Murphy Door Founder Named 2026 Utah Business CEO of the Year

Firefighter-turned-founder recognized for scaling Murphy Door to a multi-million dollar company, six Inc. 5000 honors, and a place on Fortune’s Most Innovative Companies list—all while building 99% of product on American soil.

OGDEN, Utah, April 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Murphy Door, America’s #1 hidden door manufacturer, today announced that Founder and CEO Jeremy Barker has been named a 2026 CEO of the Year by Utah Business, the state’s leading source for business news and information. The honor recognizes Barker’s remarkable turnaround story, his leadership of a category-defining company, and his unwavering commitment to domestic manufacturing.

"I went bankrupt twice. I slept in my truck. I became a firefighter because I needed a job that mattered — not because I'd given up on building something, but because I had to start over,” said Jeremy Barker, Founder and CEO of Murphy Door. “ Then I built a door for my kids' home theater and accidentally started a company. To go from that — from bankruptcy and sleeping in a truck — to being recognized by Utah Business as CEO of the Year is something I don't take lightly. Utah is where we built this thing from nothing, and this award is a reminder of how far that journey has come. I'm grateful to everyone who believed in Murphy Door before anyone even knew what a hidden door was."

Utah Business presents its CEO of the Year award annually to leaders who have driven exceptional growth, innovation, and community impact across the state. The 2026 class — announced March 18 — includes honorees from Kodiak, Diversify, and other leading Utah companies. For Barker, the recognition caps a decade of accolades: six Inc. 5000 appearances, a spot on Fortune's Most Innovative Companies list, a 2024 EY Entrepreneur of the Year finalist nod, and back-to-back wins at the NAHB International Builders Show in 2022. It is, in many ways, the hometown honor that puts all of it in context.

That context includes a client roster most companies never see. Murphy Door has built hidden door systems for Daymond John's Shark Art Studio in Miami, recording artists Missy Elliott and Post Malone, entrepreneur Patrick Bet-David's Board Room, real estate investor Grant Cardone, and former NFL wide receiver Terrell Owens. The work spans residential estates, commercial showrooms, and entertainment spaces — but the product is made the same way regardless of who's buying it.

Murphy Door manufactures 99% of its products in the United States, with major production facilities in Utah and Kentucky. The company has invested millions of dollars in domestic manufacturing, advanced CNC machining, and skilled labor — with additional expansion planned this year. In a category where most competitors import, Barker has been deliberate and vocal about why that matters.

"We chose to manufacture in America because it lets us deliver a product our customers can actually count on,” said Barker. “ Lifetime warranty on hardware and workmanship, licensed engineers on staff, real people answering the phone. That's not a marketing line. That's what we built."

The company's engineering team produces BIM objects for architects, supplies inspector documentation on request, and ships worldwide through a multilingual Concierge Team. Murphy Door products are available direct-to-consumer at MurphyDoor.com and through select retail partners, including The Home Depot.

ABOUT MURPHY DOOR

Founded in 2012, Murphy Door is America’s #1 hidden door manufacturer, specializing in custom, space-saving solutions that seamlessly blend architectural design, functionality, and security. The company offers a wide range of concealed door systems—including bookcase doors, mirror doors, pantry doors, wine rack doors, and fully customizable hidden room solutions—for residential, multifamily, hospitality, and commercial applications. Murphy Door manufactures 99% of its products in the United States, with major production facilities in Utah and Kentucky, and continues to invest millions of dollars in domestic manufacturing, advanced CNC machining, and skilled labor, with additional expansion planned this year. Murphy Door products are available direct-to-consumer at MurphyDoor.com and through select retail partners, including The Home Depot.

For more information or to schedule an interview with Jeremy, please contact:

MATTIO Communications
Riley McCarthy
murphydoor@mattio.com

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