Expansion Systems

                            Our Team

You are invited to meet a few of our key members:

JOHN MAULDIN - CEO - Director - Franchising & Licensing div.

John Mauldin is an internationally acclaimed franchise development consultant and brings a highly successful track record in the franchising industry. He uses his exceptional background and expertise to provide unique and insightful business development training to The Business Broker Academy participants. Additionally, he operates a number of successful websites in a variety of industries.

John got his start in the Direct Mail industry, establishing a highly successful publishing operation in his early teens. Prior to completing his education, he was already consulting with clients in an effort to grow their businesses. Many of those companies are still in business today.

Mauldin got his start in the field of franchising at an early age by taking the Holiday Inns organization overseas. His success led developing other franchises including BlockBuster Video, Aamco Transmissions, Popeye's Fried Chicken, Fantastic Sam's Family Haircutters, Jiffy Lube, X-Pert Tune, Eldorado Stone, Ladek Subterranean Heating/Cooling Systems, Sum-Tan Tanning Centers, The Discovery Centers, TGI Fridays, Reeds Speedreading International and many more highly-successful and widely-recognized enterprises.

ERA Real Estate was also launched by John Mauldin, is licensed in Real Estate in Texas and is in regular contact with a leading l real estate brokers from around the US. He brings his knowledge and expertise to real estate brokers and agents, business brokers and intermediaries to the Success Partners Group.

BOB ROSS - Business Brokerage Div.

Mr.Bob Ross is a member of the Institute of Certified Business Counselors, and Texas Association of Business Brokers (TABB). He has served on the board of directors and as vice-president of the D/FW Chapter of TABB. Bob has earned the Board Certified Broker (BCB), Certified Business Intermediary (CBI), Certified Business Counselor (CBC), and Certified Business Broker (CBB) designations. In 2005 he was awarded the Master Certified Business Counselor designation. He is one of only eleven people to be honored with this designation by the Institute of Certified Business Counselors.   Mr. Ross is the immediate Past-President of this national organization.
He has authored and taught, "Recasting and Analyzing a Business For Valuation." This is a required course to receive the Board Certified Broker designation. Mr. Ross has been a speaker at several state business brokerage conventions, as well as being a feature speaker at the annual convention of the Institute of Certified Business Counselors in 1995 and 2002. In 1995, he addressed the Small Business Committee of the United States House of Representatives. Mr. Ross was invited to speak as an expert on valuing a business and the importance of using proper and legally accepted valuation methods.
After receiving his MBA degree from what is now Texas A & M - Commerce, he entered the management training program with Sears, Roebuck & Company. In 1966, he resigned his management position and started his own chain of consumer electronic retail stores. After seven years of successfully running these stores, he sold them and established a consumer electronics wholesale distributorship. Nine years later, after having grown to the third largest distributor of its type in the Southwest, the business was sold to a large holding company. Mr. Ross joined the staff of the merger and acquisition firm that acquired his company as head of their acquisition team.
After a year with that firm he formed Bob Ross & Associates and entered the business brokerage arena. His company was one of the original five members in the Alliance of Independent Brokers group. In 1991, Bob Ross & Associates was incorporated as the Fuller-Ross Group. In 1993, he became involved in the national expansion program of one of the largest organizations in the business brokerage industry. He wrote the vast majority of their operational manual and has trained over 500 business brokers on the fundamentals of the industry. In 1998, he sold his interest in that company and founded the Brokers Network Group.

DENISE HUGINNIE - Mergers & Acquisitions Div.

Denise Huginnie is a lead instructor and practice development advisor for The Business Broker Academy. She has more than 20 years senior financial management experience in major corporations, family-owned companies, start-up enterprises, and financial advisory firms. Denise is a specialist in mergers & acquisitions, commercial finance, business planning and development. She brings extensive business valuation and appraisal experience. Her corporate, middle market, and small business M&A experience exceeds $3.5 billion.

Denise has previously served as the Chief Financial Analyst of a nationally-ranked M&A advisory firm. She holds a BS degree in Industrial Engineering from Stanford University, and an MBA degree in Finance/Accounting and Operations Management from Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Denise Huginnie is the founder and Managing Director of Success Partners Group, and is currently establishing the Middle Market Advisors Network.

TONY ELDRIDGE - Director

Tony Eldridge was born in Noblesville, IN and grew up in the farming town of Westfield, IN. He graduated Westfield High and received his AA degree at Florida College in Temple Terrace, FL. He attended Harding University in Searcy, AR and received his BA degree in communications at the University of North Alabama in Florence, AL. He started his masters’ degree at the University of South Alabama before moving back to Indiana to take a position with the Charles Schwab Corporation. He became a manager with Schwab, managing over 45 brokers and then moved
to Texas with his wife, Emily.

Tony has worked in advertising with the Dallas Morning News and then became the Sales and Marketing Director for a local company with worldwide distribution. He has experience establishing both marketing and sales departments for numerous companies as well as creating operational manuals for in-house and vendor management. Tony brings considerable expertise as a business development consultant to companies looking to establish themselves in new markets, as well as helping them develop online marketing plans. He has also served as a certified trainer for Fortune 500 companies such as Charles Schwab, IBM, AT&T, and Cingular.

Tony is a published author with other books soon to be released. He and his wife have twin boys, Connor and Landon, born on April 20, 2006.

DWAYNE GANDY - Director

Dwayne Gandy was born in Valparaiso, IN. He graduated from Chesterton High School and went to Florida College in Temple Terrace, FL where he received his AA degree along with an advanced diploma in biblical studies. Dwayne continued his education at the University of North Alabama in Florence, AL where he received his BA in communications. Dwayne has been certified to advise middle market companies on strategies for growth and performance and frequently facilitates seminars on Assessing Your Organization For High Performance and Developing a High Performance Strategy: Competing to Win.

Dwayne has spent several years in helping people develop their organizational, interpersonal and leadership skills. Dwayne’s varied business experience includes working as a district manager for Aldi, the 10th largest grocery store chain in the world. In that capacity, he was responsible for corporate strategic planning, business growth planning and implementation strategies for the Chicago area market, and the development of the customer and employee base for that market. He has also worked as an assistant service manager for a major automotive group in Texas. Finally, Dwayne brings a great deal of hands on experience working in family-owned businesses operated in various industries.

Dwayne and his wife Shelley have four children. Dwayne currently serves as the President of Business Network International - Friends Advocating Business Chapter that meets weekly in Plano, TX.

Chad Halsted - CIO

Chad Halsted heads up our Internet Development and Markeitng Division as the Chief Information Officer.

Mr. Halsted was involved with Scient Corporation for some years. Scient specialized in developing large-scale websites for Fortune 500 Companies. He has orchestrated development and support organizations world-wide and has worked with clients from our Seattle, Washington; London, England and Singapore offices. His Computer Engineering background, combined with extensive knowledge of complex website development and operation and telecom expertise has made him an invaluable part of the organization.