Less than three months ago, a devastating fire destroyed a large portion of Miller's Millworks in the Village of Bergen. That's hard to believe today - the business is bustling with activity - workers are filling orders and construction of a new facility to replace the section that burned down in early March is nearing completion. Miller's Millworks makes custom lecterns, podiums, cabinets, desks and other business-related furniture. Owner and president Barry Miller said the past three months have been bittersweet. The building that burned was built in 1876 and his grandfather's brother had run it as a bean mill from the 1940s and 50s through 1967. The site was also home to an antique co-op for a time. But the brand new facility, constructed to resemble the old mill, will be much better and more usable. The floors are now even, for example, Miller said. The structure consists of three stories, two for production and a third floor in a cupola will include office and conference room space. Fire broke out in the old mill in the early morning hours of Sunday, March 4. Miller said the cause was accidental; it started in a cordless tool battery charger. The entire original part of the mill was lost, but a new addition at the back, completed in December 2006, was saved. A firewall protected the area and is the sole reason the business is still up and running. If it had not been for the recently finished addition, "The whole business would have gone out the window," Miller said. "The heart of what we do was located in that area." Vital equipment in the addition helped the business get back on track with only five days of down time. The Bergen community also rallied to help. Miller expressed gratitude to the entire community for all the assistance he has received. "I would like to offer a hearty thank-you to everyone who has helped," he said. People Miller doesn't even know have stopped in and volunteered to help and other businesses in the village have offered assistance, as well. "The Village of Bergen has been incredible," Miller said. The Village Department of Public Works and the building inspector worked quickly to get things done, including providing office space, he said. "They have been a bulldozer in front of us," Miller said. It's the kind of thing that Miller said he loves about small communities. He said if he were trying to do the reconstruction in a big city, he probably wouldn't even have a new foundation in place yet. Genesee County is also helping Miller out. The Genesee County Economic Development Corporation provided Miller with a tax incentive package that will save his business more than $60,000 over the next ten years, and his insurance company has nearly wrapped-up his claim in just over two-and-a-half months, Miller said. Because reconstruction has gone so smoothly, Miller's Millworks will move into the new facility in June and the project will be fully completed by the end of August. Miller said he plans a grand opening event at that time to show his thanks to the community. Miller is committed to keeping his business in Bergen, his hometown. He serves on the town board and is a past chief of the Bergen Fire Department. Miller's Millworks, which began in the basement of Miller's home in 1996, had sales of $1.7 million last year. Once the company reaches $2 million in sales, Miller said he and his business partner, vice-president Greg Lumb, will stop focusing on growth in an effort to keep the company small and the product quality high. He currently employs 17 workers and expects to hire more. Miller said he built his business on getting his products to his customers, "within 30 days or less," of the time they order. Miller's Millworks was recently honored by Business First in Buffalo with a small business of the year award. Miller's Millworks ships furnishings all over the Eastern U.S. with Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia bringing in the most business. Many of his orders come from colleges and universities. His client list includes the likes of British Airways, Boeing, Campbell Soup, Walt Disney Company and Colin Powell and Alan Greenspan. June 3, 2007 |
