3413 Oakmont CT
Kissimmee, FL 34746
View on a map

Acclaro ESOP Advisor Chris Best Joins ESOP Marketplace

Acclaro Valuation Advisors is a market leader and a respected authority in the field of ESOP valuation. ESOP Marketplace is excited to represent a distinguished firm like Acclaro, and is happy to coun... Read the blog post >

ESOP Valuation Advisor Acclaro Establishes Chicago Office

We have some big news from Acclaro and its managing director and ESOP advisor Chris Best. Acclaro has recently announced that they're opening a new branch in the Chicago marketing area. This new offic... Read the blog post >

ESOP Engagements by Acclaro Valuation Advisors

ESOP Engagements by Acclaro Valuation Advisors Acclaro Valuation Advisors, an independent valuation firm that specializes in ESOP company annual stock valuation services among many others, has inau... Read the blog post >

Glenn Ball, Acclaro Valuation Advisor, Listed on ESOP Marketplace

Glenn Ball, Acclaro Valuation Advisor, Listed on ESOP Marketplace Glenn Ball is one of the ESOP experts at Acclaro Valuation Advisors we're proud to feature in a personal listing on our site. Educa... Read the blog post >

Robert Hicks, Jr.: ESOP Valuation Specialist with Acclaro

Robert Hicks, Jr.: ESOP Valuation Specialist with Acclaro Valuation is a crucial step in the ESOP process, being necessary to determine accurate company share price and ESOP dividends. ESOP Marketp... Read the blog post >

Acclaro Valuation Advisor Aaron Pryor Listed on ESOPMarketplace

Acclaro Valuation Advisor Aaron Pryor Listed on ESOPMarketplace Aaron Pryor, expert ESOP valuation advisor and associate at industry leading valuation firm Acclaro, now has a professional listing o... Read the blog post >

Acclaro Team Members Present at NCEO Conference

Acclaro Team Members Present at NCEO Conference Acclaro Valuation Advisors is an leader in business interest and closely-held business valuation services. The company specializes in initial ESOP va... Read the blog post >

How to Identify Prospective ESOP Situations for Ownership Transition

Introduction In today’s corporate and tax environment, successful ownership transition can sometimes be perplexing.  While many alternatives are available to accomplish this ownership transition... Read the blog post >

The Independent Review of an ESOP Valuation Report

When is it wise to have an independent review of a business valuation report?  This blog will consider one common reason for requesting an independent review of a business valuation report. Under ... Read the blog post >

Chris Best has provided business valuation services to privately held businesses since 1987. He is a leading authority on the valuation of businesses that sponsor employee stock ownership plans and the review of ESOP valuation reports for credibility and compliance with standards.

Mr. Best is a Certified Public Accountant and retains the Accredited in Business Valuation (ABV), Accredited Senior Appraiser (ASA), Master Certified Business Appraiser (MCBA), and Accredited in Business Appraisal Review (ABAR) credentials.

Mr. Best is a nationally recognized presenter and speaker on business valuation topics, having presented for the Institute of Business Appraisers, the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts, the ESOP Association, the National Center for Employee Ownership, and the Society of Financial Service Professionals.

Mr. Best is the developer and instructor of a course on ESOP Valuations for the Consultants Training Institute (CTI) and he also teaches other advanced courses for CTI. In addition, he teaches other courses on advanced business valuation topics for the Institute of Business Appraisers and other organizations.

Mr. Best’s career has taken him to South Dakota, Minnesota, and North Dakota, where he held positions at various CPA firms in tax, audit, and consulting. He founded Acclaro Valuation Advisors (formerly known as Best Business Appraisals) in 1999. Since he began his career, Chris has prepared more than 1500 valuations.  Most recently, Mr. Best opened an Acclaro branch office in the Orlando, Florida, area.

Education

• B.A., Accounting and Business Administration, magna cum laude, Augustana College, Sioux Falls, SD, 1982
• Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
• Accredited in Business Valuation (ABV)
• Accredited Senior Appraiser (ASA)
• Master Certified Business Appraiser (MCBA)
• Accredited in Business Appraisal Review (ABAR)

Mr. Best is an active member of The ESOP Association, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Nebraska Society of Certified Public Accountants, the American Society of Appraisers, the Institute of Business Appraisers, and the National Center for Employee Ownership.

Expertise

• Valuation of businesses that sponsor employee stock ownership plans
• Review of ESOP valuation reports for credibility and compliance standards
• Determining the fairness of ESOP transactions (i.e. fairness opinions)
• Assisting business owners in transferring ownership
• Exit planning, with ESOPs as a key component

We have not uploaded any case studies yet. Please check back soon.

So, You're An ESOP Trustee

So, You’re An ESOP Trustee By Tracy E. Woolsey and Glenn W. Ball Many trust companies and departments find themselves acting as trust Read the full article >

Exit Planning and Valuation

Eventually, every business owner will exit his or her business – whether voluntarily or otherwise. At that time, every owner wants to accompl Read the full article >

Tax Rates, Strategic Premiums, and the Cost-Benefit of Selling to an ESOP

A question we are often asked by business owners in the exit planning process is similar to the following: “Would it be more financially Read the full article >

Loren Steenson, Senior VP, Lamp Rynearson & Associates, Inc.

We have used Acclaro for a number of years, and we have always been satisfied. Chris interviews our company leadership about business developments and always stays current with the situation.   Our company has one of the oldest ESOPs in the country, it dates back to 1976. Chris has been with us for 9 years; the year he started, the requirements for valuation increased drastically, and he used a much more comprehensive valuation process than our previous advisor.   A couple of years ago, in order to fulfill our responsibility to our ESOP shareholders, we went on the market to validate his valuation process by asking another advisor; this confirmed that Chris was doing a great job for our shareholders. We are happy with him, and we expect to work with him for many years to come.

Rich Hullinger, President/Chairman of the Board, Chicago Lumber Company of Omaha

Chris does valuations of our company stock, his analysis is detailed and comprehensive, and I can always trust the number he comes up with. He's valued our stock since 2004, and in all the years, we've been very happy with his performance.