MUDD PUSHED HIMSELF TO INNOVATE IN BUSINESS
Vincent Mudd is among San Diego’s most successful businessmen, known for a career built on innovation. He has owned an award-winning business and currently heads one of San Diego’s leading design firms. From his hefty resume, it might be concluded that success came easy for Mudd.
It did not.
Born in 1963, Mudd spent nearly all of his first 15 years living in 13 countries due to his father’s military job. “Growing up, I learned about a lot of different cultures.”
“I also learned about racism,” recalled Mudd, who is African American.
A teacher in Germany told him his race was inferior
and he was not intelligent enough to be in class. “It was not subtle, and it hurt for a long time,” Mudd said. “In Thailand, they would take things from me and call me the ‘n’ word. I was crushed, but did nothing about it until my dad forced me to stand up for myself. So, I did and never forgot that lesson.”
The family moved to Moreno Valley in 1979 where Mudd attended high school and first encountered American prejudice. He was barred from a convenience store where the manager used the “n” word, telling him “we don’t want you people here.”
“I had several occasions where I ran for my life,” Mudd
recalled. “On another occasion, I was driving, stopped by officers and pulled out of my car, guns raised for no good reason. I told officers, ‘I’m a good person, sir, my dad’s in the service.’”
His reaction to racial occurrences led to a period of defiance. Mudd, whose license plate once read “BRNDUDE,” eventually channeled that defiance into a burning desire to achieve. “That was my way of defining myself and fighting back as my father counseled,” Mudd said.
“That motivation was everything in my success.”
Mudd was expected to follow his father’s military path. But it was a paper route in high school that changed his path. He began with a small route and then expanded his
About this series
Jan Goldsmith is a former member of the U-T Community Advisory Board. He is an attorney and mediator. He is also a former Superior Court judge, California state legislator, Poway mayor and San Diego city attorney.
Someone San Diego Should Know is a weekly column about local people who are interesting and noteworthy because of their experiences, achievements, creativity or credentials. If you know of someone you believe San Diego should know, send your idea to someone@sduniontribune.com
route by paying other kids. He learned about capitalism and decided to become an entrepreneur.
His career has since been characterized by innovation and achievement.
While studying business at San Diego State University, he wrote a paper suggesting ARCO could expand its business by selling more than gas. After graduating, he worked for ARCO helping to develop the AM/PM store concept. He rose to management, supervising three San Diego locations.
Mudd left ARCO for a furnishing design company, where he was a pioneer in the use of modular walls. These prefabricated walls included gas and electrical lines and were integrated with furniture to reduce costs and expedite completion. The concept is regularly used today.
Although he reached managerial positions, Mudd’s goal was to be an owner/entrepreneur. In 1994 he met that goal when he and his wife, Kathy, started their own business, San Diego Office Interiors. Innovation was the company’s trademark, developing the concept
of “parallel” design/ build in which a building is designed on the inside before it is designed outside, thereby significantly reducing costs. The company received numerous awards for its innovations.
Since 2014, Mudd has served as managing partner at Carrier Johnson. A leading planning and design firm, among its projects are SDSU West’s Mission Valley plan and Ballpark Village near Petco Park.
Mudd is well-known as a civic leader. Among other charitable work, he has chaired San Diego’s Chamber of Commerce and Red Cross and served on numerous boards and committees.
He has taught disadvantaged students through Junior Achievement programs. He has mentored children through Big Brothers and Sisters where he served on its board of directors and was honored as “Man of the Year.”
He counsels young people that opportunities are there if they seek guidance and work hard. “This is a country that allows you to be whatever you want to be.”