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Pete Eardley, left, and Matt Williams, are the co-founders of SalesPad LLC.

(Courtesy of Right Place Inc.)

GRAND RAPIDS, MI - A Grand Rapids township software firm has received a $364,000 state grant that will allow it to expand, adding 91 new jobs and $3.85 million in new investment, the Right Place Inc., announced Wednesday, Feb. 10.

SalesPad, LLC, of 3200 Eagle Park Drive NE, is getting a Michigan Strategic Fund performance grant that will allow it to add 91 positions to its current workforce of 110 employees.

"We need innovative, creative, tech-savvy software developers and support specialists to keep up with our company's growth. We also need more space to put those talented people," said SalesPad CEO Pete Eardley in a news release announcing the state approval of the grant.

"In order to grow, we really need tech talent," SalesPad President Matt Williams said. "We honestly believe in the people, work ethic, and resources found in West Michigan. We're committed to expanding and doing things right here in Grand Rapids."

Founded in 2003, SalesPad develops software aimed at increasing business productivity and efficiency with software products that work with leading applications like Microsoft Dynamics GP and Intuit QuickBooks. SalesPad also creates customized software solutions for small- and medium-sized businesses.

"West Michigan's high-tech community continues to grow, and SalesPad is part of that growth story," said Thad Rieder, a Right Place senior business development manager and project lead on the SalesPad expansion.

"We firmly believe that our region's strong work ethic, culture and innovativeness is what retains and attracts companies like SalesPad to West Michigan."

According to the Right Place, West Michigan's information technology industry continues to be one of the fastest-growing clusters in the nation, expanding at a rate of 13.8 percent, 9.4 percent higher than the national average.



The 13-county region, which includes Kent County, is home to more than 14,000 technology professionals, from custom app and web developers, to IT systems and security analysts, according to the Right Place.

Jim Harger covers business for Mlive Media Group. Email him at jharger@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter or Facebook or Google+.