At Dynamic Dies, our expertise goes beyond precision tooling and problem-solving. It’s about people. It’s about culture. And it’s about creating a workplace that reflects the energy, craftsmanship and collaboration happening inside our walls every day.
This mindset is what led to an idea that quite literally changed the space. Why not “show and tell” our story. By bringing in Toledo mural artist Dean Davis of Art Farm and River Gallery Studio to create a custom piece inside the facility, our walls speak. The visual message is 50 feet long and covers what was a plain surface where our diverse team lays hands on every project.
The result is more than a mural. It’s a reflection of our work, the people behind it and our pride of place. Did we mention Dean is also painting 23 murals along the Maumee riverfront and has completed a 65-foot-high mural under the Anthony Wayne Bridge? This is also the guy who initiated a 100-mural project for the city. The mural at Dynamic Dies touches our people every day and connects them with our purpose here and our community.
We caught up with Dean to talk about the project, his process and what stood out to him while working inside Dynamic Dies.
Walls, Speak Up!
From the beginning, the goal was to tell a story. “This was an opportunity to show what they do there in a way that makes the people who look at it every day really feel it,” Dean says. “You see a package one way, but they see the opportunity behind it. They see branding. They see how it all comes together.”
This perspective became the foundation for the design. What starts as an idea moves through a process shaped by engineering, creativity and craftsmanship, what Dean describes as “many hands touching every step” along the way.
Impressed with Dynamic Dies and the company’s reach as a longtime, award-winning key player in the as a premiere tooling manufacturer in the corrugated box industry, he says: “What they’re doing here is remarkable.”
Feeling a Connection
As the mural took shape, Dean found himself doing what artists often do best. Observing. “You become a fly on the wall,” he says. “You hear the conversations. You see the relationships.”
What stood out wasn’t just the work itself, but the environment at Dynamic Dies. “People work together. There’s a real process, but there’s also a genuine connection between people,” he says. “It’s diverse, it’s collaborative — and you can tell people feel welcome here. That’s a huge win.”
This sense of trust and teamwork isn’t something you can manufacture. It’s built over time. And in this case, it became part of the story the mural tells.
All About the Process
Dean’s process mirrors that same balance of craftsmanship and innovation. After walking the facility and talking through the workflow, from initial concept to final delivery, he translated what he saw into a visual narrative. Then came execution, where traditional artistry meets advanced tools.
Using augmented reality (AR), Dean mapped out and built the mural in layers, allowing for precision at scale while maintaining the hand-drawn, human element.
AR allows him to work within the space, adjusting in real time and ensuring the final piece aligned with both the physical environment and the story behind it.
“I see technology as a tool,” he says. “It makes the process more efficient, but it doesn’t replace the craft.”
Pride of Place
There’s something powerful about introducing vibrancy into an industrial setting. “When you take a warehouse or a workshop and add something like this — it changes everything,” Dean says.
The mural brings energy to the space. It breaks up the expected. And more importantly, it creates a sense of ownership for the people who walk past it every day. “This mural was for the people,” he adds. “You want them to feel proud of what they do when they see it.”
For Dynamic Dies, the project reflects a broader philosophy: investing in people means thinking differently about the environment they work in every day by creating spaces that inspire, reflect the work being done and celebrate the team behind it.
From the first conversation to the final brushstroke, the process was collaborative, thoughtful and aligned from start to finish. Dean’s ability to listen, translate ideas into visuals and engage with the team along the way made the experience just as impactful as the finished piece.
The result is something that feels right at home here at Dynamic Dies, because it was built from within it. And like the work happening across the floor every day, it’s a reminder of what’s possible when creativity and culture come together.
Thanks, Dean, for your incredible work, and to our team for bringing that same grit, pride and hands-on craftsmanship to the floor every single day.
