McKinney Offices Scottsdale
by Phoenix Business Journal
A creative and media agency has growth in mind after putting down long-term roots in the Valley.
McKinney entered the market in early 2023 with the local acquisitions of August United and Tailwind, bringing on Phoenix employees from those companies to keep those connections intact. McKinney at the time also began searching for a full-time office to bring its employees together. Looking for a centrally located space close to Phoenix Sky Harbor airport, McKinney ultimately signed a 12,546-square-foot lease at The Quad in October 2023 and moved into the Scottsdale office in late 2023.
“Scottsdale has so much to offer. There’s a ton about the Scottsdale lifestyle that’s really important for not only just our employees but our clients,” said Leslie DeMent, executive director of media for McKinney. “And so that was one of the filters [for our choice of office].”
A creative and media agency has growth in mind after putting down long-term roots in the Valley.
McKinney entered the market in early 2023 with the local acquisitions of August United and Tailwind, bringing on Phoenix employees from those companies to keep those connections intact. McKinney at the time also began searching for a full-time office to bring its employees together. Looking for a centrally located space close to Phoenix Sky Harbor airport, McKinney ultimately signed a 12,546-square-foot lease at The Quad in October 2023 and moved into the Scottsdale office in late 2023.
“Scottsdale has so much to offer. There’s a ton about the Scottsdale lifestyle that’s really important for not only just our employees but our clients,” said Leslie DeMent, executive director of media for McKinney. “And so that was one of the filters [for our choice of office].”
Headquartered in Durham, North Carolina, McKinney also has offices in Dallas, Los Angeles and New York. Between the workforce talent and the influencer culture, the Scottsdale office will play a key role in the company’s growth plans.
“When I look at Scottsdale … you have travel and hospitality, the health care, the technology that’s coming to this market. In some ways, it’s similar to what we saw in Durham, North Carolina,” said Gretchen Walsh, president of McKinney. “From a business perspective, [Scottsdale is] just a really robust place for us to continue to grow our agency and grow the business and the capabilities.”
Some of McKinney’s clients include Avnet, one of Arizona’s largest public companies; Popeyes, Little Caesars, Samsung and Sherwin-Williams. The company offers creative and media expertise, influence-powered social media marketing and more.
McKinney is the second-largest advertising agency in the Triangle region of North Carolina, with 150 employees local to the area, according to research from affiliated publication Triangle Business Journal.
McKinney currently has about 60 employees working out of The Quad on a hybrid schedule, with employees working in-office mostly on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. One of the features of the office includes a gathering space near the entrance called the Saguaro. There, employees have all-staff meetings, lunches and viewing parties and additional workspace for traveling employees. The interior was designed by Phoenix-based EdgeQuarters.
“I can sit in [the Saguaro] and have the opportunity to interact with our employees, clients and visitors throughout the entire day, but also still be able to get work done at the same time,” said Walsh. [You’re in an] open space, but you still can get a sense of privacy.”
The company also liked the outdoor amenities offered at The Quad.
The Quad, located near Thomas Road and 64th Street in Scottsdale, has 14 freestanding buildings totaling about 160,000 square feet on the campus. It has amenities such as an on-site fitness center, bike parking areas, fenced dog park areas, and an on-site restaurant called Pitch. The complex is owned by Vancouver, Canada-based City Office REIT.
CBRE Group Inc.‘s Spencer Nast and Will Mask are the listing brokers for The Quad. Noah Barrasso of Keyser Commercial Real Estate represented McKinney in its expansion to its new office. He said the company focused on location and the nearby employment pool and wanted a space that allowed McKinney to grow its culture.
“I believe we achieved each of these goals and more,” Barrasso wrote in a statement to the Business Journal.