McKinney Is Free At Last

You can't put a price on freedom, unless you're an independent agency working to free yourself from the clutches of a holding company.

According to Ad Age, McKinney, the Durham, N.C.-based agency, is set to become an independent again, following a deal struck by agency management to re-acquire 100% interest from Havas, its French parent.

"This has been a very long-term interest of mine and our team here," said Brad W. Brinegar, McKinney's chairman-CEO, who joined the company in 2002.

Havas bought McKinney & Silver in 2001 from web consultancy MarchFirst for an estimated $30 million to $35 million. MarchFirst went belly up after the dot com bust.