New Ad Agency Sets Up in Historic Space

AUSTIN-A new advertising agency has taken 2,884 sf in a historic building above Sixth Street in the city’s CBD.

RuffCoffin Inc. is doing a complete build out of the office space, Todd Ruff, a principal of the firm, tells GlobeSt.com. It expects to move in by the third week of August.

Todd Ruff and co-founder Mike Coffin had been with the Leo Burnet Technology Group. They and the firm’s other eight employees have worked at other ad agencies in Austin. Ruff says the firm is looking for clients and expects to bring some on board soon. “We want to diversify across all industries,” Ruff says. “We’re going after apparel, health care, technology.”

Hannig Row is a three-story building with restaurants on the first floor and offices upstairs. RuffCoffin has taken a three-year lease because of the combination of being downtown and the historic character of the building. “We were looking for downtown space, something on Congress or close to the heart of the city,” Ruff says. “We saw this space and fell in love with the limestone in there and the character and architecture. It felt like home when we walked in there.”

The firm has removed Sheetrock from the space to make it open. “We’re going to take advantage of the architecture of the building and integrate that into the hominess of the space,” he says.

Carl Condon and Jack Tynes, both of Colliers Oxford Commercial in Austin, have represented RuffCoffin. Brokers Brett Arabie and Spencer Hayes, also of Colliers Oxford Commercial, have acted for the building owner.