Miller Cabinetry & Furniture LLC, originally named Furniture by Miller, was birthed in 1993 by a young man's ambitious vision. Not only did he need to provide an income, but he wanted to do so by doing something he could thoroughly enjoy. Before doing cabinetry, Stephen had done a little bit of everything. His Dad had worked at a local cabinet shop for many years before he suddenly passed away of a massive heart attack when Stephen was seven. During his school years, starting at age eleven, Stephen worked in the summers at his Uncle's Pallet shop and later at his Grandpa's sawmill to help bring in a small bit of income for the family.
In his early adult life, Stephen worked numerous jobs, mostly in different aspects of the home building industry. He quickly found it difficult to engage in the jobs he was working, due to his inability to see past the small details. Working for crews where production was first priority, he found himself frustrated with the lack of attention to detail. Searching for a profession that would actually need and appreciate his perfectionistic nature, he went to work at his Uncle's cabinet company at age twenty-one and soon realized that it was a much better fit for him.
In 1993, after working for his Uncle for 1 year, Stephen made the decision to strike out on his own. His love for detail prompted him to steer away from building Kitchen cabinetry, and he opted instead to build custom heirloom furniture. He set up shop in a small shed on his parents' property and named his operation "Furniture by Miller." A year later, he married the love of his life, Marie, and bought a small piece of ground from his parents on which he built a 30x60 building. They made a small living quarters on one end and moved the shop into the remaining part.
Beginnings were small, and work was scarce in those early years. One thing, however, stood out as time progressed. When Stephen was finished with a project, he left a lifetime customer who would refer him to everyone they knew and return to him for any further projects they needed. For Stephen, it was not so much a business strategy as it was simply a part of his character. In his mind, anything other than a completely satisfied customer was due to failure on his part. Being a Christian, he was always solidly committed to absolute integrity with every contact he made, including his employees, who quickly became like family.
Marie proved to be a very valuable part of the business and quickly became loved by clients for her sharp perception and amazing knack of bringing together an assortment of ideas into a beautiful, functional design that is loved by everyone, a quality she is still known for to this day. For fourteen years they worked side by side - doing their best, and seeing slow but steady results of their dedicated efforts. They had no way of knowing how much things were about to change.
While many things were going well for them, Stephen and Marie were without children and longed to have a family. They often prayed and wondered what their future held for them. God sometimes answers our prayers in ways that no one can understand. In October of 2007, a family who was attending their church was involved in a tragic automobile accident which claimed the lives of the parents and three children, leaving behind three surviving boys, ages 13, 9, and 4, and a girl, age 7. While visiting the surviving children in the hospital, it became clear to the Millers that this was God's answer to their longing for a family. Through nothing less than a miracle, a path to adoption became available to them.
As much a miracle as the adoption itself was the amazing way that parents and children adapted and became a family that was indistinguishable from a "normal" family. Stephen and Marie even received many comments about how much their children looked like them. Since the shop was on the home property, the boys often found themselves out in the shop, following the employees around and sweeping the floors or doing other odd jobs as directed by Stephen.
Stephen was a man of wisdom, and it became more evident as he focused his attention on training his children. Being a very relational person, he took very seriously being a reachable personal Father to his children. As his sons grew older and became more involved in the business, "boss's son" status was not something they enjoyed but rather were expected to learn and take instruction from the older, more experienced employees. Thorough instructions were expected to be carried out with diligence and without complaint. Responsibilities were given to them based on their proven ability to perform the tasks well, and they learned quickly that Stephen's trust was not freely given but was earned.
Stephen, however, was a humble man who was very willing to give credit where credit was due and take advice from employees and sons alike. His sons quickly learned that earning Stephen's trust in any given area was a very rewarding experience, which always led to more opportunities for learning and added responsibility.
By 2011, Stephen's vision to do custom furniture pieces had been redirected to custom cabinetry based on demand. They rebranded their business, naming it Miller Cabinetry & Furniture LLC, putting cabinetry as their primary focus while continuing to offer any custom furniture desired by clients. Stephen had never focused on advertising or business growth. In fact, his sons have no recollection of him ever talking or dreaming about future business plans. The only thing they frequently heard from him was a thank you to God in his prayers for providing work for the company. By 2013, however, his persistence, attention to detail, and focus on quality relationships were beginning to pay off. As demand grew, numerous expansions were added to the business in an effort to effectively fulfill the needs of their clientele.
Over thirty years from those early difficult years, Stephen and Marie maintain a strong guiding hand on the business while enjoying the freedom of leaving most of the daily operations to their adult sons and a dedicated team of just over a dozen employees. Their children are all married and have their own residences, which leaves Stephen and Marie alone in their home again. Much is different, though, as their home is now frequented by the hearty giggles and childish play of their grandchildren, and the companionship of their four adult children and respective spouses. Though not bearing the load of daily business operations, they continue to stay busy investing their efforts toward the next generation and the local church where Stephen serves as a pastor.
As of 2025, 32 years from its beginning, Miller Cabinetry & Furniture LLC strives to continue the focus on which it was founded. While significantly larger than at its inception, the goal to provide a personal, fully custom, and high-quality experience for every client continues to be the focus. We are Christians and believe that each contact we make is an opportunity to not only provide the cabinetry needs of our clients, but also to create lasting relationships that will benefit everyone.
We give honor to Jesus Christ, who has been completely faithful in every aspect of our personal and business experience. We also give much credit to the many clients, dealers, designers, and home builders whose continued patronage, suggestions, and requests have shaped and refined our techniques and methods of creating what we trust will continue to be an ultimate quality, fairly priced, and personally satisfying product for everyone!
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