McQuillen Creative Group

What McQuillen Creative Group does

McQuillen Creative Group, Inc. is a privately held, founder-owned creative agency headquartered in Aberdeen, South Dakota, founded in 1995 by Troy McQuillen after his prior work in Los Angeles graphic design. The firm operates from 423 South Main St. and is organized as a corporation under South Dakota jurisdiction. Its core services are website design and development (built primarily on the WordPress CMS with a mobile-first responsive approach and SEO optimization), website management (ongoing content, platform, and plugin maintenance on monthly tiers), video production (TV commercials, web videos, product demonstrations, documentary content), graphic and identity design (logos, brand systems, print collateral), and creative and strategic thinking (brand audits, marketing strategy, copywriting, PR, campaign planning).

Revenue is generated through a hybrid model: project-based professional services fees for websites, video, and design work; recurring monthly website management subscriptions across multiple tiers; an annual, quarterly-billed Ad Design Subscription Service that designs, warehouses, and distributes multi-format ads; and subscription and retail revenue from three wholly-owned local publications—Aberdeen Magazine (bi-monthly lifestyle magazine, 2013), Aberdeen Insider (local newspaper, 2023), and Watertown Current (Watertown newspaper, September 2024). Go-to-market is direct-sales-led via website quote requests, phone inquiries, and in-person consultations, with no-interest payment plans offered across all budget levels.

The firm serves primarily small and mid-sized businesses across South Dakota and the broader Midwest, with named clients spanning education (Presentation College, Northern State University), banking (Dacotah Bank), healthcare (Avera St. Luke's), equipment and construction (JGE Inc., Upper Plains Contracting, Hub City Inc.), hospitality (My Place Hotels), agriculture (Bovalink.com), nonprofits and churches (GSB Fundraising partners, American Lutheran Church), and custom manufacturing (Vogl's Woodworking). The company also publishes editorial content through its own media properties, creating an integrated ecosystem that blends creative services with owned-and-operated local journalism.

Name

McQuillen Creative Group

Legal name

McQuillen Creative Group, Inc.

Website

https://mcquillencreative.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

McQuillen Creative Group is a founder-owned Aberdeen, South Dakota creative agency offering WordPress website design and management, video production, graphic and identity design, and marketing strategy, serving small and mid-sized regional businesses across the Midwest and operating three local publications under wholly-owned subsidiaries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Creative Agency Services

NAICS

Advertising Agencies (541810), Graphic Design Services (54143), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Creative & Brand Campaign Development (BPAFAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Content Studio & Creative Resourcing (In-house/Embedded Teams) (BPAFAIAJ)

Keywords

• Creative agency services
• Website design development
• Video production services
• Graphic design branding
• Local newspaper publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Aberdeen

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Creative Services Projects: Project-based fees for website development, graphic design, video production, and branding services. Pricing is customized based on project scope and client needs.
2. Website Management: Monthly maintenance packages for keeping content, platforms, and plugins updated. Offers various tiers of service.
3. Ad Design Subscription Service: Annual subscription service for designing, warehousing, and distributing all newspaper ads, banner ads, magazine ads, and online ads. Quarterly payment structure.
4. Publication Revenue: Revenue from Aberdeen Magazine (bi-monthly publication), Aberdeen Insider (newspaper), and Watertown Current (newspaper) sold through subscriptions and retail outlets.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

McQuillen Creative Group is a full-service creative agency that designs and develops custom WordPress websites, produces professional video content including TV commercials and social media videos, creates graphic and identity design assets such as logos and print materials, and provides strategic marketing services including brand audits and copywriting. The agency supplements these services with monthly website management packages, an annual ad-design subscription service, and three wholly-owned local publications (Aberdeen Magazine, Aberdeen Insider, Watertown Current) that reach the regional South Dakota market.

