Kate Vriner Recognized by the International Business Brokers Association® CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE Award

Dayton, Ohio — Sunbelt Business Advisors of Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky is proud to highlight the leadership and expertise of Kate Vriner, President and M&A Advisor, whose work focuses on helping business owners understand, prepare for, and successfully navigate the sale or transition of their companies.

Mrs. Vriner has been recognized by the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA) with the prestigious Chairman’s Circle Award for outstanding performance during 2025.

The award was presented at the 2026 IBBA Annual Conference held in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The IBBA is the world's largest professional trade association for Business Brokers and M&A Advisors.

The Chairman’s Circle Award recognizes business brokerage professionals who have demonstrated exceptional achievement in facilitating successful business transactions and serving business owners throughout the business transfer process.

For many owners, selling a business is a once-in-a-lifetime decision. It is not simply a financial transaction. It is the culmination of years, and often decades, of risk, sacrifice, leadership, and personal investment. Under Vriner’s guidance, Sunbelt Business Advisors takes a thoughtful, owner-first approach that begins with understanding what the owner truly wants.

“Every owner’s situation is different,” said Kate Vriner, President and M&A Advisor at Sunbelt Business Advisors. “Some owners want to maximize price. Others care most about protecting employees, preserving the company name, keeping the business in the community, or creating a path for the next generation. Our job is to help them understand their options, the tradeoffs, and the best path forward.”

Vriner brings a practical and compassionate perspective to mergers and acquisitions, business transitions, and exit planning. Her work with owners often begins long before a company goes to market. She helps business owners identify what drives value, what may reduce value, and what steps can be taken to better prepare the company for a successful transition.

Common issues that can affect the value of a business include customer concentration, unclear financials, deferred maintenance, owner dependency, staffing gaps, and lack of documented systems. By helping owners recognize these issues early, Vriner and the Sunbelt team are able to guide clients toward stronger outcomes and more informed decisions.

“Preparation matters,” Vriner said. “The cleaner the financials, the stronger the team, and the less dependent the business is on the owner, the more attractive the company becomes to buyers. But just as important, the owner needs to feel confident that the deal is right for them.”

Sunbelt Business Advisors serves owners throughout Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky, providing professional guidance for business sales, mergers and acquisitions, valuations, buyer searches, confidential marketing, negotiations, and transition planning. The firm works closely with business owners to protect confidentiality while helping them evaluate qualified buyers and deal structures.

Vriner emphasizes that a successful transaction is about more than simply finding a buyer. It requires strategy, discipline, patience, and trust.

“A business owner should always be able to walk away from a deal that is not right,” Vriner said. “This is a major life event. We treat it with the care, patience, and discipline it deserves.”

As President and M&A Advisor, Vriner continues to lead Sunbelt Business Advisors with a focus on clarity, professionalism, and respect for the emotional weight that comes with letting go of something an owner has built.

Business owners considering a sale, transition, valuation, or long-term exit strategy are encouraged to begin the conversation early.

About Sunbelt Business Advisors

Sunbelt Business Advisors of Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky helps business owners confidentially sell, transition, and value privately held companies. The firm works with owners across a wide range of industries, offering guidance in mergers and acquisitions, business brokerage, valuation support, exit planning, buyer qualification, negotiations, and transaction strategy.

About the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA)

Founded in 1984 and with more than 3,000 members worldwide, the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA) is the largest international non-profit association operating exclusively for people and firms engaged in business brokerage and mergers and acquisitions. The IBBA provides education, conferences, professional designations, networking opportunities, and resources to support the business brokerage profession and the successful transfer of business ownership.

For more information, visit www.ibba.org.