Anthony Franco

Chris’s role as a business broker is born out of a lifetime of experience living and working in family-owned businesses. He grew up in the heat seal lid business (like the lid you peel off a half and half creamer) with his family’s business making billions of lids for all kinds of products. Chris decided to pursue more corporate opportunities and spent seven years working in the restaurant industry as a sous chef for J. Alexanders and as a general manager for Chipotle prior to his return to the family business in manufacturing in 2010 and away from corporate America. From 2010 to 2021 his focus was on leading the resurgence of advanced manufacturing as the President of Qualtek Manufacturing in Colorado Springs. Bringing industrial manufacturing to the next generation of designers, makers, & buyers. In parallel with business management, Chris has invested in commercial real estate and managed properties associated with their businesses. Chris has experienced the risks and rewards of real property and how it relates to running a successful business. With over 2 decades of hands-on experience in small and medium sized businesses, Chris helps people make sense of the market when the time comes to buy or sell. When he distills the various roles and responsibilities he’s had in his career, the one constant thread linking them all together is his ability to build relationships with people. Chris’ goal is to help people make confident decisions in a complicated environment.

Anthony is a seasoned entrepreneur and business strategist with over two decades of experience in building, growing, and successfully exiting multiple ventures. As the founder of six innovative companies, Anthony has a proven track record of driving business growth, creating market-leading products, and orchestrating lucrative exits, including sales to two public companies. Anthony’s expertise spans a diverse range of industries, including technology, manufacturing, artificial intelligence, consumer goods, and digital marketing. He is renowned for his hands-on leadership style and ability to develop and execute go-to-market strategies that deliver impressive revenue growth and market penetration. His entrepreneurial journey included the establishment of Effective, a user experience agency that became the world’s most respected firm in its domain and was later acquired by WPP. Currently, as a Licensed Business Broker, Anthony leverages his extensive experience to advise small to medium-sized business owners on their exit strategies. His deep understanding of market dynamics, valuation techniques, and negotiation strategies enables him to provide strategic guidance that ensures smooth and profitable transitions for his clients. Anthony’s dynamic leadership and boundless energy have earned him a reputation as a forward-thinking leader who thrives on challenges and consistently delivers results. His entrepreneurial spirit and dedication to excellence make him a valuable asset to any organization looking to position themselves in today’s competitive market.

The FBB Group, Ltd., deals exclusively with the sale of privately owned businesses located primarily in the Rocky Mountain Region. Established in 1982 by Ronald V. Chernak, CBI, M&AMI, Fellow of the IBBA, the firm is one of Colorado's largest and most successful brokerage companies representing privately owned businesses. The FBB Group has completed over 1,000 business sales covering a wide variety of industries. The FBB Group offers professional assistance at every phase of the business sale transaction, including: valuation, preparation of a detailed business presentation package, development of a sound marketing strategy, pre-screening of potential purchasers, negotiating the structure of the transaction, and interfacing with accountants, attorneys, and bankers during the closing process.

Ron is one of a select group of business brokers in the nation holding the Certified Business Intermediary (CBI) and the Merger & Acquisition Specialist designations. He has been recognized by the International Business Brokers Association with a lifetime designation as Fellow of the IBBA. Ron also holds Certified Negotiation Expert (CNE) status. Prior to joining the firm in 1998, First Business Brokers, Ltd., successfully represented Ron’s Relocation Guides in the sale of 14 markets throughout the Midwest, South, and Southwest. Ron holds an MBA and BA from the University of Michigan. He serves on the Board of Trustees for the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center and on the GoCA Advisory Board for the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, and is active with numerous other non-profit organizations. He was nominated by the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce as one of the Business Leaders in the Arts in 2009, and was honored by the Business Journal as one of the city’s “Men of the New Millennium.” Ron’s professional affiliations include the Colorado Springs Executives Association. He is licensed to do business brokerage and real estate transactions in Colorado and North Carolina.