As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 11, 2007

Securities Act File No. 333-     

 

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form N-2

 

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

Main Street Capital Corporation

(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

 

1300 Post Oak Boulevard, Suite 800

Houston, TX 77056

(713) 350-6000

(Address and telephone number,

including area code, of principal executive offices)

 

Vincent D. Foster

Chief Executive Officer

Main Street Capital Corporation

1300 Post Oak Boulevard, Suite 800

Houston, TX 77056

(Name and address of agent for service)

 

COPIES TO:

 

 

Approximate date of proposed public offering:  As soon as practicable after the effective date of this Registration Statement.

 

If any securities being registered on this form will be offered on a delayed or continuous basis in reliance on Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered in connection with a dividend reinvestment plan, check the following box.  o

 

It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box):  o when declared effective pursuant to section 8(c).

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

 

The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

 

 

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED MAY 11, 2007

 

PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS

                    Shares

 

 

Main Street Capital Corporation

 

Common Stock

 

 

We are a specialty investment company focused on providing customized debt and equity financing to lower middle market companies that operate in diverse industries. We seek to fill the current financing gap for lower middle market businesses, which have limited access to financing from commercial banks and other traditional sources.

 

Our investment objective is to maximize our portfolio’s total return by generating current income from our debt investments and realizing capital appreciation from our equity-related investments. Upon completion of this offering, we will be an internally managed, closed-end, non-diversified management investment company that has elected to be treated as a business development company under the Investment Company Act of 1940.

 

Upon completion of the formation transactions described in this prospectus, we will acquire (i) Main Street Mezzanine Fund, LP, which is licensed as a Small Business Investment Company, or SBIC, by the United States Small Business Administration and (ii) Main Street Mezzanine Management, LLC, the general partner of Main Street Mezzanine Fund, LP. In addition, as part of the formation transactions, we will acquire Main Street Capital Partners, LLC, which is the manager and investment adviser to two SBICs, including Main Street Mezzanine Fund, LP.

 

We are offering           shares of our common stock. This is our initial public offering, and no public market currently exists for our shares. We have applied to have our common stock approved for quotation on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “MAIN.”

 

 

Investing in our common stock involves risks, including the risk of leverage. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 13. Shares of closed-end investment companies have in the past frequently traded at a discount to their net asset value. If our shares trade at a discount to net asset value, it may increase the risk of loss for purchasers in this offering.

 

This prospectus contains important information about us that a prospective investor should know before investing in our common stock. Please read this prospectus before investing and keep it for future reference. Upon completion of this offering, we will file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This information will be available free of charge by contacting us at 1300 Post Oak Boulevard, Suite 800, Houston, TX 77056 or by telephone at (713) 350-6000 or on our website at www.mainstreethouston.com. Information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus, and you should not consider that information to be part of this prospectus. The Securities and Exchange Commission also maintains a website at www.sec.gov that contains such information.

 

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

 

 

 

We have granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional      shares of our common stock at the public offering price, less the underwriting discount (sales load), solely to cover over-allotments, if any. If the over-allotment option is exercised in full, the total public offering price would be $     , the total underwriting discount (sales load) would be $     , and the proceeds to us, before expenses, would be $     .

 

The underwriters expect to deliver the shares on or about          , 2007.

 

 

A Division of Scott & Stringfellow, Inc.

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus. Neither we nor the underwriters have authorized any other person to provide you with different information from that contained in this prospectus. The information contained in this prospectus is complete and accurate only as of the date of this prospectus, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or sale of our common stock.

 

PROSPECTUS SUMMARY

				Cost of				Fair Value of
Company		Nature of Principal Business		Investment(1)(2)				Investment(3)
				(dollars in thousands)
All Hose & Specialty, LLC		Distributes commercial/industrial hoses		$	2,715			$	4,641
American Sensor Technologies, Inc.		Manufactures commercial/industrial sensors			3,250				3,775
Café Brazil, LLC		Operates casual restaurant chain			3,192				4,050
Carlton Global Resources, LLC		Produces and processes industrial minerals			4,000				4,000
CBT Nuggets, LLC		Produces and sells IT certification training videos			3,024				3,330
East Teak Fine Hardwoods, Inc.		Distributes hardwood products			4,525				4,730
Hawthorne Customs & Dispatch Services, LLC		Provides “one stop” logistics services			2,063				3,100
Hayden Acquisition, LLC		Manufactures utility structures			2,420				2,420
Houston Plating & Coatings, LLC		Provides plating and industrial coating services			310				1,810
Jensen Jewelers of Idaho, LLC		Sells retail jewelry			2,724				2,724
KBK Industries, LLC		Manufactures oilfield and industrial products			4,275				5,935
Laurus Healthcare, LP		Develops and manages healthcare facilities			3,115				3,115
Magna Card, Inc.		Distributes wholesale/consumer magnetic products			2,000				1,900
National Trench Safety, LLC		Rents and sells trench and traffic safety equipment			1,792				1,792
Pulse Systems, LLC		Manufactures components for medical devices			2,865				3,147
Quest Design & Production, LLC		Designs and fabricates custom displays			3,940				3,940
TA Acquisition Group, LP		Produces and processes construction aggregates			3,300				8,140
Technical Innovations, LLC		Manufactures specialty cutting tools and punches			2,265				3,170
Transportation General, Inc.		Provides taxi cab/transportation services			3,970				4,295
Turbine Air Systems, Ltd.		Manufactures commercial/industrial chilling systems			1,097				1,097
Wicks ’N More, LLC		Manufactures high-end candles			4,110				3,720
WorldCall, Inc.		Provides telecommunication/information services			1,064				1,150
Other Investments(4)		Various			608				228
		Total		$	62,624			$	76,209

(1)		Net of prepayments but before accumulated unearned income allocations.
(2)		Aggregates the cost of all of our investments in each of our portfolio companies.
(3)		Aggregates the fair value of all of our investments in each of our portfolio companies.
(4)		Includes our investments in Barton Springs Grill LP and Digital Music Group, Inc., which were insignificant investments as of December 31, 2006.

	•	Permanent Capital Base and Longer Investment Horizon.  Unlike traditional private investment vehicles such as SBICs, which typically are finite-life limited partnerships with a limited investment horizon, we will operate as a corporation with a perpetual life and no requirement to return capital to investors. We believe raising separate pools of capital with finite investment terms unreasonably diverts management’s time from its basic investment activities. We believe that our new structure will allow us to make investments with a longer investment horizon and to better control the timing and method of exiting our investments, which we believe will enhance our returns.
	•	Investment Efficiency.  SBICs are subject to a number of regulatory restrictions on their investment activities, including limits on the size of individual investments and the size and types of companies in which they are permitted to invest. Subsequent to the consummation of this offering, we may make investments through Main Street Capital Corporation without these restrictions, allowing us to pursue certain attractive investment opportunities that we previously were required to forgo. In addition, as a public company with more capital available, we will not be required to secure co-investments from non-affiliated investors for investments exceeding our historical regulatory size limits.

	•	Greater Access to Capital.  As a public company, we expect to have access to greater amounts and types of capital that we can use to grow our investment portfolio. In addition, we should be able to obtain additional capital in a more efficient and cost effective manner than if we were to remain a private entity. We will also have the ability to spread our overhead and operating costs over a larger capital base.
	•	Key Personnel Retention.  Retaining and providing proper incentives to key personnel over longer periods of time is critical to the success of our operations. As a public company, we will have the ability to provide competitive rates of compensation, including equity incentives to current and future employees, to further align their economic interests with our stockholders.

	•	Delivering Customized Financing Solutions.  We believe our ability to provide a broad range of customized financing solutions to lower middle market companies sets us apart from other capital providers that focus on providing a limited number of financing solutions. We offer to our portfolio companies customized debt financing solutions with equity components that are tailored to the facts and circumstances of each situation. Our ability to invest across a company’s capital structure, from senior secured loans to subordinated debt to equity securities, allows us to offer our portfolio companies a comprehensive suite of financing solutions, or “one-stop” financing.
	•	Focusing on Established Companies in the Lower Middle Market.  We generally invest in companies with established market positions, experienced management teams and proven revenue streams. Those companies generally possess better risk-adjusted return profiles than newer companies that are building management or are in the early stages of building a revenue base. In addition, established lower middle market companies generally provide opportunities for capital appreciation.
	•	Leveraging the Skills and Experience of Our Investment Team.  Our investment team has over 35 years of combined experience in lending to and investing in lower middle market companies. The members of our investment team have broad investment backgrounds, with prior experience at private investment funds, investment banks and other financial services companies, and currently include five certified public accountants and one chartered financial analyst. The expertise of our investment team in analyzing, valuing, structuring, negotiating and closing transactions should provide us with competitive advantages by allowing us to consider customized financing solutions and non-traditional and complex structures.

	•	Maintaining Portfolio Diversification.  We seek to maintain a portfolio of investments that is appropriately diversified among various companies, industries, geographic regions and end markets. This portfolio diversity is intended to mitigate the potential effects of negative economic events for particular companies, regions and industries.
	•	Capitalizing on Strong Transaction Sourcing Network.  Our investment team seeks to leverage its extensive network of referral sources for investments in lower middle market companies developed over the last ten years. Since 2002, we have originated and been the lead investor in over 25 principal investment transactions and have developed a reputation in our marketplace as a responsive, efficient and reliable source of financing, which has created a growing proprietary deal flow for us.
	•	Benefiting from Lower Cost of Capital.  Main Street Mezzanine Fund’s SBIC license has allowed us to issue SBA-guaranteed debentures. SBA-guaranteed debentures carry long-term fixed rates that are generally lower than rates on comparable bank and public debt. Because lower cost SBA leverage is, and will continue to be, a significant part of our capital base, our relative cost of debt capital should be lower than many of our competitors.

