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Origin toasts 10 years of daring to dream big
Grooving late into the night at the Hotel ZaZa Phantom Ballroom, Origin says thank-you to clients, employees and friends
Houston—October 29, 2007—When Jim Mousner started Origin, he was a 27-year-old designer working from a home office in his apartment. But he dreamed big.
“I believed Houston had the creative talent to rival anything produced in New York or L.A.,” Mousner says. “Too many of my peers thought they had to leave to do cutting edge design, and too many clients agreed with them. But I saw opportunity here.”
On Friday, Oct. 26, Mousner said he had to ask himself if he was still dreaming, as he looked across the Phantom Ballroom at more than 400 clients, employees and friends. The crowd assembled to toast Origin’s 10th anniversary at the ultra-swank Hotel ZaZa.
“The event theme of following your dreams was a tribute to Origin’s first decade. We took some risks, but we also changed a lot of minds about Houston’s homegrown creative potential,” Mousner says.
Thanking partners Jimmie Ruggerio, Steve Stepinoff and Shawn Collier at the party, Mousner credited them for helping him build a firm of 42 people that topped $13 million in billings in 2007.
Today, Origin provides full-service brand strategy, creative marketing and PR for blue-chip clients like CenterPoint Energy, the SYSCO Corporation, SCI, Enterprise Products Partners, EGL, ION and ExpressJet Airlines.
 Mousner also continues to recruit heavily from his alma mater, University of Houston’s Graphic Communications program, keeping his firm’s output fresh and current. At the same time, Origin has attracted senior staffers from Houston’s biggest agencies.
Ann Taylor became public relations director. Jackie Dryden, a veteran of Houston’s largest local and international advertising agencies, brought her flair for client service. Jeff Lane, Aimee Borders and Dylan Powell added their firepower in writing and strategy. And Doug Parker stepped up to help the firm plan and execute its move into new headquarters, while also bringing expertise in marketing professional services to the architecture, engineering and construction industry.
Their track records in strategic branding, investor relations, and full-service advertising, public relations and marketing programs, gave Origin the complete line up of services clients were seeking.
“There’s not another firm in Houston of Origin’s size with our level of skills that can also match our drive, passion and heart,” Ruggerio says with obvious pride.
Next month, Origin will give another trademark party, this one exclusively to thank its vendors. Origin’s past vendor appreciation parties have won industry commendations for their innovation and creative promotion.
Asked why a customer would throw a party to thank suppliers he already has paid to work for him, Mousner raises an eyebrow and chuckles.
“We never forget the guys who jump through hoops when we call with an insane deadline,” he says.
“Although Origin’s creativity and strategic thinking set us apart, we know that delivering the product on time and on budget is just as important to our clients.”
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