Our Team
Tony Samples
CMAI, CM&AP, M&AMI
A Murphy Business advisor since 2009 and a Fortune 100 operator for thirty years before that, Tony has represented owners with revenues between $3M and $50M and brings that rigor to every North Atlanta deal.
M&A Advisor | Merger & Acquisition Master Intermediary
Institutional Rigor for Owners Who Will Only Sell Once
Murphy Business & Financial Corporation since 2009 · Top Producer
Tony spent thirty years with Walmart, the last stretch as a Regional Vice President and company officer responsible for a $10 billion division — all operations for the Atlanta market, 150 stores across Georgia and the southern half of South Carolina, with full P&L responsibility. He knows what it means to run a large operation, lead its people, and answer for its numbers, because he did it at a scale few advisors have seen from the inside.
Since 2009 he has been an M&A advisor with Murphy Business & Financial Corporation, recognized as a Top Producer and holding the Merger & Acquisition Master Intermediary (M&AMI), Certified Merger & Acquisition Professional (CM&AP), and Certified Merger & Acquisition Intermediary (CMAI) designations. He has represented owners with revenues from $3M to $50M and beyond — manufacturing, equipment leasing, retail, construction, healthcare, and licensed B2B service businesses — and he uses that experience to tell you, at the very beginning, what the middle and the end of your deal will look like.
Tony’s rule on any engagement is no surprises. Before a business goes to market he works through three years of financials and a trailing twelve months, normalizes the P&L, and reads the operational and personnel details the way a buyer’s diligence team will — with an M&A accountant when a business has more complications.
He also serves on the board of Berry College’s Campbell School of Business and manages his own investments through Samples Investments, LLC. He works with owners across metro Atlanta and North Georgia.
LinkedIn Profile →In Tony’s Words
Straight Talk From the Closing Table
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The most important part of the deal is before we ever go on the market. We want to know as much as we can about that business — so that once buyers come to the deal, there are no surprises.
— Tony
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If we feel the buyer is most likely private equity, I prepare my seller for what they’ll see: it’s probably not an all-cash offer. There may be seller financing, an earn-out, money in escrow, rolled equity, a request to stay on for two, three, even five years. It doesn’t mean we accept any of it — but I don’t want them surprised.
— Tony
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Businesses that contact us three or four years out — we can find the customer concentration, the family payroll, the P&L that needs cleaning up, and give them time to work through it. Some of these things you can’t solve in a day.
— Tony
How Tony Helps You
What Tony Brings to Your Deal
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A pre-market financial review to determine Adjusted EBITDA
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Preparation for private equity, family office, and strategic buyers: deal structures, earn-outs, escrows, equity rollovers, and transition expectations explained before the first offer arrives
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Bridging the gap between your expectations and a buyer’s offer — usually with an earn-out tied to the specific risk the buyer is pricing in — so the payout is protected
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A three-to-four-year readiness runway to fix customer concentration, family payroll, and personal expenses running through the P&L
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Industry fluency in manufacturing (equipment, CAPX, maintenance records, accrued vacation), equipment leasing (utilization), and licensed, “internet-proof” trades such as electrical, plumbing, and HVAC
Deal Experience
Where Tony Has Done This Before
Private Equity & Strategic Buyers
Sales to private equity and strategic acquirers — the experience that lets Tony show a $3M or $5M owner exactly how a professional buyer will underwrite their company.
Equipment Leasing & Rental
Fleet-scale tractor and equipment leasing businesses, where buyers dissect utilization, depreciation schedules, insurance, and replacement cycles. Tony builds those answers before a buyer asks.
Large Retail & Licensed Trades
Niche retailers and licensed service businesses — electrical, plumbing, HVAC — that are internet-resistant, high-barrier, and in demand from strategic acquirers.
Career Highlights
Tony’s Background
M&A Advisory (2009–present)
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Merger & Acquisition Master Intermediary, Murphy Business & Financial Corporation
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Recognized as a Top Producer with Murphy Mergers & Acquisition Advisors
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Helps owners sell — and buyers acquire — independent businesses valued up to $50 million
Fortune 100 Operations (1976–2006)
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Regional Vice President and company officer, Walmart — Atlanta market, a $10 billion division
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Directed all operations for 150 units across Georgia and the southern half of South Carolina
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Led the regional team with full P&L responsibility
Board Service & Investment
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Board Member, Berry College – Campbell School of Business (since 2013)
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Owner, Samples Investments, LLC
Credentials
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M&AMI — Merger & Acquisition Master Intermediary (M&A Source, since 2017)
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CM&AP — Certified Merger & Acquisition Professional (Kennesaw State University)
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CMAI — Certified Merger & Acquisition Intermediary (Murphy Business & Financial Corporation)
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