Start-Up Story: Mills Fence Company

Owning his own business was something Ken Mills had dreamed about since he was 15 years old. After dabbling in flipping houses and fencing, he decided he liked fencing a lot better. That decision in 1970 marked the beginning of Mills Fence Company in Cincinnati, Ohio.

When he first started, Ken kept his full-time job at General Motors (GM), working the night shift for four years. By day, he was a part-time entrepreneur, building fences and his business, and occasionally sleeping. On Saturdays, he’d try to get in 12 hours of fencing work. “It wasn’t easy, but I was determined to succeed,” says Ken.

He did succeed, and after four years, was able to leave GM and devote all his work hours to growing his own business. With a family to support, he was very disciplined about his finances. “I paid for material, per job, until I had enough business to purchase material in more cost-effective truck loads.”

Growth was important to Ken from the beginning. “I’ve always felt a business must have growth, or it will die. I’ve always kept up with industry trends and I took some risks along the way. Fortunately, the risks I chose to take paid off for us.”

Ken moved the business to a 2-acre property after four years and stayed there for 33 years. In 1988, Mills Fence opened an additional office in Northern Kentucky, Ken’s home state. In 2007, the Ohio location expanded to a new, 11-acre property, where it remains today. Ken reports they are now the largest fence company in the Ohio-Indiana-Kentucky Tri-State region, and one of the area’s larger fence wholesale stores. While they still service residential customers, their largest installations today are in the commercial and industrial sector.

The Mills are a family that fences together! Ken’s wife, Patti, did the payroll in the early days and worked in the office during her summer breaks from teaching. In 1975, Ken’s brother, Alton Mills, became a co-owner with him until his retirement in 2005. Ken’s nephew, John Lyttle, who had worked in the company for several years, became his new co-owner and the two continue run the company together today. Both of Ken’s daughters, Ashley Smith Mills and Catherine Mills-Reynolds, along with Catherine’s husband, Kyle Reynolds, are part of the management team.

Ken says his family maintains a work/life balance by not bringing work problems home. “We love what we do, but we only talk about fence issues where they can be addressed and fixed, and that place is at the office.”

If given the choice, Ken says he’d do it all over again. “Owning my own business has been a wonderful experience for my family, however, it’s not for everyone. You have to be tough and not let the little stuff get to you. Stay focused on the goal.”

He says he is most proud of having turned a profit every year of their 52 years in business. Today, Mills Fence has 70 employees. The company has seen approximately 35% growth over the past five years, with annual sales volume of $26 million. “The largest growth we’ve seen has been in our wholesale material department, an area in which we are focused on growing even more.”

Ken’s best advice for someone wanting to start their own business is “to be ready to work hard and to keep yourself out of debt. Pay your fence bills before your other bills. You don’t want to be in debt to the people you are buying material from. This will save a lot of headaches down the road. Another piece of advice” adds Ken, “treat people right, price competitively and work hard. If you do that, you will grow and make money.”

Learn more at www.millsfence.com.

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