Terry Northrup
Miller met Terry Northrup at one of his apartment buildings.
“I lived in an apartment building Earl owned and started out mowing the property,” Northrup said. “I was working at IBP (now Tyson’s) and I went on strike with the other workers, so I started helping Earl on a project in Winnebago. The government had built 25 new houses and Earl had the contract to do sheetrocking and trim work.”
He worked some full-time hours for Earl Miller Construction then went back to IBP for a while. He continued to work for Miller part time.
“Earl had a crew of 10 guys that worked in the evenings,” said Northrup, who learned some of his handyman skills from his father, an industrial arts teacher. “I did that for 12 years then started working for him full time when there was an open position.”
Northrup said what he likes most about working for Earl Miller Construction is the atmosphere.
“It’s very easygoing. Earl and the other guys are easy to work with. On a lot of job sites games are played. Here, everything is upfront, open and honest,” he said.
Like Ross, he enjoys being on his own most of the time.
“We meet in the mornings and from then on we handle the job our way,” he said.
Working with customers is another highlight for him.
“It’s fun to go in and take something that doesn’t look so nice and turn it into a livable space, something you’re proud of. It’s also fun to go in and have some ideas, people use them, and the project turns out really nice.”
Northrup takes pride in learning about new products and methods of construction. He has enjoyed the tips that fellow co-worker Austin Miller brought back with him from his education at Northeast Community College in Norfolk, Neb.
“Everybody does things differently. Austin learned some things and he brought them back to us. You can keep learning if you want,” he said.
Northrup said he likes working with Earl Miller because he is very honest and genuinely interested in his employees.
“He thinks a lot about the people who work for him. I think he really cares about them,” he said.
Miller said Northrup is well-liked by customers.
“He makes sure they get what they want and the job is completed. He’s good at multiple tasks and having everything run smoothly.”