The firm's predecessor was established in 1970 as a subsidiary of Continental Illinois National Bank and Trust Company.

[1] When Continental Illinois was acquired in 1994 by Bank of America, the CIVC team formed a semi-independent private equity firm, CIVC Partners, with backing from Bank of America.

Today, CIVC is an independent middle-market private equity firm with a diverse group of L.P. investors, and recently raised its sixth fund.

CIVC's major investments from the past and present include: Crest Insurance Group, a leading insurance brokerage; Magna Legal Services, a legal support services firm; KPA, an EHS compliance management software company; The Brickman Group, a commercial landscaping company; Thermo Fluids, an environmental services company; Stoneridge Insurance Brokers, an insurance brokerage and managing general agent; EN Engineering, a utility/power/energy focused engineering company; PowerTeam Services, a provider of infrastructure services to the gas and electric utility industry; Ground Penetrating Radar Systems (GPRS), a nationwide provider of private utility locating and concrete scanning services; LA Fitness, a leading operating of full service fitness clubs throughout the US; and Wintrust Financial Corporation, a regional bank holding company.

This article about a private equity or venture capital firm is a stub.