Suncoast Business Consultants Research
Advisory Approach
Suncoast Business Consultants is a South Florida-based business brokerage firm founded in 2001, specializing in the acquisition and divestiture of small to lower-middle market businesses. The firm operates with a buyer-seller facilitation thesis: that successful business transitions require expert valuation, professional marketing, confidential transaction management, and access to a diverse pool of qualified buyers across multiple industries and geographies.
The firm's positioning centers on the idea that business owners—whether exiting a company after decades of operation or seeking their first acquisition—need a trusted intermediary who understands the nuances of business valuation, deal structure, and post-closing integration. Suncoast focuses on removing friction from the buying and selling process through structured deal flow, confidential marketing, and access to both domestic and international buyers, including E2/L1/EB5 visa-qualified purchasers and SBA loan-eligible businesses.
Sector Focus & Industry Expertise
Suncoast's deal history reveals deep, active practices across nine primary industry verticals:
Healthcare Services — The firm has closed numerous medical practice transactions across specialties including cardiology, neurology, addiction recovery, and general medicine. Transactions represent both retiring physicians selling their practices to multi-state medical groups entering Florida and acquisitions by existing medical groups expanding their footprint. One representative transaction involved a 50+ year medical practice specializing in addiction recovery and general medicine, where the retiring doctor remained engaged post-closing. The firm also represents behavioral health platforms and mental health therapy practices.
Healthcare Products (Pharmacy) — A particularly deep practice with 25+ documented pharmacy transactions including retail pharmacies, specialty/compounding pharmacies, closed-door pharmacies, mail-order operations, and pharmacies with DME (durable medical equipment) components. These transactions span independent community pharmacies, multi-state pharmacy groups expanding into Florida, and international pharmacy groups entering the US market. One deal involved a high-volume international supermarket pharmacy in North Miami; another involved a pharmacy with URAC accreditation, Amazon/Walmart online sales, and Marc Cuban prescription plan integration.
Business Services & Operations — Property management companies (HOA and condo association management with 20+ year operating histories), janitorial and cleaning services, estate liquidation (including a 53-website estate liquidation business sold to a Canadian E2 visa buyer), commercial demolition and remodeling contractors, and sprinkler/irrigation companies with recurring residential and commercial contracts.
Real Estate & Real Property — Commercial properties including office buildings, mobile home parks (50-63 spaces), RV parks, and long-term commercial leases. One transaction involved a property management company managing 20+ year portfolios; another involved a 30-year-old sprinkler company whose real estate assets became part of the exit.
Hospitality & Food Service — 15+ restaurant and food service transactions spanning Italian restaurants (including a 47-year iconic pizza restaurant sold to a strategic chain operator), Mediterranean cuisine, casual Latin restaurants, seafood processing facilities, cafes/delis, and specialty food manufacturing (vitamin and nutrition supplement packaging, contract manufacturing).
Distribution, Logistics & Industrials — Scrap metal recycling facilities (including a facility on 36 acres of permitted real estate and another facility with onsite/offsite collection operations), import/distribution/manufacturing firms (materials and hardware for load-bearing and transportation applications purchased by European buyers expanding into the US), diesel marine engines and parts distribution, and carpet sales with commercial, residential, and Caribbean/South American export operations.
Retail & Consumer Services — Cell phone and device repair franchises (including Walmart in-store locations), convenience stores/mini marts, retail and specialty salons, upscale men's grooming, fitness franchises, and vape/smoke shops.
Construction & Engineering — Commercial demolition remodeling contractors (21+ year operating histories), civil engineering firms with testing labs (40+ year history), and electrical contractors (40+ year retirement sales after nearly 40 years in business).
Education & Recreation — Daycare/preschool facilities (with prime real estate development potential), martial arts academies with aftercare centers, and theme party venues.
