Two Texas-based business brokers have earned the highest production honor bestowed by the International Business Brokers Association, recognizing their role in closing more than 10 million dollars in business transactions during the 2025 calendar year.
Steve Merritt and Wayne Blease, both of Transworld Business Advisors of South and West Texas, New Mexico, and Wyoming, received the Platinum Chairman’s Circle Award at the 2026 IBBA Annual Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The distinction is reserved for a select few professionals across the association’s entire global membership of more than 3,000 business brokers.
“Closing deals of this magnitude requires not just transactional expertise, but an unwavering commitment” to clients, said Tony Keane, Vice President and CFO of the regional Transworld franchise. The award recognizes consistent high-level performance in facilitating the sale of privately held businesses.
Merritt holds multiple professional designations including Master Certified Business Intermediary, Certified Merger and Acquisition Professional, and Certified Public Accountant, reflecting the increasingly specialized knowledge required in modern business brokerage. Blease holds Certified Business Intermediary and Certified Merger and Acquisition Professional designations.
The IBBA, founded in 1984, serves as the principal trade association for business brokers, providing professional development, ethical standards, and credentialing programs. The Platinum Chairman’s Circle represents the organization’s top tier of production recognition, sitting above Gold, Silver, and Bronze levels.
The business brokerage industry has evolved significantly in recent years, driven by demographic trends that are pushing an unprecedented number of business owners toward succession planning and sale. As baby boomer business owners reach retirement age, the volume of businesses changing hands has created strong demand for experienced intermediaries who can navigate complex transactions.
Transworld Business Advisors, part of the United Franchise Group family, has operated in the business brokerage space for more than 40 years. The company’s franchise model allows regional operators like the South and West Texas office to combine local market knowledge with the resources and brand recognition of a national organization.
Emily Bowler, Executive Director of the IBBA, presented the awards as part of the association’s annual conference programming, which brings together business brokers from across the country and internationally for professional development and networking.
