Capitala Group, a Charlotte-based asset management firm, has invested $30 million in Westshore Capital Partners to support its acquisition of Reliant Account Management LLC.

Westshore Capital Partners is a Tampa-based private investment firm established to bring long-term equity capital to small and medium-sized businesses.

Reliant is a specialized independent third-party payment processor and trust accounting company. It provides a bridge between companies for accurate and secure commercial transactions.

Capitala Group is a $2.7 billion asset management firm that provides capital to lower middle market businesses throughout North America.

Its lower middle market investment strategy focuses on investing in debt securities with minority equity co-investments with less than $250 million in enterprise value.

Capitala reported a net income of $3.9 million, or 24 cents per share, for its third quarter.

The press release can be found here.