Ace Chapman returning to Chattanooga and sharing his expertise on buying and selling businesses

Everyone loves a good startup story, but Ace Chapman would rather go shopping where businesses already exist.

“Nobody talks about the fact that you can buy an existing business, and that’s compounded by the fact that baby boomers haven’t been taught how to sell a business,” says Chapman, 39, who has spent almost two decades buying, growing and selling businesses. “There will be nearly a trillion dollars in wealth transfers in the next decade and, meanwhile, the millennials are all starting something from scratch.”

Chapman got his start in the Scenic City, growing up in East Chattanooga where his father, the late Al Chapman, focused his ministry. The younger Chapman bought his first business at 19 years old, and has owned everything from tanning salons and mortgage companies to a 3D animation studio and high-end clothing resale shops. He now owns about 40 businesses, and is always looking for deals.

“For every dozen businesses I’ve bought, I’ve probably looked at 300,” Chapman says.

For the last five years, Chapman has lived and worked internationally, but he’s setting up shop in his hometown in 2020. Chattanooga is close to family, close to business partners in both Nashville and Atlanta, and there’s a wave of opportunity coming, he predicts.