Areas Served: Clay County
The Clay County Loan Fund (CCLF) is a component fund of West Central Initiative (WCI), which was established by the citizens of Clay County (outside of the Moorhead area) to provide additional job opportunities and improve the quality of life in Clay County, Minnesota.
(See the CCLF news release and CCLF brochure available on the WCI Component Fund Toolkit web page.
) The CCLF Revolving Loan Fund is designed for: – Business start-ups and expansion – Succession or preservation of businesses – Tourism – Childcare – Job creation and retention – Other economic development activities for the benefit of the people living and working in Clay County, Minnesota (outside of the Moorhead area) The CCLF assists businesses that demonstrate a financing gap, that mostly likely would not succeed without CCLF support.
Financing gaps usually take one of the following forms: – The collateral available will not fully satisfy the underwriting standards of commercial lenders for a loan of the size needed for the project to go forward.
– There is insufficient equity available to qualify with a commercial lender for the proposed new lending.
– The business is at the maximum allowable lending limit for its commercial lender.
– The cash flow available to repay the debt is insufficient to repay a loan made at standard commercial terms.
– The project is not economically competitive in a Clay County location with standard commercial financing.
Matching & Collateral Requirements CCLF will generally provide no more than 50 percent of the funding required for a project.
All loans must be collateralized.
The evaluation of the value of the collateral is at the discretion of the CCLF.
Personal guarantees are required on all loans.
Eligible Uses of Loan Funds The specific use of loan funds received from CCLF must be directly tied to the project’s purpose, such as real estate, machinery or equipment, working capital, inventory and related expenses and professional fees.
Loans may not be used for debt refinancing or for fees charged for the preparation of applications materials.
Loan Program Terms Interest Rates The interest rates for CCLF loans will generally be set at or below New York Prime Rates.
Term and Amortization The term over which loans made by CCLF will vary depending on the life of the assets used as collateral.
Occasionally, the CCLF will agree to amortize a loan over a longer period than its term in order to improve the cash flow of a project.
When this is done, a balloon payment of the remaining principal will be due at the end of the loan’s term.
Depending upon the type of loan, the maximum term which will generally be considered for a loan from CCLF will be seven (7) years.
Loan Size The maximum loan size is currently set at the greater of up to $20,000, or 10 percent of the net assets of CCLF.
Due to its relationship with WCI, the CCLF can sometimes coordinate its participation in larger projects with the various loan programs offered through WCI, resulting in a larger financing package.
Contact InformationWest Central Initiative
Address: 1000 Western Avenue
City: Fergus Falls
State: Minnesota
Website:
http://www.co.clay.mn.us/depts/EconDv/EDCCLF.htm
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