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Miller
For decades, Ford Miller and his business built bridges and roads throughout North Carolina and the Southeast while earning an outstanding reputation for the quality of work.
And in more recent years, Miller himself did everything he could to help higher education in McDowell County through his donations and support to the local community college.
Now, McDowell residents are remembering the life and legacy of Ford Miller, who contributed so much to our county. He passed away Saturday at his home at the age of 91.
Born in Ashe County, he was the owner and operator of Miller Engineering since 1961. For many years, the company was primarily engaged in bridge and road construction throughout North Carolina and the Southeast. He was also known as a hard-working and generous man who was happy to help his fellow people in need.
In recent years, Miller’s generosity included McDowell Technical Community College. He became the owner of the former Marion Manufacturing property on Baldwin Avenue and donated the former textile plant’ office building and adjacent land to McDowell Tech. That building became the Ford Miller Employment and Training Center.
MTCC staff member Michael Lavender and former board member and board Chairman Matt Smith worked with Miller during discussions which led up to the donation. Smith and Miller had been longtime friends.
“Miller is an incredibly kind and generous man who has always seemed to look for ways to help others when he can,” said Lavender in November 2020. “We are fortunate that he has chosen to help the college many times, so that the college, in turn, can help those who are unemployed and underemployed, as well as those wanting to further their education to make a better life for themselves and their family.”
In addition, Miller donated labor, equipment use and drainage access to adjacent property when the contractor renovating the property for the college ran into major drainage issues that were going unresolved due to right of way issues and governmental delays. Miller himself, as well as his employees and family members, did the work at no cost to the college.
He also provided free labor and heavy equipment use to McDowell Tech when a large sinkhole needed to be repaired in a parking lot at the Ford Miller Employment and Training Center. Likewise, he donated a “work van” to transport students in vocational programs to job sites for workplace training programs.
Miller and his company provided demolition services to the college at a reduced cost for removal of a large water tower on the college’s main campus when the college connected to city water and no longer needed the water tower.
He also consistently showed “concern for people, businesses and employment in McDowell County in various ways, including offering to pay off a mortgage for a local automobile dealer in an effort to avoid the closure of the county’s only Ford automobile dealership.” He also showed generosity to local churches, charities and individuals throughout the county when people were in need.
For his generosity and support to the college, the board of trustees for McDowell Technical Community College approved in November 2020 a resolution honoring Miller.
The resolution states “… this is an appropriate time to remind Mr. Miller and the community how much we appreciate his friendship and service to the college and local community.” It went on to encourage others to thank Miller for his service and friendship as well.
Matt Smith accompanied Chairman Gary Stroud and Ryan Garrison, who was the interim president at the time, when they presented Miller with a copy of the resolution early one morning in November 2020 as Miller, his son and several employees were having breakfast before the Miller Engineering crew started another workday.
Click here to read the original resolution story.
On Monday, Stroud said he could not think of a better friend of the college in his lifetime than Ford Miller.
“When we needed to purchase or rent a facility to expand our services to the unemployed, Ford did one better and gave us a building and land,” Stroud said on Monday. “When we were trying to build our construction trades program, Mr. Miller let us use his facilities to train our students in concrete construction techniques and gave our students internship opportunities at Miller Engineering. When we needed a way to transport our students to job training sites, he gave us one of his own vans. When a sinkhole developed on our Baldwin Avenue property, he and his staff brought equipment and fixed the problem at no cost to the college except materials. Suffice it to say, every time we needed him, Ford Miller stepped up to the plate for us and made sure we had what we needed to get our job done. He will be greatly missed.”
Brian Merritt, the current president, said McDowell Tech and the county as a whole owes a lot Miller and his generosity.
“When Mr. Miller gifted McDowell Tech the old Marion Fabrics office complex and adjoining property a little more than 15 years ago, he advanced the cause of workforce development in McDowell County by leaps and bounds,” said Merritt on Monday. “With the renovation of that facility, we were able to open the first true ‘one-stop’ in McDowell County, a place where the unemployed and underemployed in this area could prepare for new or better jobs, upgrade basic skills, find jobs and connect with local, state and federal assistance programs. His legacy will live on for years to come and people who never even knew Ford Miller will get jobs and lift themselves out of poverty because of the services we provide at the Ford Miller Employment and Training Center.”
Miller also earned another honor when he was presented the Order of the Long Leaf Pine in February 2018. Tom Johnson, who founded Tom Johnson Camping Center, was honored with the order at the same time.
Retired Judge and former N.C. Rep. Bob Hunter, who was a previous recipient, made the presentation in February 2018 on behalf of Gov. Roy Cooper. McDowell Economic Development Director Chuck Abernathy, civic leader Bobbi Young, former Chamber Director Rod Birdsong and former Mayor Everette Clark submitted letters of support.
Miller and Johnson were nominated for their “exemplary community service that demonstrates the tremendous impact” they have had in improving McDowell County.
“(Miller) is known for finishing complex state projects on time and within budget,” reads his nomination letter. “His success in business for over 50 years, serving as a major employer, has enabled him to make many significant business and personal donations to McDowell County, especially to McDowell Technical Community College.”
An active member of Providence United Methodist, he was instrumental in the construction of the building in use today by the church. He provided equipment, financing and materials for the church structure. Over the years, he provided other local churches with equipment for maintenance, site prep, as well as donating his time to complete the projects, according to the article from February 2018.
Both Johnson and Miller gave easements across their property for the Catawba River greenway, said Hunter at the time.
In November 2020, the McDowell Technical Community College Board of Trustees passed a resolution honoring Ford Miller in recognition of his 90th birthday in October. Former Board Chairman Matt Smith accompanied Chairman Gary Stroud and Ryan Garrison, who was interim president at the time, when the pair presented Miller with a copy of the resolution early one morning as Miller, his son and several employees were having breakfast before the Miller Engineering crew started another workday. In the photo were (from left) Stroud, Miller, Smith and Garrison. Miller passed away on Saturday at age 91.
And in December 2019, Commission Chairman Tony Brown said the new bridge on Sugar Hill Road that will someday cross Interstate 40 should be named in honor of Miller.
When contacted by The McDowell News, Miller said at the time he would be fine with having that bridge named for him.
“I have been working on the highways for 70 years,” he said to The McDowell News. “I have built bridges all over the state and three or four states. And I have not had any trouble with any of them.”
His funeral will be conducted at 3 p.m. today at Providence United Methodist Church. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends from 1-3 p.m. at the church.
Click here to read more about the demolition of Marion Manufacturing.
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In November 2020, the McDowell Technical Community College Board of Trustees passed a resolution honoring Ford Miller in recognition of his 90th birthday in October. Former Board Chairman Matt Smith accompanied Chairman Gary Stroud and Ryan Garrison, who was interim president at the time, when the pair presented Miller with a copy of the resolution early one morning as Miller, his son and several employees were having breakfast before the Miller Engineering crew started another workday. In the photo were (from left) Stroud, Miller, Smith and Garrison. Miller passed away on Saturday at age 91.
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