Filing Details

 

 

Item 1.

(a)

Name of Issuer:

Proto Labs, Inc.

(b)

Address of Issuer’s Principal Executive Offices:

5540 Pioneer Creek Drive

Maple Plain, Minnesota  55359

Item 2.

(a)

Name of Person Filing:

Brown Capital Management, LLC

The Brown Capital Management Small Company Fund

(b)

Address of Principal Business Office or, if None, Residence:

For all persons filing:

1201 N. Calvert Street

Baltimore, MD 21202

(c)

Citizenship:

Brown Capital Management, LLC is a Maryland Limited Liability Company

The Brown Capital Management Small Company Fund is a series portfolio of Brown Capital Management Mutual Funds, a Delaware statutory trust

(d)

Title of Class of Securities:

Common Stock, Par Value $0.001

(e)

CUSIP Number:

743713109

Item 3.

If This Statement is Filed Pursuant to Rule 13d-1(b), or 13d-2(b) or (c), Check Whether the Person Filing is a:

 

(a)

[   ]

Broker or dealer registered under Section 15 of the Exchange Act.

 

(b)

[   ]

Bank as defined in Section 3(a)(6) of the Exchange Act.

 

(c)

[   ]

Insurance company as defined in Section 3(a)(19) of the Exchange Act.

 

(d)

[   ]

Investment company registered under Section 8 of the Investment Company Act.

 

(e)

[ x]

An investment adviser in accordance with Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(E);

 

(f)

[   ]

An employee benefit plan or endowment fund in accordance with Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(F);

 

(i)

[   ]

A church plan that is excluded from the definition of an investment company under Section 3(c)(14) of the Investment Company Act;

 

(j)

[   ]

Group, in accordance with Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(J).

 

(This Item is answered on behalf of the primary filer, Brown Capital Management, LLC).

 

Item 4.

Ownership.

As of September 30, 2016, Brown Capital Management, LLC beneficially owned 3,012,802 shares of company identified in this filing.  Included in those shares are 1,428,808 shares beneficially owned by The Brown Capital Management Small Company Fund, a registered investment company, which is managed by Brown Capital Management, LLC.

Item 5.

Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class.

If this statement is being filed to report the fact that as of the date hereof the reporting person has ceased to be the beneficial owner of more than five percent of the class of securities, check the following  [   ]

Item 6.

Ownership of More than Five Percent on Behalf of Another Person.

All of the shares of Common Stock set forth in Item 4 are owned by various investment advisory clients of Brown Capital Management, LLC, which is deemed to be a beneficial owner of those shares pursuant to Rule 13d-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, due to it discretionary power to make investment decisions over such shares for its clients and/or its ability to vote such shares. In all cases, persons other than Brown Capital Management, LLC have the right to receive, or the power to direct the receipt of, dividends from, or the proceeds from the sale of the shares. No individual client holds more than five percent of the class, other than the Brown Capital Management Small Company Fund as disclosed in this filing.

Item 7.

Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary Which Acquired the Security Being Reported on by the Parent Holding Company or Control Person.

Not applicable

Item 8.

Identification and Classification of Members of the Group.

Not applicable

Item 9.

Notice of Dissolution of Group.

Not applicable

 

Item 10.

Certification.

By signing below I certify that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, the securities referred to above were not acquired and are not held for the purpose of or with the effect of changing or influencing the control of the issuer of the securities and were not acquired and are not held in connection with or as a participant in any transaction having that purpose or effect.

Signature

After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and correct.