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#1 Brokerage Firm in the Southeast:
The Sunbelt Business Brokers, Charlotte, NC Office was founded in 1992 and is the oldest franchisee in the Sunbelt Business Brokers Network, the largest business brokerage firm in the world with 350 offices throughout the USA and overseas. The Charlotte office has consistently been recognized as the top producing Sunbelt office nationally and/or the top producing office on the east coast.
The Sunbelt Charlotte office is also widely recognized as the dominant business brokerage firm in all of the Carolinas in mergers and acquisitions. We are also very active throughout the rest of the Southeast and in the mid-Atlantic states. We sell all types and sizes of businesses, but specialize in manufacturing, distribution and service related entities. Our "sweet spot" is businesses priced to sell in the range of $500K to $10 Million, with our largest transaction being a $50,000,000 manufacturing company. We encourage you to view some of our completed transactions in our tombstone section and then call us for a confidential, no obligation discussion regarding how we can help you.
Experience and Affiliations:
We are members of the IBBA (International Business Brokers Association) and "The M & A Source", the largest mergers and acquisitions network in the world. The Charlotte staff has well over 50 years experience in business sales and mergers and acquisitions and has successfully managed the sale of several hundred businesses in the manufacturing, distribution, and service industries. Several staff members have obtained IBBA's professional certification of Certified Business Intermediary (CBI).
Marketing and Confidentiality:
Over the years, we have developed one of the most comprehensive databases of qualified buyers in the country. With the owner's permission, we may also contact other intermediary firms we have come to know and trust. We advertise locally and nationally, but at no time do we advertise or promote a business that might violate the confidentiality of our clients. We fully understand that maintaining confidentiality when working with multiple buyer prospects is one of the most important services we offer. We insist all buyers sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement and provide proof of financial ability prior to having any discussions about our clients' businesses. We refuse to work with anyone who does not comply entirely.
Reputation for Win-Win:
We understand selling or buying a business is often the largest financial decision many of our clients will ever make in their lifetime. Choosing an experienced intermediary is an extremely important first step. The Sunbelt Charlotte office has a long history and reputation for creating win-win situations for all parties. We know the only deals that get done are those deals where everyone believes they were treated fairly, ethically, and professionally. It all starts with our assisting the business owner to determine a fair market value for his business, marketing the business confidentially and professionally, and carefully screening buyers so we can ultimately bring forth the right buyer for the business. Usually, the owner of a business is interested in procuring a buyer that will not only pay him a fair price, but will also take good care of his employees and continue to carry on the business in good standing. For a successful sale to occur, the buyer and seller must personally like and trust one another. We fully understand this and strive to provide the best service to all our clients.
 Bill Law
President
(704) 644-1141
blaw@sunbeltbrokers.biz
Bill Law, President of Sunbelt Charlotte office, is a 1983 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a B.S. Degree in Accounting. During his accounting profession, Bill worked for various manufacturing companies and financial institutions as an internal auditor, investment accountant, banking supervisor, real estate development controller and financial analyst. In 1992, Bill founded Sunbelt's fourth office in Charlotte. Of Sunbelt's nearly 350 offices nationwide, the Charlotte office has consistently been either its top producing office nationwide or top producer on the east coast.
In 1996, Bill affiliated his office with the International Business Brokers Association and its Mergers and Acquisitions Group; The M & A Source. During the first year of IBBA membership, Bill obtained the association's professional designation of Certified Business Intermediary. He has since served as a speaker/instructor at several of IBBA's national educational training conferences. Bill spends much of his time on mid-market transactions in various industries, but specializes in the sale of manufacturing businesses to corporate entities and financial buyers. Some of his transactions have exceeded $20 Million in sales price with some involving multiple sales of companies to buyers within a particular industry. Bill spends much of his time working with manufacturing clients and buyers throughout the southeast, especially CNC Machine Shops, Tool & Die, and Metal Fabrication related companies. |
 Peter Coleman
(704) 644-1142
peterc@sunbeltnetwork.com
Certified Business Intermediary
Peter was educated in England and has been resident in the U.S. since 1986. Peter Coleman comes to the business brokerage industry with a background of over 20 years in the publishing, investment banking and the maritime industry. He was a documentary credits specialist and was a member of several international trade delegations to Eastern Europe.
After nearly ten years in business brokerage, including four years of ownership of his own Sunbelt offices in South Mississippi, he has built up a specialization in health care related businesses, the hospitality industry and franchise resale.
