Synergy Business Brokers Research
Advisory Approach
Synergy Business Brokers is an award-winning mergers and acquisitions firm that has been serving the lower and core middle market since 2002. Founded by Blake Taylor, the firm operates with a clear thesis: exhaustive buyer outreach combined with institutional-quality process management delivers superior outcomes for sellers. Their sweet spot is profitable businesses with annual revenues between $700,000 and $250 million, and owner's net income (SDE) between $250,000 and $30 million.
The firm's approach is fundamentally different from traditional business brokers. They combine the advantages of a premier business brokerage with the expertise and contacts of a large M&A firm. This hybrid model allows them to provide personalized service while accessing a database of over 40,000 qualified buyers across the U.S. and internationally. Their success-only fee structure—no fee until the business is sold—aligns their incentives completely with seller outcomes.
What makes Synergy distinctive is their operational scale and marketing sophistication. With over 1.2 million annual page views on their website, they generate significant buyer demand. They've been ranked as the #1 business broker for their specialized industries by multiple ranking organizations, and have appeared on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies three times (2022, 2023, and 2025).
Sector Focus
Synergy specializes in seven core industries where they've demonstrated deep expertise: construction, distribution, healthcare, manufacturing, services, technology, and transportation. This focused approach allows them to develop specialized knowledge, industry-specific buyer networks, and proprietary marketing strategies for each sector.
In construction, they handle general contractors, MEP trades, specialty trades, and infrastructure contractors. Their distribution practice spans food and beverage, industrial supplies, building products, and medical equipment distribution. Healthcare work spans medical practices, addiction treatment facilities, homecare agencies, and healthcare technology.
Manufacturing expertise covers discrete manufacturing (aerospace, metal fabrication, precision machining) and process manufacturing (food processing, chemicals, water treatment). The technology practice focuses on SaaS companies, IT services, telecom infrastructure, and digital agencies. Transportation work includes trucking companies, logistics providers, and freight brokers.
Deal Track Record
Synergy has completed 80+ transactions with a combined value exceeding $250 million. In the past year alone, they closed 42 deals totaling over $250 million in transaction value. Their deal history demonstrates exceptional breadth across industries and deal sizes:
Recent Representative Transactions:
- Sale of a residential substance abuse treatment facility with 4 locations in Idaho for $11.5 million to an investment group consolidating the rehab sector
- Sale of a Midwest commercial roofing company generating $44 million in annual revenue for $10.9 million to a strategic buyer
- Sale of a telecom fiber optic infrastructure contracting company in Arizona for a 4.8x multiple of cash flow to a strategic buyer, with 80% cash at close and 20% equity rollover
- Sale of a SaaS company serving media industry clients in Colorado to a specialized financial sponsor, exceeding the seller's expectations by 20%
- Sale of an environmental consulting firm in Dallas, Texas serving Fortune 500 clients and municipal government agencies
- Sale of a K-12 educational training program company in Florida to an educational business owned by a billion-dollar private equity firm for a 7x multiple of net income
Their sell-side track record shows strong outcomes: full-asking-price offers are common, and their competitive bidding processes consistently drive offers above initial expectations. The firm has particular strength in deal structuring, having negotiated complex transactions including employment agreements, equity rollovers, and earnouts.
Process & Fee Structure
Synergy runs a comprehensive 15-step sell-side process designed to maximize value while maintaining confidentiality. Key elements include:
- Pre-sale preparation: Financial analysis, pricing recommendations using sold-business databases, and positioning for maximum appeal
- Confidential marketing: Generic listings without company names, NDA requirements before detailed disclosure
- Multi-channel outreach: Website listings (1.2M annual page views), 200+ business-for-sale websites, email campaigns, social media, targeted mailings, and direct outreach to their 40,000+ buyer database
- International exposure: Marketing to buyers in Europe, Canada, Asia, and Australia seeking U.S. market entry
- Competitive bidding: Multiple LOI generation to create auction dynamics
- Financing support: SBA lender relationships to enable buyer financing
Typical engagement timeline is 4-6 months from listing to close. Their fee structure is success-only: no retainer, no upfront fees—they only earn a commission when the business sells. This aligns their incentives entirely with seller success.
Buyer Network
Synergy's competitive advantage is their extensive buyer database: 40,000+ qualified buyers including individual buyers, strategic acquirers, and private equity groups. They maintain relationships with:
- Strategic buyers: Industry consolidators, competitors seeking geographic expansion, and companies pursuing adjacencies
- Private equity firms: Lower middle market PE sponsors across their industry verticals
- International buyers: European and Asian companies seeking U.S. market entry
- High-net-worth individuals: Qualified investors seeking acquisition opportunities
Their deal history shows strong PE buyer activity, with multiple deals sold to private equity-backed platforms. They also have demonstrated success with strategic buyers, particularly in construction and healthcare where roll-up strategies are common.
Competitive Positioning
Synergy differentiates from other lower middle market advisors through:
- Scale: 80+ brokers nationwide and internationally, providing local market knowledge with national reach
- Marketing sophistication: 1.2M annual website page views, advertising on 200+ websites, AI-powered marketing
- Buyer database: 40,000+ qualified buyers, one of the largest in the industry
- Industry specialization: #1 ranked in their 7 focus industries by multiple independent ranking organizations
- Success-only fees: No upfront costs—they only get paid when they sell
- Technology platform: Modern digital marketing and buyer matching infrastructure
- Global reach: Offices and brokers across U.S. states plus Europe, Latin America, Asia, and Africa
Not a Fit If
Synergy typically declines:
- Businesses below $700,000 annual revenue or $250,000 SDE
- Pre-revenue or early-stage startups without demonstrated profitability
- Businesses with significant pending litigation or regulatory issues
- Sellers unwilling to maintain reasonable confidentiality during marketing
- distressed assets or fire sales (they focus on going-concern enterprises)
Team
The firm has 80+ professionals across the U.S. and internationally, organized by geography and industry specialty. Key leadership includes:
Blake Taylor – President & Founder. Founded Synergy in 2002. Previously VP of Sales & Marketing at a startup where he increased revenues 2,000%, leading to its $20 million sale. Has negotiated hundreds of large deals. Summa Cum Laude graduate from SUNY Albany with Economics and Business degree.
Raj Sheth – Vice President, M&A. 30 years across manufacturing, healthcare, insurance, real estate, retail, and finance. Has closed almost 500 transactions. Previously led companies out of insolvency as a turnaround consultant. Magna Cum Laude Finance graduate from NY University.
Joe Coculo – Vice President, M&A. Leads the New Jersey practice.
Bo Prybyla – Vice President, M&A. Leads the Connecticut practice.
Lincoln Taylor – Vice President, M&A. Leads the Massachusetts practice.
Senior M&A Brokers: Ashish Bhatt (Florida), Michael Farruggia (NY), John Geaneotes (PA), John Meyers (IL), Chris Sampras (AZ), Robert Stiplosek (LA), Grant Taylor (NY), Dewey Vaughn (TX), plus associate brokers across all major markets.
Geographic Coverage
Headquartered in the New York metropolitan area with 80+ brokers across the United States and internationally. Domestic presence includes New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Florida, Illinois, Texas, Arizona, California, Louisiana, and Hawaii. International operations span Europe, Canada, Latin America, Asia, and Africa. This geographic breadth enables both local market expertise and global buyer outreach.