Secure your legacy.
BUSINESS BROKERAGE
We provide exit-focused business owners professional guidance through the complex and technical sales process to help them obtain the optimal value for their company, and a smoother transition to a work-optional lifestyle.
What’s it worth?
You’ve put years of hard work into building your business, but do you have an exit strategy? Without proper planning, this massive transition will likely fall short of your expectations.
Valuations
Our experienced analysts determine the value of your business and/or real estate using advanced appraisal methods, then help you understand it.
Consulting
If you aren’t ready to sell right away, we can help identify ways to increase the value of your business and make it more appealing to buyers.
Brokerage
Market your business confidentially, source and qualify potential buyers, negotiate on your behalf, manage the financing/closing process.
BUYERS:
73% of business owners plan to exit their companies in the next 10 years, accounting for a $14 trillion opportunity. Source: Exit Planning Guide
Let us help you retire comfortably.
SELLERS:
Only 20-30% of businesses that go to market are successfully sold, and most sales involve concessions from the owner. Source: Forbes
Let us protect you.
Why Forge Business Brokerage?
Statewide Reach
Secure a connection.
We are deeply connected to the Texas Hill Country and its business community, while proudly serving business owners across the entire state of Texas including Austin, Houston, Dallas and San Antonio.
Business Strategy
Secure the edge.
Secure
the edge.
Our professional team brings the diverse and complimentary skills required for each facet of your transaction. From valuations to qualifying buyers, negotiations, financing, and closing— we’ll take the lead.
Noble Defense
Secure the sale.
Secure
the sale.
We stand ready to fiercely advocate for your best interests. We relentlessly pursue optimal outcomes, ensuring all efforts on your behalf are carried out responsibly, within ethical boundaries.
Ethical Stewardship
Secure a confidant.
We understand the vulnerability it takes to share your proprietary information with outsiders. We are honor-bound to confidentiality and will fight to earn your respect through non-judgmental impartiality.
Meet the Team
Relatable, Resourceful, Reliable
Ricky Gleason
Principal
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In addition to serving as Principal at Forge Business Brokerage, Ricky Gleason also serves as a practicing financial advisor and partner at Prime Capital Investment Advisors. With a distinguished career in the financial services industry since 2006, Ricky brings a wealth of expertise in financial planning and a deep commitment to serving small business owners. His extensive background includes roles such as a regional private banker and financial advisor at Wells Fargo, where he provided comprehensive investment solutions and financial planning to high net worth clients and small businesses.
Ricky's dedication to small business owners is evident through his extensive work in helping them navigate the complexities of business growth, succession planning, and exit strategies. His hands-on approach and personalized service have made a significant impact on the local business community.
In addition to his professional achievements, Ricky is deeply involved in the Boerne community, serving on the boards of The 100 Club of Kendall County and Boerne Reads. His past role as a Commissioner on the Boerne Planning and Zoning Commission showcases his dedication to local development. Born and raised in Boerne, Texas, Ricky's roots run deep in the community. He graduated from Boerne High School and attended Texas A&M University in Kingsville, TX.Additionally, Ricky finds spiritual fulfillment through his involvement with First Baptist Boerne, and family is the cornerstone of Ricky’s life. He cherishes time spent with his wife, Shannan, and their four children, Kaiden, Landen, Sophia, and Gemma. In his leisure time, he enjoys outdoor activities such as hunting, fishing, golf, and traveling.
Brad Roberson
Principal
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Brad is passionate about small business and personal finance, specifically accounting and investing. As a business appraiser with 10+ years of experience in brokerage and banking, he loves teaching entrepreneurs how to understand their numbers and maximize business value.
Brad loves tinkering with spreadsheets until they break. He strips out the parts that don't work, then rebuilds them to communicate financial performance so that normal people understand it. For example, he built the commercial loan underwriting process for a fast-growing community bank by creating an Excel-based cashflow/balance sheet model for complex loans with multi-entity borrowing structures. He then used that model to underwrite/close over 150 loans and renewals in a single year (over $40 MM in volume with a 3-person team), mostly consisting of loans to small businesses and real estate partnerships.
