Staffing & HR Acquisitions in Georgia

GEE Group acquired Hornet Staffing, an Atlanta/Alpharetta-based staff augmentation provider, purchasing 100% of the company’s common stock for consideration including cash and seller financing. The acquisition expands GEE Group’s nationwide staffing capacity and MSP/VMS service capabilities; Hornet founder Larry Bruce will remain in his role and join GEE Group’s national sales team.

Buildforce has acquired Ladder, a Y Combinator-backed construction labor marketplace led by Alex Stewart. The deal expands Buildforce's footprint into the U.S. Southeast — adding Ladder's 200+ customers across six states and a network of more than 10,000 pre-screened electricians — with Ladder's founder remaining in a leadership role to grow the business in the region.

True, a tech- and data-first global executive talent platform, has acquired Paradigm Search, a boutique firm that places engineering and product leaders. Founder Matt Johnson and the Paradigm team will join True's Product, Data & Technology practice to expand True's capabilities and global offerings in executive search and talent advisory.

Category 5, LLC has acquired the Express Employment Professionals Alpharetta franchise from owner Rodney Moore. Walden Businesses, Inc. (Sara Burden) advised the seller on the transaction, which the owner said was completed as part of his retirement.

CoAdvantage, a national Professional Employer Organization (PEO) based in Bradenton, Florida, has acquired Georgia-based MomentumHR, a Savannah PEO founded in 2000. The acquisition strengthens CoAdvantage’s presence in Georgia and accelerates the company's Southeast and national growth; financial terms were not disclosed.

Arkview Capital has made a strategic minority/growth investment in Metasys Technologies to support the company's continued expansion of workforce management services, including staffing, payrolling, managed services and VMS implementations. The capital will enable Metasys — a minority-certified provider serving Fortune 1000 and mid-market clients — to scale organically and pursue M&A opportunities.

EBG, a U.S. e-commerce solutions provider focused on employee and membership-based marketplaces, has acquired Sparkfly Perks, a national employee discount and benefits platform founded in Atlanta. The acquisition will integrate Sparkfly Perks into EBG’s Working Advantage platform to expand EBG’s corporate client base and add capabilities and products to its employee benefits offerings.

The Reserves Network has acquired Georgia- and Alabama-based Staffing Connections and its medical staffing division, Medical Connections. The deal expands The Reserves Network's footprint in Georgia and gives the company its first office in Alabama while adding medical staffing capabilities; Staffing Connections will continue to operate under its existing name with current leadership and employees retained.

LiveToBeHappy, Inc. (OTCM: CAVR) has acquired Atlanta-based Trudant Financial Executive Services, an executive consultancy and retained employee services firm. The company also appointed Grant Edwards as CFO (who will lead Trudant as Managing Director); LiveToBeHappy expects Trudant to add revenue and EBITDA, serve as a base for expansion into the Atlanta area, and support a shared services center expected to employ about 50 people over three years.

Orange Tree Employment Screening, a Tonka Bay Equity Partners portfolio company, has acquired Vericon Resources, Inc., a Georgia-based provider of background screening services. The deal is an add-on intended to expand Orange Tree's client base and capabilities by integrating Vericon's custom solutions with Orange Tree's cloud-enabled screening platform under Tonka Bay's ownership.

EmployBridge, a majority-Apollo-backed staffing platform, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Hire Dynamics, a leading light-industrial and commercial staffing provider in the Southeastern United States. The deal, which represents an add-on to the EmployBridge platform, will be led post-close by Hire Dynamics CEO Billy Milam and follows MSouth Equity Partners' successful exit.

Randstad USA (part of Randstad N.V.) has acquired Cella, a leading U.S. staffing, managed solutions and consulting firm focused on creative, marketing and digital roles. The deal expands Randstad's capabilities and market position in the higher-margin creative, marketing and digital staffing and professional services market.

Funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management have completed the previously announced acquisition of EmployBridge, the largest industrial staffing company in the United States. Apollo said it will work with EmployBridge's leadership to invest in technology, the associate experience and new client engagement models to drive platform growth; terms were not disclosed.

The Planet Group, a portfolio company of Odyssey Investment Partners, has agreed to acquire OmniPoint Staffing, a full-service IT staff augmentation firm that specializes in ERP and infrastructure projects. The add-on expands The Planet Group's Technology portfolio and strengthens its Workday and enterprise systems staffing capabilities.

Tenex Capital Management has made a growth investment in BELAY Solutions, a U.S.-based virtual staffing provider headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The investment, effective June 25, 2021, will support BELAY's hiring, marketing, and continued expansion of its remote staffing and professional services.

Group Management Services Inc. (GMS) has acquired Corporate Business Solutions (CBS), a Georgia-based human resources outsourcing provider. The deal adds about 70 clients and approximately 3,500 worksite employees to GMS and expands GMS’s presence in the Southeast United States.

Kellermeyer Bergensons Services (KBS), backed by an affiliate of Cerberus Capital Management, acquired Hospitality Staffing Solutions (HSS), a provider of outsourced housekeeping and related staffing services for the hospitality sector. HSS—headquartered in Atlanta and operating in 38 states plus Puerto Rico—will operate as a division of KBS to expand KBS's hospitality service capabilities and national scale.

Hire Dynamics, a portfolio company of MSouth Equity Partners, has completed the acquisition of Trace Staffing Solutions. The add-on expands Hire Dynamics' branch footprint and allows Trace to leverage Hire Dynamics' recruiting technology, training and brand to accelerate growth across South Georgia, coastal South Carolina, Virginia and northern Florida.

ACS Group (formerly American Cybersystems) acquired The Ascent Services Group, a national IT and life sciences consulting and staffing firm, in a transaction that closed in December 2019. The acquisition — from Ascent's financial sponsor Sycamore Hill Capital Partners — expands ACS Group's geographic footprint and strengthens its IT and life-sciences staffing capabilities as ACS pushes toward the $1 billion revenue milestone.

Silver Lake has signed a definitive agreement to acquire First Advantage, a global provider of background screening, drug testing and identity solutions, from Symphony Technology Group. The deal will support First Advantage's technology differentiation and accelerate growth while First Advantage's senior management remains in place and meaningful equity holders.