Sunbelt Business Brokers of South Florida Research
Advisory Approach
Sunbelt Business Brokers of South Florida is a premier M&A advisory and business brokerage firm serving Florida's lower middle market for over 20 years. The firm operates with a clear thesis: successful business exits require more than transactional facilitation—they demand strategic positioning, exhaustive buyer outreach, and sophisticated deal structuring. Their sweet spot is founder-owned service, construction, and light manufacturing businesses with enterprise values between $2M and $15M, where operational complexity and confidentiality requirements create valuation opacity that their expertise unlocks.
The firm distinguishes itself through its proprietary ClearView program, which connects sellers directly to over 1,200 pre-qualified private equity groups that have registered investment criteria with Sunbelt. This institutional-grade approach, typically reserved for larger investment banks, provides middle-market businesses with unprecedented access to institutional capital while maintaining the personalized service of a boutique advisory.
Sector Focus
Sunbelt of South Florida has built exceptional depth across three core verticals:
Business & Professional Services: The firm has completed numerous transactions in insurance agencies, wealth management firms, accounting practices, staffing companies, and B2B service providers. Their team understands the intangible asset valuation dynamics of professional services firms, including customer concentration, recurring revenue models, and key-person risk mitigation.
Construction & Trades: A signature strength area spanning HVAC contractors, roofing companies, fencing contractors, pool services, disaster restoration firms, and custom fabrication shops. Recent notable transactions include a $35M roofing contractor sale to a strategic investor and multiple $5M-$10M HVAC and construction services deals. The team understands equipment valuation, fleet asset considerations, and the critical role of technician retention in these businesses.
Healthcare & Wellness Services: Active in home health agencies, medical practices, medspas, dental practices, and specialized healthcare services. Their $21.5M home health care agency transaction demonstrates capability in larger healthcare services deals, while multiple medspa and medical clinic sales show fluency with smaller healthcare practices.
Light Manufacturing & Distribution: Experience with food manufacturing, sign manufacturing, metal fabrication/cnc machining, and specialty trade distribution businesses. The team understands inventory valuation, equipment appraisal, and supply chain dynamics that drive manufacturing valuations.
Deal Track Record
Sunbelt of South Florida has completed 300+ transactions representing over $500M in aggregate deal volume. Recent major transactions include:
- $35M – Roofing Contractor (Middle Market, Strategic Investor)
- $21.5M – Home Health Care Agency (Middle Market, Strategic Investor)
- $15M – Central Florida Residential Roofing Contractor (June 2024, facilitated by Claudio Vilas)
- $9.5M – Commercial Painting Service (Private Investor)
- $8M – Windows & Doors Contractor (Strategic Investor)
- $6.5M – Insurance Agency (Multiple transactions)
- $6M – Tour Operator (Strategic Investor)
- $5.8M – Stair Contractor (Private Investor)
- $5.3M – Crumbl Cookies franchise (2 stores, Strategic Investor)
- $5M – Fencing Contractor (Private Investor)
- $4M – eCommerce business (Strategic Investor)
The firm's recent transactions page shows 300+ completed deals across industries ranging from HVAC contracting ($1.5M) to property management ($1M) to custom machine shops ($1.4M). Deal sizes span from Main Street businesses ($200K-$500K) through substantial middle-market transactions ($35M+).
Notable third-party validated transactions include the 2021 sale of Tomasello Pest Control to Atlanta-based Arrow Exterminators, brokered by John Mitchell, and the 2024 $15M roofing contractor sale facilitated by Claudio Vilas.
Process & Fee Structure
Sunbelt employs a structured, five-phase sell-side process:
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Precision Valuation & Market Positioning: Comprehensive financial analysis, industry benchmarking, and strategic positioning to establish compelling market value.
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Confidential Marketing & Targeted Outreach: Discreet marketing to curated buyers through ClearView's proprietary PEG database, strategic acquirer networks, and high-net-worth individual buyers. 200-400 targeted buyer contacts per engagement.
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Negotiation & Deal Structuring: Competitive offer generation with sophisticated structuring expertise—all-cash, seller financing, earnouts, and rollover equity for larger deals.
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Due Diligence Management: Structured data room preparation, buyer facilitation, and proactive roadblock resolution across financing, lease transfers, and legal approvals.
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Closing & Transition: Legal/financial closing coordination with transition planning and post-sale wealth preservation referrals.
Fee structures are negotiated per engagement based on deal complexity, size, and scope of services. The firm requires exclusivity and typically engages businesses with minimum enterprise values of $500K, though their M&A practice focuses on $2M-$15M EV businesses.
Buyer Network
Sunbelt's competitive advantage is its extraordinary buyer access:
- 1,200+ Private Equity Groups: Registered in ClearView with detailed investment criteria, actively seeking lower middle-market acquisitions
- Strategic Acquirer Relationships: Industry-specific strategic buyers from roofing consolidators to healthcare roll-ups
- High-Net-Worth Individuals: Family offices and accredited investors seeking direct business acquisitions
- Independent Sponsors: Deal-by-deal sponsors with capital backing
- International Buyers: Through Sunbelt's global network
The firm's buyer network enables true competitive processes—multiple qualified buyers competing simultaneously drives superior pricing and terms for sellers.
Competitive Positioning
Sunbelt of South Florida differentiates through:
- Scale Advantage: Part of Sunbelt's global network (operating since 1979) with Florida's most active lower middle-market M&A team
- Institutional Process: ClearView's PEG database provides institutional-quality buyer access typically reserved for bulge bracket investment banks
- Industry Specialization: Deep expertise in construction trades, healthcare services, and business services—not generalist transactional facilitation
- Team Credentials: Multiple Certified Business Intermediaries (CBI), M&AP designations, and an MBA-qualified president
- Florida Focus: 20+ years of Florida market expertise with offices in North Palm Beach, Boca Raton, and Fort Lauderdale
- Proven Track Record: 300+ closed transactions, $500M+ in aggregate volume
Not a Fit If
Sunbelt typically declines:
- Businesses below $500K enterprise value
- Pure asset sales or liquidations
- Businesses with pending litigation or regulatory compliance issues
- Founders seeking limited-process sales (Sunbelt's value is in exhaustive buyer outreach)
- Distressed situations requiring turnaround expertise
Team
The South Florida office is led by Ryan Cave, President, who holds the CBI, CM&AP, and M&AMI designations, earned his MBA from the University of Florida, and serves as Chairman of the Business Brokers of Florida. Ryan has personally closed hundreds of deals representing over $500M in transaction volume and is recognized as Florida's go-to broker for $2M-$10M service business sales.
The team includes 12+ business brokers and M&A specialists:
- Mark Quinn – Business Broker
- David Carson – Business Broker (CBI, M&A Specialist)
- Mitchell Weinberger – Business Broker
- Lilia Berezkina – Business Broker
- Marvin Levin – Business Broker
- Sylvia Mullen – Business Broker
- Marcelo Jo – Business Broker
- Mark Gobitas – Business Broker
- Ricardo Solorzano – Business Broker
- Alan Callaghan – Business Broker
- Richard Ceballos – Business Broker
- Claudio Vilas – M&A Advisor (specializes in roofing industry transactions)
Geographic Coverage
Primary focus on South Florida with offices in North Palm Beach, Boca Raton, and Fort Lauderdale. Serves clients throughout Florida with particular strength in Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade counties. Also handles transactions statewide through the broader Sunbelt Florida network.