After more than two decades training business executives across the region, Bob Barber has sold his local Sandler Training office to an Indiana-based associate.
Wilcox and Associates of Fort Wayne, Indiana, has acquired the Barber and Associates Sandler franchise. Sandler Training is a global provider of sales leadership and customer service training.
The deal officially closed on Sept. 1.
“Bob has been in the network for a long time,” said Jim Wilcox, owner of Wilcox and Associates. “He’s one of those guys that has legendary status in the network — very well-loved and well-known in our space.”
Wilcox, who has been in the Sandler network for 12 years, is adding the central Illinois Sandler office to his locations in Indiana and Charlotte, N.C. He said a few years ago he acquired another similar Sandler location — an office that had been run by a longtime Sandler associate who was ready to retire from the day-to-day business but still wanted to be involved in the network. Wilcox bought out his office, and the former owner stayed on in a consulting role.
Wilcox did a presentation about the transaction at a Sandler event Barber was attending.
“I could see the lightbulbs going off in Bob’s head,” Wilcox said. “He had been thinking about similar things.”
Following the acquisition’s close, Barber will continue to work with local clients as a consultant. Barber opened the central Illinois Sandler office in April 2000, and his clients have ranged from Springfield Plastics Inc. to Midwest Family Radio to Levi, Ray and Shoup Inc., just to name a few.
“It was clear I didn’t want to just walk away from my clients,” Barber said. “Jim and I have known each other for years; we are friends. If I can be part of Jim’s organization, stay engaged, but have more flexibility and do it on my terms, why wouldn’t I?”
The Sandler network includes more than 200 offices worldwide, and Wilcox’s office ranks in the top 10% of all Sandler offices based on revenue.
“Bob coming on board adds to the revenue mix, the client mix,” Wilcox said. Wilcox already has added a new associate in the east Peoria area to help grow the central Illinois portfolio and said, down the road, he may be adding another local associate to the team.