HOLLAND, Mich., Jan. 26, 2017 – Collective Idea, one of West Michigan’s leading software and digital product development businesses, started off the new year with two new hires. As the industry continues to grow in the region, so does the need for talented developers and strategists.

With over 15 years of experience in product development, Mac Fowler joins Collective Idea as Director of Strategy to work alongside clients to help them clarify business goals and identify new opportunities to help grow their business.

“Over the years, we’ve noticed there is sometimes a disconnect for businesses when it comes to requesting a digital product and then actually commercializing it,” says Daniel Morrison, president and founder of Collective Idea. “That’s why we’ve hired Mac Fowler. Mac will bring a blended approach of design thinking, technology know-how, and strategy implementation to our client’s product offerings.”

Most recently Fowler worked at Modustri in Grand Rapids where he led the product and development strategy as CTO. Previously, he served as Vice President of Software Engineering at Adonit between Grand Rapids, Michigan; Austin, Texas and Taipei, Taiwan.

The second new hire at Collective Idea this year is Cam Bass, a recent Grand Valley State University graduate. He joins the team as an additional software developer who will help with the increase in project needs. In 2016, Collective Idea hired six new employees and expanded their office, more than doubling their space to accommodate the quickly growing needs in the software industry.

West Michigan has one of the fastest growing Information Technology sectors in the nation, growing at a rate of 13 percent according to economic development organization, The Right Place. The national average is 9 percent. Much of this growth can be attributed to more companies desiring technology-based solutions such as mobile apps or custom web applications to help simplify and grow business. An increased interest in IoT products is also fueling the growth.

About Collective Idea

A Michigan company founded by Daniel Morrison in 2005, Collective Idea is a collection of developers, designers, marketers and makers that collaborate to craft user friendly and innovative software experiences for multinational companies, small startups and everything else in between. More at www.collectiveidea.com