David Ross
Earl Miller, whose business is based in Homer, Neb., met David Ross in the 1980s. Miller was an industrial arts instructor at Winnebago High School in Winnebago, Neb., and Ross was his student.
Ross continued his education at Dana College in Blair, Neb., and worked for Miller in the summers from 1982-1984. When he graduated from college in May 1985 with a bachelor's degree in education, he started full time with Earl Miller Construction instead of looking for a teaching job.
“I really enjoyed working at Earl Miller Construction tremendously and it was tough to find a teaching job with no experience,” Ross said.
Ross has enjoyed various aspects of his job as a project manager, which he said is more like being a foreman. He, like the other project managers, has the responsibility of taking a job and managing it from start to finish. He meets with customers, gets the sub-contractors needed to do the job and coordinates scheduling with customers. He also answers questions from customers.
“We’re there to please them,” Ross said. “We do what they want. We’re always available. They can call nights and weekends when they have a brainstorm. They may call and ask, ‘What do you think of this? Is that going to be a problem?’ We’re there daily meeting with customers. Hopefully, we know exactly what they want. It’s what we strive for. We want them to be happy with our work and that of our sub-contractors.”
Ross said he likes being able to perform different tasks every day, meeting new people, working outside when the weather is nice, and working with his hands.
“I grew up on a farm, so this type of work was something that appealed to me,” he said. “It’s an avenue I’m glad I chose.”
Ross said that remodeling is more of a challenge than new construction, but it keeps life interesting.
Working with Miller, he said, is the next best thing to working on your own.
“It can be pretty overwhelming going out on your own, considering what’s going on in the world. Earl gives you the freedom. He trusts that the responsibilities he gives you will be taken care of,” he said. “In turn, he’s very well-respected in the community and by customers. That'’s why we get a lot of repeat business.”
As a person, Miller treats people fairly, and he’s easy to work for, Ross commented.
“He’s a very thorough person. You have to be in this kind of work. He’s a terrific guy to work for. He doesn’t seem like a boss-boss,” he said. “He’s also a very honest and trustworthy person. He’s always looking out for the employees and customers we have. He wants to get the best for them. He’s very fair. He listens a lot, not only to customers’ opinions, but ours as well. That’s obvious considering all the years we’ve spent working for Earl.”
Miller said Ross is very considerate of other people. “He’s also very good at finish work, detail and getting the job done,” he said.