About Us
Our Services
SMI helps funeral home, cemetery and other business owners establish and implement exit plans designed to maximize the returns most important to them. Our services include business sales and acquisitions, as well as valuations, consulting and special projects. We bring together market knowledge and experience, financing sources, legal, accounting and tax expertise, working together with your other professionals, to develop and implement a comprehensive plan to achieve your goals. Our fee structure includes an initial retainer, and a flat or percentage fee upon project completion. There is never any charge for an initial introduction and consultation to determine whether we can assist you. Unlike most other "brokers", we are not lenders, wealth managers, or accountants, nor are we compensated by them.
D. Brooks Cowles, Jr., Esq., President
Brooks Cowles has worked on ownership and exit strategies since graduating from Vanderbilt University undergraduate (BA 1980) and School of Law (JD 1983.). After five years in private practice, Brooks entered the death care sector, first with a consolidator, then since 1990 as a broker. In addition to being recognized as a published authority on death care succession and valuation issues, Brooks has experience representing a wide range of other businesses with revenues from $5 Million - $50 Million in internet, distribution, electronics, manufacturing and other industries.
Brooks' wife Nancy is also an attorney. They have two sons, Brooks III and Davis, living and pursuing careers in Colorado and Idaho. They provided the wilderness photos for this website.
Our Mission
Our mission at SMI is to use our experience and expertise to help business owners identify their maximum achievable goals for their business exit, and to develop and execute a plan to meet those goals with absolute devotion to our client and their timeframe.