Locations

Jeff Crooks, one of our Senior Brokers who joined the Overland Park Sunbelt Team in 1998, comes to us with more than 18 years of sales experience. He works primarily with small, privately held business owners with sales from 1-50MM gross revenue in a broad range of industries. Service companies, manufacturing, distribution, aerospace and medical are areas of special interest. Jeff also specializes in mediating buy side acquisitions for high net worth professionals, as well as companies looking to grow through acquisition. He fully understands the role taxes can play in selling a business and is well versed in facilitating a solution beneficial to his clients. Prior to joining our firm, Jeff owned a staffing company in the psychiatric/medical field. His background and experience allow him to understand many of the unique issues, challenges, and opportunities facing his clients. His understanding of his clients expectations has gained him long-term client relationships including succeeding generations of some business owners. Jeff holds undergraduate degrees in Molecular Cell Biology and Chemistry, as well as graduate degrees in Gerontology and Business. He has been recognized as a member of the Sunbelt Million Dollar Roundtable for the last 9 years and has led the firm in both total transactions and gross revenue for the same period.. Active in Church and his community, Jeff is a member of the Masonic Lodge, and Kansas Special Olympic Games Management Team. He also brings 24 years of military experience (and counting) to the table as a Major in the US Army Reserves, performing service to our country as an Engineer Operations Officer and is a recent graduate of the Army Command and General Staff College. In his spare time, Jeff loves long range rifle shooting, competitive pistol, enjoys music, reading, and entertaining family and friends. Reach Jeff at 913 383-2671 or 816 510-0255.

Michael came to Sunbelt Business Advisors in early 2006, bringing a long list of credentials. He brings a professional approach backed by a degree in accounting from the University of Missouri. He has a strong background in investments, financials, and insurance sale.   He currently holds Series 7 and Series 66 financial planning as well as life and health insurance licenses.  This combination of skills enables him to have a disciplined and productive approach to business transactions and transitions.  

Michael has direct experience in manufacturing and wholesale/distribution. Prior to joining Sunbelt, he owned and operated a wholesale manufacturing and distribution business for 15 years. This experience enables him to understand what it takes to own and operate a million dollar plus company and what it takes to successfully sell a privately owned business.  

Prior to owning the manufacturer he spent 8 years as an investment advisor. 

Michael lives in Leawood with his wife Kathy, who is employed as a business operations specialist, and his 3 sons. His free time is spent, networking, golfing, and attending his sons numerous sporting events.  You can contact Michael at 913-433-2313.

Jay’s combination of accounting/finance and sales experience make him ideally suited for the business brokerage industry.  He earned his B.S. degree in accounting from Kansas State University while on a baseball scholarship and received his M.B.A. in finance from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

With his accounting background, he is especially strong at recasting financial statements to reflect a company’s true value in the marketplace.  Jay most recently owned a franchise of a leading promotional marketing company, Adventures in Advertising.  Jay held accounting/treasury positions with Health Midwest and Metmor Financial.  He also was a recruiter for an executive search firm, Morgan Hunter Corporation.

Jay is ready to sit down and systematically prepare your business for sale.  Then, using strategic resources only available through the Sunbelt Network, he will take your business to market to maximize your proceeds in the shortest amount of time.

Jay can be reached at 913-433-2307 or 816-550-5730.

Jay is a Senior Broker with Sunbelt of Kansas City who brings a very successful background to Sunbelt. After being a Partner in a Nationally recognized Franchise Chain for over Ten years, he then personally owned and operated 2 National Franchised Steakhouses and One Pizzaria, along with two Catering and Vending Operations for ten years that were successfully sold along with an Insurance Agency. My Goal and Objective is to represent the Business Owner in a Sincere, Professional and Confidential manner and to assist in bringing about a closing of the business transaction that works for both the seller and the buyer. Jay has the experience in developing both small and large companies. Through this experience he is sensitive to the needs of the buyer and seller. He attended the University of Missouri, Columbia and has been married for thirty five years. He has four children and four grandchildren all living in the Kansas City area.

