Darin Murray is a St. Louis-based artist, designer and maker.
About Me
When I was a kid, I learned how to fix up ‘57 Chevys and Impalas with my dad. I fell in love with the craftsmanship of it: taking things apart, learning how they worked and improving upon them with my own ideas and my own hands. I’ve been creating ever since.
For many years I owned Portenzo, a fabrication shop that designed and produced everything from high-end iPad covers to custom record players. At our height I had 20+ employees; we manufactured and shipped tens of thousands of products a year.
I left the shop behind in the pandemic, and am looking for new opportunities to create, improve, and grow.
Things You Wouldn’t Know About Me
My basement holds one of the largest collections of vintage, industrial sewing machines in the Midwest
I had top secret clearance as a technical illustrator in the Air Force
I turned a pitching mat into cufflinks for the Chicago Cubs, and dugout benches into boot jacks for the Houston Astros
Things I can’t fix: procrastination, that weird smell in my girlfriend’s garage, the global economy
Other Professional Skills
Hiring and firing; team-building and business operations
Process engineering utilizing 5S and lean principles
Negotiating commercial leases
Commercial and residential construction/general contracting
Employee engagement and culture building
Creating an ethos of doing things right the first time