Grand Rapids, MI – At the height of the pandemic when companies were pulling back and going remote, Holland-based Twisthink began accelerating a plan to do the opposite – invest in the future of their work by growing its footprint in Grand Rapids.
Today – nearly a year to the date of its announcement to relocate to Grand Rapids – Twisthink opened the doors of its new global headquarters to team members for the first time.
Located in the heart of the Grand Rapids Innovation Park, Twisthink’s new 10,900-square-foot space in the Michigan State University Doug Meijer Medical Innovation Building is a bold statement that cuts against the grain of current workplace trends in an uncertain economic climate.
“It would have been easy to put our expansion on hold because of a pandemic, because of the rise in remote work, or because of an uncertain economy – but we knew this change was important for the growth of our business,” said Robert Niemiec, Managing Partner. “Our mindset is to be constantly curious and embrace change, so when we learned of the MSU Innovation Park being launched in Grand Rapids, we embraced the biggest change in our company’s history to uproot and move. We’re doing this because we want to help lead an innovation movement in Grand Rapids, and to reinvigorate our team’s pursuit to create greater impact in Grand Rapids and globally.”
Twisthink’s Chief Strategy Officer, Rob Huber, shares how the move is strategically intended to help accelerate the Grand Rapids region’s adoption of digital application and innovation. “The problem-solving and innovative work we do is multi-disciplinary, it is collaborative by design – and our new space reflects that work reality. Being in Grand Rapids and closer to clients will only increase the amount of in-person collaboration we get to have with them.”
Drawing from its successful two-decade history, Twisthink understands that when it comes to digital innovation, today’s problems are bigger than any one company, and collaboration is necessary. That’s why Twisthink positioned their headquarters in the epicenter of Grand Rapids Innovation Park, surrounded by forward-thinking innovators. By fostering an environment where ideas and partnerships can flourish, Twisthink can help businesses of all sizes and backgrounds tackle their biggest challenges and achieve lasting impact.
“Our aim is to create a space where people are inspired to collaborate and innovate, generating the kind of creative combustion that fuels breakthrough solutions,” said Kurt Dykema, Twisthink Chief Technology Owner, and Co-Founder. “We’re excited to showcase our approach to digital innovation to businesses throughout Greater Grand Rapids and beyond, and to help them realize their full potential.”
A portion of Twisthink’s new space is designed to accommodate clients and partners as an extension of their existing workplaces.
“We want our team, our clients, and our partners to be energized in our space – to be able to escape the monotony of working from home or a sterile office, where creative thought and collaboration can feel limited,” said Taryn Kutches, VP of Brand and Business Development. “Whether you work for us or alongside us, you’ll have access to a space designed to push your thinking to new heights.”
RAISING THE BAR ON A DESIRABLE WORKPLACE
Twisthink has been regularly acknowledged as a dynamic digital consulting firm, showing up on local, national, and global lists such as NABR’s Best and Brightest Companies, Crain’s Cool Places to Work, MiBiz M&A Deals & Dealmakers, and Manifest’s Top IoT firms.
Even with those workplace acknowledgements, the need to continually rethink what is needed to thrive remains top of mind. Physical shifts and cultural mind shifts regarding where and how we work today presented Twisthink with opportunities to raise the bar on its own way of working.
Some of the designated zones of Twisthink’s new headquarters include:
- Open floor plan with hoteling desks allowing for easy plug-and-play mobility within all areas of the space for functional or personal rationale
- Focus rooms for one or two people with equipped technology
- Nine collaboration rooms of varying size and configuration to accommodate hybrid team and client collaboration
- Makers space that includes work benches and the necessary tools for hands-on making and prototyping
- Heads-down space, inspired by Twisthink team member input, consists of a row of workstations facing full-length windows and affording a quiet space to conduct focused work without distraction
- Work café to accommodate clients and visitors who desire to work or collaborate in a less formal energizing space
- Private mother’s room that is quiet, calming, and conducive specifically for new mothers.
The firm also will continue to embrace a hybrid work model, giving its team members the desired flexibility to be in the office or remote as determined by their work and individual circumstances.
“The complexities of today’s work shouldn’t be relegated to being solely in an office or fully remote,” said Dave Moelker, VP of Teams and Operations. “We acknowledge that it isn’t an either-or proposition, it must be a both-and reality.”
AN INVITATION TO CONNECT – TWISTHINK GRAND OPENING, JUNE 22, 2023
Businesses in the Greater Grand Rapids area and beyond are invited to tour the space and experience Twisthink’s new headquarters at their Grand Opening Event on Thursday, June 22.
Register here to join us alongside our partners who helped make our space possible, including The Right Place Inc., the Michigan Economic Development Corp., Rockford Construction Co., ProgressiveAE, Custer Inc., and Trellis Co.
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Twisthink is a professional services firm that partners with companies to develop digital strategies and solutions that create impact. As companies move along the digital transformation continuum, Twisthink can help at the front end of creating an organization’s digital strategy all the way to the full design and development of smart solutions. With skills in innovation and growth strategy, product strategy, user experience design, hardware + software development, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence; Twisthink can take you from concept to completion.
Twisthink is a professional services firm that partners with companies to develop digital strategies and solutions that create impact.
