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OST has a 185-person workforce, of which 135 employees have technical positions.
(Courtesy photo)
GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- A growing Grand Rapids-based tech firm with offices in the Midwest and in London is expanding into talent recruitment.
Open Systems Technologies recently launched an IT recruiting division, OST Recruiting Solutions, which will match tech workers with companies. OST currently serves companies' IT needs, providing everything from app development to data centers.
Chief Executive Officer Meredith Bronk credits OST's clients with nudging the firm to branch out in recruitment.
"OST has a long history of contracting with clients to place our information technology professionals in temporary and contract positions, so we have a solid track record in identifying IT talent," Bronk said.
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The company will be looking for application developers proficient in .NET/C#, PHP and Java; project managers, quality assurance analysts and testers, business and systems analysts, network administrators and systems administrators.
Pay ranges depending on role and skill set, but the average pay regionally for a software developer is $75,000, according to the company.
OST doesn't give out signing bonuses for its contracted consultants but on occasion clients will offer that perk for permanent hires, said Beth VanSlyke, who will manage the new division. She has been with OST for two years and in the recruiting field for 15 years.
This new division will work alongside OST's offices in Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, Detroit, Minneapolis, Chicago and London to place talent in those markets.
The firm will focus on recruiting employees for some of OST's biggest clients including West Michigan corporate giants Amway, Pfizer and Spectrum Health Systems.
In the last year, OST has matched Spectrum Health with nearly 20 tech consultants to work on projects.
"In our current world of resource scarcity and need for development to keep up with the pace of business, OST continues to deliver great talent, when and where we need it," said Brian Krajewski, director of the Grand Rapids health care system's enterprise portfolio management. "OST also continues to provide creative staffing solutions that allow Spectrum Health the ability to manage resources in a manner that suits our business needs."
OST credits its 30 percent annual growth to pay attention to customer demand to steer its expansions in providing services and opening new offices.
Five years ago, OST launched its custom application development practice to meet its customers needs. It has grown to 55 developers and generates $14 million of company's overall $165 million in annual revenues.
"We feel OST Recruiting Solutions is that next big leap," said Mike Lomonaco, director of marketing and communications. "It's no secret that companies across the country are seeking to fill unique tech roles with qualified talent and OST has demonstrated an ability to do so across multiple industries such as healthcare, insurance, finance, manufacturing and retail to name a few."
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