	•	Proven Management Team with Meaningful Financial Commitment.  We look for operationally-oriented management with direct industry experience and a successful track record. In addition, we expect the management team of each portfolio company to have meaningful equity ownership in the portfolio company to better align our respective economic interests. We believe management teams with these attributes are more likely to manage the companies in a manner that protects our debt investment and enhances the value of our equity investment.
	•	Established Companies with Positive Cash Flow.  We seek to invest in established companies in the lower middle market with sound historical financial performance. We typically focus on companies that have historically generated EBITDA of greater than $1.0 million and commensurate levels of free cash flow. We generally do not intend to invest in start-up companies or companies with speculative business plans.
	•	Defensible Competitive Advantages/Favorable Industry Position.  We primarily focus on companies having competitive advantages in their respective markets and/or operating in industries with barriers to entry, which may help to protect their market position and profitability.
	•	Exit Alternatives.  We expect that the primary means by which we exit our debt investments will be through the repayment of our investment from internally generated cash flow and/or refinancing. In addition, we seek to invest in companies whose business models and expected future cash flows may provide alternate methods of repaying our investment, such as through a strategic acquisition by other industry participants or a recapitalization.

	•	Pursuant to a merger agreement that has received the requisite approval of the General Partner and the limited partners of Main Street Mezzanine Fund, or the Limited Partners, we will acquire 100.0% of the limited partnership interests in Main Street Mezzanine Fund for $40.9 million (which represents the audited net asset value of Main Street Mezzanine Fund as of December 31, 2006, less cash distributed to partners in January 2007 related to realized gains). We will issue to the Limited Partners shares of common stock valued at $40.9 million in exchange for their limited partnership interests. The $40.9 million valuation represents a 54.4% premium over the total capital contributions made by the Limited Partners to Main Street Mezzanine Fund. The aggregate number of shares issuable to the Limited Partners will be determined by dividing $40.9 million by the initial public offering price per share. The shares issuable to the Limited Partners will be allocated among the Limited Partners in proportion to the respective limited partnership interests held by the Limited Partners. In determining the fair value of the investments held by Main Street Mezzanine Fund at December 31, 2006, we utilized independent valuation assistance provided by Duff & Phelps, LLC, an independent third-party valuation firm, which consisted of agreed upon procedures that we identified and asked them to perform.
	•	We will acquire from the members of the General Partner 100.0% of their equity interests in the General Partner and, consequently, 100.0% of the general partnership interest in Main Street Mezzanine Fund for $9.0 million. We will issue to the members of the General Partner shares of common stock valued at $9.0 million in exchange for their equity interests in the General Partner. The aggregate number of shares issuable to the members of the General Partner will be determined by dividing $9.0 million by the initial public offering price per share. Under the current agreement of limited partnership, or partnership agreement, of Main Street Mezzanine Fund, the General Partner is entitled to 20.0% of Main Street Mezzanine Fund’s profits and distributions. We refer to the General Partner’s right to receive such profits and distributions as “carried interest.” The consideration being received by the members of the General Partner is based largely on the estimated present value of the 20.0% carried interest in Main Street Mezzanine Fund and comparable public market transactions, and was determined using industry standard valuation methodologies that we believe are reasonable and supportable. We also received valuation assistance from Duff & Phelps, LLC, an independent third party valuation firm, which consisted of agreed upon procedures that we identified and asked them to perform.

	•	We will acquire from the members of the Investment Adviser 100.0% of their equity interests in the Investment Adviser for $18.0 million. We will issue to the members of the Investment Adviser shares of common stock valued at $18.0 million in exchange for their equity interests in the Investment Adviser. The aggregate number of shares issuable to the members of the Investment Adviser will be determined by dividing $18.0 million by the initial public offering price per share. The consideration payable to the members of the Investment Adviser is based on the estimated present value of net distributable income related to the management fees to which the Investment Adviser is entitled to receive pursuant to certain agreements and comparable public market transactions, and was determined using industry standard valuation methodologies that we believe are reasonable and supportable. We also received valuation assistance provided by Duff & Phelps, LLC, an independent third party valuation firm, which consisted of agreed upon procedures that we identified and asked them to perform.

(1)		Based on      shares of common stock to be outstanding after this offering and completion of the formation transactions described elsewhere in this prospectus. Does not include      shares of common stock issuable pursuant to the underwriters’ over-allotment option.

Common stock offered by us		shares(1)
Common stock issued in formation transactions		shares
Common stock to be outstanding after this offering		shares(1)
Use of proceeds		Our net proceeds from this offering will be approximately $      million, assuming an initial public offering price of $      per share. We intend to use all of the net proceeds from this offering to make investments in lower middle market companies in accordance with our investment objective and strategies described in this prospectus, pay our operating expenses and dividends to our stockholders and for general corporate purposes. Pending such use, we will invest the net proceeds primarily in short-term securities consistent with our business development company election and our election to be taxed as a RIC. See “Use of Proceeds.”
Proposed Nasdaq Global Market symbol		“MAIN”
Dividends		We intend to pay quarterly dividends to our stockholders out of assets legally available for distribution. Our dividends, if any, will be determined by our Board of Directors.
Taxation		We intend to elect, effective as of the date of our formation, to be treated as a RIC for federal income tax purposes. As a RIC, we generally will not pay corporate-level federal income taxes on any net ordinary income or capital gains that we distribute to our stockholders as dividends. To obtain and maintain RIC tax treatment, we must meet specified source-of-income and asset diversification requirements and distribute annually at least 90.0% of our net ordinary income and realized net short-term capital gains in excess of realized net long-term capital losses, if any. See “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.”
Dividend reinvestment plan		We have adopted a dividend reinvestment plan for our stockholders. The dividend reinvestment plan is an “opt out” reinvestment plan. As a result, if we declare dividends, then stockholders’ cash dividends will be automatically reinvested in additional shares of our common stock, unless they specifically “opt out” of the dividend reinvestment plan so as to receive cash dividends. Stockholders who receive dividends in the form of stock will be subject to the same federal, state and local tax consequences as stockholders who elect to receive their dividends in cash. See “Dividend Reinvestment Plan.”
Trading at a discount		Shares of closed-end investment companies frequently trade at a discount to their net asset value. This risk is separate and distinct from the risk that our net asset value per share may decline. We cannot predict whether our shares will trade above, at or below net asset value.
Risk factors		See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 13 and the other information included in this prospectus for a discussion of factors you should carefully consider before deciding to invest in shares of our common stock.

(1)		Does not include      shares of common stock issuable pursuant to the over-allotment option granted by us to the underwriters.

 

FEES AND EXPENSES

Sales load (as a percentage of offering price)			7.0	%	(1)
Offering expenses borne by us (as a percentage of offering price)			2.0	%	(2)
Dividend reinvestment plan expenses			—	(3)
Total stockholder transaction expenses (as a percentage of offering price)			9.0	%

Operating expenses			1.6	%(4)
Interest payments on borrowed funds			1.7	%(5)
Total annual expenses			3.3	%(6)

		1 Year				3 Years				5 Years				10 Years
You would pay the following expenses on a $1,000 investment, assuming a 5.0% annual return		$	124			$	193			$	264			$	453

(1)		The underwriting discount with respect to shares sold in this offering, which is a one-time fee, is the only sales load paid in connection with this offering.
(2)		Amount reflects estimated offering expenses of approximately $2 million to be paid by us.
(3)		The expenses of administering our dividend reinvestment plan are included in operating expenses.
(4)		Operating expenses represent our estimated annual operating expenses, excluding overhead incurred by the Investment Adviser related to its investment management responsibilities for Main Street Mezzanine Fund and Main Street Capital II. Upon consummation of the formation transactions, the Investment Adviser will be reflected as an investment in affiliated operating company as it does not conduct substantially all of its investment management activities for Main Street Mezzanine Fund. Operating expenses also exclude interest payments on borrowed funds, which is presented separately above.
(5)		Interest payments on borrowed funds represent our estimated annual interest payments on borrowed funds.
(6)		The total annual expenses are the sum of operating expenses and interest payments on borrowed funds. We may borrow money to leverage our net assets and increase our total assets.

 

SUMMARY FINANCIAL AND OTHER DATA

		Year Ended December 31,
		2004				2005				2006
		(dollars in thousands)
Income statement data:
Investment income:
Total interest, fee and dividend income		$	4,452			$	7,338			$	9,013
Interest from idle funds and other			9				222				749
Total investment income			4,461				7,560				9,762
Expenses:
Management fees to affiliate			1,916				1,929				1,942
Interest			869				2,064				2,717
General and administrative			184				197				198
Total expenses			2,969				4,190				4,857
Net investment income			1,492				3,370				4,905
Total net realized gain (loss) from investments			1,171				1,488				2,430
Net realized income			2,663				4,858				7,335
Total net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) from investments			1,764				3,032				8,488
Net increase (decrease) in members’ equity and partners’ capital resulting from operations		$	4,427			$	7,890			$	15,823
Other data:
Weighted average effective yield on debt investments(1)			15.3	%			15.3	%			15.0	%
Number of portfolio companies			14				19				24
Expense ratios (as percentage of average net assets):
Operating expenses			13.7	%			9.0	%			5.5	%
Interest expense			5.7	%			8.8	%			7.0	%

		As of
		December 31, 2006
		(dollars in thousands)
Balance sheet data:
Assets:
Total investments at fair value		$	76,209
Accumulated unearned income			(2,498	)
Total investments net of accumulated unearned income			73,711
Cash and cash equivalents			13,769
Deferred financing costs, net of accumulated amortization			1,333
Interest receivable and other assets			630
Total assets		$	89,443
Liabilities, members’ equity and partners’ capital:
SBIC debentures		$	45,100
Interest payable			855
Accounts payable and other liabilities			216
Total liabilities			46,171
Total members’ equity and partners’ capital			43,272
Total liabilities, members’ equity and partners’ capital		$	89,443

(1)		Weighted average effective yield is calculated based upon our debt investments at the end of each period and includes amortization of deferred debt origination fees.

