Who We Are
Established in 1974
Originally founded as an office of United Business Brokers, Sunbelt Business Brokers, Inc. is the oldest of such brokerages in the Tampa Bay area. Ten years ago, this office joined forces with Sunbelt Business Brokers Network which currently has well over three hundred offices in the US and abroad. Mike Richards is one of the office owners that purchased the franchisor in 2003.
EXPERIENCE
Staffed by eight full-time agents, all of whom are licensed by the state of Florida, the combined
business and brokerage experience exceeds
TWO HUNDRED YEARS! These professional business brokers have been with the firm for many years.
MEMBER FBBA
Sunbelt Business Brokers is an active member of the Florida Business Brokers Association and has over 80 brokerage offices. All members are connected by a statewide exclusive business multiple listing service with over 400 members sharing listing information and co-brokering. Through our two affiliations, our Tampa office has over 12,000 businesses available for buyers. This also offers the most extensive marketing for sellers in the industry as well. Additionally, listings are made available on the Internet in many different locations and formats.
OWNERSHIP
Mike Richards
 Mike Richards was raised and educated in upstate New York. He attended the Universities of Buffalo and Rochester, majoring in business. He was involved in the transportation industry as an Interstate Commerce Commission Practitioner representing many major trucking companies in regulatory matters throughout the U.S. and Canada. As part of this representation of his clients, he acted as an intermediary in numerous sales and purchases since 1968. Mike has also been licensed as a Real Estate Broker for over 30 years in both New York and Florida.
Mike has been with the firm since 1987 as the Broker and Owner of Sunbelt Business Brokers of Tampa,. He is active in the Florida Business Brokers Association, having served two terms as President of the Tampa Chapter and Chapter Secretary, as well as three terms as Secretary and two each as Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the state association. Mike was also instrumental in the design and implementation of the multiple listing system currently used by FBBA. He holds the professional designation from FBBA; of Certified Florida Business Intermediary (CFBI), and is a Certified Orientation Instructor, as well as Certified Business Consultant (CBC) from the Institute of Business Counselors and a Senior Business Advisor (SBA) from Business Evaluation Systems.
Mike is an active Shriner, and is a member of the Midget Motors Unit of Egypt Temple in Tampa. As such, he was one of the eight-man world championship competitive team, who brought that Trophy to Florida for the first time. The unit has won many other competitions and awards over the years, regularly attends community parades throughout the year as well as fund-raising activities for the Shriners’ hospitals.
OTHER BUSINESS BROKERS
These professional business brokers have been with the firm
for several years.
Bill Smalley
 Bill Smalley has extensive business experience spanning over 35 years as an owner and general manager. After obtaining a BS Degree in Business Management and working in the transportation industry, he founded Smalley Transportation Company. The trucking business grew from three to over five hundred employees and contractors during the twenty years before he sold the company.
Smalley has over twenty years experience as a commercial bank director. He was a founding director of an independent banking company that grew to over $200 million in assets.
He has earned the Florida Business Brokers Association professional designation, CFBI (Certified Florida Business Intermediary) and the Institute of Certified Business Counselors designation CBC (Certified Business Counselor). He is a Florida licensed real estate salesman and mortgage broker.
Edna Richards
 Edna Richards has been affiliated with Sunbelt Business Brokers since 1993 and has been a licensed Real Estate Broker for over 10 years. Originally from Rochester, NY Edna has lived in Florida for 18 years and most of those in the Tampa Bay area. Education includes SUNY at Delhi, New York and the Rochester Institute of Technology.
Edna has been in the ownership position of small businesses in the transportation and travel industries. She has attained the Certified Florida Business Intermediary (CFBI) designation awarded by the Florida Business Broker Association. The FBBA was established in 1985 and is recognized nationally as the premier business Broker Association in the country. The CFBI designation is attained by attending classes, conferences and participation in the Association, as well as passing comprehensive examination. Ongoing education and leadership roles are required for maintaining the CFBI. Edna has held many offices in FBBA, including President, State Secretary and Director.
 Mike Raab
Mike Raab has been associated with Sunbelt Business Brokers since January of 1995. Prior to that time, Mike had been an active, independent business broker since January of 1960.
During some of that same time period Mike co-owned a successful sales representative agency that serviced the specialty advertising and premium industry through the southeastern and south central United States.
Mike
Collins
 Michael Collins was born in Philadelphia, PA. and educated in Southern New Jersey. He graduated from Rowan University with a degree in Business Administration specializing in Marketing and Accounting with over 20 years corporate and small business experience. After several partnerships and individual ventures, he accepted a corporate position with the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. He started in sales, but quickly moved into running retail stores. The next several years he managed wholesale and commercial operations. He has specialized training in business development and profit & loss analysis.
Michael decided to leave the corporate world to achieve better control of his financial and professional future. Shortly after, he joined Sunbelt – Tampa. He chose to be a business advisor for the simple fact that he enjoys helping people understand and fulfill their dreams of business ownership. He is a member of the Florida Business Brokers Association, serves on the State Board of Directors for FBBA and is currently Vice President of the Tampa Chapter and is Sunbelt’s office representative for the South Tampa Chamber of Commerce.
