Our expert and devoted folks enable Miller Fabrication Options to serve OEM prospects properly. These group members are deeply vital to us. As a result of we acknowledge that the sixtieth anniversary we have a good time this 12 months wouldn’t have been doable with out the individuals who work at Miller now and people who have labored right here over the a long time, we needed to listen to some longtime workers’ views on this milestone.
Given the position household has performed in our lengthy historical past, Dick and Wealthy Metal instantly got here to thoughts. They’ve a mixed half-century of expertise with Miller. Dick, who retired in January 2021, was with us for 3 a long time – first as a welder and later as a machinist at our Sandy Lick plant for 28 of these years. His son Wealthy, who will quickly have a good time his twentieth anniversary on the firm, began as a machinist and now serves as our Director of Lean Manufacturing.
We sat down with Dick and Wealthy to ask them about working at Miller, the adjustments they’ve seen over time and memorable moments on the job. Right here’s how the western Pennsylvania natives answered our questions:
Q: Wealthy, was your dad’s expertise at Miller a consider you becoming a member of the corporate?
Within the sense that it confirmed me Miller was a great place to work, sure. I additionally realized about manufacturing as a doable profession from him. What finally sealed the deal for me was how versatile Miller is. My dad at all times labored an evening shift, and so did I after I first began. However in contrast to a earlier manufacturing employer, Miller wasn’t inflexible about what time my shifts began. I had younger youngsters after I joined the corporate in 2004, and Miller’s scheduling flexibility allowed me to steadiness work with household life. I believe that stems from the truth that Miller is a family-owned operation that values folks.
Q: What did/do you want most about working at Miller?
Dick: They at all times handled me properly. They made positive I had the abilities essential to do my job, after which they left me to it. And if you did issues proper, your bosses revered you. I loved my time at Miller and by no means actually considered it as “work.” The truth is, I didn’t miss a single day the entire 30 years I used to be there.
Wealthy: Apart from the truth that they’re at all times accommodating should you want day off for youths’ occasions or different household tasks, it’s satisfying to me as a result of we do numerous fascinating work. It’s rewarding to know there’s a great likelihood we made elements for giant tools you see taking place the street or getting used on a building web site. And possibly I even machined a component you see out on the earth. It’s simply neat to consider and be part of that.
Q: What adjustments or developments have you ever seen over your years at Miller?
Dick: For me, it must be automation. Once I first began at Miller in 1991, we did numerous issues manually. We used our palms much more again then, which I beloved. Starting within the mid-Nineteen Nineties, they began utilizing CNC machines that did what they have been programmed to do. So, should you program them proper, you get a great half. That basically helped high quality management, as a result of there’s clearly much more room for human error if you manually machine elements.
Wealthy: The largest change I’ve seen is Miller’s transition from a job store to a contract producer. Once I got here on board in 2004, we have been nonetheless doing the sort of restore work from metal mills that Miller had accomplished for the reason that firm began. At this time, we hardly do any one-off jobs; it’s all contract manufacturing for the massive OEMs. Automating manufacturing with CNC machines actually paved the way in which for Miller to develop into a strategic accomplice for a few of the greatest OEMs on the earth. It enabled us to go from batch processing to just-in-time manufacturing, decreasing lead occasions, as a result of we now have security inventory primarily based off forecasting. And that’s actually the distinction between a job store that makes an order and a contract producer that replenishes product as we ship it.
We even have formalized the budgeting course of and use gross sales and operations planning to guage our capacities and capabilities. That’s allowed us to diversify our buyer base and the options we provide, particularly over the previous 5 to 10 years.
Q: Why do you suppose Miller has been profitable for 60 years?
Dick: Miller simply treats folks proper. Staff like working right here, and prospects maintain bringing enterprise to us. Miller is also dedicated to enhancing the way in which work will get accomplished. They meet buyer challenges by increasing their capabilities. That’s what occurred when a giant building business OEM got here to Miller for the primary time. The shopper’s expectations from a high quality standpoint pressured us to ascertain higher processes, which advantages different prospects, too. Miller additionally takes sensible dangers that assist the group develop and enhance, like taking up sure sorts of labor they don’t have particular expertise doing. That additionally has a optimistic influence on all prospects. When Miller will get higher, elements get higher, which helps our prospects’ companies. I believe they really feel like they get good worth from Miller for all these causes.
Wealthy: I believe dad’s proper when he talks about the way in which Miller treats folks. That’s a giant a part of it. Additionally they simply have good enterprise sense. The Miller household realized from some early difficulties, like once they needed to lay off lots of people after the metal business crashed within the early ‘80s. As an alternative of ready for the business to get better, they discovered the right way to get completely different work so they might rehire workers. That was the start of their transition from a restore job store to a strategic contract producer. They simply proceed to evolve and keep forward of business adjustments, so we stay aggressive, viable and in a position to proceed providing a great place for workers to work.
Q: What’s your favourite Miller reminiscence?
Dick: What I keep in mind most is considering how a lot I loved going to work. It didn’t really feel like a job. That basically made every single day a great reminiscence for me.
Wealthy: The most effective reminiscences for me is the time we did a one-off job for an airline provider after I was crew chief within the machine store. The shopper wanted these massive, stainless-steel frames for airplane wings machined flat and 1000’s of holes drilled and tapped into them. And whereas we did have stainless welding, slicing and machining capabilities, we hadn’t accomplished numerous it. Because the crew chief, I used to be tasked with determining the right way to faucet the stainless, which may be sort of gummy, with out breaking chips off. So I labored with the faucet provider, the machine operators and the engineering division, and people elements got here out lovely. You may see your self within the mirror end on them, and we tapped all these holes efficiently with none injury in any respect. It was a great group success after initially having been somewhat nervous about taking up that sort of venture.
Q: Is there anything you’d wish to say about your time at Miller?
Dick: I simply actually wish to thank Miller for 30 good years of labor. They handled me proper, and so they deal with my son proper, and I admire that.
Wealthy: I share my dad’s sentiments. I admire the alternatives I’ve had right here. And, whereas I really feel like I earned them, they wouldn’t have been doable if the Millers hadn’t seen potential in me and acted on it. Due to them, I’ve had so many nice alternatives to be taught and problem myself in new methods, and in addition to journey the world. This work permits me to offer for my household whereas having fun with a long-lasting, significant profession. I anticipate I’ll be retiring from Miller sooner or later as properly, like my dad. It’s only a nice firm, and I’m proud to be a part of it.
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