 

Investing in our common stock involves a number of significant risks. In addition to the other information contained in this prospectus, you should consider carefully the following information before making an investment in our common stock. The risks set out below are not the only risks we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or not presently deemed material by us might also impair our operations and performance. If any of the following events occur, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. In such case, our net asset value and the trading price of our common stock could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment.

 

Risks Relating to Our Business and Structure

 

A significant portion of our investment portfolio is and will continue to be recorded at fair value as determined in good faith by our Board of Directors and, as a result, there is and will continue to be uncertainty as to the value of our portfolio investments.

 

Under the 1940 Act, we are required to carry our portfolio investments at market value or, if there is no readily available market value, at fair value as determined by our Board of Directors. Typically, there is not a public market for the securities of the privately held companies in which we have invested and will generally continue to invest. As a result, we will value these securities quarterly at fair value as determined in good faith by our Board of Directors.

 

Certain factors that may be considered in determining the fair value of our investments include the nature and realizable value of any collateral, the portfolio company’s earnings and its ability to make payments on its indebtedness, the markets in which the portfolio company does business, comparison to comparable publicly-traded companies, discounted cash flow and other relevant factors. Because such valuations, and particularly valuations of private securities and private companies, are inherently uncertain, may fluctuate over short periods of time and may be based on estimates, our determinations of fair value may differ materially from the values that would have been used if a ready market for these securities existed. Due to this uncertainty, our fair value determinations may cause our net asset value on a given date to materially understate or overstate the value that we may ultimately realize upon one or more of our investments. As a result, investors purchasing our common stock based on an overstated net asset value would pay a higher price than the value of our investments might warrant. Conversely, investors selling shares during a period in which the net asset value understates the value of our investments will receive a lower price for their shares than the value of our investments might warrant.

 

Our financial condition and results of operations will depend on our ability to effectively manage and deploy capital.

 

Our ability to achieve our investment objective of maximizing our portfolio’s total return by generating current income from our debt investments and capital appreciation from our equity-related investments will depend on our ability to effectively manage and deploy capital raised in this offering, which will depend, in turn, on our investment team’s ability to identify, evaluate and monitor, and our ability to finance and invest in, companies that meet our investment criteria. We cannot assure you that we will achieve our investment objective.

 

Accomplishing our investment objective on a cost-effective basis will be largely a function of our investment team’s handling of the investment process, its ability to provide competent, attentive and efficient services and our access to investments offering acceptable terms. In addition to monitoring the performance of our existing investments, members of our investment team may also be called upon to provide managerial assistance to our portfolio companies. These demands on their time may distract them or slow the rate of investment.

 

Even if we are able to grow and build upon our investment operations in a manner commensurate with the increased capital available to us as a result of this offering, any failure to manage our growth effectively could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

The results of our operations will depend on many factors, including the availability of opportunities for investment, readily accessible short and long-term funding alternatives in the financial markets and economic conditions. Furthermore, if we cannot successfully operate our business or implement our investment policies and strategies as described in this prospectus, it could negatively impact our ability to pay dividends and cause you to lose all or part of your investment.

 

We may face increasing competition for investment opportunities.

 

We compete for investments with other business development companies and investment funds (including private equity funds and mezzanine funds), as well as traditional financial services companies such as commercial banks and other sources of funding. Moreover, alternative investment vehicles, such as hedge funds, have begun to invest in areas they have not traditionally invested in, including making investments in lower middle market companies. As a result of these new entrants, competition for investment opportunities in lower middle market companies may intensify. Many of our competitors are substantially larger and have considerably greater financial, technical and marketing resources than we do. For example, some competitors may have a lower cost of capital and access to funding sources that are not available to us. In addition, some of our competitors may have higher risk tolerances or different risk assessments than we have. These characteristics could allow our competitors to consider a wider variety of investments, establish more relationships and offer better pricing and more flexible structuring than we are able to do. We may lose investment opportunities if we do not match our competitors’ pricing, terms and structure. If we are forced to match our competitors’ pricing, terms and structure, we may not be able to achieve acceptable returns on our investments or may bear substantial risk of capital loss. A significant part of our competitive advantage stems from the fact that the market for investments in lower middle market companies is underserved by traditional commercial banks and other financing sources. A significant increase in the number and/or the size of our competitors in this target market could force us to accept less attractive investment terms. Furthermore, many of our competitors have greater experience operating under, or are not subject to, the regulatory restrictions that the 1940 Act will impose on us as a business development company.

 

We are dependent upon our key investment personnel for our future success.

 

We depend on the members of our investment team, particularly Vincent D. Foster, Todd A. Reppert, Curtis L. Hartman, Dwayne L. Hyzak and David L. Magdol, for the identification, review, final selection, structuring, closing and monitoring of our investments. These employees have significant investment expertise and relationships that we rely on to implement our business plan. Although we intend to enter into employment agreements with these individuals, we have no guarantee that they will remain employed with us. If we lose the services of these individuals, we may not be able to operate our business as we expect, and our ability to compete could be harmed, which could cause our operating results to suffer.

 

Additionally, the increase in available capital for investment resulting from this offering will require that we retain new investment and administrative personnel. We believe our future success will depend, in part, on our ability to identify, attract and retain sufficient numbers of highly skilled employees. If we do not succeed in identifying, attracting and retaining these personnel, we may not be able to operate our business as we expect.

 

We have no operating history as a business development company or as a regulated investment company, which may impair your ability to assess our prospects.

 

Main Street Mezzanine Fund was formed in 2002 by certain members of our management team. Prior to this offering, however, we have not operated, and our management team has no experience operating, as a business development company under the 1940 Act or as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. As a result, we have no operating results under these regulatory frameworks that can demonstrate to you either their effect on our business or our ability to manage our business under these frameworks. If we fail to operate our business so as to maintain our status as a business development company or a RIC, our operating flexibility will be significantly reduced.

Because we borrow money, the potential for gain or loss on amounts invested in us is magnified and may increase the risk of investing in us.

 

Borrowings, also known as leverage, magnify the potential for gain or loss on invested equity capital. As we intend to use leverage to partially finance our investments, you will experience increased risks of investing in our common stock. We, through Main Street Mezzanine Fund, issue debt securities guaranteed by the SBA and sold in the capital markets. As a result of its guarantee of the debt securities, the SBA has fixed dollar claims on the assets of Main Street Mezzanine Fund that are superior to the claims of our common stockholders. We may also borrow from banks and other lenders in the future. If the value of our assets also increases, leveraging would cause the net asset value attributable to our common stock to increase more sharply than it would have had we not leveraged. Conversely, if the value of our assets decreases, leveraging would cause net asset value to decline more sharply than it otherwise would have had we not leveraged. Similarly, any increase in our income in excess of interest payable on the borrowed funds would cause our net income to increase more than it would without the leverage, while any decrease in our income would cause net income to decline more sharply than it would have had we not borrowed. Such a decline could negatively affect our ability to pay common stock dividends. Leverage is generally considered a speculative investment technique.

 

On December 31, 2006, we, through Main Street Mezzanine Fund, had $45.1 million of outstanding indebtedness guaranteed by the SBA, which had a weighted average annualized interest cost of approximately 5.7% (exclusive of deferred financing costs) for the year ended December 31, 2006. The debentures guaranteed by the SBA have a maturity of ten years and require semi-annual payments of interest. We will need to generate sufficient cash flow to make required interest payments on the debentures. If we are unable to meet the financial obligations under the debentures, the SBA, as a creditor, will have a superior claim to the assets of Main Street Mezzanine Fund over our stockholders in the event we liquidate or the SBA exercises its remedies under such debentures as the result of a default by us.

 

Illustration.  The following table illustrates the effect of leverage on returns from an investment in our common stock assuming various annual returns, net of expenses. The calculations in the table below are hypothetical and actual returns may be higher or lower than those appearing below.

 

Assumed Return on Our Portfolio⁽¹⁾
(net of expenses)

 

 

 

 

Our ability to achieve our investment objective may depend in part on our ability to achieve additional leverage on favorable terms by issuing debentures guaranteed by the SBA, or by borrowing from banks, or insurance companies, and there can be no assurance that such additional leverage can in fact be achieved.

 

SBA regulations limit the outstanding dollar amount of SBA-guaranteed debentures that may be issued by an SBIC or group of SBICs under common control.

 

The SBA regulations currently limit the dollar amount of SBA-guaranteed debentures that can be issued by any one SBIC or group of SBICs under common control to $127.2 million (which amount is subject to increase on an annual basis based on cost of living increases). Because of our and our investment team’s affiliations with Main Street Capital II, a separate SBIC which commenced investment operations in January 2006, Main Street Mezzanine Fund and Main Street Capital II may be deemed to be a group of SBICs under common control. Thus, the dollar amount of SBA-guaranteed debentures that can be issued collectively by Main Street Mezzanine Fund and Main Street Capital II may be limited to $127.2 million, absent relief from the SBA. Currently, we, through Main Street Mezzanine Fund, do not intend to issue SBA-guaranteed debentures in excess of $55.0 million based upon Main Street Mezzanine Fund’s existing equity capital.

Main Street Mezzanine Fund’s current status as an SBIC does not automatically assure that it will continue to receive SBA-guaranteed debenture funding. Receipt of SBA leverage funding is dependent upon Main Street Mezzanine Fund continuing to be in compliance with SBA regulations and policies. Moreover, the amount of SBA leverage funding available to SBICs is dependent upon annual Congressional authorizations and in the future may be subject to annual Congressional appropriations. There can be no assurance that there will be sufficient debenture funding available at the times desired by Main Street Mezzanine Fund.

 

Our ability to enter into and exit investment transactions with our affiliates will be restricted.

 

Except in those instances where we have received prior exemptive relief from the SEC, we will be prohibited under the 1940 Act from knowingly participating in certain investment transactions with our affiliates. Since January 2006, Main Street Mezzanine Fund has co-invested with Main Street Capital II in a number of lower middle market companies. Each co-investment was made at the same time and on the same terms. In connection with our election to be regulated as a business development company, neither we nor Main Street Mezzanine Fund will be permitted to co-invest with Main Street Capital II in certain types of negotiated investment transactions unless we receive an order from the SEC permitting us to do so. Moreover, we may be limited in our ability to make follow-on investments or liquidate our existing equity investments in such companies. Although we intend to apply to the SEC for exemptive relief to permit such co-investment and liquidity transactions, subject to certain conditions, we cannot be certain that our application for such relief will be granted or what conditions will be placed on such relief.

