UK - LDC backs commercial mortgage lender with £27m investment

Commercial First, the specialist commercial mortgage lender, has secured the backing of private equity firm LDC to help grow the business ahead of a possible stock market flotation. Established in 2002 by financial industry experts Marty Finegold and David Johnson, Commercial First is the UKт€™s leading specialist provider of commercial mortgages to small- and medium-sized businesses. The business has expanded rapidly by combining sophisticated lending criteria with quick decision making. Its loan book is expected to reach ТЃ1bn by the end of this year and ТЃ3bn over the next two years. Commercial mortgages are one of the fastest-growing areas of financial services.