A Look Back 100 Years Ago

This year, Miller Electric is proud to celebrate its 100^th anniversary. While not much has changed with the way Miller does business – we still adhere to the same values and committed work ethic that have helped build our solid, enduring reputation – the world sure is a different place. Back in 1912:

• If you were a man, you were lucky to live past the age of 48; women made it to age 52. Today’s life expectancy is almost 78 years old.
• 0.1% marriages ended in divorce; today it hovers around 50%.
• The Ford Model T was still the most popular car in America.

1912 is also a year when many enduring institutions were founded:

• Of course, Miller Electric.
• The Boston Red Sox defeated the mighty New York Giants to win the World Series in what many baseball aficionados consider the greatest baseball game ever played. The Red Sox went on to play in 11 World Series, winning seven. Even the New York Giants, who later became the San Francisco Giants, are still a world-class team today with six World Series wins to their credit.
• Arizona became our 48^th state.
• David Packard, co-founder of Hewlett Packard was born, as was Julia Child and free-market economist Milton Friedman – collectively they helped redefine the way Americans work, think, live and eat.

Unfortunately, others were cut short:

• Most notably, the Titanic took its maiden, and final, voyage, embarking from Southampton, England on April 10 only to hit an iceberg and sink four days later.
• We also almost lost Teddy Roosevelt, who was shot by a saloonkeeper while on his comeback campaign in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He went on to deliver his stump speech with the bullet still stuck in his chest. Thankfully, the speech folded up in his breast pocket kept the bullet from lodging fatally. Unfortunately, his presidential comeback didn’t fare so well.

Reflecting back on 1912 and how far we’ve come at Miller Electric, it’s important to take stock of what qualities separate the institutions that last from those that go by the wayside. We’d like to think that our rigorous attention to uncompromised quality, integrity and reputation continues to resonate with our customers – and will continue to do so for another millennium. Because, in the end, all you have is your name. Let us know what you think are qualities that stand the test of time. Please leave a comment below or contact us directly.