 

There are significant potential conflicts of interest which could impact our investment returns.

 

The members of our investment team serve or may serve as officers, directors or principals of entities that operate in the same or a related line of business as we do or of investment funds managed by our affiliates. Accordingly, they may have obligations to investors in those entities, the fulfillment of which might not be in the best interests of us or our stockholders. For example, Messrs. Foster, Reppert, Hartman, Hyzak and Magdol, each of whom are members of our investment team, are and, following this offering, will continue to have responsibilities for and an economic interest in Main Street Capital II, a separate SBIC which commenced investment operations in January 2006. Importantly, Main Street Capital II has overlapping investment objectives with those of Main Street and, accordingly, makes loans to, and invests in, companies similar to those targeted by Main Street. As a result of their responsibilities for and economic interest in Main Street Capital II, the members of our investment team will face conflicts in the allocation of investment opportunities to Main Street Capital II. Although the members of our investment team will endeavor to allocate investment opportunities in a fair and equitable manner, it is possible that we may not be given the opportunity to participate in certain investments made by Main Street Capital II. Pending receipt of exemptive relief from the SEC to permit co-investment as described above, the members of our investment team will be forced to choose whether we or Main Street Capital II should make the investment when they identify an investment opportunity.

 

We may experience fluctuations in our quarterly results.

 

We could experience fluctuations in our quarterly operating results due to a number of factors, including our ability or inability to make investments in companies that meet our investment criteria, the interest rate payable on the debt securities we acquire, the level of our expenses, variations in and the timing of the recognition of realized and unrealized gains or losses, the degree to which we encounter competition in our markets and general economic conditions. As a result of these factors, results for any period should not be relied upon as being indicative of performance in future periods.

 

Our Board of Directors may change our operating policies and strategies without prior notice or stockholder approval, the effects of which may be adverse.

 

Our Board of Directors has the authority to modify or waive our current operating policies, investment criteria and strategies without prior notice and without stockholder approval. We cannot predict the effect any changes to our current operating policies, investment criteria and strategies would have on our business, net

asset value, operating results and value of our stock. However, the effects might be adverse, which could negatively impact our ability to pay you dividends and cause you to lose all or part of your investment. Moreover, we will have significant flexibility in investing the net proceeds of this offering and may use the net proceeds from this offering in ways with which investors may not agree or for purposes other than those contemplated at the time of this offering.

 

We will be subject to corporate-level income tax if we are unable to qualify as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code.

 

To obtain and maintain RIC tax treatment under the Code, we must meet the following annual distribution, income source and asset diversification requirements.

 

 

If we fail to qualify for or maintain RIC tax treatment for any reason and are subject to corporate income tax, the resulting corporate taxes could substantially reduce our net assets, the amount of income available for distribution and the amount of our distributions.

 

We may not be able to pay you dividends, and our dividends may not grow over time.

 

We intend to pay quarterly dividends to our stockholders out of assets legally available for distribution. We cannot assure you that we will achieve investment results that will allow us to make a specified level of cash dividends or year-to-year increases in cash dividends. Our ability to pay dividends might be adversely affected by, among other things, the impact of one or more of the risk factors described in this prospectus. In addition, the inability to satisfy the asset coverage test applicable to us as a business development company can limit our ability to pay dividends. All dividends will be paid at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend on our earnings, our financial condition, maintenance of our RIC status, compliance with applicable business development company regulations, Main Street Mezzanine Fund’s compliance with applicable SBIC regulations and such other factors as our Board of Directors may deem relevant from time to time. We cannot assure you that we will pay dividends to our stockholders in the future.

We may have difficulty paying our required distributions if we recognize income before or without receiving cash representing such income.

 

For federal income tax purposes, we will include in income certain amounts that we have not yet received in cash, such as original issue discount, which may arise if we receive warrants in connection with the origination of a loan or possibly in other circumstances, or contractual payment-in-kind, or PIK, interest, which represents contractual interest added to the loan balance and due at the end of the loan term. Such original issue discounts or increases in loan balances as a result of contractual PIK arrangements will be included in income before we receive any corresponding cash payments. We also may be required to include in income certain other amounts that we will not receive in cash.

 

Since, in certain cases, we may recognize income before or without receiving cash representing such income, we may have difficulty meeting the annual distribution requirement necessary to obtain and maintain RIC tax treatment under the Code. Accordingly, we may have to sell some of our investments at times and/or at prices we would not consider advantageous, raise additional debt or equity capital or forgo new investment opportunities for this purpose. If we are not able to obtain cash from other sources, we may fail to qualify for RIC tax treatment and thus become subject to corporate-level income tax. For additional discussion regarding the tax implications of a RIC, please see “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations — Taxation as a RIC.”

 

Main Street Mezzanine Fund, as an SBIC, may be unable to make distributions to us that will enable us to meet or maintain RIC status, which could result in the imposition of an entity-level tax.

 

In order for us to qualify for RIC tax treatment, we will be required to distribute on an annual basis substantially all of our taxable income, including income from our subsidiaries, which includes the income from Main Street Mezzanine Fund. We will be partially dependent on Main Street Mezzanine Fund for cash distributions to enable us to meet the RIC distribution requirements. Main Street Mezzanine Fund may be limited by the Small Business Investment Act of 1958, and SBA regulations governing SBICs, from making certain distributions to us that may be necessary to enable us to qualify for RIC tax treatment. We may have to request a waiver of the SBA’s restrictions for Main Street Mezzanine Fund to make certain distributions to maintain our eligibility for RIC tax treatment. We cannot assure you that the SBA will grant such waiver and if Main Street Mezzanine Fund is unable to obtain a waiver, compliance with the SBA regulations may result in loss of RIC tax treatment and a consequent imposition of an entity-level tax on us.

 

Because we intend to distribute substantially all of our income to our stockholders upon our election to be treated as a RIC, we will continue to need additional capital to finance our growth, and regulations governing our operation as a business development company will affect our ability to, and the way in which we, raise additional capital.

 

In order to satisfy the requirements applicable to a RIC and to avoid payment of excise taxes, we intend to distribute to our stockholders substantially all of our net ordinary income and net capital gain income except for certain net long-term capital gains recognized after we become a RIC, some or all of which we may retain, pay applicable income taxes with respect thereto, and elect to treat as deemed distributions to our stockholders. As a business development company, we generally are required to meet a coverage ratio of total assets to total senior securities, which includes all of our borrowings and any preferred stock we may issue in the future, of at least 200.0%. This requirement limits the amount that we may borrow. If the value of our assets declines, we may be unable to satisfy this test. If that happens, we may be required to sell a portion of our investments or sell additional shares of common stock and, depending on the nature of our leverage, to repay a portion of our indebtedness at a time when such sales may be disadvantageous. In addition, issuance of additional securities could dilute the percentage ownership of our current stockholders in us.

 

While we expect to be able to borrow and to issue additional debt and equity securities, we cannot assure you that debt and equity financing will be available to us on favorable terms, or at all. In addition, as a business development company, we generally will not be permitted to issue equity securities priced below net

asset value without stockholder approval. If additional funds are not available to us, we could be forced to curtail or cease new investment activities, and our net asset value could decline.

 

Changes in laws or regulations governing our operations may adversely affect our business or cause us to alter our business strategy.

 

We, Main Street Mezzanine Fund, and our portfolio companies will be subject to regulation at the local, state and federal level. New legislation may be enacted or new interpretations, rulings or regulations could be adopted, including those governing the types of investments we are permitted to make, any of which could harm us and our stockholders, potentially with retroactive effect. In addition, any change to the SBA’s current Debenture SBIC program could have a significant impact on our ability to obtain lower-cost leverage and, therefore, our competitive advantage over other finance companies.

 

Additionally, any changes to the laws and regulations governing our operations relating to permitted investments may cause us to alter our investment strategy in order to avail ourselves of new or different opportunities. Such changes could result in material differences to the strategies and plans set forth in this prospectus and may result in our investment focus shifting from the areas of expertise of our investment team to other types of investments in which our investment team may have less expertise or little or no experience. Thus, any such changes, if they occur, could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and the value of your investment.

 

Efforts to comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act will involve significant expenditures, and non-compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may adversely affect us.

 

Upon completion of our initial public offering, we will be subject to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, and the related rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC. Under current SEC rules, beginning with our fiscal year ending December 31, 2008, our management will be required to report on our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and rules and regulations of the SEC thereunder. We will be required to review on an annual basis our internal control over financial reporting, and on a quarterly and annual basis to evaluate and disclose changes in our internal control over financial reporting. As a result, we expect to incur significant additional expenses in the near term, which may negatively impact our financial performance and our ability to make distributions. This process also will result in a diversion of management’s time and attention. We cannot be certain as to the timing of completion of our evaluation, testing and remediation actions or the impact of the same on our operations and we may not be able to ensure that the process is effective or that our internal control over financial reporting is or will be effective in a timely manner. There can be no assurance that we will successfully identify and resolve all issues required to be disclosed prior to becoming a public company or that our quarterly reviews will not identify additional material weaknesses. In the event that we are unable to maintain or achieve compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and related rules, we may be adversely affected.

 

Risks Related to Our Investments

 

Our investments in portfolio companies may be risky, and we could lose all or part of our investment.

 

Investing in lower middle market companies involves a number of significant risks. Among other things, these companies:

 

 

 

In addition, in the course of providing significant managerial assistance to certain of our portfolio companies, certain of our officers and directors may serve as directors on the boards of such companies. To the extent that litigation arises out of our investments in these companies, our officers and directors may be named as defendants in such litigation, which could result in an expenditure of funds (through our indemnification of such officers and directors) and the diversion of management time and resources.