Brad then took a similar approach in business brokerage. He built the analysis models and process for all small business/real estate listings within the brokerage firm, pricing them at a bankable value with detailed M&A-style presentations that is very uncommon in the "main street" business brokerage space. He then leveraged that into the contract-to-closing process for 26 deals with cumulative value of over $20 MM during a 3-year period. Brad answers the banker's questions before they ask them, which is crucial when so many deals fall apart during the financing and closing stage.
After graduating from Texas A&M, he moved to the Boerne area in 2012 with his wife, Callie, who was born and raised nearby in Comfort. She owns a local brand strategy/creative agency, and is a founding board member of 100 Women of the Hill Country, a women's organization that supports local charities in the Texas Hill Country. Brad is a founding board member and CFO/Treasurer of a similar men's organization called Boerne100. They are members of Oak Hills Church where Brad is a drummer on the worship team, and their two daughters attend elementary school in Boerne ISD.
James Schuepbach
Principal
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James Schuepbach was born and raised in Texas. He is a proud capitalist and serial entrepreneur. He attended Texas A&M University, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Tourism and a minor in Business. James began his career in commercial real estate in 2005 working for Allen, Williford, & Seale: a large appraisal firm in Houston. He quickly became a State Certified Real Estate Appraiser and also earned his MAI designation, the highest designation in the real estate appraisal industry. After being laid off in 2009 due to the great recession, James founded Ryoak Real Estate Group in 2010. He grew the company over 10 years to have offices in Houston and San Antonio. Specializing in commercial real estate appraisals and right-of-way acquisition projects, the company’s appraisal clients included Wells Fargo, Chase, Bank of America, Capital One, Frost, Texas Capital Bank, Cadence Bank, and TXDOT. Since then, he earned his real estate Brokerage license and expanded to include brokerage and investments sales.
In 2012, James expanded his business to include real estate development, focusing on transforming raw land for retail, industrial, hospitality, multifamily, restaurant, gas-station, and residential uses. Ryoak is currently headquartered in Boerne, Texas.
Notable Development Projects:
Art House Lofts – a stunning 5-story 292-unit Class A apartment project and a structured parking garage, located in downtown San Antonio, TX. This project was financed through HUD and features a PFC structure.
Village290 – a redevelopment project transforming 50,000 SF into Class-A retail & flex space in Jersey Village, TX. Tenants ranging from Fred Astaire Dance Studio, Hope Church, Argentine Gelato, Barbell Gym, Method Architecture, Texas Axes, Comedy Sportz and more.
Bergheim, TX
Phase 1: Chevron Gas-Station and Shopping Center encompassing 14,000 SF.
Phase 2: Development includes a Whataburger, Tractor Supply, and 40,000 SF of retail space on 22 acres.
Highlights:
Business Leadership: James is currently a managing partner in over 20 businesses.
Revenue Generation: The combined gross sales for all businesses currently owned exceeds $14-million annually.
Development Achievements: Since 2022, he has developed projects valued at over $100 million.
Valuation Expertise: Over his 20+ year career, James has appraised properties valued at over $2 billion across the USA.
Brokerage Success: He has successfully sold and purchased over 100 properties, ranging from raw land to large business parks.
1031 Exchange Specialist: James has extensive experience in handling 1031 exchanges.
Leasing Achievements: Since 2019, he has negotiated over 100 leases, covering more than 300,000 SF of space.
Financial Commitment: James has personally guaranteed over $60 million in debt for various projects.
Retail Operations: He owns and operates a 6,000 SF gas-station and convenience store with 6 MPDs, generating over $5.5 million in annual gross sales.
Logistics Business: Since 2015, James has owned and operated a FedEx Ground delivery business in Houston, managing routes ranging from 10 to 30 over the years. The business currently has 10 employees and generates over $1 million in annual gross sales.
Contact Us for a Free Consultation
We’ve been where you are: as entrepreneurs ourselves, we’ll do our best to help you avoid the potential pitfalls in valuing, buying or selling a business.