While on first view, Mill Construction Company’s office appears to be a well-designed, efficient building, closer inspection reveals layers of history. Nestled between bustling offices and incorporated into the floor plan are two old cooler rail cars, relics from Salinas’ early days. The insulated cars were part of the Valley’s earliest attempts at shipping produce cross-country and are an appropriate venue for a company known for its long-term commitment to agricultural clients and innovative design. During World War II, the company’s founder, Thomas H. “Tommy” Mill, worked as a carpenter at a defense project in Pocatello, Idaho, under a contractor from Salinas named Ernest Lunt. After the project was completed, Lunt urged Tommy to join him in the home-building business. After a year of coaxing and family decision making, Mill packed up his family from Butte, Montana, and came to Salinas in November 1945. After a few years building homes with Lunt, Mill went to work for the Stolte Construction Company building Salinas’ Valley Center, a major shopping center. In 1949, after getting his contractor’s license, Mill struck out on his own building custom homes and cabinets. Business was good, and Mill soon purchased the property where the business still thrives today. The building had previously housed a grocery store, and the owners had used the ice-cooling rail cars as storage for meat and other perishables.

Tom Mill Jr.’s ambition was to become an architect and he studied architecture at Hartnell College. After transferring to the University of California at Berkeley, Tom realized that engineering was his real interest and he quickly changed his major. His professional education was interrupted when he was drafted into the Army near the end of the Korean War. After two years in Berlin as a demolitions NCO, Tom completed his engineering degree at Berkeley in January 1957.

Upon graduation, the younger Mill went to work for a contractor in the Bay Area, entering into what he thought was a business partnership with a former classmate. However, the partnership never materialized, and after nine years Tom was ready to join his father. The agreement between father and son was that Tom would run the business and estimating part of the company and Tommy would run the field construction work. The partnership worked well. The company thrived and incorporated. Under Tom’s leadership, the business’s focus shifted from residential to commercial and industrial buildings. The elder Mill continued to work at the family business, mainly checking job quality and equipment service, until his death in 1979.

A third generation of the Mill family joined the firm when Tom’s second son, Ernie, came to Mill Construction in 1985. Ernie completed and obtained his degree in construction engineering from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and worked for several years building high-rise structures for Pacific Construction in Hawaii. When his wife was expecting their first child, they decided to return home to Salinas. After working as an estimator and project manager at Mill Construction for four years, Ernie moved into a managerial position. Ernie now serves as the company's president.

Under Enrie’s leadership, Mill Construction continues to thrive, and in the last few years its annual volume has risen dramatically from an average of $10 to $13 million to $25 million. The firm has recently hired four new people and its staff includes a professional engineer. However, Mill prefers to do no in-house engineering work. Instead, Mill Construction assembles a specialized design team for each project and facilitates a working relationship with the design team and the customer. The company excels at facilitating the permit process as well and prides itself on the community relationships it has forged over the years. Without this intimate knowledge of how the local permit system works, projects would take much longer to complete.

The company jealously guards its reputation, striving above all else to satisfy its customers’ needs and treat its subcontractors fairly. Such care has rewarded repeat business and referrals from satisfied clients that comprise 70 to 80 percent of Mill Construction’s jobs.

Recently, three company employees have bought out Tom’s share of the business. Under the new ownership configuration, Ernie retains the majority of shares. Bill Taylor, Senior Vice President in Charge of Operations, owns the second-largest share of the company. Bill manages the fieldwork – essentially the same part of the business originally managed by the company’s founder, Tommy Mill. Troy Eckard, Vice President in Charge of Contracts, owns the third portion of company stock.

Mill Construction has always fostered a close relationship to the Salinas community. Tom has served in numerous community and industry organizations, including: Salinas Valley Chamber of Commerce, Builders’ Exchange, Associated General Contractors of America, Monterey County Planning Commission, Salinas-Kushikino Sister City Association and Salinas Memorial Hospital.

Mill Construction’s older project have included the 43,000-square-foot Monterey Herald production facility, the Del Monte Jet Center, the United Parcel Service distribution center, the Tanimura & Antle produce cooling and distribution center, the world’s largest broccoli-processing plant for Mann Packing Company, and construction management for Carmel’s lovely Barnyard Shopping Center. Other clients include the Monterey Regional Waste Management District, KCBA Television, D’Arrigo Brothers, Fresh Express, Pride of San Juan, Taylor Farms, Grower’s Ice, Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula and CTB McGraw-Hill. Current projects include the Dodge and Buick Auto Center, Gabilan Manufacturing, the Grainary, the Tanimura & Antle Cooler/shipping facility and the Nunes cooler/shipping facility (both located in Huron, California), the Pacific Farm Credit offices, and Natural Select Foods in San Juan Bautista.

Mill Construction takes each job very seriously, no matter how large or small. Employees pride themselves on accommodating the customers’ special needs and this commitment to excellence, coupled with a commitment to the community, has served Mill Construction well over the years.