Carl Erickson
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President and Co-Founder
Atomic Object
Grand Rapids
In every year since Erickson and Bill Bereza started Atomic Object in 2001, the software development company has averaged greater than 25 percent annual revenue growth. It’s planning for new growth with a downtown Detroit expansion in 2012.
“I expect 2012 to be another year of demand exceeding capacity for Atomic Object and IT in general. Strong corporate earnings and new sources of venture and angel money in Michigan fuel the demand for software development from both large companies and startups. Embedded software in automotive has recovered strongly from the recession, interest in web applications is steady and demand for mobile apps is exploding.
The need for talent and decidedly mixed results with off-shoring are causing companies to cast a national net for qualified project teams. The importance of software to innovation and the availability of money is driving an acute skills and talent shortage in software development. Enrollments in computer science programs remain below their peaks, very few universities offer interaction design programs and high-tech companies from both coasts are aggressively pursuing Michigan graduates.”