Scot Cockroft is the owner and president of Huntington Business Group Inc. a VR Business Sales firm in Dallas (www.vrbigd.com).
VR Business Sales, Mergers & Acquisitions, located in the heart of the DFW Metroplex, serves the entire Dallas-Fort Worth Metro area as well as North and West Texas. The company specializes in Business Brokerage, Mergers & Acquisitions, Business Valuation and Consulting services focusing on small businesses and mid-market companies.

Since childhood, Scot has always thought outside the box – looking to fill a need that no one else saw or knew how to capitalize on. “I believe that the reason I have been so successful selling large and small companies is because I truly understand the business owner. This is demonstrated from the time I started a Model Airplane repair business in the eighth grade to when I built a successful e-commerce business to when I started what became one of DFW’s largest niche cleaning service operations.”

An experienced entrepreneur and business owner, Scot purchased the Dallas office of VR Business Sales after the profitable sale of his own company. Since that time, VR in Dallas has become the leading office in Texas, ranking # 1 each year. In addition, Scot Cockroft has been a Top-10 producing owner worldwide every year since inception. In 2007, Scot was named the Most Valuable Intermediary in the World. This is considered the most prestigious award within the industry.

Scot’s passion to serve business owners is unparalleled. He consistently provides clients with creative and innovative methods to market and sell their businesses. In fact, some of these methods for marketing and business presentation have changed the way businesses go to market.

He is committed to a “different” type of business brokerage firm, one that is NOT about a sales pitch but, rather, results! In short, a business brokerage firm that is committed to performance-based compensation. Scot believes in these principles as well as a candid honesty with clients. His candid style often takes buyers and sellers by surprise, but is often what assures successful connections between the two.

As the leader of VR Business Sales in Dallas, Scot believes that each and every client deserves seasoned business professionals who provide the personal attention of a local office while also offering the resources of a world-wide organization.

In addition to overseeing the recruiting, training, and mentoring of VR’s agents to assure their effectiveness, integrity, and ultimate success, Scot also serves on the board of several nonprofit organizations including Heritage Christian Academy. Scot, his wife and two children reside in Rowlett, Texas and are active in their church.

Mike Cockroft - Senior Business Intermediary

First impressions can sometimes be deceiving. In Mike Cockroft’s case, most everyone says “What a nice guy! Maybe he’s a little too nice to sell my business…” But what many of his clients soon realize is that while Mike is indeed a nice guy – he’s also a smart, aggressive, savvy businessman with over 20 years of sales and marketing experience to his credit. In fact, since joining VR in 2005 Mike has consistently been a National Victory Register Award recipient and one of VR’s Top 10 Business Associates worldwide every year.

Selling a business is one of the crucial decisions a person can make – Mike understands that and knows what it takes to make that decision pay off. His professionalism and tenacity has earned him a well deserved reputation for putting the goals of his clients first – aggressively marketing and negotiating on their behalf in order to get the best possible sale price for their company.

Mike’s entrepreneurial spirit and talent for developing relationships has enabled him to bring about profitable results for his clients. Mike specializes in small business sales as well as mid-market mergers & acquisitions. He has sold businesses ranging from single-location Retailers to Manufacturers, Wholesalers & Distributors, Service and Internet-based Companies. Clients value Mike’s integrity, negotiation skills, and commitment to excellence.

Jeremy Furtick - Senior Business Intermediary

Careful, Thorough and Meticulous – While these may only be words to most to Jeremy they define who he is and the level of service his clients have come to expect. “If there is one aspect of this business that I feel is more important than any other, it’s managing expectations. At the end of the day, I believe it’s my primary responsibility to make sure everyone understands what to expect during a business sale – the only way to accomplish that is by working with integrity and diligence.”

Jeremy comes from a long line of entrepreneurs – his great-grandfather owned a Dallas dairy farm at the turn of the 20th Century, his grandmother founded Dallas’ oldest private preschool in the 1950s, and his parents who started a specialty advertising firm in 1982 that they still operate today. Surrounded by so many successful entrepreneurs, it is no surprise that Jeremy jumped at the opportunity to work in an industry helping business owners’ transition into the next stage of their life while also helping individuals achieve their dreams of owning a business.

Jeremy’s education, creativity and experience along with his straight-forward attitude are all keys to his success. Since joining the Dallas office in June of 2006, Jeremy has received VR’s National Victory Register Award in nine of 10 fiscal quarters. In 2007, his first full year with VR, Jeremy was recognized as the No.1 VR associate in the world – the first “rookie” to achieve this prestigious feat in VR’s 30-year history. In 2008 he remained in the top ten ranking No.8 worldwide.

Jeremy graduated from Texas A&M University in 1998 with a journalism degree and a minor in marketing before earning an MBA from The University of Texas at Dallas in 2003. Prior to joining VR, Jeremy spent seven years at KRLD NewRadio 1080 and the Texas Rangers Radio Network in advertising sales and sales management, then served as vice president of accounts with Reef Securities, an oil and gas broker-dealer. Jeremy is also a licensed real estate salesperson in the State of Texas.

Mike Derrick - Senior Business Intermediary

Mike began his career as an Accounting and Finance Professional with Elf, one of the world’s Top 5 Energy Firms, shortly after he graduated from the University of Texas in 1975. Mike later joined the Oil and Gas Division of North American Royalties, a $300 million publicly traded company, as their Divisional Controller in 1982. After participating in the Company’s successful transition from a public to a private firm, Mike was promoted to Cororate Controller in 1993.

Mike later returned to Texas in 1998 as Controller & Treasurer for Norwood Promotional Products where he served as an integral member of the Mergers & Acquisitions team assisting with the purchase of 9 industry related companies allowing Norwood to enter the 21st Century as a $500 million corporation and firmly establishing it as the world’s largest company in the industry.

