Our Story
Morgan’s Monograms dates back to 1983 when a young widow,
Mary Morgan, took a chance with a little help from her father-in-law, into the
world of embroidery.
Mary supported she and her young daughter, Shana, by working
part-time at a gift shop in Seaport Village that chain stitched names onto their
hats. Her father-in-law, A.W. Morgan, saw an opportunity to branch out from this
idea by offering computerized embroidery – something he researched and found
that no one in San Diego was doing at the time. So, with a little financial
help from her father-in-law to purchase San Diego’s first industrial
computerized embroidery machine, Mary found a small space to rent in downtown
La Mesa to start her monogram business.
The opening of Morgan’s Monograms was slow going. No one
knew she had this amazing machinery. She used grassroots sales and marketing efforts
by going door to door to homes and businesses asking if she could embroider
initials on their shirt cuffs, towels, or names on jackets. Meanwhile, her
six-year-old daughter was by her side at the shop when not in school helping
trim threads from the embroidery work and slept in a sleeping bag while Mary
worked into the night teaching herself how to use the machine and coming up
with different ways in which to make it a success.
It took a couple years of hard work and determination, but
it eventually it began to pay off when more and more customers learned about
Morgan’s Monograms and their capabilities. Mary was able to sign big accounts
and ended up buying another machine to accommodate the orders and moved into a
larger building. Over the course of 38 years, Mary went from a one-woman show
to having the first and largest embroidery company in San Diego with over 50 employees!
Fast forward to today. Morgan’s Monograms continues to
thrive despite the brief shutdown due to Covid in 2020. During that time, Mary
made the decision to retire and that is when her daughter, Shana, took over the
reins. Although they had to downsize a
bit in 2020, they have still maintained their key employees for over 20 years –
a testament to how much Morgan’s values their employees. Shana also took the
opportunity to move the shop back to its roots in downtown La Mesa while
keeping their production warehouse just down the street. Using the discipline
and teachings of her mother, Shana now looks to the future and is emboldened to
continue the lasting client relationships the company has built over the last
38 years. They truly believe the customer is always right and stand by their
work to ensure 100 percent satisfaction. Shana is also proud that she can
continue the legacy of a woman owned, family owned, multi-generation business.
Visit the new storefront in La Mesa Village at 8219 La Mesa
Blvd., La Mesa, CA 91942. We look forward to serving you!