Growth Capital

What Growth Capital does

Growth Capital Corp. is a not-for-profit SBA-certified Certified Development Company (CDC) headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, founded in 1982 to provide SBA 504 fixed-asset loans and Community Advantage working capital loans to small businesses in Northeast Ohio. The company operates two primary products: the SBA 504 Loan Program, which offers long-term fixed-rate financing of $50,000 to $5.5 million for owner-occupied commercial real estate, building improvements, and equipment purchases; and the Community Advantage Loan Program, which provides up to $350,000 in flexible financing for working capital, equipment, inventory, debt refinancing, and receivables financing at a maximum interest rate of Prime + 6%. Growth Capital has held the position of the number one SBA 504 lender in the State of Ohio for over 11 consecutive years and is the number one SBA Community Advantage lender in the entire Midwest.

The firm's technology stack centers on a proprietary Gateway Portal (growthcapital.gatewayportal.com) for online SBA 504 loan applications and a Secure File Transfer System for document submission, with a stated 18-48 hour pre-qualification analysis turnaround and approximately 60 days to close loans. A complementary online loan calculator helps borrowers estimate monthly payments, fees, and interest costs across real estate, construction, improvement, and equipment scenarios. No developer-facing APIs, SDKs, or integration ecosystem are documented. Marketing channels include a content blog, an email newsletter distributed via Constant Contact, active social profiles on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and community programming including an annual awards ceremony, VIP Invitational, and Fabulous Foursome golf series.

Growth Capital's business model is transaction-fee based and not-for-profit. Revenue derives from a 2.15% processing fee on the SBA portion of each 504 loan (financed into the loan), a 0.50% fee on the bank's first mortgage amount collected at SBA closing, $3,500 in closing and legal costs per deal, and ongoing servicing fees of 0.64% on the outstanding SBA loan balance included in the effective interest rate. The go-to-market motion is overwhelmingly channel-partner driven: Growth Capital relies on referrals from participating banks including Huntington Bank, PNC, KeyBank, JP Morgan Chase, and First Federal Lakewood, augmented by referrals from SCORE Cleveland, Ohio SBDC, and other business advisors. Cumulative lending activity exceeds $550 million since 1982 and $425 million over the past decade, leveraging over $800 million in private investment. The 1-10 person team is led by Executive Director and President John Kropf, who has held the role since 2005.

Name

Growth Capital

Legal name

Growth Capital Corp.

Website

https://growthcapitalcorp.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Growth Capital Corp. is a not-for-profit SBA-certified Certified Development Company (CDC) founded in 1982 in Cleveland, Ohio. It provides SBA 504 fixed-asset loans ($50K-$5.5M) and Community Advantage working capital loans (up to $350K) to small businesses through a network of regional bank partners in Northeast Ohio.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Small Business Lending — SBA 504 and Community Advantage Loans

NAICS

Real Estate Credit (522292)

SIC

Mortgage Bankers & Loan Correspondents (6162), Federal & Federally-Sponsored Credit Agencies (6111)

akta.pro primary industry

SBA/Government-Backed & Development Finance Loans (FSAKAGAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

SBA/USDA Government-Backed Loan Intermediation (FSAEAEAI)

Keywords

• SBA 504 loans
• Community Advantage loans
• Small business financing
• Certified development company
• Fixed asset lending

Headquarters

HQ city

Cleveland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. SBA 504 Loan Processing Fees: Growth Capital charges a 2.15% processing fee on the SBA loan amount, which is financed into the SBA loan. Additional fees include a ½% fee on the Bank's First Mortgage Amount collected at SBA closing, $3,500 in closing and legal costs, and ongoing servicing fees totaling 0.64% of the outstanding SBA loan balance included in the effective interest rate.
2. Community Advantage Loan Fees: Community Advantage loans up to $350K with maximum interest rate of Prime + 6%. Management and technical assistance available when requested. Fees are structured similarly to SBA 504 program with processing and servicing components.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Growth Capital Corp. is an SBA-certified, not-for-profit Certified Development Company (CDC) that provides long-term, fixed-rate SBA 504 loans (up to $5.5 million) for owner-occupied commercial real estate and equipment, and SBA Community Advantage loans (up to $350,000) for working capital and flexible small business financing in Northeast Ohio. The company underwrites and services these SBA-backed loans in tandem with partner banks, contributing the SBA second mortgage piece (typically 40% of project cost) while the bank provides the primary mortgage (typically 50%).

