This time of year provides a good opportunity to stop and take a moment to express gratitude for the many people and projects we have been privileged to be part of in 2021.
After a challenging year last year, we found this year to present ongoing challenges of its own.
Still, despite the many ways that the COVID-19 pandemic changed work and life for all of us, we rose to the challenge, faced the changes head on, and supported each other and our customers – all while delivering excellent work.
Our Customers and Industry Partners
We know we’re only as good as the customers we serve and in 2021, that meant wiring, installing and servicing many essential and innovative projects in the Omaha area. Here’s a look back at just a few project highlights we’ve been privileged to work on this year.
Haven150
In 2012, Kevin, Jackie and Josh Zach began transforming their acreage off of 150th street near Springfield, Nebraska, into a safe and peaceful place for individuals with developmental and physical disabilities to enjoy nature hikes, outdoor games, interaction with farm animals and relaxation in nature.
Over time, a beautiful, but blank, canvas was slowly transformed into a haven with a restored 100-year old barn and now, thanks to involvement from Miller Electric, a climate-controlled, accessible, ADA-compliant gathering space for their guests.
“Miller Electric’s attention to detail is phenomenal,” says Jackie Zach. “The relationship we built with Andrew and Scott led us to ask Andrew if Miller would quote us for the interior work. That’s when we met Brian. We trusted them based on the exterior work and it exceeded our expectations.”
Brian McAndrew, an electrician for Miller Electric, oversaw the installation of all the conduit, wiring, plugs, switches and light fixtures on the inside and outside of the building at Haven150. He describes the finished product as, “beautiful – inside and out.”
Heider College of Business
Beginning in early 2019 and continuing through the long, pandemic-impacted days of 2020, Miller Electric worked diligently to wire new classrooms, faculty offices, and collaborative and common spaces throughout the College’s Harper Center in time to welcome students back for fall classes.
The $25 million renovation project included wiring, lighting, design build technology and workstation power for numerous spaces, including the following:
- Starbucks, Barnes & Noble Bookstore and iJay (Apple Store)
- Enrollment Management & Presentation Room
- St. Peter Faber, SJ Chapel
- Innovation Labs (Analytical, Digital Content, and Agency Practicum)
- 5 new classrooms and 15 faculty offices outfitted with height-adjusted mobile podiums, projectors and screens; white boards, video cameras, microphones and speakers; adaptable furniture and lighting systems
The project, which was designed by Tim Holland of Holland Basham Architects, repurposed existing space to increase efficiency without needing to construct new buildings to accommodate the growing College’s needs.
Carson Wealth Headquarters
Miller Electric was privileged to provide low voltage cabling services for Carson financial group’s headquarters complex through our relationship with Tetrad Property Group and alongside JE Dunn Construction. Highlights of the 194,000 square foot facility include:
- Amenities hub with café and fitness facilities
- Skybridge
- Rooftop terraces
- Unique multi-purpose lobby that functions as a stairway and gathering space
- Courtyards and green space for hosting picnics, bands and events
- Transparent exterior that invites ample interior daylighting to a mix of private and collaborative workspaces
Miller Electric worked with Carson financial group directly to deliver cabling infrastructure to their precise specification. As is true of every project to which we contribute, it was important to us to both meet their needs now, and make it easy for them to meet future needs down the road.
Valmont Industries Headquarters
Miller Electric provided low voltage cabling services for the beautiful complex through our relationship with Tetrad Property Group and alongside JE Dunn Construction. Highlights of the 194,000 square foot facility include:
- An amenities hub with café and fitness facilities
- Skybridge and rooftop terraces
- A unique multi-purpose lobby that functions as a stairway and gathering space
Our People
Miller Electric Company is proud of our people, and not just because we’re employee-owned. Identifying the best local electricians in the industry, hiring them, training them and retaining them is the secret to our success. It has allowed Miller Electric to sustain the largest core workforce in the area while providing the finest talent for every job.
Despite a challenging year that brought disruptions to supply chains around the world, we’ve been able to keep working. In fact, we hired more wiremen and cablers in 2021, expanding our ability to help business thrive in Omaha.
And, we received our highest ranking ever, #100, among the ENR Top 600 Specialty Contractors, and #32 among the Top Electrical Firms. To be considered among the nation’s elite electrical contractors in a year where so many businesses are struggling is a testament to our customers’ loyalty and the caliber of our employees, who never tire of doing the right thing.
We also saw a change in leadership this year. After decades of faithful service at the helm, Ray Bruegman retired and Jason Tagge stepped up to lead our crew. We are thankful for Jason’s experienced leadership and know we will continue to excel at our craft under his charge.
Our Community
We power a community we are a part of and our success is connected to its safety. Working safely is critical to our own culture as a commercial electrical contractor and to the continued growth of our local business community.
Safety Without Shortcuts
We make it a point to protect ourselves and our clients by offering safety training classes and making safety an integral part of our culture. That commitment to safety was rewarded again this year with recognition from the National Safety Council of Nebraska as one of Nebraska’s safest companies.
“In our line of work, when what you do can easily result in life-threatening injuries, it’s of critical importance to make sure every one of our electricians, wiremen and even our customers follow the protocols and codes designed to keep us safe,” says Miller Electric Safety Director Scott Love.
Munroe-Meyer Institute
Miller Electric is proud to have powered the world’s most advanced facility serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities – the Munroe-Meyer Institute for Genetics and Rehabilitation (MMI).
The new 220,455 square foot facility enables MMI to support the expansion of the critical services it offers to children and their families.
The character of Miller Electric employees on the job was not lost on Dr. Karoly Mirnics, Director of the Munroe-Meyer Institute for Genetics and Rehabilitation, who said, “Teamwork is always the critical link in any chain of events, and any chain is only as strong as its weakest link.
“There were no weak links on this project, and Miller Electric was one of the strongest. They care about their job, do their best, are responsive, and always listened to us. They conducted themselves professionally and courteously, and were always available to help and explain what they were doing.”
We couldn’t have said it better ourselves!
A final word
We don’t just work here. We live here and want to see Omaha thrive for generations to come. We demonstrate that desire through volunteering through Habitat for Humanity, serving on industry boards and committees such as NECA and IBEW, the NECA/IBEW apprenticeship committee and on multiple industry peer groups.
We are thankful to be able to see the fruit of our labors in the ideas we help bring to life; the people who go to work in the facilities we wire; and the families who thrive in a safe and supported community.
Our participation in this work is a responsibility we don’t take lightly and one that we want to continue to be trusted to perform for the next hundred years.