During a time when Stephen Murray was experiencing the most significant personal challenge of his life, he also was in the midst of transforming his newly purchased company, MDM Stoneworks LLC, from a three-year historical EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization) average of -$50K to +$575K. While building the business, he was balancing his now-6-year-old son’s diagnosis of Rasmussen’s encephalitis. Over the course of three months, his son went from experiencing his first seizure to undergoing a procedure that disconnected his brain’s left hemisphere from his body. While accomplishments are rewarding, Murray said, the true benefit of his professional success was his ability to handle this tragedy financially, mentally and emotionally.

Murray cites his participation in GE Power’s Operations Management Leadership Program as one of his best early decisions, leveraging his experience to pursue and earn his MBA at the University of Chicago and helping grow MDM Stoneworks from $1.5M to $4M in annual revenue within three years.

Murray has continued to transform MDM Stoneworks, growing the company to $8 million in annual revenue and shifting its focus toward commercial projects. He expanded the business into online sales, positioning MDM as a national leader in stone veneer e-commerce. Combining financial discipline with a clear operational vision, he has also introduced Dot, an AI-powered system that automates 95% of the company’s day-to-day operational tasks. These advances have created a more scalable business and freed Murray and his team to focus on customers, strategy and continued growth.