Deal Track Record
Suncoast has completed 75+ documented transactions over the past 15+ years. A representative sample of notable deals:
Healthcare Transactions:
- 50-year medical practice (addiction recovery and general medicine) → multi-state medical group (Florida expansion)
- Neurology practice (sole practitioner) → multi-practice medical group (Nevada/Texas firm expanding into Florida)
- Cardiology medical office suite → buyer on staff at local hospital, sold at 99% asking price
- Mental health/therapy practice (ACHA accredited) → strategic buyer in Broward County
- 15+ retail pharmacy transactions to multi-state and international pharmacy groups expanding into Florida market
- Specialty pharmacy with insurance contracts and DME in Coconut Grove
- High-volume international supermarket pharmacy in North Miami
Hospitality Transactions:
- 47-year iconic Italian restaurant/pizza → strategic restaurant chain operator in South Florida
- Mediterranean restaurant/grill in South Beach, Miami Beach
- Latin international restaurant in Pembroke Pines (closed in 6 weeks)
- Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant in downtown Miami
- Seafood processing facility on ~14 acres in Clewiston, FL
- Cafe/deli in Clearwater (E2 VISA buyer)
Commercial & Industrial:
- Scrap metal recycling facility (36+ acres permitted real estate) → experienced out-of-state buyer
- Import/distribution/manufacturing (load-bearing and transportation hardware) → European buyer expanding into US
- Civil engineering firm with testing lab (40+ years established) → sale of business plus long-term lease
- Commercial demolition remodeling contractor (21 years) → full-price cash offer in two months
- Electrical contractor (40-year retirement sale) → full-price cash offer in two months
Real Estate & Hospitality:
- Daycare/preschool (1.32 acres, est. 1957) → developer for world-class medical facility redevelopment
- Mobile home park (57 spaces, lot rent + POH)
- Mobile home park (63 spaces with self-storage)
- RV park (52 spaces, Okeechobee) → cash offer in 19 days
- Long-term commercial lease (doral vape/smoke shop)
E2/L1/EB5 VISA Transactions:
- Estate liquidation business (53 independent websites) → E2 VISA buyer from Canada
- Cell phone/device repair franchise (4 locations: Coral Springs, Miami, Naples, Ft. Myers) → E2 VISA buyer
- Multiple cell phone/device repair franchises in Walmart locations → E2 VISA candidates
- Convenience store + mini mart transactions → E2 VISA buyers from Costa Rica
- Cafe/deli in Clearwater → E2 VISA buyer
SBA Loan Facilitated Transactions:
- Security guard company → buyer with SBA loan financing (services HOAs and condo associations in Miami)
Firm self-reports having completed 75+ transactions based on their closed deals page. Individual deal sizes span from sub-$1M convenience stores to $5M+ medical practices, with the majority in the $1M-$5M range based on business type profiles.
Process & Fee Structure
Suncoast operates a traditional business brokerage model:
Service Model: Dual-side representation. Sellers engage the firm for valuation, marketing, and buyer sourcing. Buyers receive access to confidential deal flow and are guided through due diligence and negotiation.
Valuation & Packaging: The process begins with establishing a "fair" valuation, followed by professional packaging and structured marketing.
Marketing & Confidentiality: Deals are marketed with strict confidentiality protocols, using encrypted communications (WhatsApp, Skype, Zoom available for international clients). The firm has documented completing transactions entirely via phone, email, and video—parties never met in person.
Fee Structure: As a licensed real estate brokerage, Suncoast operates on a commission-based model. While exact percentages are not published on the website, industry standard for business brokerage is 10% on deal valuations under $1M, declining to 5-6% for deals $1M-$5M, and further declining for larger transactions. Fees are typically split between buyer and seller side or paid by seller depending on negotiation.
Timeline: Deal velocity varies by complexity and buyer availability. Representative timelines from closed deals: 6 weeks for restaurant sale (Latin restaurant, Pembroke Pines), 19 days for RV park sale (all-cash offer), 2 months for electrical contractor (40-year retirement, full-price cash offer), 30 days for income-producing farm in Kendall (under contract in less than 30 days).
Buyer Network: The firm maintains access to:
- E2/L1/EB5 visa-qualified international buyers (Canada, Costa Rica, Europe demonstrated)
- SBA loan-eligible buyer networks
- Multi-state and national franchise chains (pharmacy, cell phone repair, fitness, restaurant)
- Strategic buyers seeking roll-up acquisitions (restaurant chains, medical groups, pharmacy groups)
- Owner-operator buyers (experienced business purchasers)
- Estate liquidation and real estate development buyers
Competitive Positioning
Suncoast differentiates through:
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Geographic specialization — Deep, 25-year footprint in South Florida (Miami-Dade, Broward) with extended reach across Florida and select markets. Brokers speak Spanish and have multi-cultural, international client relationships.
