M&A Business Advisors Research
Advisory Approach
M&A Business Advisors is a full-service business brokerage and lower middle market M&A advisory firm that positions itself as "The Leader in Business Sales & Acquisitions." The firm operates with a distinctive thesis that combines proprietary methods, advanced technology, and a collaborative team approach to deliver superior outcomes for privately held business owners. Unlike franchise-based competitors, M&A Business Advisors maintains a professional partnership model where advisors collaborate across offices to leverage collective expertise and buyer networks.
The firm's sweet spot is founder-owned and family-held businesses with revenues between $1 million and $30 million seeking confidential sale processes. Their approach emphasizes exhaustive buyer outreach combined with institutional-quality transaction management, bringing Fortune 1000-caliber processes to the lower middle market segment.
Sector Focus
M&A Business Advisors maintains broad industry expertise across nine primary sectors. In manufacturing, the firm has particular strength in precision machining, contract manufacturing, and fabrication operations—evidenced by team members with firsthand contracting backgrounds and successful sales of HVAC, plumbing, and electrical businesses. The distribution practice covers wholesale distribution, logistics, and supply chain companies, while the business services focus includes staffing, facilities management, and operational services.
The firm's technology practice encompasses vertical software, SaaS platforms, and technology-enabled services, with Eric Landis having completed multiple exits of online/digital asset companies to industry buyers. In healthcare, the team serves home healthcare providers, medical practices, and healthcare technology firms. The retail and e-commerce practice covers online marketplaces and consumer products, while construction expertise centers on licensed contracting businesses (HVAC, electrical, plumbing) where James Reppert's California contractor license provides specialized domain knowledge.
Food and beverage coverage includes restaurants, food processing, and manufacturing—leveraging Katrina Loftin's auto dealership and hospitality ownership experience. The automotive sector rounds out the portfolio with dealership and aftermarket services transactions.
Deal Track Record
M&A Business Advisors has completed hundreds of transactions since its founding, with 100+ completed deals visible on their public "Done Deals" page. The firm has demonstrated strong closing capability across diverse buyer types, including private investors, private equity groups, strategic/industry buyers, and employee buyouts. Notable representative transactions include:
- Big Air Heating & Air Conditioning: Sold to Bonney Plumbing, Electrical, Heating and Air (strategic industry buyer) in 2021—M&A Business Advisors served as exclusive sell-side advisor
- Sacramento Sandblasting & Painting: Sold to private investor
- ECCO Engineering & Construction Company: Sold to private investor
- Golf Carts of Lincoln: Sold to private investor
- Cimarron Of California: Employee buyout transaction
- FilterSource: Buy-side and sell-side representation
- Multiple Fortune 200 strategic buyer acquisitions: Including a major music equipment manufacturer sold to Fortune 500 buyer and a niche online automotive community sold to the industry leader
The firm handles both sell-side and buy-side mandates, frequently representing both parties in the same transaction—a testament to their reputation for fairness and market expertise.
Process & Fee Structure
M&A Business Advisors runs structured, confidential sale processes tailored to lower middle market companies. The typical engagement spans 6-12 months from engagement to closing, depending on business complexity and market conditions. Their process includes comprehensive business packaging (financial history, cash flow analysis, features/benefits documentation), targeted buyer outreach, controlled auction execution, and full transaction management through due diligence and closing.
The firm employs industry-standard retainer and success fee structures common in the business brokerage and lower middle market M&A segment. While specific fee percentages are not publicly disclosed, the model typically includes monthly retainers credited against success fees calculated as a percentage of transaction value. Deal size minimums generally start around $1 million in enterprise value.
Buyer Network
M&A Business Advisors maintains an extensive buyer network developed over 25+ years of transaction activity. The buyer pool spans financial buyers (private investors, family offices, private equity groups), strategic/industry buyers (including Fortune 500 corporates), and employee buyout groups. Eric Landis's background includes co-founding a private equity group, providing unique insight into financial buyer perspectives. The firm's geographic footprint across California, Nevada, and Texas enables access to regional and national buyer pools.
Notable buyer relationships include national home services consolidators, HVAC/contracting roll-up platforms, technology strategics, and lower middle market private equity firms. The firm's multi-office structure facilitates cross-regional buyer matching, often identifying buyers outside a seller's immediate geography.
Competitive Positioning
M&A Business Advisors differentiates through several key advantages:
- Collaborative Team Model: Non-franchise partnership structure where advisors share knowledge and buyer networks across all offices
- Industry Expertise: Team members include former business owners, contractors, and operators with firsthand domain knowledge
- Proprietary Technology: Advanced tools for business packaging, buyer outreach, and transaction management
- Geographic Coverage: Western US presence with 10+ offices across California, Nevada, and Texas
- Professional Designations: Team holds industry credentials including CBI, M&AMI, CBB, and LCBI designations
- Transaction Versatility: Capable of handling sell-side, buy-side, and dual-representation engagements
Not a Fit If
The firm typically declines engagements below $1 million in enterprise value, pure asset sales without going-concern operations, or situations requiring rapid fire sales rather than structured processes. Business owners seeking limited buyer exposure or unwilling to prepare comprehensive business packages may find other advisors more suitable.
Team
M&A Business Advisors is led by three co-founders and managing partners with deep industry experience:
Matt Coletta, LCBB, LCBI, M&AMI, CMAP – Co-Founder and Managing Partner. Recognized as Top Producer in 2023 based on closing volume. Serves as industry influencer holding top designations from IBBA, M&A Source, and CABB.
Katrina Loftin, CBI, M&AMI – Co-Founder and Managing Partner. Active in business sales and acquisitions since 1992 across Nevada and California. Recipient of Deal Maker of the Year for Nevada (2017), IBBA Chairman's Circle Award (2022), and M&A Source Executive Club recognition. Previously owned auto dealership, auto pawn, and hospitality businesses.
Eric Landis, CBI – Managing Partner, Orange County. 25+ years of experience spanning two-person startups to Fortune 1000 companies. Former co-founder and CEO of private equity group American Equity Partners. Holds Applied Mathematics degree from UC Berkeley. Selected accomplishments include selling a VC-backed computer security company to an industry buyer, a 30-unit QSR franchise to a financial buyer, and five commercial building services companies to a private equity buyer.
Additional Key Team Members:
- James Reppert – Business Broker specializing in licensed contracting businesses (HVAC, plumbing, electrical). California licensed contractor with extensive contractor industry knowledge.
- Kurt Okraski – Managing Partner, Reno. 30+ years entrepreneurial and executive experience. Former CEO of geospatial engineering firm.
- Todd Elam – Top 10 Producer, 35+ years experience in Northern Nevada business brokerage.
- Chloe Ure – Restaurant and hospitality specialist, former restaurant owner who successfully turned around and sold a failing operation.
The firm maintains 10+ offices across California (Los Angeles, Ventura, Orange County, San Diego, San Francisco/Marin, San Jose/Palo Alto, Sacramento/Roseville), Nevada (Reno/Sparks, Las Vegas), and Texas (Houston), with approximately 20+ advisors firm-wide.
Geographic Coverage
M&A Business Advisors serves business owners throughout the Western United States with primary concentration in California and Nevada. Core markets include Southern California (Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, Ventura), the Bay Area (San Francisco, Marin, East Bay, San Jose/Palo Alto), Sacramento region, and Nevada (Reno/Sparks, Las Vegas). The firm expanded to Texas (Houston) to serve additional Western markets. Interstate transactions and cross-regional buyer matching are common given the firm's multi-office structure.