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would take if she competed with petitioner. For example, he
estimated, using sales for June 1988, that Grecco might take as
much as 38.5 percent, or $125,165, of petitioner's monthly
business. Gilbert discounted petitioner's potential lost sales
by 39 percent to take into account the uncertainty of Tiedemann's
estimate. He considered petitioner's ability to reattract
business and an assumed cost savings from doing less business.
We think Gilbert greatly overestimated the value of the
covenant not to compete. Gilbert relied too heavily on
Tiedemann's estimates, and failed to consider the extent to which
Colbert could retain some of the accounts. Grecco and Colbert
testified that she could not have taken all of those accounts.
Grecco's focus had changed from sales to suppliers. Finally, we
think Gilbert's assumption that Grecco would hire Spencer, and
obtain Spencer's customers, was incorrect because Spencer said
she probably would not have worked with Grecco if Grecco competed
and Spencer probably could not have taken very much of
petitioner's business.
6. Conclusion
Although we have carefully considered the methodologies and
conclusions of the two experts, we think the objective facts
relating to Grecco's ability to compete give a more persuasive
basis for deciding the value of her covenant not to compete.
Grecco was 44 years old in 1988, healthy, and fully able,
both physically and mentally, to compete. She had a considerable
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