Product overview

Growth Capital offers two primary loan products: the SBA 504 Loan Program and the Community Advantage Loan Program. The SBA 504 provides long-term fixed-rate financing (up to $5.5M) for fixed asset needs like real estate and equipment with 10-20 year terms. The Community Advantage program offers smaller loans (up to $350K) with more flexible use cases including working capital and debt refinancing. Supporting these core products, Growth Capital provides an online loan application system with secure document upload and a loan calculator tool for estimating costs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SBA 504 Loan Program Long-term, fixed interest rate SBA 504 loan program for existing small businesses with fixed asset financing needs, including owner-occupied commercial real estate (land/building acquisition, building improvements, new construction) and major equipment purchases. Provides up to 40% of total project cost through SBA, with 10% minimum borrower equity and a 50% bank primary mortgage component. SBA loan sizes range from $50,000 to $5,000,000 (up to $5,500,000 for manufacturing) with 10- or 20-year fully amortizing terms. Interest rates are fixed at SBA loan closing based on current market U.S. Treasury rates plus approximately 1.5%.
• Community Advantage Loan Program Loan program designed to increase access to credit for small businesses, especially in underserved markets. Maximum loan size of $350,000 with maximum interest rate of Prime + 6%. Provides management and technical assistance and can be used for fixed asset financing, working capital, equipment purchases, inventory, debt refinancing, and receivables financing. Debt service coverage ratio requirements apply.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $550 million in financial assistance provided to businesses since 1982
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SCORE ClevelandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCORE Cleveland provides volunteer business mentors dedicated to helping small business owners achieve their goals. Face-to-face or online mentorship available. SCORE refers clients to Growth Capital for SBA financing and provides ongoing business guidance.
• Ohio Small Business Development Centers (SBDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOhio SBDC provides business counseling and assistance to individuals starting or growing businesses. Staffed with Certified Business Advisors (CBA) to help small businesses with development, growth, increased sales, and job creation.
• Huntington BankcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorParticipating bank partner in SBA 504 loans. Huntington Bank provided primary mortgage financing alongside Growth Capital's SBA 504 loan for Orlando Baking Company's $3 million expansion project.
• JP Morgan Chase BankcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAwarded Bank of the Year at Growth Capital's 2024 Annual Awards. Active participating bank in SBA 504 loan program.
• KeyBankcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAwarded Bank of the Year at Growth Capital's 2023 Annual Awards. Active participating bank in SBA 504 loan program with 20-year relationship history with Growth Capital team member Juan Hernandez.
• First Federal LakewoodminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAwarded Community Bank of the Year at Growth Capital's 2024 Annual Awards. Community-focused bank participating in SBA 504 loan program.
• PNC BankcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-standing relationship since 2002. Relationship manager Robert G. has done many transactions with Growth Capital and actively promotes 504 financing and Community Advantage loans to clients.
• National Association of Development Companies (NADCO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry association for Certified Development Companies. Referenced as a resource for small business development and CDC networking.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Development Council (Grow America): National nonprofit organization that supports the CDC network and provides SBA 504 lending in multiple states. Operates a similar SBA 504 and small business lending model and is a peer in the same mission-driven CDC space.
• Bridgeway Capital: Pittsburgh-based CDFI and Certified Development Company where Growth Capital's President John Kropf previously led the CDC to #1 status. Operates a similar SBA 504 and small business lending model in Western Pennsylvania, making it a closely comparable peer.
• CDC Small Business Finance: One of the largest SBA 504 Certified Development Companies in the U.S., operating in California and multiple western states. Directly comparable to Growth Capital as a fellow CDC processing SBA 504 loans for small businesses through bank partner referrals.
• Business & Community Lenders (BCL) of Texas: Texas-based nonprofit CDC and CDFI providing SBA 504, SBA 7(a), and Community Advantage loans. Highly comparable to Growth Capital in mission, structure, and product set, though operating in a different geography.
• Pacific Coast Regional Small Business Development Corporation: One of the largest CDCs in the country, providing SBA 504 and Community Advantage loans primarily in Southern California. Directly comparable business model: nonprofit CDC facilitating SBA-backed fixed asset loans to small businesses through bank partnerships.

Broad incumbents

• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): Major national CDFI supporting small businesses, real estate development, and community development. Comparable to Growth Capital as a mission-driven nonprofit small business lender, though significantly larger and more diversified.
• Community Reinvestment Fund (CRF): National nonprofit CDFI focused on small business and community development lending. Operates a similar SBA-backed and small business loan model to Growth Capital but at significantly greater scale and geographic reach.
• Capital Impact Partners: National CDFI providing small business, real estate, and community development financing. Broader and larger than Growth Capital but operates in the same mission-driven SBA and small business lending space as a comparable CDC/CDFI.

Emerging players

• Accion Opportunity Fund: Community development financial institution providing small business loans to underserved entrepreneurs. Comparable to Growth Capital's Community Advantage segment targeting low-to-moderate income and underserved borrowers.
• Lendio: Online small business loan marketplace that connects borrowers to SBA and alternative lenders. While not a CDC, Lendio competes indirectly with Growth Capital by aggregating SBA loan demand that might otherwise flow through traditional bank-to-CDC referral channels.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/growth_capital_
• Facebookfacebook.com/growthcapitalcorp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/growth-capital-corp-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Growth Capital