Hallmark organizes regular creative brainstorming employee retreats at Kearney Farm: an old farmhouse set in a 172-acre estate with its own art studios. Employees of the Kansas City based card company may spend days in retreat on the farm, doing chores, exploring arts and craft media and the vast grounds. The result for Hallmark has been positive, with a rejuvenated creative force and revived inspiration back at downtown headquarters.
In 2010, with an opportunity to accommodate his growing agency as well as provide a space that could be utilized for community and networking purposes as well, Mr. Verrett began a search for a building and location that would successfully meet those specifications. With the Kearney Farm retreat in mind, some of Mr. Verrett’s IMG headquarter requirements included an inspirational space and setting that would meet the many needs of his growing advertising agency. He envisioned a space where agency members of interdisciplinary pursuits would have access to one another, while the needs of each area of talent would be satisfied.
One such space turned out to be the former St. Ann’s Roman Catholic Church in New Galilee on the real estate market, waiting for just that right combination of creativity and vision that the Integra Marketing Group president possessed. Mr. Verrett saw enormous potential in the old community church and its key location within a few miles of the crossroads of Route 376 and the PA Turnpike. St. Ann’s church served the local community for nearly 80 years. When the final Mass was celebrated on June 3, 2001, the parishioners could not have envisioned that a decade later, an advertising agency servicing international accounts would call this space home.
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