Miller Mechanical Contractors & Engineers, LLC Corporate Profile, as featured in "Construction Communication Magazine" When builders choose Miller Mechanical Contractors and Engineers, LLC to address project needs, they are not simply considered clients. They instead become part of the ever-expanding Miller family. Eddie Miller, President and Owner of Miller Mechanical Contractors & Engineers, LLC , explains, “We work to develop long-lasting relationships with our clients. Our clients rely on our expertise in working with our specific responsibilities, as well as working in concert with other team members on a project — from the architects and the engineers to the general contractor and the other subcontractors.” Miller Mechanical Contractors & Engineers, LLC specializes in providing water, waste and gas systems solutions for multifamily and mixed-use new construction projects ranging from slab-on-grade and elevated structural concrete with wood framing to multiple systems of high-rise concrete construction. In keeping with “family tradition,” most of Miller Mechanical’s customers have come through referrals from people who have worked with the group in the past. Because of Miller Mechanical’s customer-focused, family-oriented approach to doing business, the company has experienced consistent, impressive growth since its inception in 1955. It all began with Herb Miller, who started his subcontracting business in Atlanta, doing plumbing for single-family homes. During the next 30 years the company turned its focus to multifamily housing. During this time, Miller Mechanical aligned itself with premier apartment builders in Atlanta. In the ’80s, Eddie Miller then expanded operations into Florida. As the ’90s came to a close, Miller Mechanical experienced a phenomenal amount of growth, expanding into seven southeastern states. Miller Mechanical no longer attributed 85 percent of its profits to a 25-year relationship with one owner/developer, but instead began negotiating bids with as many as 25 customers or more at a time. “Today, the work is still family oriented,” explains Eddie Miller, “but spans a much broader area of expertise including student housing, apartment, condominium, high rise, parking decks, motels/hotels and mixed-use markets.” Solid relationships are at the heart of success In its infrastructure, Miller Mechanical Contractors & Engineers, LLC has been careful to maintain continuity among everyone involved in the management of a given project. From the initial planning through project management to the warranty process, members of the Miller Mechanical management team work closely together to make sure that no information is overlooked or lost. The bottom line for Miller Mechanical’s customers is that projects are consistently completed on time and within budget. Explains Alice Miller, “Our estimating/sales and purchasing departments work closely with the customer’s project managers from the outset of the project so there are no hidden costs and no surprises to deal with at the end of the day.” Another advantage to working with Miller Mechanical is the level of involvement clients have come to expect and value in the company. “We maintain a close working relationship throughout the development and construction process to be sure the desires of those involved are successfully communicated,” says Alice Miller. “When a client has a concern or a question, we are available. There is no bureaucracy here. Any member of the Miller Mechanical team is willing to get in and roll up their sleeves, if you will, on a project. We feel this is the best way to instill confidence in our clients, and has consistently earned us repeat business and valuable referrals.” With more than 50 years in the business, Miller Mechanical has also established valuable relationships with manufacturers that ultimately benefit clients as well. Customers consistently look to Miller Mechanical for suggestions regarding distribution materials to utilize, fixture manufacturers they can trust, and in some cases, doing the design-build for their plumbing systems. “In the current highly competitive market, budgets and specifications are constantly changing,” says Alice Miller. “We have opportunities through our combined purchasing power to offer the owner options of higher quality at a more cost-efficient price to successfully value engineer projects when necessary.” Rising above the rest Miller Mechanical Contractors & Engineers, LLC has had the opportunity to work on many well-run projects with good customers. A more telling example of the company’s abilities is its work on difficult and less organized projects. “On what could be considered the worst projects with regard to schedule and coordination, we have worked hard to ensure that we continue to deliver an outstanding work product, on time and within budget, despite complications created by project architects, general contractors and the like,” says Edward Miller, Operations Manager for the Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C. area and Eddie’s son. On one mixed-use project with construction costs in excess of $100 million, for example, suits filed among the owners, their consultants and the general contractors in excess of $40 million created tremendous additional obstacles. Despite obvious delays attributed to the termination of the general contractor, Miller Mechanical maintained good relationships with architects, officials and all parties that were, at the time, at odds with one another. And, Miller Mechanical completed its share of the work in time for inspection long before other parties involved on the project were able or willing to do so. Because of these and similar efforts, Miller Mechanical was awarded Subcontractor of the Month multiple times for performance and its continued efforts toward the common goal of project completion. What does the future look like for Miller Mechanical Contractors & Engineers, LLC? Today the industry is exploding with tremendous streams of investment and opportunity, according to Eddie Miller. “There are currently more projects in the pipeline in the markets that Miller Mechanical works in than there are qualified people to build them. Material prices have skyrocketed, and competition for qualified labor has also increased. In response to these conditions, we’ve responded with competitive pricing. In turn, customers are responding with more projects for the company to bid on. “We want our customers to know that we are committed to maintaining controlled, organized growth in spite of the opportunities we are presented with,” he says. “We strive to be clear and complete through the bid process. It is imperative that we are diligent through contract negotiations and thorough in the contract preparation to lessen potential for disputes after the job begins. We then must follow through in our project management communications until the project is complete. The best long-term answer in this regard is to align ourselves with the most organized builders that pay consistently.” About our founders