Who We Are: Kevin Murray

Our CEO, Kevin Murray, wanted to personally give you a deeper glimpse into his life for the last of our “Who We Are” series. Enjoy!

I was born in Santa Ana, California in 1961, so I can claim that I am a native Californian. However, I was the son of a salesman and went to 11 different schools while growing up. Bouncing around Texas, Wisconsin and Illinois, I learned what it was like to be the new kid. I think it taught me a valuable lesson though in accepting people for who they were.

I went to college to become an architect and while at the University of Illinois, I took a summer intern program at an architectural firm in Chicago and instantly realized this was not what I wanted to do. So as a newly married man with a child on the way, I had to regroup. After a series of jobs, I landed as a supervisor in a screen printing company in Chicago. I really loved it, the design, the production, the creativity, the team atmosphere…

So in 1987, I packed up the family (Kerri, Kelli & Kyleen) and moved to San Diego to start a screen printing business of my own. That was the birth of KJM Enterprises which has evolved from a little garage set up to our current facility in Miramar (northern industrial part of San Diego). We have about 50 employees, 6 automatics and print about 20,000 t-shirts a day. Like most small businesses, there are good days and bad days. But it is great to work with people I care about, to wear shorts to work everyday and to make stuff people want to buy.

In 2001 I was approached by some guys who had an idea. The idea was Jedidiah and the concept was to provide a positive alternative to the sometimes not so positive images of brands in the action sports retail space. I jumped in to help them incorporate the company, trademark the name and start an initial business plan. After a few years of working the business from the production side, there was a turning point for Jedidiah. In the summer of 2004 we had to decide if the business was going to continue. It was then that we changed the platform of Jedidiah to be what it is today, a humanitarian based fashion brand.

Jedidiah exists for the sole purpose of providing a sustainable revenue stream to assist people who are suffering. The people who we have met along the way, the artists, the musicians, the athletes and activists all play a part in who we are as a company. The experiences we have had along the way in a very real sense are the fabric and texture to my life and the lives of my family. As hard as it is to build a brand in a world that is often fickle and cynical, I would not trade a minute of time invested in Jedidiah.

The love of my life is my wife of 27 years, Sherri. She has made me a better man in our life journey together. I am blessed with three truly unique and wonderful daughters, two loving son in laws and one (soon to be 2) grandsons. (All pictured below.)

I am constantly inspired by the people around me. The unrelenting encouragement of my wife and daughters. The gifts of uniquely talented people who give their time to further the mission of Jedidiah. The people on the ground assisting the suffering people we aim to support. But mostly I am inspired by the very ones we help.

I have been lucky enough to travel to many parts of the world (I leave this Saturday to Cambodia with a team from World Vision). In places that we would consider to have nothing, I always find hope, I always find laughter.

God has placed in all of us the capacity of great joy and great love. I am not always joyful and I am not always loving. But if I surround myself with people who serve, with people who love others and expect nothing in return, I believe I take one step closer to becoming the man I want to be.

We at Jedidiah are so thankful that we have Kevin to lead us well as we press forward in fashioning hope.