Small Business Investment Companies (SBICs) have provided approximately $46 billion in long-term debt and equity growth capital to nearly 100,000 small U.S. companies since 1958. SBICs provide the "patient" capital that small companies need to develop products and accommodate growth. Such investments often take years before becoming profitable. But the patient capital and management expertise the SBICs provide have brought remarkable returns-innovative products and services, millions of new and highly skilled jobs, and billions of dollars in tax revenues.

Several years ago the National Association of Small Business Investment Companies (NASBIC) began collecting information about companies around the country that received crucial funding from SBICs and that went on to become highly successful enterprises. They tell the histories of a diverse group of firms, detailing the vital role that SBICs played in their creation and growth and demonstrating the extraordinary strength of the American entrepreneurial spirit.

Watch here for the latest success stories and links to many of the companies' web sites.