Friends, Acquaintances, or What?

I had a conversation with a person I respect that I will get into on a later post. Right now I'm trying to figure something out. What do you call those people that are quite a bit more than an acquaintance but not really a friend? People you may meet through work or who are providers of services to your child with autism or who are providers in other areas of your life. There should be a name for that person, not yet friend but more than an acquaintance. To just call them a friendly acquaintance seems demeaning. My social worker friend tells me that's why you should have clear cut roles that should not cross. If it were only that easy... What do you think? Please comment as I'm really curious.