Pothole business fills up local entrepreneur

For at least the second time in the past year, a Gulf Coast business broker thought so highly of a listing he bought the company for himself.

Joe Varner, with SunBelt Business Brokers of Tampa Bay, got things going when he bought a vacation rental business on Anna Maria Island. Under Varner, the business, Anna Maria Vacations, has grown from $2 million in annual sales to at least $4 million.

The latest incarnation of the trend comes from Steve Alexander, who runs Abbex, a Sarasota-based business brokerage service. Alexander met with local entrepreneur Aziz Tejpar last year to discuss a listing. Tejpar wanted to sell B Pothole Free, one of several businesses he owns.