Monday, October 29, 2012

Is DentalSmart designed to attract foreign investors?

There is a chain of clinics in South Carolina, called DentalSmart. It appears they are set up to attract foreign investors through, what is called an EB-5 Immigrant Investor program. (see bottom of post) I say this because it has entities set up described as EB5 Investment companies. Of course I could always be wrong.

Dental Smart Logo
DentalSmart
2020 Savannah Highway
Charleston, SC 29407
P. 1-843-735-6727

http://dentalsmartus.com/index.php

Trademark Registered May 12, 2011 by National Dental Centers of America, Inc.

National Dental Centers of America, Inc is a Delaware Corporation

South Carolina filings -
National Dental Centers of America, Inc
Brian Schleifer
17 Lockwood Dr. TE 401
Charleston, SC 29401
Filed 10-26-2010

DentalSmart EB5 Investment V, LLC
Registered Agent:
EB5 Investment Managers, LLC
301 Augusta Street
Greenville, SC 29601
Filed 9-6-2012

DentalSmart EB5 Investment VI, LLC
Registered Agent:
EB5 Investment Managers, LLC
301 Augusta Street
Greenville, SC 29601
Registered 9-20-2012

DentalSmart Equipment Solutions, LLC
Registered Agent:
John H. Hofford
17 Lockwood Dr. Ste 401
Charleston, SC 29401
Registered 9-22-2011

DentalSmart Practice Solutions, LLC
Registered Agent:
John H. Hofford
17 Lockwood Dr. Ste 401
Charleston, SC 29401
Registered 9-22-2011
Dissolved 2-28-2012

DentalSmart Staffing Solutions, LLC
Registered Agent:
John H. Hofford
17 Lockwood Dr. Ste 401
Charleston, SC 29401
Registered 9-22-2011

EB-5 investors can invest as an individual or through Regional Centers. Normally the investment must be at least $1M unless it’s in a business with high unemployment or rural area, then it’s only $500K.

From the uscis.gov website:

Commercial enterprise means any for-profit activity formed for the ongoing conduct of lawful business including, but not limited to:

  • A sole proprietorship
  • Partnership (whether limited or general)
  • Holding company
  • Joint venture
  • Corporation
  • Business trust or other entity, which may be publicly or privately owned

This definition includes a commercial enterprise consisting of a holding company and its wholly owned subsidiaries, provided that each such subsidiary is engaged in a for-profit activity formed for the ongoing conduct of a lawful business.

Note: This definition does not include noncommercial activity such as owning and operating a personal residence.

  • Create or preserve at least 10 full-time jobs for qualifying U.S. workers within two years (or under certain circumstances, within a reasonable time after the two-year period) of the immigrant investor’s admission to the United States as a Conditional Permanent Resident.
  • Create or preserve either direct or indirect jobs:
    • Direct jobs are actual identifiable jobs for qualified employees located within the commercial enterprise into which the EB-5 investor has directly invested his or her capital.
    • Indirect jobs are those jobs shown to have been created collaterally or as a result of capital invested in a commercial enterprise affiliated with a regional center by an EB-5 investor. A foreign investor may only use the indirect job calculation if affiliated with a regional center.