 

The lack of liquidity in our investments may adversely affect our business.

 

We invest, and will continue to invest in companies whose securities are not publicly traded, and whose securities will be subject to legal and other restrictions on resale or will otherwise be less liquid than publicly traded securities. The illiquidity of these investments may make it difficult for us to sell these investments when desired. In addition, if we are required to liquidate all or a portion of our portfolio quickly, we may realize significantly less than the value at which we had previously recorded these investments. As a result, we do not expect to achieve liquidity in our investments in the near-term. Our investments are usually subject to contractual or legal restrictions on resale or are otherwise illiquid because there is usually no established trading market for such investments. The illiquidity of most of our investments may make it difficult for us to dispose of them at a favorable price, and, as a result, we may suffer losses.

 

We may not have the funds or ability to make additional investments in our portfolio companies.

 

We may not have the funds or ability to make additional investments in our portfolio companies. After our initial investment in a portfolio company, we may be called upon from time to time to provide additional funds to such company or have the opportunity to increase our investment through the exercise of a warrant to purchase common stock. There is no assurance that we will make, or will have sufficient funds to make, follow-on investments. Any decisions not to make a follow-on investment or any inability on our part to make such an investment may have a negative impact on a portfolio company in need of such an investment, may result in a missed opportunity for us to increase our participation in a successful operation or may reduce the expected yield on the investment.

 

Our portfolio companies may incur debt that ranks equally with, or senior to, our investments in such companies.

 

We invest primarily in secured term debt as well as equity issued by lower middle market companies. Our portfolio companies may have, or may be permitted to incur, other debt that ranks equally with, or senior to, the debt in which we invest. By their terms, such debt instruments may entitle the holders to receive payment of interest or principal on or before the dates on which we are entitled to receive payments with respect to the debt instruments in which we invest. Also, in the event of insolvency, liquidation, dissolution, reorganization or bankruptcy of a portfolio company, holders of debt instruments ranking senior to our investment in that portfolio company would typically be entitled to receive payment in full before we receive any distribution. After repaying such senior creditors, such portfolio company may not have any remaining assets to use for repaying its obligation to us. In the case of debt ranking equally with debt instruments in which we invest, we would have to share on an equal basis any distributions with other creditors holding such

debt in the event of an insolvency, liquidation, dissolution, reorganization or bankruptcy of the relevant portfolio company.

 

There may be circumstances where our debt investments could be subordinated to claims of other creditors or we could be subject to lender liability claims.

 

Even though we may have structured certain of our investments as secured loans, if one of our portfolio companies were to go bankrupt, depending on the facts and circumstances, including the extent to which we actually provided managerial assistance to that portfolio company, a bankruptcy court might recharacterize our debt investment and subordinate all or a portion of our claim to that of other creditors. We may also be subject to lender liability claims for actions taken by us with respect to a borrower’s business or instances where we exercise control over the borrower. It is possible that we could become subject to a lender’s liability claim, including as a result of actions taken in rendering significant managerial assistance.

 

Second priority liens on collateral securing loans that we make to our portfolio companies may be subject to control by senior creditors with first priority liens. If there is a default, the value of the collateral may not be sufficient to repay in full both the first priority creditors and us.

 

Certain loans that we make to portfolio companies will be secured on a second priority basis by the same collateral securing senior secured debt of such companies. The first priority liens on the collateral will secure the portfolio company’s obligations under any outstanding senior debt and may secure certain other future debt that may be permitted to be incurred by the company under the agreements governing the loans. The holders of obligations secured by the first priority liens on the collateral will generally control the liquidation of and be entitled to receive proceeds from any realization of the collateral to repay their obligations in full before us. In addition, the value of the collateral in the event of liquidation will depend on market and economic conditions, the availability of buyers and other factors. There can be no assurance that the proceeds, if any, from the sale or sales of all of the collateral would be sufficient to satisfy the loan obligations secured by the second priority liens after payment in full of all obligations secured by the first priority liens on the collateral. If such proceeds are not sufficient to repay amounts outstanding under the loan obligations secured by the second priority liens, then we, to the extent not repaid from the proceeds of the sale of the collateral, will only have an unsecured claim against the company’s remaining assets, if any.

 

The rights we may have with respect to the collateral securing the loans we make to our portfolio companies with senior debt outstanding may also be limited pursuant to the terms of one or more intercreditor agreements that we enter into with the holders of senior debt. Under such an intercreditor agreement, at any time that obligations that have the benefit of the first priority liens are outstanding, any of the following actions that may be taken in respect of the collateral will be at the direction of the holders of the obligations secured by the first priority liens: the ability to cause the commencement of enforcement proceedings against the collateral; the ability to control the conduct of such proceedings; the approval of amendments to collateral documents; releases of liens on the collateral; and waivers of past defaults under collateral documents. We may not have the ability to control or direct such actions, even if our rights are adversely affected.

 

If we do not invest a sufficient portion of our assets in qualifying assets, we could fail to qualify as a business development company or be precluded from investing according to our current business strategy.

 

As a business development company, we may not acquire any assets other than “qualifying assets” unless, at the time of and after giving effect to such acquisition, at least 70.0% of our total assets are qualifying assets. See “Regulation.”

 

We believe that substantially all of our investments will constitute qualifying assets. However, we may be precluded from investing in what we believe are attractive investments if such investments are not qualifying assets for purposes of the 1940 Act. If we do not invest a sufficient portion of our assets in qualifying assets, we could lose our status as a business development company, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Similarly, these rules could prevent us from making follow-on investments in existing portfolio companies (which could result in the dilution of our position).

 

We are a non-diversified investment company within the meaning of the 1940 Act, and therefore we are not limited with respect to the proportion of our assets that may be invested in securities of a single issuer.

 

We are classified as a non-diversified investment company within the meaning of the 1940 Act, which means that we are not limited by the 1940 Act with respect to the proportion of our assets that we may invest in securities of a single issuer. To the extent that we assume large positions in the securities of a small number of issuers, our net asset value may fluctuate to a greater extent than that of a diversified investment company as a result of changes in the financial condition or the market’s assessment of the issuer. We may also be more susceptible to any single economic or regulatory occurrence than a diversified investment company. Beyond our RIC asset diversification requirements, we do not have fixed guidelines for diversification, and our investments could be concentrated in relatively few portfolio companies.

 

We generally will not control our portfolio companies.

 

We do not, and do not expect to, control most of our portfolio companies, even though we may have board representation or board observation rights, and our debt agreements may contain certain restrictive covenants. As a result, we are subject to the risk that a portfolio company in which we invest may make business decisions with which we disagree and the management of such company, as representatives of the holders of their common equity, may take risks or otherwise act in ways that do not serve our interests as debt investors. Due to the lack of liquidity for our investments in non-traded companies, we may not be able to dispose of our interests in our portfolio companies as readily as we would like or at an appropriate valuation. As a result, a portfolio company may make decisions that could decrease the value of our portfolio holdings.

 

Economic recessions or downturns could impair our portfolio companies and harm our operating results.

 

Many of our portfolio companies may be susceptible to economic slowdowns or recessions and may be unable to repay our debt investments during these periods. Therefore, our non-performing assets are likely to increase, and the value of our portfolio is likely to decrease during these periods. Adverse economic conditions also may decrease the value of collateral securing some of our debt investments and the value of our equity investments. Economic slowdowns or recessions could lead to financial losses in our portfolio and a decrease in revenues, net income and assets. Unfavorable economic conditions also could increase our funding costs, limit our access to the capital markets or result in a decision by lenders not to extend credit to us. These events could prevent us from increasing investments and harm our operating results.

 

Defaults by our portfolio companies will harm our operating results.

 

A portfolio company’s failure to satisfy financial or operating covenants imposed by us or other lenders could lead to defaults and, potentially, termination of its loans and foreclosure on its secured assets, which could trigger cross-defaults under other agreements and jeopardize a portfolio company’s ability to meet its obligations under the debt or equity securities that we hold. We may incur expenses to the extent necessary to seek recovery upon default or to negotiate new terms, which may include the waiver of certain financial covenants, with a defaulting portfolio company.

 

Prepayments of our debt investments by our portfolio companies could adversely impact our results of operations and reduce our return on equity.

 

We are subject to the risk that the investments we make in our portfolio companies may be repaid prior to maturity. When this occurs, we will generally reinvest these proceeds in temporary investments, pending their future investment in new portfolio companies. These temporary investments will typically have substantially lower yields than the debt being prepaid and we could experience significant delays in reinvesting these amounts. Any future investment in a new portfolio company may also be at lower yields than the debt that was repaid. As a result, our results of operations could be materially adversely affected if one or more of our portfolio companies elect to prepay amounts owed to us. Additionally, prepayments could negatively impact our return on equity, which could result in a decline in the market price of our common stock.

 

Changes in interest rates may affect our cost of capital and net investment income.

 

Most of our debt investments will bear interest at fixed rates and the value of these investments could be negatively affected by increases in market interest rates. In addition, an increase in interest rates would make it more expensive to use debt to finance our investments. As a result, a significant increase in market interest rates could both reduce the value of our portfolio investments and increase our cost of capital, which would reduce our net investment income. Conversely, a decrease in interest rates may have an adverse impact on our returns by requiring us to seek lower yields on our debt investments and by increasing the risk that our portfolio companies will prepay our debt investments, resulting in the need to redeploy capital at potentially lower rates.

 

We may not realize gains from our equity investments.

 

Certain investments that we have made in the past and may make in the future include warrants or other equity securities. In addition, we make direct equity investments in companies. Our goal is ultimately to realize gains upon our disposition of such equity interests. However, the equity interests we receive may not appreciate in value and, in fact, may decline in value. Accordingly, we may not be able to realize gains from our equity interests, and any gains that we do realize on the disposition of any equity interests may not be sufficient to offset any other losses we experience. We also may be unable to realize any value if a portfolio company does not have a liquidity event, such as a sale of the business, recapitalization or public offering, which would allow us to sell the underlying equity interests. We often seek puts or similar rights to give us the right to sell our equity securities back to the portfolio company issuer. We may be unable to exercise these puts rights for the consideration provided in our investment documents if the issuer is in financial distress.

