Monroe Capital has been named the 2018 Lender of the Year by Mergers & Acquisitions, an independent, New York City-based publication covering all aspects of middle-market deal-making.

Winners were announced on March 18 at the 12th Annual M&A Mid-Market Awards, which honors dealmakers and deals that set the standard for transactions in the middle market in 2018. The Lender of the Year Award honors the lender that ran ahead of the pack and was selected based on the firm’s growth, volume of loans and their significance, innovation, thought leadership and influence on the M&A industry.

Monroe Capital has increased its assets under management at a compound annual growth rate of 38% over five years, bringing the firm’s total AUM to $7 billion as of December 31, 2018. The firm has also expanded significantly when it comes to employees and offices, the number of limited partners located throughout the world, loan volume and loan dollars deployed.

“Monroe Capital has enjoyed impressive growth over the last five years, continuing the upward trajectory in 2018, earning the firm [the] 2018 M&A Mid-Market Award for Lender of the Year,” said Mary Kathleen Flynn, editor-in-chief of Mergers & Acquisitions.

“We are thrilled to be recognized for our achievements in 2018 and honored to be named Lender of the Year,” said Ted Koenig, Monroe president and CEO. “This year’s award is a testament to the depth and breadth of our lending platform, the robust growth we have achieved, and our solutions-based, client service mentality.”

Monroe Capital is a private credit asset management firm specializing in direct lending and opportunistic private credit investing. Since 2004, the firm has provided private credit solutions to borrowers in the U.S. and Canada. Monroe’s middle market lending platform provides debt financing to businesses, special situation borrowers and private equity sponsors.