directors

Elisha Nuttall
Elisha Nuttall
Director & General Manager, Signals NZ

Having stepped down from a full-time Management Consulting career in 2023, Elisha has since served as Managing Director across the group's operating entities — overseeing management teams, governance, and future acquisitions. He took on the General Manager role at Signals NZ following the 2025 acquisition, leading the business through its next phase of growth.

LinkedIn →
Sam Vanderpyl
Sam Vanderpyl
Director & Head of Financial Oversight

Sam brings deep operational experience from his current role as General Manager at Wolfbrook Ventures, where he oversees a comparable portfolio of small businesses. He ensures the financial health and discipline of Talanton's group entities, and is moving into a more active, full-time role within the group in 2026.

Journal

Thinking on small business
and ownership

Elisha Nuttall
Honest owners with aligned interests

The big 'soft' factor in buying businesses — why honesty and aligned interests matter more than any due diligence process in small business acquisition.

Read more →
Elisha Nuttall
Key person risk

The biggest risk in small business acquisition, and why it's often more pronounced in owner-operated businesses — and how we approach solving it.

Read more →
Elisha Nuttall
Business age — why we care

Why Talanton looks for businesses with 20+ years of history, and what surviving that long actually signals about a company's durability.

Read more →
Elisha Nuttall
Our structure

How and why we settled on a decentralised holding company model — inspired by Berkshire Hathaway, applied at small deal size in New Zealand.

Read more →
Elisha Nuttall
Indefinite owners

What it actually means to hold businesses indefinitely — and why that principle shapes everything from how we manage improvements to how we think about returns.

Read more →
Elisha Nuttall
Our name

Talanton: a Greek word for balance, the root of 'talent', and the word at the heart of the Parable of the Talents. Why it became the permanent name for our permanent equity vehicle.

Read more →
Elisha Nuttall
Traditional entrepreneurship

Start up culture is glorified. But there's an alternative path for young entrepreneurs that starts profitable from day one — and most people don't know it exists.

Read more →
Elisha Nuttall
Baby boomers and the succession wave

New Zealand's baby boomer business owners are reaching retirement age. The scale of what's coming — and why the next generation needs to pick up the baton.

Read more →

Thinking of selling?

Is your business
a fit for Talanton?

Answer eight short questions to see whether your business matches what we look for. It takes about two minutes — and we'll give you an honest assessment.

Your answers are not stored or submitted anywhere. This tool is purely to help you self-assess before reaching out.

Question 1 of 8

Stay in touch

The Talanton Journal

Occasional writing on small business ownership, capital allocation, and what we're learning across our portfolio. No noise — just things worth reading.

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Get in touch

Let's have a conversation

Location

Based in Christchurch, New Zealand

For sellers

If you're thinking about transitioning your business, we'd encourage you to reach out early. These conversations don't need to be formal — often a coffee and a chat is the best place to start.

For intermediaries

We work well with brokers and advisors who understand the owner-managed business market. Introductions welcome.

Response time

We aim to respond to every enquiry within two business days.