$10 Million SBA 504 Industrial Owner-User Acquisition

By Trevor Damyan, Commercial Mortgage Broker at Commercial Lending Solutions

A $10 million SBA 504 industrial owner-user acquisition is one of the most leveraged executions available to small and mid-market business owners in commercial real estate. The 504 structure layers a 50 percent bank first mortgage with a 40 percent CDC second lien at the SBA debenture rate (one of the lowest fixed-rate options small business owners can access) with a 10 percent down payment from the borrower. The result is 90 percent LTC at a blended fixed-rate cost of capital below most conventional alternatives.

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What a $10M SBA 504 Industrial Capital Stack Looks Like

A typical $10M SBA 504 industrial owner-user capital stack consists of a $5M bank first mortgage at conventional bank pricing (typically 5 to 10 year fixed), a $4M CDC second lien at the SBA debenture rate (10, 20, or 25 year fixed), and $1M of borrower down payment. The blended cost of capital on the bank-financed portion is materially below standalone bank conventional financing.

Capital Source Rate / Cost Size / LTV Notes
Bank first mortgage (SBA 504 1st) 6.85 to 7.85% (5 to 10 year fixed) $5M / 50% of project Bank balance sheet underwritten with SBA 504 wrap
CDC second lien (SBA debenture) 5.50 to 6.00% fixed (20 or 25 year) $4M / 40% of project Long-term fixed rate; no balloon
Borrower equity Equity contribution $1M / 10% of project 20% required if special-purpose or new business
Total project Blended ~6.45% fixed $10M total Equipment can be bundled into SBA 504 with real estate

Pricing reflects active CLS CRE quote pipeline as of April 2026. Specific deal pricing depends on sponsor, property, and structure.

Who Closes a $10M SBA 504 Industrial Deal

Typical $10M SBA 504 industrial owner-user sponsors are mid-market manufacturers, distributors, food processors, and service businesses with $3M to $30M of trailing 12-month revenue and 10 to 200 employees. The owner is typically the operating CEO or family principal. Net worth $1M to $10M; liquidity $200K to $2M. The acquisition typically replaces a leased facility with owner-occupied real estate, providing 90 percent LTC financing, long-term fixed-rate cost certainty, and operating equity build-up.

A Real $10M Example

On a $10.2M industrial acquisition in Long Beach, California, the buyer was a 25-employee specialty manufacturing operator with 18 years of operating history, transitioning from a leased 32,000 square foot facility to ownership of a 38,000 square foot purpose-built industrial building. The deal allocated $9.8M to real estate (the building, land, and site improvements) and $400K to equipment. SBA 504 financed at 90 percent LTC with a $5M bank first mortgage at 6.95 percent fixed 10-year and a $4M CDC second lien at 5.85 percent fixed 25-year. The borrower equity of $1M was funded through retained earnings. Total project cost $10.2M; blended monthly debt service approximately $52K versus prior monthly lease cost of $48K, with the additional $4K per month creating principal pay-down and equity build-up rather than rent expense.

Anonymized. All deal references protect borrower and lender identity.

$10M SBA 504 Industrial Owner-User FAQ

No. SBA 504 is available to most operating businesses with tangible net worth under $20 million and average net income under $6.5 million for the prior two years. The 'small business' definition under SBA is broader than most assume and includes most middle-market private operators.
The CDC second lien is capped at $5M for most projects, $5.5M for manufacturing or energy-efficient projects. With a 50 percent bank first mortgage, total project size can extend to $20M+ depending on bank lender appetite.
Yes. The CDC piece is funded by debentures with a fixed coupon set monthly and matches one of three terms (10, 20, or 25 years). The borrower locks in long-term fixed-rate cost of capital on 40 percent of the project at origination.
Yes. All owners of 20 percent or more of the operating company must personally guarantee both the bank first mortgage and the CDC second lien. This is a federal SBA requirement.
Typical close timeline is 60 to 90 days from term sheet, including bank underwriting, CDC underwriting, environmental Phase I, equipment appraisal (if applicable), and SBA approval.
Yes. Long-life equipment (machinery, manufacturing equipment, refrigeration) can be bundled into SBA 504 alongside real estate, financed at the same 90 percent LTC. Short-life equipment and FF&E typically goes into SBA 7(a) or standalone equipment financing.

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