Sam L. Naff

Sam L. Naff is a co-owner and the broker for Crown Business Brokerage LLC. He has been a business owner since 1999, and sold his Century 21 real estate agency in 2007.  His Pickens County agency had become one of the top real estate agencies in sales.

Work Experience

• Broker and Member/Manager of Crown Business Brokerage LLC, Marble Hill, Georgia
• Broker and owner of Century 21 Best Mountain Properties, Marble Hill, Georgia – Very successful North Georgia Metro Atlanta real estate agency
  
• Real Estate agent
  
• Executive Vice President, The Haggai Institute For Advanced Leadership Training, Inc. Atlanta, Georgia – negotiated purchase of a $30 million value hotel property which was in receivership for $13 million
  
• Campus Crusade for Christ, Director of Marketing for the Family Life Conference, Little Rock, Arkansas
  
• National Production Manager, Kraft Foods Co. Glenview, Illinois. Assignments during those twenty three years at Kraft Foods Co include: Supervisor, Quality Control Manager, General Plant Superintendent, Plant Manager, and National Production Manager-responsible for all of Kraft’s natural cheese manufacturing locations
  

Education

• BS        University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia  • Phi Delta Theta Fraternity
  
• MBA      Lake Forest Graduate School of Management - Lake Forest, Illinois

Affiliations

• Member of International Business Brokers Association
  
• Member - Cherokee County, GA Chamber of Commerce
  
• Member - Pickens County, GA Chamber of Commerce
  
• Member - Gilmer County, GA Chamber of Commerce
  
• Trustee of Foothills Community Church, Marble Hill, Georgia
  
• Licensed Real Estate Broker, Georgia Real Estate Commission
  
• Past President, Pickens County, Georgia Board of Realtors
  
• Member - Southeast Cherokee Business Network
  
• Past President of the Idaho Milk Processors Association
  
• LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/samnaff

Other Interests

• Boating on the Tennessee River
  
• North Georgia Bulldog Club – Past President

Donald C. (Don) Holt

Don Holt is Member/Manager and Associate Broker for Crown Business Brokerage LLC.  He has experience as an engineer in the aerospace industry, as an instrumentation sales engineer for a multi-national company, as an entrepreneur in the information technology field, as both an international sales manager and USA sales manager for a medical instrumentation company, a commercial real estate investor, and is a Georgia licensed real estate broker.

Work Experience

• Century 21 Best Mountain Properties: Associate Broker / Sales Agent
  
• Marquette Medical Systems: USA Sales Manager
  
• Marquette Medical Systems: Asia Pacific Sales Manager ( Hong Kong resident for 10 years)
  
• Scientific Data Systems: Computer systems sales
  
• Honeywell: Sales Engineer (Kennedy Space Center, Florida)
  
• Arnold Engineering Development Center, Tullahoma, TN: Instrumentation Engineer (U.S. Government wind tunnel center for aircraft & space vehicle testing)
  
• Officer - U.S. Air Force, TN Air National Guard/119th AC&W Flight

Education

• University of Tennessee BS Electrical Engineering
  
• Investments: National Real Estate Investor Learning Institute
  
• International Association of Business Brokers Institute -Certified Business Intermediary Accreditation

Affiliations and Credentials

• Licensed Real Estate Broker - State of Georgia
  
• Licensed Real Estate Broker - State of Tennessee
  
• Member - International Business Broker Association
  
• Certified Commercial Representative – CREP
  
• Member - Rotary Club of Jasper / Rotary International
  
• Member - Pickens County, GA Chamber of Commerce
  
• Member - Cherokee County, GA Chamber of Commerce
  
• Member - Gilmer County, GA Chamber of Commerce
  
• Linkedin - www.linkedin.com/pub/donald-holt/10/58a/645

Other Interests

• Music - Jazz & Big Band
  
• Photography
  
• Working on our farm

Robert A. (Art) Brown

Art Brown is a Business Broker and Consultant for The Crown Business Group LLC.  He has  twenty five years of extensive experience as a manager and consultant in Fortune 500 firms, and has successfully lead three technology startups, the most recent as CEO of a software development firm based in Europe.  He has experience in manufacturing, distribution, and transportation industries.

