Rising Stars: Meet Chuck Miller of Lancaster

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chuck Miller.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My business began in 2006 in the Lancaster Ohio area. I was close to retirement with close to 30 years as an educator in the city schools system. My area of expertise was agriculture including horticulture and livestock care. Only being 51 I wanted to find a job following my retirement that was in a field that I was familiar with and liked the type of work involved. I officially retired in March 2010 and from that point expanded my business to eight employees and involved over 150 customers in the area. We were involved in landscape maintenance, hardscape design and construction, lawn care, fertilization, Christmas holiday decorating and snow and ice removal. In 2017 we decided to specialize in maintenance and installation of landscaping along with lawn care, holiday lighting and snow and ice management and reduced our staff to 4 people. Our business was involved in training young people to enter careers in our industry and still do today. We also are involved in the United States Skill Bridge program working with retiring military personnel to train them for career opportunities in the Landscape Industry. Our most recent work centers around clientele in the Lancaster area. Currently we have four employees .

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The biggest struggle in the industry has been securing employees to complete the work requested over the years. This struggle has lead us to work with high school and recent graduates in training programs to assist in our work load. Although not the perfect answer because it requires more on the job supervision. We are very pleased with the Military Skill Bridge program that has provided us with older employees who have developed outstanding work skills and responsibilities and have greatly improved our work and excellence.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My background came from the farming industry and was actively involved in the FFA organization in high school and still today. Following high school I secured and BS in Agriculture and the a MS in Agriculture from the Ohio State University. I completed non degree work at University of Wisconsin- Madison and the University of California- Sacramento. I taught high school agricultural education for thirty years training students in animal care, crop production, small animal care . horticulture and landscaping. I have taught as an adjunct professor at The Ohio State University and Ashland University. I hold certification to apply pesticides, a certified Landscape Technician with the Ohio Nursery Association. As an educator I served as National President of the American Career and Technology Education Agriculture Division, served as a lobbyist in Washington DC, A Christa McAlliffe Fellow and Agric-Science Fellow.
I am most known for my service to my profession and community and my knowledge of the landscape industry. My most proud of is the amount of young people I have helped over the years. What sets me apart is my patience and my determination to work with everyone.

How do you think about happiness?
I love to travel and see other parts of the United States and world. It interesting to see how others operate in the local settings. I also love to hear from former students and their success in life.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mirrorscapes.net