IBEX Business Brokers, formally known as International Business Exchange, has been operating out of Cedar Park, Texas since 1979. That's over 45 years as an independent M&A advisory firm, making it one of the oldest in the country.
The firm focuses on the middle market and upper main street, helping business owners navigate sales, acquisitions, and exits across a wide range of industries.
If you're considering selling a business and want experienced hands guiding the deal, IBEX is worth a close look.
Key Takeaways
- IBEX has been closing business sales since 1979, with 500-plus completed transactions across industries ranging from cybersecurity to manufacturing.
- The firm maintains an active buyer database of over 18,500 contacts, built and filtered over decades.
- Each seller gets a dedicated advisor whose compensation depends entirely on closing the deal.
Background and History
IBEX got its start in 1979 when business brokerages barely existed as a formal profession. According to the company, their first engagement agreement was signed on a restaurant napkin.
That detail tells you something about how long they've been in the market and how much the industry has changed around them.
Today, IBEX is a charter member of TABB (Texas Association of Business Brokers) and holds active membership in the IBBA and M&A Source.
One of their senior advisors helped pass legislation that opened stock transactions to upper main street and lower middle market companies, a right previously limited to investment banks and large corporations.
Company Overview
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1979 |
| Headquarters | Cedar Park, TX (Austin metro) |
| Services | Business brokerage, M&A advisory, business valuation |
| Geographic Focus | Texas and surrounding Southern/Midwestern states; national buyer reach |
| Team Size | 5 advisors + operations/marketing support |
| Associations | IBBA, M&A Source, TABB, U.S. Chamber of Commerce |
1. Earned Exits
What IBEX Does
The firm handles both buy-side and sell-side transactions. Their process is structured in three phases:
Assessment
IBEX digs into how value has been created in your business, then builds a market-focused presentation designed to attract the right buyers.
They've sold businesses across manufacturing, services, distribution, retail, transportation, consumer products, and healthcare, so they're not limited to a single industry vertical.
Marketing
The firm uses a combination of digital listings, direct outreach, direct mail, email campaigns, and telemarketing to get businesses in front of buyers.
Their buyer database sits at 18,568 contacts. This database is actively maintained: inactive buyers and bad actors are removed, and nothing older than a decade is counted.
Every month, hundreds of new or re-motivated buyers contact IBEX about listed businesses.
Close
This is where the company says it separates from competitors. Their current team has executed more than 500 closings.
Because IBEX advisors are only paid when a deal closes, their financial incentive is completely aligned with the seller's goal.
They handle everything from buyer presentations and letter of intent negotiations to deal structuring and due diligence. Their established relationships with attorneys and bankers can speed up the closing timeline.
The Team
The advisory team at IBEX brings backgrounds in Fortune 500 operations, private equity, and entrepreneurship. A few notable bios:
- Charles Harvey Jr. (Owner/CEO): 35 years as CEO, CFO, and consultant, including time at PepsiCo and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Oversaw three dozen buy/sell transactions on three continents, including a $35M sale of a Texas digital photography company to a $1 billion Japanese conglomerate.
- Mike Miller (VP of Advisory Services): 25 years as a senior executive at Armco Steel, Cooper Industries, and British conglomerate BTR. Has personally been involved in over 150 business transactions and served as past president of TABB.
- Jeff Elder (Account Executive): Texas A&M MBA with an accounting background. Handles transactions involving private equity groups, family buyers, and international entities. Multiple IBBA award winner from 2016 through 2024.
- Russ Goforth (Account Executive): Former business owner who built and sold two healthcare companies, including a sale to Lincare, Inc. He's been on both sides of a transaction.
- David Sweeten (Account Executive): 30-plus years of accounting and entrepreneurial experience. IBBA award recipient multiple years running.
The team collectively holds over a century of corporate leadership experience. That's not a vague claim here: the individual bios back it up.
Deal Examples
IBEX publishes a running list of closed deals on their website. A few examples from their track record:
- A business generating $2.5M in profit sold for $12M
- A company with $1.75M in profit closed at $6M
- A fifth-generation family business sold for $2.2M
- One company was acquired by a strategic buyer at 6x cash flow for $1.7M
They've closed deals in cybersecurity, oil field services, injection molding, manufacturing, lumber, and medical supply, among others.
Client Feedback
Clients who've reviewed IBEX consistently mention specific advisors by name, which is a meaningful signal. A few recurring themes from publicly available testimonials:
- Sellers who had no prior experience selling a business describe the process as far more complex than expected, and credit IBEX advisors with guiding them through it
- One seller noted that the buyer in their deal specifically complimented IBEX's professionalism after the transaction closed
- Multiple sellers mention deals that closed during challenging circumstances, including one that wrapped up during the COVID-19 pandemic, crediting Mike Miller and Jeff Elder with getting it across the finish line
Valuation Services
IBEX offers a no-cost, confidential value range assessment for business owners who want to understand where their company sits in the current market.
They also provide certified valuations for owners who need a more formal appraisal, which is useful for estate planning, partner buyouts, or financing conversations in addition to outright sales.
Who IBEX Is Best Suited For
IBEX is built for owners of established, operating businesses with real revenue and profit. They're not a startup exit firm or a franchise marketplace.
Their geographic footprint is strongest in Texas (Austin, Dallas, Houston), with service extending into surrounding Southern and Midwestern states.
Their buyer database has national reach, so even a Texas-based seller can attract buyers from outside the region.
| Good fit | Less likely a fit |
|---|---|
| Established businesses with $500K–$20M+ in revenue | Early-stage startups |
| Owners planning an exit or transition | Business owners seeking minority investment only |
| Texas, Midwest, and Southern-based companies | Businesses needing international M&A exclusively |
| Industries: manufacturing, services, healthcare, distribution | Publicly traded companies |
Affiliations and Accreditation
IBEX holds current membership in the following organizations:
- IBBA (International Business Brokers Association)
- M&A Source
- TABB (Texas Association of Business Brokers)
- U.S. Chamber of Commerce
- ASBA (Alliance of Small Business Advocates)
Multiple advisors have received annual deal awards from both IBBA and M&A Source, with Jeff Elder earning consecutive recognitions from 2016 through 2024.
Conclusion
IBEX Business Brokers brings 45-plus years of transaction history, a maintained buyer database of over 18,500 contacts, and a team with real operating experience on both sides of deals.
For business owners in Texas and surrounding states who are serious about maximizing the value of a sale, IBEX is one of the more credible independent firms in the market.