 

Risks Relating to this Offering and Our Common Stock

 

We may be unable to invest a significant portion of the net proceeds of this offering on acceptable terms in the timeframe contemplated by this prospectus.

 

Delays in investing the net proceeds of this offering may cause our performance to be worse than that of other fully invested business development companies or other lenders or investors pursuing comparable investment strategies. We cannot assure you that we will be able to identify any investments that meet our investment objective or that any investment that we make will produce a positive return. We may be unable to invest the net proceeds of this offering on acceptable terms within the time period that we anticipate or at all, which could harm our financial condition and operating results.

 

We anticipate that, depending on market conditions, it may take us up to 18 months to invest substantially all of the net proceeds of this offering in securities meeting our investment objective. During this period, we will invest the net proceeds of this offering primarily in cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities, repurchase agreements and high-quality debt instruments maturing in one year or less from the time of investment, which may produce returns that are significantly lower than the returns which we expect to achieve when our portfolio is fully invested in securities meeting our investment objective. As a result, any distributions that we pay during this period may be substantially lower than the distributions that we may be able to pay when our portfolio is fully invested in securities meeting our investment objective. In addition, until such time as the net proceeds of this offering are invested in securities meeting our investment objective, the market price for our common stock may decline. Thus, the initial return on your investment may be lower than when, if ever, our portfolio is fully invested in securities meeting our investment objective.

 

Shares of closed-end investment companies, including business development companies, may trade at a discount to their net asset value.

 

Shares of closed-end investment companies, including business development companies, may trade at a discount from net asset value. This characteristic of closed-end investment companies and business development companies is separate and distinct from the risk that our net asset value per share may decline. We cannot predict whether our common stock will trade at, above or below net asset value.

 

Investing in our common stock may involve an above average degree of risk.

 

The investments we make in accordance with our investment objective may result in a higher amount of risk than alternative investment options and a higher risk of volatility or loss of principal. Our investments in portfolio companies may be highly speculative, and therefore, an investment in our shares may not be suitable for someone with lower risk tolerance.

 

Investors in this offering are likely to incur immediate dilution upon the closing of this offering.

 

In connection with the formation transactions, we will issue common stock equal to approximately $40.9 million, which represents the net asset value of Main Street Mezzanine Fund as of December 31, 2006, as reduced for certain cash distributions made to its partners in January 2007 related to realized gains, to the Limited Partners in exchange for their respective interests, as described in the formation transactions section. However, the offering and the formation transactions will not take place until the closing of the initial public offering. On the date of the offering, the actual net asset value of Main Street Mezzanine Fund may be greater or less than the net asset value of Main Street Mezzanine Fund, as of December 31, 2006, used to determine the number of shares of common stock that the Limited Partners receive in connection with the formation transactions. If, at the time of this offering, the net asset value of Main Street Mezzanine Fund has decreased from its value as of December 31, 2006, the Limited Partners will receive more shares of common stock than they would have if the net asset value was determined closer to the time of this offering.

 

Furthermore, after giving effect to the sale of our common stock in this offering at an assumed initial public offering price of $      per share, and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and estimated offering expenses payable by us, our as-adjusted pro forma net asset value as of December 31, 2006, would have been approximately $      million, or $      per share. This represents an immediate increase in our net asset value per share of $      to Limited Partners, the members of the General Partner and the members of the Investment Adviser and dilution in net asset value per share of $      to new investors who purchase shares in this offering. See “Dilution” for more information.

 

We have not identified specific investments in which to invest all of the proceeds of this offering.

 

As of the date of this prospectus, we have not entered into definitive agreements for any specific investments in which to invest the net proceeds of this offering. Although we are and will continue to evaluate and seek new investment opportunities, you will not be able to evaluate prior to your purchase of common stock in this offering the manner in which we will invest the net proceeds of this offering, or the economic merits of any new investment.

 

The market price of our common stock may fluctuate significantly.

 

The market price and liquidity of the market for shares of our common stock may be significantly affected by numerous factors, some of which are beyond our control and may not be directly related to our operating performance. These factors include:

 

 

 

Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our common stock, and we cannot assure you that the market price of our shares will not decline following the offering.

 

Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our common stock. Consequently, the initial public offering price of our common stock was determined through negotiations among us and the underwriters. We cannot assure you that a trading market will develop for our common stock after this offering or, if one develops, that such trading market can be sustained. Initially, the market for our common stock will be extremely limited. Following this offering, sales of substantial amounts of our common stock or the availability of such shares for sale, could adversely affect the prevailing market prices for our common stock.

 

In connection with the formation transactions, the former Limited Partners and members of the General Partner and the Investment Adviser will receive restricted common stock in consideration for their respective equity interests in such entities. See “Formation; Business Development Company and Regulated Investment Company Elections-Formation Transactions.” This stock may be transferred subject to certain terms and limitations under Rule 144 (a non-exclusive resale exemption under the Securities Act of 1933) following the first anniversary of issuance. Moreover, we have agreed to use reasonable best efforts to register the resale of this restricted stock as soon as practicable following the first anniversary of the closing of this offering. Thus, this restricted stock represents a significant “overhang,” and significant sales of this stock, once it becomes tradable following the first anniversary of the closing, could have an adverse affect on the price of our shares. Any such adverse effects upon our share price could impair our ability to raise additional capital through the sale of equity securities should we desire to do so.

 

Provisions of the Maryland General Corporation Law and our articles of incorporation and bylaws could deter takeover attempts and have an adverse impact on the price of our common stock.

 

The Maryland General Corporation Law and our articles of incorporation and bylaws contain provisions that may have the effect of discouraging, delaying or making difficult a change in control of our company or the removal of our incumbent directors. We will be covered by the Business Combination Act of the Maryland General Corporation Law to the extent that such statute is not superseded by applicable requirements of the 1940 Act. However, our Board of Directors has adopted a resolution exempting from the Business Combination Act any business combination between us and any person to the extent that such business combination receives the prior approval of our Board of Directors, including a majority of our directors who are not interested persons as defined in the 1940 Act. If the applicable board resolution is repealed following such period of time or our Board of Directors does not otherwise approve a business combination, the Business Combination Act and the Control Share Acquisition Act (if we amend our bylaws to be subject to that Act) may discourage others from trying to acquire control of us and increase the difficulty of consummating any offer.

 

In addition, our Board of Directors may, without stockholder action, authorize the issuance of shares of stock in one or more classes or series, including preferred stock. See “Description of Capital Stock.” Subject to compliance with the 1940 Act, our Board of Directors may, without stockholder action, amend our articles of incorporation to increase the number of shares of stock of any class or series that we have authority to issue. The existence of these provisions, among others, may have a negative impact on the price of our common stock and may discourage third party bids for ownership of our company. These provisions may prevent any premiums being offered to you for shares of our common stock.

 

Some of the statements in this prospectus constitute forward-looking statements because they relate to future events or our future performance or financial condition. The forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus may include statements as to:

 

 

In addition, words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “expect” and “intend” indicate a forward-looking statement, although not all forward-looking statements include these words. The forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those implied or expressed in the forward-looking statements for any reason, including the factors set forth in “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this prospectus. Other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include:

 

 

We have based the forward-looking statements included in this prospectus on information available to us on the date of this prospectus, and we assume no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Although we undertake no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, you are advised to consult any additional disclosures that we may make directly to you or through reports that we in the future may file with the SEC, including annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K.

 

Formation Transactions

 

Prior to the closing of this offering and the transactions described below, we made investments through Main Street Mezzanine Fund, LP, a privately-held Delaware limited partnership which holds a license as an SBIC. Prior to the closing of this offering, Main Street Mezzanine Fund had 98 limited partners, and a general partner, Main Street Mezzanine Management, LLC, or the General Partner. Main Street Mezzanine Fund’s investments have been managed by Main Street Capital Partners, LLC, or the Investment Adviser, pursuant to a management services agreement between the Investment Adviser and Main Street Mezzanine Fund.

 

The Investment Adviser also serves as the manager and investment adviser for Main Street Capital II, LP, which also holds an SBIC license. We will not acquire any interest in Main Street Capital II in connection with the transactions described below but the Investment Adviser will continue to act as the manager and investment adviser to Main Street Capital II subsequent to such transactions.

 

Main Street Capital Corporation was incorporated as a Maryland corporation on March 9, 2007, for the purpose of acquiring Main Street Mezzanine Fund, the General Partner and the Investment Adviser, raising capital in this offering and thereafter operating as an internally managed business development company under the 1940 Act. Upon the closing of this offering, we will own and operate Main Street Mezzanine Fund through the corporate structure described below.

 

On May 10, 2007, we entered into acquisition agreements with Main Street Mezzanine Fund, the General Partner and the Investment Adviser to effect the following transactions. Pursuant to these acquisition agreements, at the time of the closing of this offering, we will consummate the following formation transactions to create an internally-managed operating structure which we believe will align the interests of management and stockholders and also enhance our net investment income, net cash flow from operations and dividend-paying potential:

 

 

In addition to serving as the general partner of Main Street Mezzanine Fund, the General Partner holds partnership interests in Main Street Mezzanine Fund equaling 0.7% of the total partnership interests.

 

 

Under two separate management services agreements with Main Street Mezzanine Fund and Main Street Capital II, the Investment Adviser receives management fees from both Main Street Mezzanine Fund and Main Street Capital II. Until September 30, 2007, the Investment Adviser is entitled to receive a quarterly management fee, paid in advance, from Main Street Mezzanine Fund equal to 0.625% (2.5% annualized) of the sum of (i) the amount of qualifying private capital contributed or committed to Main Street Mezzanine Fund, (ii) any SBA permitted return of capital distributions made by Main Street Mezzanine Fund to its limited partners and (iii) an amount equal to two times qualifying private capital, representing the SBIC leverage available to Main Street Mezzanine Fund. After September 30, 2007, the Investment Adviser is entitled to receive a quarterly management fee from Main Street Mezzanine Fund equal to 0.625% (2.5% annualized) of the sum of (i) the amount of private capital contributed to Main Street Mezzanine Fund and (ii) the actual outstanding SBIC leverage of Main Street Mezzanine Fund.

