By Andrew Rocha
Downtown Stockton’s atmosphere attracts entrepreneurial people both near and far. Many business owners from other cities are recognizing downtown Stockton’s value and potential, and they are taking the steps to not only grow their businesses in the area, but also to help downtown Stockton thrive. Most Modest is the latest evidence of increasing outside interest in downtown Stockton.
Product Design in Downtown
Most Modest is a product design, manufacturer, and accessory brand that has opened a studio on E. Weber Avenue in downtown Stockton. Most Modest produces unique and minimalistic products that are perfect for any office or work space. This includes products like: Cody, a desktop organizer that combines a pencil cup with a wood tray; Niko, a wood form power strip combined with a knitted mesh power cable; and Simon, a cable organizer that’s simple but keeps cables from making a mess and tangling. These are just a few of their products; there are more coming soon.
Founder of Most Modest, Justin Champaign, explained the meaning behind “Most Modest” and the origins of the business. “Most Modest, the name, comes from the Emily Post Book of Etiquette, which I found at a flea market. There is a chapter on how to be a most modest host, and that really fit with what I was trying to create for the brand and types of products we make and design here. MM brand is about making meaningful products and experiences for our customers and the users of them, not about us ‘the designers.’ But we do want to be the best at it, hence being the MOST Modest.”
Moving to Downtown Stockton
Originally located in San Francisco, Champaign decided to move Most Modest to Stockton to escape the absurd rent increases and stressful commute. While Most Modest could have moved anywhere, like Austin, Seattle, or Sacramento, Champaign realized that Stockton was the best choice.
“On one of my commutes from San Francisco to the Sierras I decided to check out Stockton. I was immediately interested. A beautiful location on the water, cool old downtown and surrounding neighborhoods and directly half way between SF and the Sierras. I began doing research and stumbled upon Jared Rusten though Instagram. I saw he had left SF and setup in downtown Stockton; I got in contact and he showed me around. It was then that I made the decision I was going to try and setup in Stockton. I planned on trying to buy a building and be part of restoring downtown Stockton to its former glory.”
Now that they are settled in downtown Stockton, Most Modest can focus on growing and improving. “The future is exciting – we have partnered with some great domestic manufacturers and are ramping up our production, expanding our lines and categories into lighting, furniture objects, and of course power.”
Downtown welcomes Most Modest wholeheartedly, and is eager to see this unique business flourish.