Kiwi firm brings international muscle

Media release – 26 October 2005

Kiwi firm brings international muscle

A newly launched kiwi-based investment banking firm is looking to use its strong network of international business contacts to help New Zealand companies find the backing they need to expand.

Kiwi Growth Partners is headed by Alvin Donovan, who has extensive experience in international investment banking, finance, marketing, IT and property.

A successful author in the sales and marketing field, he has also been a consultant/faculty member for most of the world’s largest management institutes, including the American Management Association and the National Management Association in the USA, the Management Centre Europe in Belgium, and IMI in Dublin to name just a few.

Over the past 20 years he has been a consultant for many major international corporations, including 3M, Alcatel, Citibank, Johnson & Johnson, Kraft, Nestle, TNT, Mazda, Sony and Otis.

“Kiwi Growth Partners is all about helping New Zealand companies to get to the next level,” Mr Donovan says.

“We will be providing a one-stop resource for a whole range of services, from investment banking through to marketing, legal, financial and accounting help,” he says.

“If a company needs capital we have access to offshore finance and expertise. If a company needs management help in sales or HR, we can help there. If they are looking to list the company on the stock exchange, or enter into a merger we can provide them with all the assistance and guidance they need.”

Fellow company director, Brent Miles, is well-known in the banking, credit union and finance sectors in New Zealand, through his broking business The Finance Mart. He was also instrumental in setting up the New Zealand Finance Brokers Association last year.

Kiwi Growth Partners will limit client numbers to just ten to ensure the companies they work with get a high degree of well-focused attention.

“We are very picky about whom we take on as a client, and because we guarantee our work we will only take clients we are sure we can help,” Mr Donovan says.

“We already have businesspeople and offshore investment companies wanting to fund good projects, and our aim is to make sure we have a good fit between our clients and potential investors.”

Mr Donovan, who has been a New Zealand resident for three years now, has developed an extensive network covering major financial capitals such as New York, London, Zurich, Hong Kong, Singapore and Sydney.

“I think we offer a fresh approach. One of the mistakes I often see repeated is companies wasting a lot of time chasing capital when they could be putting energy into building their market share.”

Kiwi Growth Partners is already involved in putting together a number of deals and Mr Donovan plans to make announcements on those soon.

When not involved directly in business Mr Donovan enjoys media work, including a radio show Donovan’s Money Talks, and he has also recorded a number of episodes for an upcoming syndicated TV programme The Business Lounge, where he gets up close and personal with top New Zealand entrepreneurs.

Kiwi Growth Partners has more information on its website www.kiwigrowthpartners.com as well as very useful tools and links for companies looking to go to the next level.

ENDS

What some people in business say about the KGP launch

“KGP offers valuable services for Kiwi businesses that need to understand international business practices quickly.

“I believe, Alvin Donovan, has exceptional skills and experience in international financing, marketing and commerce that are hard to match here in New Zealand. In order to become more commercially savvy in international business deals I see Alvin as an excellent mentor, advisor and consultant who can deliver results.

“The main benefit is the exceptional international business skills and experiences that KGP brings. They are able to chunk down or chunk up in terms of finding appropriate business solutions that suit my needs. Building the mindset is just as important as building commercial capacity of my business. KGP is able to bring a range of unique skills that extend beyond the normal business consultancy."

Hirini Reedy, Rangatahi International Ltd

“Organisations such as KGP provide such a valuable service to home-grown companies: by helping to remove the myths, uncertainties and unknowns for companies and individuals that are seeking to expand their business interests into the unknown.

“By removing all of these elements the company can once again return to its clarity of vision and focus on the core business and indeed their expertise, allowing a strategic partner or ally to guide them into the new market place on their own terms.

“Our company’s interests with KGP are totally along the lines of what has been written in the above. By allowing KGP to seek partners for our business efforts offshore, in line with our specific requirements, we are now able to focus on our core competencies and continue building our company without the distractions of identifying potential partners for future growth. With KGP on our side, we feel secure that the right partners will find us.”

Edward Batt, CEO, Delta Nine Consultants, Oil Technology

“I have no doubt that Alvin will bring his considerable business and personal development experience to effective use with Kiwi Growth Partners. This business will facilitate, guide and mentor New Zealand companies so they can be truly international in their outlook and globally competitive.

Graeme Dingle (ONZM, MBE) Trust Chair, Project K

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