Our Team
Rob and Gayle Allen
“Being previous business owners, we have been “in the trenches” with small and medium sized businesses. We understand profit and loss and how business owners live out of a business. We have a thorough understanding of customer service, public relations and marketing. We know how to grow a small business and increase its overall value. As a VR Business Broker, we assess a company’s worth and bring business buyers and sellers together for mutual gain.”
--- Rob and Gayle Allen
For the past 20 years, Rob and Gayle Allen have worked as a team to purchase small businesses, build them to new levels, and sell them for a profit. Now they are applying their unique talents to their new company, VR Business Brokers, based in Asheville, North Carolina. The partners use their expertise at all facets of business development to assess a company’s worth and bring business buyers and sellers to the table.
In 1988, Rob and Gayle Allen purchased Sir Speedy Printing in Little Rock, Arkansas. Over 10 years they invested over $500,000 in capital for technology, equipment updates, training, personnel and marketing. Each partner applied his own unique expertise to the business. Rob brought a strong background in the brokerage and financial industry, and Gayle utilized her skills in business management and analysis to help Sir Speedy Printing grow. Between 1990-2002 the Allen’s Sir Speedy location was in the top 35 of the network of national stores. In 2002, Rob and Gayle Allen sold their printing operation at a profit. Sir Speedy Printing is being operated successfully today.
In 2003, Rob and Gayle purchased FloridaScapes Lawn and Landscape, a commercial landscape company. They were both actively involved in all facets of the business. Once they took over this business, the revenue increased by 50% and profitability improved by 220%. In 2006, they sold the business at a profit. The new owners are operating this landscape company today.
Rob and Gayle acquired and sold three different businesses over the past 20 years. They firmly believe there is a strong need in the marketplace for professional intermediaries with a solid commitment to client service. As an independent franchise owner of VR Business Brokers, Rob and Gayle have an open line of communication with buyers and sellers. Located in Western North Carolina, Rob and Gayle Allen join an industry leader, VR Business Brokers, in setting the highest quality standards of business practices in the industry.
Andy Turner brings business ownership experience, brokering skills and marketing abilities to VR Business Brokers.
After serving in the Air Force, Andy worked for Sony Corporation of America and JVC Corporation as a Regional Sales representative. Andy has owned RMS stereo, which was sold to a chain; Provid Supply Corporation, a broadcast equipment and mobile production truck brokering business and Turner Media & Marketing, a consulting and marketing firm in The Netherlands. Andy has also held the Executive Vice President position at Center Video Center, opening a 13-store video chain in Chicago and Division Manager for Roscor Corporation’s Discount Video Warehouse.
With hundreds of brokered transactions over his 30 year career, Andy understands the brokering process and how important it is to have satisfied parties on both ends of the sale.
VR Business Brokers have sold more businesses in the world than any other network of Business Intermediaries. The company provides an extensive training program for its Intermediaries, maintains a large international comparable database of sold businesses to assist in business valuations, and has been rated the number one Business Brokerage Company in the world, for 16 of the last 20 years. Rob and Gayle Allen are committed to serving business buyers and sellers in the Western North Carolina region.
VR Business Brokers