Mindscape At Hanon McKendry Opens Downtown Detroit Office

GRAND RAPIDS -- Grand Rapids-based Mindscape at Hanon McKendry has announced the opening of a new office in the Paradise Valley area of downtown Detroit.

The Web development and marketing firm said the opening was "part of a long-term, focused growth strategy," and that it hopes to better serve a growing base of Southeast Michigan clients and become more actively engaged in the Detroit community.

"We've been focused on Detroit for a few years, and we love what we see happening downtown and in the business community," said Mindscape Co-founder Pete Brand. "The entrepreneurial spirit that's a strong part of Detroit's heritage wasn't dampened by current economic challenges. The local business and economic development communities are fighting for this city. As Michiganders, we want to be part of that, and we think there are great opportunities to grow here."

Mindscape principals currently staff the office, located at 1435 Randolph St., two to three days each week. The firm plans to add a full-time Detroit staff member focused on business development and client service after the first of the year.

The 11-year-old Grand Rapids-based firm was also recently named a Sitecore Certified Solutions Partner and has enrolled in the Sitecore Partner Network.

"Our acceptance into the Sitecore Partner Network supports Mindscape's continued growth in large enterprise Web systems for our clients," said vice president of operations Mike Simon. "We needed a go-to-market solution for our larger clients that are too big for software as a service or open source content management systems. Sitecore offers a robust, scalable and customizable Web platform and was the clear choice."

Mindscape is one of only three Sitecore Certified Solutions Partners in the state of Michigan. The certification allows Mindscape to sell and install Sitecore software.

"Michigan is an underdeveloped market for us," explained Sultan Ghatani, Midwest region sales director for Sitecore. "We're confident we found the right partner in Mindscape. The team is extremely competent, and they're aggressive in this market. With this partnership, we look forward to strengthening our presence and our customer service in Michigan."

Sitecore incorporates marketing automation, intranet portal, e-commerce, Web optimization, social media and campaign management technologies into a cohesive, integrated open platform. Developed on Microsoft .Net technologies, Sitecore software supports businesses in efforts to identify, serve, engage and convert new customers online.

Both announcements come as the firm is experiencing strong growth in 2012.

"Mindscape experienced record growth of 49 percent of top line revenue in 2011, and we're tracking similar growth this year," said Brand. "Now we want to extend that trajectory to the state of Michigan. Our biggest motivation is to take tangible steps to strengthen business in the state as a whole."

More at www.mindscape-hm.com.

Mindscape is the interactive division for Hanon McKendry, a multi-platform branding and marketing firm that helps advance nonprofits, organizations, ministries and companies that advance humanity.