GR's Atomic Object Buys Ann Arbor Software Shop SRT Solutions
GRAND RAPIDS (WWJ) -- The Grand Rapids IT firm Atomic Object has acquired Ann Arbor software development firm SRT Solutions. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
"SRT is a great fit for us -- they're smart, they have a great reputation for making clients happy, and they care about making software right," said Carl Erickson, Atomic Object president. "We respect SRT Solutions because they've always cared a great deal about software as a craft -- about helping clients solve large, complex problems and building high-quality products that will last."
Atomic Object will retain SRT Solutions' team and its downtown Ann Arbor office. The acquisition reflects the company's expansion in the metro Detroit market. In addition to its Grand Rapids headquarters, Atomic Object opened a Detroit office last year at 1407 Randolph St. that currently is staffed by four people. Combined, Atomic Object employs 43, and the company is actively recruiting designers and developers for both its Ann Arbor and Detroit offices.
"Ann Arbor is a hugely important part of Michigan's tech scene, and we've been thinking about establishing a presence here," Erickson added. "We love investing in Michigan, and now we have offices in its three largest markets. The acquisition is also a great investment for all of Atomic Object's 25 employee owners."
SRT Solutions' clients have included General Motors, Dominos, and the University of Michigan. Like Atomic Object, SRT Solutions hires generalists with the skill to work across many languages and create web, mobile, and desktop apps.
"Having more staff gives us more diversity and more options when putting together a team for our clients, and because each office has fewer than 30 people, we can still have close-knit groups, a strong culture, and a flat management structure," Erickson said. "We can grow without changing what makes us Atomic Object."
SRT Solutions' Dianne Marsh and Bill Wagner, who co-founded the company in 2000, called Atomic Object this spring about a possible acquisition.
"We both wanted to pursue other projects and were looking for someone to take on our employees and take care of our clients," said Marsh. "Bill and I felt that Atomic Object was an ideal choice."
Marsh has become the director of engineering for cloud tools at Netflix, and Wagner will be creating course content for Pluralsight and developing the Humanitarian Toolbox.