Product overview

McQuillen Creative Group is a multimedia creative agency offering a portfolio of integrated creative services rather than a single software product. Their core offerings include Website Development and Website Management (built primarily on WordPress CMS), Video Production (TV commercials, web videos, documentaries), Graphic and Identity Design (logos, print materials, brand identity), and Creative and Strategic Thinking (marketing strategy, brand audits, copywriting). The company has been in operation since 1995 and also publishes their own media properties including Aberdeen Magazine (bi-monthly since 2013), Aberdeen Insider (local newspaper since 2023), and Watertown Current (local newspaper since September 2024). All services are delivered through their team of designers, developers, video producers, and marketing strategists based in Aberdeen, South Dakota.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Website Development Custom website design and development services using WordPress CMS, including responsive design, mobile-first strategy, and SEO optimization, delivered for small and mid-sized regional businesses and organizations.
• Website Management Ongoing website maintenance including content updates, platform and plugin updates, security management, and tiered monthly maintenance packages for clients who do not want to cross-train staff.
• Video Production Professional video production including TV commercials, web videos, product demonstrations, legacy videos, documentary films, and social media content for regional businesses, nonprofits, and institutions.
• Graphic and Identity Design Comprehensive graphic design services including logo design, brand identity, print materials, brochures, catalogs, business cards, and annual reports, with over 1,000 logos designed since 1995.
• Creative and Strategic Thinking

Quantifiable outcome

• Video can more than double social media reach
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GSB FundraisingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGSB Fundraising has been helping non-profits for more than 30 years. McQuillen Creative Group is an associate partner, providing collateral material and fundraising videos for their campaigns. The partnership has led to projects like the SAS Handbook Design for GSB's Stewardship For All Seasons program.
• Small Business Development Center (SBDC)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSBDC hosts the annual Big Idea Business competition for Northeast South Dakota high school students. McQuillen Creative creates advertising content and the competition website, judges marketing entries, and sponsors the marketing design component with $500 awards.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Knutson Creative: Midwest regional creative agency providing branding, web design, video, and digital marketing. Comparable in service mix, regional positioning, and SMB/mid-market client orientation.
• Henricksen: Midwest-based design and brand agency offering graphic design, video, digital, and marketing services. Comparable in scope of creative services and target SMB/enterprise regional customer base.
• Lamark Media: Sioux Falls digital marketing and creative agency offering web design, video production, and branding. Direct competitor in the same regional market with comparable core services.
• Idea Circle: Sioux Falls full-service advertising and creative agency offering web, video, design, and strategy. Direct regional competitor with overlapping service portfolio and similar Midwest SMB client base.
• Russell Herder: Minneapolis-based creative agency with strategy, branding, digital, video, and content capabilities. Comparable full-service creative model serving regional and mid-market clients across the upper Midwest.
• Click Rain: Sioux Falls, SD-based digital marketing agency offering website design, SEO, video, and branding services. Most direct head-to-head competitor in the South Dakota regional agency market with overlapping service mix and customer base.
• Lawrence & Schiller: Sioux Falls-headquartered full-service advertising and marketing agency providing creative, media, digital, and PR services. Comparable Midwestern full-service creative agency with similar client verticals and integrated offerings.
• Media Bridge Advertising: Sioux Falls creative and media agency offering branding, web, video, and content services. Comparable regional Midwest creative agency serving SMB and mid-market clients.

Broad incumbents

• Trekk: Larger Midwest-based agency with offices across several states offering full-service creative, media, and digital. Comparable service lines but with broader geographic reach and bigger team than McQuillen.

Emerging players

• Elevation: Web design and digital agency specializing in WordPress and content-driven sites for mission-driven organizations. Overlaps on WordPress website development and content marketing, with partial overlap on verticals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/mcqcg
• Facebookfacebook.com/McQuillenCreative
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mcquillen-creative-group-inc.
• Instagraminstagram.com/mcquillencreativegroup
• Pinterestpinterest.com/McQuillenCreativeGroup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about McQuillen Creative Group