After graduating from Drury College with a degree in Business Administration and Accounting, Anita spent several years in corporate internal auditing and cost accounting management positions. She then started a sign company, which she owned and operated for ten years prior to selling. Anita became a Sunbelt Business Broker because she felt that her background would be a great asset for helping people through the process of buying or selling a business. Anita understands the accounting, tax and cash flow aspects of preparing a business to sell. Anita and her husband, Bryce, currently own and manage several investment properties. Being of an entrepreneurial spirit herself, Anita enjoys the brokering process because a single transaction allows buyers to recognize the advantages of business ownership, while sellers are able to realize the fruits of their labors. You may contact Anita at 913-383-2671 ext. 206 or 816-679-2496.

Marketing Manager

Phil works closely with the senior brokers and their strong network of buyers and private equity groups.  He brings a team effort to sell your company quietly and quickly.  With over 24 years experience in Financial Advisory sales and Investment Banking, Phil understands the challenges business owners face today.  Whether you need to determine the value of your company, sell your business, or grow your business through acquisition, let Phil and the Sunbelt Team give you strategic direction to reach your goals.  All conversations are strictly confidential.

Julie Rossi is a Senior Broker with Sunbelt and has vast experience professionally and educationally. She earned an MBA with a Marketing emphasis from Park University and a B.S.B.A. in Management from Missouri Western.  Prior to joining Sunbelt, Julie spent many years at Hallmark Cards, Inc. within Operations management performing subsidiary integration and mergers and acquisitions activities. During her tenure, Julie identified and implemented over $10 million in cost savings through integrating subsidiaries into the corporate platform.  Once realizing her entrepreneurial spirit, Julie left the corporate world and purchased a 35 year-old firm through Sunbelt Business Advisors and she grew the mature business by over 40% within 5 years. The business is now successfully being run absentee with little daily oversight. Because of her experience in both the corporate and entrepreneurial arenas, Julie has the vision and know-how to create acquisition opportunities for individual buyers, executives, private equity groups, and even multi-billion dollar corporations.  Whether you’re personally looking for main-street acquisitions or selling a multi-million dollar company, Julie can help you strategically reach your goals. Give her a call at 816-550-1753 for an initial consultation.

Seller Representation 

Debbie specializes in manufacturing, distribution, and service operations and has closed millions of dollars in small business sales during her career as a Senior Broker with Sunbelt Business Advisors. She is continually recognized as Broker of the Month and was the second largest grossing Broker for Sunbelt for the last two consecutive years. Debbie has extensive experience pre-qualifying buyers and generating 90-100% cash at closing for most sellers. She will help you determine how much your business is worth with no upfront fees.

With her vast 15 years experience as a business consultant, Debbie Small helps business owners understand the complexities of selling their company and guides them every step of the way during the negotiation process with a prospective buyer. Once a qualified buyer has been identified, Debbie works with both parties to help them through the sales process by facilitating training, transition, and closing details. She also prepares and packages your business to SBA lenders and orchestrates the entire loan approval process for the buyer to insure financial arrangements for the sale are complete.

Debbie is committed to finding you the most suitable, financially-qualified buyer for your business. She understands that confidentiality is of the utmost importance in selling your business and will maintain your privacy while bringing you buyers who will yield you the maximum sales price in the least amount of time. In addition, she understands the economic impact of selling your business and consequently, will connect you with tax specialists in order to minimize your corporate, personal and real estate tax burden. 

Debbie can be reached at (913) 433-2304 to set up a FREE consultation with you on the sale of your business. 

Buyer Representation

Debbie has found that buyers often have difficulty finding the “right” acquisition opportunity.  Typically, buyers spend hours shopping website to website looking for the right opportunity to find that A) the business is already under contract B) it’s overpriced or C) they are competing with 5 other buyers on the same business.   

Debbie Small is highly experience at removing these challenges for buyers through her customized Buyer Acquisition Search.  She utilizes key strategies and techniques developed over several years to help buyers purchase the maximum cash flow business for the least amount of capital out of their pockets.  Her business searches rapidly expedite the acquisition process and identify solid companies with verifiable income based on 1) geographic location 2) industry and 3) gross revenue.  In addition, she orchestrates the entire loan approval process to insure financial arrangements for the sale are complete.  

To learn more about her customized Buyer Acquisition Searches, call her at 913-433-2304 for a FREE consultation.