"We sold the business in pieces to people we did business with over the years"
That doesn't sound like an acquisition
"that company made 38.5 million dollars a year"
No, they made $38.5 million dollars ONE YEAR. The year before, it was 5.5 ... the year after, who knows ...
I guess little semantic games like this are necessary when you need to position yourself as a seasoned expert–for the purposes of gaining readership to your blog or selling your book.