Work Experience

• Firefly Communities LLC: Director of Operations - Managed the start-up and all operational activities
  
• Competitive Logics: VP Professional Services - Managed supply chain consultant team
  
• Symetrx, Inc.: Founder and managed supply chain software company
  
• SynQuest, Inc.: VP Strategic Consulting product development, sales and delivery for supply chain software organization
  
• Computer Sciences Corporation: Supply Chain Practice Manager
  
• International Consultant for business startups
  
• International Consultant in manufacturing, distribution, and transportation businesses
  
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology: Lecturer in the summer executive conferences

Education

• BS Auburn University - Industrial Engineering
• Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Student
  

Technology Summary

Experience with the following: PeopleSoft, SAP, JD Edwards, Oracle, i2Technologies, Manugistics, Transpro, ToolsGroup, Optiant, Manhattan Associates, EXE Technologies, Relevant, Demantra

Affiliations

• Council of Logistics Management
  
• Supply Chain Council
  
• APICS, Certified Practitioner of Inventory Management (CFPIM)
  
• Association for Manufacturing Excellence
  
• Institute of Industrial Engineers
  
• American Society of Quality Control

Other Interests

• Web design
  
• Audio and video recording
  
• Assistance to local non-profit groups

William A. (Bill) Robinson III

Bill Robinson is a Crown Business Intermediary Associate located in Tennessee.  He is a CPA, with his own CPA practice at Robinson Business Consulting in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and is a licensed CPA in both Georgia and in Tennessee.  He has extensive experience as a Senior Financial Executive with major corporations, and as a Senior Tax Manager with a major accounting firm.  As an associate of Crown Business Group LLC, Bill primarily works with Tennessee business clients in selling the clients’ businesses, business acquisitions, providing business strategic planning, and operational/financial planning.

Work Experience

Robinson Business Consulting:
A CPA firm specializing in complex business transactions with an emphasis on mergers and acquisitions, representing both buyers and sellers in various business categories.  Some accounts have included:

• Assistance in the sale of an electrical wholesale / retail business
• Construction business consulting
• Retail / wholesale food business consulting
• Assistance with the financing for a $11 million real estate project
• Consulting in the expansion of a German owned company into the US Military contract and logistics market; coordination of US transfer pricing study
• Assisting other CPA’s with complex client tax matters

National Linen Service: 

• As Senior Financial Executive, Bill Robinson played a key role in the rapid growth and improved profitability of this national company
• Chief Financial Officer and member of the Executive Committee - developed initiatives that increased operating capabilities and profits.
• Vice President Taxation for National Service Industries, the $2.5 billion parent company of National Linen Service
• Realigned European structure and implemented tax strategies to save $30 million
  

RTM Restaurant Group:
This privately held company with 35,000 employees, owns several quick-service restaurant chains, including Arby’s, Mrs. Winner’s, and Lee’s Famous

• Vice President Tax, Treasurer, Executive Committee Member: Managed all taxation, planning, cash and treasury functions, approved budgets, reviewed variances and marketing plans, approved acquisitions, divestitures, and capital expenses; reorganized Finance Department
  

Price Waterhouse – Anchorage, AK; Atlanta, GA; Columbia, SC:

• Responsible for all aspects of running a tax practice, including marketing, hiring, training, firing, sales pricing decisions, collections, and other functions.  Multimillion dollar P&L responsibility

Education

• BS   Business Administration - University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill ~ Phi beta Kappa

Affiliations

• AICPA
  
• Tennessee Society of CPA’s  -  Georgia Society of CPA’s
  
• Institute of Management Accountants - Tax Committee
  
• Institute of Property Tax
  
• Published in Journal of S Corporations and The Tax Advisor

Other Interests

• Family activities, sport fishing, boating, and travel
  
• Numerous speeches to students, employees, civic groups, and Vision Council National Press Club, Washington DC related to his tragic hunting accident in 2001 which left him partially blind, and amazing recovery process. Bill credits his faith in God for his recovery, and never gave up or surrendered to his circumstances.

J. Robert (Bob) Collins PhD

Bob brings a diverse background to Crown, having served as a Fortune 500 corporate officer – responsible for strategy, planning, and R&D – and now as a member of a university faculty where he focuses on entrepreneurship, strategy and system engineering. He also advises small business, government, and educational organizations on strategy and planning.