 

From January 1, 2006 until December 31, 2010 (or an earlier date if Main Street Capital II receives 80.0% or greater of its combined private funding and SBIC leverage), the Investment Adviser is entitled to receive a quarterly management fee, paid in advance, from Main Street Capital II equal to 0.5% (2.0% annualized) of the sum of (i) the amount of qualifying private capital contributed or committed to Main Street Capital II, (ii) any SBA permitted return of capital distributions made by Main Street Capital II to its limited partners and (iii) an amount equal to two times qualifying private capital, SBIC leverage available to Main Street Capital II. Thereafter, the Investment Adviser is entitled to receive a quarterly management fee, paid in advance, from Main Street Capital II equal to 0.5% (2.0% annualized) of the total cost of all active portfolio investments of Main Street Capital II.

 

Pursuant to the applicable management fee provisions discussed above and the existing capital committed to both funds, the Investment Adviser is entitled to receive management fees of approximately $2 million and $3 million from Main Street Mezzanine Fund and Main Street Capital II, respectively, for the year ending December 31, 2007.

 

The following diagram depicts our organizational structure upon completion of this offering and the formation transactions described elsewhere in this prospectus:

 

 

 

 

Because the SBA prohibits, without prior SBA approval, a “change of control” of an SBIC or issuances or transfers that would result in any person (or group of persons acting in concert) owning 10.0% or more of a class of stock of an SBIC, the formation transactions described above and this offering require the written consent of the SBA. Main Street Mezzanine Fund has formally requested the SBA’s written approval to these transactions and this offering. Main Street Mezzanine Fund intends to continue to hold its SBIC license upon the closing of this offering and be subject to the rules and regulations of the SBIC Program.

 

The consummation of the formation transactions is subject only to the receipt of the SBA approval described above and the closing of the offering.

 

Business Development Company and Regulated Investment Company Elections

 

In connection with this offering, we will file an election to be regulated as a business development company under the 1940 Act. In addition, we intend to elect to be treated as a RIC under Subchapter M of the

Code, effective as of the date of our formation. Our election to be regulated as a business development company and our election to be treated as a RIC will have a significant impact on our future operations. Some of the most important effects on our future operations of our election to be regulated as a business development company and our election to be treated as a RIC are outlined below.

 

We will report our investments at market value or fair value with changes in value reported through our statement of operations.

 

In accordance with the requirements of Article 6 of Regulation S-X, we will report all of our investments, including debt investments, at market value or, for investments that do not have a readily available market value, at their fair value as determined by our Board of Directors. Changes in these values will be reported through our statement of operations under the caption entitled “total net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) from investments.” See “Business — Valuation Process and Determination of Net Asset Value.”

 

Our ability to enter into and exit investment transactions with Main Street Capital II may be restricted.

 

Since January 2006, Main Street Mezzanine Fund has co-invested with Main Street Capital II in lower middle market companies. Each such investment was made at the same time and on the same terms. In connection with our election to be regulated as a business development company, neither we nor Main Street Mezzanine Fund will be permitted to co-invest with Main Street Capital II in certain types of negotiated investment transactions unless we receive an order from the SEC permitting us to do so. Moreover, we may be limited in our ability to make follow-on investments or liquidate our existing investments in such companies. Although we intend to apply to the SEC for exemptive relief to permit such co-investment and liquidity transactions, subject to certain conditions, we cannot be certain that our application for such relief will be granted or what conditions will be placed on such relief.

 

We generally will be required to pay income taxes only on the portion of our taxable income we do not distribute to stockholders (actually or constructively).

 

As a RIC, so long as we meet certain minimum distribution, source-of-income and asset diversification requirements, we generally will be required to pay income taxes only on the portion of our taxable income and gains we do not distribute (actually or constructively) and certain built-in gains, if any.

 

Our ability to use leverage as a means of financing our portfolio of investments will be limited.

 

As a business development company, we will be required to meet a coverage ratio of total assets to total senior securities of at least 200.0%. For this purpose, senior securities include all borrowings and any preferred stock we may issue in the future. Additionally, our ability to continue to utilize leverage as a means of financing our portfolio of investments will be limited by this asset coverage test. In connection with this offering and our intended election to be regulated as a business development company, we expect to file a request with the SEC for exemptive relief to allow us to exclude any indebtedness guaranteed by the SBA and issued by Main Street Mezzanine Fund from the 200.0% asset coverage requirements applicable to us. While the SEC has granted exemptive relief in substantially similar circumstances in the past, no assurance can be given that an exemptive order will be granted.

 

We intend to distribute substantially all of our income to our stockholders.

 

As a RIC, we intend to distribute to our stockholders substantially all of our income, except possibly for certain net long-term capital gains. We may make deemed distributions to our stockholders of some or all of our retained net long-term capital gains. If this happens, you will be treated as if you had received an actual distribution of the capital gains and reinvested the net after-tax proceeds in us. In general, you also would be eligible to claim a tax credit (or, in certain circumstances, a tax refund) equal to your allocable share of the tax we paid on the deemed distribution. See “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.”

 

We estimate that the net proceeds we will receive from the sale of shares of our common stock in this offering will be approximately $     million, or approximately $     million if the underwriters fully exercise their over-allotment option, in each case assuming an initial public offering price of $      per share, after deducting the underwriting discount and estimated offering expenses of approximately $2 million.

 

We intend to use all of the net proceeds from this offering to make investments in lower middle market companies in accordance with our investment objective and strategies described in this prospectus, pay our operating expenses and dividends to our stockholders, and for general corporate purposes. Based on current market conditions, we anticipate that it may take up to 18 months to fully invest the net proceeds we receive in connection with this offering, depending on the availability of investment opportunities that are consistent with our investment objective and strategies. However, if market conditions change, it may take us longer than 18 months to fully invest the net proceeds from this offering. Pending such use, we will invest the net proceeds primarily in short-term securities consistent with our business development company election and our election to be taxed as a RIC. See “Regulation — Temporary Investments.”

 

We intend to pay quarterly dividends to our stockholders following our election to be taxed as a RIC, which we intend will be effective as of the date of our formation. Our quarterly dividends, if any, will be determined by our Board of Directors.

 

To obtain and maintain RIC tax treatment, we must, among other things, distribute at least 90.0% of our net ordinary income and realized net short-term capital gains in excess of realized net long-term capital losses, if any. In order to avoid certain excise taxes imposed on RICs, we currently intend to distribute during each calendar year an amount at least equal to the sum of (1) 98.0% of our net ordinary income for the calendar year, (2) 98.0% of our capital gains in excess of capital losses for the one-year period ending on October 31 of the calendar year and (3) any net ordinary income and net capital gains for preceding years that were not distributed during such years. We may retain for investment some or all of our net capital gains (i.e., realized net long-term capital gains in excess of realized net short-term capital losses) and treat such amounts as deemed distributions to our stockholders. If we do this, you will be treated as if you had received an actual distribution of the capital gains we retained and then reinvested the net after-tax proceeds in our common stock. In general, you also would be eligible to claim a tax credit (or, in certain circumstances, a tax refund) equal to your allocable share of the tax we paid on the capital gains deemed distributed to you. Please refer to “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” for further information regarding the consequences of our retention of net capital gains. We can offer no assurance that we will achieve results that will permit the payment of any cash distributions and, if we issue senior securities, we will be prohibited from making distributions if doing so causes us to fail to maintain the asset coverage ratios stipulated by the 1940 Act or if distributions are limited by the terms of any of our borrowings. See “Regulation” and “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.”

 

We have adopted an “opt out” dividend reinvestment plan for our common stockholders. As a result, if we declare a dividend, then stockholders’ cash dividends will be automatically reinvested in additional shares of our common stock, unless they specifically “opt out” of the dividend reinvestment plan so as to receive cash dividends. See “Dividend Reinvestment Plan.”

 

The following table sets forth our capitalization as of December 31, 2006:

 

 

This table assumes no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option of shares. You should read this table together with “Use of Proceeds” and our balance sheet included elsewhere in this prospectus.

 

 

The following unaudited pro forma as adjusted balance sheet is based on the historical combined balance sheet of Main Street Mezzanine Fund and the General Partner as of December 31, 2006, included elsewhere in this prospectus and pro forma as adjusted to give effect to the completion of the formation transactions and the initial public offering discussed in this prospectus.

 

 

 

If you invest in our common stock, your interest will be diluted to the extent of the difference between the initial public offering price per share of our common stock and the as-adjusted pro forma net asset value per share of our common stock immediately after the completion of this offering.

 

Our net asset value as of December 31, 2006, was $43.3 million. Our as-adjusted net asset value, as of December 31, 2006, would have been $      per share. We determined our as-adjusted net asset value per share before this offering by dividing the net asset value (total assets less total liabilities) as of December 31, 2006, by the number of shares of common stock outstanding as of December 31, 2006, after giving effect to the formation transactions occurring concurrently with this offering. See “Formation; Business Development Company and Regulated Investment Company Elections — Formation Transactions.”

