Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays. I embrace the concept that every one of us can find elements of our lives to be thankful for and express gratitude. One component of the tapestry of autumn leave colors that is the Thanksgiving holiday I appreciate is that in a world that seeks to divide people philosophically, economically, socially, and politically it is an annual date on the calendar in the United States where as a nation we find commonality. A significant majority of us pause our lives on the fourth Thursday of November to spend time with family & friends with no work or school obligations. We dine, influenced by family traditions and regional preferences, on similar meals. We recall memories of good times spent together and update interested, vested people on what is new in our worlds. We watch football, an American creation, as a nation generating a topic for discussion that all can participate in equally. I thank the leadership of our nation, who in 1789, created this national holiday. Job well done.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who contributed to IBA’s achievement as an advocate for the entrepreneurial community and facilitator of the sale of privately held companies and family businesses in 2025, our 50th year as a company serving business owners in the Pacific Northwest. It takes a village to do our job and our success as a firm would be greatly diminished without the contribution of a broad spectrum of people and organizations.
My gratitude starts with the business owners who entrusted us with selling the entities they built which have provided them with professional and personal fulfillment, financial prosperity, and the ability to passionately execute their vision with creativity, attention to detail, and care for the well being of their employees, customers, and vendors. IBA takes this responsibility seriously and strives for each client to deliver market leading knowledge, experience, and skill while employing best practices and operating with integrity. We operate on the front lines of the American economy and are happy to be able to report that the ladder of opportunity remains open to all equally in this nation as our past & current clients truly reflect the melting pot that is America being made up of people whose families came to the nation before its founding and individually since the turn of the last century, people of diverse genders, different religions, and ethnic heritages.
A business sale transaction requires a seller and buyer. Buyers come to IBA seeking to purchase businesses from a variety of different demographic groups including young adults seeking to enter entrepreneurship through acquisition, laid off corporate employees problem solving through turbulence in their lives in an effort to support their families and return lives to stability, people who have chosen entrepreneurship as a career path, family offices, private equity firms, privately held companies, publicly traded companies, and non-profit organizations. Buyer demand in the marketplace currently exceeds supply for these parties. We are grateful of those in this group who are courteous, intelligent, and appreciative of our efforts satisfying their information requests, questions, meeting scheduling desires, and facilitating their negotiations and business purchase activities. We are not perfect as a firm. We do attempt to provide superior customer service and facilitate transactions in an environment of full disclosure with transparency employing best practices while acting with integrity. We value buyer feedback on our performance. We are appreciative of the kind words we often receive conveying that working with IBA is a superior experience to what is frequently found in engagement with other firms.
A best practice business purchase & sale transaction features multiple professional advisors on both the seller and buyer’s sides of the table. IBA is blessed to have an incredible robust ecosystem of collaborative partners to work with on transactions in the Pacific Northwest. Many of whom seem to play recurring roles whether introduced by IBA or arriving in a transaction on their own. I am likely biased based on the experiences I have had over the last 31 years as a M&A intermediary, but it has been my experience that the attorneys, accountants, bankers, insurance brokers, wealth management advisors, consultants, and other professionals found in this region are frequently best in class nationally from their knowledge and experience to their customer service and ability to supplement themselves with referrals. If anyone ever needs a referral, even if they have not or will never work with IBA, we welcome the opportunity to be a hub for obtaining the name and contact information for someone we have found to be quality. To those that have worked with IBA on transactions in 2025 or over the last 50 years, THANK YOU, we would not have over 4400 successfully completed business sales on our resume without you.
IBA is selective related to the businesses we will represent for sale. Traditionally, we agree to represent 1 in 3 companies that approach us for professional representation. We are selective for two reasons, #1 we are a pursuit of excellence organization that takes our projects seriously. We don’t accept failure easily. In an industry that sees a 10 – 20% success rate nationally, IBA annually successfully completes 80 – 90% of its engagements. #2, our business model does not work, if we are not successful, as IBA operates with an 100% paid on performance business model where we do not wish to be paid unless our clients achieve their sale objectives. This type of business model takes a special type of individual. They are asked to take risk, bet on themselves professionally, and be accountable to executive management in the field for providing market leading knowledge, experience, and skill while employing best practices and being asked to always act with integrity. I am blessed to be surrounded by a truly wonderful group of people at IBA. They make me smile, think, improve, and give to society at an incredible level. I care deeply for each of them, want to see them achieve their potential in life, and consider them extended family.
The public face of IBA is our business sale intermediary team. I want to personally recognize and express my gratitude for their efforts and performance in 2025. Please join me in applauding the achievements of Andrea Lines, Austin Morgan, Bill Southwell, Cameron Johnson, Charlie Magee, Erin Ward, Grace Chang, Jeff Bryan, Joseph Hollcraft, Kate Dare, Oliver Kotelnikov, Sally Bergesen, Sean Dowling, Sergei Merkushev, Seth Rudin, and Truong Luu.
Behind that group at IBA is IBA’s Director of Operations for Oregon, Stephen Cohen, and VP of Business Development, Curt Maier. The value these people bring to the company cannot be understated. Neither need to work. Both believe in IBA’s mission, people, and contribution to society in support of the entrepreneurial community. I will regret the day either retires but will embrace it because I want the best for them in life and feel blessed to have shared friendship and professional achievement with them as we mutually traveled down the path of life together.
Out of the public eye, many contribute to IBA’s achievement. Administratively, Cindy, Brier, & Jan make coming into the office a pleasure. Karen & Morgan tune, refine, and evolve IBA’s technology engagement with the world. Denise & Amber keep our accounting & tax filings shipshape. Brenton, Andy, Bob, Miguel, and John address the spectrum of legal issues facing a regional firm operating in 2025. You are all exceptional in what you do and highly appreciated.
Finally, life is better shared. I have been on life’s journey professionally and personally since 1994 with my wife Janette. IBA would not be the IBA it is today without her support and contributions. I am eternally thankful for her agreeing to be my wife. I am a better man because of it.
Happy Thanksgiving to all. God Bless America. Have some dark turkey meat for me and dual slices of pecan & pumpkin pie for dessert. Thank you for reading the IBA Blog.
IBA, the Pacific Northwest’s premier business brokerage firm since 1975, is available as an information resource to the media, business brokerage, mergers & acquisitions, real estate, legal, and accounting communities on subjects relevant to the purchase & sale of privately held companies and family-owned businesses. IBA is recognized as one of the best business brokerage firms in the nation based on its long track record of successfully negotiating “win-win” business sale transactions in environments of full disclosure employing “best practices”.