Business Valuation, Market Insights, Sell a Business

What I Learned at the 2026 IBBA Annual Conference and Why It Matters for Manufacturing Business Owners

June 5, 2026 Comments Off on What I Learned at the 2026 IBBA Annual Conference and Why It Matters for Manufacturing Business Owners
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Each year, the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA) hosts its Annual Conference, bringing together many of the most experienced business brokers, M&A advisors, investment bankers, valuation professionals, and transaction specialists from across North America and globally.

I recently returned from the 2026 IBBA Annual Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where I participated in several days of educational workshops, industry presentations, networking events, and continuing education programs supporting professional certifications including the Certified Business Intermediary (CBI), Certified Mergers & Acquisitions Professional (CM&AP), and Merger & Acquisition Master Intermediary (M&AMI).

For business owners considering a future sale, conferences like this provide valuable insight into what buyers, lenders, investors, and transaction professionals are seeing across the lower middle market.

Several themes stood out this year.

Manufacturing Remains One of the Most Attractive Sectors in the Lower Middle Market

One of the most valuable sessions I attended was “Buying and Selling a Lower-Middle Market Manufacturing Business – The Next Level” presented by John Dalton, Managing Partner of Industrial Device Investments.

The session reinforced many of the trends we are seeing firsthand at Summit Capital Advisors.

Manufacturing continues to represent one of the strongest sectors in the lower middle market M&A environment. Key takeaways included:

  • Continued reshoring and onshoring activity supporting domestic manufacturers
  • Strong strategic buyer interest in niche manufacturing businesses
  • The importance of customer diversification and recurring revenue
  • Growing buyer focus on management depth and operational scalability
  • Increased emphasis on data, reporting systems, and operational visibility

The presentation also highlighted that manufacturing contributes approximately $3 trillion annually to the U.S. economy and that small manufacturers continue to make up the overwhelming majority of companies operating in the sector.

For founder-owned manufacturing businesses, these trends continue to support a favorable long-term outlook for well-positioned companies.

Artificial Intelligence Is Rapidly Changing Transaction Advisory

Another major theme throughout the conference was artificial intelligence.

Two particularly insightful sessions included:

  • “AI and the Future of Transaction Advisory” presented by Katie Milton Jordan, CEO and Founder of SimpleEDO.ai
  • “AI Agents for Business Brokers” presented by George Wellmer, Founder of Tupelo

Both presentations focused on how AI is beginning to transform transaction advisory workflows, not by replacing advisors, but by helping advisors become more efficient and scalable.

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Topics included:

  • Workflow automation
  • Knowledge management
  • Deal marketing preparation
  • Buyer qualification
  • Market research
  • Financial analysis
  • Transaction execution support

One of the most important takeaways was that successful adoption of AI requires structured systems and processes first. Firms that document and standardize their workflows are positioned to benefit most from emerging AI technologies.

George Wellmer’s presentation explored the growing role of AI agents, autonomous systems capable of assisting with tasks such as buyer qualification, market research, document preparation, and transaction support.

At Summit Capital Advisors, we continue evaluating practical applications of AI that improve efficiency and client service while maintaining the human judgment, experience, and relationship-driven approach that remains essential to successful transactions.

The Importance of Continuous Education

One aspect of the IBBA Conference that I have always appreciated is the commitment to professional development.

The business sale process continues to evolve.

Buyer expectations change.

Financing markets change.

Valuation trends change.

Technology changes.

As advisors, our responsibility is to continuously improve our knowledge and capabilities so we can better serve business owners navigating one of the most important financial events of their lives.

The conference provided valuable opportunities to learn from industry leaders, share best practices, and discuss emerging trends impacting business owners throughout the United States.

Honored to Receive the 2026 IBBA Platinum Chairman’s Circle Award

One of the highlights of the conference was the annual awards ceremony recognizing outstanding performance among the over 3,200 IBBA members.

I was honored to be recognized as a 2026 recipient of the IBBA Platinum Chairman’s Circle Award.

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According to the International Business Brokers Association, the award recognizes exceptional business brokerage and M&A professionals who successfully completed qualified transactions during the prior year and helped business owners achieve successful transitions.

This year marks my fourth consecutive year receiving the IBBA Platinum Chairman’s Circle Award based on performance achieved during 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 making this recognition especially meaningful to me because it reflects consistent performance over time.

I was in excellent company as 1 of only 61 of the over 3,200 broker and advisor members of the IBBA to receive this award globally. The IBBA published the full list of 2026 IBBA member excellence award recipients here. 

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I was also honored to be the only business broker and M&A advisor in Ohio to receive this recognition this year. 

What This Recognition Represents

While awards are certainly appreciated, what makes this recognition meaningful is what it represents.

During 2025, Summit Capital Advisors successfully advised on more than $20 million in completed transaction value while maintaining a 94% successful closing rate, significantly outperforming industry averages that are often reported in the 20% to 30% range.

The IBBA Platinum Chairman’s Circle Award recognizes transaction performance, but behind every successful closing is a business owner, family, entrepreneur, or acquisition client trusting an advisor to help them navigate a complex and often emotional process. This award is ultimately a reflection of those relationships and successful outcomes.

Thank You to Our Clients

This recognition would not have been possible without the business owners who trusted Summit Capital Advisors to guide them through one of the most important transactions of their lives.

In particular, I would like to thank the ownership teams behind two successful transactions completed during the qualification period:

Each transaction presented unique opportunities and challenges, and I am grateful for the confidence these clients placed in our team throughout the process.

I would also like to thank one of our long-term buy-side acquisition clients for whom we recently completed a third successful acquisition in the gasket manufacturing industry. Helping strategic acquirers execute disciplined growth-through-acquisition strategies has become an increasingly important part of our practice.

Successful transactions require collaboration among sellers, buyers, lenders, attorneys, accountants, and advisors. I am thankful to everyone involved who contributed to these successful outcomes.

Looking Ahead

The 2026 IBBA Annual Conference reinforced something I have believed throughout my career:

The fundamentals still matter.

Strong businesses continue to attract buyers.

Well-prepared companies continue to command premium valuations.

And experienced guidance continues to make a meaningful difference in transaction outcomes.

For manufacturing business owners considering a future sale, the best time to begin preparing is often years before a transaction occurs. The earlier owners understand the value drivers buyers care about, the more opportunities they have to increase enterprise value and maximize transaction outcomes.

For owners looking to dive deeper into these concepts, my book, American-Made Millions: How to Unlock the True Value of Your Manufacturing Business Before Selling, provides a practical framework for increasing value, reducing risk, and preparing for a successful exit long before going to market.

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Thank you again to the IBBA for the recognition and to the many clients, referral partners, buyers, lenders, attorneys, accountants, and industry colleagues who have contributed to another successful year.

I look forward to continuing to help manufacturing and industrial business owners achieve successful transitions in the years ahead.