Clayton Chamber Names Advantage Capital's Scott Zajac 'Business Person of the Year'

ST. LOUIS, March 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Advantage Capital Partners is proud to announce that its senior managing director Scott A. Zajac has been recognized as the Clayton Chamber of Commerce 2009 Business Person of the Year. Clayton is the hub of the St. Louis Metropolitan area and the seat of St. Louis County, Missouri.

"Scott Zajac and Advantage Capital help make the Clayton Business community what it is today; vibrant, diverse and a great place to do business," said Ellen M. Gale, executive director of the Clayton Chamber, which consists of 400 members from small, medium and Fortune 500 businesses. "The Clayton Chamber is honored to recognize Scott with this prestigious award."

"Being selected as the Clayton Chamber of Commerce Business Person of the Year is truly an honor," continued Zajac.  He follows two distinguished award winners in this category:  in 2008, Pam Nicholson, president and CEO of Enterprise Rent-A-Car, won top honors, and in 2007, the award went to Elizabeth Robb of Robb Partners, one of the top-ranked real estate sales organizations in St. Louis.

Leading the Missouri office of Advantage Capital, Zajac has tirelessly focused on providing growth capital and other investments to small businesses through state and local public private partnerships and economic development policies. Specifically, Advantage Capital is a leading participant in Certified Capital Company (CAPCO) programs and New Markets Tax Credit programs.

Zajac is a seasoned investment professional with more than 20 years of experience in real estate finance, venture capital, small business lending and investment banking. He has received numerous awards for his work with entrepreneurs, and he frequently serves as a panelist and speaker at several economic development and community based investment conferences.

About Advantage Capital Partners

Advantage Capital Partners is a leading small business finance firm focused on providing growth capital and other investments supporting state and local economic development efforts. The firm's typical forms of investment include early stage, expansion equity, mezzanine financing, senior and subordinated loans and government-guaranteed lending. With offices and partners in St. Louis, New Orleans and other U.S. cities, Advantage has raised more than $1.3 billion in institutional capital since 1992 and invested in companies located in geographic areas underserved by traditional capital.

SOURCE Advantage Capital Partners