Tampa, Florida – June 7, 2012 – Hyde Park Capital Advisors, LLC (“Hyde Park Capital”) is pleased to announce the recently completed sale of Southern Management Corp. (“SMC”), a Greenville, South Carolina based leading consumer finance company with 244 branch locations throughout the Southeast, to Milestone Partners, a private equity firm focused on successful niche-market leaders with high-margin products or services. Additionally, mezzanine financing was provided by Prospect Capital Corp. (NasdaqGS:PSEC), a leading provider of flexible private debt and equity to middle market companies, and a senior credit facility was provided by Wells Fargo Bank N.A. Hyde Park Capital served as the investment banker and financial advisor to SMC in the transaction.
Bob Dunn, departing CEO of Southern Management Corp., stated, “I am very pleased with the outcome of our sale process and greatly appreciate the efforts of Hyde Park Capital in finding us such an excellent buyer in Milestone and helping arrange their financing from Prospect Capital. This sale transaction is a win-win situation for all parties involved. Milestone gets a great company that is very profitable; Southern Management gets a new owner with capital to grow; Prospect gets an investment in a solid, growing, strong cash-generating business; and the Thaxton Noteholders get more than 100% of their original investment back.”
Adam Curtin, Principal at Milestone, commented, “Southern is a tremendous and well respected platform within the highly fragmented consumer installment loan industry providing essential access to loans and services to individuals underserved by traditional lenders. We are honored to partner with the management to continue to grow the company and serve their customers.” Roy Little, President of Southern Management Corp., added, “We are pleased to partner with Milestone to complete this transaction which positions the company on solid financial footing to execute its long-term strategic plan. We are excited to enter this new phase of Southern’s development and remain committed to serving our customer base and communities with the utmost integrity and the highest levels of professionalism.”
John McDonald, Senior Managing Director at Hyde Park Capital, stated, “We thank Southern Management for their confidence in our team at Hyde Park Capital and for the opportunity to be a part of this notable transaction. We are sure that the company will continue to flourish in the future with its proven product offering and strong market presence.”
About Southern Management Corporation
Based in South Carolina, the company provides fully amortizing installment loans, related credit insurance and ancillary products to individuals with limited access to traditional sources of consumer credit. As one of the largest participants in the installment loan industry, Southern has branch operations in Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.
About Milestone Partners
Milestone Partners is a private equity firm that partners with management to invest in leveraged buyouts and recapitalizations of lower middle market businesses. Milestone pursues successful niche-market leaders that provide high-margin products or services. Milestone’s transactions typically provide liquidity to shareholders of privately owned businesses, facilitate the transition of ownership to key managers, and allow management to capitalize on growth opportunities, while maintaining the legacy of the founders. More information is available at www.milestonepartners.com.
About Prospect Capital Corporation
Prospect Capital Corporation is a closed-end investment company that lends to and invests in private and microcap public businesses. Prospect’s investment objective is to generate both current income and long-term capital appreciation through debt and equity investments. More information is available at www.prospectstreet.com.
About Hyde Park Capital
Hyde Park Capital is an institutionally focused investment banking firm specializing in mergers and acquisitions and private placements and serving the corporate finance needs of middle market public and private companies. Our principals have extensive investment banking experience executing merger & acquisition engagements, including purchase and sale of company assignments, recapitalizations, financial advisory, fairness opinions and raising growth capital and acquisition financing for companies, including equity, mezzanine and senior debt. As one of the most active investment banking firms in the Southeast, our professionals have advised on more than 300 corporate investment banking transactions totaling more than $10 billion in transaction value. We are headquartered in Tampa, Florida and are a member of FINRA and SIPC. For additional information about Hyde Park Capital, visit www.hydeparkcapital.com or call (813) 383-0202.
