Grand Rapids-based
Atomic Object had a dilemma: how to grow the business and not outgrow its culture of collaborative teams operating in a small (some say, cozy) environment. The company hopes the solution is to open its first satellite office, established in the heart of Detroit's Harmony Park, a re-emerging business district.
"The building (1407 Randolph) looks a lot like the Grand Rapids building (941 Wealthy St. SE) -- it's a three-story brick building on a tree-lined street," says President Carl Erickson. "When we saw it, we felt like we could be at home there and extend our culture to Detroit."
Erickson says Atomic Object has already hired a managing partner from Portland, OR for the Detroit office, plus filled four other technology positions. The plan is to have at least six employees in place by the end of the year, says Erickson, so the company is looking for another software developer and an application designer to fill those positions.
While Erickson says opening the Detroit office won't directly create jobs in Grand Rapids, the company is still trying to fill two vacant positions for a software developer and a software designer in Grand Rapids.
"We start with a friendly phone interview to get a sense of the person, and if we like what we hear, then we give them a problem to solve over a weekend to show us how they think technically," Erickson says. "We then bring them in to do problem solving for a day with our staff, and we identify the people who are good matches and share our values."
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Source: Carl Erickson, Atomic Object
Writer: Deborah Johnson Wood, Development News Editor
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