 

After giving effect to the sale of our common stock in this offering at an assumed initial public offering price of $      per share, the application of the net proceeds from this offering as set forth in “Use of Proceeds” and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, our as-adjusted pro forma net asset value as of           would have been approximately $     million, or $      per share. This represents an immediate increase in our net asset value per share of $      to existing stockholders and dilution in net asset value per share of $      to new investors who purchase shares in this offering. The following table illustrates this per share dilution:

 

 

 

 

The following table summarizes, as of December 31, 2006, the number of shares of common stock purchased from us, the total consideration paid to us and the average price per share paid by existing stockholders and to be paid by new investors purchasing shares of common stock in this offering assuming an initial public offering price of $      per share, before deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

 

 

 

 

The selected financial and other data below reflects the combined operations of Main Street Mezzanine Fund and the General Partner. The selected financial data at December 31, 2005 and 2006 and for the years ended December 31, 2004, 2005 and 2006, have been derived from combined financial statements that have been audited by Grant Thornton LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm. The selected financial data at December 31, 2002, 2003 and 2004 and for the years ended December 31, 2002 and 2003 have been derived from unaudited combined financial statements. You should read this selected financial and other data in conjunction with our “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and the financial statements and notes thereto.

 

 

 

 

 

The information in this section contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Please see “Risk Factors” and “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” for a discussion of the uncertainties, risks and assumptions associated with these statements. You should read the following discussion in conjunction with the financial statements and related notes and other financial information appearing elsewhere in this prospectus.

 

Overview

 

We are a specialty investment company focused on providing customized debt and equity financing to lower middle market companies that operate in diverse industries. Since 2002, we have funded approximately $96 million of debt and equity investments. See the “Portfolio Companies” section for further information on our current investments. We seek to fill the current financing gap for lower middle market businesses, which have limited access to financing from commercial banks and other traditional sources. The underserved nature of the lower middle market creates the opportunity for us to meet the financing requirements of lower middle market companies while also negotiating favorable transaction terms and equity participations.

 

Since commencing investment operations in 2002, our business has been conducted through Main Street Mezzanine Fund, which has invested primarily in secured debt instruments, equity investments, warrants and other securities of lower middle market companies based in the United States. Main Street Mezzanine Fund is licensed as an SBIC by the SBA. Main Street Mezzanine Management, LLC, or the General Partner, has been the general partner of Main Street Mezzanine Fund since its inception and Main Street Capital Partners, LLC, or the Investment Adviser, has acted as Main Street Mezzanine Fund’s manager and investment adviser. The Investment Adviser also acts as the manager and investment adviser to Main Street Capital II, LP, a separate SBIC which commenced its investment operations in January 2006. The Investment Adviser receives a management fee pursuant to separate management service agreements with both Main Street Mezzanine Fund and Main Street Capital II. Simultaneously with the consummation of this offering, we will acquire all of the outstanding equity interests of Main Street Mezzanine Fund, the General Partner and the Investment Adviser through the formation transactions. We will not acquire any interest in Main Street Capital II in connection with such transactions, but the Investment Adviser will continue to act as the manager and investment adviser to Main Street Capital II. For the year ending December 31, 2007, the Investment Advisor will be entitled to receive management fees from Main Street Capital II of approximately $3 million.

 

Our financial statements reflect the combined operations of Main Street Mezzanine Fund and the General Partner prior to the formation transactions described elsewhere in this prospectus.

 

Critical Accounting Policies

 

The preparation of financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions affecting amounts reported in the financial statements. We have identified investment valuation and revenue recognition as our most critical accounting estimates. We continuously evaluate our estimates, including those related to the matters described below. These estimates are based on the information that is currently available to us and on various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates under different assumptions or conditions. A discussion of our critical accounting policies follows.

 

Investment Valuation

 

The most significant estimate inherent in the preparation of our combined financial statements is the valuation of our investments and the related amounts of unrealized appreciation and depreciation. We are required to report our investments at fair value.

 

As of December 31, 2006, approximately 85% of our total assets represented investments in portfolio companies valued at fair value. We base the fair value of our investments on the enterprise value of the portfolio companies in which we invest. The enterprise value is the value at which an enterprise could be sold in a transaction between two willing parties other than through a forced or liquidation sale. Typically, private companies are bought and sold based on multiples of EBITDA, cash flows, net income, revenues, or in limited cases, book value. There is no single methodology for determining enterprise value and for any one portfolio company enterprise value is generally described as a range of values from which a single estimate of enterprise value is derived. In determining the enterprise value of a portfolio company, we analyze various factors, including the portfolio company’s historical and projected financial results. We also generally prepare and analyze discounted cash flow models based on its projections of the future free cash flows of the business and industry derived capital costs. We review external events, including private mergers and acquisitions, and include these events in the enterprise valuation process.

 

Due to the inherent uncertainty in the valuation process, our estimate of fair value may differ materially from the values that would have been used had a ready market for the securities existed. In addition, changes in the market environment and other events that may occur over the lives of the investments may cause the gains or losses ultimately realized on these investments to be different than the valuations currently assigned. We determine the fair value of each individual investment and record changes in fair value as unrealized appreciation or depreciation.

 

If there is adequate enterprise value to support the repayment of the debt, the fair value of our loan or debt security normally corresponds to cost plus accumulated unearned income unless the borrower’s condition or other factors lead to a determination of fair value at a different amount. The fair value of equity interests in portfolio companies is determined based on various factors, including revenues, EBITDA and cash flow from operations of the portfolio company and other pertinent factors such as recent offers to purchase a portfolio company’s securities, financing events or other liquidation events.

 

In connection with the determination of the fair value of substantially all of our investments at December 31, 2006, we received valuation assistance from Duff & Phelps, LLC, an independent valuation firm, which consisted of agreed upon procedures that we identified and asked them to perform.

 

Revenue Recognition

 

Interest and Dividend Income

 

Interest income, adjusted for amortization of premium and accretion of original issue discount, is recorded on the accrual basis to the extent that such amounts are expected to be collected. We stop accruing interest on investments and write off any previously accrued and uncollected interest when it is determined that interest is no longer collectible. Distributions from portfolio companies are recorded as dividend income when the distribution is received.

 

Fee Income

 

We may periodically provide services, including structuring and advisory services, to our portfolio companies. We recognize income from fees for providing such structuring and advisory services when the services are rendered or the transactions completed. We also receive upfront debt origination or closing fees in connection with our debt investments. Such upfront debt origination and closing fees are capitalized as unearned income on our balance sheet and amortized as additional interest income over the life of the debt investment.

 

Payment-in-Kind Interest (PIK)

 

While not significant to our total debt investment portfolio, we currently hold two loans in our portfolio that contain a PIK interest provision. The PIK interest, computed at the contractual rate specified in each loan agreement, is added to the principal balance of the loan and recorded as interest income. To maintain RIC tax treatment, this non-cash source of income will need to be paid out to stockholders in the form of distributions,

even though we have not yet collected the cash. We will stop accruing PIK interest and write off any accrued and uncollected interest when it is determined that PIK interest is no longer collectable.

 

Portfolio Composition

 

Investments principally consist of secured debt, equity warrants and direct equity investments in privately-held companies. The debt investments are secured by either a first or second lien on the assets of the portfolio company, generally bear interest at fixed rates, and generally mature between five and seven years from original investment.

 

Summaries of the composition of our investment portfolio at cost and fair value as a percentage of total investments are shown in following table:

 

 

 

The following table shows the portfolio composition by geographic region at cost and fair value as a percentage of total investments. The geographic composition is determined by the location of the corporate headquarters of the portfolio company.

 

 

Set forth below are tables showing the industry composition of our portfolio at cost and fair value as of December 31, 2005 and 2006 (excluding unearned income):

 

 

 

Our investments carry a number of risks including, but not limited to: (1) investing in lower middle market companies which have a limited operating history and financial resources; (2) holding investments that are not publicly traded and which may be subject to legal and other restrictions on resale and (3) other risks common to investing in below investment grade debt and equity investments in private, smaller companies.

 

Portfolio Asset Quality

 

We utilize an investment rating system for our entire portfolio of investments. Investment Rating 1 is used for investments that have exceeded expectations and with respect to which return of capital invested, collection of all interest, and a substantial capital gain are expected. Investment Rating 2 is used for investments that are performing in accordance with or above expectations and with respect to which the equity component, if any, has the potential to realize capital gain. Investment Rating 3 is used for investments that are generally performing in accordance with expectations and with respect to which a full return of original capital invested and collection of all interest is expected, but no capital gain can currently be foreseen. Investment Rating 4 is used for investments that are underperforming, have the potential for a realized loss and require closer monitoring. Investment Rating 5 is used for investments performing significantly below expectations and where we expect a loss.

 

The following table shows the distribution of our investments on the 1 to 5 investment rating scale at fair value as of December 31, 2005 and December 31, 2006:

 

 

Based upon our investment rating system, the weighted average rating of our portfolio as of December 31, 2005 and December 31, 2006 was approximately 2.3 and 1.9, respectively. As of December 31, 2005 and 2006, other than one investment that had been impaired as of December 31, 2005, we had no debt investments that were delinquent on interest payments or which were otherwise on non-accrual status.

 

Discussion and Analysis of Results of Operations

 

Comparison of fiscal years ended December 31, 2006 and December 31, 2005

 

Investment Income

 

For the twelve months ended December 31, 2006, total investment income was $9.8 million, a $2.2 million, or 29.1%, increase over the $7.6 million of total investment income for the twelve months ended December 31, 2005. The increase was attributable to a $1.7 million increase in interest, fee and dividend income from investments and a $0.5 million increase in interest from idle funds. The increase in interest, fee and dividend income is primarily attributable to (i) higher average levels of outstanding debt investments, which was principally due to the closing of eight new debt investments totaling $24.7 million during 2006, partially offset by debt repayments in 2006, (ii) higher levels of fee income attributable to greater investment activity and (iii) the fact that several portfolio companies began paying dividends on our equity investments during the year. The increase in interest income from idle funds during 2006 was attributable to higher cash balances as a result of the final capital call by Main Street Mezzanine Fund from the Limited Partners in September 2005.

 

Expenses

 

For the twelve months ended December 31, 2006, total expenses increased by approximately $0.7 million, or 15.9%, to approximately $4.9 million from $4.2 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2005. The increase in total expenses was primarily attributable to a $0.7 million increase in interest expense as a result of $45.1 million of SBIC Debentures being outstanding for the full year of 2006. The management fees