PART I
Item 1. BUSINESS
General Development of Business
ATEL 14, LLC (the Company or the Fund) was formed under the laws of the state of California on April 1, 2009 (Date of Inception) for the purpose of equipment financing and acquiring equipment to engage in equipment leasing and sales activities. The Managing Member of the Company is ATEL Managing Member, LLC (the Managing Member or Manager), a Nevada limited liability corporation. Prior to May 9, 2011, the Manager was named ATEL Associates 14, LLC. The Fund may continue until December 31, 2030. Contributions in the amount of $500 were received as of May 8, 2009, which represented the initial
members capital investment. As a limited liability company, the liability of any individual member for the obligations of the Fund is limited to the extent of capital contributions to the Fund by the individual member.
The Company conducted a public offering of 15,000,000 Limited Liability Company Units (Units), at a price of $10 per Unit. As of December 2, 2009, subscriptions for the minimum number of Units (120,000, representing $1.2 million), excluding subscriptions from Pennsylvania investors, had been received and the Fund requested subscription proceeds to be released from escrow. On that date, the Company commenced initial operations and continued in its development stage activities until transitioning to an operating enterprise during the first quarter of 2010. Pennsylvania subscriptions are subject to a separate escrow and are released to the
Fund only when aggregate subscriptions for all investors equal to at least $7.5 million. Total contributions to the Fund exceeded $7.5 million on February 12, 2010, at which time a request was processed to release the Pennsylvania escrowed amounts. The offering was terminated on October 6, 2011.
As of December 31, 2011, cumulative contributions, net of rescissions, totaling $84.0 million (inclusive of the $500 initial members capital investment) have been received and 8,402,515 Units were issued and outstanding.
The Fund, or Managing Member on behalf of the Fund, has and will continue to incur costs in connection with the organization, registration and issuance of the limited liability company units (Units). The amount of such costs to be borne by the Fund is limited by certain provisions of the ATEL 14, LLC amended and restated limited liability company operating agreement dated October 7, 2009 (the Operating Agreement).
The Companys principal objectives are to invest in a diversified portfolio of investments that will (i) preserve, protect and return the Companys invested capital; (ii) generate regular cash distributions to Unitholders, with any balance remaining after required minimum distributions to be used to purchase additional investments during the Reinvestment Period (ending six calendar years after the completion of the Companys public offering of Units) and (iii) provide additional cash distributions following the Reinvestment Period and until all investment portfolio assets has been sold or otherwise disposed. The Company is governed by
its Operating Agreement, as amended.
Narrative Description of Business
The Company has acquired and intends to acquire various types of new and used equipment subject to leases and to make loans secured by equipment acquired by its borrowers. The Companys primary investment objective is to acquire investments primarily in low-technology, low-obsolescence equipment such as the core operating equipment used by companies in the manufacturing, mining and transportation industries. A portion of the portfolio will include some more technology-dependent equipment such as certain types of communications equipment, medical equipment, manufacturing equipment and office equipment. The Company will also seek investments in
equipment or financing of equipment and business involving green technologies such as those involved in the following activities: materials recycling, water purification, sewage treatment pollution radiation, gas and other emission treatment, solid waste management, renewable energy generation, as well as many other similar industries and activities.
The Company only purchases equipment under pre-existing leases or for which a lease will be entered into concurrently at the time of the purchase. Through December 31, 2011, the Company had purchased equipment with a total acquisition price of $43.4 million. The Company had also funded investments in notes receivable totaling $4.8 million through December 31, 2011.
As of the date of the final commitment of its proceeds from the sale of Units, the Companys objective is to have at least 75% of its investment portfolio (by cost) consist of equipment leased to lessees that the Manager deems to be high quality corporate credits and/or leases guaranteed by such high quality corporate credits. High quality corporate credits are lessees or guarantors who have a credit rating by Moodys Investors Service, Inc. of Baa3 or better, or