Peter completed all the required courses and was awarded the IBBA qualification of Certified Business Intermediary in 2001. He is an accomplished public speaker and often speaks to business groups about the subject of “Maximizing the Value of your Business” and “Preparing your Business for Sale”.
In his spare time he has been very involved in coaching Track and Field in addition to being a board member of the local Historical Society |
 B. M. "Buddy" Guin
(704) 644-1144
bguin@sunbeltbrokers.biz
Buddy is a native of North Carolina and has a background in real estate investments and the building contractor industry. Buddy received his undergraduate degree from Belmont Abbey College and his Masters Degree from UNC-Charlotte and his Ed. D. from Appalachian State University. He is also a graduate of the Principal’s Executive Program at UNC-Chapel Hill and is a past president of the Mooresville-Lake Norman Rotary Club. |
 Bob Schwartz
(704) 644-1149
bobs@sunbeltbrokers.biz
Prior to joining Sunbelt Business Brokers in the mid 90’s, Bob was the owner of a $10 Million/yr manufacturer and distributor of children’s jewelry. Bob also owned his own Sunbelt Business Brokers office until hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf region. He has attended a multitude of courses taught by the International Business Brokers Association. Bob spends much of his time selling small family owned businesses as well as larger mergers and acquisitions. |
 Rob Wanke
(704) 644-1143
rwanke@sunbeltbrokers.biz
Following his discharge from the army, Rob earned a BS and MBA from Wayne State University in Detroit. Raised in the Motor City, Rob worked in a variety of manufacturing and engineering positions with Chrysler prior to being recruited to Xerox. While in the world of electronics, Rob worked in logistics, procurement and processing systems design. He then ventured into turnaround opportunities in contract manufacturing in Atlanta and new operations launches in the international business community, much of which was analogous to small business consulting. Prior to joining Sunbelt, Rob operated as an independant business broker based in Concord, NC. |
Beth Wanke
(704) 644-1146
bwanke@sunbeltbrokers.biz
Beth A. Wanke, SPHR, graduated from Franklin University in Columbus, Ohio in 1983 with a BS in Human Resources. She has worked as a Human Resources professional in the promotional mail industry, food processing industry and most recently in the motorsports industry. In her dealings with these industries, she has not confined herself to the HR arena, but gained an overall knowledge of business and business practices.
In her spare time, Beth has served on the Cabarrus Regional Chamber of Commerce and on the Centralina Workforce Development Board.
Beth obtained her North Carolina Real Estate Broker’s license in 2005 in order to work with her husband, Rob, in his endeavors within the business brokerage industry. |
 Ed Schutzman
(704) 644-1145
eschutzman@sunbeltbrokers.biz
Ed has a Marketing degree from Pennsylvania University and served time in the United States Marine Corps. He is an experienced practitioner and business owner in the direct marketing and publishing industry. He spends much of his time emphasizing business-to-business lead generation, cross selling and customer retention programs. Ed has lived in the Charlotte area since 1987 and joined the Sunbelt Charlotte office in 1995. He has attended various courses sponsored by the IBBA in pursuit of achieving the Certified Business Intermediary designation. |
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 Craig Bakstad
(704) 644-1152
Cell (704) 657-0240
Fax (224) 629-4938
cbakstad@sunbeltbrokers.biz
Craig Bakstad brings with him twenty four years of entrepreneurial experience in marketing, advertising, commercial building development, entertainment and food service. As founder and owner of Sierra Studio, Inc., a Chicago area creative services firm, he has operated within the highest levels of many companies, from CEO’s, Owners, and top management which has given him insight into many businesses.
Additionally, he has owned and renovated commercial/historical buildings in Elgin, Illinois’ Center City. He also founded River East Ballroom, a live entertainment and meeting/banquet venue that hosted the Second City Comedy Group.
Active in the community, Craig was the recipient of the 1990 Elgin Illinois Mayor’s Award for Historic Façade Renovation, helping pioneer the resurgence of the Center City. He has belonged to The Rotary Club of Elgin, Chamber of Commerce, Direct Marketing Association and was a founding Board Member and Treasurer of the Elgin Children’s Museum.
Craig brings to Sunbelt a strong analytical background and keen insight into recognizing value and potential. Clients find him perceptive, intuitive and easy to work with. His strong visual background helps sellers fine tune their physical space and marketing collateral for their eventual exit and can help buyers take the business to the next level. He is committed to helping people and recognizes the uniqueness of each transaction.
