RMI

What RMI does

RMI Business Finance is a privately held Certified Development Company (CDC) headquartered in Jefferson City, Missouri, that administers SBA 504 loans, Intermediary Relending Program (IRP) loans, and its own RMI Direct loans to small and mid-sized businesses across Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, and parts of Illinois. The firm, founded in 1999 and claiming more than 60 years of operational history, positions itself as the #1 CDC in its region and operates through six territory-assigned loan officers plus an Executive Director, with no disclosed parent company, external ownership, or institutional investors. Its core technology consists of standard SBA 504 loan administration and loan servicing workflows supported by a website, downloadable Excel-based 504 calculators, and basic social media presence; no API, proprietary AI/ML systems, or developer-facing platform is offered.

RMI's three product lines target distinct borrower segments. The 504 program provides long-term fixed-rate financing (10, 20, or 25 years) for real estate, machinery, and equipment under the standard 50/40/10 structure (bank 50%, RMI 40%, borrower 10%) with project caps of $5M standard and $5.5M for manufacturing or energy projects. IRP loans provide up to $250,000 to for-profit businesses in non-metro areas with populations under 50,000, while RMI Direct loans provide up to $250,000 fixed-rate financing to both for-profit and not-for-profit borrowers, with special provisions for female entrepreneurs.

Revenue is generated through loan origination fees and interest income on RMI's junior lien position, plus administration fees on IRP and Direct loans; revenue figures are not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is relationship-driven: loan officers source borrowers directly across their territories, supplemented by an Elite Lending Partners network of regional banks (KS StateBank, Cornerstone, Hawthorn, Arvest, Enterprise Bank & Trust, Goppert Financial, Andover State Bank) that originate the senior lien, and referral partnerships with economic development councils and the Missouri SBDC. Pricing on 504 loans is publicly disclosed monthly and tied to Treasury rates, with current 25-year fixed at approximately 6.11% as of June 2026.

Name

RMI

Legal name

RMI Business Finance

Website

https://rmiinc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

RMI Business Finance is a privately held Certified Development Company in Jefferson City, Missouri that administers SBA 504 loans, IRP loans, and RMI Direct loans for small and mid-sized businesses across Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, and parts of Illinois.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Lending / SBA Loan Programs

NAICS

Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (522)

SIC

Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159), Loan Brokers (6163)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYFSAKAGAI

SBA/Government-Backed & Development Finance Loans

Financial & Insurance/Lending & Consumer Finance/Small Business & Microenterprise Lending

SECONDARYFSAEAEAI

SBA/USDA Government-Backed Loan Intermediation

Financial & Insurance/Financial Advisory, Brokerage & Intermediation/Mortgage Brokerage & Loan Intermediation

Keywords

• SBA 504 loans
• Commercial lending
• Certified Development Company
• Business financing
• Small business loans

Headquarters

HQ city

Jefferson City

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. SBA 504 Loan Program: RMI provides 40% financing for SBA 504 loan projects, structured with a bank providing 50% senior lien and borrower contributing 10-20% down payment. Revenue generated through loan origination fees and interest income from the junior lien position. Maximum loan amounts of $5 million standard, $5.5 million for manufacturing businesses or those meeting energy goals.
2. IRP (Intermediary Relending Program) Loans: Provides up to $250,000 in financing to for-profit businesses in non-metro areas with populations below 50,000. Revenue generated through loan administration fees and interest.
3. RMI Direct Loans: Provides up to $250,000 in fixed-rate financing to for-profit and not-for-profit businesses for fixed assets, inventory, or working capital. Revenue from origination fees and interest income on direct loans.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

RMI Business Finance is a Certified Development Company (CDC) that provides SBA 504 long-term fixed-rate loans, IRP (Intermediary Relending Program) loans, and RMI Direct loans to small and mid-sized businesses for acquiring real estate, machinery, equipment, inventory, or working capital. The company operates as a financial intermediary that originates a junior lien position (up to 40% of project cost) alongside partner banks providing senior lien financing, and it disburses fixed-rate loans up to $250,000 directly for non-metro and not-for-profit borrowers.

Product overview

RMI Business Finance is a Certified Development Company (CDC) offering three primary loan products: 504 Loans (SBA-backed long-term fixed-rate financing for real estate, machinery, and equipment), IRP Loans (Intermediary Relending Program for non-metro for-profit businesses), and RMI Direct Loans (fixed-rate financing up to $250,000 for both for-profit and not-for-profit businesses). The company also provides a downloadable 504 Calculator tool. RMI serves businesses throughout Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, and parts of Illinois, functioning as a financial intermediary connecting businesses with SBA-backed lending solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 504 loans can finance up to 40% of total project cost with maximums of $5 million standard, $5.5 million for manufacturing/energy businesses
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Sedalia/Pettis County Economic Development CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMissouri economic development council that referred LAG Industries to RMI for IRP loan financing to start agricultural manufacturing business.
• Missouri Small Business Development CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMissouri SBDC in Kirksville that counselor Anastasia Tiedemann referred Lone Star Physiques owner to RMI for financing and grant program eligibility.
• eFactory Business IncubatorminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpringfield, MO business incubator that RMI Business Finance helped sponsor through a $10,000 pitch contest won by 3D&L startup. Executive Director Zola Finch served as judge.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Live Oak Bank: One of the largest SBA 7(a) and 504 lenders in the U.S., headquartered in North Carolina. Operates broadly in SBA-backed small business lending with digital and relationship channels, similar to RMI's 504 focus but at national scale.
• Celtic Bank: Utah-based top SBA 504 lender and one of the most prolific CDCs in the country. Directly comparable to RMI as a CDC administering 504 loans nationwide with strong bank partner relationships.
• Newtek Business Banking: National SBA 7(a) and 504 lender providing small business financing across the U.S. Comparable to RMI in SBA loan products but operates at significantly greater scale with technology-enabled origination.
• Funding Circle US: Online small business lender offering SBA 7(a) loans alongside term loans and lines of credit. Comparable to RMI in serving SMB financing needs but through a digital-first platform that competes on speed and accessibility.
• SmartBiz Loans: Technology-enabled SBA 504 and 7(a) loan marketplace connecting borrowers with bank partners. Operates a similar bank-partner intermediation model as RMI but at national scale via SaaS platform.

Regional players

• CDC Small Business Finance: California-based CDC administering SBA 504 loans primarily in Southern California. Same CDC operating model as RMI but serving a different West Coast geography, useful for benchmarking CDC economics and deal velocity.

Direct peers

• Sunflower Certified Development Company: Kansas-based CDC providing SBA 504 loans across the same Midwest geography as RMI. Directly comparable in product offering, customer segment, and regional footprint - one of RMI's closest competitive analogs.

Others

• Missouri Small Business Development Center: Statewide SBDC network providing free counseling and referrals to small businesses in Missouri. Referrer and ecosystem partner to RMI - serves overlapping SMB customer base but does not lend capital directly.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@RMIBusinessFinance
• Facebookfacebook.com/RMI-117407031633940
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rural-missouri-inc
• Xx.com/RMI_CDC

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 RMI