Google Monday opened the doors to its new Chelsea office in New York City, consolidating software engineering and ad sales for the Northeast in one single location.
Tim Armstrong,
vice president for advertising sales, said the new location would prove key to Google's growth plans. "It's probably where a lot of Google's future will be, because Google has become a large
advertising company," he said. He added that Google was hoping to see Madison Avenue get "a lot bigger," and envisioned Google's ad products as becoming "the largest advertising platform in the
world."
Armstrong said that 30 to 40 ad products were sold and supported out of the new New York City office--including projects like Google's print and radio ad operations--as well as an ad sales
staff in the hundreds, which the search giant will be looking to expand. Before the move, Google had a New York City office in midtown Manhattan.
The new space, 111 8th Avenue, occupies an entire
floor--stretching the length of an 800 foot by 200 foot city block; employees use Google-supplied scooters to travel from one end of the office to the other. Amenities include a sprawling
cafeteria--Google Founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin did a cost/benefit analysis to determine if dining on-campus was more efficient than eating out--a well-stocked game room, and a bevy of
red-and-blue exercise balls. Another tenant in the building is ad agency Deutsch; Google previously worked with Deutsch/LA on a car campaign.