Soul of 78: James Miller

Miller Roofing

Words by Justin Hunter | Image by Ryan McGill

On a quiet and overcast morning in the Curry community, James Miller looks out the screened-in back patio of his parents’ home on Herman Road, which also serves as the headquarters of Miller Roofing, Inc. From his vantage point, James can see his grandparents' home tucked behind large budding trees where his grandfather, Earl Miller, established Miller Roofing in 1968. Across the field sits the chicken house that once doubled as Earl's first office, now used to store roofing materials. He sees more than the history of a business; it’s his family's living legacy.

"I really love construction, but I think more so I love helping people with problems that I can solve,” James says. “And so, having the ambition to try and help people in that way sometimes keeps me up at night because I want to make sure I've done everything possible to help a customer.”

As the third generation of Millers in the construction industry, James's childhood dream was to become an architect and expand the family business. That dream guided his educational path. As a Curry High School student, he dual-enrolled at Bevill State Community College (BSCC) to complete his prerequisites early. After graduating in 2008, he transferred to Auburn University where he was accepted into Auburn's School of Architecture, Planning, and Landscape Architecture’s highly competitive Summer Design Studio. While there, he participated in Auburn's Rural Studio Program, which focused on creating sustainable and healthful rural living through housing and vital systems. As a project for the program, James and his team built a greenhouse in Hale County. He graduated from Auburn in 2013 with a Bachelor of Architecture degree.

James watched his father and grandfather work long hours to establish a company anchored in customer satisfaction and excellence. Miller Roofing offers commercial and residential services throughout the United States. They provide free estimates and are licensed, bonded, and insured for customer protection with a crew of 20 experienced employees to help with every need.

Now James strives to uphold the family name in his generation. "The whole reason I went to architecture school is that I wanted to further Miller Roofing,” he explains. “I wanted to expand our business beyond just roofing. My drive is to bring the element of design to our business, and I'm still in the process of obtaining my license. Roofing is great, and it has been, and it will continue to be as the Lord provides, but that was my dream. It is my dream to become an architect so that I can help people on a different front. But in the meantime, Miller Roofing is still here."

Miller Roofing’s legacy of excellence may extend to a fourth generation as James and his wife, Beth, recently welcomed their first child, Luke Edward Miller. 78