About Us
At ESOPable, we work with business owners who built something real — and want to leave it standing.
We specialize in engineering clean, financeable ownership transitions for founder-led companies where continuity, compliance, and culture matter. Whether it’s an ESOP, an internal sale, or a trust-based succession, our approach is built for industries where you can’t afford disruption — including manufacturing, marine services, construction, environmental compliance, regulated care, and government-adjacent contracting.
Instead, we focus on quiet, sustainable transitions that protect what matters most — your people, your contracts, and your legacy.
The ESOPable Team
Bill West
Founder & CEO
Bill West is the force behind ESOPable. A Marine Corps veteran and business expert, Bill has spent his career guiding business owners through complex transitions with clarity, discretion, and precision.
With deep experience in SBA-backed financing, Bill has built, bought, and sold banks, led high-performing lending teams, and structured successful exits across capital-sensitive, compliance-heavy industries. He brings a calm, structured approach to every engagement — advising closely held companies where stability and succession go hand in hand.
Bill personally leads every project, ensuring every transition is built to last.
Be unstoppable. Be ESOPable.
Bill works exclusively with founder-led businesses along Florida's east coast corridor — from Palm Beach through the Treasure Coast and up to the Space Coast — where he is known as a single, accountable transaction agent from valuation through close.
"Bill personally leads every project — from the first valuation conversation to the day of close. No hand-offs or middlemen. Just one person who knows your business as well as you do."
Awards & Recognition
25 years in M&A • IBBA Chairman's Circle • BBF Million Dollar Producer — four consecutive years • 100% Florida-focused
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IBBA Outstanding Producer — 2024, 2025
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IBBA Chairman's Circle — 2025
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BBF Million Dollar Producer — 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
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McLaughlin Award — Florida Economic Development Council
Services provided by Acquisition Experts LLC - William V West Jr PLLC, State of Florida Licensed Real Estate Broker-Associate
Doug Crawford
Business Broker
Douglas Crawford brings decades of operational leadership and business ownership experience to Acquisition Experts and ESOPable. Before entering business brokerage and valuation advisory, Doug spent more than 18 years leading Metro Fire Protection Services and previously served as Battalion Chief with the City of Stuart Fire Rescue.
Today, Doug works closely with business owners exploring valuation, succession, and transition planning. His approach centers on helping owners understand the real drivers of business value while providing clarity around available options and long-term planning decisions.
Be unstoppable. Be ESOPable.
Services provided by Acquisition Experts LLC - William V West Jr PLLC, State of Florida Licensed Real Estate Broker-Associate
Dakota Hawthorne
Relationship Manager
Dakota serves as the primary point of contact for day-to-day client communications, scheduling, and document coordination. She keeps every engagement running smoothly so Bill can stay focused on what matters most — your transaction.
Alongside her work with the firm, Dakota is pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration at Indian River State College.
Be unstoppable. Be ESOPable.
Services provided by Acquisition Experts LLC - William V West Jr PLLC, State of Florida Licensed Real Estate Broker-Associate
Dee Constantino
Operational Marketing Coordinator
Led by Dee Constantino, our marketing and operations support team manages the systems, campaigns, and content that keep outreach moving consistently across the business. Her work includes email marketing, CRM automation, lead management, webinar coordination, and digital campaign execution across platforms including GoHighLevel, Apollo, LinkedIn, and Wix. She supports the operational side of growth by organizing communication flows, maintaining marketing assets, and helping structure the processes behind ongoing business development and advisor engagement.
Transaction Team
Acquisition Experts, led by brokers Dale Armor and Ken Elkin, provides licensed Florida business brokerage services for ownership transitions involving real estate or third-party buyers. As trusted collaborators, Dale and Ken support transactions that extend beyond internal ESOP structures — including real estate transfers, lease assignments, and capital-backed buyer coordination. Their team brings decades of transactional experience and a commitment to maintaining confidentiality, deal integrity, and closing certainty.
Specialist Network
Our work is supported by a handpicked network of professionals — ESOP trustees, SBA lenders, ERISA counsel, tax advisors, valuation experts — each selected for their credibility and ability to operate within SBA, IRS, and DOL guidelines. These professionals are engaged when needed, not pushed by default, and coordinated to align with your trusted advisors. Our team of advisors has worked on over half of the SBA supported ESOP transitions to date.
Why Bill built ESOPable
After 25 years helping business owners build, finance, acquire, and transition companies — across commercial banking, community bank M&A, and portfolio company advisory — Bill recognized a gap. The best succession plans don't just deliver full value to the seller. They create value for employees, the business, and the community.
Having personally experienced the benefits of employee ownership, Bill saw a model that aligned with everything his career had taught him. An ESOP gives founders genuine exit optionality. It gives employees the opportunity to share in the wealth they helped create, preserves the cultures that drive long-term success, and it keeps strong companies anchored in the communities where they were built.
ESOPable exists because every qualified owner deserves to understand whether an ESOP is the right path for their legacy.
Proudly serving founder-led businesses across Florida's east coast — Palm Beach, Martin County, St. Lucie County, Indian River County, and Brevard County.
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