Work Experience

• Senior Lecturer and Executive in Residence, College of Business and Technology, Texas A&M University-Commerce
• Lead faculty for undergraduate and graduate entrepreneurship courses and for senior system engineering course. Focus at the university is entrepreneurship, strategy, and system engineering.
• Co-chair of University Strategic Planning Committee. Product is a new and unique university strategic plan. (Available at University web site.)
• Chair, College of Business and Technology Strategic Planning Committee
• Corporate VP, E-Systems, Inc, Dallas, responsible for Strategic Planning and Development. Thirty-four person legislative affairs office in Washington, DC as well as national and international field offices.
• Managing Director, Raytheon E-Systems, PLC. UK subsidiary responsible for capturing significant Ministry of Defense program.
• Business area VP responsible for major product line
• Planning and strategy consultant to educational, government, and small business entities

Education

• PhD, Electrical Engineering, Texas A&M University
• MBA, Management, University of Dallas
• MEng, Electrical Engineering, Texas A&M University
• BS, Mathematics, Lamar University

Affiliations, Activities, and Awards

• Community Service as City Councilman and Mayor Pro-tem, City of Plano
• Chairman and Founding Board Member, Collin County Community College District – serving 46,000 students in 2009-10.
• Various community and county committees and commissions
• Lifetime Member, Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE)
• Past member and advisor to area economic develop commissions
• Past member of Engineering Advisory Council, Texas A&M University
• Look College of Engineering Outstanding Alumni Award, Texas A&M University
• Named to 21 for the 21st Century, Collin County, Texas

Other Interests

• Organic Farming
• Alternative Energy
• Jogging and Biking
• Study of the Bible

David M. Cooper

David Cooper is a business associate for the Crown Business Group LLC, and is a resident in the central Tennessee area. He is a licensed Tennessee commercial insurance agent. David also serves as a business consultant using automation to improve the effectiveness of sales processes.

Work Experience

• Pershke Business Development, Inc – Sales and Marketing automation consultant
  
• Property and Casualty Insurance Agent in Tennessee and Kentucky
  
• Travelers / St. Paul Insurance Companies:
  Director subsidiary agency distribution of public entity business
• Charter House Underwriters, Inc/, a subsidiary of USF&G Insurance – Vice President
  
• Charter House Inc. – Specialists in public entity insurance programs
  President, Treasurer, part owner
• Finance Director and Administrator, City of Gallatin, Tennessee
  
• KPMG CPAs: Manager, management consulting in St. Louis and Nashville
  
• Laclede Steel Company, supervisor, industrial engineering

Education

• Washington University -St. Louis, MO  BS Industrial Engineering, Phi Delta Theta Fraternity
  
• Washington University - St. Louis, MO  MBA
  
• American Institute for Chartered Property/Casualty Underwriters CPCU

Affiliations and Credentials

• Licensed Property / Casualty Insurance Agent – Tennessee
  
• Licensed Property / Casualty Insurance Agent – Kentucky
  
• Member and Past President – Rotary Club of Hendersonville, Tennessee

Other Interests

• Tennis, hiking, ballroom dancing, kayaking

Theodore (Ted) Howes

Ted Howes is a Crown Business Associate located in the middle Tennessee area.  He has had significant business experience in sales management, as a CFO, a Securities Principal, and as a Board member of NASD.

Work Experience

• Cosco Business Furniture Inc:
  Ted began his career in sales with Cosco, and was Regional Manager before accepting another  offer for advancement.
• Green Seed Company:
  As Vice President of Wholesale and International Sales, Ted was involved with sales of seed and agricultural commodities worldwide.
• Gardner Securities:
  Ted was a registered principle with NASD, and President of Gardner Securities
• Howes Investments:
  Ted owned his own investment company as a licensed securities broker.
• National Fulfillment Inc:
  CFO and Executive VP of National Fulfillment Inc, a distribution, warehousing, and logistics firm which had several facilities across the U.S., doing credit card processing and customer service for mass marketers.

Affiliations:

• International Association of Financial Planning – Nashville Chapter Board Member
  Member of Board of Directors and Treasurer of Auxiliary Volunteers for Sumner County Hospital
• Trustee – Gallatin First Baptist Church

Education

• The University of Tennessee – Nashville Campus
  
• Investment Training Institute – Atlanta, Georgia
  
• Registered NASD Representative
  
• Registered NASD Principal