Ares Capital announced that its investment adviser, Ares Capital Management, added two investment professionals as part of its expansion of its middle market sponsor coverage strategy.

Grant Haggard and Brian Moncrief have joined as managing directors to focus on senior and selected subordinated financing opportunities with an emphasis on middle and lower middle market transactions. They will be based in Ares’ Chicago office.

“Adding Grant and Brian to our team reflects the growing demand for flexible capital by middle market companies and their sponsors,” said Kipp deVeer, president of Ares Capital. “This enhancement in the depth and breadth of our sponsor coverage reflects the attractiveness of potential returns across the middle market and the changing landscape as participants seek capital from non-bank sources, such as ARCC.”

Haggard and Moncrief have more than 35 years of combined experience in the leveraged finance industry, primarily focused on covering middle and lower middle market private equity firms nationally. Both most recently served as senior members of the business development team at Madison Capital Funding and they also worked together for eight years at GE Antares Capital.

Ares Capital is a leading specialty finance company that provides one-stop financing solutions to U.S. middle market companies and private equity sponsors.