TempStaff of Mississippi, a provider of industrial and professional staffing, acquired EMI Staffing, a fellow Mississippi-based staffing firm. With the deal, TempStaff said it aims to expand its geographic footprint as well as opportunities for employees and candidates.

“This acquisition represents a fantastic opportunity for us to leverage our combined strengths and resources to better serve our clients and candidates in North Mississippi,” TempStaff CEO Carolyn Boteler said in a press release.

TempStaff gains three offices in Mississippi with this deal. They are located in Greenwood, Grenada and Batesville. It had existing Mississippi offices in Jackson, Brookhaven and Canton.

Owned by Natalie Ray Bement, its former president and a second-generation owner. EMI Staffing also provided light industrial, clerical and professional staffing services. The company was founded in 1998 by Brenda and Terry Ray. The sale to TempStaff represented a sale to friends as Boteler and her daughter, Jamie Higdon, are longtime friends with Natalie Ray Bement, the company said.

“We are thrilled about the acquisition of EMI Staffing by TempStaff and the promising opportunities it brings for our clients, employees, and community,” Bement said in a press release. “With a longstanding friendship with Carolyn and Jamie, I have no doubt they will elevate EMI to new levels of success.”

Boteler started at TempStaff as a receptionist in 1981, the year it opened. She remained with the company and along with her husband, Sidney Paul Boteler, purchased it in 1991 from Carol and Eddie Frith.

Today, Botele’s daughter is president of TempStaff, overseeing day-to-day operations.

“Our companies are very similar in services provided, processes and company culture,” Higdon said in a press release. “It was a perfect fit for our companies to combine.”

The deal closed on April 1. Terms of the transaction were not announced.