Crescent Capital Group, via its European Specialty Lending strategy, provided a unitranche financing for the acquisition of Aston Barclay by Rutland Partners.

Aston Barclay is a UK-based independent car auction group, with four sites currently operating across the UK. Headquartered in Chelmsford, the business provides vehicle remarketing services to fleet and dealership vendors and has been owned by the Scarborough family since 1984.

Rutland Partners is a  private equity investor with more than 25 years of experience in investing in and supporting UK-based companies.

“Aston Barclay is at an exciting stage of growth as it plans new auction sites and significant IT systems investments, and Crescent’s financing for this acquisition will be invaluable to the success of the company’s future,” said Christine Vanden Beukel, managing director and head of Crescent’s European Specialty Lending strategy. “This transaction is representative of the flexible capital we are able to provide to middle market companies.”

Crescent Capital Group is headquartered in Los Angeles with offices in Boston, London and New York. The firm invests at all levels of the capital structure, with a significant focus on below investment grade credit through strategies that invest in senior bank loans, high yield debt, mezzanine debt, distressed debt and other private debt securities.