After many successful years working in Mergers & Acquisitions, Mike was keenly aware of the opportunities available in the rapidly growing Austin and Central Texas market. Determined to take advantage of these opportunities, Mike founded and opened the Austin office of VR Mergers & Acquisitions in 2004. Following the sale of the Austin office in 2009 Mike joined the nationally acclaimed VR Mergers & Acquisitions office in Dallas Texas.

Jon Peters - Senior Business Intermediary

When initially meeting with Jon, many of his clients are charmed by his warm, caring personality and down to earth attitude – a departure from the typical abrupt, hurried broker that many of them encounter when trying to find someone to help them sell their business. “I joined the Dallas office of VR because I liked everything about them – the leadership, the vision, their approach to marketing, how they presented themselves to their customers and lastly, their success.”

As a former business owner, Jon understands how difficult the decision to sell can be for those who have poured their time and energy into building a successful business. He understands the personal connection each one of his clients has with their business – big or small. He knows that it’s not just a business to them – it’s their life.

With over 25 years of experience owning several residential construction businesses and as a real estate investor, Jon offers his clients a unique blend of business expertise and personal service that enables him to aggressively market and negotiate on their behalf.

Jon specializes in both small business sales and mid-market mergers & acquisitions. He is always looking for creative and fresh ways to help his clients achieve their financial goals as they move on both professionally and personally.

A passion of mine in life is helping people realize their dreams. Being a part of another person’s accomplishments and success has always been truly rewarding for me, and that’s the reason I love to help people buy and sell companies. In my experience, there’s nothing quite like the feeling of satisfaction that comes with helping one individual reap the rewards from years of building a business, while at the same time helping another individual accomplish the goal of owning a company.”

Butch received his BBA in accounting from Texas Tech University in 1982. After three years in public accounting he moved to a startup company, World Mail Centers, where he oversaw the real estate and acquisition division of the business. He began his long career in commercial building and real estate development in 1986 when he became a partner in a national general contracting firm. In 1990, Butch started Commercial Construction Group, which he sold in 1997 to a publicly traded company. All together, he has started three general contracting firms, two concrete companies and a drywall business. Additionally, he has developed and owned convenience stores, restaurants, emergency medical office buildings, retail shopping centers and an indoor sports facility. His lifelong passion for entrepreneurship has been evident for decades, and now Butch is helping other entrepreneurs achieve their own successes.

Doug Delsanter, CCIM - Commercial Real Estate Broker

With more than two decades of experience in commercial real estate, land brokerage and development, Doug is a recognized expert in the field of commercial and investment real estate. He began his professional real estate career as an Appraisal and Research Associate while completing his degree at The University of North Texas. Upon graduation, Doug worked in the Southwest Regional Sales Center for the Resolution Trust Corporation (RTC); he later joined the firm of Newmarket Grunnah Cole (now Miller Commercial) as a Real Estate professional. His background includes experience as a Land Development Manager and Commercial Real Estate Broker for Balfour Real Estate Group, Opela Investments, Mohr Partners, and The Frey Young Group.

As in-house Commercial Real Estate Broker, Doug oversees all Commercial Real Estate only transactions for the Dallas office of VR Business Sales, Mergers & Acquisitions. His long-standing relationships with business owners and real estate professionals throughout the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex allow him to provide VR’s clients with the expertise and knowledge needed to maximize the profit from the sale of their real estate holdings.

Doug studied at The University of Texas – Austin and then later at The University of North Texas where he graduated with a degree in Real Estate. He is a licensed Real Estate Broker joining the Texas Real Estate Commission in 1989. Doug also received his Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) designation in 2006 – an honor that is equivalent to a Doctorates of Real Estate which is earned by only a small percentage of real estate professionals; nationally and worldwide. His affiliations include the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and the North Texas Commercial Association of Realtors and Real Estate Professionals (NTCAR).

Ken Channell - Buyer DNA

Ken Channell has been studying the personalities and talents of the people he works with for over 25 years. He began his career at Palm Beach Junior College where he taught Sociology and Anthropology after graduating from Duke University with a Masters of Divinity and the University of North Carolina with a Masters in College Teaching.

In 1977 Ken decided to pursue a career in Real Estate that has lasted for over 30 years now. During this time, he has continued his study of personality profiling and assessment applying the knowledge he has gained to the development of his career and those of his staff.

In 2007 Ken launched his business, Your Talent Coach Associates, a professional coaching business that uses the Talent DNA Assessment System to assist individuals in understanding their unique Talent DNA and how that it can help them achieve their goals at work, in relationships and also how to improve their decision making skills in order to improve their overall well being.

Since joining VR in 2008, Ken has used his Talent DNA Assessment System to help our Dallas team identify the strengths and talents of our buyers. This has allowed our team to so that they can match them to the business that best suits them with the right to assist them in taking strategic advantage of their individual capabilities so as to build bridges that facilitate and maximize their engagement with their goals and the goals of the team.

Vanessa Cockroft - Chief Financial Officer & Financial Analyst

Vanessa brings over 13 years of accounting and financial analysis experience to the VR Team. As Chief Financial Officer, she handles all aspects of the daily financial operations for VR’s #1 office in Texas.

Prior to joining the VR Team as CFO, Vanessa served as Senior Administrative Accountant for the President and Owner of American Contractors Insurance Group (ACIG), an insurance company established in 1981.

Vanessa earned her Associates Degree in Accounting from Eastfield College and later graduated from the University of Texas – Arlington with a Bachelor of Science degree. Vanessa along with her husband and two children live in Rowlett, Texas where she is an active volunteer at many school events.