MidAtlantic Business Advisors, originally trading as MidAtlantic Resources, was founded by Ronald F. Rash in 2002. After an early career in Fortune 500 companies, Mr. Rash acquired, started, or invested in thirteen closely held mid-market businesses during his subsequent twenty-plus year career as a “serial entrepreneur”. Mr. Rash was owner/operator and CEO of five of those businesses and in eight of them he successfully exited by effecting an ownership transfer to a third party. Through these experiences, Mr. Rash became a believer in the invaluable role an outside advisor or intermediary can and should play in planning, preparing, and facilitating an owner’s exit from his or her business. His experiences also taught him that the lower mid-market business owner’s needs and issues are the same as owners of larger companies, and often their urgency is greater yet most firms providing these services only target the larger companies. MidAtlantic Business Advisors was founded to fill this service void. We strive to provide our fullest capabilities to each and every client, and we specialize in lower middle market businesses with revenues of $750,000 to $30,000,000.

MidAtlantic Business Advisors is not a niche player. We specialize in good businesses owned by individuals who deserve the maximum return on their investment and that represent a real opportunity for potential buyers.

We work with Sellers throughout most of Virginia. We have worked with clients in Northern VA, DC, Culpeper, Fredericksburg, Charlottesville, Waymesboro, Roanoke, Ashland, Richmond, Newport News, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and Chesapeake.

General — All of the services offered by MidAtlantic Business Advisors focus on the various aspects and issues associated with the process of ownership transfer in closely held lower, middle market businesses.

Succession Planning — Nothing is more certain than change, and that applies to business ownership as much as anything else. Whether due to retirement, death, disability, sale, family succession, liquidation or something else, ownership will change. The future success of the enterprise and/or the best outcome for the current owner is only accomplished by proper planning. MidAtlantic Business Advisors guides its clients through this complicated and often emotional process to assure the most positive outcome possible for all concerned.

Business Brokerage — According to surveys, most owners of mid-market businesses “plan” to have their children take over their businesses, but in fact, that only happens in 10% of all businesses. The most common event, and almost always the most lucrative for the exiting owner, is a third party sale. A skilled intermediary protects confidentiality, prepares and presents the business attractively, finds and qualifies potential buyers, negotiates the best price and terms to maximize after-tax proceeds, and assures that closing occurs smoothly. The MidAtlantic Method excels in all of these areas as evidenced by its extremely high success rate—roughly triple that of the industry as a whole.

Business Acquisitions — As with most “stories”, there are two sides to every business sale: the seller’s and the buyer’s, and both sides are equally important. Through its many years of experience and many transactions, MidAtlantic Business Advisors has learned where and how to find business opportunities, how to assess them, how to value them, and creative ways to buy and finance them. The success or failure of a business acquisition is often determined at the time of the purchase. The MidAtlantic Method can ensure a good start.

Valuations and Value Coaching — Business valuations are required in many circumstances such as business loans, estate planning, litigation, insurance requirements, etc. MidAtlantic Business Advisors has the training, experience, and resources necessary to provide this service. Often, our valuations are done in preparation for a sale, and sometimes the outcome of a valuation does not align with the owner’s expectations or goals for the transaction. In those circumstances, MidAtlantic Business Advisors can provide advice and counsel on how the value of the enterprise can be improved. This value improvement can mean the difference between achieving rather than falling short of an owner’s financial goals.

Corporate Member of the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA). Member of the Carolina-Virginia Business Brokers Association (CVBBA).

Our People -- Our founder, president, and senior advisor is Ronald F. “Ron” Rash. Ron spent ten very successful years with two Fortune 500 companies, and then “graduated” to owning and operating his own business. 1986 marked his first ownership transfer as he exited his first business with a third party sale to a competitor. In the twenty plus years since, Ron has acquired, started, or invested in twelve more closely held mid-market businesses, operating four of them himself and exiting most through third party sales. He has a BS in Civil Engineering form Virginia Tech and a Virginia real estate license. Ron is a Certified Business Intermediary (CBI) and a Mergers & Acquisitions Master Intermediary (M&AMI) by the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA) and a Certified Business Broker (CBB) by the Business Brokers Network (BBN). These designations are important. They assure our clients that they are dealing with professional and competent individuals who have invested in their own education, even though there are no licensing, certification or educational requirements in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The CBI requires an initial 60 hours of formal classroom education on the vital aspects of business brokerage and succession planning. Once completed, the applicant must pass a four-hour, comprehensive exam administered by IBBA professionals. The CBB certifies that the holder has a minimum of three years of full time experience and has closed a minimum of six transactions as a broker. The M&AMI designation from IBBA is their top designation. Continued education plus a minimum of three transactions exceeding $1 million in proceeds are the minimum requirements. There are less than 100 M&AMI’s in the nation. MidAtlantic Business Advisors and Mr. Rash hold these designations and far exceed these minimums. Ron is married to Anita (since 1976) and his personal interests include being an elder in his church, active involvement with Young Life, and golf.

John F. “Jack” Rash II joined the firm in 2005. Jack earned a BBA in Business Administration from East Tennessee State University and is pursuing an MBA from Liberty University. His employment experience includes work in electrical supply distribution, food service management, and financial planning. He has been a member of the Central Virginia Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (CVAIFA) as well as the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA). Jack has held the NASD Series 7 license and Life/Health and Variable Life licenses in several states including Virginia. After joining the firm, Jack rapidly earned the Certified Business Intermediary certification from IBBA becoming one of the youngest in the country. On the personal side, Jack has been a volunteer leader with Young Life in Charlottesville and coached high school basketball and baseball at his alma mater, The Covenant School, as well as soccer at Madison County Public High School. Jack is married to Allison and he too enjoys golf as time allows.

In most professional firms, each advisor works his or her own engagements, so the quality of service each client receives is totally dependent on which advisor they work with. Most planning and brokerage firms assign lower middle-market firms to trainees or junior associates because the senior brokers target larger companies. At MidAtlantic Business Advisors, both Ron and Jack work every engagement, committing their fullest capabilities to every client. We believe this is a major factor in why our brokerage success rate is triple that of the industry, and why our clients receive consistently excellent performance.