 Bruno
Ruocco
Bruno Ruocco is a Licensed Florida Real Estate Broker Associate and has been with Sunbelt since 2002. he was born in Italy where he received his Master Civil Engineering degree from University of Naples. He speaks fluent Italian, Spanish and English. Before joining sunbelt Business Brokers, he was in the construction business for more than 30 years. He acquired strong experience as a professional engineer and businessman since hew owned and manage a general contractor company for 18 years in South America and also being involved in the development of residential and commercial properties. Bruno has worked in several countries and areas including Italy, Mexico, Venezuela, West Africa and the Middle East.
Warren Smith
 Warren Smith has extensive experience in both corporate life and start-up situations. He started his career with one of the first franchise type concepts with Mobil Oil Corporation. Warren was responsible for working with 40 independent service station dealers in the metro Philadelphia area to help grow their businesses. Later he was promoted to area manager with responsibility for over 150 dealers. He also started the first self service operation for the company in Pennsylvania.
Enjoying the excitement of start-ups, Warren jumped at the chance of being part of the sales group which introduced soft contact lenses to the market for Bausch & Lomb. Warren served in various marketing functions for the company and eventually took over responsibility for the western third of the United States.
Again the bug bit Warren and he accepted the position as Vice President of Sales & Marketing for another new start up, American Hydron, a new soft contact lens company. During his tenure, sales grew to over $80 million. He developed the sales force from scratch and developed the marketing plans for the company’s most successful product in both sales and profits. He also helped raise $28 million dollars in bonds in Europe. The company became very attractive for a takeover and was acquired by Smith, Kline, Beechum. He stayed on for a year, but the culture had changed and so he sought new opportunities
At this time there was a company, Silor, which distributed optical lenses for eyeglasses. Once a market leader, but now it was losing market share and more important it was losing profits. Warren was named president of Silor and launched a campaign to regain share and profits which he did with the introduction of new product lines. Silor was foreign owned and he saw a greater parent company influence and so he decided it was time to start his own business.
Warren assisted the start of two new businesses, Vision Concepts and Beverly Hills Polo Club. Both were optical frame distributors offering private label, a new concept to the optical market. Warren sold his interests in the companies to his partners and has now spent the last three years helping others find their own dreams through a business of their own.
Bill Fishbourne
 Bill Fishbourne holds an MBA from one of the top ranked entrepreneurial schools in the country, Babson College of Wellesley Ma. He is a member of the International Business Brokers Association and the Florida Business Brokers Association. Bill is also Sunbelt’s representative to the Brandon Chamber of Commerce.
Bill has held numerous sales, marketing and senior level management positions with a number of Fortune 500 companies including; DuPont, Gaf, Anitec, Polaroid, Harlequin Software and Solectron. Additionally, Bill was a principal in a number of start-up corporations and his own ad agency. He has extensive experience producing business plans, which have created, financed, re-financed, saved and sold both large and small corporations, divisions, product lines and start-ups.
Bill enjoys using his training and experience to package a great business offering and then working with both the buyer and seller to create a win/win transaction. “I love to see everyone walk away from the closing with a smile on their face. I’ve spent a lifetime making a lot of money for faceless corporations. Now I’d like to work face-to-face with people helping them create their own destiny.”
In his spare time, Bill sails, boats and fishes. He loves anything that has to do with the water. He’s an avid digital photographer and an expert at computer imaging.
"If you need someone to beat at golf, I’m you’re man."
Mike Eurich
 Michael A. Eurich is a graduate from the University of South Florida with degrees in Finance and Political Science. His further academic studies include: Business, International & Labor Relations Law; International Studies; Public, Corporate & Foreign Policy; Public & Corporate Finance; Public Administration; and, Corporate Management. He holds numerous certifications, including IRS Corporate Tax Training and Trust Administration, and holds a Florida Real Estate Sales Associate license.
Mike served 9 years as federal finance and program policy advisor to the U. S. Department of Labor; 17 years as advisor to Florida’s 11th U. S. Congressional District; and, 2 years as Chair to Tampa General Hospital’s - President’s Advisory Board. He has recently entered his 11th year as Code Enforcement Special Magistrate for Hillsborough County, Florida - for which he adjudicates zoning and land use cases; and is also currently a member of the Hillsborough County Hospital Authority. Eurich has received numerous awards for his work, including Outstanding Civilian Service Award from the United States Naval Academy, to various Who’s Who listings.
Eurich’s professional career began with 10 years in the field of banking, followed by a decade as financial consultant to the State of Florida. In this capacity, he played an integral role in negotiating and securing over $84 million annually in federal funds for statewide workforce empowerment, rural health, summer youth and urban economic impact programs. Mike has over 27 years of private business consulting experience, through which he has assisted business owners in start-up, management, marketing and business sale issues - including the start-up and sale of 3 small businesses of his own. Mike’s extensive background and experience is an excellent asset to a business owner in the sale of their business, and brings a unique element to the Sunbelt team.
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