One of Vincent Mudd’s credos is: “There’s always a better way.” As if to prove it, he developed Office in a Box to meet the needs of his San Diego Office Interiors clients. It allows businesses to access a predetermined temporary inventory of office furnishings that can be ready to use in 24 to 48 hours.

Another Mudd innovation is to teach his clients to make their own minor adjustments or repairs to the furniture they use so they can avoid delays and costs in having to call and wait for others to perform those services.

Of course, he says, “We would rather be responsible for all a client’s needs for five years at a time,” but that is not practical, and Mudd is. He opened his business in 1994 when his eighth attempt to obtain a loan was successful. Not only is he practical, he is persistent.

Mudd is active in the community and with his encouragement, so are 80 percent of his employees. Now he serves on the board of Big Brothers & Sisters, but previously he was an active Big Brother to boys with no male role model. In addition, he contributes time or resources to the American Cancer Society, KPBS, Children’s Hospital, Habitat for Humanity, Association of Retarded Citizens, Boy Scouts and the San Diego Urban League.

In 1999 Mudd’s firm was nominated for Best Companies to Work For. In 2000, he received an orchid for his company’s architecture.

— Sandy Pasqua