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Vertical expertise — Deep practices in healthcare (medical, pharmacy), hospitality (restaurants), and visa-qualified buyer networks (E2/L1/EB5). Gaston Redondo, as a former pharmacy owner and McKesson executive, brings operational credibility in the pharmacy vertical.
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E2/L1/EB5 specialization — Dedicated capability for international buyers seeking visa-qualified businesses. The firm has closed 10+ documented E2/L1/EB5 transactions and markets this as a core service.
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Transaction velocity — Documented ability to close deals in 6 weeks to 2 months, faster than typical business brokerage timelines.
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Technology-enabled remote transactions — Willingness and capability to conduct deal processes entirely via digital channels (Skype, WhatsApp, Zoom, email). One notable deal: pharmacy in Jacksonville, closed in two months without parties ever meeting in person.
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Real estate facilitation — Unlike pure M&A brokers, Suncoast facilitates real estate + business combinations (e.g., daycare facility with prime real estate, RV parks, mobile home parks, commercial office buildings with long-term leases).
Not a Fit If
Suncoast is not well-positioned for:
- Large enterprise transactions (mid-market and above, $50M+ TEV)
- Highly complex PE-driven roll-ups with strict investment bank-level due diligence requirements
- Confidentiality-critical transactions requiring investment-grade banker discretion and confidentiality walls
- Multi-jurisdictional transactions requiring coordinated legal/tax structuring (though they do international work, focus is transaction facilitation, not complex structuring)
- Transactions requiring specialized industry expertise beyond their core verticals
Team
Suncoast operates as a lean, specialized boutique with 3-4 principals and supporting administrative staff:
Brian Zoberg — Qualifying Broker and founder, 25+ years in South Florida real estate and business brokerage. Licensed real estate broker in Florida and Georgia. IBBA deal maker award (high transaction volume), BBF million dollar club award (multiple years), and Platinum Chairman's Circle recognition (high sales volume). Deep network in South Florida's multi-cultural business community. Fluent in English and Spanish.
Gaston Redondo — Licensed Business Intermediary with 30+ years of pharmacy industry experience, including executive roles at McKesson Corporation. Former retail and closed-door pharmacy owner. Brings operational credibility in healthcare/pharmacy transactions. Based in South Florida with extensive ties across Central and South America. Specialty: pharmacy transactions and owner-operator buyer facilitation.
Erick Marenco — Licensed Business Broker, 7+ years of small business strategy and M&A experience. MBA from FIU Chapman Graduate School (distinction). U.S. Army combat veteran. Specializes in helping small business owners achieve growth through acquisitions or execute exit strategies. Fluent in Spanish with expertise in Latin American markets and multi-cultural engagement. Miami-Dade County resident, 20+ years local market knowledge.
Geographic Coverage
Primary markets: South Florida (Miami-Dade and Broward County), with active practices across Florida (Tampa, Jacksonville, Okeechobee, Clearwater, Palm Beach County, etc.). Secondary markets: Georgia (licensed to operate). Tertiary: International client referrals and partnerships for Punta Cana luxury real estate, Latin American clients, and E2/L1/EB5 visa-qualified international buyers.
Founded & Longevity
Established 2001 (25+ year operating history). Consistent business brokerage operation throughout economic cycles, including 2008 financial crisis and COVID-19 pandemic.
Summary
Suncoast Business Consultants is a specialized, South Florida-focused business brokerage firm with deep expertise in healthcare (medical practices, pharmacy), hospitality (restaurants), real estate (commercial properties, mobile home parks, RV parks), and visa-qualified buyer networks (E2/L1/EB5). The firm operates as a transaction facilitator rather than a strategic advisor, managing deal flow, valuation, marketing, and closing coordination for buyers and sellers of lower-middle market businesses ($500K-$10M range). Competitive strengths include geographic depth, vertical expertise (particularly pharmacy and international buyer networks), and transaction velocity. The team combines founder credibility (Brian Zoberg, 25 years) with specialized operational expertise (Gaston Redondo, pharmacy), and emerging talent (Erick Marenco, MBA-educated). Primary buyer networks include E2/L1/EB5 international buyers, multi-state franchise/pharmacy groups, strategic chains, and owner-operators.