McKenna’s Success is Rooted in Iowa
The year 1969 was a time of bell bottoms, moon landings, and, most importantly, the start of McKenna. We set out with a simple but ambitious goal: to provide professional photographers with the best prints, products, and services possible. We started in a small space, but like any good success story, we didn’t stay there long. By 1974, growth pushed us into a bigger location—one that became more than just a workspace. It became our home.
For over five decades, we’ve grown, adapted, and maybe even shed a nostalgic tear or two in our Waterloo location as photography evolved from film negatives to digital, from darkrooms to high-tech printing. We’ve produced metal prints, canvases, and more photo albums than we ever could have imagined. We’ve expanded our building several times to accommodate our production space and our ideas—always keeping one step ahead of what’s next.
2024 was a blockbuster year for us. Business boomed, new printing capabilities rolled out, and—plot twist—we brought three new companies into the McKenna family: Leverage Printing, Photo Albums Direct, and Zookbinders. With all this success came an important topic of discussion: space. We needed more of it! We faced a choice—stay in close corners in our current space or take the leap. So, we leaped!
McKenna is Moving! But Only a Few Miles…
Although our roots have always been in Waterloo, we ran out of space to build at our Waterloo location and struggled to find a space large enough to accommodate our needs. After years of looking in Waterloo, we decided we would move to Cedar Falls because of the larger industrial spaces they have to offer. When we purchased Leverage Printing in 2024, we also purchased the building it was in, and we quickly began the hard work of expanding and remodeling that location.
In the summer of 2025, McKenna is making the 15-minute move to Cedar Falls, Iowa, the brand-new home for McKenna and our entire family of brands! Our new space (which is over 2x larger!) will house our production for all our brands, our people, and plenty of room for our growth and expansion to serve you and other photographers and commercial clients into the future!
Construction wraps up in late spring, and by early summer, we’ll be settling in—carefully, strategically, and with as little disruption to your workflow as possible. We know how much you rely on us, and we take that seriously! We’ll keep you posted every step of the way.
This move isn’t just about more space—it’s about building the next chapter of McKenna’s legacy. It’s about continuing to push boundaries, innovate, and, most importantly, serve you with the same quality and dedication we always have.
So, here’s to new beginnings, big moves, and even bigger dreams. We’re ready for what’s next—and we’re bringing you along for the ride. Watch for updates in our email newsletter as well as social media posts for blog updates as we share more details and important production dates in the upcoming months.