(From Left to right: Jim Mog and Miguel Reiman)
“Signs are among the most important elements of visual communication,” according to a 2012 study prepared by the Economics Center at the University of Cincinnati.
Business Workspaces is fortunate to have a company with us that is responsible for a lot of the signs we see every day. We were excited to meet with Jim Mog and Miguel Reiman from My Crime in Design to learn more about the signage industry, their company, how they got started in the sign industry and their background.
Can you tell us about your company and what you do?
MCID specializes in sign and structure design, from concept, construction and engineering design. We also work on gateway projects welcoming you to a new city, town or district. And we don’t stop there. We also have done clock towers, museums and theatres. Our work, signs and displays are things that you see every day.
Some of our projects include: The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 
The Paramount Building marquee in Times Square, Forever 21 stores worldwide, City of Richmond Gateway, City of Ceres Gateway, and the list goes on and on.
How did you get started in the Sign Industry?
(Jim) I ended up in the sign industry in the early 1990’s. I was in college studying criminal justice on my way to join the El Dorado Sherriff’s Department, but I needed a job outside of school. Western Sign Company in Diamond Springs, CA took me on as a sales rep with the intent of teaching me all aspects of the industry at that time.
From there I was recruited to national companies in the Bay Area. Later, I returned to El Dorado County to build our design firm with Miguel. Miguel acquired a great reputation as a top structural graphic design artist in which his design practices have set a standard of excellence in the sign industry.
(Miguel) Entering college in fine art and graphic design, I was recruited by Superior Electrical Advertising and later a Southern California design group. Jim and I ended up working together at Superior Electrical Advertising and built a good working relationship that would later lead to the partnership of MCID.
Question 3: What is something about your business that most people don’t know?
(Jim) Most people know very little about the sign industry. Everyone sees the signs, uses the signs to get to a destination but very few people understand how the signs get where they are. It’s actually kind of funny but when you tell a person you design signs; they instantly think of a banner or a real estate sign. This industry is unseen as an art but in fact, we are accessories of the construction industry that makes things pop.
(Miguel) Jim was the lead on all the signs developed in Serrano and the Raley’s shopping center through Western Sign Co. I remember when Raley’s used to face the other way. Or how about the Naturewood clocks that just appeared on the freeway frontage tower overnight. Miguel was one of the lead designers on the El Dorado Hills Town Center signs. It used to be a giant open pasture? One day we are working on an empty site and the next day signs are going up alerting the community that a project is now open.
Where do you see MCID is 5 years?
Our goal is to continue to grow in the architectural and development side of our industry.
We have created our own “niche” in sign design and engineering and only a small portion of the construction industry knows us. They see our designs but just like the outside world, our own industry is just beginning to recognize us. When we do get their attention, customers stay with us and recognize My Crime in Design as a valuable addition to their team.
Tell us more about yourself:
(Miguel) I grew up in Citrus Heights and went to Orange County/Long Beach after high school to seek fame and fortune as a musician. At the same time, I was taking every art class available at local community colleges. The music thing didn’t exactly pan out, but in retrospect, the design thing did.
(Jim) I grew up in Shingle Springs CA and graduated from Ponderosa High School. The Bay Area work experience gave me the opportunity to grow in my career as well as in life. I recommend that any young person seeking a career get to experience working in a big city. Do it when you’re young, have fun and explore. After meeting my wife and starting my family, I returned to El Dorado County for the family life and schools that my daughter could experience growing up in an area that shares my values.
Other than work, what are you passionate about?
(Miguel) I’m passionate about my wife and daughters, art and architecture, history and music.
(Jim) Just like Miguel, I’m passionate for my family, skiing, kayaking, poker, camping and food. I also host house parties and game nights with my family and our friends.
What types of activities or hobbies do you enjoy outside of MCID?
(Miguel) I really enjoy playing the electric guitar and try to play several times a week. I also have several classic Oldsmobile’s that I pretend I’m restoring, but with everything else going on, my progress is not as fast as I would like.
(Jim) I also own and operate an events company called “Blue Dog Events” (Franchise Location). We provide Texas Hold’em tournaments for fundraising, private parties and team building events. This California licensed company provides World Series of Poker style events. We operate about 250 events per year in Northern California and generate nearly 3 million annually for charitable and non-profit causes.
Why did you choose and how does working at Business Workspaces help your business?
Business Workspaces has a great facility for small to medium sized companies. Working in a home office has its advantages but with Business Workspaces you get all the amenities that make a small company like ours look like an established firm. We have been here since January of 2015 with continuous profit growth each year. We appreciate our surroundings, the Business Workspaces team and our neighboring companies that also bring additional resources to My Crime in Design.
To learn more about My Crime in Design, you can visit their website or follow them on Facebook.