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 Chris Silk
(704) 644-1147
Cell (704) 682-0129
csilk@sunbeltbrokers.biz
Chris Silk has a unique combination of Fortune 500 and Small Business experience. Chris has worked with Verizon, MCI, SBC and Worldcom; he spent over five years working at UUNET (a Worldcom company) in various Executive Leadership roles, including Vice President of Sales in Canada and Director of Sales and Marketing (European Business Development) where he helped to establish operations in eight countries. Chris also held the position of Chief Operations Officer at Versatel Internet Group (Amsterdam Holland) where he was responsible for daily operations for six internet companies in three countries.
In addition, Chris purchased his own retail and service related business before selling it to a third party. He then was CEO of a small private cable company with 20 employees. As CEO, Chris worked with several investors to fund the business and to identify potential joint venture partners and acquisition targets. During his tenure, Chris worked on several acquisitions as the “Mom & Pop” private cable industry evolved into consolidation.
Chris has a BS degree in Telecommunications Management from Syracuse University. He is also a Certified Business Intermediary Candidate (IBBA accreditation). He lives on Lake Norman with his wife and two daughters; he enjoys golf, running, baseball and music.
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 Wes Popoloski
(704) 644-1151
wes@sunbeltbrokers.biz
Wes Popoloski resides in South Carolina with his wife, three grown children and two grand-children. Wes attended Purdue University and Lake Michigan College where he earned his Tool & Die Apprenticeship. In the fourth quarter of 2007 he sold the manufacturing company he founded 24 years ago. Wes’s specialized machine shop was very successful focusing on quality and a hi-level of customer service which included having the FAR 145 repair and overhaul license. He serviced numerous industries including aviation, medical, power generation, automotive and general industries. The customer base included many fortune 500 customers including Lockheed Martin, General Electric, BMW and BF Goodrich. Some of the services provided included fixtures tooling, special machines, piece parts, pro-types, reverse engineering, CMM and inspection. Wes developed numerous contacts in many manufacturing sectors during his career and has an outstanding network of contacts across the USA that assists him in his business brokerage career. He enjoys working with people on a professional level. During his spare time, Wes enjoys salt water fishing and boating. |
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Connie Heintz
(704)644-1155 ext. 115
connieh@sunbeltbrokers.biz
Connie is a business broker and licensed NC real estate professional with many years of experience. Before she joined our team, she worked at Sunbelt Business Brokers in Los Angeles, CA. She has transacted apparel manufacturing companies, beauty product distributors, as well as many different retail & service industries like restaurants and pack/ship centers.
Connie holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Seoul National University.
Her diverse business background and hands-on experience provides her with the adaptability and versatility to handle a wide range of business opportunities.
Connie has the passion, foresight, and vision necessary for successful entrepreneurship.
Her past clients have found her committed and reliable to work with.
Connie enjoys living in Charlotte’s South Park area with her husband. She has a flair for beauty, art, fashion, as well as music, and enjoys hiking and traveling in her spare time. |
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Bobby LeConey
704-644-1151
bleconey@sunbeltbrokers.biz
Mr. LeConey is a senior broker with Sunbelt Business Brokers. Bobby graduated from Full Sail University earning a degree in communications and advertising. Early in his career he worked as a production manager producing commercials and training videos for Fortune 500 companies. Bobby also spent 5 years assisting in his family's manufacturing company with sales, marketing and other operations. Some of his accounts included GE, Michelin, Lockheed Martin and Pratt Whitney. Mr. LeConey then purchased a small air quality business and ran it for 6 years before joining the Sunbelt team. Bobby and his wife reside in the Greenville, SC area and he enjoys working with small business owners of all types and sizes.
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Marc P. Bezek
704-644-1150
mbezek@sunbeltbrokers.biz
Mr. Bezek is a Senior Broker with Sunbelt BusinessBrokers of Charlotte. Marc has nine years of financial services experience, a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and a MBA from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business. Most recently, Mr. Bezek served as an Associate at Thomas Weisel Partners, a west coast investment bank focused on small and mid-cap growth companies. While with Thomas Weisel, Mr. Bezek advised clients on buy and sell side engagements as well as helped raise nearly $1.0 billion in public and private funds. Mr Bezek is known for his dedication to the client and the transaction at hand, he will work tirelessly to ensure a satisfied client and a successful transaction.
While just returning to North Carolina, Mr. Bezek has spent 11 of the last 13 years here in the Charlotte-metro region. He resides in Mooresville, NC with with his wife and two children, he enjoys spending time with his family, cooking-out and most any sporting activity.
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