Strengthening the Developer-Centric WordPress Ecosystem
In a move aimed at enhancing its commitment to WordPress theme development, Howard Development & Consulting has officially acquired Understrap. This popular open-source starter theme combines Underscores and Bootstrap 4.
This acquisition represents a strategic push by the New York-based firm to support developers with flexible, modern tools for custom WordPress theme development. Howard Development, known for its deep technical contributions to the WordPress ecosystem, plans to maintain Understrap as an open-source project while investing in its growth and future roadmap.
Why Understrap Matters
Understrap has long been valued by WordPress professionals for its blend of modern frontend styling and familiar theme structure. The acquisition ensures:
- Continued open-source support and improvements
- Compatibility with modern WordPress standards
- A dedicated team committed to community-driven development
Howard Development’s CEO, Ross Howard, noted that the acquisition was not just about technology but about “maintaining a tool that has helped countless developers deliver fast, responsive, and reliable websites.”
A Future-Forward Vision
Howard Development plans to enhance Understrap’s functionality better to serve agencies, freelancers, and product teams. The roadmap includes improved documentation, regular updates, and deeper community collaboration via GitHub.
Looking Ahead to Smarter Theme Development
This acquisition aligns with Howard Development’s vision to build developer-first tools that streamline custom theme creation in WordPress. By investing in Understrap, the firm is poised to make modern theme development more accessible, maintainable, and scalable.