Our Team
Phil Eleson
MBA, CM&AP, CBI, CEPA
A former owner-operator with an MBA and three certifications in M&A and exit planning, Phil helps founders prepare years before a sale — then navigate the process with clarity, perspective, and confidence.
M&A Advisor | Certified Exit Planning Advisor
Get Ready Early. Sell Without the Emotion.
Director of Corporate Brokerage Services, Murphy Business & Financial Corporation · MBA, DePaul University
Phil understands business ownership firsthand. He has owned and operated a steel brokerage and processing business and served as an equity partner and President & CEO of a lower-middle-market oil distribution company in Louisville, Kentucky. Having met payroll, managed a fleet, and made the decision to move on, he understands that selling a business is both a financial decision and a personal one. His first conversation with a founder starts with a question: What do you want life to look like after closing?
Phil joined Murphy Business in 2019 as Managing Director of Murphy Business Sales–MidSouth and has been recognized four times as one of Murphy’s Top Producing Business Intermediaries. His experience includes complex transactions across the Southeast and Midwest. In 2025, he was appointed Director of Corporate Brokerage Services for Murphy Business & Financial Corporation. He also works alongside John and Tony on North Georgia engagements, bringing an additional senior advisor’s perspective to the sale process.
He holds an MBA in Strategic Management from DePaul University’s Kellstadt Graduate School of Business and a B.S. in Marketing from Western Kentucky University. He is a Certified Merger & Acquisition Professional through Kennesaw State University, a Certified Business Intermediary through the IBBA, and a Certified Exit Planning Advisor through the Exit Planning Institute. His experience and training inform a core belief: exit planning should begin the day you start or purchase a business. For owners already underway, he advises allowing at least three to five years to prepare before an intended sale.
His transaction experience spans building product and consumer goods distribution, machine shops and manufacturing, FedEx line-haul routes, transportation, and specialty commercial contracting, including waterproofing, foundation repair, and commercial fencing.
Outside of work, Phil enjoys spending time with his family, including trips to visit his daughter in California. An avid golfer, he also dedicates time to mentoring aspiring business owners and advocating for local businesses in his community.
LinkedIn Profile →In Phil’s Words
Straight Talk From the Closing Table
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The 30-day test is a good signal. If you go away for 30 days and come back to problems, you’ve probably built a demanding job, not a business that’s ready to sell. If everything runs smoothly, you have something really sellable — because you have a team in place.
— Phil
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When an owner tells me, “I have so many people reaching out about buying my business,” I let them know: that’s the playbook for the other team. Get you one-on-one, tell you how great your business is, then knock it down later. We package your business and create competition for it.
— Phil
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A buyer may feel very passionate about a deal point, and the conversation may get colorful. My job is to deliver you the colorless version that has no emotion — so we stay focused on getting the deal done.
— Phil
How Phil Helps You
What Phil Brings to Your Deal
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Exit planning three to five years out, so the business is built to sell whether or not you ever do
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Confidential marketing: an owner-approved blind teaser, NDAs, and buyer qualification before your company’s identity is ever revealed
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Realistic expectations set early — nine-to-twelve-month deal timelines, a two-year transition horizon, and the earn-outs, seller notes, and rolled equity most closings include
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Diligence-ready packaging for manufacturing, distribution, transportation, and contractor businesses: equipment records, inventory quality, backlog and work-in-process, licenses, and key-employee tenure
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A steady hand in the middle — an advisor you can call any time, who keeps emotion (yours and the buyer’s) out of the negotiation
Deal Experience
Where Phil Has Done This Before
Specialty Lumber Distribution
Phil helped buyers understand the key drivers of value in a large specialty lumber distribution business, including inventory quality, supplier relationships, and the nuances of the industry.
Machine Shops & Manufacturing
Multi-million-dollar businesses presented to buyers with an emphasis on experienced teams, well-maintained equipment, and a history of reinvestment — key strengths that support value and buyer confidence.
FedEx Linehaul & Transportation
Experience with trucking, transportation, and FedEx linehaul businesses, with careful coordination of contract approvals and transfer requirements to maintain momentum and keep transactions on track through closing.
Specialty Commercial Contractors
Experience with waterproofing, foundation repair, commercial fencing, underground utility, and other specialty trade contractors, with a focus on the factors that drive value: project backlog, work in progress, licensing, and workforce strength.
Career Highlights
Phil’s Background
Murphy Business (2019–present)
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Director of Corporate Brokerage Services, Murphy Business & Financial Corporation (2025–present)
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Managing Director & Business Intermediary, Murphy Business Sales–MidSouth (2019–present)
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Four-time Top Producing Business Intermediary — 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024
Owner & Operator
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Founder, The Eleson Group — Flat-Rolled Steel Processing & Brokerage
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President & CEO, Albert Oil Company — Oil Distribution, Louisville, KY
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Over 18 years of steel industry experience — as an owner-operator and with Fortune 500 and privately held organizations
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Over 15 years of experience as a business owner
Credentials
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CM&AP — Certified Merger & Acquisition Professional, Kennesaw State University (2021)
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CBI — Certified Business Intermediary, International Business Brokers Association
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CEPA — Certified Exit Planning Advisor, Exit Planning Institute (2021)
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Member, IBBA and M&A Source
Education
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MBA, Strategic Management — DePaul University, Kellstadt Graduate School of Business
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B.S., Marketing — Western Kentucky University
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