Visual effects studio The Mill is moving to its own premises in the West Loop area of Chicago during the third quarter of the year. The new location will enable The Mill to double its capacity in color by adding a second suite while also paving the way for expanding the shop’s CG and design teams. Additionally the design and animation direction offering–which The Mill markets under the Mill+ banner–will be bolstered.
Since becoming part of the Chicago community in March 2013, The Mill has occupied space within the quarters of editorial company The Whitehouse, located in the River North district. The Mill and The Whitehouse share similar heritage in the advertising sector having been established a few months apart and within two blocks of each other in London’s Soho district in 1990.
Group CEO of The Mill, Robin Shenfield, commented: “We owe a huge debt of gratitude to our friends at The Whitehouse for providing us with a temporary home. We’ve strengthened a relationship that has many years on the clock and although we’ll be in a different location from later this year, our strong relationship will continue.“
Shenfield added: “The Mill in Chicago, having grown from 12 people to over 45, has outgrown its home [at The Whitehouse]. Our new premises are being designed from scratch within a five story, 18,000 square foot former warehouse building in the West Loop, a couple of blocks distance from Soho House.”
The Mill’s Chicago managing director Jared Yeater noted “We’re really excited about having an entire building where we can adapt our studio out from scratch, very much as we have done in London, New York and Los Angeles. It’s a great opportunity to design a really creative working environment for ourselves and our clients. As we won’t be occupying all of the space from day one, it affords us the flexibility to keep investing in this community and adapting to the changing needs of our clients.”
