Tehachapi News

Spotlight on Local Business:

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Mary and Terry Reed, owners of Mercury Graphics, have been operating their graphic design business in downtown Tehachapi since 1989. As motivated as they are to see their business succeed, the husband and wife team are equally motivated to see their community succeed.

The couple moved with their two children from Corona, Calif. to Tehachapi 26 years ago. They fell in love with Tehachapi right away and built a home here, from the ground up.

As a means to help support her family and stay home with her two young children, Mary began selling hand crafted items out of their new home in Tehachapi. Mary’s bother-in-law observed her creativity and suggested she look into graphic design to increase her earnings. Always being artistic, Mary picked up graphic design with ease.

Before long, Terry became involved with the business purchasing and teaching himself to use various printing machinery in order to offer a wide range of printing and graphic design services to their clients.

The business has become well known for their old fashioned, carved signs that adorn the exteriors of many local businesses. Mercury Graphics began creating the signs with a grant from Main Street Tehachapi, a locally funded non-profit organization created as a means of enhancing and beautifying downtown Tehachapi.

As two of Main Street’s founding members, Mary and Terry Reed were chosen last year by the Kern Council of Governments to receive a Regional Award of Merit in the category of Community Involvement.

Main Street Tehachapi’s web site credits the Reeds with being “the driving force behind Main Street’s Star Light Ball” for ten consecutive years, generating thousands of dollars for downtown improvement projects. This year’s event will be held in a new location, the old American Carriage building in Capitol Hills.

The Reeds keep a tireless schedule between community events and an ever growing business, the couple spends their free time attending trade shows in order to stay current in their craft and to be able to offer their clients the highest quality products and services.

“When we’re not working together we’re brain storming ideas about what else we can do or how we can do something better,” said Mary.

Regarding competition Mary said “I don’t play the game. Each graphic design or printing business offers a unique style so we’re really not competing with each other if our products are unique.”

Mary enjoys being able to offer her clients hand crafted graphics rather than simple clip art designs, usually creating a few different designs for each client to choose from. Each logo or sign created by the Reeds is an original work of art.

“Its exciting to go from designing an old fashioned sign for a salon one day to creating a logo for the Tehachapi Police Department the next,” said Mary.

For more information on products and services offered by Mercury Graphics call 822-5426 or stop by there office located at 120 E. Tehachapi Blvd.

 
Q&A with Mary Reed, owner, Mercury Graphics

Q: What is the meaning of success to you?
A: “Having a sense of pride and accomplishment seeing our work displayed throughout town.”

Q: Who is your hero or role model?
A: “Terry is the person I admire most, he inspires me.”

Q: When you were a child what did you want to be when you grew up?
A: “I wanted to be a stay at home mom.”