Staffing & HR Acquisitions in Illinois

Buffkin / Baker, a national retained executive search firm based in Brentwood, Tennessee, has acquired Gallagher's U.S. Executive Search Practice. Terms were not disclosed; the move broadens Buffkin / Baker's capabilities and national presence while Gallagher transitions its U.S. executive search advisors to Buffkin / Baker.

Vensure Employer Solutions, a privately held HR/HCM technology and services provider headquartered in Chandler, Arizona, has acquired Westchester, Illinois–based Tandem HR, a full-service PEO and benefits brokerage. The acquisition expands Vensure’s PEO capabilities and Midwest footprint, adding Tandem’s client base (servicing over 20,000 worksite employees) and complementary HR services to Vensure’s platform.

Technology-powered talent advisory Sinecure, Inc. has acquired recruitment services firm Strategy Source to expand its talent offerings, adding non C-level retained search, RPO and contingency capabilities to its executive search practice. Strategy Source will join Sinecure's newly formed Sinecure Recruitment Services division and be led by Strategy Source CEO Laura Lasiter as Executive Vice President; financial terms were not disclosed.

Reliance Aerotech Inc. has acquired Flight Crews Unlimited, Inc., a Richmond, Illinois-based provider of pilots, flight attendants and aircraft maintenance professionals for the business aviation industry. The acquisition expands Reliance's aviation staffing and workforce solutions capabilities and combines proprietary databases and recruiting operations to better serve aerospace operators, manufacturers and service providers.

Paris-headquartered executive search firm Alexander Hughes has acquired Chicago-based DSML Executive Search, adding U.S. offices in Chicago and Boston and retaining DSML co-founder Myriam Le Cannellier as managing partner of Alexander Hughes USA. Financial terms were not disclosed; the acquisition strengthens Alexander Hughes' U.S. footprint and capabilities serving European companies operating in the United States.

Avenica, a Minneapolis-based career-launching platform, has acquired Arch Advisory Group, a boutique executive search and human capital advisory firm with offices in Chicago and New York. The acquisition expands Avenica's capabilities into senior- and executive-level search and integrates Arch Advisory's leadership into Avenica's offerings to better connect high-caliber candidates with employers nationwide.

Hastings Equity Partners' Fund V portfolio company TERRA Staffing Group has acquired ASG Staffing, a Bensenville, Illinois-based industrial staffing firm founded in 1995. The deal—supported by mezzanine and equity investors including Tecum Capital, NorthCoast Mezzanine, NorthCreek Mezzanine and management—adds 10 Midwest offices to the TERRA platform, expanding its geographic footprint and accelerating its plan to build a nationwide industrial staffing platform.

EmployBridge, a PE-backed leader in light-industrial staffing, has completed its acquisition of Bluecrew, a W‑2 workforce-as-a-service platform, from IAC. The deal combines EmployBridge's scale with Bluecrew's digital-first technology; IAC received cash and combined-company stock and will be a minority shareholder while Apollo-managed funds remain the combined company's controlling shareholder.

OneDigital has acquired Cognos HR, a PEO and human resources consulting firm headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois. The acquisition brings 16 Cognos HR team members into OneDigital, expands OneDigital's PEO capabilities and presence in the Chicago market, and gives access to Cognos HR's roster of more than 150 SMB clients.

Atlas, a Chicago-based Employer of Record (EOR) and HR technology platform, raised a Series B strategic equity investment of up to $200 million from Sixth Street Growth to support its global expansion and product enhancements. The capital will be used to expand Atlas' technology, add self-service and automation features, localize software, and scale in-region customer support; Sixth Street Growth's Nari Ansari will join Atlas' board.

Digital Intelligence Systems, LLC (DISYS) has entered into an agreement to acquire the assets of MAKE Corporation, a woman-owned IT and professional recruiting firm. The acquisition will expand DISYS' IT staffing and workforce solutions capabilities across banking & financial services, healthcare, manufacturing and retail, and will integrate MAKE's operations into DISYS' operating model.

Infinedi Partners has completed an investment in Chicago-based staffing and recruiting firm LaSalle Network. The private equity partnership will support LaSalle's expansion of products, sector coverage and geographic footprint while the company's founder-led management team remains involved.

Charlottesville-based private equity firm Quad‑C Management completed a growth investment in Chicago-based Titan Security Group, a large provider of security staffing, electronic security systems and consulting. The capital will support Titan’s continued organic growth and management‑led buy‑and‑build strategy, with CEO David S. Pack remaining in place.

ProPharma Group, a portfolio company of Odyssey Investment Partners, has reached an agreement to merge with/acquire The Planet Group. MidOcean Partners sold its majority stake in The Planet Group as part of the transaction; the combined company will expand ProPharma's global footprint and human capital services, creating a business with over 1,900 colleagues worldwide.

Farmington Hills, Michigan-headquartered Kyyba Inc. has acquired Chicago-area-based Asen (LG Associates, Inc.), a strategic staffing and professional services firm headquartered in Schaumburg, Illinois. The acquisition adds more than 80 employees to Kyyba's ~800-employee global footprint, expands Kyyba's offerings into additional industries (including healthcare and government), and will keep Asen president Lana Gertz in place to manage the transition; CEO ally acted as exclusive buy-side advisor.

Group Management Services, a national Professional Employer Organization (PEO) headquartered in Richfield, Ohio, has acquired Synergy, a Chicago-based PEO and human capital management provider. Dresner Partners advised GMS on the undisclosed transaction as GMS seeks to expand into the Chicago and Midwest market.

Chicago-based private equity firm Shore Capital Partners has made an investment in the Tandem Family of Companies, a nationwide HR technology and solutions provider comprised of Tandem HR, Benefit Solutions Group, Alliance Workplace Solutions, and Workplace Solutions. The partnership will support Tandem’s growth through investments in technology, expanded products and services, and geographic expansion, with industry executive Greg Slamowitz joining the board as a material equity co-investor.

Trilantic North America has acquired Addison Group, a Chicago-based professional services firm specializing in talent solutions and consulting, from Odyssey Investment Partners. Financial terms were not disclosed; Addison operates across technology, finance & accounting, healthcare and digital marketing and employs over 2,200 professionals across more than 32 U.S. offices.

The Planet Group, a portfolio company of MidOcean Partners, has agreed to acquire Interactive Business Systems (IBS), an Oak Brook, Illinois–based provider of flexible IT staffing, project solutions and managed services. The deal is an add-on acquisition intended to strengthen Planet's technology services and expand its IT staffing and managed-service capabilities, including IBS's Midwest presence and offshore delivery center in India.

Owner Resource Group (through ORG Opportunity Fund III, LP) made a recapitalization investment in SURESTAFF, LLC, a light-industrial staffing provider headquartered in Itasca, Illinois. The company's founder-operators Ray Morelli, Dave Mehr and Doug Howard remain on the executive team while Timothy Faber joins as CEO; the capital will fund geographic expansion, technology and people investments, and position SURESTAFF for future acquisitions.

OutMatch has acquired FurstPerson, a provider of pre-hire simulation assessments, to integrate simulation-based hiring tools into its talent decision management platform. The acquisition expands OutMatch’s assessment capabilities and complements its video interviewing and automation offerings; OutMatch is a portfolio company of Rubicon Technology Partners and Camden Partners.

Accurate Background, backed by Boathouse Capital, completed the acquisition of CareerBuilder Employment Screening (CBES) from CareerBuilder, combining two background-screening businesses under the Accurate brand. The transaction was supported by an investment from the Apax Digital Fund to accelerate product innovation, scale U.S. and international growth, and deepen screening and drug-testing capabilities.