Monroe Credit Advisors Secures $6,000,000 Revolver for Midwest Client

Proceeds Refinance Debt for Private Equity Sponsor Portfolio Company

Chicago, IL September 21, 2011 – Monroe Credit Advisors today announced the closing of a $6,000,000 senior secured revolving credit facility by a New York-based commercial finance company. Proceeds of the loan refinanced existing debt and provides for ongoing working capital for the firm’s private equity client and portfolio company.

Christopher Gentry, Managing Partner and a co-founder of Monroe Credit Advisors, said, “We are pleased to have worked with the sponsor on this transaction. For smaller businesses in transition, the options are fairly limited. Given that we have close relationships with alternative sources of financing, we were able to close on a facility that will meet the client’s needs as the business grows to the next level.”

The private equity sponsor’s portfolio company is a leading producer of lighting and leisure products for mass retail. The company’s chief executive officer said the financing will give the company ample working capital as it completes repositioning of the business. "We have a great story to tell, but a big part of the success of our refinance was the help that Monroe Credit Advisors provided to frame the situation in the right way, for the right people.” he said.

The Chicago-based lighting manufacturer was acquired by a local private equity sponsor in 2008. The lead principal of the sponsor that worked with Monroe Credit Advisors on the transaction said, "The restrictive lending environment for small businesses required that we find a non-traditional lender for our portfolio company. We were in the middle of transforming the company from an underperforming family run business to a professionally managed company with a well-positioned product line at all the major North American big box retailers. Monroe Credit Advisors ran an efficient process that presented us with several lenders from which to choose. We closed a successful refinancing of our debt after a 90 day process.” 

The Chicago-based advisory firm is executing more engagements with private equity sponsors, particularly with their existing portfolio companies that require refinancing. Approximately half of Monroe Credit Advisors’ client engagements have been with private equity sponsors. The firm is also focusing on working with sponsors on new acquisitions. “Utilizing the sponsor’s due diligence vastly cuts down on the time preparing the deal for potential lenders, which allows us to offer more competitive fees. We also think our credit-focused process and deep lender relationships deliver the best deal in the market, which optimizes economics and terms that more than offset our fees,” Gentry added.

About Monroe Credit Advisors LLC
Monroe Credit Advisors, the investment banking affiliate of middle market lender, Monroe Capital, provides debt capital solutions to middle market companies and their investors through strategies built for today's dynamic credit markets. The firm advises on structuring and arranging credit through its relationships with a broad spectrum of debt providers including banks, commercial finance companies, debt investment funds and leasing companies. The firm’s experienced team of leveraged finance professionals approaches the market with a lender's perspective, delivering to its clients real time market intelligence and structuring expertise that results in significant savings of time and money, as well as increased certainty of execution. To learn more about Monroe Credit Advisors, visit www.monroecredit.com.