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 UK’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 £1bn by the end of this year and £3bn over the next two years. Commercial mortgages are one of the fastest-growing areas of financial services.